Name: 2027 Rio Carnaval Cruise: Bridgetown, Ile Royale & Rio De Janeiro
Brand: Azamara
Rating: 4 (12 reviews)

Overview

With Bridgetown in your wake and Brazil and Barbados ahead, this 13-night Azamara sailing aboard Azamara Journey promises a journey to remember. You'll step ashore at 3 ports across Brazil and Barbados, with standout stops at Scarborough and Recife along the way. Few things rival waking up in a new port most mornings, and this 13-night itinerary serves up exactly that kind of variety. Prices for this cruise start from £2,102 per person.

Azamara

Sold by Royal Caribbean Group in January 2021, Azamara is already expanding under its new owners, Sycamore Partners. The destination-focused line has brought forth a ship, Azamara Onward - the former Pacific Princess - which, like the rest of the fleet, is a Renaissance Cruises R-class. But regular customers needn't worry.

In fact, they'll notice little change under the new ownership, as many itineraries will continue to be based on single countries, with late nights and overnight stays in port. The signature AzAmazing evenings - exclusive shore-based cultural events - and optional pre or post-cruise land tours are also staying.

Cruise Itinerary

Day 1

Bridgetown

It's time to immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of Bridgetown's historic center, where local points of interest are peppered between national wonders. Wander along Broad Street, the bustling main thoroughfare lined with shops, cafes, and colonial-era architecture. For authentic Caribbean cuisine, head to Baxter's Road, renowned for its street food stalls serving up savory delights like flying fish and cou-cou. Experience the true essence of the Caribbean mantra as you mingle with friendly locals and savor the flavors of Barbadian cuisine.

Day 2

Scarborough

Day 3

At sea

Day 4

Isle Royale

Day 5

At sea

Day 6

Belem

Days 7-8

At sea

Day 9

Recife

Day 10

At sea

Day 11

Salvador de Bahia

Salvador de Bahia, where the echoes of samba rhythms and colonial footprints lead you through cobblestone streets, offers a gateway to Brazil's soulful depths. With a climate that blesses it with sunny days and balmy nights almost year-round, Salvador invites you to immerse in a setting that's decidedly more authentic and untouched by the typical tourist overlays. Cruise lines often highlight Salvador as a living exhibit of Brazil itself, celebrating its vibrant Afro-Brazilian traditions and colonial architecture. A unique draw is the Elevador Lacerda, a historic art deco elevator that connects the city's upper and lower towns, providing stunning views of the bay.

Day 12

At sea

Day 13

Buzios

Stepping into Bios is like wandering through a living storybook where Brigitte Bardot once frolicked, making this Brazilian haven a hotspot on the global scene. The climate here offers sun-soaked days and breezy evenings, perfect for those eager to dive into an authentic local ambiance. Bios stands out from typical tourist destinations by offering a genuine glimpse into Brazilian life; visitors can mingle with local fishermen and artisans who add to the vibrant street scenes. This town also hosts the annual Bios International Cinema Festival, which is uniquely celebrated in this picturesque seaside town.

Day 14

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro, the heart of Brazil's carnival fervor, offers a gateway into its celebrated past where the rhythm of samba was born and the streets tell tales of vivid festivities. The city's tropical climate invites travelers year-round, providing a warm welcome with its sun-drenched beaches and lush mountainous backdrops, setting it apart from conventional tourist destinations. It's here that visitors truly experience the vibrancy of Brazil, beyond the postcards, immersing in a locality vibrant with genuine interactions and community celebrations. Intriguingly, Rio is the only city in the world where the urban forest is denser than its urban sprawl, offering an unexpected green retreat amidst the city buzz.

Day 1

Bridgetown

Day 2

Scarborough

Day 3

At sea

Day 4

Isle Royale

Day 5

At sea

Day 6

Belem

Days 7-8

At sea

Day 9

Recife

Day 10

At sea

Day 11

Salvador de Bahia

Day 12

At sea

Day 13

Buzios

Day 14

Rio de Janeiro

690

Passengers

408

Crew

2000

Launched

2016

Last refit

30277t

Tonnage

182m

Length

25m

Width

18kts

Speed

Decks

USD

Currency

Azamara Journey

A luxurious boutique hotel at sea, the Azamara Journey is a mid-sized ship with a deck plan that’s intimate but never crowded, and offers everything modern voyagers are looking for—plus some unexpected extras.

