azamara cruise cost

• Don't Miss Out on Exclusive Halloween Cruise Deals !
• Get exclusive cruise deals on MSC Poesia Mediterranean Cruises for 2024
• Get exclusive cruise deals on MSC Sailings from New York
• Get exclusive cruise deals on MSC Euribia Northern Europe Cruises for 2024
• Get exclusive cruise deals on MSC Cruises from Miami and Port Canaveral
• Discover Exclusive Offers and Special Deals on MSC Cruise Deals
• Deal of the Week
• 120-Day Tracker
• Sign In With Google

• Top Cruise Destinations
• All Cruise Destinations
• Top Departure Ports
• All Departure Ports
•  Ocean Cruises
•  River Cruises
•  Cruise Length
•  2 to 3 nights
•  4 to 6 nights
•  7 to 9 nights
•  10 to 13 nights
•  14 and more nights
• All Cruise Lines
• Cruise Booking
• Cruise Articles
• Azamara Cruise Tips

What is the typical cost of an Azamara Cruise?

Discover Azamara Cruise prices: Use this helpful guide to learn the typical pricing for the trip of your dreams.

Book Azamara Cruises

An Azamara Cruise offers an opulent and all-encompassing vacation experience unlike any other. However, it's crucial to comprehend the budget and costs before setting sail. We'll examine everything from basic rates to hidden expenditures in our extensive guide on Azamara Cruise costs, and we'll offer advice on how to set a budget for your ideal cruise holiday.

Pricing for Azamara Cruises: An Overview

• Learn about Azamara Cruises' beginning pricing and how they change depending on the location and length of the voyage.
• Discover how Azamara's rates are all-inclusive, including lodging, meals, entertainment, and more.

Types of Cabins 

• Learn about the variety of cabin choices available, from comfortable interior cabins to opulent suites, and how they affect the price of your vacation.
• Learn about the benefits and features offered by the various cabin classifications.

Promotional Deals and Savings 

• Learn more about Azamara's special offers, early bird discounts, and loyalty programs to find ways to save money on your voyage .
• Learn how to utilize onboard credits and last-minute discounts.

Additional Cruise Expenses

Taxes and fees .

• Discover the many taxes, port fees, and governmental levies that are frequently tacked on to your cruise cost.
• Assess the transparency of Azamara's pricing to make sure you are informed of any supplementary fees.
• You must know about the gratuity regulations on Azamara, including prepaid gratuities and how to modify or customize them.
• Recognize the value of complimenting the team on a job well done.

Onboard Expenses:

• Examine the prices for the onboard activities, specialty restaurant meals, and drink packages.
• Find out how to properly manage your onboard spending and budget while on vacation.

Choosing the Perfect Cabin

• Your experience may be considerably impacted by the cabin you choose. A balcony or suite upgrade might provide you with more solitude and mesmerizing ocean views. But that may cost more, so choose wisely after gauging these aspects.

Special Trips

• Choose from the many fascinating shore excursions available at popular cruise ports . These include snorkeling in pristine seas, touring historical locales, or taking a beautiful walk. While some might cost, the others can be done for free, so make your pick as per your budget.

Also Read:   What is included in Azamara's basic drink package ?

Saving Money on Your Azamara Cruise: Tips

Forward planning.

• Find out how to create a realistic cruise budget that accounts for all costs.
• Learn when to book in order to take advantage of the greatest discounts and pricing.

Spending Restrictions

• Learn how to keep track of your onboard expenditures and prevent overpaying. Understand the advantages of utilizing the onboard account system, and it will help you budget accordingly.

Increasing Value 

• Learn how to maximize your Azamara Cruise experience by making use of the services and activities that are already included. You can discover the advantages of Azamara's excursions with a focus on the destination and engaging encounters.

Azamara Cruises is an investment in life-changing vacation adventures. You may go out on your cruise trip with confidence, knowing that you've made the most of your money by understanding the different cost components, setting aside money sensibly, and taking advantage of promos and incentives. 

Is Norwegian Encore a family-friendly cruise?

Book Norwegian Encore Cruise A cruise may be a great option for families looking for entertainment, adventure, and leisure on vacation. One of the ships in the fleet of Norwegian Cruise Line, the [...]

