azamara cruises youtube

Azamara Onward: the full video tour

Azamara Onward , a ship that was recently added to the Azamara Voyages fleet, in the full video tour edited by Cruising Journal.

Explore all the elegant interiors, restaurants and facilities on board, as well as the spacious outdoor decks, swimming pools and sun deck.

Don’t miss also the Reportage, the Photo Album and all the Azamara Onward Reviews on Cruising Journal, with photos, videos and cruises on offer.

Cruising Journal

Azamara Onward

Latest reportages, azamara pursuit: the south africa intensive voyage, ponant: expedition cruising a la francais, vista’s maiden call on new york, cfc: renaissance makes its debut and impresses, on crystal symphony: the return of crystal cruises.

Azamara Club Cruises Tips. 7 Things You Need To Know Before Cruising With Them.

by Gary Bembridge · November 2, 2018

In my video of Azamara Club Cruises Tips you will discover 7 things you really should know before cruising with Azamara on a cruising vacation. I discuss things like who they are, who they compete with, who they are best for, what they do different to other cruise lines, what their fares cover and do not, the sort of facilities and entertainment, range of accommodation and more. Azamara Cruises is a small cruise lines with three ships that hold just 700 people. They focus on destinations and immersing guests into the varied and more out of way paces they can all into due to their smaller ships. Find out more in the video.

Watch My Azamara Tips Video

To watch on YouTube, click here

Transcript of my Azamara Tips Video

In this I cover seven things that you need to know about Azamara Club Cruises before you cruise with them.

#1 Who are Azamara?

Azamara is part of the Royal Caribbean group of cruise lines. Royal Caribbean operate obviously he Royal Caribbean line, Celebrity, they have Azamara and also a major stake in Silversea the ultra -luxury cruise and expedition line. Azamara operates in the upmarket mid to small ship cruise category, so they compete with lines like Oceania, Viking cruise line and lines like Windstar.

All of their ships are what is known as R-class ships and they were originally built for Renaissance cruise lines. They have three ships all holding around about 700 passengers. They have the Azamara Journey, the Azamara Quest and in 2018 they added Azamara Pursuit.

#2: What does Azamara do that’s different or unique to other cruise lines?

Azamara would argue that their real focus is around destinations. There’s a couple of things that Azamara do around destinations that I think are unique and different:

• First of all what they call “stay longer experience more”, so they call in smaller ports because they have smaller ships and they tend to have much longer stays. For example, the cruise I’m on which is a 10-night cruise around Greece and the Greek islands, in many of the ports we were staying until 10 o’clock at night and in other ports we’re staying until 8 o’clock at night, which enables you to get out and see much more both during the day and also into the evening. The second thing they do is lots of country intensive cruises.
• You’ll find a lot of their cruises are called intensive, so it’ll be Greece intensive or Spain intensive. So, they’re tend to structure their cruises around a particular part of the world and call on lots of places and again, because they have smaller ships, they can call it lots of different ports.
• The third thing they talk about is this real sense of immersion once you’re there. So, they talk about “cruise global connect local”, so the idea is they have lots of excursions which ready try and get you to connect with the people, cultures, the food and they group these into a number of different types of excursions. So, for example Taste Local, Bike local, Meet local and Night local. So, the Bike Local obviously are bike tours. They have bikes on board the ship which are around about 16 bikes, so the tour runs with about 16 people. Taste Local is where you would get out and have markets or local restaurant visits, Meet Local is cultural exchanges with the families and residents and of course Night Local will be where you can get out and experience the nightlife.
• The tour sizes are quite small. The normal tours will be around about 25 people if it’s a walking tour or it’s cycling tour they’re often focused just on having 16 people. I noticed a lot when we were traveling around at different sites on different tours that we had a small group or between 16 and 20 people and other cruise lines were having 30 to 40 people on their tours.
• They use only local tour guides, which of course many cruise lines do, but local experts.
• They normally have some speaker on board who will talk about the region and the places that you’re visiting.
• They also provide port guides in every port. Personally, I felt the port guides were okay. I don’t think they were amazing and particularly considering that Azamara is really focused on destinations I thought that perhaps their destination guides will be very different to other cruise lines, but I felt they were quite similar. 8. What they do though, which is great, is in every single port of call they will bring on board local tourist reps who will be there for a couple of hours in the morning when you arrive, so they can obviously give you much more specific information, maps and advice. 9. The other thing that they do is if the local town or the nearest town is not within easy walking distance, they always provide a complimentary transfer to get into town.

So that whole destination area is something that they do really well.

