Azamara Cruises
CRUISE CATEGORIES
Ship Category: Small Ships under 1,500 Passengers
Capacity: 750 Passengers
Ships: 4
Customers: Premium Cruise Customers, Adults, Retirees
Description and Background
Royal Caribbean International was a cruise line known for large ships with multiple entertainment options and moderate pricing. In 2007, the company entered the premium cruise line business by launching Azamara Club Cruises. Azamara focused on offering a small ship experience to experienced cruisers seeking a boutique hotel stay at sea accompanied by fine dining and interesting itineraries. Azamara initially acquired two ships with a capacity of approximately 700 passengers from the bankrupt Renaissance Cruise line. It named them the Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey. A third R class vessel acquired in 2017 joined the fleet as the Azamara Pursuit.
After upgrading the design and interior of all three vessels, Azamara worked to enhance its reputation as the "Destination Immersion" cruise line. Royal Caribbean subsequently acquired the Silversea luxury cruise line and sold Azamara to Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm. The new owners added a fourth R class vessel named Azamara Onward to the fleet for 2022. Today, Azamara offers extensive itineraries throughout the world on its four ships and competes with Oceania, Viking Ocean, and the relaunched Crystal cruise line for premium customers.
Notable Features of Azamara Ships
The Azamara ships have a size of 30,277 gross tons. The company promotes the ships’ relatively small size in its marketing by emphasizing three advantages this size creates for its passengers. First, the company argues that by limiting the ship's capacity to about 700 guests they have been able to maintain a high crew to passenger ratio of one to two. Reviews from cruisers on Azamara frequently comment on the absence of crowds and the ease of finding quiet spaces and crew assistance around the ship. Second, Azamara points to the ability of its small ships to visit out of the way ports in countries like South Africa, Brazil, and Italy and to navigate upriver to premier destinations in cities like Bangkok, Seville, and Norway. Third, the company asserts it has reconfigured its vessels to increase the areas dedicated to passenger enjoyment.
The layout on the Azamara vessels seems to work well in many places. For example, the pool, jacuzzi and eating areas on Deck 9 are appropriately sized, and there is plenty of room for each passenger’s lounge chair or table. Crowding on the pool decks can be a problem on sea days on many other cruise lines. Similarly, the table layout in the main dining room and the cafe provides room for private conversation and a relaxing meal. There are many places set aside for talking, reading, or personal services throughout the ship. All four ships also have a comfortable and scenic sitting room on the 10th floor known as the Living Room. Azamara has eliminated the casino area and replaced it with a cozy lounge and relaxation area known as the Den, which also includes the shore excursion and future cruise sales offices.
Staterooms
The small ship size of the Azamara vessels becomes more problematic when passengers spend time in their staterooms and on longer cruises. Although the staterooms on the Azamara ships have been remodeled and redecorated nicely, most staterooms except for the suites are substandard in size. They range from 158 square feet for an interior stateroom to 170 square feet for an ocean view stateroom and only 175 square feet for the popular veranda staterooms. Passengers complain about having difficulty turning around in the bathroom, the small balcony, and needing to use the spa locker rooms for necessities. The Club Continental Suite solves these problems by providing several dozen rooms with extra width and 266 square feet of space, a significantly expanded bathroom with a tub, and additional amenities such as butler service, complementary specialty dining, free internet and snack service.
Dining
There are six choices for meals and snacks which passengers have on Azamara ships. These include:
The main dining room on Deck 5, known as the Discoverer’s Restaurant, offers flexible times for dinner and is occasionally open for breakfast or lunch.
The Windows Cafe on Deck 9, where passengers can enjoy either buffet style or individually prepared dishes, includes inside seating and a comfortable sunset veranda for eating outside. It is a popular breakfast spot for most passengers.
Italian food at the Aqualina specialty restaurant on Deck 10
The Prime C Steakhouse on Deck 10 which is another specialty restaurant
The Patio which is located on Deck 9 close to the pool area for midday meals, grilled items and excellent snacks
The Mosaic Cafe on Deck 5 featuring specialty coffees, small sandwiches, and desserts throughout the day with tables around the grand staircase for enjoying conversation.
The quality and selection of food choices on Azamara is highly rated by most passengers. People especially enjoy the broad range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and specialty coffees offered at meals and other venues with no extra charge. This is not the case however with the specialty restaurants. Dining there is complementary for suite level guests only and is limited to one free booking every seven days for Veranda Plus passengers.
Ship Activities
Azamara cruises tend to spend a significant amount of time in port so there are fewer hours spent on the ship during an entire cruise. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to do. For health and beauty enthusiasts, the Sanctum Spa on Deck 9 includes a private pool deck with a saltwater bath and therapy jets, a modern fitness center, spa treatment rooms and a hair salon. On Deck 10 there is a jogging track unimpeded by deck chairs and on Deck 11 there is an additional sun deck. Other personal enrichment activities offered on Azamara cruises are lectures on itinerary destinations and history, culinary demonstrations, and wine tastings. There are no special facilities or programs for children available on the ships.
Most entertainment takes place in the Cabaret Lounge, which is smaller than the cavernous theaters found on large cruise ships. The venue succeeds by providing more comfortable seating and tables for the audience and a more intimate experience. Azamara’s entertainers present Broadway style song and dance shows, comedy nights and live music. Meanwhile, piano bar entertainers and club bands perform on deck during the day in The Den and the Living Room during the evening. Other nighttime activities include a popular poolside White Night Party where passengers are encouraged to wear their finest whites and enjoy dinner, dancing, and drink. Sometimes local entertainers come onboard to join the fun and provide additional excitement.
