The fire of 30 March 2012
It needs saying, because the page did not say it. A fire broke out aboard on
30 March 2012, south of the Philippines, the day after leaving Manila. Five
crew members were injured. About a thousand people were aboard. The ship was
towed, then repaired, and has sailed since.
We put it here because a reader who learns it elsewhere will wonder why we
did not say it, and because an engine-room fire on a ship of this age is the
kind of thing you are entitled to know before booking.
The hull and its names
Built in 2000 as R Seven, she sailed under a German trade flag as the
Delphin Renaissance from 2003 to 2006, then as Blue Moon in 2006 and 2007,
before becoming the Azamara Quest. Seven hundred and twenty-two guests at
double occupancy, up to seven hundred and ninety-four, four hundred and eight
crew.
One hundred and forty-nine departure dates: thirteen in 2026, sixty in 2027
and seventy-six in 2028. Eight of those lines appear twice, which gives one
hundred and forty-one distinct dates.
One hull of eight, and the other seven are elsewhere
The four ships in this fleet come from a single series: eight identical
hulls ordered from Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire by an American
operator, Renaissance Cruises, which went bankrupt in 2001. The eight hulls
were scattered, resold, renamed, and every one of them is still sailing.
Four are here. The other four are at Oceania: the Insignia,
the Nautica, the Sirena and the Regatta, which left that fleet on 17 August
2026. The entire series therefore appears in our catalogue, split between two
lines that resemble each other very little.
What follows from it is simple: thirty thousand two hundred and seventy-seven
gross tons, one hundred and eighty-one metres, eleven decks, around seven
hundred guests. A ship this size enters ports closed to large hulls and stays
alongside overnight without crowding anyone. That is exactly what this line
does with them.
The number of wheelchair-accessible staterooms is published for
no ship in this fleet. We check it at booking rather than quote a figure.
Staying overnight, which almost nobody does
This is the line's real argument and it appeared nowhere on our pages. Most
ships sail around six in the evening: you go ashore in the morning, return in
late afternoon, and the city you have just visited empties itself for you at
the moment it starts to live.
Here, overnight stays alongside and late departures are the rule rather than
the exception. That changes what a call can hold: dinner in a restaurant rather
than at the buffet, a concert, an evening market, a city without the cruise
coaches. It is also why these ships have stayed small.
What is included, and what is not
This formula resembles no other in our catalogue, so it is better read than
guessed at.
Included: gratuities, a selection of spirits, wines and
beers in every bar and restaurant, soft drinks, teas and speciality coffees,
meals in the dining rooms, and one cultural evening ashore on most
voyages.
Not included: Wi-Fi, shore excursions, spa treatments,
premium spirits, fine wines and Champagne. Some restaurants carry a
supplement.
A guest arriving from Regent, where excursions are in the fare, will notice
the difference; a guest arriving from Cunard, where gratuities are posted daily
to the onboard account, will notice the opposite. There is no general rule in
this sector, only particular formulas.
Meanwhile, in the fleet
The Azamara Journey is her sister in the
series, the Azamara Pursuit and
the Azamara Onward complete
the fleet.
Booking from Quebec
The carrier is American and the contract is governed by the general federal
maritime law of the United States. An action goes before the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Florida, in Miami. The deadlines
are those of American maritime law: six months' written notice and one year to
sue, for personal injury.
One point we owe you in honesty: we were not able to verify whether
the current ticket contract carries an arbitration clause or a class-action
waiver. Several American competitors impose both; we neither assert
nor deny it here. Ask for the ticket before paying and read it, or have your
advisor read it with you.
A word on ownership, because the documentation in circulation is out of
date: this line belonged to the Royal Caribbean group until 2021. It has since
belonged to an investment fund and operates independently. Several pages we
consulted still describe the former arrangement.
Nothing establishes a Quebec licence for the carrier. Your protection comes
from here: Voyages AquaTerra holds a licence from the Office de la protection
du consommateur, your payments pass through a trust account, and your departure
is covered by the compensation fund for travel agency customers.