I Tried a Luxury Cruise and The Reality Surprised Me
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- Опубликовано: 24 ноя 2024
- I’ve just disembarked a luxury 5* cruise where I saw and did things I’ve never experienced on a cruise before. Even though I’ve been cruising since I was 11 years old, this cruise took me by surprise and changed my mind about a few things in ways I didn’t expect.
In the past I’ve always cruised with the budget or mainstream cruise lines, usually I cruise out of season to make it cheaper and almost always in the cheapest inside cabin.
Although I’ve always been interested in trying a luxury cruise, I never thought I’d be able to afford one. That was until I found a week long cruise on a cruise line called Azamara for £819 including flights and transfers from the UK.
Usually luxury cruises are at least double or triple this price so I decided to give it a go.
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I bought the alarm clock (based on your recommendation) and I LOVE it. Use it at home and then take it with me on my cruises - as I usually always do inside cabins. THANK YOU!!
Yesss!!!! Told ya. Genius isn’t it?! For anybody reading who wants to join the inside cabin lamp club… EmmaCruises.com/lamp 🥳🥳
@@EmmaCruises i’ll have to buy one since I’m cruising in December and I have the inside cabin which was the only thing left. Thanks for recommending
@@enjoyslearningandtravel7957 Sounds good to me, hope you enjoy it! :-)
@@EmmaCruises thanks :)
@@EmmaCruises l
Good to see there are cruisers who don’t need to do activities 24/7 the entire cruise but can just sleep in, enjoy the ship, and RELAX. I’ve cruised with friends who wanted to get up at 6a and go til midnight. I don’t want to need a vacation FROM my vacation! 😂
Love your videos👏🏼
Sounds exhausting!! 😂😂
Yep! Do you need a travelcompagnon? 🤗😉
I love a variety 😅 I WOULD LOVE to do one of those crazy expedition cruises to Gallopogos or the NW Passage through the arctic. But I also would LOVE an ultra-luxery do-squat-all but sit on the deck, drink cocktails, and watch the Ocean cruise.
It's nice to know that there are other people like yourself who are not afraid of saying that they are always trying to save money. Some people are ashamed to do this but let's face it, why spend money when you don't have to. Keep it up!!
Thank you! 😁❤️
nothing wrong with saving money. Do what feels right for you, friend!!!!
Smart wealthy people are tight.
They'll retain theirs. Loose pockets means you're trying to impress people. Wealthy people don't care what you think.
As an American looking for a cruise that’s got a smaller crowd and a bit more of an upscale touch than is typical, your channel offers amazing reviews. It can be very difficult trying to dissect all the information scouring cruise lines yourself. Your unbiased reviews make my search so much easier.
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
@@EmmaCruises❤❤😅
What makes me sad is these are mostly all inclusive from the UK (understandably) but I’m in the US!
Take a look at Viking. We did an Azamara cruise, which was very nice, but I found Viking so much better!
I love that the platform pink crocs were what made you feel comfortable with the other passengers. Meanwhile those were likely Balenciaga/crocs collab and they are over $1000 😂💕
I’m gunna have to do my croc research. 😂😂😂😂😂
When I first read this, I thought it was a joke, but it turns out that nope, these legit exist. They're only $850 though.
@@bblvrable only hahaha I mean at 850 practically free 😂
Good thing Emma didn’t walk up to the Lady and casually whisper in her ear, “I really should thank you. I see they’ll let anyone cruise here….” LOL
@@bones1492 🤣
I really love your videos! No blaring music to drown out the narrative. Your coverage and explanations are better than most. Personally, I couldn't travel in an inside cabin. My first cruise was in an outside cabin and having the window really helped not to feel claustraphobic. After my first balcony cabin, I could never go back.
Thank you! 😁❤️
I hate when RUclipsr put on music nonet are good better just to not add it
Wow how many feet from the water up would you say you were? I would want to be where it’s the darkest at night so I could see the stars out in the ocean. They should turn all the lights out on the deck after a certain time so you could get a view of the stars out on the dark ocean.
But the audio is at a very low volume.
I have lived in scotland for 23 years and your british-ism is even new to me😅 I have never heard anyone call a baguette a French stick before 😅 every day is a school day
Hahaha, Englishism!! But then I’ve also had people from Canada saying they say it too 🤣❤️
I lived in Canada for many years and that was the standard term for French bread. Thanks again for a great channel!!
