Azamara Quest Cruise Reviews - Reviews

12 nights on a relatively small ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, and virtually no complaints to be made.  This is THE way to cruise!  We were met at the airport and driven, just the two of us, in a Mercedes limousine to a lovely little hotel in Rome where we were made comfortable and familiarized with the process and the trip.  We also go to meet some warm fellow passengers.  Let it be known that this is a cruise taken by almost totally experienced cruisers and certainly of a mature variety.  Other than the captain's 3 children, there were no children on board, nor are there facilities to care for them.

After a night at out leisure, we were transported to the ship and processed quickly and with no fuss.  That pretty well sums up the handling of the entire cruise, the crew was well past superb and the senior staff, right to the top, were more than willing to help make everything right.

The first night's dinner was a revelation.  Beef that could be cut with a fork, vegetables that still had crunch.  Gelato!!  Real gelato and a different flavor nightly.  (Ok, I'm a gelato freak.)  The food was equally as good each night.  The serving staff knew what to do and how to do it each step of the meal.  It was fine dining afloat, without question.  

Daytimes were well handled.  Except for the daily briefing from the bridge, there are no ship wide announcements.  No calls to Bingo, no screams for "bar service".  There is a list of beer, wine and spirits provided throughout the day and evening as well as with meals that are included in the cruise fare.  It's not a problem to find a suitable libation.  The cafe on deck 9 was clean, neat and staffed so that almost everything was brought to the guest even though it was a buffet set up.  Real silverware, plates and cloth napkins everywhere.  Oh, did I mention that as we are long time RCCL cruisers there was a bottle of champagne in the room for us and petit fours each afternoon as well as a fruit bowl in our room.  The bed was really soft and the mini-bar largely included.

On day 3 we were treated to a shore excursion as part of the trip.  A lovely concert at Olympus in the original amphitheater.  I tiny complaint was the lack of lighting at the seating area before and after the program, especially in light of the age of the attendees.

The rest of our shore excursions were as promised which meant they were mostly of quite a bit of physical activity.  There is really no provision for severely handicapped persons in much of the Middle East, largely due to the antiquity of the area.  In Israel, they certainly have tried but places like Jerusalem and Acre are mountainous and some areas are inaccessible to wheelchairs and those with walking disabilities.  Where wheelchairs could go, they were welcomed.

We did a day in Rhodes and went to a ceramics factory.  This was, as they all are there, a family business in a couple of rooms.  I am delighted to say that I will never be a great potter, but I managed to get covered in clay and have a dish to prove it.

In Israel, we did the Leisurely Jerusalem trip which was hosted by a very chatty young man who told us all we asked about the country and people.  We even got is some extra stops along the way.  The second day we did Masada and the Dead Sea.  Masada is truly awe-inspiring.  It is also hot and will really test one's walking ability.  The gondola to the top is crowded and it does sway for those with claustrophobia issues, hold on to your neighbor.  The Dead Sea is an experience.  No doubt everyone floats, but getting back up is not easy as it requires forcing your legs down through the water which has 10 times the usual salinity.  It can be tough.

We skipped out on Acre for day 3 as it is well beyond our physical abilities.  We are told it is best for mountain goats.

The only hope we expressed was for more and more varied excursions.  However, what was provided was the cream of what was available.  

A word on travel.  Most folks were on British Air; enough said.  We deviated to avoid some secondary airlines and flew Air Canada out and Swiss International coming back.  Both are quality airlines though Swiss International is on a par with some of the best we have ever flown.  Connections are the issue here.  We were routed through Toronto.  This is a big modern airport.  Lots of restaurants and shopping.  When we landed, a toilet was immediately necessary.  There is NO toilet before going through passport control.  That requires walking the length of the airport, going through the passport check and walking back to the other end of the airport and then down an escalator to reach the toilet.  The passport check was necessary even though we were in transit on one airline.  It takes about 10 minutes to walk each way.  We live in Boston.  You may have to go through Immigration & Customs even in transit, but when you get off that first flight, there is a toilet immediately available.  Further, I needed a wheelchair.  They put me on a golf cart type vehicle then told my wife to walk, as they would not have here ride with me.  That's a first anywhere we have ever travelled.  The airport personnel were also rude and abrupt.  For me, Toronto is a never again facility.

I will travel, with great pleasure, on Azamara Club cruises again.  It is worth every penny and more to be treated this well and with this much care.  Come and enjoy.