Now the other thing that they do, which is unique, they have a number of signature events. Azamara have probably four of them that I think are worth talking about.

• First of all, they have what is known as their as AzAmazing evenings. So normally on a cruise they’ll have one evening where take the whole ship onto land somewhere and they’ll have some big event. So, for example when were in Corfu the whole ship was taken to a beautiful park in the centre of the town and a concert was laid on of local Corfu music and dancing. So, every cruise will normally have some kind of AzAmazing evening where they try and take you out to experience again the local culture or something that’s unique.
• The other big signature event is the White Night Party. One of these is held on every cruise and if it’s great weather or in a warm climate it’s held on the pool deck and there’s the most amazing spread of food and the other great twist is that normally the officers are the ones serving the food, then there’s dancing and singing. The other big highlight is they have a crew parade where a big chunk of the crew will march onto the deck.
• Another big signature event is the chocolate buffet which is held on Deck five once during the cruise in the evening. A great spread of chocolate treats.
• The other big feature is it’s normally on a sea day is they have a brunch which is held in the main dining room, the Discoveries restaurant.

#3: Who is as Azamara best suited and best targeted for?

Well most of the passengers onboard are the baby boomer generation, so you’re going to find mostly people in their 50s, 60s and 70s and people who are very interested in destinations and really want to have the chance to get to know a region and spend time exploring it and are pretty active in the way that they like to explore things.

I would say it’s not really, although it’s not excluded, but it’s not really a family / kid’s kind of experience.

It’s very American focused, so most of the travellers on board would be American. There will be a good amount of people from the UK and from Australia, but it is a very English-speaking experience and again it’s with a sort of an American twist. So, the entertainment, the quizzes tend to have a slight American bias.

#4: What is included in the fare?

On Azamara the fares are largely all-inclusive. So, what does that mean?

Well the accommodation is obviously covered, all gratuities are covered (with the exception of the spa), all of your food in your main dining room, the Discoveries restaurant, is included, in the buffet restaurant which known as the Windows Cafe, there’s also snacks which are available during the day in places like the living room and also at the Mosaic cafe. Room service all through the day is also included within your fare. There are two speciality dining restaurants, which unless you’re in a suite, you pay to go to. You have Aquiina which is a beautiful Italian restaurant and you have Prime C which is the steak restaurant. They cost thirty dollars per person to eat there.

When it comes to drinks these are again largely included. You have a selection of wines at meals that you can choose from, you also have a wide range of spirits, bottled water is available, and sodas are all included, and specialty teas and coffees are also included. Now what’s very important is there is a list of specialty drinks and cocktails and beers that are included. Also, you have a minibar in your room which will have some sodas and water that is included. If you’re in a suite you do actually get spirits included within your minibar. Of course, going to things like the white party and AzAmazing evenings are all included and the drinks there are included. They do have a self-service laundry which is free to use.

So, what’s not covered?

I’ve already mentioned specialty dining, excursions are not covered. The excursions because of the smaller groups they are perhaps a little bit higher than on some of the bigger mass-market lines where they have many more people, so obviously they can amortize the cost of things like the guides and the bus across more people, so the cost of excursions is a little bit higher and excursions are not included.

Wi-Fi is not included, unless you’re in a suite where there are some minutes included depending on the grade of suite that you’ve got.

#5: What are the range of facilities and the kind of entertainment you can expect on board?

In terms of dining you’ve got the main restaurant the Discoveries restaurant, the windows cafe, the two speciality restaurants Aqualina and Prime C, you also have the patio which is on the pool deck.

In terms of bars and lounges you have the Den area which includes the Spirit bar now this on the Pursuit is also partly where the casino used to be. The line’s other ships still have the casino and although I believe they are going to be removed and the Den is going to be introduced much more across the rest of the fleet. You have the living room which is known as the Crow’s Nest on many lines, also the drawing-room which is where the library is, there’s a bar outside at the pool and fact all of the restaurants have their own bars.

The Cabaret lounge is the main entertainment area and in here is where they’ll have the guest entertainers and they’ll also have the four onboard singers who perform a series of singing and dancing shows. In terms of other entertainment there is music across the ship, so they have a trio that plays up in the living room and they have a pianist down in the spirits bar and then they have a daily program packed full of activities. These activities tend to be fairly traditional, so there’ll be lots of quizzes and competitions and they’ll be various meet and greets solo traveller meets and greets LGBTQ meet and greets.

#6: What is the on-board experience like?

