I have sailed on much larger ships and knew that things would be very different on a smaller ship. I wanted a different itinerary and after many discussions with travel advisers and friends who had sailed with Azamara I bit the bullet and paid far more than I would of liked to book this cruise.
I had been lead to believe that the service, food and more inclusive deals were far superior to other cruise lines I have traveled with. Alas this was not the case. Yes the sunbeds were wonderfully comfortable (the best I have experienced), the food lovely and the staff with a few exceptions very polite but this was nothing better than I have experienced.
The service was very slow most nights 2-3 hours for dinner, the staff work obviously overstretched, just not enough of them to give an efficient service.
Cabin smaller than anticipated but fine for a solo traveler. had been informed at booking that I would have a partially obstructed view but in fact my view was completely obstructed by a life boat. Sea and sky only just visible from the window at various awkward positions. cabin dark most of the time.
There was a very malodorous smell in the bathroom which didn't get resolved before i left although despite the efforts of the crew and officers.