Azamara Journey
Fodor’s Expert Review
Ship Overview
Car...ld Cruises
Azamara Journey is one of the two original ships in Azamara’s fleet, which debuted in 2007 as a boutique cruise ship division of Royal Caribbean but since 2021 has been owned by the private equity firm Sycamore Partners. All four of the cruise line’s ships—Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest, Azamara Pursuit, and Azamara Onward—are identical and each carry approximately 700 guests. They were built between 1999 and 2001 as Renaissance R-Class ships, and Azamara acquired them from other cruise lines as they became available and refurbished them, maintaining the elegant country-club-like finishes, such as wood detailing and an elaborate atrium staircase, in the public spaces while updating interior décor with a classic-meets-contemporary style in neutral beige and taupe hues.Read More
Azamara Journey, which underwent its most recent refresh in 2016—with some soft goods (including wallpaper and carpets) updated in 2021—accommodates 702 guests in 352 staterooms and suites, 93 percent of which offer ocean views and 68 percent of which have verandas.
The ship sails itineraries that visit a wide range of global destinations—Azamara’s four vessels call on approximately 362 ports in 92 countries—and the cruise line is known for its “country-intensive” voyages that visit multiple ports in a single destination, such as France, Italy, Greece, Japan, Iceland, and Norway, while complimentary AzAmazing Evenings bring together local cuisine and entertainment in an atmospheric port locale. Given the cruise line’s emphasis on “destination immersion,” Azamara Journey is a terrific option for mature travelers (generally age 55-plus) looking for culture-focused itineraries on a ship with an intimate, service-oriented ambience.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
What to expect on board
Staterooms & Cabins
Azamara Journey is an older ship built at a time when cabin design was relatively cookie-cutter and square footage was tighter. The last refurbishment in 2016, however, added some new suite categories and gave the standard staterooms an updated look with neutral hues and European linens. Guests currently have eight cabin options: Club Interior Staterooms are 158 square feet and feature a queen or two twin beds, a small sofa, and a desk; Club Oceanview Staterooms are a snugger 143 square feet but do have a window for natural light; Club Veranda and Club Veranda Plus Staterooms are 175 square feet with a queen or two twin beds, sofa, small coffee table, and desk as well as sliding glass doors opening to a 40-square-foot balcony. (Plus category staterooms also feature extras such as complimentary Wi-Fi, one complimentary specialty dining reservation, and complimentary in-room spirits.) In the Suites category, Azamara Journey offers 266-square-foot Club Continent Suites featuring a larger bathroom and a 60-square-foot balcony, 404-square-foot Club Spa Suites featuring a spacious bathroom with an oceanview shower and soaking tub and a 60-square-foot balcony, 478-square-foot Club Ocean Suites featuring a separate bedroom and living room and a spacious 173-square-foot balcony, and 603-square-foot Club World Owner Suites featuring a separate bedroom and living room plus an expansive 233-square-foot balcony. All suites come with a range of complimentary amenities, including free Wi-Fi, free specialty dining, and spa deck access. While Azamara Journey doesn’t have single-occupancy cabins, on select sailings solo travelers can book any stateroom and pay the double-occupancy rate plus an additional 25-50 percent.
Accessible staterooms featuring wider doors, ramped thresholds, roll-in showers, bathroom grab bars, and lowered closet rods are available in Club Interior, Club Oceanview and Club Continent Suite categories. All decks, with the exception of a small Sun Deck (deck 11), are accessible via elevator; service animals are welcome onboard.
Food & Drink
Azamara consistently delivers when it comes to the quality of its onboard dining options. Yes, most passengers (with the exception of Suite and Veranda Plus guests) will need to pay an extra $35 per person fee to dine at the two specialty restaurants, Aqualina and Prime C, onboard Azamara Journey and the line’s three sister ships, but the menu variety in the complimentary dining spots makes the extra expense unnecessary. For example, Discoveries Restaurant, the main dinner venue, changes its menu nightly, offering a wide array of flavorful and freshly prepared appetizers, entrees and desserts; some are inspired by the ports visited and others are passenger favorites. Vegan and vegetarian options are also offered. For those who prefer the more intimate ambience of Aqualina and Prime C, plus the opportunity to experience a five-course Chef’s Table experience, special Dining Packages are available. The ship’s more casual complimentary dining options include Windows Café, a buffet-style eatery serving breakfast, lunch and dinner (with evening offerings often themed, such as Greek, French, Spanish or Indian); The Patio, an al fresco poolside venue serving burgers, wraps and salads at lunch and locally-inspired menus at night; and Mosaic Café, serving specialty coffee (at an extra cost) and sweet treats in a social setting overlooking the atrium.
