This was my 4th sailing with Azamara and by far the best cruise I have ever taken. Azamara does a great job designing unique itineraries, and due to the ship's size, often calls on smaller ports not available to bigger ships. Cruising the Norwegian Fjords was simply spectacular and add in the special Azamara touches, this made for a fabulous cruise. We were able to enter some very small fjords - one in particular was barely big enough for our ship to turn around. Then we stopped by some unbelievable water falls. (I am still in awe of the spectacular scenery - I have recently cruised to both Alaska and the Chilean Fjords and Norway has much more breath taking views - and Azamara gets you so close you can almost reach out and touch the beauty!). Another time the Captain stopped the ship while cruising and sent crew ashore for fresh strawberries, served the following night at turndown. Another time the Captain sent a lifeboat out to catch fresh fish which was served that night in the specialty restaurants. Then there was the AzAmazing Evening where the entire ship attended a private Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Recital at Bergen's famed Grieg Hall. We even departed with many photos of the ship in spectacular fjords - some taken by people on shore and emailed to the Captain who then made them available to the passengers - the photos are unique in that the ship was cruising or passing under bridges, a view not normally available when you are on board.

This Captain was Johannes Tysse. Along with Cruise Director Eric and Hotel Manager Heike, they all worked together to provide an exceptional (and fun) cruise experience. There service was very good in all areas; the food was good (not excellent, but very enjoyable). The entertainment was excellent.

The ship has been well maintained. It seems they continually replace any worn assets. This cruise we noticed many areas of carpeting being replaced after hours. The ship looked great. Read more