On Azamara club cruises it’s pretty casual, it’s pretty relaxed and a couple of things really illustrate that. First of all, the dress code. There’s not a strict dress code at all, so they do talk about smart casual resort dress code but it’s fairly informal. So, in the restaurant in the evening for example you could wear jeans if you want, you can wear polo shirts. They ask you just don’t wear distressed jeans and you can’t wear shorts in the evening. People tend to dress up a little bit smart, so the gents might wear slacks or something like that and long-sleeve shirts and a few people you will find with jackets. Ladies will tend to dress in fairly smart clothes, but it’s not a very formal in the evening and there are no gala evenings. A lot of people when they go to the speciality restaurants, because they might be doing that for more special occasion, you’ll find a few more gents in jackets and ladies with perhaps more cocktail style dresses.

Also, in terms of dining it’s all open seated dining. You’ll just, if you’re going to the main dining room, you’ll go in and say if you want to share with people or if you want to table for two you can as there’s lots of tables for two. The service is good but it’s not very in-your-face and it’s not very formal. If you do like much more formal dressing up kind of cruise, then Azamara cruise is probably not exactly right for you.

#7: What accommodation options do they have?

A great thing about Azamara is they have a huge range of accommodation. So, if you want to travel relatively inexpensively because it appeals to you, you can as there are inside cabins, there are Oceanview cabins, there are balcony cabins and balcony are the main type of cabin on board. That’s the one that I was cruising in. You then move into Suites and of course they get progressively bigger. So, there’s a wide range you can go from inside right through to suites.

Azamara club cruises is really focused on immersing people into destinations. Their real focus is destination, they have very country intensive cruises, they try to go to more unusual ports, they try to stay in those ports as long as they possibly can, and they try to give excursions and tours which really let you connect with the people and the culture and the history of the place that you travel to. So, you’ll find a lot of the tours are actually around experiencing rather than just looking at. So, if you are interested in history and sights, they have those too, but they have lots of tours which are around taste local, bike local and really get you out and meeting people.

They are sort of a luxurious cruise line in terms of the style, the approach, the decor, the service but it’s not stuffy. Azamara club cruises has lots of loyal people on the cruises as kept meeting people that have been five, six, seven times and they’ve already booked more cruises with some people doing three a year! People are very passionate about the destination concept, so if you’re interested very much in destinations, in a smaller ports, staying there longer, not too stuffy not too formal. It is a little bit or more on the premium side than the mass-market lines so it is going to cost a little bit more but obviously you then have those pros of doing it that way.

Note: I travelled as a guest of Titan Travel on their two-week Italian Lakes and Greek Isles trip which included time at Lake Garda before the 10-night Azamara Intensive Greek Islands cruise. Follow Titan Travel on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube .

Follow Tips For Travellers:

• Follow Tips For Travellers on:  YouTube ,  Instagram ,  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Pinterest .
• Sign up for the monthly newsletter . includes a free eBook to download every month.
• Never miss a post by signing up below and every new post will be sent direct to you.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Gary Bembridge

I grew up in Zimbabwe, but I have been based in London since 1987. My travel life spans more than three decades and that includes more than 95 cruises. In 2005, I launched Tips for Travellers to make it easy and fun for people to discover, plan and enjoy incredible cruise vacations. And the rest, as they say, is history. I have the largest cruise vlogger channel currently on YouTube, with more than 3 million video views per month.

You may also like...

I Try A Cruise Line Everyone Says Is Going Downhill Fast!

October 11, 2022

Azamara Club Cruises Excursions

January 26, 2017

My Azamara Pursuit Review And Tour. 8 Things You Need To Know.

September 7, 2018

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

• Next story  What Should Travel Insurance Cover to Reduce Your Risk Abroad?
• Previous story  8 Reasons To Cruise In A Balcony Cabin

Search Tips For Travellers

Most popular articles:.

Subscribe to my Tips For Travellers Newsletter

Most popular pages.

Onward YouTube review

By macmax , November 14, 2022 in Azamara

Recommended Posts

YouTube blogger Emma posted an interesting review of her 1st ever Azamara cruise.

https://youtu.be/KMDuPRnkbrs

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

Lovely video.  I wonder if it took so long to board because she got to the pier very early.

We were on the same cruise. She was really flashed by vegan food options. 

18 minutes ago, tgg said: Lovely video.  I wonder if it took so long to board because she got to the pier very early.

Embarkation started, as announced at 2 pm. We arrived at 1:30 at the port and sat down for lunch at 2:30.

9 hours ago, tgg said: Lovely video.  I wonder if it took so long to board because she got to the pier very early.

