My husband and I decided to take our 4th cruise since August of 2009 after viewing the itinerary of the Quest. 14 days Rome to Rome with overnight stays in Sorrento, Venice and Loverno. We had previously been delighted with Celebrity cruises in the Caribbean and were willing to give Azamara a try.

Upon quick and efficient boarding in Civitavecchia, we were greeted with champagne and set off immediately for the complementary laundry facilities (soap included) as we had already been in Tuscany for over a week. We were impressed with the elegant dark wood and wrought iron interior decorating which was immediately relaxing. The lunch buffet was a little better than Celebrity's with higher quality cheeses, breads and meats.

Even though the buffets were all fairly standard, the dining room far exceeded our expectations. We loved the casual dining (no-formal nights) and open seating. There were never more than about three couples ahead of us in line and we usually received immediate attention. The food could not have been better; we felt as though we were dining in a 5 star restaurant every meal. Ingredients were top of the line: huge scallops and lobster offered frequently, venison and game birds. I had thought that the menu might be limited due to the size of the ship but a good variety of all courses were offered each time. Different complementary wines -one white/one red- were offered every lunch and dinner in unlimited quantities. As I avoid alcohol I appreciated the also-complementary sparkling water, teas and specialty coffees. The staff was more than well trained, they obviously were happy to have been hired onto the Quest. Read more