Azamara Journey Review
Piraeus to Civitavecchia: Upmarket but not ultra-luxury
Rating by category
Additional details
After recent cruises with Silversea and Crystal, chose this port-intensive eastern Mediterranean itinerary for our preferred dates. We liked Journey’s Resort Casual atmosphere, but you get the room size you pay for, with bathrooms designed for hobbits.
Unlike previous reviewers we enjoyed the entertainment: the excellent Standing Ovations opera quartet sang favourite tunes one night; another time an abridged version of Carmen in English, so you could follow the story. The Azamazing Evening chamber concert at Ephesus was very good but involved a lot of work behind the scenes for 40 minutes’ performance.
There’s a good range of dining options. Deck 9 has the pool grill and Windows Café (buffet), both nice places if you don’t fancy much (or even if you do) or want to get to a show, say. The outdoor Sunset Bar is essentially part of Windows Café with a sea view.
Cabin Review
Club Veranda Stateroom
Most suites are underneath the Pool Deck so we opted for this smallish stateroom with a minute bathroom. There was only space for one suitcase in the wardrobe, so the other stayed by the bed. Everything was kept very clean by our two stewards. In calm Mediterranean waters we had room service breakfast on the balcony one morning, and being quite far forward was not an issue.
Port Reviews
Giardini Naxos (Sicily)
Took a coach tour to Mount Etna, reaching a lava field - complete with bars - at about 2000 metres altitude. It’s a half-hour drive from the port each way.