We were also on this cruise and boarding started dead on 2 pm as was scheduled, we came from the hotel at 12 noon and there was already a number of people waiting outside but we knew we were going to have to wait. Check in opened at 12.30 pm and was very smooth those of us in suites were given priority numbers and seating was arranged appropriately, plenty of water was on offer along with tea & coffee.  We were onboard within minutes once boarding started and from what I could see went very smoothly.

It was a good review but it did appear she had not done much pre planning as she should have been aware of the Atlas Bar and I also think they just arrived early and expected to embark immediately.  @maxmax Enjoyed thanks for sharing!

Azamazingal

I think she flew direct from Gatwick very early on a flight organised by Azamara and was then bussed to the port, arriving well before cleaning had finished and embarcation had begun.

We flew very early from Glasgow (also on Azamara's flight), changing planes in Amsterdam and still had to queue outside for one hour before we got to check-in.

I do think that, if Azamara include the flights, they should organise a more comfortable waiting experience if passengers cannot immediately board.

I would like to know Azamaras reason for such late boarding. With most other lines, you can usually be onboard by noon. With many flights arrive mid morning and hotels want you out by noon at the latest, what do they expect pax to do?

Mackdogmolly

Have a leisurely lunch at your hotel after you check out and then make your way to the pier. And don’t stress out! 🙂

excitedofharpenden

2 hours ago, macmax said: I would like to know Azamaras reason for such late boarding. With most other lines, you can usually be onboard by noon. With many flights arrive mid morning and hotels want you out by noon at the latest, what do they expect pax to do?

Ask for a late check out?  Wait in the hotel lobby? Leave your cases and do a quick shop and go back?  No hotel is going to kick you out on the street no matter what time you have to vacate the room. As Betsey says, don't stress. I have no issue at all giving the staff a couple of hours extra to clean. 

Since I returned to cruising post pandemic I’ve never had a hotel say no to a polite request for a late checkout be they in UK, Lisbon, Dublin or Athens and from Holiday Inn Express to high end. You can always ask the hotel to keep your bags and have a lunch or drink in town.  Another idea if you arrive in on the day is an airport hotel lounge for a few hours before heading to the port. Some like Amsterdam do 4 hour room rates so you could freshen up after a journey before going to the port. 

On 11/15/2022 at 5:19 PM, Azamazingal said: I think she flew direct from Gatwick very early on a flight organised by Azamara and was then bussed to the port, arriving well before cleaning had finished and embarcation had begun. We flew very early from Glasgow (also on Azamara's flight), changing planes in Amsterdam and still had to queue outside for one hour before we got to check-in. I do think that, if Azamara include the flights, they should organise a more comfortable waiting experience if passengers cannot immediately board.  

I disagree with the last part of your post. I watched the video this morning of Emma (it came up as a recommendation on my YouTube channel). I've watched her videos before and they are always good value just like this one. However it is very clear she is a bargain cruiser. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I feel if you choose to take a packaged flight on the day of the cruise to keep the costs to a minimum then you have to be prepared for some compromises. Hanging around to board the ship might be one, depending upon when that packaged flight arrives. 

Sorry this is a Boring video! Why does she keep comparing to the Mega Cruise Lines? 🤷‍♂️ And she did this on the Cheap! She needs to Slow down! 

20 hours ago, BuckGood said: Sorry this is a Boring video! Why does she keep comparing to the Mega Cruise Lines? 🤷‍♂️ And she did this on the Cheap! She needs to Slow down! 

She is one of the many professional cruise ship bloggers on YouTube.  They all seem to take a different slant on cruising and hers is doing it cheaply such as booking inside gty cabins etc.  I thought that her review was interesting and well done. Her only criticism was the late boarding time which I also find

to be an inconvenience.

Host Jazzbeau

It was her lack of research that I find destroys her credibility – even for the niche she is aiming at.  Traveling on the cheap requires MORE research than luxury travel.

What do you mean lack of research? She booked the cheapest inside cabin on Azamara for a ridiculously low price and lead us through honestly what she encountered during her cruise. I am just about to take my first Azamara cruise in January and I have watched her video about 3 times now to try and get a feel for what to expect. I think she has done a fantastic job compared to the majority of utube bloggers that take 15 minutes to tell you something that should take one minute and then spend another 2 minutes to try and get you to subscribe to their website. 

federalexpress

4 hours ago, Kelownadon said: What do you mean lack of research? She booked the cheapest inside cabin on Azamara for a ridiculously low price and lead us through honestly what she encountered during her cruise. I am just about to take my first Azamara cruise in January and I have watched her video about 3 times now to try and get a feel for what to expect. I think she has done a fantastic job compared to the majority of utube bloggers that take 15 minutes to tell you something that should take one minute and then spend another 2 minutes to try and get you to subscribe to their website. 