All Prices

Customer reviews

Reviews

Excellent

We joined Azamara in Maritius and then travelled to Malfives, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia and finished in Singapore. It was the first time we had been on an Azamara ship although I have done over 20+ cruises. We could not fault anything about the ship, the staff and amazing cruise director Eric Grey. We enjoyed ourselves so much we booked whilst onboard a back to back cruise to South America.

Azamara Azamara Pursuit

Reviews

Embarkation nightmare

Overall the ports of call all very interesting,as the title suggests embarkation was pure farce,one line to drop bags 35-40 minutes and another to have carry-ons scanned again 35 40 minutes in the hot sun. Thank goodness it wasn't raining!People turning up before their designated time didn't help. Once on board we had to check in in the cabaret lounge, quite a slick operation. Aqualina was disappointing with my fish being well overcooked and my partners pasta was dried up with a crust around the edge, we sent them back and the second attempt was exactly the same, Service was rushed as if the kitchen wanted to finish the shift early.Not good for a paid for specialty restaurant. PrimeC was much the same extremely disappointing. The head chef was Indian soo at least Indian themed dishes had some flavour otherwise the food was pretty bland with left overs unimaginatively served at breakfast. The stateroom was typical Azamara compact ,the bathroom was tiny ,with the shower the same,tiny and with a curtain Our favourite spot was the Sunset bar with outside seating for all meals,heaven. The production shows were wonderful,the rest of the offerings we didn't bother with. As I said at the beginning the itinerary was great, but overall a disappointing cruise with inadequate seat in public areas. As with nearly all cruise lines the crew were faultless ,particularly Sanjeev and Milroy.

Azamara Azamara Journey

Reviews

Once again a near faultless cruise.

From check in at Athens to leaving the vessel at Citiavechia the cruise was really enjoyable and the staff so very helpful and willing to give a hand. Some ports were only accessible by Tender, but there was little delay getting off the ship, thanks to the small number of passengers! It would be difficult to pick out individuals for commendation because they were all so good. Looking forward to our future cruises with AZAMARA.

Azamara Azamara Pursuit

Reviews

Style on a different level

This was our 4th Azamara cruise and we were not disappointed. From start to finish you are made to feel special. Their ships maybe of the older style and definitely no flumes or such like and really not ideal for children as there is nothing for them to do. If you enjoy good food and attentive service on a well run ship where you can do as little or as much as you want this cruise line is for you. They have lectures on the ports of call and their cruises are reknown for their port intensive experience, staying in port longer than some of its larger competitors. The icing on the cake for Azamara are the Azamazing evening where they will take you by bus to a venue which could be an opera, or local dancing of the country or to a typical village of the country you are visiting with food and drink. Also the other feature they do so well is the White night where tables are set around the pool and a buffet, served by the officers and music and dancing goes on into the night. All in all a cruise full of experience where you are treated as a person not a number.

Azamara Azamara Pursuit

Reviews

Amazing Azamara

From start to finish great service from friendly efficient crew and staff. Great variety of entertainment on board and really special Azamasing evening of operatic singers in Rhodes castle, an inclusive trip for all passengers . As always wonderful choices of food in variety of venues. Azamara is smaller ship cruising at it's best.

Azamara Azamara Pursuit

Reviews

Azamazing cruise

Our second Azamara cruise but not our last. The ship was a cool haven in what was a very hot August! The itinerary perhaps, would be better suited to cooler, less busier periods but was ok! Good great as usual, especially Prime C! Service really excellent too!

Azamara Azamara Onward

Reviews

Azamara Journey

What a fantastic all inclusive cruise experience we enjoyed. The attendant we had for our room ensured we were wel catered for with our media needs and the afternoon quizzes and food were real highlights for us. We enjoyed every moment on boats and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. We’re looking forward to sailing with you again!

Azamara Azamara Journey

Reviews

2024-02-09 19:29:43

Azamara was the most horrible experience we ever had our bathroom didn't work 6 days out of 12 day cruise Customer service from guest relation manager and from Hotel manager to maintenance Manager just useless with bunch of lies the working crew was good but when you need to go to bathroom we had to go to public bathroom on deck above that is unexpectable. We were promised that when we get home to USA the customer service will be able to provide some kind compensation and that was promise from Guest relation Manager that was lie plus their customer service is the worst we ever experience they will lied to you till you will give up. Highly don't recommend Azamara as cruise line their is the reason the company was sold by Royal Caribbean because the ships are our dated need to to be in scrapyard because it's been in service 20+ years and numerous owners. The main company Sycamore Group with business rating big F and that the way they are running Azamara cruises with big F

Azamara Azamara Pursuit