There are six bars onboard Azamara Journey, from an outside Pool Bar and aft Sunset Bar on deck 9 to a nightclub-style bar inside the main entertainment venue, Cabaret Lounge. Two popular lounges are The Living Room and The Den. The former is located forward on deck 10 and features both bar seating and arrangements of comfy chairs and sofas surrounding a dance floor (it hosts the ship’s band and also has a DJ booth for late-night entertainment). The latter bar is mid-ship on deck 5 and has a mellow but social ambience with piano music nightly. Also on deck 5: Discoveries Bar, an elegant, wood-paneled venue where it’s easy to grab a pre- or post-dinner cocktail since it’s right outside of Discoveries Restaurant.
Entertainment
The entertainment options aboard Azamara Journey aren’t mega-ship extravaganzas—rather, they are aimed at the line’s retirement-age passengers with genres typically including pop classics from the ‘60s to the ‘80s and Broadway favorites—but the onboard team certainly earns an extra star for enthusiasm. Guests can expect nightly performances in the Cabaret Lounge by a troupe of eight talented singers and dancers, plus the ship’s engaging cruise director who has a background in musical theater. In addition, two bar/lounge areas, The Den and The Living Room, feature live music (a piano player, a band, and a DJ). Azamara ships do not have a casino.
Spa & Fitness
While not as vast and gleaming as the spas on newer, larger ships, the Sanctum Spa on deck 9 of Azamara Journey lives up to its billing as an intimate oasis for enjoying a massage, facial or body treatment using Elemis and other products—plus there’s a relaxing Thalassotherapy Pool and loungers on the outdoor Sanctum Spa Terrace. The adjacent Salon offers styling, haircuts, and coloring services as well as manicures and pedicures, while the Fitness Center features treadmills, bikes, stair-steppers, ellipticals, and assorted other equipment and weights, and yoga and Pilates toning classes take place on deck.
Key cruising tips
Health & Safety
Azamara’s health and safety protocols as they relate to COVID-19 continue to evolve as the countries it visits update their own protocols; as of Dec. 1, 2022, guests on Azamara cruises starting or ending in the U.S. or Europe no longer need to provide proof of vaccination, but all other sailings require proof of vaccination and a booster until further notice. As for a pre-boarding test, Azamara only requires a negative test result (PCR taken with three days or Antigen taken within one day) if the country where passengers are boarding requires it. Masks are recommended but not required in indoor areas and the cruise line has enhanced its cleaning protocols and installed new HVAC filtration systems that remove 99.9 percent of germs.
Dress Code
“Resort casual” by day transitions to “elegant casual” by night as formalwear options (gowns and tuxedos) aren’t required aboard an Azamara cruise. You’ll typically find passengers wearing dresses, skirts, pants (khakis are okay, but not torn or distressed jeans), blouses, and collared shirts, with suit jackets for men recommended but not required.
Junior Cruisers
While Azamara isn’t technically adults-only and does welcome children of all ages, its ships are not designed with kids in mind and there are no organized onboard clubs or activities to engage and entertain children. Foldable cribs and high chairs are available for parents with babies or toddlers, but diapers and baby food are not stocked or sold onboard and there are no kid’s menus, although hot dogs, fries, pizza and chicken fingers are available. School-age children and teens, unless they love to read or can self-entertain, will likely be bored and there may be age limits and restrictions for children when it comes to shore excursions.
Service
Cruise ship guests on small-and-medium-sized ships feel a sense of familiarity and coziness that is usually absent on larger vessels, and Azamara’s attentive staff drives that point home by greeting guests each time they board with a warm “Welcome home.” Service is generally excellent, with staff—from the hard-working cabin attendants, waiters, and bartenders to front desk and management teams—constantly offering friendly smiles, greeting you by name and exuding pride in their ship.
Tipping
Gratuities are included in all Azamara cruise fares, but guests are also free to acknowledge and offer an extra tip to the individual crew members (cabin attendants, bartenders, waiters) who have served them during their time onboard.