Azamara.com Reviews - 6

I have sailed twice on Azamara Pursuit

I have sailed twice on Azamara Pursuit, from Lisbon to Rio and from the Canaries to Cape Town. The itineraries were very interesting. The ship is small, the food is good, and the staff is always friendly. The atmosphere is very laid-back. I appreciate that drinks and tips are included. The onboard credit was enough for the excursions I wanted to join. I've cruised with five other companies, but Azamara stands out as the best.

A solid and well-organized company, with friendly and helpful staff.

A solid and well-organized company, with friendly and helpful staff. The ship might not be the newest, but it compensates with other great features. There is a great selection of restaurants and some interesting ports for the South Africa cruise. The excursions offered by private companies are far better quality and avoid the crowds. We had the pleasure of using Trevor and Andrea from Cybele Eco Tours. Their 35 years of African guiding experience is priceless. We strongly recommend this husband and wife duo who only offer tours out of Richards Bay and Durban for a max of 6 guests.

Pre-departure admin was bad.

Pre-departure admin was bad. Booked through SixStarCruises who tried hard to get the right amount of OBC on our account. Still not fixed on the 3rd day of the cruise, but they corrected it later that day to the real amount, which was double what Azamara first credited, got $50 more as a token. Pre-departure service for agents and guests is poor since the private equity buyout. Check-in was terrible; the clerk messed up pictures, and my wife looked like my identical twin brother (which I don't have, it was my photo and I had hers!). The first visit to guest services didn’t fix it, asked to visit them again but they said we had already done so. When we asked to visit again since it was still wrong, they finally came to us on the 3rd visit and fixed it. Docking at Eastport was too fast and hit the dock, which damaged the port bow. The next stop got cancelled as we had to move to a cargo dock for repairs, welded a plate to the front, $75 pp compensation. Service was good, and food was nice as always, but the menu had less choice than before. Quality of some items dropped a bit, especially gelato (not as creamy as Italian gelato!). Usually take 2 or 3 excursions but not this time, too pricey 50%-100% more than other cruise lines. For example, Princess trips in the past year: Alaska day trip $150 pp, long final day tour to SFO airport $160 pp, and a 2/3 hour walking tour $60. Azamara—Quebec day trip $240 pp, long final day tour Montreal airport $330 pp, and a 2/3 hour walking tour $90 pp. Pleasant vibe on board the small ship, with small rooms, tiny bathrooms & little balconies. Azamara is becoming too expensive for what you receive. We are now ready to pay more for a better experience on other cruise lines. Last year £200 pp pn suite in Europe, this year £308 pp pn verandah.

We were given an “ocean view” room

We were given an “ocean view” room, but it had an obstructed view due to a lifeboat. There was no seating and barely enough space to move around the bed. It didn’t look anything like the one shown on the Azamara website. My wife and I didn’t want to spend 8 nights in this small, cramped room, so we upgraded – but we had to pay more. What bothered me was that neither the company nor the travel agent warned us about it beforehand. We’re experienced cruisers, including 2 with Azamara, and we’ve always liked them. This was a big disappointment. I’ve been emailing the company and they’ve put a lot of effort into defending their stance. But, it still leaves a bad taste. It’s worth mentioning that the rest of the cruise was good and met our expectations. Will we sail with Azamara again? Not sure...

I reserved an Azamara cruise a few months

I reserved an Azamara cruise a few months prior to my trip. It appeared to be a good offer. Just weeks before travel, they reduced the price by thousands. When I inquired about getting the lower rate, I was quickly told 'no.' I had to cancel my booking, lose a significant deposit, and rebook. Customer service gets a one out of ten. Trustworthiness is low as well. My suggestion, which I now regret not taking, is to choose a well-known cruise line. Watch out!

We booked an Azamara cruise with some

We booked an Azamara cruise with some friends and chose the 4-table dine around. However, each couple was charged differently, and my wife and I ended up paying £55 more than our friends. It doesn’t seem right that this happened. Unfortunately, Azamara customer service didn’t provide a clear explanation for the price difference. Based on my experience, I would recommend looking at other companies instead of this one.