Last year, after sailing with Silversea Cruises, I confessed that I’ve officially become a cruiser. Since then, I tested out River Cruising with U by Uniworld and discovered I liked that, too. Next, I wanted to try a slightly larger ship and sail the Mediterranean Sea, so I planned a cruise on the new Azamara Pursuit. As I declared after my Silversea experience, choosing a small ship is the key to a true luxury cruising experience. The Azamara Pursuit holds a maximum of 702 passengers. I was worried this was over my threshold, and would feel lost in the crowd. I was so happy to discover this wasn’t the case. I still think 600 passengers is my threshold, but Azamara made some very smart decisions in their ship design and cruising format to deliver what they promised.
The Azamara Experience
It is important to know that Azamara sits comfortably in the upscale market – they are not offering over-the-top luxury and are not fully inclusive, but the price is right for what they offer. All meals are included along with select standard spirits, beers, wine, soft drinks, and bottled water; self-service laundry is also complimentary. Guests staying in suites get additional perks, and packages are available for premium spirits and other upgrades. Gratuities are included in the cruise price, and I think that makes a huge difference. No worries about managing cash tips during the trip; there will be no surprises on your bill on the last day!
Azamara is a boutique cruise line with only 3 ships, part of the Royal Caribbean family. Two features really make Azamara stand out to me as an excellent cruising option:
- Azamazing Evenings: Each voyage, 7 nights or longer, will feature a special evening highlighting the local talents of a port along the itinerary. Examples include ballet in St. Petersburg, a traditional village market in the south of France, live opera in Italy, and an elephant festival in Myanmar. On my cruise, we sailed through Valetta, Malta, and our Amazing Evening was a unique performance that showcased modern interpretations of traditional Maltese folk music.
- Longer time in port and Overnight stays: These small ships can dock in ports that the larger ships can’t reach. Azamara takes that a step further, staying overnight in ports, allowing guests to enjoy local dining and nightlife, something they don’t often get a chance to do on a more traditional cruise itinerary.
The Ship: Azamara Pursuit
Azamara Pursuit was completely refurbished and added to the Azamara fleet in August 2018. I sailed on it in October, and it still had that “new car” smell. I stayed in a veranda stateroom, and while it was smaller than my cabin on Silversea, it was still very comfortable. I missed having a walk-in closet, but the room has plenty of smart storage solutions. One thing there is just no escaping with Azamara ships is that their bathrooms are excruciatingly small – the shower is not even wide enough to spread your elbows. If you need bathroom space, you must go with a suite to get it (the new Spa suites are very eye-catching!). While the stateroom could have been bigger, the public spaces drew me out and kept me comfortable and happy.
The biggest difference compared to the ship’s older sisters, the Journey and the Quest, is that it does not have a casino. Instead, it is called The Den, which is my favorite thing about the entire ship. The den is a part bar, hang-out space, shore excursion desk, and travel daydream hub. During my cruise, the Den was the location for wine-tasting events, pub trivia contests, and pre-dinner cocktails. If I wasn’t outdoors enjoying the weather, you might find me lounging in the Den. I did not miss the casino one bit. I think one reason the Azamara Pursuit never felt too large, impersonal, or crowded was the smart ship layout; there are 6 dining venues and 3 lounge/hang-out spaces. Everyone has space to spread out.
For lounging, you have the options of The Den, The Living Room and Card Room, and The Drawing Room. The Den is the most casual and gets the most through-traffic; the Living Room is more like a cocktail lounge and offers afternoon wine and tapas and turns into a lounge-like night club after dark; and the Drawing Room is a bit more formal and quiet.
For dining, your options include a typical buffet with a bonus of outdoor seating, a casual pool-side grill, a traditional dining room with a menu that changes daily, and 3 specialty options: one specializing in steak and seafood, one specializing in Italian dishes, and a unique Chef’s table format with prix fixe menus with rotating themes throughout the cruise. I am not a breakfast person, and I certainly don’t need a sit-down meal 3-times a day, so I really appreciated the European-style Mosaic cafe, where I could order a cappuccino and have a light bite for breakfast or lunch to keep everything balanced!
The entire ship has a flexible and forgiving dress code. Daywear is resort casual, and the Evenings range between resort casual and smart casual; formal attire is never required.
For the size of the ship, I thought the Azamara Pursuit boasted a well-appointed and large gym and spa area. The hidden Sanctum Terrace, an outdoor lounge with a hot tub connected to the Spa, is the ship’s hidden secret and a perfect place to relax before a spa treatment! The fitness center isn’t overly sized, but it has a nice variety of equipment, from the usual treadmill, bikes, and elliptical to weightlifting gear and space for stretching, spinning classes, or yoga.
So… would this luxury cruiser sail Azamara again?
I often put my money where my mouth is and plan personal travel based on my business travel experiences. In this case, I have already booked my next Azamara cruise! My husband and I will sail on the Azamara Quest from Tokyo to Anchorage in May, and I’ll be sure to provide an update!
Pro-Tip: Did you know the BEST time to book a cruise is while you’re on one? You will always find the best pricing and promotions when you book on board. I promise my team will not recreate these savings for you once you leave the ship. They don’t expect a strong commitment and a $500 deposit to lock in the special savings; you’ll even have a chance to change to a different sailing later if needed. In these cases, Ourisman Travel will still be tied to your booking, and we can support your next cruise, too!
