22 Nights Glasgow, Dublin & Belfast Cruise

An Adriatic Adventure

We began our holiday with a short easy hop from Heathrow to Venice on BA. On arrival we got the ATVO express bus, just outside the airport door, which took us to Piazzale Roma in Venice where I had booked a hotel, Albergo Marin, which was within 5 minutes walk. It was fine for an overnight stay. Next morning we headed back to the People Mover in Piazzale Roma for the three stops to Tronchetto, where we met the Azamara rep and our bus transfer to Chioggia where Quest was docked. Our luggage was taken, we collected our key cards and were welcomed on board with cocktails. Our rooms were ready and so we headed there. We had an oceanview room , midship on deck 4. We have had many rooms on this deck and have never had any problems with noise and we like the proximity to Guest Relations, Discoveries Restaurant, Cafe al Bacio, the shop etc. We were well away from the cabaret lounge, which is at the bow of the ship and you might experience some noise in rooms above and below there. Our room wallpaper was beginning to get scuffed and the room was showing its age but was always immaculately clean. I would have preferred the sofa to be near the window and spent time just sitting on the bed looking out of the window! The bathroom is tiny but the shower was always hot and powerful. The shower curtain is now so thick that there is no chance of it sticking to you. The robes, towels, bedding were always great and the bed and pillows were super comfy. You just need to ask your room steward for slippers these days as they aren't generally provided any more. Hav to say that the shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion were terrible. A real let down to Azamara's upscale image. Gone are the Elemis products. The entertainment team did a wonderful job and entertainment brought on board for the Azamazing evening in Dubrovnik was good, but it didn't have the same atmosphere as seeing local culture being performed in a local setting. A bonus was that more local entertainment came on board in Greece. White Night was absolutely fantastic. The pianist in The Den had no engagement with guests, which was a shame. Vibz, the band up in The Living Room were really good and the Azamara orchestra were brilliant. The food on board was superb! No matter whether it was in the Cafe, the Patio Grill or Discoveries restaurant. We didn't eat in the speciality restaurants this time as Discoveries was outstanding. The service everywhere was just impeccable. Can't praise the staff highly enough. We didn't upgrade to any drinks package because all the included drinks were everything we wanted and freely poured. We chose this cruise for the itinerary as it was so unusual and we loved every minute. After Venice we went to Piran in Slovenia, then to Pula in Croatia, Dubrovnik (where we stayed on board and had the ship to ourselves), Kotor in Montenegro for the fabulous sail in, Corfu, Argostoli, then Katakolon for Olympia and the ancient archaeological site, Crete and finished in Athens. We had organised Welcome Pickups taxi from the port in Piraeus to take us to the airport (half the price of the ship transfer). A great flight home with BA and memories of a wonderful cruise.

Azamara Quest South Africa Intensive Voyage 12 Nights

As experienced cruisers (20+) this was a first-time cruise for us with Azamara and therefore a trip into the unknown. Although a great deal of information is available on the internet views differ greatly from one contributor to another and I can only comment on our actual experience. The cruise was a last-minute decision and booked through Cruise Monk in the UK about a month before sailing date. The booking was handled efficiently and without problem, Flights (LHR/DHA/CTN return), accommodation (2 nights) in Cape Town pre-cruise were included in the price, as was the Azamara basic drinks package and gratuities. With hindsight we should have asked about additional cost for direct flights and possibility of a longer stay in Cape Town. Azamara Quest is the smallest cruise ship we have been on (700 guests), so clearly a new experience for us. First view of the ship in Cape Town was wow, what a great looking ship. Embarkation was faultless. We were booked for 2:30 pm, but arrived about 12:45pm, there were no queues and we were abord within 15 minutes or so. No massive atrium or flash staircases, just well-functioning facilities which would have been considered as state of the art when the ship was designed in the late 90’s/ early 00’s. Our cabin was an OV on Deck 4 about midship on the starboard side. The cabin was perfectly adequate with power outlets, empty fridge for our use, adequate storage and hangers etc. Yes, as many have said, the bathroom is rather tiny with a small, curtained shower, but perfectly adequate and got used to it after a day or so. The staff on this ship share a passion for quality and service which is reflected across the whole ship. Cabin, Dining, Bars, Guest Services…nothing is too much trouble and the smallest request is greeted with a smile. If you are not happy with the basic drinks package other options are available starting at around $35 per night, but we were happy with the Gordons/Beefeater Gin, Wersteiner Beer 5%, Baileys and the choice of House Wines (Red, White and Rose) included in the basic package. The Windows Café (Buffet) was our choice of breakfast venue and again the service was excellent. On finding a table a waiter would immediately come over to take our order for juice and coffee whilst we selected our breakfast choice. Omelette, fried eggs made to order and brought to your table. Discoveries Restaurant (MDR) on Deck 5 was our choice for evening meal. Occasional wait 5 or 10 minutes during busy periods (7:00pm to 7:45pm) but again attentive staff who listen to you and quite happy to “tweak” dishes to your preference. We found the choice of menu more than sufficient for our needs. We also tried the Prime C and Aqualina (Italian) speciality dining restaurants which were both great, but our preference was for Aqualina. We were both a bit wary of the White Night, but our fears were unfounded. Neither of us are fans of buffet style evening meals but this was exceptionally well managed with the most amazing food and entertainment. There was also a BBQ lunch towards the end of the cruise which again was brilliantly carried out. A huge well done on the food. There is no theatre on the Quest, but instead a far more informal Cabaret Lounge with the ships Entertainment Team (Performers and Musicians ) presenting a range of energetic shows to cover a broad spectrum entertainment styles and wow did these guys work hard. Quality! Shore excursions were pretty much aimed at those wishing to visit Game Parks guaranteed to see the Big 5. Having experienced Etosha in Namibia and Kruger in SA this was of no appeal, so we did our own thing. Azamara provided local transport from the ship to local shopping malls for those wishing to get off the ship. I think the thought being the safety of the passengers, which is understandable, but dissuaded many from doing “their own thing”. This was the case in Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay and Durban. Being more familiar with SA we chose to explore the locality using Bolt and/or Uber to visit a few local landmarks and try some bars with local craft beers off the beaten track. In Durban port there was an announcement on the PA with TEN Safety rules about visiting the city which I know put the fear of God into many who just went to the mall and back on the provided transport. Such a shame as Durban is a fabulous city and we had a great walk along much of the Golden Mile (Addington Beach) stopping for a few beers and in the middle of the day there was nobody hassling any of the few brave cruisers taking advantage of the sea and the sunshine. Unfortunately, due to heavy seas were not able to disembark in Mossel Bay which was a tender port (the only one). The highlight of the cruise, of course, Cape Town (The Mother City) possibly the finest city on the planet and has been a favourite destination of mine for over 40 years. Yes, maybe a few little niggles, but nothing of big concern to stop us cruising again with Azamara. Thank you for reading this and I hope it may encourage you to cruise with Azamara and/or visit the beautiful city of Cape Town or simply to visit SA.

A small friendly ship

We recently had our first cruise with Azamara. We had an intensive cruise along the South Africa coast. Our first impression was that the ship was small. We had a very good experience with customer relations as we were able to move our stateroom. Our original stateroom was directly below the Cabaret Lounge. We were moved to mid ship. This proved to be an excellent place to be. All the Staff were helpful and friendly. As the ship was small you were able to get around easily. There were some quiet places to go to read. The food quality was outstanding. You got to know other guests as there were not so many of them. There was good choice of food in the main restaurant and the buffet. We had 3 meals in the specialty restaurant which was included in our package. The service was good and you weren't rushed. We went to the Cabaret Lounge where they put on shows. The singing was good. There were other areas where they had entertainment. It was great to be in port overnight. The only downside was the motion. We couldn't get I to Cape Town because of the weather so we had to sail around. It was quite uncomfortable as the motion was such that we had to lie down. Fortunately we were not seasick. Overall we had a great experience on board Quest and would go with Azamara again.