I've lived in England and Wales and I've never heard it either. 😅
Always a French stick in my house growing up
Baguette for me, never heard it called a French Stick. I'm from North-West England.
I am NOT a person that has enjoyed a cruise but I do like your style of reporting on this cruise.
For those of us that are considering doing a cruise I believe that watching your channel would be very useful.
Job very well done!
Thank you! 😁❤️
I dislike the style of reporting is boring AF it's just a person sitting and talking and showing footage. I enjoy cruises and wanted more information and this is a pain to watch. I just want the info in a good presented way.
@@riskinhos I enjoyed it, seems more personal than most of the bigger channels of this type
Same. never cruised or wanted to but sooo love watching these and kinda getting keen to try one :)
I’ve never been on a cruises either and I do agree it is a good video but it asures me that cruising is something I would not like
The silhouette paper cutting is amazing! Such a wonderful personalized souvenir (and it packs easily, too).
So clever!! I don’t know what to do with it but I’ll find something. 😂
We have done 12 cruises now one of which with Azamara Pursuit and the food and service was the best we have ever seen. Any problems will be sorted immediately and with no drama. The staff are fantastically friendly and very professional with it. The size of the ship can be an issue if you like to party late on but the experience itself on board is very good.
Yess, so true. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I'm pretty chuffed that I found your channel. I'd never do a cruise more than likely, but living them vicariously through you being that you're an articulate, well spoken young lady is perfectly enjoyable.
Thank you! 😁❤️
Why not? Are you deathly allergic to ships?
You were on an “R-Class” ship. In addition to Azamara there are 4 sailing with Oceania. Love their size-comfort factor. We’ve done over 100 days on them. They indeed port in city locations the bigger ships just dream about. We’ve been in the heart of many cities from Bangkok to St Petersburg. Love your videos.
We, too, were on this sailing and absolutely loved it. It was our third Azamara cruise (but the first "short" one - the prior two were 15 and 14 days respectively). Unlike you, we have officially sworn off big cruise ships and have just booked two back to back sailings on the Azamara Quest for next fall - 9 nights Spain/Portugal followed by another 9 night transatlantic from Lisbon to Barbados. I think Azamara really fills a unique niche in cruising - a definitive cut about the mass market lines but not aspiring to be super high end. We love the size of the ships and the ability to easily meet (and continually be able to find!) people and make new friends.
I heard Captain Karl in the background. He may be terribly unlucky. The last cruise we were on with him the debarkation port was relocated due to sea swells. The departure was delayed because a passenger broke her leg as the ramp was being pulled up. Some days later at sea a dryer caught fire. We lost another port at the Falklands because if weather. Our shuttle was yards from landing when the port was closed. Our third of the trip. It was a great cruise. A wonderful experience through the Chilean Fjords. The staff and leadership were up to the challenges. It was as Covid was about to shut down the industry. It seems He is still dodging the weather. To your point , luxury does not mean there will not be adventures. It just means it will be more comfortable and handled better. Great crew and officers at Azamara. It is more about experiences and travel than amusement park boat rides. We like it a lot.
Blimey ha ha!! He seemed like a lovely captain. 😀❤️
I like your video style how you are so well-spoken and insert selections of video clips into your retelling of your experience! Also love your frugal ways and how you have a grand time while not spending exuberant amounts! Thanks Emma!
Thanks so much Nancy 😀❤️
Did she talk really fast or was it me?
Hi Emma, We were on this cruise and loved it! Incidentally, 3 of the children on the cruise were part of the Captain's family, who were on the ship for the week. The Captain and his wife were delightful - his announcements were always more casual but informative than on most ships. Altho we were looking forward to Corsica, the change to Genoa was perfect. We loved Genoa--their aquarium was terrific. Your video brought back a lot of great memories. Don't know if you missed it, but our group of 6 dressed up for Halloween on the 31st. My wife was a flapper and I was a prisoner (a bootlegger who got caught). We've sailed on Azamara 7 times, and this was the best cruise with them. Food was great and service was wonderful.
Hahaha I never saw you! That sounds amazing I love it. I didn’t even think about costumes before the trip: glad you enjoyed ❤🎉
I think its really nice that the Captain is allowed to bring his family on a trip once in a while. I've heard from some I know who've worked various cruise lines that they either actively discourage or outright don't allow family to cruise on the same ship you're working on because it might be "distracting".
