We are experienced cruisers going back to the '80's. We prefer crossings and repositioning since most port visits are superficial at best. Substituting tour buses for luxury ship ambiance and tacky-tacky retail stops that seem to be about accommodating the local businesses rather than providing the cruiser any real opportunities. Thus the itinerary from Seward to Tokyo with stops in unusual way ports caught our fancy. Our Virtuoso Travel Agent forewarned us that Azamara was not quite up to true top notch all inclusive lines and that we would in particular find the cabin bathrooms small. All in all it sounded worth trying. We took the "unlimited package" which provided top shelf beverages, unlimited internet access (disappointingly slow and erratic). and three alternate dining experiences. Worst aspect of the experience was a feeling of overcrowded spaces. This was particularly so in the buffet area at prime lunch and dinner where seating was difficult to secure and the space between buffet lines was severely clogged. Food quality was better than you now get on mass market lines like HAL but not as good as we have had on Crystal, Windstar, or Seabourne. Really, it was only somewhat better than a recent experience on RCL. Service was slow albeit friendly and professional. My wife adheres to a rigorous low sodium diet and was very disappointed in the ship's efforts to accommodate her despite their continual protestations that they would. The enrichment speaker was a disappointment. She was overly pedantic and long winded. And, incredibly, she had a pronounced stammer. I can't imagine that anyone who took the trouble to be familiar with her speaking ability would hire her for this purpose regardless of her academic credentials. NO excuse for this management oversight. Read Less

7th Azamara trip. Glacier was the main event and did not disappoint. Most cities looked alike. Shops and not much else. First day on board and it was self serve. Usually staff serve first day to make sure no one is sick. Azamara should go back to this best practice. I got a bad case of flu on board and it is awful to be confined for 5 days in you room. I’m sure this tainted my feeling about the trip. Wish I had better things to say but both my husband and I are just working hard to get back on our feet. The food in the dining room was good but missed surf and turf night. The white night party was a lot of fun as usual. So good that we had decent weather that night. Warren (coffee/bar) is such a nice person. I would like more lectures on board. Another negative is there was no TV for days. WiFi should be free to everyone and faster. Read Less

We have cruised with Azamara several times. After a very disappointing cruise in March, we decided to give it one more try. Azamara is no longer a luxury cruise line. The food was very disappointing and mediocre. The only decent meal we had in the main dining room was the sea-day buffet. The dinner buffets in Windows cafe ranged from outstanding to terrible. Although this was an Alaska cruise, we were never served crab and were offered Alaskan salmon only once. The food is better on Celebrity, and in a different class altogether on Oceania. Our cruise was originally scheduled to dock in Haines, but the port was eliminated. We did not get a price adjustment from Azamara or an alternate port, just another sea day. We had less than optimal dock sites in Icy Strait Point (tendered), Juneau and Ketchikan. Juneau had a free shuttle. The internet was incredibly slow. Also, due to their “upgraded” system, there was no way to tell how many minutes you used each time you logged on and off. Your minutes disappeared with no documentation of where they went. The White Night was a joke. No more grilled lobster tails. Instead, lukewarm seafood kebabs with a small piece of lobster, a shrimp, a scallop, and large chunks of fish. It was very windy, and many folks opted to eat inside. We were in Victoria on Canada Day, and the fireworks were supposed to be an added attraction to the White Night festivities. However, they were difficult to see from the ship. The liquor brands included in the complimentary package are low end. You get better choices with the Classic package on Celebrity. The cruise director, Ernest, was excellent. All of the ship’s singers and dancers were very talented. The entertainment was very good. The ship excursions we took ranged from average to excellent. We especially enjoyed the Sitka raptor center and Sitka tour and the Mendenhall Glacier and Salmon Bake. The salmon was grilled over coals with a maple glaze. Best food we had on the cruise. Our room was a standard balcony cabin. The bedding was great. Our shower had mold on the floor when we first got to our cabin. It was not removed until we complained to Guest Relations. Other than that, the cabin was very good. The service in the main restaurant was very poor. I always had to ask to get my water refilled. The menu was uninteresting. The daily chef’s specials were the same as the entrees served at the dinner buffet in Windows. Azamara used to be our favorite cruise line. It no longer is. The brand has been cheapened and it’s no longer a luxury cruise line. Read Less

We sailed on the Quest from Seward to Vancouver and it was one of the best (of many) cruises that we have done. The voyage through the Alaskan scenery is almost indescribable. We have taken so many pictures and everybody says they are wonderful but we don't think that they show the beauty of the area as much as looking at it "in real life". The different ports were very good, perhaps with the exception of Icy Straight Point. It's good to get off and have a walk around but if you're looking for lots to do or see, then you'll be disappointed. Our cabin was the 1st level of suite, it was roomy and exceptionally well looked after by our room steward. The bathroom is small however. We did have a bath with the shower included with the dreaded shower curtain but that is being picky and certainly didn't upset us in any way. The MDR was very good and we also ate in the steak restaurant (twice because it was so good) and the Italian. We didn't enjoy this as much however this was due to personal taste rather than quality of food or service. What can i say about the staff - they were wonderful. Whether you dealt with staff in the buffet, MDR, speciality restaurants or in the service areas (guest relations, concierge or house keeping), they were wonderful. They find a way of being friendly and very helpful but still getting the job done. A great balance ! regarding excursions - I did the whale watching trip in Juneau which i would highly recommend (i couldn't count all the whales we saw) and my husband did the salmon fishing trip - both of which were excellent. Very well organised both on and off the ship. My husband did the salmon sports fishing in Sitka and was very disappointed with it, particularly after such a good trip in Juneau. We met lots of passengers that did the fishing trips and by the sounds of things Sitka trip was the "odd one out" of high standards. It's also worth mentioning the Azamazing evening which was local to a port and where we watched a Lumberjack show. It was great fun and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Praise is also due to the Buffet staff as we all landed in there when we got back on board and it was exceptionally well organised. Embarkation and disembarkation were both handled very well and were very smooth. As you meet passengers during the cruise you realise how many folks are return "Azamara's" and suffice to say, we enjoyed the ship so much we have booked again for next year (albeit a different destination). My final point is praise for a few folk. Air Canada lost our luggage and we were facing the possibility of having nothing before we sailed. Luckily, one case just before we left but it was another 5 days before we got the 2nd one. The Concierge (Adrian i think) was superb, he took over and said that he would speak and sort. It didn't resolve the situation but it certainly made everything easier so our thanks to him. Also to the shop staff (Lois) who went out of their way to try and help us get the items that we needed. Due to this out first few days weren't ruined. Here's to next year :) Read Less

We chose this cruise a we wanted to go back to Alaska and wanted to go on the Azamara Quest for the second time. It didn't disappoint. The food was excellent and the itinerary was good although we missed Victoria because on high wind. We were able to get closer than the larger ships and only had to tender one time. The smaller lounges on board were very nice to meet and converse with other cruisers. The elimination of the Casino was disheartning, however probably saved me some money. The Captain was one of the most outstanding officers I have seen on a cruise ship, very personable and visible to keep us informed on every phase of the cruise. Hope I get another chance to go on the Quest and cruise with him. Embarkation was the quickest and easiest I had ever been through in nearly 20 cruises. Disembarkation was also easy with our luggage removed from the ship the night before and were close to our transportation. Canada and US Customs were very professional and smooth. Read Less