 I'd agree that Emma is a good cruise blogger, one of the better ones. However one does need to understand- as she makes clear herself- she is a mass/budget cruiser and was only on Azamara because she happened to access an amazing deal. So I think it is inevitable she would be impressed compared to what she is used to and I think that makes it a very useful insight for those looking to trade up from e.c NCL, MSC, P and O etc, to understand what's different on a premium line like Azamara, less so if people are trying to choose between Oceania, Azamara and other premium lines. Even so, I also enjoyed her video.

I think the point about research re boarding is fair enough however. Presumably for budget reasons, she appears to have got one of the very early Easyjet flights. She said on the video that she had been up at 4am so presumably that flight got into Barcelona maybe around 9-10am. Go straight to the port after such an early flight and you are going to wait, on Azamara even more so because they don't board till c 2pm (rightly or wrongly). Actually it's feasible she knew this full well, but it adds a bit of 'con' into what might have otherwise been a maybe too effusive list of 'pros'.

In her defence, if there is one, she did note that she arrived at the cruise terminal in some kind of transfer, that I assumed, rightly or wrongly, was associated with Azamara because she noted that there were many others that also had to wait hours to board. 

I was referring to her shock about the Atlas Bar.  Had she done any research about Onward she would have known about that. Anyone who purports to give advice should do their homework - IMHO. 

6 hours ago, federalexpress said:  I'd agree that Emma is a good cruise blogger, one of the better ones. However one does need to understand- as she makes clear herself- she is a mass/budget cruiser and was only on Azamara because she happened to access an amazing deal. So I think it is inevitable she would be impressed compared to what she is used to and I think that makes it a very useful insight for those looking to trade up from e.c NCL, MSC, P and O etc, to understand what's different on a premium line like Azamara, less so if people are trying to choose between Oceania, Azamara and other premium lines. Even so, I also enjoyed her video.   I think the point about research re boarding is fair enough however. Presumably for budget reasons, she appears to have got one of the very early Easyjet flights. She said on the video that she had been up at 4am so presumably that flight got into Barcelona maybe around 9-10am. Go straight to the port after such an early flight and you are going to wait, on Azamara even more so because they don't board till c 2pm (rightly or wrongly). Actually it's feasible she knew this full well, but it adds a bit of 'con' into what might have otherwise been a maybe too effusive list of 'pros'.

What time you have to get up depends on how close you are to the departure airport, there are two Saturday departures to Barcelona from Gatwick one arriving at 9.55am the other 12.30pm. I assume any cruise line would choose the earlier flight on a “just in case basis “ as most people would if booking their own flight. She would have done her own online check in for the ship as we did and would have known her boarding time, therefore should have known about the time gap.

The terminal opened at 12.30pm for physical check in and there was plenty of seating and refreshments available.

56 minutes ago, Riocca said: What time you have to get up depends on how close you are to the departure airport, there are two Saturday departures to Barcelona from Gatwick one arriving at 9.55am the other 12.30pm. I assume any cruise line would choose the earlier flight on a “just in case basis “ as most people would if booking their own flight. She would have done her own online check in for the ship as we did and would have known her boarding time, therefore should have known about the time gap. The terminal opened at 12.30pm for physical check in and there was plenty of seating and refreshments available.

Yep, I'm guessing she was on that early flight. Even if she didn't check in online- and she likes her apps and tech so presumably did- most if not all people would surely seek information on when they could board. Same as they do for hotel rooms.

Personally I'd have been on the 12.30pm flight, after all there is still plenty of wiggle room before the ship goes, armed of course with appropriate travel insurance for delays.

cruisemom42

On 11/20/2022 at 9:50 PM, Host Jazzbeau said: I was referring to her shock about the Atlas Bar.  Had she done any research about Onward she would have known about that. Anyone who purports to give advice should do their homework - IMHO. 

I think perhaps your bar is a bit high. Do you really think every first-time cruise booker (e.g., first time on a new line) researches every nuance of the ship they're sailing on?  I've been at the pier and met other passengers who could barely tell me the name of the ship they were getting, let alone the cruise line.

Also, I read these boards periodically and have actually BEEN on an Azamara cruise and I did not "know" about the Atlas bar. Oh, the shame!

Anyway, vlogging is all about the experience, not the research....

On 11/22/2022 at 9:54 PM, cruisemom42 said: Anyway, vlogging is all about the experience, not the research...