March 22, 2024

How much does Explorer of the Seas cost?

Book Explorer of the Seas Cruise Cost is one of the most important factors to consider when organizing a cruise holiday. The Explorer of the Seas, a magnificent Royal Caribbean International [...]

May 13, 2024

Do cruises provide a thorough tour of New Zealand?

Book Your Dream Cruise New Zealand is a place that captivates visitors from all over the world with its stunning landscapes, rich culture, and unusual wildlife. As people prepare for their trips [...]

November 17, 2023

What is the cost of Norwegian Cruise Line’s drink package?

Book Norwegian Cruises Now! A Norwegian trip Line (NCL) trip offers a memorable journey packed with breathtaking destinations, superb service, and a wealth of onboard facilities. The draw of a [...]

Cruise Inquiry

Our cruise experts will help you to plan your perfect cruise vacation!

* I consent to receive communications by email or phone. I understand I may opt out at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in all communications. Please proceed to the Privacy Policy page or read our Terms & Conditions to understand how your data might be used.

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.

Whenever I take a cruise I order a print of my trip. It uses the real satellite data from the cruise and is always a great conversation starter!

I'm building an impressive collection...

Code EMMACRUISES will get you 10% off

Enter your email address below:

Shore Excursion prices — AZ has finally gone over the edge

By AllisonJames , May 19, 2023 in Azamara

Recommended Posts

AllisonJames

So, amazingly I can now see most of the shore excursions for our Scotland Intensive 8/17/23…although it still says we are on a 16 night Norway Intensive! Several months ago I happened to print out from the PDF the summary pages by location with names of excursions, prices, times and length. Started looking these up online and OMG AZ may have    finally gone over the edge. The vast majority of the prices are 60-80% more than the prices from the original PDF.  There’s barely an excursion under $100…some examples-Cawdor Castle and Gardens, (4 hrs, 15) was $99, now $164; Scenery of Western Shetland (3 hours) was $79, now $129; Nevis Range Gondolas (4 hrs, 45) was $129, now $204.  Then in the Glasgow section it actually gets to the point where I want to believe the prices are just completely in error….Stirling Castle (4 hrs, 30) was $99, now $249; Glasgow & Pollok House, (5 hrs 45), was $169, now $324!!! And WAIT FOR IT - Glasgow on Your Own, which I took on my last AZ cruise and is merely bus transportation from Greenock to Glasgow - was $79, now $174!!!!!  On the smaller Islands they really have us over a barrel as there aren’t many private tour providers, however…Stirling Castle (very common tour) and Glasgow???? And can I just say I miss the days we had Bonnie monitoring this board and would answer questions and get us info? Because at this point a tin can and string would be as effective as trying to get them on the phone right now.

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

Talk about over the top!

It is about 20 miles (32 kilometres) between the two and takes around 45 minutes.

Taxi  US$61.99 to US$80.58

Bus  US$8.68 to US$13.64

Train  US$3 to US$4 may be found if lucky, otherwise a few dollars more.

Above figures from the internet and using currency converter, pounds to dollars.

Two couples in a cab would work out at most a fraction over US$40 per person - a little better than US$174 per person I think!

I guess they keep having 'special offers' of 500 and 1000 USD OBC. They just up the prices to absorb that. Or am I being cynical.

This got me checking the excursions for my next 3 cruises.  I had purchased them all pre-conversion so was interested in whether or not they had increased in price.  Basically, I found that all are at the same price as before or, in one case, has gone down in price.  So, maybe it's location dependent?  From what I can tell, it does not seem to be across the board so maybe not all AZ's fault.  The OP's pricing is crazy but, given what I've read about the craziness of summer travel, that could be what the tours are now costing.  

GREENOCK (GLASGOW) CRUISE VISIT.

With a new terminal now opened, Greenock Central train station is 5/7 minutes walk away, safe and very easy. There is a regular direct train service to Glasgow, 3 trains an hour, with fares below $15 per person. This terminates at Glasgow Central Staion, and the name illustrates the location.

