AZAMARA CRUISES have a fleet of four almost identical small classic ships. Four is the number it will have to stop at. Why? Because they operate R-class ships and only eight were ever made. These special, small classic ships are considered by many to be the perfect cruise ship.

This is our AZAMARA FLEET page as found in the fleets menu above where over 250 ships are listed.

These are hugely popular and sought after ships and with the right group of people, and a pianist in the piano bar who can engage everyone, it is like a walk back into a Hollywood movie. Known as Renaissance Class ships, because they were made for Renaissance Cruises. R-Class ships are numbered one to eight. Renaissance was a company in Oslo, competing with Fred Olsen. Founded in 1989 it was family-owned by Fearnley & Eger Rederi. These ships are all 181 meters long, have a GT of 30,277GT and travel at 18 knots and all hold 684 guests. 

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1. R One – Oceania Insignia (1998)
2. R Two – Oceania Regatta (1998)
3. R Three – Azamara Onward (Pacific Princess) (1999)
4. R Four – Oceania Sirena (1999)
5. R Five – Oceania Nautica (2000)
6. R Six – Azamara Journey (2000)
7. R Seven – Azamara Quest (2000)
8. R Eight – Azamara Pursuit (Adonia) (2001)

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At 690 – 700 passengers maximum, even at two to every available cabin, the number of cruisers is small. The ship is small enough to sail into any Polynesian island, these now imposing severe restrictions on size, and also find islands and bays other ships can only see in passing using high power binoculars. Years ago, we stopped at Bequia with the Adonia and it became and still is our favourite island stop. Few places make us want to go to the trouble of finding small connecting planes to get back there, but we will do one day.

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In our film of Bequia (see PORTS above) the Adonia can be seen anchored in the background of many shots as we walk around the bay to Jacks Bar. These ships have a patio style pool, seven bars and restaurants, a gym and a spare, with a smaller theatre than the large ships, and a smaller show cast who have to do everything, but somehow it connects – it has a charm of knowing everyone and not being in a huge circus.

PORT GUIDES filmed by Doris Visits are a great way to research, remember your cruise and share your memories with your friends.   ATHENS GUIDE ANTIGUA CRETE GUIDE RHODES ST PETERSBURG ROME DUBROVNIK KEY WEST STATUE OF LIBERTY TOUR STAVANGER

Our own Stuart St Paul was a guest on the old Adonia, talking about his years in the movie industry and the cozy cruise mysteries he now writes while at sea. Although 2022 is fully booked for him including a 32-day SAGA cruise to the Black Sea where he intends to write a complete novel in the time as part of his program, he hopes to be back on an R-class ship soon. Bequia the island features in the first of Stuart’s cozy cruise crime novels, where the lead character, an ex-special forces gentleman British Agent – think Hugh Grant or Daniel Craig, stumbles across hidden money and something very wrong as the ship leaves South America. Surviving an early assassination attempt on board, he smuggles a few million dollars he discovered and invests in two properties just above Jacks Bar. Watch the film if you have never been there, then read the chapters and the beautiful sun-drenched buildings with white picket fences will come to life.

AZAMARA DRESS CODE: Appropriate attire on board Azamara Club Cruises® is always resort-casual; there aren’t any scheduled formal nights. However, guests should always feel comfortable wearing formal attire if they so desire, but please note, no tuxedo hire is available on board.

No bare feet, vest tops, caps, swimwear, shorts or torn/distressed jeans are allowed in the main dining room or speciality restaurants. When visiting museums, mosques, temples and churches it is appropriate (and in many cases mandatory) to dress conservatively. Women should wear trousers or skirts that cover the knees. Bare shoulders and sleeveless tops and shorts are often not permitted for men or women.

Please consider the expected weather conditions/temperatures when packing for your holiday.

Examples of resort casual attire:

Women: Casual dresses, blouses, skirts, trousers, jackets

Men: Trousers, shirts, polo shirts, sweaters, jackets/windbreakers.

You may have seen cruise thriller author & movie maker Stuart St Paul – click here on a ship giving an after-dinner speech or a talk with a book signing. Crime novels are a whole new experience. You may not have been to the ports in the novels, you certainly won’t have been to the parts of the ship they use but they take you there. Stuart’s page is here. The cheapest way to buy his cruise thrillers is the KINDLE BOX SET, all six cruise thrillers for the price of two.

The New Orleans film was filmed by Stuart St Paul on a cruise stop there. The port guide forms the research for his spooky novel ART THEFT in which the voodoo high priestess Marie Laveux gets inside the head of Macey. Macey is a young black artist from Miami where the CSCI office is, she is a character in his series of cruise thrillers CSCI Cruise Ship Crime Investigators. Macey is helping investigate art thefts from luxury ships and paints the priestess in the graveyard. It is an interesting passage in Cruise Ship Art Theft that really shows the place and excuses some inspirational art by the youngster who is the star guest on the ship. Click the picture for details of the book. On the series page in Amazon, there is the opportunity to buy all six thrillers for the price of two in their boxed Kindle deal.