Great first cruise with Azamara.

Azamara Pursuit Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 20

Overall rating:

4.8 out of 5
Azamara Pursuit

11 Night Ireland Intensive (Dublin To Southampton)

Sail date: June 13, 2023

Ship: Azamara Pursuit

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8800

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Our cabin quite comfortable. Food was great. Being on a smaller ship is the way to go. The country intensive cruises Azamara does are brilliant.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Incredibly simple. We boarded in Dublin. There’s no “cruise terminal”. Azamara had tents set up and the process was seamless. Maybe 10 minutes… On board you’re given champagne and led over to the safety briefing. It’s a quick informative video.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Food everywhere was quite good. Prime C steakhouse was as good as I’ve had anywhere. I do think they need to adjust breakfast buffet opening times especially on early port days.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Pool area was very well maintained. There are plenty of loungers. Never saw the gym but the spa area it’s in looked nice.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
First night they had an Irish group aboard. Very entertaining, but I love that kind of music. The lounge piano player was good and fun to visit with. I’m not normally one to go to shows but I have to say they were pretty good.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Can’t say enough about the friendliness and efficiency of the staff. They are hard working but never too busy to smile and great you. Bartenders quickly learned our orders. Cabin steward was great, but we don’t really leave much for them to do.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Layout was easy to navigate. I love a smaller ship. The ship was very clean and well maintained.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Everyone talks about how small the bathrooms are. They’re right, they are. Noticeable but not really a big deal to us. Cabin was very clean and well maintained. Beds were very comfortable. Lots of pillows. We chronically overpack and there was plenty of storage space.

Ship tip

Get ready to have a great cruise.

Ports of call

Londonderry, Northern Ireland

5 out of 5
The walled city are was interesting. Crossed the river and found Walled City Brewing, a new craft brewery. Good beer great atmosphere. Despite it’s troubled past, everyone we met was very nice. One local commented “In Ireland we love everyone else, we just hate each other”

Belfast, Northern Ireland

5 out of 5
Loved it. Lots of history, pain and turmoil. Also lots of hope for a brighter future. Don’t let a troubled past turn you off. The people are great, Belfast is a beautiful town. A trip to The Peacewall is a must. Lots of good pubs too.

Dublin, Ireland

5 out of 5
Ship docks in a great location right on the River Liffey. So much to see and do in Dublin and the surrounding countryside. Great pubs and not just in The Temple Bar area. HOHO busses give a great overview.

Galway, Ireland

4 out of 5
Didn’t really see much of Galway. It’s a tendered port. Right where tender drops you off is the ferry out to Inis Mor of The Aran Islands. Amazing trip. It’s like going back in time. Iron Age ring fort is quite a hike but worth it. Great views from the cliffs out to the Atlantic Ocean.

DONEGAL, IRELAND

5 out of 5
Never got to Donegal. Killybegs is the town you dock in. Found the Killybegs Information Center and got a great tour of Sliabh Liag and parts of The Wild Atlantic way. Ask for Sean.

Cork, Ireland

5 out of 5
Never got into Cork City. The port town is Cobh (pronounced Cove) Very pretty town , nice waterfront. Good pubs, friendly people.

WARRENPOINT, NORTHERN IRELAND

5 out of 5
Charming town, friendly people. Nearby town of Rostrevor is a delight. Walk The Fairy Glen.

Foynes, Ireland

3 out of 5

Southampton (London), England

5 out of 5
Easy debarkation.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Sadly, it too was fast and efficient.
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5 Comments

Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

DiegodaMonkey    1 year ago

Just curious…had you been on Azamara prior to it being sold by RCI.?…. Be interested to know if any noticiable differences.

javawoody    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing your detailed review

cruising2004    1 year ago

Great detailed review! Glad you enjoyed your cruise. Appreciate you sharing your experience.

Itspeace4me    1 year ago

Thank you for sharing your cruise experience.

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