That's what I thought all along, which is why I don't follow vlogs [or any social media except Cruise Critic, which as an old AOL chat room is full of people like me who do their research.]  "What is this younger generation coming to?"–Socrates.

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

• Welcome to Cruise Critic
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail Beyond the Ordinary with Oceania Cruises
• ANNOUNCEMENT: The Widest View in the Whole Wide World
• New Cruisers
• Cruise Lines “A – O”
• Cruise Lines “P – Z”
• River Cruising
• Cruise Critic News & Features
• Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
• Special Interest Cruising
• Cruise Discussion Topics
• UK Cruising
• Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
• Canadian Cruisers
• North American Homeports
• Ports of Call
• Cruise Conversations

Announcements

• New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS · Started 2 hours ago

LauraS · Started 3 hours ago

LauraS · Started 7 hours ago

LauraS · Started 21 hours ago

• Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
• Find Your Roll Call
• Meet & Mingle
• Community Help Center
• All Activity
• Member Photo Albums
• Meet & Mingle Photos
• Favorite Cruise Memories
• Cruise Food Photos
• Cruise Ship Photos
• Ports of Call Photos
• Towel Animal Photos
• Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
• Write a Review
• Live Cruise Reports
• Member Cruise Reviews
• Create New...

Azamara Cruises – What is Included? (Food, Gratuities and More)

If you are taking your first cruise with Azamara you may be wondering what is included in the cruise fare.

I cruised with Azamara for the first time this year, and in this post will be looking at everything that is included, and things that cost extra.

I was pleasantly surprised by all the things that were included in my cruise fare.  Azamara brand themselves as a luxury cruise and the cruise fares are usually far more than on some of the mainstream cruise lines. 

However, I was very lucky to get a good deal on a last-minute cruise and was keen to find out whether it provided good value for money!  

I sailed on the Azamara Onward in November 2022.

What is Included on an Azamara Cruise?

Cruises with Azamara include food, accommodation, entertainment and a basic drinks package.  Daily gratuities are also included in the cruise fare.

There are extra charges to upgrade to a premium drinks package. Shore excursions and spa services also cost extra. 

Is Food Included on an Azamara Cruise?

Food is included on an Azamara cruise. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served in the buffet, and at a minimum breakfast and dinner will be served in the main dining room for no extra charge.  There is also a very good poolside grill.

Everything I ate onboard my Azamara cruise, including menus, can be found here: Everything I Ate on my Azamara Cruise (Photos and Menus) – Food Review

It is completely possible to cruise with Azamara and not spend anything extra on dining or drinks! 

The food on the Azamara Onward was some of the best I have ever tasted at sea.  All menus had symbols to show vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free options.  

This ship was the only one I have ever been on that had a completely separate Vegan menu!  You could either just ask for it and order your food on the night, or put in a pre-order the day before to save any unnecessary delays. 

The quality of food on Azamara Onward was so high, I never considered paying extra for speciality options.  However, if you are interested in speciality dining, there are two speciality restaurants – Prime C and Aqualina.  Aqualina is an Italian restaurant, Prime C is a steak restaurant.  At the time of writing, both have a cover charge of $30 per person.

Food in The Main Dining Room is Included

The main dining room is usually open for breakfast and dinner. It may also be open during lunch depending on the itinerary of the cruise.

The main dining room is often open for lunch on sea days but may not be on port days. This does vary by cruise ship.  We had no sea days on our Intensive France cruise.

Do Azamara Have Set Dining Times?

There are no set dining times with Azamara cruises.  The dining time is between 6 pm and 9.30 pm.  Needless to say, I was normally there around six, as I prefer to eat early.  There were never any queues or problems getting a seat. 

The only exception to this is for the Azamara’s “Azamazing” evening.   Dining is split into two separate sittings by decks/cabin numbers, and special local entertainment is arranged to make the evening more special.  Their reasoning is that by allocating set dining times, everyone has the opportunity to see the show.

This didn’t work out well for our family, as my parents were put on a different sitting to us, as their cabin was on the deck above.  We went to the reception desk and asked if we could be in the same sitting.  They were very helpful and assured us it was a casual arrangement, just go to whichever dinner sitting suited us best. 

No one would be checking if we had turned up for the right sitting – it was just a way of making sure everyone didn’t turn up for dinner and the show at the same time!

Eating in the main dining room on a cruise ship works very similarly to a restaurant on land. The difference is that you don’t have to pay at the end!

Food in The Buffet is Included

On all Azamara cruise ships, you’ll find a buffet.

Everything in the buffet is free to eat and you can eat as much as you’d like! 

Although the buffet was fairly small compared to larger cruise ships, the quality of the food was outstanding.

