In our opinion, there’s not a more charming and elegant region of Europe than the French and Italian Riveras, with their enchanting mix of historical architecture, stunning beaches, panoramic coastlines, and delicious mediterranean food. 

In May 2024, we were invited by boutique cruise line Azamara Voyages to spend 10 nights sailing around this region starting in Nice and finishing in Barcelona. And to add to the excitement, the cruise happened to take place over a very special weekend in Monaco, one we certainly couldn’t resist experiencing. 

We’ve sailed with Azamara four times previously, visiting some amazing parts of the world, and to date they remain one of our favourite cruise lines, with their four 700 guest homely ships, the Pursuit, the Journey, the Onward and the Quest. However it’s been over four years since we sailed with them in February 2020, when we were on the Quest for a South Africa Intensive voyage, and since then they have been sold by parent company Royal Caribbean International to private equity firm Sycamore Partners and have had quite a few changes at the helm so we were keen to get on board to see what, if anything, had changed.

We joined the Quest in Nice, a completely new embarkation port for us and a very nice place for an overnight stay before joining a cruise here. We arrived the night before embarkation staying in the lovely Westminster Hotel on La Promenade, arriving just in time to enjoy a delicious meal with a view to die for as the sun set over Nice. 

Though we didn’t have time to explore on the evening we arrived we got up early the next morning for a walk along the promenade to find the Quest docked just round the corner. Nice is such a lovely place to board a ship with the airport nearby and the ships docking very close to the heart of the city.  Another advantage of small ship cruising is embarkation which was so quick and easy that we were on board and doing the safety drill not long after leaving our hotel and we instantly felt at home with all of the familiar Azamara vibes wrapping us in a great big cosy hug. 

Quickly settled in and with amazing early May weather on the French Riviera we went to have a nice cold drink beside the main pool located next to the Windows Cafe. On Azamara there is a good range of basic drinks included in your cruise fare with the option to purchase a premium drinks package for about $27pp a day or an ultimate drinks package for $35pp a day. The premium package allows for a wider range of beers, wines and cocktails and the ultimate package includes even more, including the Atlas bar cocktails which without a package would cost about $18 each. One of the other things we love about an Azamara ship is the pool deck with super comfortable padded sun loungers that rival even the most luxurious of cruise ships.

It wasn't long before it was time for the sailaway party on the top deck as we left Nice for our first port of call, Santa Margherita Liguire. We love a good sailaway party and Azamara do them well with plenty of guests out on the top decks enjoying the live music and scenery as we sailed along the French Riviera. The sailaway party over, it was time for our first dinner on board which we had decided to take in the Discoveries main dining room, starting the evening in the Discoveries bar with a pre-dinner cocktail before heading in for dinner. Dinner at the Discoveries restaurant is open seating between 6 and 9pm with a range of table sizes available and plenty of tables for two. We sat down and were greeted warmly by Luigo our waiter who proceeded to be a perfect host and delivered us a delicious first evening meal on board.

One of the things we love about this size of ship is the ease with which you can get from one place to another or go back to your room to collect something that you've forgotten. After dinner we popped next door to one of our favourite venues, the Den and Spirits bar which on our voyage was home to the talented Vasi on the piano. The Spirits bar is also where you can find the Atlas drinks menu. The Atlas bar is a relatively new concept in Azamara ships with what is the Drawing room on the Quest, the Pursuit and the Journey being turned into a specialist cocktail bar in the newest ship, the Onward. There were some very unusual cocktails on this menu and we made it our mission to try them all! But be warned useless you have the ultimate drinks package they are quite costly

We didn’t get past the first two on the list on our first evening on board because we wanted to be up bright and early for our first port of call, Santa Margherita Liguire. As we had been here before and knowing it’s an Instagrammers heaven, we decided this time to catch a bus to Portofino. On our way out we decided to grab a quick light breakfast and coffee at the lovely Mosaic Cafe conveniently located in the main atrium so easy for popping in either on your way off or on your return to the ship. All non-alcoholic drinks (and the snacks on offer here) are included in the fare, with or without a drinks package.

A short tender ride to shore and with some advise from a local tourist guide at the harbour, we quickly found the bus to Portofino, which cost us 5Euros each and took just over ten minutes to get us to this picturesque little fishing village, perfect for a lazy Sunday morning stroll. 

Rather than catch the bus or take the local ferry back to Santa Margherita Ligure we decided to walk the 5km shoreside road back, enjoying the stunning views along the way. After our active morning we were back on board the Quest in time to grab a late lunch at the Patio Grill, one of our all time favourite lunchtime venues on any ship. With views out over the bay, two cold beers, delicious burgers, and the self serve ice cream machine this day was shaping up very nicely indeed. 