The current taxi rate from the pier is around £45 per hour, with also fixed rate tour prices. Capacity 4 persons and up.

Hope this helps.

Wonder if there is a glitch here. 

Just checked all of our 5 sailings and no change in price to any excursion pricing. 

Well, I am hoping for a glitch! My husband is always on the Perry Golf package on AZ and so I do tend to join a number of AZ excursions on my own. I know there are some complaints about the quality but the vast majority of the ones I have been on were pretty good. We just booked a Viking River Cruise and these AZ excursion prices are giving me a new appreciation for the cruises that include them.  Our roll call has not been very active for putting together private tours but I am certainly going to explore that more before booking anything through AZ.

Hi!  I am on the Scotland Intensive July 10 on Pursuit and the shore excursions you referenced as increasing in price happened exactly the same on this sailing!  I had booked five prior to the website mess and the prices are now all dramatically increased . I have been researching private excursions but have found them to be booked up already. Maybe I will be walking around town or taking a taxi for some ports.   Some of the excursions say that the cost is a million dollars!   I can't understand what is taking months for Azamara to get their website and our accounts straightened out either.  I know that when I get on the ship, I will still enjoy my time . 

acruisergirl

2 hours ago, tango9 said: Hi!  I am on the Scotland Intensive July 10 on Pursuit and the shore excursions you referenced as increasing in price happened exactly the same on this sailing!  I had booked five prior to the website mess and the prices are now all dramatically increased . I have been researching private excursions but have found them to be booked up already. Maybe I will be walking around town or taking a taxi for some ports.   Some of the excursions say that the cost is a million dollars!   I can't understand what is taking months for Azamara to get their website and our accounts straightened out either.  I know that when I get on the ship, I will still enjoy my time . 

Hi, my husband and I are also on the July 10th cruise and feel your pain.  I have tried to book excursions on the new website for this cruise without much success.  We were recently on an Azamara cruise in February and had plan to book tours for this cruise in order to take advantage of a 10% discount for booking future excursions.  Unfortunately that option was not available because of the website migration issues. 

I totally agree that the prices have gone up dramatically.  There are some that were raised on average $50 to $75 per excursion but one in particular increased by $150 per excursion.   I understand that mistakes are made and prices increase closer to sailing but these increases are ridiculous. ☹️

Glad some of you can look up your booked cruise.  I am on the Scotland Intensive August 17 cruise and my account still shows I have no upcoming cruises.  I have requested assistance several times, but no response.  Luckily I booked several excursions using OBC prior to the new web site roll out. When final payment was due, Azamara charged the additional cost of the excursions to our credit card (over $700).  It took our TA almost a month to get it sorted out.

As for excursions, I am all set for all the ports (booked some private ones) except for the second day in Greenock.  I think my husband and I will take the train to Ayr and visit the Robert Burns Museum.

This is our first cruise on Azamara, so I am a bit anxious about this whole experience.  That said, I have booked the Croatia Intensive for Sept. 2024.   

1 hour ago, goldiemom said: Glad some of you can look up your booked cruise.  I am on the Scotland Intensive August 17 cruise and my account still shows I have no upcoming cruises.  I have requested assistance several times, but no response.  Luckily I booked several excursions using OBC prior to the new web site roll out. When final payment was due, Azamara charged the additional cost of the excursions to our credit card (over $700).  It took our TA almost a month to get it sorted out.   As for excursions, I am all set for all the ports (booked some private ones) except for the second day in Greenock.  I think my husband and I will take the train to Ayr and visit the Robert Burns Museum.   This is our first cruise on Azamara, so I am a bit anxious about this whole experience.  That said, I have booked the Croatia Intensive for Sept. 2024.   

Not to worry about your on board experience, you will thoroughly enjoy the cruise.

This his useful and in most cases , reliable

https://www.travelinescotland.com/

Greenock to Ayr could be possible. Train to Glasgow Central, change platforms for Ayr train then bus to Alloway for Burns cottage and museum. The Alloway bus stop is just outside the rail station.Bus numbers, 97 or 361 Alternatively, a taxi from Ayr station. Plenty taxis outside station.

