Blogging from Arles

We arrived in Arles yesterday morning.  We flew into Marseilles, and had private transfers from the airport to Arles, a ride that took about 50 minutes.

Arles has proved to be a wonderful Roman city.  We are staying at the 3 Star Le Calendal Hotel.  It is located directly in the heart of the city, right across the street from the Roman Theater and adjacent to the Roman Amphitheater.  The staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful.  Though we arrived 2 hours before check-in, the hotel graciously offered to store our luggage.  We settled in the hotel's shaded courtyard for what turned out to be a delicious meal.  Mine was chicken tourenedo (?), consisting of rolled chicken breast with an olive paste, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a side of roasted vegetables.  As promised, the rooms were ready right at 2, and were furnished in typical Provence style.  Bright colors, spacious, and beautiful bathrooms made this hotel a real find, combined with its central location, make this hotel a real find.

Arles is a wonderful city.  After we finished our lunch, we set out to explore.  First stop was the Roman Theater.  Built in 90 A.D., it had a capacity of 20,000.  The Amphitheater is a remarkably-preserved ruin.  We also browsed the markets lining the streets.  Table linens, soaps, and pottery, standard and beautiful fare for Provence, were typical finds.  Later in the evening, we enjoyed a delightful meal at an outdoor cafe directly across from the Amphitheater, and then a late-night stroll down to the Rhone River.  We located our Uniworld ship which we are boarding today.

I will write more later.  In the meantime, follow my trip on Twitter, complete with pictures, at www.Twitter.com/CruisePallette.

Azamara Club Cruises' New Approach -- A Review

(By Jim Work) -- This post is long overdue.  In April, I had the pleasure of joining the top-producing Cruise Holidays stores on Cruise Holidays International’s 2010 President’s Circle cruise aboard the Azamara Club Journey.  This was my first experience aboard Azamara, and it was the debut cruise for Azamara’s more inclusive onboard amenities.

I sailed aboard Azamara with an admitted bias towards its top competitor, Oceania Cruises.  After all, I have experienced Oceania Cruises on three prior occasions, and I am a top 50 producer for Oceania.  Nevertheless, I was favorably impressed with Azamara.  I believe it is adequately distinguishing itself from Oceania, and serving a niche market in its own right.

To its credit, Azamara Club Cruises recognized it needed a make over.   Since its inception in 2006 by Royal Caribbean International as its upper premium brand, Azamara had struggled to define itself.  If foundered as an almost step-sister to Royal Caribbean’s already-established premium brand, Celebrity Cruises.  Mention Azamara, and people would say “hah?”

Royal Caribbean decided to shake things up.  It hired Larry Pimentel, a noted expert in the Cruise Industry.  Pimentel joined Azamara with 25 years of distinguished experience in the industry.  He served as CEO and co-owner of SeaDream Yacht Club, an intimate line catering to the high-end market.  Prior to that, Pimentel served as President and CEO of Cunard and Seabourn.  He had also been named as among the 25 most influential travel executives in America.  Azamara gave Pimentel wide latitude to recruit the industry’s top talent and make sweeping changes among the line’s small fleet consisting of just 2 ships.

Pimentel immediately recognized the need to separate the line in the market, creating a more upmarket experience.  The result – the first upper premium line to include complimentary wine at lunch and dinner, complimentary gratuities, and complimentary port-to-city-center transfers.  It also scrap many itineraries, and adopted a more port-intensive approach, giving its guests the luxury of more overnights and long port stays with fewer sea days.  These changes aimed squarely at attracting a more sophisticated cruiser, one seeking the cultural and educational aspects of travel.

I was aboard the Journey for 10 days.  I found the ship remarkably familiar from my experiences aboard Oceania.  In fact, the ships are nearly identical, as both Oceania and Azamara purchased their ships from the now defunct upscale Renaissance line.  Azamara has managed to squeeze a few more staterooms aboard, carrying a maximum of 694 guests, compared to Oceania 684 maximum capacity.  It also carries fewer staff, offering still an impressive guest-to-staff ratio of 2 to 1 compared to Oceania’s 1.75 to 1.  Nevertheless, I found the service to be above average, with only a few hiccups along the way.  For the most part, these occurred in the dining room.  For example, on occasion in the specialty dining restaurant, our water glasses remained empty for too long, and our meals at times were not prepared to our liking.  Despite these minor hiccups, the service far surpassed Royal Caribbean’s other two brands, and was better than most other premium lines.

My accommodation was a luxurious Sky Suite.  In addition to ample space of more than 300 square feet, the room also boasted true butler service.  Among other things, the butler provided service for 2 private parties I hosted in my room, and, had I asked him to, would have even unpacked my luggage.  The balcony was large, accommodating a full-size table for dining, 2 chairs, and 1 lounge chair.  The bathroom too was luxurious, consisting of a bathtub with shower.

The entertainment aboard was surprisingly good.  Unlike some other lines of this size, Azamara offers full production shows.  Of course, the ship also has a host of small venue entertainment to include piano, comedy, and even an opera singer.

Like Oceania Cruises and most lines in the luxury market, dining is open.  Guests dine where and with whom they like.  Azamara’s dining, however, is a bit different from Oceania Cruises.  The main dining room is complimentary of course.  Its two specialty restaurants – Prime C and Aqualina – are not.  Their fee is a nominal $15 per person for guests not booked in suites (suite guests may dine complimentary in the specialty restaurants with no limit).  The fee is similar to what is found on most other cruise lines for their specialty restaurants.  The quality of the food I found as a whole to be very good, and indeed the main dining room’s cuisine was consistently as good as the food served in the specialty dining restaurants.

What I like most about a line like Azamara and Oceania is the size.  With fewer than 700 guests aboard, it is simply an elevated experience over larger cruise lines.  I especially appreciated this when using the pool on hot days (we were in the Caribbean).   Never a wait for a lounge chair, and nowhere on the ship did it ever feel crowded.

I recommend Azamara Club Cruises for adults looking for an upscale but certainly not stuffy cruising experience.  It also is an excellent venue for groups, as it offers complimentary use of meeting rooms and equipment.  One cautionary note:  Azamara Club Cruises (like Oceania Cruises) has no children's programs aboard.  Children are permitted aboard, but bear in mind Azamara’s focus is on providing a upmarket experience focused on destination.