But the day wasn’t over yet, after a relaxing afternoon around the pool it was time to change for our dinner this evening in the speciality steakhouse, Prime C. Azamara has two speciality restaurants which are included in the price of the fare for suite guests and available at an extra charge for other guests. As a stand alone dinner there is a cover charge of $49.95 but we bought a 3 dinner package with a meal at each of the speciality restaurants as a special Chefs table tasting dinner. This worked out considerably cheaper at $170 each, especially given that the Chefs table costs $125 as a stand alone dinner - but more on that later. 

But for now we go back to our dinner Prime C. We arrived a little before our reservation time to have a cocktail at the bar. We were then shown to a lovely table for two with perfect sunset views as we set sail. Jose our waiter, who we remembered from our previous cruises on Azamara, bought us some delicious bread and oils and poured us a glass of wine as we perused the menu. Having made our choices we started the meal with a smoked trout amuse bouche before moving onto our starters of Korean fried chicken and goats cheese and onion tartlet. For our main course we decided to share the Chateaubriand which Jose carved table side for us, accompanied by some delicious sides and a grain mustard sauce. We definitely overdid it with the sides but still couldn’t resist a dessert with Rich choosing the scotch whisky chocolate cake and Helen the mini doughnuts. We simply couldn’t fit in the petit fours so Jose wrapped them up into a foil swan for us to take back to our room to have later. 

Arriving the next morning in Livorno and we had decided that rather than do a ship excursion we would walk to the station to get the train to Lucca. However, we really should have done more research as we really mis-timed the trains and missed our connection at Pisa, meaning we would have to wait for another two hours before the next train. Though we were overnight in Livorno so we had the time, we decided instead to simply stay in Pisa and do the tourist trail to the Leaning Tower.

While we didn’t make it to Lucca we had a great time in Pisa and there’s always next time, and more importantly we made it back to the ship for the Azamazing evening, which on this occasion was being held on board the ship. Having experienced a few of the traditional Azamazing evenings where all guests were whisked off the ship to a local venue and entertained by a group of local entertainers, we found this experience was a little less special than previous Azamazing evenings we had experienced, even though the four piece female vocal group were very good, it lacked the excitement of going ashore, with the pre-departure buffet in Discoveries, a drinks and canapé reception at the venue and the late night buffet upon return. This just felt a lot more low key. Despite this, it was very well attended and the entertainment was good. From what we could gather on board, the Azamazing evening experience is very dependant on your itinerary and the port in which it is scheduled to take place, with Azamara apparently working outwards bringing it back to its pre-covid levels in every port, so watch this space - hopefully our next Azamara cruise will feature a fully loaded Azamazing evening. 

Even though the Azamazing event was a little subdued to those we were accustomed to, it did put us in a party mood, so after dinner we headed up to the Living Room where both the on board five piece theatre band and the entertainment band, East Pearl,  rocked the night away. The Living Room is another of our favourite venues, day or night. The comfort of this venue, which lives up to its name, really is like a much larger version of your own living room with comfy sofas, lovely lighting and drinks and snacks on hand. Well that is apart from a live band and a dance floor, we don’t have one of them at Visit With Us towers. But in all seriousness this is one of our favourite places to hang out on the Quest whether it be early in the morning, for an afternoon nap or in the evening for pre or post dinner drinks. Not only is there great views and a fabulous bar there, but the snack bar is a temptation too far. Starting with delicate sandwiches and cakes at noon this is where you can get afternoon tea, including scones (though not with clotted cream sadly) then pre-dinner tapas and a midnight snack served from 10pm. It really is hard to resist. 

Whilst we’re talking about our favourite things about Azamara we have to mention the way they put on so many special events and the way they make such an effort to make your cruise a memorable and fun experience, including the special Italian buffet at the Patio Grill as we set sail from Italy for the last time. Tables were set up around the pool, all adorned with gorgeous Italian tablecloths and flags, with senior officers serving the Italian themed buffet food. 

After an evening of rather too much Italian food and wine we thought we would try to make up for it the next morning and start the day with a gym session. For the size of ships, Azamara has pretty decent sized gyms with a good range of cardio and strength equipment as well as a studio area for the very popular complimentary stretch and fitness classes, though Helen generally prefers to take a walk around the opne decks, which this morning was made even more special as we approached Ajaccio in Corsica. 

Docked between two Marella ships the town was quite busy but we managed to find some quite lanes and enjoyed a walk around Ajaccio, especially in the newly indoor/outdoor food market.

After a lovely walk around this pretty town we had a dinner reservation at the second speciality restaurant, Aqualina, the Italian restaurant. The food was good and the view of the sun setting as we headed away from Corsica towards Marseille was even better. Although we enjoyed the meal, we would say though of the two we found Prime C to be the better of the two restaurants. 

Another great thing about small ship cruising is getting into places that larger ships just can’t get to, and the next day was a prime example of this with the Quest’s next port of call, Marseille. While most ships are docked about 5km from the heart of the city we pulled up right in front of the stunning landmark Cathedral. With no particular plans we headed for a walk along the waters edge and ended up on a road train, which took us up to the Notre Dame de la Garde, a large basilica sitting atop the hill on the other side of the marina.