2 hours ago, goldiemom said: Glad some of you can look up your booked cruise.  I am on the Scotland Intensive August 17 cruise and my account still shows I have no upcoming cruises.  I have requested assistance several times, but no response.  Luckily I booked several excursions using OBC prior to the new web site roll out. When final payment was due, Azamara charged the additional cost of the excursions to our credit card (over $700).  It took our TA almost a month to get it sorted out.   As for excursions, I am all set for all the ports (booked some private ones) except for the second day in Greenock.  I think my husband and I will take the train to Ayr and visit the Robert Burns Museum.   This is our first cruise on Azamara, so I am a bit anxious about this whole experience.  That said, I have booked the Croatia Intensive for Sept. 2024.   

Hi Goldie I saw your posts on the Roll Call. My husband and I are going to Troon/Ayr the second day in Greenock…we looked into private tours but they were very expensive and he is going to play golf in Troon and I was planning to walk some of the Coastal Path and explore Ayr a bit so we don’t need an actual tour. We are thinking of taking an Uber or a taxi let me know if you might be interested in sharing transportation … we also looked into the train but it seemed like it would be too many changes and walking with golf clubs.

Re Goldiemom enquiry re Burns Museum.

Greenock Burns Club (The Mother Club), oldest in the world, have a Burns Exhibition within the historic Customhouse Building in Greenock which is on the quayside almost adjacent to the cruise terminal.

Entry is free and exhibition is open when cruise ships are berthed. Much Burns history in Greenock, and the burial place of 'Highland Mary' Campbell, who was a lover of Burns.

www.greenockburnsclub.com

https://discoverinverclyde.com/

Azamara should honor the original tour prices.  It is their fault most people have been unable to book,  frustrating. 

4 hours ago, nonrev1 said: Azamara should honor the original tour prices.  It is their fault most people have been unable to book,  frustrating. 

Excursions always go up in price the closer you get to your sail date, on all cruise lines, especially for tours that are popular.  

Host Jazzbeau

37 minutes ago, laurieb said: Excursions always go up in price the closer you get to your sail date, on all cruise lines, especially for tours that are popular.  

Yes, but Azamara does seem to have some moral obligation because people were unable to book ahead at the lower prices.  I'm not asking them to lose money, if the operators have raised the wholesale price – but they shouldn't be making the increased margin of late-booked excursions, in this case.

cruisemom42

Yep, I would definitely have to agree that the current pricing is over the edge -- see below:

46 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said: Yep, I would definitely have to agree that the current pricing is over the edge -- see below:  

They do mention Croatian pirates...

Huntingdon1701

6 hours ago, laurieb said: Excursions always go up in price the closer you get to your sail date, on all cruise lines, especially for tours that are popular.  

They don't actually. The other two lines I mainly use always have them fixed until you get on board. They may sell out of course. 

There's high inflation in the UK at the moment so a lot of costs have gone up in an eye watering fashion, but that still wouldn't justify the levels of increases that AllisonJames is seeing.

7 hours ago, laurieb said: Excursions always go up in price the closer you get to your sail date, on all cruise lines, especially for tours that are popular.  

But given my and others first hand knowledge of what’s involved in the tours in Scotland the prices are unreasonable. I think the example of Glasgow on your own says it all. There is no real added value other than transport $174 for something you can do for $25 

I see very unreasonable prices or a computer glitch. 

chucknmarilyn

9 hours ago, laurieb said: Excursions always go up in price the closer you get to your sail date, on all cruise lines, especially for tours that are popular.  

I have rarely found that to be the case on any cruiselines. We do often take advantage of some sales that are a better price earlier but the base price rarely changes. Even then the difference is minimal.

fruitmachine

2 hours ago, chucknmarilyn said: I have rarely found that to be the case on any cruiselines. We do often take advantage of some sales that are a better price earlier but the base price rarely changes. Even then the difference is minimal.

23 minutes ago, fruitmachine said: I beg to differ and have the data to back that up. Using a generous £ to $ rate of 1.25 (we could only see £ price pre cruise, and only $ price onboard) Azamara increase excursion prices by between 10% and 123% for a cruise last month.

