Azamara Quest Reviews

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!

My wife & I have just returned from our first ever cruise on Azamara and we were bowled over by the service and friendinless of the crew. We had only cruised with P&O before and although we enjoyed the cruises, our last cruise on Azura did not live up to our expectations. Our cruise on the Azamara Quest ticked all the boxes in respect of low passenger numbers, the service, the food and the inclusive costs of tipping,free provision of meal time wine, soft drinks and beverages very welcoming. Our outside stateroom was very adequate in size and the room was very well looked after by our 2 attendantss. The provision of flowers and daily fruit basket was also a nice touch. The excursions were wll organised albeit in my opinion overpriced. The flights and transfers were well managed. We were have preferred a slightly longer cruise time of a few extra days and more time at sea.

From the moment I stepped on board this ship I loved it. As a first time cruiser I was very apprehensive about being on a ship, but I needn't have worried, the crew were lovely, very willing to help and nothing was too much trouble. My cabin was exceptional, having a balcony made all the difference, many a late evening and early morning was sat on the balcony watching the ocean on moonlite nights and staying up in the early hours to watch the Stromboli volcanoe spewing lava, absolutely magical. I had prebooked tours and must say the tour guides were so passonate about their subjects and very attentive. Being on my own the big ships didn't appearl and when I saw the Azamara ships dealt with 600+ passengers I knew that was the one for me, a choice I never regretted. The food, entertainment and attention were second to none. A trully superb holiday and one which will remain a lovely memory for years to come.

This was our second Azamara cruise. We really feel very relaxed and at home on their ships. Can not fault the service when we did have a couple of minor problems they were dealt with straight away. I was looking forward to cruising with Azamara again next year but unfortunately all the cruises in September (the only month we can get away) have been extended :( Thank you to Paul, DJ Alex and all staff You’re the best.

Second cruise with P&O, this time with my partner (27) and son (2). Amazing ship, words cannot describe! It was the first time my partner had sailed on a cruise and he loved it (and so did my son) we have booked back on Ventura for Aug 2012! The staff are so friendly esp good with young children, kids clubs are great :) The food was top class and the entertainment wasnt bad either. Drinks prices are the same as they would be at home :D Plenty to do on this ship e.g. swimming pools, bingo, shopping, eatting, kids clubs, areana shows, siting in the bar just chilling or even lazing in the sun! Cant wait to re visit her next year although I do want to try out the Azura hopefully in 2013!

We went from Southampton on a 1 week cruise around the Fjords. She is a massive ship, most of the staff are very helpful and friendly, the food is top class, the shows are ten out of ten and after they have been made up the cabins are immaculate. Onboard you will discover a bungee trampoline, a classic English pub, several pools, hot tubs and jacuzzis, a casino, a theatre which is also used as a cinema, a library, many bars and much more. But unfortunately the tipping is not included in the full price but is not overly expensive. On the tannoy the Captain will sometimes put a joke in his announcement. In the formal restaurants you will have the same waiter and wine-waiter/waitress. Towels, flannels and other toiletries will be provided but toothbrushes and toothpaste are NOT provided. The ship has something for all ages as she has a night nursery and 3 different kids clubs split into age groups which are very popular. In a way she is quite a traditional liner as she has a church Sunday service and at the end as traditionally on P&O you can sing the English National Anthem with the rest of the attendees if you wish. The service is twenty minutes long. I hope you find this review very helpful if you are considering going on holiday onboard her. Thank you for your time spent reading this review about such a magical, mind blowing and fascinating vessel. Best Wishes, Jacob [age 10]

Following a superb cruise on this ship in December from Dubai to Singapore we decided to follow it up with another cruise, same ship, from Dubai to Athens sailing from Dubai on the 25th April. Again the "Quest" lived up to all our expectations - wonderful staff, superb food, nothing was too much trouble by anyone on board. The Captain and officers were all approachable and often to be seen around the ship. The ship itself is, in comparison with many other cruise liners, small (just 694 passengers) but on this trip there were only 270 passengers with over 400 crew so you can imagine how spoilt we were. This latter I think was because we sailed for 9 days at sea without a port and also sailed through pirate waters. This necessitated Azamara taking on several ex-Marines to watch over us for the period we were off Somalia and the Yemen. Far from being worried this added an element of excitement to the voyage and the long sea days were wonderful (the ports just get in the way). The cruise through the Suez Canal was memorable - we have been into the Panama Canal but the stately convoy of ships sailing slowly through this man-made channel between the Red Sea and the Med was magical. It was almost like being on a Nile cruise with Egypt slipping past as you sat on your sunbed and watched the world go by. To anyone wanting superb service, wonderful food, a small friendly ship, the ability to get right into ports and the minimum time waiting to get on and off whilst in port, then Azamara Club Cruises is for you. In fact my husband will be hard pressed to get me to travel with any other line.

If I had spent my 12 days on the Quest looking for problems I doubt if I could have found one. It was the most fantastic ship with a wonderful team and even the captain would stop for a chat when he was passing. A great bunch of passengers were brought even closer together by the magnificent efforts of the entertainment staff. Room service was such that I hardly saw the domestic staff during the whole voyage. The on board signature Restaurants were a culinary experience never to be forgotten. My assessment is 100% any without reservation whatsoever. I have now booked my next cruise on the Azamara Journey in November; I don't know how they can do it for the price.

just a quick email to say thank you Iglu for an excellent holiday with Azamara Cruises. Everything went like a dream, the extra day in Singapore worked our well and the hotel you booked us into was superb. Our thanks to all concerned. kind Regards, Margaret and Mike Clulow