Overall, I would not recommend this cruise to people who are well travelled or have high standards of quality experiences as you will likely be disappointed with current services. If you are a infrequent traveller, you may very well enjoy the excursion experience of being pampered away from home with new ports each day.

The ship is in excellent shape and extremely well maintained. Our stateroom was large by cruise standards, so we never felt jammed or cramped. The ship is large enough to have a variety of spaces and diversions. For example the pool and deck areas are spacious with more than ample chairs and seatings. The restaurants are roomy and very comfortable. The library and bar areas are comfortable. Above all, the staff is attentive without ever being intrusive.

This is the seconf Azamara Cruise we have taken and we will definetly be going again. the staff is very freindly and competant. We travel with a service dog and the ship was very accommadating.

We wanted to try a smaller upscale ship - and we got what we asked for. I found the ship too small, and the extras not really worth the price. My wife disagrees, she loved the experience. There is nothing wrong with Azamara, it is exactly as advertised, no lines, great food, all inclusive (we only had a spa charge on our bill). On the day at sea I found the ship too small - but most people loved the small ship and the intimacy. I didn't like that our butler would enter the room without knocking (several times) - but the housekeeping was great and we never lacked for anything. We loved staying in a port for three days, and the Azamazing evening at the vinyard was great, even if the length of the bus ride in rush-hour traffic was ill advised. I'm glad I tried it, but I would rather be in a suite on a big ship with more to do.

This ship is smaller and more intimate. With the ratio of 400 crew to 650 passengers we were treated royally. The food and service in the main dining room was outstanding and served with a culinary flair. The buffet was substantial and featured food from a different country every night. Lattes every morning were the key to a good day aboard or on shore in the Sea of Cortez.

Top of the cruise lines. It was as perfect as a holiday could be. Clean, beautiful, food all good, and staff was so helpful and delightful without exception.

Nice size, comfortable.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. The ship was smaller than many of the large lines, with the feeling of a 'boutique cruise.' The ship was recently renovated and looks it. Everything was clean and fresh.

We have taken about 40 cruises, all the way from Disney to Princess. This cruise was our favorite. How nice to have a smaller ship that does not dwarf the port it pulls into. The crew was very friendly and always ready to help.

we took our first ever cruise, with some trepidation, in Quest from Miami through the Panama Canal to Acapulco. We are much travelled but I have to say that, in our older age, this ship was perfect for us. The food was good, the staff very good. We did not want masses of entertainment - I think you take the bigger ships for that. The itinerary through the Canal was fascinating. A year later, we took your cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore. This was also excellent with very interesting stops. I am a writer and would like to take the Indonesia cruise this December, 2011

What a wonderful cruise. Excellent service and excellent food. We would definitely sail with Azamara again and recommend this cruise line for anyone looking for a really enjoyable multi-port cruise. The Azamara "All Inclusive" program should be the model program for all other cruise lines.

I was a recent passenger on the Azamara Quest sailing out of Hong Kong on January 9th. I have cruised Celebrity, RCL and other cruiselines and was looking forward to Azamara. My opinion at this point is that the cruise would be rated a 4.5 star. If I were to summarize the deficiencies (and they are not large but enough to cost a 1/2 star), it would be the "attention to details". The following are suggestions: Butler- Putting a cabin steward in a tuxedo and calling him a butler is a joke. I fault not the individual but the training he did or did not receive. We had to request slippers, travel bag and at the end of the cruise some additional soap. All of that should have been available without having us request it. Casino -My wife loves to play the slots and while we don't expect to win, we do expect to play for awhile. The slots were not updated and the payout was abysmal. Laundry- How can a luxury cruiseline nickel and dime its passengers with washers and dryers that have to take quarters. Also, my wife spent a lot of time waiting in the laundry due to shortage of machines. Time better spent enjoying the cruise. Itinerary- This was the absolute best part of the cruise experience. The opportunity to enjoy the ports without rushing. One suggestion, perhaps instead of DaNang, the cruise could stop in Hanoi. Excursions-We took two excursions, one we would rate 4.5 stars and the other 1.5 stars. The positive excursion was in Cambodia (Cambodia and Environs). It allowed us to see the culture of the country. The poorest excursion was to Imperial Hue. I am a Vietnam veteran and heard much about the battle for Hue and wanted to see for myself. It was a 2,5 hour bus trip each way, one hour for lunch and 45 minutes at Hue. Hue was disappointing since much of the city was being restored and no indication of the battle and the guide didn't have a clue as to how it was fought. All in all it was a poor excursion. Miscellaneous- There was a feeling of being nickeled and dimed. I exchanged money on the ship and the exchange rate was outrageous. When I complained, the response was that was what Bank America charged. Ironically there was an exchange service that came on board in Thailand that had a better rate than the ship. Charging for special coffee during meals, laundry costs, all these gave the feeling of getting the last penny out tof the passenger.

