Azamara Quest, Azamara Cruises

Cruise: Greece and the Holy Lands sailing out of Piraeus on 25th Oct 2011. Azamara arranged for us to have a gentle entry to the cruise by flying us to Athens for a one night stay in the King George Palace Hotel in Athens the night before the cruise. As usual embarkation on our seventh cruise went very well and it was great to be welcomed back as old friends. Captain Johanne Tysse who had joined the ship during his vacation as the intended Captain had had to leave for medical reasons was a very confident Captain with a very dry sense of humour. He told one lady that he did not know his way to the bridge and she spent several days wondering whether he had found it. No joke this one: His decision to wake his guests up just before twelve midnight on the forth day of the cruise was a courageous one (most of the guests were asleep) but a right one as the next port of call Ashdod in Israel was being bombarded from the Gaza Strip so he decided to head for Haifa. The staff must have worked all night rescheduling the day trips to Jerusalem which was intended to be one of the highlight of the cruise. In the morning they also assisted the many guests who had made private arrangements for visits to the city. Good for them, they did succeed but what more can you expect with a Hotel Director Richard (Ryszard Gusman) and a Cruise Director (Tony Markey) setting the standards of friendliness and service.

Just returned from a very enjoyable cruise from Athens around Greek and Turkish coast, calling in at Haifa, and although the proposed stop on Ashrod was abondoned en route due to the 'disturbances' ie shelling around the city, the ten days were so relaxing with such a wonderful crew, we are now studying the brochure for 2012 for this excellent ship. The crew couldn't have done more; always cheerful, helpful and friendly without being obsequious. With the most delicious and varied cuisine: the fruit sculptures were works of art, decorating the Windows Cafe serving areas each evening, and excellent relaxing live music in the lounges, it was almost the perfect holiday. We refused to let the soot that showered us on our balcony a couple of days running, necessitating the use of the very good laundry room facilities, spoil our enjoyment, and when it came through the airconditioning into our room, the cabin staff returned it to its normal pristine condition in no time at all. Problems can occur anytime, anywhere, and we always regard the way they are resolved as the measure of a good organisation: and the Quest benifited from first class organisation. The Quest was a warmly welcoming ship; the amazing international crew made every guest feel like family, and we look forward to visiting the 'family' again soon!