While we were up there the rain came in so back at the marina we dashed back to the ship, only stopping briefly to visit the cathedral. Despite the soggy morning, in the afternoon the sun returned and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon around the pool. Making the most of the warm weather we decided to eat at the Patio Grill which is a very casual evening dining option but with delicious food.

With another late departure Azamara had arranged for a local cabaret act to come on board to keep us entertained with some typical off the wall French singing and dancing before we set sail from Marseille. 

The next day we arrived into a place we had visited before (many years ago) but never on a ship - the exclusive resort of St. Tropez. We had forgotten how absolutely drop dead gorgeous this little fishing village come magnate for the rich and famous is. The quirky little alleyways of the old town, the super yachts along the marina, the high end fashion shops lining the streets of the main town, the cafes serving the indulgently creamy and calorific Tarte Tropizienne, the glitzy marina front restaurants or the busy Place des Lices market, St Tropez was a delight from start to finish. 

Rounding off our lovely day exploring St.Tropez we had another exciting event to look forward to, one of our favourite signature cruise events, the Azamara White Night Party. Always a fun evening, we couldn’t have asked for better weather or the more perfect back drop for it. To make it even more special we had the Azamara Pursuit anchored alongside us and could see her guests out on the open decks enjoying their own White Night Party.

Despite the partying and late night we were up just after the crack of dawn the next day for the highlight of the cruise, our excursion to the Monaco Grand Prix. As the ship was docked in Villefranche we had a tender and a coach ride to get to Monaco. Before we knew it we were at Monaco with enough time to enjoy the excitement in the city before taking our fantastic K-stand seats for the build up to the race, starting with the drivers parade and the national anthem. The roar of the cars on the starting grid which was just behind us was like no other noise you’ll ever hear and added to the thrill. the excitement didn’t last long though, with a crash on the first lap meaning the cars didn’t even get to us before the race was stopped. But eventually it started up again and we enjoyed a full race, topped off by the fact that the race was won by Leclerc, a Montagesque, which the crowd obviously enjoyed, including the yachts in the harbour all sounding their horns for his victory lap. What a day. 

After such a long and tiring day we were so pleased to return to our comfortable home with the magnificent crew waiting for us at the tenders with cold flannels and a refreshing cocktail to enjoy as we made our way back to the ship. Then to top it all off there was another special alfresco dinner at the Patio Grill, this time with a Formula One theme and of course the usual live entertainment. 

Despite all of these incredible signature events, one of the things we love most about Azamara, there was still one we had yet to have on this voyage, the fabulous Jazz brunch. But that was rectified the next morning when from 10am to 1pm the Discovery restaurant becomes the venue for the most delicious array of food, breakfast cocktails and background jazz. We love it! Make sure to try the Croque Monsieur! Oh and if you’re super keen go along at the beginning for breakfast then back again toward the end for lunch! 

Our last full day on board, we still had one last thing to look forward to, Chef’s Table. Located in the Prime C restaurant this is the piece de resistance of Azamara dining. The Chef’s Table menus on offer during our cruise were the Italian and French menus but we chose the French 8 course tasting menu complete with wine pairing. Seated with ten of our fellow guests we were greeted by the executive chef and head sommelier who introduced the menu and wines followed by to a few hours of gastronomic delight.

And just like that our 10 day cruise had come to an end. We had had a wonderful time and were delighted to find that despite our hiatus away from Azamara we had enjoyed it as much as we had our previous cruises. We love the size and design of these little ships, the wonderful signature events that they put on and of course the fabulous crew. Azamara, to our delight, remains one of our favourite cruise lines, offering in our opinion one of the best premium cruise experiences you can get!

So after more than four years since our last cruise with Azamara has much changed? Has having a new owner meant significant changes or is it just as we remember it?  Well in all honesty we had expected that there would have been some cut backs but really it was as good as we remember it. Ok, the Azamazing evening may have been a bit dumbed down but we have been told that they are trying to bring it back to its usual standard in all locations. And yes, the ships are slightly tired and older with some compromised to the standard of accommodations but this is soon forgiven and forgotten being completely overshadowed by the incredible on board experience. 

There are very few ships with a crew as amazing as the Azamara crew. They work so hard to deliver the best experience with special events, parties, al fresco dining, entertainment, live music, and so much more, we were relieved that this cruise was as memorable as the previous four cruises we’ve had on Azamara. They were and still are one of our favourite cruise brands to sail with and in our opinion offer one of the best, more affordable, cruise experiences that you could ever have. And with a new President at the helm we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this very special little fleet of ships. 

Thank you to Azamara who hosted us on this 10 day Mediterranean cruise, covering the cost of our cruise excluding pre and post cruise travel and air fares which were paid for by us. Azamara had no editorial control over any of our content, either before, during our after our voyage and have not paid us to promote them or this post.

If you enjoyed this blog why not take a look at some of our other blogs, especially our Azamara South Africa blog or our Azamara Dining Guide

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