Azamara Cruise - Nice to Rome, October 2013

In October 2013, I went on a seven day cruise on the Azamara Quest starting in Nice, and then to Monte Carlo, St Tropez, Propriano in Corsica, Amalfi, Sorrento and finished in Civitavecchia (Rome). This was the first cruise for me, and I had never really felt it was something for me or that really appealed. How wrong I was - I'm converted for life! Now I understand why once people have cruised once they go again and again. Waking up every day in a new place, not having to pack and repack, and with all the touches and luxury that Azamara include as standard meant I was blown away with the whole experience from start to finish.

The experience on the Azamara Quest was fantastic, an amazing ship. With only 694 passengers when full, and 390 crew, it’s a very exclusive experience. Being much smaller than some of the cruise ships today, it meant we could visit places that the larger vessels cannot, such as Amalfi and Sorrento.

I had a veranda stateroom (highly recommended), which was great for rolling straight out of bed, opening the curtains and sitting out to have my breakfast when I felt like it! The choice and quality of food, with four choices of restaurant from relaxed to more formal (but not too much) was amazing. I'm still trying to lose the weight I put on! Azamara are also one of the few cruise companies to include drinks as part of the price - boutique wines, well know spirits and beers plus all soft drinks are included. Azamara is a relaxed experience, and doesn’t include any formal dress nights. Smart casual was ideal for an evening with no jacket or tie necessary, although some people did like to dress up more.

The crew quickly got to know who everyone was, and their genuine smiles and friendliness made me feel welcome from day one. When the ship was in Monte Carlo, all guests were invited to join an 'AzAmazing' complimentary evening excursion, a private opening of and tour of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, with entertainments and a drinks reception which was visually stunning (see the pictures).

Most of the cruising is done at night on this itinerary, so there was the opportunity to go ashore during the day and see the beautiful places visited. It was my first time in St Tropez, Amalfi and Sorrento and they were all beautiful. On the few days I felt less energetic I just relaxed in the sun round the pool, sipping a cocktail (or two!) and reading my book. It’s the perfect balance between things to do and just relaxing. It’s up to everyone to choose what was perfect for them.

The ship never felt busy or crowded. With a spa, gym, casino, theatre, library, nightclub and the wide choice of bars and restaurants you could be a social or quiet as you wanted. There was a wide spread of ages in terms of passengers (though no children, as it was during school term). There would probably be better activities for kids on some of the more family orientated cruises such as Royal Caribbean. It’s a really sociable experience, it was easy to meet and chat to people, and I made some new friends that I will definitely stay in touch with!

For those of you reading this who have never cruised, you should try it, and you will be a convert like I now am. For those of you that have cruised but haven't tried Azamara Club Cruises, you really should, and then you will know what you have been missing!

I'm already planning my next cruise on Azamara, of course! Drop me a line or give me a call and I can tell you more about the experience and we can get planning your cruise!