@@Chaotic_Pixie I expect that's true for the rest of the crew. The captain is the captain... :)
@@GunnerHillTX The captain might be THE captain, but he is not the owner of the cruise line, and the owner makes the rules and not the captain. Sorry!
We have sailed on Azamara 5 times! We loved the very friendly crew especially Eric and Capt Carl! Your review was spot on!
Hi Emma! I totally agree that smaller ships are the way to go. We just finished a nine day cruise on the Viking Octantis. Due to its size (378 passengers) it was so easy to get around quickly and there was never a need for an elevator. We too wondered if we would fit in with the upscale crowd, but everyone was so nice.
If you ever feeling like splurging give the Octantis or its sister ship, The Polaris, a try. (The submarine rides are worth the whole trip!)
Hi Emma. We were on this cruise! I saw you on the last couple of days - you were with your family and I didn’t want to disturb you. We’ve been on many Azamara cruises. This one wasn’t quite up to their usual standard, it felt like the ship wasn’t quite up to scratch; as you said the crew are simply fantastic! We had a great time and glad you did too!
Hey Richard!! Ahh, never worry about disturbing me I'm not doing anything important ha ha. Interesting to hear your thoughts about the ship, glad you enjoyed it too :)
Great review. Also with Azamara there is a laundry room to use at no charge and tips are included in your fare. Here in the US the tips are separate and are added on when it comes to other lines like HAL, RCCL, etc. We just sailed Azamara Quest on their Croatia intensive itinerary. Loved it!!!
Oh interesting!! Yesss I even did some ironing ha ha! Gasp! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Amazing! 820 pounds is really not expensive for a week long luxury cruise, especially for people from economically strong countries where typical monthly income is much more than that. I'm from an economically average country, but even I could afford it. I will opt for something even cheaper though, but this is an inspiration to consider a luxury cruise as well.
This sounds EXACTLY like what I've been looking for. I've always been put off cruises due to the chaos and crowding.
🥳🥳🥳
You should consider Viking Ocean cruises too, no chaos and crowding on those either. Ships are a bit bigger with 960ish max passengers, but no inside cabins at all for passengers.
I love Azamara
@@owensmith7530 Agree! Viking is amazing. We found the Azamara ship felt more crowded with less passengers than Viking with 930. The bathroom was a phone booth, while the bathrooms on Viking are lovely and they have heated floors.
I cruised on Azamara Journey in Sept for a 12 day cruise around Greece, I booked a Balcony room, dont worry your shower was no larger then mine in this room. I enjoyed the service it was excellent, all inclusive is definitely great. We only had 510 passengers on this trip. Everything went smooth out of Athens. Great video
Sounds good! 😁🥳
Great video, as usual. Re the 2 days in Amsterdam, your story reminds me of when my 2nd child was born. In 1983! The hospital had what they called a "48 hour discharge policy." Little Andrew entered the world at 11:45 in the morning and was discharged at 12: 30 lunchtime the next day. So 24 and three quarter hours discharge in his case, but as the stay included noon twice, the hospital counted it as 48 hours.
Blimey hahah 😂😂
I really loved the "hogging the loungers" comment. It shows that people will be people no matter their "class" or money.
Yep haha 😂😂😂
Who else is obsessed with Emma's fox shirt? I love it so much.
We love your channel.
The sour, unhappy jealous people who leave you comments (because they have nothing better to do) are the same ones who leave their books and towels on the sun loungers. Lol. Ignore their sad comments. Continue the good work you do!
Hahah, so true!! Thanks for watching. 🥳👏🏼
I took an Azamara cruise from Barcelona in 2014, it was the best cruise I have ever been on. They do a great job of keeping up with former customers, I still keep an eye out for new cruises they are offering even 8 years later. I was 32 in 2014 and I and my similarly aged friend and I were the youngest people on the cruise by a wide margin, which is something to keep in mind. Great video
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
This would be a ship I may like. I actually stopped cruising because the ships keep getting bigger and more crowded (with more ways to upcharge you). My favorite cruise was actually a small Carnival ship.