Itineraries and Excursions
Azamara has concentrated on developing a niche for itself among adult cruisers who want to explore the world, see some new destinations, and spend more than one day in key ports. Its destination immersion program has several distinctive features. First, Azamara designed more than 30 cruise itineraries which are country-intensive or regional intensive voyages. These cruises concentrate on multiple stops in just one or two countries. Some of the countries featured with intensive voyages include Spain, Iceland, France, Japan, South Africa, New Zealand, and others. Second, Azamara’s itineraries include frequent overnight and late-night stays in port as well as some evening tours. Third, most Azamara cruises feature an AzAmazing Evening where all passengers can participate in a free evening event on shore focused on the local culture or a special location. Finally, the company offers numerous pre-cruise and post-cruise land journeys, allowing small groups of passengers to explore the food, wine, culture, and landmarks of the area with local experts.
The cruise excursions offered by Azamara are generally interesting and comprehensive, and less of a hassle to participate in than on large ships. In addition to seeing the usual sites around town, Azamara offers walking tours, local food tastings, panoramic drives, golf stops and other experiences as options for passengers. The longer time spent in ports enables savvy travelers to work with a private guide to design their own tour in specific locations.
Editor’s Personal Observations
Azamara presently offers retirees and younger couples with the time and money to explore the world a unique cruise product at a premium but not extreme price of roughly $400 per day per person for a standard veranda room. We have travelled on Azamara twice and expect to book additional destination immersion voyages in the next year or two. Our first voyage on an Azamara ship was a round trip from Istanbul around Turkey and the Black Sea. It was an enjoyable experience with good food and interesting excursions.
In 2025, we went on a twelve-day voyage in South Africa on the Azamara Quest which had an overnight in Cape Town and extended stops in four other parts of the country. The key observations from this latest voyage were the following:
Entertainment- The entertainment provided on our latest cruise was outstanding. The Cruise Director, four professional singers, two dancers and the house band put on six shows over the twelve days. Their talents were as good as, if not the best, I have seen on a cruise ship. Surprisingly, the smaller venue and semicircular layout of the Cabaret Lounge drew the audience into the action. The “British Invasion”, “Crooner’s Café”, and other shows featured music from the 1960s to the present day and were popular with the passengers. The comedian also did two shows, and the second one was a full house of laughter. Some events such as the passenger karaoke night should be scheduled earlier on the cruise and more frequently.
Food- The main dining room is a comfortable venue with individualized seating or group table options. The service was excellent, and the food choices were diverse, plentiful, and well prepared. It was easy to get a private table between 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. except during the prime 7:00 p.m. hour when there could be a ten-to-fifteen-minute wait. Many passengers were offered an opportunity to dine with two ship officers and to enjoy a special menu meal and engage in private discussions about the cruise. The two specialty restaurants on Deck 10 were also good choices, but not exceptional. Those locations are somewhat crowded and can be noisy for fine dining.
Excursions and Events- The excursions provided by Azamara were appropriate to provide passengers with meaningful exposure to the animal preserves, historic and cultural sites, and natural wonders of South Africa. You could take high tea at an internationally recognized resort in Durban, go on safari drives in the country’s private game reserves and national parks, or visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for his opposition to apartheid. Passengers also experienced free events such as a Xhosa dance and cultural exhibition presented onshore at a Port Elizabeth hotel and the White Night barbecue on deck with Zulu acrobats. Our scheduled day in Mossel Bay was cancelled because windy conditions made the use of tenders at that port unfeasible. Since that has happened on other South African cruises, it may be time for Azamara to find an alternative port to visit along the popular Garden Route.
Spa Services- The spa and gym area had a wide range of services available, and we enjoyed using the special pool, sunbathing, and locker rooms. Spa offerings were promoted without the overselling seen on some other cruise lines.
Housekeeping Services- Housekeepers were attentive to guests’ schedules and needs throughout the day and provided full service starting mid-morning and turn down services.
Programs- The destination talks, and other learning lectures given on the ship were generally interesting, fast paced, and decently attended.
In summary, the Azamara vessels are classy with a country club feel without being stuffy. Passengers are relaxed, conversational, and comfortable on board and the staff is friendly and efficient. The cruise line fits nicely into the premium cruise line market with Oceania, Viking Ocean Cruises, and Crystal. However, the age and limitations of the R-class vessels show in some ways. Other cruise lines have been deploying new vessels with larger rooms and new amenities aggressively, so Azamara should emphasize the strengths of its itineraries and entertainment while upgrading its ships and passenger experiences.
Average Daily Price Per Person excluding Airfare for Basic Veranda Stateroom and Meals:
Over $500 ___ $350 to $500 _ X___ $200 to $350 ____ Under $200 ____
Services Provided without Additional Charge for Cruise Only Fare
Beer, Wine, Select Spirits, Specialty Coffees, Teas, Soft Drinks, and Water
Complimentary AzAmazing Evening Excursion
Entertainment, Lectures and Destination Talks
Self-Service Laundry
Editor’s Overall Rating of Cruise Line Quality and Value- 4.2
4.5 to 5.0 is Outstanding / 4.0 to 4.5 is Very Good / 3.5 to 4.0 is Acceptable / 2.5 to 3.5 is Fair / Less than 2.5 is Poor
This profile is based on information published by the cruise line or gathered from published sources. Other information listed in the profile as the Editor’s Personal Observations and Overall Report reflects the personal experience and opinion of the Editor which may or may not be applicable to other guests traveling on the ships.