I look forward to another Azamara cruise. From the captain to the cruise director to the wait staff and cabin crew, everyone made us so comfortable; and since this was an Asian cruise, they made it very easy with money exchanges, explaining local customs, and assisting with everything and anything. Even if you just wanted to explore a port on your own, there was someone there to give you travel advice, often a local resident. There were hand rub stations everywhere with an attendant to make sure that hygienic conditions were maximized for everyone.

This was our first cruise with Azamara Cruise line. We thought the ship reminded us of a five star hotel. The ambience of the ship such as woodwork, carpeting and pool layout with plush lounges was above our expectations.

The ship was well designed and clean. Good variety of food and well presented. The Captain gave regular updates on all aspects of weather and ports. Excursions were well organized and departures from the ship stress free. The lack of assigned meal times and table assignments allowed us to meet many different people and form memorable friendships. The size of the ship made it easy to get around. U.S Dollars were the ship currency and currency exchanges for various countries were handled quickly and efficiently. This made shopping easy. We will definitely cruise on Azamara again and we recommend it to anyone.

I cruised on the Quest from Hong Kong to Beijing in Feb. 2009 and it was a complete disaster. The norovirus was going around the ship and everyone was sick. I stayed healthy but passengers were threatened with instant removal from the ship if they didn't report their illness. It was their first time in these ports and immigration was terrible. We disembarked 4 hours late in Beijing and got off before our bags which were literally thrown in a pile on the dock. As a widow who travels alone (24 cruises on Celebrity) I was informed I could not eat in the specialty restaurants alone or join another table. I had to find someone to dine with before I could make a reservation. I felt invisible on this ship. Hopefully they will get their act together as I really would like to cruise with Azamara again.

we will do this cruise line and small ship again!

The itinerary was changed due to weather - alternative itinerary cloud have been made more interesting. The destination talks were of low quality expected better !!!

I was excited about my third cruise with Azamara. I did book on a special rate that included no on-board credit (first time that has ever happened to me on any line), but I was assured by my travel agent that an OCEAN VIEW room with NO obstruction is what I was booking. My receipt clearly states 0% obstructed view. I was surprised, then, when I received my cabin assignment. 100 % obstructed! If that wasn't bad enough, the room was nothing like the ocean view cabin I had in the past on Azamara. No loveseat or coffee table, absolutely TINY -- and this, despite the rep onboard at customer relations insisting that "all ocean view rooms are the same size." Obviously, that is not true. Well, perhaps it is since it would be hard to call a 100% obstructed view “ocean view.” Also not true, when I asked if we could change cabins, is that "the ship is full." This is untrue in light of the numbers Azamara emailed post-cruise. 600-something passengers when the ship holds over 700 is not full! Never did I state I would not pay for an upgrade. Indeed, I wasn't even offered that option. Instead, zero attention was given to my request. I did not even receive a courtesy call with regard to my concern but rather had to return to the customer relations desk on Monday morning to ask again about moving cabins. This is such poor customer service, it boggles my mind. Further, when I presented my receipt that states "zero obstruction," I was told "the guarantee is only for the moment of booking and if someone else books, "the status can change.” Azamara really should look up and consider the meaning of the word "guarantee." If there to this is something in the small print to this regard, I couldn't find it. Also, if there is no guarantee, this should have been explained to my travel agent, since she was also unaware of this policy until we received my cabin assignment. Again, I have to state my extreme disappointment in customer service and the "bait and switch" on the cabin. I love the size of Azamara ships and, until now, enjoyed the service of the onboard crew. Azamara has been my cruise line of choice and I can't tell you how often I have recommended this lesser-known line to others. Any further recommendation comes with a dire warning to buyer beware. Sincerely, a formerly dedicated Azamara cruiser –