Azamara Cruises: Premium Small Ship Cruises on Azamara Quest & Azamara Journey

Azamara Cruises is a good choice for experienced travelers desiring a small ship premium cruise experience that offers them very destination-focused itineraries and open-seating dining with far better than average dining experiences. Azamara Cruises is for those who are not looking for glitz and glamor on their vacation, and enjoy a casual but sophisticated ambience. Onboard, resort casual attire is the norm with no formal nights. Comparable cruise lines would include Oceania Cruises.

This new upper-premium cruises brand has been developed by Celebrity Cruises to appeal to upscale travelers who desire the intimacy of a smaller ship and the ability to immerse themselves in exotic destinations on a 10- to 24- days on a voyage for the senses.

Azamara Cruise itineraries include exotic ports of call in Europe, South America, Asia, the Caribbean, Panama Canal, and a grand World cruise voyage, with the opportunity to see life at its most exotic and authentic! Guests aboard the Quest or Journey are invited to become part of the local fabric of life instead of merely observing it.

Onboard the Celebrity Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, butler service and concierge-style amenities (in all fifteen stateroom categories) are included. Plus, guests enjoy fresh-cut flowers, fresh fruit, Elemis toiletries, Frette bathrobes, slippers, new European bedding and soft goods, a pillow choice menu, flat screen televisions, complimentary tote bag and stationary, and wireless internet service in all staterooms and public areas.

Azamara cruise guests also enjoy small-scale immersive excursions that provide opportunities for sampling delicious wines, capturing breathtaking photographs, and experiencing culinary creations designed by world-renowned chefs. All shore excursions showcase Azamara Cruise line's strong commitment to exceptional service.

Entertainment onboard a smaller vessel is typically lower key than on larger ships, and ranges from a harpist and pianist to a dance band and guitarist. There's also a small casino. The AquaSpa provides usual treatments of a Celebrity cruise.

Other than in the larger suites, staterooms are adequate in size relative to Azamara's more luxurious cousins. But what the ships may lack in stateroom size, they make up for in dining, service, and an overall ambience that is appealing to discerning guests. (See also Oceania Cruises.)

There are 42 suites onboard, including six penthouse suites measuring 560 square feet each. Guests in these suites enjoy complimentary welcome bottle of champagne, plus two nights complimentary dining in the specialty restaurants. (Those in other stateroom categories receive one complimentary evening of dining in one of the two specialty restaurants).

In addition to the open-seating main restaurant Discoveries, Azamara Cruises offers two specialty restaurants: Prime C, for fine steak and seafood, and Aqualina, which pairs regional, multi-course Mediterranean-style cuisine and seafood with wine menus. Plus, there's Window's Cafe for casual dining and a sushi cafe.

All Azamara Cruises suite guests can enjoy three evenings of dining in either Aqualina or Prime C, on a complimentary basis; while all other stateroom guests can dine in the specialty restaurants on two evening without a surcharge. There is a recommended gratuity of $5 per person for each evening of dining in Prime C or Aqualina. (A small surcharge also applies for premium cuts in Prime C, as well as the wine pairing menu in Aqualina.) Dining in Azamara's specialty restaurants is by reservation.

The name Azamara is a coined term derived from the Romance languages. This includes the more obvious links to blue (az) and the sea (mar). The name was also inspired by a star, Acamar. In Classical times, the star Acamar was the brightest southerly bright star that could be seen from Greece. The cruise line thinks of Azamara Cruises as a star of the blue sea.

Let us arrange your Azamara cruise
TravelStore's premium cruise experts can readily arrange your Concierge class stateroom, suite, or preferred stateroom category at the best available pricing on the Azamara cruise program. Contact your TravelStore agent or call 1-888-779-7447.

SIGN UP to receive our exclusive cruise specials and enter our current sweepstakes.