Cruise Ship Review

Azamara Journey began life as the Renaissance R6, and like all its siblings under the Renaissance banner, with its dark livery and subdued Edwardian style interior decor, it seemed like a diminutive version of an early 20th century trans-Atlantic steamship. Though the decor is evolving (and is dependent on its cruise line owners, which also include Oceania and Princess), the ship's interior architecture is still evocative of that bygone era. The main entry hall is straight out of the "golden age." There's no soaring multi-deck atrium here. Instead, there's simply a gracefully curving staircase under a two-deck-high ceiling, capped with a domed, simulated stained glass skylight, leading one flight up to the main public room.

Now under Celebrity Cruises' Azamara flag, the ship wears the white livery of warm climes. With some contemporary elements that clash stylistically with the classic turn-of-the-century North Atlantic steamers, Azamara Journey comes off a bit neither fish nor fowl. The first noticeable mismatch is in the art on the walls. Its collection of 1950s and 60s photos of Cuban Revolution-era Havana, and some of the contemporary paintings and lithographs, don't match the vestiges of the ship's original design sense.

The feeling is that Journey is still a work in progress, and it remains to be seen how much will be changed to complete the transformation. I am certain that there are aficionados on both the "keep it classic" and "keep the shell but lose the antiquarian style" sides, and the choice is purely subjective. Personally I was never fond of the R-Series style, not because I am rigidly modernistic, but because of the way the style was executed. Much of it is ersatz. There are faux fireplaces with phony logs, simulated cabinets with trompe l'oeil paintings of statues, plates and platters, and an unnecessary proliferation of objets d'art. Taken altogether, there were so many simulated or painted-on elements in the original incarnation of the ship that it felt less like sailing on a classic steamship and more like riding in a reproduction of one at a Disney theme park.

As for architecture, Azamara Journey inherited some of the best passenger flow I've ever experienced. There are no bottlenecks, and the only time a passenger needs to climb or descend a deck to get from one point to another is during the unavoidable situation when destinations of interest are on Deck 9 or Deck 10, on the opposite sides of the pool and sunning area. The design is simple and conventional, with the Celebrity Cabaret (show lounge) and Discoveries Restaurant at opposite ends of Deck 5, and most of the public rooms sandwiched in between. A second cluster of public rooms is situated on Decks 9 and 10, including the spa and fitness area, observation lounge, buffet, pool grill, and alternative restaurants.

The other defining characteristic of Azamara as a "brand" is that it lays claim to ownership of a new category, or niche, of cruises, dubbed "Deluxe." "Deluxe," according to Azamara, is positioned squarely in the middle between "Premium" (e.g., Celebrity) and "Luxury" (Crystal, for example). In my opinion, Azamara gets mixed reviews at this early stage of its development: There are some successes, and some areas that still need fine tuning and tweaking.

Dining

Azamara Journey's main dining venue is the Discoveries Restaurant, located at the aft end of the ship. Dinner is served open seating at tables ranging in capacity from two to eight. Service is superb, often a bugaboo on ships where the makeup of the tables changes from night to night.

Typically there are six entree choices that change from night to night, including one pasta; one seafood; one fowl; one beef; one veal, lamb, or pork; and one vegetarian. As well, there are usually four appetizer, three soup and two salad choices, with the addition of caviar service.

At dinner there are also two alternative dining venues, Prime C, a steak and chop house, and Aqualina, serving what it calls a "Mediterranean" menu, by and large typical Continental fare. Reservations are required and a $5 per person gratuity is suggested.

PrimeC, the steak and chop house specialty restaurant, does a good job with a conventional beefeater's choice menu, though to my palate, the starters were more interesting and flavorful than the entrees. Main courses fall into two groups: "Entrees," which include choices from Fish and Chips to Mixed Grill (but no steaks), and "Steak and Cuts," which include steaks, lamb, veal, and pork chops.

