This cruise line hits the affordable sweet spot for adults avoiding megaships

There is nothing wrong with big ships when it comes to family getaways. The outlay is modest, the entertainments and activities outsized, the children happy. But where do you perch when the nest is empty, and waterslides and kids’ clubs are no longer relevant?

Well, small luxury ships will introduce you to butler service and Picasso sketches – and to cruise fares at $2000 a day for a couple. Half that fare or less, however, gets you an agreeable alternative: a less uptight, reasonably priced and mostly all-inclusive experience of small-ship cruising.

Enter Azamara, the cruise line for those keen to move on from big-ship busyness and enjoy upmarket extras, yet unprepared for luxury prices and pretensions.

Azamara has four very similar ships, each about 20 years old but refurbished, each carrying about 700 passengers. I’m on Azamara Journey. The ship’s design and decor is old-fashioned – though nothing wrong with country-club decor – and the atmosphere is that of a relaxing boutique hotel.

The downside is Azamara Journey’s small staterooms, functional rather than stylish, and especially their ensuite bathrooms, where you might have a few knocked elbows and entanglements with the shower curtain.

The premium category in which the ship sits involves compromises, but anyone upgrading from big family ships will discover a delightful new world. The feel is more intimate, the public areas more gracious and spacious, and the service superior. With about 400 crew on board, you’ll notice the difference.

Another thing to appreciate is that it’s mostly all-inclusive. You’ll pay for some extras, notably shore excursions, Wi-Fi and two speciality restaurants, but not for gratuities, use of laundrettes, port shuttles or restaurant and bar drinks – unless you’re after particular choices.

Most passengers are 50 and above. The cockatoo cackle of kids is replaced by conversation and the clink of ice cubes in cocktails. It’s no party ship but is lively with activities, from team trivia to deck games. Its pool deck and several bars are buzzy.

The quiet can unwind in the spa or The Drawing Room, a library space whose delightful ceiling is painted with tropical vegetation and bright birds. Mosaic Cafe serves proper (inclusive) coffees that are sure to please fussy Australians.

I’ve previously lauded Azamara Pursuit’s dining but, this time, I find the food more competent than excellent or exciting. Nevertheless, for a small ship you have a good choice of dining venues.

The food across the ship is unfussy and flavoursome. Outdoor The Patio, particularly popular at lunchtimes, does impressive burgers. Main dining venue Discoveries Restaurant is so elegant and reliable that you have little need to pay $US40 ($62) a person for specialty restaurants Aqualina (Italian) and Prime C (steakhouse).

Big-ship cruisers will be particularly impressed with buffet venue Windows Cafe, which has a wide array of quality food, good vegetarian and vegan options, and agreeable evening themes such as French, Spanish and Mexican. This is serious adult cuisine, not food designed to please children.

Finally, if, after years of family holidays aboard big ships, you’re over the onboard experience altogether, then this premium line brings another significant difference: a focus on destination. Ships stay long hours in port, sometimes into the evening and overnight, and itineraries pleasingly combine big and smaller and lesser-known ports.

The details

Cruise
Azamara Journey sails from Europe down Africa’s west coast in December 2025 and remains in Africa until February 2026 before returning to the Mediterranean. From June 2026, it will be in northern Europe before crossing to North America.

A 13-night Portugal, France and Germany cruise between Lisbon and Copenhagen departs June 26, 2026 and costs from $6219 a person. Azamara has three other ships that sail worldwide. See azamara.com

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azamara.com

The writer travelled as a guest of Azamara.

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