Azamara Quest
An invitation to sail with Azamara Quest on a journey from the beautiful Spanish city of Barcelona around the French Riviera and Italian Riviera to Rome....I knew this was going to be a pretty special trip!
Having sailed with a number of cruise lines, I did have certain expectations based on past experiences, but I can honestly say Azamara Quest exceeded them all.
Stepping on in Barcelona the process was seamless, no queues (and it was a full sailing) and I was greeted with a glass of champagne and the warmest of welcomes. It was a great start.
The cabin and public areas all felt so comfortable and relaxed. Well maintained, but not over the top and glitzy. Instead, I had a wonderful paired back sense of sophistication and style. Beautiful European furnishings, fabrics (the bed linen was lovely), spacious bars, restaurants and lounges and spacious pool areas. It never felt crowded anywhere, even in the buffet, which is often a case of jostling with other guests on other ships. Ordering a special coffee, the wait was never more than 2 minutes, and if a small queue formed they quickly phoned and another crew member appeared immediately.
Azamara Quest is a well-polished product with a team on board that resonates a sense of individual personality, professionalism, competence and authenticity. Nothing was too much and even the officers were hands on and accessible. The Captain Carl Smith quite clearly has developed a team that is second to none. A 1:2 staff to guest ratio ensures you are well looked after.
The cruise destinations were fantastic but that I could have happily cruised anywhere and been at sea longer is testament to quality of the product. She is a medium sized ship and perfect to get into ports at the closest berths meaning we only had to tender a few times, but even that process was extremely well handled.
This is not the cruise for those passengers wanting all the razzmatazz...it is definitely designed for the discerning passenger. She is not designed for children either, as she offers no additional facilities like other cruise lines, although there are no exclusions. However, this is being said it is not a bad thing as we need differentiation in the cruising market. I for one cannot wait to do my next Azamara journey!
A thoroughly enjoyable cruise experience on the Azamara Quest!
Contact me on kwarner@mtatravel.com.au to find out more about Azamara Cruises.