I meant to say on any other cruiselines. My experiences are mostly Celebrity, Royal, and HAL. Did Azamara have these large increases before the ownership change?

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

• Welcome to Cruise Critic
• Hurricane Zone 2024
• Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com Summer 2024
• 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!
• How To: Follow Topics & Forums (Get Notifications)

Write An Amazing Review !

Click this photo by member XFrancophileX to share your review w/ photos too!

Parliament, Budapest

Features & News

LauraS · Started 19 minutes ago

LauraS · Started 1 hour ago

LauraS · Started 6 hours ago

LauraS · Started 17 hours ago

Cruise Planning

Find a cruise, popular ports, member reviews.

© 1995— 2024 , The Independent Traveler, Inc.

• 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...

5 things to love about Azamara Onward, the new cruise ship from upscale line Azamara

Are you looking for an intimate, upscale cruise vessel that can take you to some of the world's most spectacular destinations at a reasonable price?

If you're not too fussy about the size of the room where you'll be spending your nights, you might want to look at small-ship cruise line Azamara 's new Azamara Onward.

At 30,277 tons, Azamara Onward is just a small fraction of the size of the giant megaships that so many lines are building these days ( Royal Caribbean 's new Wonder of the Seas is nearly eight times larger) — and that means it can access lots of world-class destinations such as Amalfi, Italy, and Rovinj, Croatia, that are too small for bigger ships to visit.

Azamara Onward also sails with just 684 passengers at double occupancy, an unusually intimate number that means you'll never feel like you're traveling with a crowd.

The biggest drawback to a trip on Azamara Onward is that the ship has relatively small cabins — at least for a vessel that aims to play in the upscale cruise space.

This is mostly due to the fact that the ship's underlying design dates to an earlier era of cruising when cabins in general weren't as big as they are today.

Christened Monday in Monaco, Azamara Onward isn't actually a new ship. Originally built for Renaissance Cruises in the late 1990s, it's been sailing the world's oceans for nearly 23 years — first for Renaissance and later for Princess Cruises . Azamara bought it in 2021 and is just now adding it to its fleet after giving it a major makeover.

Related: The ultimate guide to Azamara ships and itineraries

Still, despite its age, Azamara Onward is an alluring vessel, as I saw over the weekend during a short non-revenue preview sailing for travel industry leaders, media and company employees. Here are five things you'll love about Azamara Onward.

Its small size

Many cruisers love big ships for all they have to offer — from large arrays of restaurants and bars to a smorgasbord of decktop amusements. But when it comes to upscale cruising, often smaller is better.

Like other ships of its size, Azamara Onward offers an intimate experience with spaces that never feel crowded, and it can get you into charming small port towns that are off limits to bigger vessels.

I experienced this myself over the weekend when Azamara Onward arrived at tiny Porto Venere, Italy (pop. 3,763), a picture-perfect hillside town along the Ligurian coast where you'll never find bigger ships. After Azamara Onward anchored just off shore, I rode a water shuttle to the UNESCO World Heritage Site-listed destination's dock for an Azamara-organized "AzAmazing Day" with live music performances at multiple locations and waterside drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Azamara offers such events at no extra charge once per cruise.

Some passengers, including me, later boarded a boat from Porto Venere for an Azamara-organized tour of the nearby, built-into-the-cliffs Cinque Terre villages — icons of Italy's northwest coast. The tour included a lovely and intimate private lunch and wine tasting at a winery just above one of the villages.

It was the sort of magical day that would be hard to organize for passengers on a ship much bigger than Azamara Onward — and that's a good chunk of cruise ships these days. There are relatively few cruise vessels left that are as small or smaller than Azamara Onward, other than specialized expedition cruise vessels designed to go to places like Antarctica and the Arctic.

Related: Why the addition of a new ship is a big deal for Azamara

Notably, Azamara's two most direct competitors in the upscale cruise space have been building ships lately that carry far more people. Two new ships on order for Azamara rival Oceania Cruises will carry 1,200 passengers apiece, and close competitor Viking 's ocean ships are all designed to carry 930 passengers.