In the buffet you’ll find breakfast, lunch and dinner served and often snacks, such as afternoon tea, in between.

The buffet is open for breakfast in the morning, for lunch, then and closes at night usually around 9.30pm.  If you feel hungry outside of these times, you can always order free room service to your cabin.

There is a lovely deck at the back of the ship just outside the buffet, it was so lovely to have breakfast on a sunny morning, overlooking Monaco!  I certainly couldn’t have afforded to stay in a hotel there, it’s a millionaire’s playground…

In the buffet area, there are plenty of waiters who are happy to bring tea, coffee, and soft or alcoholic drinks to your table.  There is a range of included drinks on Azamara cruises.  There are also “Premium” and “Ultimate” drinks packages available to purchase if you like to have a certain premium/high-end beverage.

The Patio (The Poolside Grill) is Included

There is a wonderful poolside grill on the pool deck. (Deck 9) It is open between twelve noon and 6pm.  The menu is far more extensive than on many mainstream cruise lines. 

Burgers/Chips/tacos/ chicken wings – and a whole range of vegetarian / Vegan options are available.  Not your standard poolside grill by any means!  This food is served to you at your table – rather than queuing up at a counter like on many other cruise lines .

At 6:30 pm, the Pool Grill’s seating area transforms into “The Patio” – an outdoor BBQ restaurant (this is also complimentary). The Patio’s steakhouse-like menu offers barbecued meats, including New York strip loin steaks, pork ribs, lamb tenderloin, chicken kebabs – and of course, vegetarian /Vegan options. 

Unfortunately, I never got time to try this restaurant in the evening.  On the evenings that we considered it, the weather was quite chilly, so we decided to eat inside.

Free Ice Cream is Included!

Right next to the Patio Grill is “Swirl & Top” a self-service station with two ice cream machines and a separate toppings bar. This is all free!

The ice cream was always vanilla or chocolate on our particular cruise.  This is complimentary and you can also help yourself to many toppings, including chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts, Oreo bits, M&M’s, fruit toppings, and sauces (chocolate, strawberry, butterscotch etc). I am not overly fond of ice cream, but regularly helped myself to a pot of toppings! Yum!

Is Room Service Included on an Azamara Cruise?

Room service on Azamara is free to use 24 hours a day by all guests. There is no charge for the majority of items on the menu and there is no delivery fee. There is a charge for alcoholic drinks/soft drinks/ bottled water etc, but this is clearly marked on the room service menu. (Tea/coffee and fruit juice at breakfast are free)

The majority of cruise lines do charge for room service so to have this included is a great bonus! 

If you have a balcony stateroom the staff will set your table with a white tablecloth so that you can enjoy the views.  I had an inside stateroom, but I still got the white tablecloth – but not the fantastic views!

Room service can be ordered via your stateroom phone, or there is an ordering card to hang on your door if you want to order breakfast for the next morning.

Are Drinks Included on an Azamara Cruise?

Drinks are included on Azamara cruises. You can choose from their extensive beverage lists that include standard spirits, international beers, and a changing selection of two red and two white wines, and one rosé and sparkling wine by the glass each day throughout the voyage.

If you have a particular favourite tipple, you are likely to find it in the Premium Beverage package. Many favourite brands of vodka, whisky, tequila, brandy and other spirits are included. This costs an additional $16.95 per person, per day at the time of writing.

There is also an “Ultimate” beverage package available. This included a wide range of champagnes, wines and spirits not included in any other packages.  This costs an additional $23.95 a day at the time of writing.

Mosaic Café – Many Hot Drinks and Snacks Are Included.

Mosaic Cafe (open between 7 am – 1 am) serves a variety of standard teas/coffees and hot chocolates.

Speciality coffees cost extra, but the light snacks are complimentary – mini-pastries, finger sandwiches, scones, fine chocolates etc.  This café is situated by the main atrium staircase.  It is a lovely place to enjoy a drink and watch the world go by!

Is Entertainment Included on an Azamara Cruise?

Azamara cruises include a variety of entertainment on all cruises.  There is no theatre like on larger ships, but there are theatre productions that take place in the Cabaret Bar and Lounge.  There is also live music, trivia, and gameshows around the various bars on board. 

Azamara also get local acts onboard to perform as part of the “Azamazing” nights. Activities are varied and take place throughout the day. The entertainment will vary by destination and ship.

Azamara Cruises have a relatively relaxed daily schedule, compared to some other cruise lines.

