Our first four cruises were on Carnival. On the last cruise I stepped out into the hall early in the morning
only to have a drunk crash into me because he couldn't walk straight. That was the last straw. From there
we made it a point to try other cruise lines and have noticed big differences in what cruise lines have to offer.
We have done many Princess cruises and usually receive very large OBC credits because my wife and I are
both military veterans along with being Carnival Corporation shareholders. We also get the same benefits on Cunard because they also are owned by Carnival Corporation. We have received over $1100
in OBC on some cruises along with the OBC given by our TA. On our balance sheet, that goes a long way
on our cruise budget.
But then you need to factor in all the extras that are included in your Azamara cruise: No mandatory "tips"
basic drinks included, etc. And on a small ship (700 passengers) with very personalized service. You usually don't get those things free on a ship that carries five or six thousand passengers. Their FREE drinks usually carry a mandatory "gratuity" of perhaps 18% per 'free' drink. Isn't 'mandatory gratuity' a misnomer particularly when used with the term FREE drink?
I don't think Azamara thinks they are special. User reviews tend to indicate that their cruisers feel like they
are the ones who are special.
I