You should try Viking Ocean cruise line. No one under 18 is aloud to cruise, very laid back, had some tours included, free WiFi, great SPA area. Small # of passengers and very casual. Did do a cruise as COVID ended and there were some problems, we went into Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile who were still trying to open back up, but we were welcomed with open arms.
We loved Renaissance which at the time held 100 passengers. They either went out of business or built mega cruisers which we avoided.
There are plenty of smaller ships still cruising. I’ve loved P&O Aurora, Sky Princess, Disney Magic and am booked for Norwegian Sky.
You stopped cruising for reasons but it wasn’t for the size of the ships Doug.
I don’t go to the casino or even the shows, would prefer a quiet cruise like this.
@@sct4040 I just took my first cruise in September. It was on a river boat out of Portland, OR going down the Columbia river. There were 98 passengers (I was cruising with my m-i-l) with the voyage centered around the Lewis and Clark expedition. There were many excursions, guest speakers, & entertainments of historical interest. It was a slower pace - which I welcomed as my m-i-l is 90 yrs old and we were new to the whole thing.
Yay! Glad you had a fun time, and I so enjoy your summaries of your cruises. We're definitely budget cruisers so your vids are likely our only way of seeing the fancier side.
It's awesome though. I'm glad there are different levels for people with a variety of budgets.
Yes! So true. A different cruise line for everybody. 😀❤️
Cheaper to pay 800 bucks a week cruising for the rest of your life than paying rent, electricity, food, furniture etc. mowing and maintenance and rates. If a person rented a house and had to pay all the other living costs it would be MORE EXPENSIVE than going on this LUXURY cruise for the rest of your life. Work from your cabin on a laptop. 😅
Emma, your channel popped up in my feed one day because my wife and I were watching the Jane Austen mini-series adaptation of Emma. I'm glad that it did because your videos are very well done. It's evident that you spend a lot of time capturing a wide array of video to draw from. Also, you present very well and it's neat to see you in the comments section. Well done indeed!
Hahah. Love that so much. 😂😂
Emma is awesome
Have never heard of Azamara before, so thank you so much for sharing! I appreciated hearing your open and honest review as well as giving the pros and cons. Blessings. 🛐
The smallest cruise ship I've been on was in Ukraine on a ship that's designed for the ocean and the river. We went from Odesa to Crimea, then up to Kherson and up the Dnipro River.
It was super tiny, with maybe 50 guests on the ship. Needless to say, there was no theater... or library... or open buffet. It was kinda awesome.
I live in Spain- Note - if you sail on a Sunday, there is not enough taxis to take to to the ships! Sundays- Barcelona (catalan) government only allows a quarter of driving services to run. So it delays arriving .
Great video! Concise & to the point. The budgeter in me was happy and has now made me consider a luxury cruise. We have only been on one cruise but we really loved it. Thank you so much.
I love your fox outfit and the video is so good, as always! :) Such a complete insight and so exciting. You can absolutely include a bit more detail on the actual destinations and what there is to see there. If I owned a cruise line I would give you a free pass so you could travel nonstop and make lots of high quality content. Thank you for your dedication and last but not least - all the lovely Britishisms, so interesting to discover for non-native English speakers like myself!
Haha, Thank you! 😁❤️
Emma, as usual a complete review. Simply superb!
Thanks so much ☺️❤️
Hi Emma, what a great peek into this cruise line. Glad to hear the food was spectacular, both MDR and around the ship. Nice that you had realistic expectations going in and came away with a positive experience. Well Done!
Thanks lots ❤️❤️
Definitely agree that it’s not having a problem on a luxury cruise it’s more important how it’s handled! Only an aloof, out of touch “Karenish” person would think otherwise. As an IT consultant I always tell the customer, when/if something goes wrong and they start looking to blame, that lets focus on the resolution of the problem first and expedite getting back online! Usually they acquiesce, I promptly resolve the issue in a timely fashion and all is well again! 😊 Good for you!
These ships are the perfect size for me, I spent about 4 years out of 5 that I worked on cruise ships on ships with less than 1,000 passengers. The trouble is for single people the smaller ships are way to expensive. Azamara Onward was originally Renaissances Three, on of 8 identical ships that were built to replace the existing smaller 8 ships that were built in two slightly different styles (first 4 the same, then 5 to 8 the same). I believe the remaining 7 sister ships to Onward are split between Oceania Cruises and Azamara. I know you like your trivia. Thank you for another splendid ship review . Oh a baguette is half or less than half or the size of a French stick.
