Spain Intensive with Barcelona and Malaga Stays, 9 March 2028 (11 nights)

We set sail from Cape Town. We loved Cape Town. The ship was comfortable and as our time sailing went on we warmed to the ship. Initially if I am honest I thought we had boarded a retirement home. But there were couples of all ages including one or two children. It is not really a ship for children there is nothing for them to do. However the food was lovely, the menu changed everyday apart from the stable basics which were always available. Breakfast could be served in your cabin every morning, the steward would lay the table with a white cloth in the cabin and lay breakfast out for you. So that was a lovely touch. Staff were all very helpful and pleasant and seemed to enjoy what they were doing. Excursions were ok although I think very pricy. The Journey is a small ship and for a small ship the entertainment was good. Costume budget a little small but overall the entertainment was good. New years eve was a party on deck and was lovely however it ended a bit abruptly and should have carried on for a little longer past midnight. Christmas Brunch and New Years day brunch were all wonderful. The spread of food was so much you really did not know what to choose. I would sail with Azamara again depending on destination.

Food was good and ship was very clean and and opulent in the public areas. We did a back to back cruise with a large crew rotation halfway through. We were on deck 8 in balcony stateroom for the first part of the cruise and apart from some black substance coming out of the shower all over me (washed off and reported) our stay in the stateroom was uneventful and we were looked after very well. The Ship had a nice buzz to it as a lot of the crew were looking forward to going home for Christmas. After the first part of the cruise the cruise was attracting close to top marks For the second part of the cruise to keep costs down we relocated to deck 4 which turned out to be a issue. We were surrounded on both sides by a very noisy family with young children. What were Azamara thinking of when they allowed that to happen We were subjected to screaming and banging late at night and eventually complained to reception who to be fair responded as best as they could. The doors have very poor closing mechanisms which allow the doors to be slammed and that,alongside air pressure differental made for a very noisy enviroment. The construction of the ship meant that the cabin shook every time this happened. This coupled with some other issues meant that our stay on deck 4 was not great. We were frankly, glad to get off the ship to the peace and quiet of the post cruise hotel. As always on cruises the staff were fabulous and worked really hard to make sure the guests were looked after. Although we are experienced cruisers We have not been on an American cruise company ship and we did notice the difference in culture when dealing with the guests. It felt very artificial considering the relatively small amount of guests onboard. Bottom line nice ship with issues Food was very good. The vast majority of staff were great. But the Itinary and experience did not live up to the Hype and cost.

The Azamara Journey is a much smaller ship than I am used to which many people like but for me it is very limited . For a one week trip it is fine but for me there was not enough to do on sea days especilly as the weather was not too good. Staff and Captain were excellent but I found the ship in need of a face lift and the cabins were dull with tiny shower rooms. The ship was able to go into smaller ports but they were not always interesting or had long transfer times to areas of interest.

I loved the Journey. I took the cruise after a very traumatic couple of years. All I needed was rest and relaxation sunshine, good company and a comfortable space to assimilate. I was touched by the overall friendliness onboard from staff to fellow passengers. Everything ran like clockwork and life became easy. I would recommend Azamara