seeking their daily fixes of soft-serve ice cream. Like a moth to a flame, I visited the Astral Spa
practically every day. Offering the usual array of services, I was drawn to the Elemis and Le Thèrapie products they use. I found treatment prices fairly reasonable, in keeping with what I would pay back home. The adjacent fitness center was always busy and a number of classes were available. Pilates is complimentary, but $75/hour with a private trainer. Yoga classes run a reasonable $25/hour.
N
ightly entertainment was modest, but what they did was pretty terrific, due in no small part to cruise director Russ Thomas Grieve. He has the most amazing singing voice, which explains why he played a lead role in the Broadway musical Mamma Mia for seven years. There were also special acts such as the outstanding Doug Cam- eron, who plays a mean jazz electric violin, along with some clever repartee.
Under the heading of nightly entertainment were
two themed pool deck buffets, one Greek and the other Turkish. Aside from the elaborate stations of regional favourites, local folkloric dance troupes regaled us, and a live band provided the music for dancing under the stars. For me, and probably most of the other passengers, this was the best night-time entertainment by a mile. Activities on sea days were clichéd and limited. But, along with the bingo games, fitness seminar and art auction on our one sea day, we took a wildly entertaining dance lesson led by the cruise director and a class to learn the choreography of Mamma Mia’s finale. The ship’s officers – including the captain – also tended to a lunchtime Officer’s Buffet, and that was great fun. The wood-paneled Drawing Room offers an
extensive collection of books inside glass-fronted cabinetry, a decorative fireplace and comfortable
seating under a spectacular multi-coloured fresco. Discoveries Lounge is an excellent option for drinks with soft live music while The Looking Glass lounge is outfitted with a dance floor, DJ booth, bar, card tables, board games and the Wii. Another location for potent potables is the Casino bar, inside the small but adequate Casino Luxe. eConnections had plenty of stations with laptops and, surprisingly, I rarely endured long waits for Internet connections. It also offers a limited selection of classes. Naturally, changes like these brought about some substantial fare increases over previous fares, but bear in mind, because they were rather low to begin with, customers are still getting very moderately priced premium services (plus a crew-to-passenger ratio of 1:1.5) and amenities – and little to none of the annoying nickel-and-diming we see on many cruise lines these days.
STATEROOM STYLE
Azamara offers seven categories of accommodation: • Club Interiors (at 158sq ft)
• Club Oceanviews (170sq ft)
• Club Verandas and Club Deluxe Verandas (175sq ft)
• Club Continent Suites (266sq ft)
• Club Ocean Suites (440-501sq ft)
• Club World Owner’s Suites (560sq ft)
Round-the-clock certified British- trained butlers look after suite guests, and Club Ocean and Club World Owner’s Suites get extra credit for their 233sq ft verandas.
FACT FILE
Built: 2000, refitted 2008 Tonnage: 30,277 Length: 593ft
Beam: 95ft Speed: 22 knots Passengers: 694
Azamara Quest Crew: 390
Passenger decks: 9 Registry: Malta
ITINERARIES: Warm weather months, Eastern and Western Mediterranean, Northern Europe; autumn and winter 2011, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal, South America (including the Amazon River), Asia and Middle East, offering 4-18-night itineraries.
MORE INFO: In the UK, call 0844 493 4016 or look up
www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk; in the USA, call 1877 999 9553 or
www.azamaraclubcruises.com.
Autumn 2010 I WORLD OF CRUISING
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