Its upscale feel

Azamara Onward may be an older ship. But that doesn't mean it's run down. Azamara has spent millions of dollars on the vessel in recent months, revamping its public spaces to give them a new, contemporary and upscale feel.

Among essentially brand new spaces on Azamara Onward is The Den, an inviting lounge and bar area at the center of the ship that serves as a central gathering point during the day and night. It's a multipurpose space that is home to a shore excursion desk, loyalty desk and travel guide library, in addition to comfortable seating where you can kick back with cocktails in the evening with live piano music as a backdrop.

Also completely revamped is the Living Room, a spacious observation lounge at the top of the ship. Featuring a bar, lots of seating nooks and a large dance floor, it offers everything from trivia contests during the day to music and dancing at night.

But, to me, its greatest feature is its expansive window wall offering stunning views over the bow. I sat, mesmerized, for more than an hour on Sunday looking out from this window wall as the ship glided into the port of Monaco. The entire principality with its yacht-filled harbor, palace-topped Old Town and glitzy downtown district spread before me like a movie set.

Both The Den and the Living Room are venues you'll find on Azamara's three other vessels (all of which are sister ships to Azamara Onward that were originally built for Renaissance Cruises). But Azamara Onward also offers one all-new venue: the Atlas Bar.

Located at the top of the ship in a space that houses a library on other Azamara vessels, it's a stylish artisanal cocktail lounge of the sort that is all the rage in places like New York and Los Angeles. You'll find all kinds of crafty concoctions made with smoking domes, nitro infusions, fresh-squeezed juices and handmade syrups.

The Atlas Bar also serves up a premium menu of scrumptious small plates such as beef tartare topped with caviar and shaved truffle, and smoked lobster carpaccio.

Note that while house drinks are included in the fare on Azamara ships, the over-the-top offerings at Atlas Bar come with a hefty extra charge of $17.95 a piece (or you can upgrade to Azamara's Ultimate Beverage Package, which costs $24.95 per day and includes unlimited drinks at the Atlas Bar). The food items will come with an extra charge, too, that had yet to be set when I visited the ship but will likely be around $6.50 a plate.

To be clear, not every area of the ship has the same level of upscale feel. As noted above, the biggest shortcoming of Azamara Onward as a ship that is playing in the high-end cruise space is that its cabins are relatively small. The typical balcony cabin on Azamara Onward offers just 175 square feet of interior space. That's about 22% less than the typical balcony cabin on a Viking ocean ship.

The small size of Azamara Onward cabins is particularly noticeable in cabin bathrooms, which are very tight. Be warned that the showers in bathrooms are narrow and set off with clingy shower curtains. I found it a challenge to fully soap up without some Twister-like contortions.

The sleeping areas of cabins have been heavily renovated but still show their age in places (while carpeting, bedding and other soft goods are all-new as are other elements including bedside lighting with built-in USB ports, built-in cabinetry is from an older era).

Bottom line: Azamara Onward isn't a ship that you necessarily book for its rooms.

Its port-intensive itineraries

Azamara Onward may not be a ship that you book for its rooms. But it's definitely a vessel that you should consider for its itineraries. Like all Azamara ships, it'll be operating a wide variety of port-intensive "destination immersion" voyages over the coming year that offer a lot of time in ports, often including late-night stays and even overnight stays. That's not always the case in the cruise world.

By way of example, an 11-night Mediterranean itinerary that Azamara Onward will operate for the first time in June will start and end with overnight stays in Ravenna, Italy, and Istanbul, Turkey, respectively. During the same trip, the ship also will make day stops in Santorini, Greece, and Koper, Slovenia, that start early in the morning and continue to 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., respectively.

In addition, the ship will make day stops in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Corfu, Greece, that last until 8:00 p.m., among six other port calls.

Such lengthy port stops that last into the night are the Holy Grail for cruisers who seek the deepest dive possible into the places their ships go, as they allow for seeing a different side of a destination. In addition to touring by day, they offer the chance to sample the local cuisine of a port over dinner and take in the local nightlife.

Related: What it's like sailing an Azamara ship in the Mediterranean

Azamara Onward will spend the next six months sailing seven- to 15-night trips in the Mediterranean that, like the above itinerary, are chock full of late-night stays and overnight stays in ports. The ship then will reposition to the Caribbean and South America for the winter for sailings that include late-night stays in places like St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Fuerte Amador, Panama (the port for Panama City).