Ha ha, Thank you! 😁❤️
@@EmmaCruises They also all used to have a casino, and a bit more entertainment onboard too. I helped to build the casino on this ship, and worked the R4 when it ran it's cruises out of Tahiti. Sadly the R ships suffered due to 9:11, within a week the line went bankrupt, and the ships arrested in port.
David just for your info Princess had one of the R class ships as Pacific Princess sailing out of Tahiti we did a30 night repositioner on her from Tahiti to Miami .Great cruise ..Easter island Pitcairn island Panama canal etc. I think she went to PO as the Adonia and we did a long round trip from Southampton around S America including the Amazon .as you say a nice size of ship. Happy memories 😊
Corsica is a beautiful island - with massive granite bluffs and seaside cliffs. Roman ruins everywhere and a nice blend of food.
Thanks Emma. This is a really good review and the Azamara is exactly the kind of ship I like to cruise on. I'd not heard of this ship before but definitely would like to try her as I like the whole small ship thing and getting in close to interesting places (I have fond memories of CMV Discovery mooring in the heart of Bergen). I shall have to have a look at the Azamara's sailings for next year.
Thanks Alan :)
Thank you for taking note of the gluten free options!!! That's always been one of the most challenging parts about traveling :)
No problem. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Your videos are always so informative. You really cover all the questions people would typically want answers to. The editing is concise and to the point and not filled with a bunch of crap. And on top of it all you look amazing in that red dress.
Thanks so much, I try my best! 😀❤️
That's an exceptional price for the cruise. I did a stint on an azamara ship for work years ago. I had guest status and loved the food, wine, and guests.
Thank you for posting this. I worked on this ship back in 2018 when it was with Princess doing the world cruise. It's so amazing to see the Pacific all glammed up. Also I agree the library into a bar hurts to see, I would hangout with guests and work on puzzles most sea days there.
Yes I love this particular ship which has eight ships in the series which has now branded Azamara. Originally all eight ships known as R.1 to R8 owned by Renaissance Cruise Line more than 2 decades ago until it went bust due to the 9 /11 tragedy. I had the pleasure on two occasions cruised on their maiden voyage on R5 then R8. The latter being a 62 nights round South America I considered the best and most enjoyable cruise of all my cruises to which I also bagged two world cruises！Having seen your video. I am feeling nostalgic to want to go aboard this ship again！Thanks for sharing your experience here Emma. 😍
Great informative review as always. Azamara is now on my list, thanks Miss Emma
Thanks ThankGod, your Christmas card is on the way!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
It's on my list too.
I’ve had that alarm clock (or one like it) because I work night shift. Mine has a sunset and sunrise mode and I love it. Never thought of taking it on vacation and that’s a brilliant idea. Love your energy!
So glad to hear your take on a luxury cruise! I’ve been wanting to go on Azamara for a while. Some of their sailings are very reasonably priced.
Yeah! Surprisingly so. ❤️
We loved our Azamara cruise, it’s the best cruise line we have ever sailed with, and we had the same cruise director as you had, will definitely sail with them again 😊
Great job as usual. You are so entertaining and have almost convinced us to cruise. Keep up the good work and thanks!!!
Glad you enjoyed Azamara Emma. We just popped into the Prime C to grab a standard glass of wine to take into the Atlas bar . Great video music & vibe that’s available to everyone. A really balanced view of Azamara. M&Y ❤🙏
Ooo not a bad idea; weird though right?! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
So glad you got to experience small ship cruising! I always prefer the smaller ships over the larger ones.
🥳🥳🥳
One little trick that helped me when I recently sailed on an inside cabin was, the bridge camera on the tv. Every morning I would turn the tv on to see if it was already daylight. I would keep it on most of the time. It kinda of served as an ocean view screen for me 😅
We have just returned from 8 nights on Onward. Our first time
with Azamara. We had a really great time. The crew were fantastic as you mentioned, the included 'extras' were appreciated too. We'd never been smaller ship cruising either, only about 450 on our cruise, which was great for service levels but we did feel the choppy seas one night! We will definitely consider another Azamara trip in the future. Thanks for sharing your opinions. Heard about your upload from a fellow cruiser while we were onboard.
