A return to one of our first loves - Azamara Quest

[Onboard]

18 months since we have been on board Azamara and two years since we have been on board the Quest, but within minutes of embarking on the Quest for an 8-night Croatia intensive cruise, we were greeted by several officers and welcomed back as a family. You can’t put a price on that. One of the major benefits of small-ship cruising.

It was a smooth and speedy embarkation - we were on the ship within minutes of arriving at the terminal in Chioggia.  It really felt like coming home.  

We had a veranda cabin on deck 6, which was perfectly fine with plenty of storage space, a decent sized balcony and an adequate bathroom.  We were also blessed with one of the best stateroom attendants we have ever had in the lovely Edgar. 

All four Azamara ships are pretty much the same, with guest services and concierge on deck 4.  The main Discoveries restaurant is on deck 5, together with Atlas Bar, future cruise sales, shore excursions, the shops, Mosaic Cafe, and the Cabaret Lounge.  Decks 6, 7, and 8 are all staterooms. Deck 9 is where you will find the Windows Cafe (buffet),  The Sunset  Bar, The Patio, the pool and hot tubs, the Pool Bar, Gym and the spa.  Deck 10 is the walking/jogging track, the Drawing Room, The Living Room, and the two specialty restaurants - Aqualina and Prime C.  There is also a table tennis table and dart board on this deck.  Finally, on deck 11 is a sun deck.  

Despite this ship being at full capacity, it never felt crowded and it was never a problem getting a seat wherever we wanted one.  

We shared our dining options between Discoveries Restaurant and Windows Cafe Buffet.  We never had a problem getting a seat in either venue, but we do like to dine early.  We had a brilliant waiter in Discoveries Jhun - the food was always hot, the service was great and they were flexible with regard to our dietary requirements.

Another option for lunch is The Patio, where we ate on a couple of days.  They serve a selection of burgers, salads, onion rings, nachos, etc. Food was lovely, but service was always slow.

The two specialty restaurants - Prime C and Aqualina were available at $35 dollars per head and proved popular with many of our fellow guests.

One of the things we loved about this trip was the free room service breakfast - there was a big variety of cooked and cold items to choose from and service was always cheerful and prompt.  

With regard to the Spa, as regular readers of our reviews will know, we feel the spas on American ships are horrendously overpriced, so we don’t use them.  We didn’t book any shore excursions for the same reason.

As for the entertainment, the ship has a band, a piano player, a disco, the usual shows, guest speakers and quizzes.  We particularly loved the crew karaoke.

The things that Azamara is outstanding at are their Azamazing events - on this cruise, they arranged a fabulous choir to perform in the local town square in Koper, Slovenia, and they also have their white night (we dress in black as we are rebels 😉😉)  with entertainment, the officers cooking and a parade of all the crew.  If you are lucky enough to be on a cruise with Ryszard Gusmann as Hotel Director, don’t miss his crepes Suzette - they are legendary!! 

Two other special things happened on this cruise one was the meeting of the four Azamara sisters who came together in Koper. This has only ever happened once before. Also, on the cruise into Kotor, Montenegro, there was an informative commentary and local food served, as well as coffee with rum liqueur.  

If we were going to be critical of Azamara at all, it would be with regard to their internet, which is better than some but not as good as others. However, if you are coming on holiday to switch off, that would not be an issue for you.  

In summary, we enjoyed our Azamara Quest cruise so much we decided to stay on.  The reason for this is that all the staff on board have been welcoming, friendly and efficient.  The officers are highly visible, including the Captain and are always up for a chat.

We think that Ryszard, the Hotel Director, is the best on the seven seas. We have never seen an HD who is so hands-on and engaged with his passengers.  The same can also be said for David, his Guest Relations Manager, and Tulita and Romz, their team.  Regular readers will know we often criticize guest relations, but this cruise has proved that Azamara still has the best!   We have cruised many times over the last year, but this cruise on the Azamara Quest has definitely been the best.

It certainly will not be 18 months before we sail with Azamara again !!  Azamara makes you feel valued and part of the family - something we really appreciate.

[3Sisters]

@Onboard Thanks for this great review! Because Azamara is such a niche cruise line, I don't pass by many reviews for this cruise line. I can't believe the crew welcomed you back. I'm mind-blown because that would never happen with the major cruise lines. It's hard for me to even picture such a warm greeting!

I'm so glad you had such a lovely time on your cruise. How many Azamara ships have you cruised on? I would be tempted to splurge on booking with this line based on your positive cruise review!