Aqualina, which serves "Mediterranean fusion," is the second specialty restaurant. The food in Aqualina was quite good, but I saw little fusion. "Safe" is the adjective I would apply to the dishes taken from various coastal cultures around the Mediterranean: osso buco, rack of lamb, duck breast, etc.

Windows Cafe is the pool deck buffet operation, and, as this is a small ship by today's standards, is limited to one section. Nonetheless there are seldom lines at any of the stations. There is plenty of space between tables, and seating is available both inside and out, poolside and on the aft fantail.

Breakfast in the Windows Cafe is one of the best buffet presentations I've experienced, regardless of ship size. Besides the self-serve buffet offerings, there were several "prepared to order" stations. Of course, there was the ubiquitous omelet/fried egg station, but, in addition there was a juice bar, which squeezed juice or blended smoothies from fresh fruit, a ham carving station, and a cooked-to-order pancake and waffle station.

In the self-serve section, there were at least seven varieties of smoked and marinated fish, a complete Japanese miso setup, a full spread of steamed vegetables, cheeses, unusual egg dishes, and there was always an interesting second sausage choice to go with the standard pork links.

Curiously enough, we found the lunch offerings to be very ordinary, though the Pool Grill did a bang-up job grilling burgers, hot dogs, kabobs, ribs, and the like, not to mention frying what the grill chef modestly asserted were "the best French fries on the high seas."

There are extensive room service choices, including a very complete breakfast menu with seven combinations and a la carte choices as well.

I can say without equivocation that I never had a bad meal on Azamara Journey. In fact, I never had a meal that I would rate as less than very good. However, during the 12 days of my cruise I also failed to experience any meal after which I left the restaurant raving that I'd had one of the best meals in recent memory. I didn't see a substantial difference in food quality between Azamara Journey and the premium lines such as parent company Celebrity, and, in fact, I felt that the cuisine in Celebrity Constellation's alternative dining venue, "Ocean Liners," was superior.

Public Rooms

Journey's public rooms are well situated, and the ambiance and decor of each was nicely tailored to the room's intended use. The Martini Bar is tucked into the niche between the central open area of the ship and the Discoveries Restaurant, making it a cozy and comfortable spot to gather for pre-dinner libations. Occupying the central area at the top of the grand staircase is the signature "Cova Cafe," which serves specialty coffees and teas. There is a charge for espresso-based drinks (lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, etc.), but not for the accompanying snacks, which include cookies, biscotti, pastries, sandwiches, and antipasti, depending on the time of day.

On the top deck (Deck 10), all the way forward, sits the Looking Glass Lounge, a perfectly outfitted and comfortable observation lounge. Glass is the theme, and it's carried out through colorful glass art counterpoints hanging on the rich, dark mahogany walls. Azamara has taken advantage of the R-Series signature large library space to combine library functions with the social functions of Celebrity's popular Michael's Club (and this Michael's club is a smoke-free environment). One deck down the "eConnections" Internet cafe has 16 guest-accessible PC's networked to a laser printer. Internet usage rates range from $0.65 per minute to $0.38 per minute, depending on Internet package purchased. Connections were fast and dependable. Guests with their own laptops can access the ship's Wi-Fi services from stem to stern.

As one might expect from a small, intimate ship, casino operations are limited; there is one roulette table, a few blackjack tables, one three-card poker table, a fair number of slot machines, and an automated Texas Hold 'Em table, which robotically deals virtual cards to individual terminals around the regulation size green felt table, while the common cards and betting info are displayed on a larger central screen in the middle of the table. The virtual chips won at the table can be traded for real money at the casino cashier's cage. Curiously, there is no dice table, which would have occupied about the same amount of space. Presumably, since a dice table requires four casino workers and the virtual Texas Hold 'Em table requires none, this is a more lucrative choice for Azamara.

Cabins

The R ships have never been particularly well known for their generously-sized cabins but nevertheless, standard staterooms are of a decent (though by no means large) size. The 175-square-ft. cabin and 40-square-ft. balcony of a standard balcony cabin on Journey is right in line with, for example, the 170-square-ft. cabin and 38-square-ft. balcony of a similar cabin on Celebrity's triple-the-size Millennium-class ships.