Ooo you did?! That’s awesome! Thanks to them for spreading the word. Glad you enjoyed 😀❤️
We love your videos! You are truly amazing! Your advice has been spot on, and thank you for sharing your experiences. Keep Calm, and Cruise On!
I've sailed on Azamara composed of 5 itineraries for a total of 70 nights. We've always have enjoyed our time and we particularly like the transpacific/transatlantic itineraries as we really enjoy the sea days. The food has been great and the staff terrific. We've seen and enjoyed some of the same staff members on different sailings and that really can enhance your experience. Our last Azamara cruise ended just before the COVID shutdowns began so we're really looking forward to our next 17-night Azamara cruise in January from Buenos Aire to the Strait of Magellan and back to Buenos Aires.
Oh wow! Amazing. ❤️
We are about to go on one of these R class ships with Oceania. My wife is worried about seasickness on a small ship. How was the motion for you?
@@marklines4396 You can certainly get into some heavy seas, most likely in Transpacific/Transatlantic itineraries (which we like). For those that are prone to motion sickness, many take Dramamine, obtain a patch, or chew on some ginger. Under such conditions, Azamara actually provide easy access to ginger. For me, I haven't had any problem with motion sickness. One suggestion is to book a stateroom in the center section which may reduce the amount of motion experienced. I believe the R-class ships do have stabilizers which work very well but nothing is perfect. I hope I haven't scared you because it's usually not a problem. Hope you have a grand time on your cruise...and no seasickness!
Thanks for this! I wondered what sailing on Azamara was like. I am a travel advisor and I prefer a smaller ship. Seems like a good compromise with price being better than an ultra Lux ship, but still having many things you expect to find on a Lux ship.
Best way to deal with the people that leave things on the sun lounges is to call out asking if these items are anyone's and if no one answers take the items to the bar saying they must have been forgotten.
Hey Emma. 645 passengers max? No casino or theater? A bar/food/coffee good enough for me 😂. 🥂🍾and a muster drill. Nice. That blueberry roll looked heavenly as you were panning across. Libraries are using small. No bar. This is a nice space. The quick snippet of your room looked nice. Looking forward to that video. You know. Didn’t know veggie hot dogs existed. Go Eric. Cruise director and skating entertainer. Glad not formal dress. 1 or 2 nights enough. Omg. That noise your door was making did sound like an airplane ✈️ about to take off. Great Vlog. Thanks so much and see you next video.
Hahaha. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I have only done one cruise and am unlikely to do another unless it were a very small cruise that had some aspect of natural history as its focus. Yet I continue to watch your videos and enjoy your experiences on the ships. Part of it is your presentation style and your excitement, or not, about your experiences and how you take pleasure in some of the smaller aspects of your trip. BTW In Canada I've never heard "French stick". We call it baguette even in non-Francophone parts of the country.
Azamara or a river cruise might be a good fit.
Baton seems more like “French stick”.
I saw this ship docked at Agios Nikolaos when I was on holiday in Crete back in the Summer, great to see it on the channel
You definitely made me want to try Azamara, and it looks like you got a really good deal! While they are pricey, they have a fair amount of decently priced cruises, and it is nice to have so much included. I've looked at some of the ultra-luxury lines pricing, but they are astronomically expensive and definitely not something I could afford at this point. I've only taken 1 cruise, and it was with Norwegian. It was a massive ship, overly crowded and almost like a floating amusement park. I decided I never wanted to do a mega ship like that again.
As someone who lives there, it was cool to see you visiting Monaco!
Thank you for this very helpful video, Emma! I recently completed a Mediterranean cruise on Odyssey of the Seas, which I enjoyed very much, but my one pet peeve was the time it took to leave on excursions. There are just so many people to manage on the big ships. I am looking forward to my Iceland cruise on Azamara Journey in summer 2023, when big crowds should not be an issue. I’m not looking forward to the tiny shower, though!
Haha, it’s worth it I promise!! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Reserving a lounger with Stanley Tucci’s book is ok by me. “Taste” was a phenomenal read.
Our small ship cruise in Alaska (around 75 passengers!!) was the best cruise we've ever done, in 2007 for our honeymoon. Just something about the personalised service and greater flexibility makes the trip amazing. Unfortunately the cost has meant that we haven't been back on a small ship since, but we have done a number of cruises on larger ships. All of which we've loved of course.. but it will be great when the kids grow up, move out and we can pay for just two people again ;)
Yesss, sounds amazing 🤩
I can't get enough of watching your cruise reviews. I'll probably never have the chance to ever take a cruise, but watching it from your perspective is nice. I can use my imagination for the rest.
