Azamara Club Cruises

As a travel agent for the last 29 years, I have been able to travel extensively around the world. I love to travel, especially on big ships, and rarely on small ones (except river cruises). When the opportunity presented itself to sail on Azamara Club Cruises, I was very excited and also a bit apprehensive not knowing what to expect. On May 15, 2013 we arrived at the Port of Piraeus to board the ship, where we were met by cruise line representatives and escorted to the ship. As soon as we stepped aboard the ship, the atmosphere of calm and relaxation welcomed us, the wine and champagne was offered together with big smiles from the crew. Our balcony cabin was nice and comfortable with sufficient closet space. The bed and pillows were fantastic. We enjoyed breakfast on the veranda, especially because of the big table and very comfortable chairs. The food was spectacular at all of the venues, with very elegant presentation and it all tasted delicious. We got so spoiled that we did not care for the food in Paris, where we went after the cruise. Our favorite restaurant on the ship was Prime C, a steakhouse that is on par with the best of Buenos Aires. The service on the ship is top notch in every department. The entertainment was very nice and Eric De Gray, the Cruise Director, received the highest compliments from the passengers. Captain Johannes Tysse is a very friendly person and you see him all over the ship, not just on the bridge. The AzAmazing Evening was more than amazing; it is the memory of a lifetime. It was an incredible experience. We want to salute Emilio Freeman and his staff for the work that they did. My only regret was that we could not purchase the video of this event. On May 20th we arrived in the port of Haifa at 6:30 pm where all 700 passengers boarded busses and drove for about an hour south from Haifa to the Jabotinsky Forest, which contained a 2,000 year old Shuni fortress and a Roman amphitheatre. We were welcomed by singing and dancing Israeli children all dressed in white and blue, holding flags of Israel. The atmosphere was warm and festive. All the people proceeded to the amphitheatre where a Klezmer band was playing and people spontaneously started dancing. The fantastic Israeli food was all over the place, and the wine, beer and sodas were unlimited. The Ashdod Symphony Orchestra played for us for about an hour and two beautiful singers sang international songs and arias from various operas. It was absolutely magnificent! After the concert we had tea, coffee and dessert. We boarded the buses to go back to the ship and all the people were so happy and excited and the guide expressed words of gratitude to us for coming and visiting the country and seeing with our own eyes what is going on, not only what is portrayed on the news. I would like to point out that the atmosphere was very relaxed and there was a feeling of safety and security and throughout the whole evening, I didn't notice a single person in uniform. The fact that the ship stays in port until the late evening gives the opportunity to get a much better feel for the destination. The following day we spend in Rhodes, and in the evening passengers were offered BBQ on the deck. The theme was a White Evening with white tablecloths and everybody was wearing white clothing. The food was great, the food was fantastic, the music was fantastic, the cruise director created an evening full of happiness and joy. We were sitting on the decks drinking wine and the warm Mediterranean breeze was blowing and the lights of Rhode's were gleaming in the distance calling us to come back. One more unforgettable experience with Azamara. I sincerely wish a lot more travelers got the opportunity to experience the wonderful Azamara Club Cruises.

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