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Captain Stig mans the ribs station at the
poolside BBQ on the last day of the cruise (Photos: Gerry) |
ABOARD AZAMARA QUEST,
DAY TWELVE – And so it comes to the last full day of our “Virgins Islands and
Frenchmen Voyage.” By tomorrow morning we will be back at the Port of Miami,
where some of us will say goodbye and others will continue to new adventures as
Quest makes sail to Europe.
As “newbies” to Azamara Club Cruises (and there were a
decent number of first-timers joining us), time for some overall thoughts about
our experience:
The Ship:
The size is just right if you seek a more intimate, personalized setting for
your cruise vacation. You can pretty much get to any place you want to go in
short order. It isn’t adults only; children are certainly welcome. But it
clearly caters to adults, which is a positive for several we spoke with. As
noted earlier, there was one child on this voyage and outside the pool and ice
cream, not a whole lot kids would find interesting.
Attire.
It’s pretty much all resort casual, all the time. Of course the ladies enjoy
dressing up for the evening meals, as do many of the gents. But guys, you don’t
have to pack your tux for this ship. There are no “formal” nights, and speaking
for myself, I found the laid back dress code a real bonus. It added to the
relaxed vibe for the whole trip.
The Food.
Uniformly very good or excellent. Whether you opt for the main dining room,
Discoveries, or the more casual Windows Café for the buffet, we found
everything to be high quality. There are also the two specialty restaurants:
Aqualina and Prime C. We tried both and were impressed by the level of food and
service. Another good option is the Mosaic Café on 5, a boutique sandwich,
dessert and coffee bar with a more upscale motif.
The
Guests. Definitely mostly an older demographic of well-seasoned travelers,
many making return visits to Azamara (for one couple, their 10th
trip). Again, it’s very much a family vibe among guests and crew. Relaxed,
quiet and maybe a throwback of sorts to old-school cruising back in the day.
The
Entertainment. The main show room is the Cabaret Lounge on deck 5, adjacent
to the casino. The Azamara singers and dancers perform there as an ensemble and
individually, along with a few other select acts. Not flashy or Las Vegas, but
certainly enjoyable and well suited for the various venues around the ship.
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| Pam is in love with coffee machine |
The Amenities. On Azamara, the price of
the cruise includes all gratuities, red and white house wines (which change
every day and are very good, by the way) at lunch and dinner, bottled water,
sodas and the self-serve laundry. No doubt in the end the cost is comparable
with other cruises that charge a la carte for these things, but just having
everything included makes life so much simpler, without that feeling of being “nickeled
and dimed.”
Getting
Around. As we noted in earlier posts, expect the stairways to be narrow and
the elevators smaller. But it’s almost just as easy to walk if you are located
anywhere mid-ship. One thing to note if you are physically challenged: The ship
is probably not as wheelchair-friendly as you would find on newer, larger
vessels.
The Spa.
It has one, along with a fitness center and a jogging track.
The Pool.
There is a small heated pool and adjacent hot tubs. But the headline here are
the wonderfully luxuriant and comfortable deck chairs, which seem brand new.
They also enforce the rules for not reserving lounges when the occupant is gone
longer than 30 minutes.
The
Staterooms. You will find them on a smaller side, as you might expect, but
with very comfortable bedding and serviceable balconies on most. There are suites
as well. A word to the wise: If you have personal electronics or other devices
that require plugs, throw in an extension cord or two. We have yet to go on any
cruise where the staterooms had a sufficient number of plugs conveniently
located.
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| Danijel from Brazil at the Sunset Bar |
Random
Notes. Room service is available 24/7, and during lunch and dinner, they
note you can order anything served in the dining rooms for your stateroom. We
didn’t test it, but that’s a nice touch … Pam fell in love with their hi-tech
coffeemaker with creates a Cappuccino in a flash, as well as other assorted
coffees … the gelato in Windows is more my style – new flavors every day … our
two favorite spots were Looking Glass on deck 10, with its panoramic views and
dance floor at night, and the Sunset Bar on deck 9 (where Danijel from Brazil
took good care of us), a great place to enjoy a drink or a meal any time of day
… there is E-Connections if you want to hook into the Internet, or you can
connect and use the ship’s Wi-Fi with your own devices at the published rates. The
connection was surprisingly good throughout our voyage (as the daily updates
verify) … a shout-out to Errol in Land Discoveries, whose soothing admonitions to
“walk with love and care” sent us out on our shore excursions … kudos to
Nathalia in Guest Relations and Philip, the hotel manager, for all their help
and kindnesses … praise for Tanja from Macedonia in the Casino Luxe Bar for her
martini mastery – best on the ship … and special thanks to Capt. Stig, who
expertly guided us through the choppy seas to calmer waters.
Overall:
We had an excellent time, and particularly enjoyed the “scaled down” size of the
ship, the friendly, efficient service, the variety in the ports of call (we’ll
take a rain check on Virgin Gorda), meeting new friends and the camaraderie
between crew and guests. Not to mention the five-star meals and wines. If you
are looking for more relaxation, more quiet and a more personal cruise
experience, Azamara Club Cruises will more than meet your expectations. -- Gerry
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Is it real?