Thanks so much 🥹
I used to work on Pacific Princess during her final world cruise, crazy to see it transformed to Azamara !
Hi Emma, This is the first time i see any of your videos, I loved it!!!! thank you for your review, you bring to your videos this park of joy and smart laughing comments, I love it I am now one of your subscribers !!!
Never been cruising but I would love to take my wife on one as we never got a honeymoon. We really like the idea of the smaller Luxury and ultra luxury lines if we can ever go. Tell you what Emma, if I ever get lucky enough to hit the lotto I'll pay for a cabin on Silversea for you so you can do an ultra lux vid. Just recently found your channel but I've subbed.
Thanks Tom! That’d be lovely. ☺️❤️
I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work in creating these videos. Cruising is my absolute favorite mode of vacationing and i sincerely enjoy and appreciate your work.
P.S.- Nice leg on the thumbnail
👍
Finally some desserts I would actually eat!
I can avoid a person literally sitting next to me but to cruise with no lines, perfection! I appreciate the variety in your channel. thank you!
Thank you! 😁❤️
Great review, Emma! Much different than what I would have expected. Thanks for opening my eyes!
Thanks Mark 😀❤️
Just joined Emma cruises. My wife and I have been on 5 cruises and going to Caribbean in February. I enjoy your show. Informative, entertaining
Perfect timing. I'm headed to Italy for an Azamara cruise this month. I have never cruised with a luxury line so I am very interested in the differences. My original booking was for an obstructed oceanview, but have since been upgraded to nice balcony.
Oooo lovely!! ❤️❤️❤️
I’ve been on both. Did Azamara in 2019. Its like going from a disney theme park to a classy wine bar. You will love it Jim. Enjoy the “white night”😀
I cruised with Azamara with the previous ownership and loved it. I don't like the big ships and will definitely book a cruise with Azamara again because of your positive review. Thank you!
my best interior cabin memory was when I was on the NCL Jewel for two weeks in Alaska... I stockpiled Vodkas all day and stayed up till 2am in my cabin watching movies... great memory. (that came off as a little pathetic but it was fun in the context of a2 week cruise)
Sounds good to me, except for being inside cabin.
I love ❤your videos and reviews. Excellently edited and your post cruise reviews are much better than doing it while walking around the cruise. Great photography and narration. Thank you so much!🎉😊
Thank you, as always, for your detailed take on vegetarian options!! Much appreciated! ❤. (Also I really dug the library review- I feel like I am the odd person who actually pays attention to the cruise ship library. They’re very useful on sea days!)
Haha, I love it 😀❤️
Hi, Emma. I have just discovered your videos and have watched several today! You are an awesome vlogger and I am thoroughly enjoying cruising with you at the helm! Thanks do much!
Thanks so much for watching and your kind words! I appreciate it 😀❤️
I've never been on a cruise, but I have been curious to try one some day. The giant cruise ships turn me off, but what you describe of this one sounds like just what I would be looking for.
I worked on a cruise ship before the advent of those ginormous ships. They don't appeal to me at all.
Check out Viking Ocean...
11:54 those are the memories :) Imagine having someone you know live in the city you disembark and they are standing at the port waving. It makes for a dramatic goodbye if its for a longer time 🙃
Thanks Emma. 2-time Azamara cruiser here. I would always go for a smaller ship. Those with 5,000 people on board just seems bizarre to me. We have had a couple of cruise ships around NZ full of Covid19 passengers so it is still a thing. Your reviews are great, can’t imagine how much work is involved!
Thanks so much, I love it so it’s fun but yes it’s a lot, I do all the scripting recording editing everything. 😅❤️
@@EmmaCruises your following is a tribute to your hard work. Glad you enjoyed the food on Azamara. So easy to overdo it lol
When it comes to any goods or services business I hold more value to how they fix an issue than whether or not an issue occurs. Issues will happen. No one is perfect and in 100% control of everything. How customer service responds is tantamount. I would rather hear one review regarding how they fixed something for someone than a thousand reviews on how wonderful everything is
The price of this cruise including the flights is actually SO good - I usually pay that for a cruise on a ‘mainstream’ ship - amazing!
