Azamara Cruises Reviews 2026–2027: Is Azamara Good?

Azamara cruise review scorecard

Our verdict in one line: Azamara is the line to pick when the destination is the trip and the ship is the hotel. It is the port-intensive value pick in our best luxury and small-ship cruises ranking, a step below Regent Seven Seas, Silversea and Seabourn on price and inclusions. The trade-off is the ships: four older sisters with few venues and no Wi-Fi in the standard fare.

Graded on the criteria in how we rate cruises.
Criterion	Azamara
Value	Good Fares sit well above the mainstream lines, but select drinks and gratuities are included, so it often costs less than a premium line once a drinks package and tips are added there.
Food	Good The main restaurant, buffet, pool grill and room service are included; the two specialty restaurants, Prime C and Aqualina, cost extra unless you book a suite.
Cabins	Mixed About 70% of staterooms have a veranda and there are only 26 interior rooms per ship, but the rooms are on ships built from 1999 to 2001.
Ship and onboard	Mixed Four near-identical ships of about 700 guests with a small choice of bars and restaurants and low-key evenings.
Itineraries	Strong Late nights and overnights are the point: the summer 2027 program has 89 overnights and 381 late-night departures, plus Country-Intensive cruises and Grand Voyages.
What is included	Good Select spirits, beers and wines, gratuities, self-service laundry and, on most voyages, an AzAmazing Evening are in the fare; Wi-Fi, specialty dining, tours and flights are not.
Fit	Good A good fit for couples and independent travelers who want time ashore, and a poor one for families and anyone who wants big-ship nightlife.

Strengths

Time in port. Azamara plans its seasons around late nights and overnights. In summer 2027 nearly half of its European sailings have one or the other, and the winter 2027 to 2028 season adds 60 overnights and more than 150 late departures across 87 cruises.
Drinks and tips in the fare. Azamara’s “Always Azamara” list, checked October 2026: a variety of dining venues, beer, wine and spirits, AzAmazing Evenings, onboard gratuities and unlimited self-service laundry.
Small ships. Each ship carries 684 to 704 guests, so tender ports and small harbors are easier than on a big ship.
Interesting routes. Country-Intensive cruises stay within one country, and summer 2027 includes calls at small English ports such as Dartmouth and Fowey, plus Grand Voyages of 35 to 41 nights.
Easy choice of ship. The four ships are near twins, so you can pick on itinerary and date alone.

Weaknesses

Old ships. All four were built in France between 1999 and 2001 for Renaissance Cruises, so every ship is 25 years old or more.
Wi-Fi is extra. Azamara sells internet in onboard packages; only suite guests get an allowance of minutes.
Two specialty restaurants, both extra. Outside suites, Prime C and Aqualina carry a charge, and there are few other venues to rotate through.
No excursions in the fare. Tours are sold separately, unlike on Viking or Regent.
Quiet evenings on board. There are no big production shows or late-night scene. On a ship that stays late in port, that is often the point.

Azamara Quest cruise reviews: what the ship is like

Azamara Quest is one of the line’s two original ships: built in 2000 and with Azamara since 2007, it carries 704 guests, the most in the fleet, at about 30,300 gross tons. It is a sister of the other three, with the same restaurants and layout, so a review of Quest is in practice a review of Azamara.

Our sailings snapshot has Quest in Northern Europe from Copenhagen. Choose it for the route rather than the ship. For the region’s seasons and ports, see our Northern Europe cruise guide; for the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean cruise guide.

Who Azamara suits

Couples and independent travelers who want dinner ashore and a night in port. Our couples cruise guide compares the other lines we suggest for two.
Repeat cruisers stepping up from a big premium line who want a smaller ship without ultra-luxury fares.
Long-trip travelers. Grand Voyages, Atlantic crossings and a 2029 World Cruise are on sale; our world cruise guide compares the long voyages.
Alaska travelers who want longer cruises. Azamara Pursuit returned to Alaska in 2026 on 10 to 13-day voyages. Compare it in our best cruise lines for Alaska ranking.

It doesn’t suit families with young children, travelers who want a new ship, or anyone who wants Wi-Fi and tours in the price.

Azamara against the alternatives

Azamara vs Oceania: the closest rival. Oceania has newer and larger ships and includes specialty restaurants, Wi-Fi and gratuities; Azamara includes drinks all day and stays later in port.
Azamara vs Viking: Viking has newer ships, includes one excursion per port and Wi-Fi, but limits included drinks to wine and beer with meals.
Azamara vs Seabourn: Seabourn costs more and includes Wi-Fi, every restaurant and premium spirits on all-suite ships. Pick Azamara for the port time and the lower fare.
Azamara vs Windstar: Windstar sails smaller yachts of 148 to 342 guests and charges for alcohol, Wi-Fi and tips unless you add its package. Our Windstar review grades it.

Our all-inclusive cruise guide lists what each fare covers. The fleet and full 2026–2027 routes are in our Azamara cruises guide.

Azamara cruise reviews FAQ

Is Azamara a good cruise line?

Yes, for travelers who want small ships, long days and evenings in port, and select drinks and gratuities in the fare. It’s a weaker choice if you want a modern ship, Wi-Fi included or a wide choice of restaurants.

Is Azamara luxury?

Not quite. We class it as upper premium: above the big premium lines on inclusions and price, below Regent, Silversea and Seabourn, which include Wi-Fi, every restaurant and premium drinks on all-suite ships.

Are Azamara cruises all inclusive?

Partly. Select spirits, beers and wines, soft drinks, specialty coffee, gratuities and self-service laundry are included. Wi-Fi, the specialty restaurants, shore excursions, spa treatments and flights are extra.

How old are Azamara's ships?

All four were built between 1999 and 2001 for Renaissance Cruises. Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest joined in 2007, Azamara Pursuit in 2018 and Azamara Onward in 2022.

Are these Azamara cruise reviews based on passenger ratings?

No. This is our editorial review, graded on the criteria in how we rate cruises and based on Azamara’s published inclusions, fleet and itineraries. We don’t publish star ratings or passenger scores.

Azamara cruises reviews: is Azamara a good cruise line?

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