Azamara will be our first choice for cruising from now on. Service, food, destinations and experience were the best.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very organized and efficient. Be sure to do the online check-in prior to arriving at port to make the check-in process easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Excellent food choices and variety of restaurants. If you go hungry, then you have a problem.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The entertainment provided is very suitable to the general demographic of this cruise line. There were plenty of options for everyone of all ages. We just simply enjoyed being able to decompress from our everyday work and life stresses.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I'm sure that they were fine, and like activities, were suitable to the average elderly demographic of the cruise passengers. Rated as a 3 simply because we just weren't interested in attending entertainment.
Children's Programs
No children traveling with us
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Azamara shines in this category in all areas. It was consistent, friendly and truly hospitable from the moment we stepped onto the ship to the moment we disembarked at the end. The captain was very thorough in his communication when we were experiencing some rougher than usual seas and we could tell he was genuinely concerned with our safety and well-being by being honest and open. By no means were our lives in danger, so don't make this assumption. But he made sure that those who are prone to motion sickness were aware and to take the necessary precautions. Outstanding service from top to bottom.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Very clean and sanitary all around. The crew took extra precautions to make sure all areas were clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Smaller than most cruises, but adequate for our needs, since we did not plan to spend a lot of time in there but only to really sleep. Stateroom attendants were outstanding and they provide their phone number in the cabin so that when you call, it is answered by one of two assigned to your room on a cell phone they carry. So you didn't have to leave a message with a general operator for any needs you have. Your call went directly to the person who delivered, and deliver they did very quickly.
We did the 4x4 excursion and it was great. Awesome tour guides and experience to see life on a Thai island. Great introduction for us novices to Asia on a different way of life.
Very awe-inspiring, with the mega population. The only negative was the time distance to everything and how dirty everything was (a lot of trash). We went on an excursion one day that was heavily focused on temples and after two, that was enough. Nice ride on the river with lunch. We also went on a long trip the Floating Markets and that was a great experience, too.
This was the city I was most excited about visiting and unfortunately was the most disappointing. We went on a Colonial Excursion and our tour guide was not good, as he was very disinterested in talking about the city and walked way too fast and could have lost some of the guests if we did not look out for each other.
We took another excursion to the Mekong Delta and that was outstanding. Our tour guides were Minh and Kim and they were incredible.
Tip - with Azamara being a smaller ship, it is able to dock right at the main pier in Ho Chi Minh City, whereas the larger ships cannot navigate the river to get to the city. Just a helpful tip for those thinking they might get to the city on a larger ocean liner.
Loved the pottery village and Hoi An, which we experienced via an Azamara excursion. We hope to return to stay in that quaint town on our own someday. Great experience.
Ha Long Bay is probably the most beautiful place I have been on earth, especially while the sun was setting over the 1,900 plus islands out in the bay. It brought peace and spirituality to the crazy world in which we live.
While it was a very long trip to get there on our excursion, Hanoi was an amazing experience. It was the one we were most hesitant to visit, but so glad we did. Throw everything you were taught in school about Vietnam being Communist... because you will have it all wrong. Very capitalistic and fun to experience.
We did not do an excursion via Azamara, but in hindsight, wish we would have. After leaving the ship and being accustomed to everything planned for us, Hong Kong is a place to experience with someone who knows the city fairly well (and how to order the right food, haha).
BUT, we still loved it. And because we were only there for one day, it is not enough and we will will return to visit someday again.
Tip... while most people speak English, most taxi drivers do not so be prepared. Many don't want to help you and just say they don't know how to get to your destination and drive away. Not that we expect them to speak our language, just be prepared to have directions or addresses in Chinese.
Azamara's disembarkation process was very smooth and organized.
Tip - use Azamara for your ground transfers and post-cruise itineraries. We did not and as soon as you were out of their hands, disembarkation went downhill quickly. The taxi line was over an hour wait and apparently, Uber is not allowed to pick up at the cruise port, so we were stuck for awhile. We had to walk a long way to get to an alternate taxi stand with a lot of luggage in tow.
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