The ship also is scheduled to do an epic, 155-day world voyage in 2024 that will feature an enormous number of late-night and overnight stays in ports.

Its affordability

Among intimate, upscale vessels that offer destination-rich itineraries, Azamara Onward is debuting as one of the great values. This may not always be the case. As Azamara absorbs the massive 33% increase in capacity that is occurring at the line as a result of the ship's addition, its pricing is likely to rise. But for now, at least, you can get on board Azamara Onward at fares that are significantly lower than some of its closest competitors.

As of the publishing of this story, 11-night Mediterranean sailings on Azamara Onward for the coming months were starting at $1,499 per person, based on double occupancy — or about $136 per night. Compare that to current starting rates of around $230 per night for Mediterranean sailings in the coming months on Oceania ships. Starting rates for Mediterranean sailings in the coming months on Viking ships are significantly higher at around $500 per night.

For the coming fall, there are seven- and eight-night sailings around Italy and Spain, respectively, available starting as low as $1,199 per person — the latter just $150 per night. There's also an 11-night transatlantic voyage starting at $1,199 per person — or $109 per night.

Keep in mind that such pricing is for the very smallest cabins on Azamara Onward, and as noted above cabins on Azamara Onward in general are small. Azamara's entry-level fares also generally will just get you an "interior" cabins that has no windows — a type of cabin that doesn't even exist on Viking ships.

Still, booking one of these low-priced cabins gets you access to all of the same onboard amenities and destination experiences that come with any other cabin type. It'll be the same cruise that you would experience in a fancier cabin, with the only difference being the cabin itself.

Such fares are an even better value than they might initially seem when you consider that Azamara includes several things in its fares that sometimes cost extra at other lines, such as gratuities for crew and drinks. Select house spirits, beer, wine, bottled water, soft drinks, specialty coffees and teas are available around the clock on Azamara ships at no extra charge.

Its happy vibe

With small ships, the allure of the onboard experience often comes down to the vibe (and related service level) that you get from the crew. And the vibe on Azamara Onward is a happy one.

When I boarded Azamara Onward on Thursday for the preview, the ship had yet to operate for a single night with passengers under the Azamara banner. Furniture for the pool deck had yet to be unpacked, and some cabin amenities such as hairdryers had yet to arrive. But if the crew was feeling stressed or even overwhelmed, it didn't show. At every turn, I was met by smiling, upbeat and welcoming staff that were delivering service at a high level.

It was a staff that notably was made up of lots of veteran Azamara crew who have been with the line for years, and they knew what they were doing. They were on top of their game.

Up at the Atlas Bar — as noted above, a new-for-the-line venue — a phalanx of bartenders were shaking up strawberry vodka martinis and smoking whiskey sours with a flair that made it seem like they had been working in the venue for years. My room steward, Chang, quickly got every little start-up flaw that I noticed in my room — from faulty power outlets to a nonworking television — fixed in a jiffy.

Azamara is a line that is particularly known for the service levels on its ships, and Azamara Onward is no exception.

Bottom line

Azamara Onward isn't a built-from-scratch new ship. But many of its interior areas have a new-like feel after a major overhaul in advance of its debut as an Azamara vessel.

Like Azamara's three other ships (Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest and Azamara Pursuit), it's not quite as snazzy, design-wise, as some newer vessels in the upscale cruise space. Most notably, its cabins are relatively small as compared to newer ships in its market and — for those who look closely — reveal signs of the ship's age. (We couldn't help but notice the scratched-up sink basin in our cabin bathroom and some dings in the sleeping area's built-in cabinetry.) But in the grand scheme of things, these seem like minor quibbles.

Azamara is all about offering intimate, upscale cruises that will give you a much more in-depth experience in the destinations its ships visit than many other lines, and for that, Azamara Onward is a wonderful vehicle. Its small size is just what you want for a cruise that will take you to lots of smaller and lesser-visited places, and its affordable pricing (at least for now) is a major draw.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise