Paul Andrews, one of our Cruise Experts, recently enjoyed an AzAmazing evening in Barcelona with Azamara Club Cruises. This was his experience.
I recently joined a group of fellow cruise sales experts on a special trip to Barcelona, Spain, to experience an Azamazing Evening with Azamara Club Cruises.
We flew from Gatwick, with British Airways, at 09:45am and within 2 hours of take-off we were landing in the beautiful Spanish City of Barcelona. Customs and Passport Control cleared, we were transferred swiftly to our hotel (Hotel Condes) for our one night stay – the journey time was approximately 30 minutes. Our Hotel was very contemporary and chic, and the roof top terrace bar was the ideal place to socialise and enjoy a drink.
We checked-in, dropped off our bags in the room and then immediately made our way for lunch at the Loidi Restaurant. Tapas was the choice of the day and it was super. We enjoyed various delights such as calamari, croquettes filled with red cheese, and steak with peppers. Absolutely delicious and all washed down with a fine local wine.
Once lunching was complete we were transported to the Port of Barcelona for our tour of the wonderful Azamara Journey. The ship had a nice relaxed feel about her, very informal yet quite luxurious – it was a nice balance. I got the impression that although Azamara Journey is of medium size (686 guests), there were many places one could go and “hide” if the heart desired. There were many different bars aboard, numerous dining options and a rather extensive library. There is also a computer area, massage area on the pool deck, show lounge and a nightclub.
There are two speciality dining venues aboard Azamara Journey – Aqualina and Prime C. Aqualina is a contemporary Italian Restaurant serving some of Italy’s most famous dishes including lobster ravioli, seared tuna wrapped in veal and beef tenderloin carpaccio. Prime C offers steak and seafood dishes including crab cakes with remoulade and lobster bisque along with a selection of lamb, pork, veal and other dishes. Both restaurants are available at an additional cover charge of $25 per person.
Whilst onboard, I was given the choice of dining in the Main Dining Room or in the Windows Café, I opted for the Windows Café and had a lovely, relaxed buffet meal out on the open deck. The food was washed down with a superb vino and the stunning sunset over Barcelona was a beautiful sight to behold.
After dinner it was time to enjoy our highly anticipated AzAmazing Evening ashore. We left the ship and enjoyed a short drive to Casa Llotja de Mar – one of the most significant monuments representing the economy and culture of this famous city. The building itself was absolutely stunning and its Gothic style really did add an extra WOW factor to the whole experience. Upon arrival we enjoyed the sounds of two Spanish guitarists, this was soon followed by an hour extravaganza of Flamenco with 8 dancers going wild with Castanets. It was absolutely incredible, there was a lot of foot stomping and clapping of hands, it was a truly unique experience and one which I am not likely to forget anytime soon.
Azamara Club Cruises really do make an impact with their AzAmazing Evenings options and I would highly recommend that everyone cruising with them takes advantage of the opportunity – they are complimentary on all voyages aside from Transatlantic and sailings of under 7 nights in duration.
Following our AzAmazing Evening we made our way back to our hotel where we enjoyed drinks on the roof terrace and admired the view. We would enjoy another breakfast in the hotels Loidi Restaurant before our transfers to the airport and our flight back to the UK.
I can say without hesitation that I had a most enjoyable AzAmazing Evening in Barcelona.
For more information on voyages with Azamara Club Cruises, please call one of our Cruise Experts on 0800 008 6677.