The fact that two-thirds of the ship's cabins have balconies is a plus. Standard bathrooms, however, are tiny and plain, made entirely of off-white plastic (not a real tile in sight), and balconies, like so many standard-cabin balconies, are barely deep enough for a couple of chairs and a cocktail table.

All cabins have gotten totally new soft furnishings, including the new luxury bedding also seen on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Decorated either in red or blue, they give off a boutique hotel vibe, albeit a fairly traditional one with dark wood furniture and raised-panel cabinetry in the standard cabins. Flat panel TVs have also been installed and mini-bars are on their way.

The last three R ships were built with virtually no suites (this is in contrast to the first five, which have an entire deck of them), so Azamara gutted much of Deck 8 and installed new Sky Suites. These are a bit small (stateroom is 266 square ft. and balcony is another 60 square ft.) to be called suites--"mini-suite" would be a fairer term. These staterooms have incongruously modern decor--unadorned, glossy wood cabinetry; spare, modern sofas and chairs--that looks a bit odd juxtaposed against the resolutely traditional style of the rest of the ship. The balconies are still very narrow and the bathrooms, though big enough for a full-size tub, are a bit of a disappointment--no double sinks or separate shower stalls, and plain beige tile (still a step up from the plastic in the standard bathrooms, though).

The handful of Royal Suites (rooms are 440 - 501 square ft., balconies 105 - 156 square ft.) and Penthouse Suites (rooms 560 square ft., with 233-square-ft. verandahs) are far larger than the Sky Suites; their interior refurbishment mirrors the ship's original incarnation. Like the rest of the cabins they've gotten new soft furnishings and are very attractive. They're still the only accommodations onboard truly deserving of the word "suite," though to be fair Azamara is hardly the only line to throw that word around a bit too loosely. Since these have been there since the ship was built, the decor switches back to that of the standard cabins's very traditional style.

Marble-lined bathrooms with big soaking tubs and separate showers are a nice touch, as are the small, equally marble-lined powder rooms in the entry for guests you might entertain en suite.

Fitness & Recreation

You'll find an ample two-deck sunning area and plenty of comfortable, well-padded lounges on Azamara Journey, both around the pool and twin heated spas, and on the deck above (which also holds the jogging track--13 circuits to one nautical mile/or 11.5 to the statute mile).

Azamara, like parent Celebrity Cruises, features an Elemis-run spa, with full complex of massage, beauty, and wellness programs, including acupuncture. The fitness facility is quite spacious for a ship of this size and includes a full complement of popular machines (steppers, cross-trainers, treadmills, bikes, etc.), and a dedicated aerobics area. There are organized classes/activities, but they are thinly advertised in the daily schedule.

Family

For its Bermuda cruises this summer, Azamara Journey does carry a youth staff, but there are no dedicated youth facilities. Once this, its sole Bermuda season, is over, there will be no more youth staff and the ship will no longer make any formal accommodation for families. The current youth staff is a concession to the importance of the family market on the summer Bermuda run, but aside from that, Azamara is not a product intended for families with children who can't amuse themselves without getting in the way of other passengers.

Fellow Passengers

This ship attracts an older (but active), well-traveled group who are looking for what are for them, hitherto unvisited ports of call. Different itineraries will attract a different demographic, but the line is marketed mostly to North Americans, who make up the lion's share of the guests.

Dress Code

Nighttime dress code is the increasingly popular "casual elegance." There are no formal nights, though some male passengers opted for jackets (with or without ties) for Captain's Welcome Aboard night and meals taken in the alternative dining venues. Daytime dress was dictated by whether it was a sea or port day, weather conditions, and activity participation choices.

Gratuities

$12.50 per day is automatically charged to passenger shipboard accounts. Bar orders have 18 percent added in at the time purchased.

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