On the daily schedule, you may see things like:

• Trivia (we won the 1980s pop trivia!  Not so good on the weather or Halloween quizzes…)
• Live Music (A range of music from classical to pop and rock)
• Theatre-type shows in the cabaret lounge (Nightly shows, performed twice per night)
• Themed White Night Parties (Either on the top deck or inside, weather dependant!)
• “Azamazing” nights (where local acts are brought onboard to entertain the guests.)

Each night of your cruise a daily schedule will arrive in your cabin. This will give you all the information that you need about the next day’s activities.

I’d recommend taking a photo of the schedule, or taking the paper copy with you so that you can see what is going on when you are out and about. Azamara doesn’t have an App for you to check. 

Are Exercise Classes Included on Azamara Cruises?

Azamara offer a full range of complimentary onboard fitness and nutrition classes – although I never had time to try these out on our “Intensive France” Itinerary!

Accommodation is Included

As on every cruise, your accommodation is included in your cruise fare. There are a variety of cabins available for you to choose from, ranging from inside cabins to multi-room suites.

I was very comfortable in the Inside Azamara cruise cabin I had.  However, it has to be said that the bathroom was easily the smallest I have ever had on a cruise ship!

Check out my video below to see what I mean:

If you are interested in learning how I secure the cheapest cabins, I teach a course focused on cruising cheaply which you can find here:  How to Cruise For Less.

Daily Gratuities are Included in Cruises with Azamara . 

Azamara doesn’t charge an additional daily service charge.  If you wish to reward a particular crew member with a tip, you may – but it is not expected or encouraged.

Recently many cruise lines have been moving towards a more inclusive pricing structure and including gratuities in the cruise fare, however, adding an additional daily charge on American cruise lines seems to be the norm. 

Service charges are added to additional cost items, like spa treatments, at a rate of 18%.

To learn more about gratuities on mainstream cruise lines, including how they also affect drinks and spa treatments, check out this post so that you don’t have any nasty surprises on your cruise: Cruise Gratuities: A Simple Step by Step Guide For First Time Cruisers

A lot of cruise lines are moving towards a more inclusive structure. To learn more about cruise lines that include gratuities are standard check out this post:  Which Cruise Lines Include Gratuities? (Cruise Line Guide).

Soft Drinks in the Mini Bar

A range of soft drinks can be found in the mini bar in your cabin, and these soft drinks are complimentary.  If you drink a particular type of soft drink, speak to your cabin steward. 

We had full-sugar Coke in our cabin, but this was soon swapped for Coke Light! Unfortunately, they didn’t have Pepsi Max…

Bottled Water When Disembarking at a Port

Many mainstream cruise lines have a refrigerator full of bottled water strategically placed where you disembark the ship in port.   If you pick one up, it will be charged to your onboard account. 

On Azamara the water is free, so take one for your journey.  I preferred to put one of the free drinks from the mini bar in my bag for when I was out exploring a port!

What is Not Included on an Azamara Cruise?

Spa treatments and shore excursions are not included in an Azamara cruise. Premium Drinks cost extra if you wish to have premium champagne, wine and spirits. 

Drinks in the Atlas Bar Aren’t Included

This is an exclusive venue found only aboard Azamara Onward. Azamara say that the Atlas Bar has

“A unique concept offering artisanal cocktails created using the latest one-of-a-kind techniques. These crafted beverages are as delightful to drink as they are to watch being made! In addition, an exotic menu of small plates, both hot and cold, will be offered.” – Azamara

They do not serve ANY drinks from the included menu.  If you choose to drink in this bar, additional charges will be added to your onboard account.

Azamara Cruises Don’t Include Shore Excursions

Some luxury cruise lines do include excursions, but generally speaking, most cruise lines don’t.  

When you get to port there are a couple of options available to you.

It is always possible to book excursions independently of the cruise line or to not take any excursions at all.  I’m a big fan of doing my own thing when in port. It saves a LOT of money.

Cruise line excursions are the easiest but usually are the most expensive!

It is worth noting that if you need a shuttle bus to the town this will be included when you sail with Azamara. 

When we arrived in Genoa we were surprised to see a shuttle bus service laid on to the town centre.  We have been to Genoa many times before, and had always walked the twenty minutes or so to the centre square to avoid paying for the cruise line shuttle!  

Was Our Cruise Good Value For Money?

For the price I paid, this cruise certainly provided good value for money! 

The only money I actually spent on board was on a few gifts in the gift shop.  We all had a wonderful time and would love to sail on Azamara again .

To learn more about my cruise, check out this video:

Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide

Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.

This FREE guide shows you everything you need to know to find your perfect cruise line.

Enter your email address below: