Taking immersive travel to the next level, Azamara are continuing their legacy of offering unique sailings and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. With their new initiative, Destination Immersion Elevated, they’ll bring each port to life like never before, with new destinations, authentic local cuisine, cultural engagement, and elevated excursions. Guests will also enjoy more time ashore than with any other cruise line, with 51% of time in port being late nights or overnights. Plus, thanks to the compact size of their ships, they're able to access lesser-travelled ports, providing a more intimate and off-the-beaten-path experience.

 

Beccy says: “It’s not just the onshore experience that's destination-focused. In the main dining room every evening they have a ‘World Cuisine’ section of the menu, with famed local dishes for passengers to try, as well as local wines and beers to complement it. In the buffet restaurant, Windows, they also have a daily station with produce purchased in port. Plus, they’re bringing events on board too, including local entertainers, ‘street markets’ & more. 

 

 

For those unfamiliar with the concept, AzAmazing Evenings are the cruise line’s way of immersing guests into the culture of a destination through experiences, music, dance, and sometimes food, and are complimentary to all guests.

Beccy says: “Our AzAmazing experience was held at Finca Mas Solers, a 19th century Catalan mansion. We travelled on luxury coaches to the venue, which was absolutely stunning, and the crew were there to greet us with a wine reception. A group of Catalan ‘Castellers’ came to do a demonstration, explaining the history of Castells (a human tower) in Catalan culture. It was very impressive! We then went inside a beautiful building where a Flamenco band performed for us, complete with Flamenco dancers, who even got guests involved at the end! Every AzAmazing Evening is different depending on where you are. We learned that in Croatia’s Hvar, the evenings consists of a reception at a castle with a celloist. These bespoke, one-of-a-kind events are exclusively created for Azamara guests, and are without doubt the biggest highlight of an Azamara Cruise”.

3. Plenty of Inclusions

Azamara include many amenities in their cruise fare, plus items like standard spirits, international beers and wines, soft drinks, shuttle services and gratuities. Self-service laundry is also included, as is the line’s aforementioned AzAmazing Evening. On top of all the standard inclusions, suite passengers also receive English butler service and free dining in speciality restaurants.

Beccy says: “There was a really good selection of drinks in the ‘Always Included’ section – including at least 10 cocktails and a wide selection of spirits. If guests want to upgrade to premium beverages then packages are available, featuring brands like Absolut, Johnnie Walker Red Label, Captain Morgan, Disaronno Amaretto & much more.”

Azamara's Onboard Experience

Staterooms - your home at sea

Azamara’s Cabins are stylishly decorated in neutrals, featuring high-end furnishings and dark woods with plenty of storage space. Additionally, all rooms include daily make-up and turndown services, as well as 24-hour room service, a tote bag, a daily activity bulletin, turndown treats, and fresh-cut flowers. Staterooms are divided into four basic types: inside, ocean view, balcony and suites, with 70 percent falling into a balcony or higher category. Find out more about the individual ships here.

Beccy says: “Azamara have a few spa cabins with access directly next to the Sanctum Spa, which also offers a private spa deck for Club cabins. However, guests can purchase passes to access this deck for a day or the whole duration of the cruise. There was also a great library on board, featuring games and a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books. They have a pool and jacuzzi as well."

Gourmet food & casual dining

Azamara offers both refined dining and a more relaxed, ‘cosy and comfortable’ experience. With fresh ingredients, careful preparation and a variety of menu choices, there are six distinctive options (including room service).

Beccy says: "There are two speciality restaurants are Prime C, a steak restaurant, which also has an incredible plant based menu offering vegan variations of the main menu with meat substitutes, and Aqualina, an authentic Italian, which features pastas made from scratch, traditional recipes and famous desserts like Sorrento lemon liqueur mousse and hazelnut chocolate soufflé. As well as the main dining room, which has daily dishes inspired by the places you're travelling too, there is also a buffet restaurant - Windows Cafe, and a ‘pool grill’ to eat al fresco, along with a coffee shop called Mosaics (I'd recommend the coconut macroons!)."

And one last thing...

"One thing that particularly impressed was that Azamara no longer use single-use water bottles on Azamara Journey – each passenger is given a water bottle they can keep in their cabin, and they have several water fountains on each cabin floor to fill it up – the bars serve water in glasses. This is being rolled out fleet-wide!"

Fancy travelling with Azamara Cruises? See all their sailings here.