Azamara docked all of their ships in Glasgow throughout the pandemic closedown, and I remember driving by thinking they looked beautiful, so great to get you onboard to show us what life onboard is like - thanks for sharing this one!
Yeah exactly! Same price as Royal or something. ❤️❤️❤️
This sounds like a fabulous vacation and just the type of thing that I would enjoy
I've had my eye on a Seaborn cruise for a long time now. I don't like crowds so the larger cruise ships have never appealed to me. Had never heard of Azamara. Will check it out. Great video!
☺️❤️
Thank you for this Azamara Cruise review. As a seasoned cruiser, I will be checking out this cruise line since I’m getting back into it following a break for COVID. So while I absolutely will miss cruising on Crystal, Azamara sounds like it is right up my alley! Now it’s time to consider Asian and Australian itineraries. Thanks!!!
This is the first cruise I’ve actually really wanted to go on! Just my luck it would be a premium option!
Ha ha, if you’re flexible with time and location you can find a deal! 😀❤️
Keep checking Vacations To Go, especially their 90 day ticker
Sooo glad you enjoyed!!! We cruised Onward in Sept. The Med.. we boarded in Ravenna it was quite fast!!. Not long at all! It was simply Amazing....we loved it ....the size....the intimacy of a smaller ship....the fact that everyone remembers you....the wine you like etc... the fact also that they stay longer in ports!! Wonderful cruise!! Hope to do it again next year!!!
So glad you enjoyed it too 😀❤️
Like Emma, I started cruising as a youngster, but it’s been over 40 years since I was that youngster. So, I remember old school cruising of the late 70s and early 80s when ships were smaller and the Carnival Party Barge had not been invented. Since then, I’ve cruised as the ships have gotten progressively larger. I like the floating cities if the whole extended family of a dozen or more are going and I love the smaller ships if it’s just the two of us on the trip. Although I’ve done cruises in the Med and Pacific, most have been in the Caribbean. The smaller ships will get you to the smaller islands. I find it useless going ashore on the huge ships, especially during season. Grand Cayman used to be a cool stop, however, even that larger, built up island has a hard time swallowing 25 to 30 thousand cruise passengers on a winter day. So I find that even spending twice as much, or more, to actually enjoy my cruise on a smaller ship is worth it to me.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Thanks for your video. It was so well done, narrated, and filmed. Your explanations were excellent and you spoke so well. Loved it. Thanks!
Thanks so much for watching and your kind words! I appreciate it 😀❤️
Hi Emma, I’m a travel advisor in the US and like to view your videos. Azamara is not a luxury cruise line. It was launched and branded as “up-market” rather than luxury. Their ships are similar to Oceania Cruise Line. Because you normally cruise primarily on mass market lines, this is a nice jump up. Small ship cruising is about destinations while mass market cruises are about the ship. This line is a bridge between the mass market lines and true luxury. I remember doing a ship inspection on this ship when it was still with Princess. I thought it was lovely, the layout was excellent. But isn’t at the level of Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent Seven Seas, or the recently reborn Crystal Cruises. Your point about value for money is excellent. With a budget or mass market cruise EVERYTHING is extra. By the time you disembark you have paid as much or more than on a cruise line like Azamara. I’m not opposed to mass market, in fact I think Royal Caribbean is outstanding for families and multi-generational families. As a travel professional I appreciate your reviews more than you realize.
So what is ultra luxury...... ?
9:37 I am so happy now. Snacking on toppings is totally my thing, but as an adult, I thought it was weird and tried to hide the cups of toppings. Now I know I'm not alone and will enjoy my toppings without reservations.
ENJOY THOSE TOPPINGS!!!!!!! 😀❤️
I've been cruising on SilverSeas, which is similar to Azamara. We had free drinks except for really expensive top shelf stuff. Food was awesome. Several restaurants and buffet. All included except for one venue had a $60 charge. Crew was fantastic. My butler was superior! Fellow passengers were mostly over 60, but they still were fun. I'll do them again.
My wife and I took the Best of the Mediterranean cruise on the Azamara Onward in August/September. Totally agree with your assessment!
Love cruises, wish there were cheaper options for solo travelers.
Yes !!!! Same here. I’m a recent widow and would love to cruise again for a reasonable price