Report on Azamara Quest: 12/22/07-1/5/08 Acapulco-Panama Canal-Miami
On board: Nice touches: great service, good food. Nice ambiance and very attractive smaller boat. Crew generally friendly and worked very hard to please. Stewards are called butlers and while their service is excellent, they do no more than a good steward on a Celebrity or other similar cruise line. We experienced none of the service problems noted on Cruise Critic. The food was a step up from Celebrities usually very good, although most of the menus were created around a very similar continental cuisine - no specialty buffets; virtually no "ethnic" style food on the dining menus (unless you count the occasionally appetizer) - not even Italian. On a 14 day cruise, there really needs to be much more variety in the cuisine. The maitre d was especially helpful and accommodating. The waiters were efficient and anxious to please.
The food in the buffet was generally better than average, although the hot dishes were allowed to dry in the serving trays, making them dry and less tasteful. The breakfast buffet was especially good with lots of choices. As with Celebrity, pastries are not this cruise line's strength.