Setting sail with Azamara Club Cruises in the #CruiseChat spotlight.

Cruising off-the-beaten path. A port call to Kos Greece with Azamara Club Cruises. Photo by Michal Osmenda

The numbers:

Top 10 by number of impressions

1. cruisebuzz: 1,019,494
2. jkheaton: 361,755
3. luxurycruiseco: 290,080
4. carevacations: 79,662
5. cruiseradio: 70,984
6. shipsandtrips: 65,021
7. azamaravoyages: 59,535
8. halcruises: 57,372
9. traveldudes: 56,509
10. isabellestravel: 52,990

Top 10 by number of tweets

1. cruisebuzz: 101
2. carevacations: 71
3. azamaravoyages: 45
4. jkheaton: 45
5. luxurycruiseco: 28
6. shipsandtrips: 23
7. worldcruise: 23
8. kymri: 19
9. cruiseradio: 19
10. magellanpr: 17

Top 10 by number of followers

1. traveldudes: 56,509
2. rickgriffin: 30,720
3. travelblggr: 30,076
4. bullsandbeavers: 23,695
5. isabellestravel: 10,598
6. luxurycruiseco: 10,360
7. cruisebuzz: 10,094
8. malloryontravel: 8,437
9. halcruises: 8,196
10. jkheaton: 8,039

The questions:

• Q1.  Fill in the blank. The name Azamara means _________?
• Q2.  Which best describes your shore excursion preference: ruins, pubs, a kayak, or Prada?
• Q3. Name a popular seaside town on the Adriatic Sea.
• Q4. This port is made up of over 120 islands in the Adriatic Sea. What is it called?
• Q5.  Journey or Quest. Which word best describes you? Why?
• Q6. What is your favorite Greek Island? Why?
• Q7. You are in Venice, Italy and want to buy a bottle of wine, what do you pick?
• Q8. You have $20 US to spend in an outdoor market in Greece, what will you buy?
• Q9. Would you rather drive a Ferrari around for a day or visit a museum and study medieval architecture?

Honor Roll

jkheaton Janet Kelly Heaton

@HALcruises @PortholeCruise I like that answer! I know $20 certainly would not get me SHOES so, olive oil is good!

travelinjones Janis & Jeff Jones 

Ferrari wins! RT @AzamaraVoyages: Would you rather drive a Ferrari around for a day or visit some museums

HolaFernando Fernando Costantino 

A9: I’d drive the Ferrari around some medieval architecture sites

CruiseRadio Doug Parker 

@AzamaraVoyages I always thought Dubrovnik was underrated. Before going there I heard nothing about it.

travelinjones Janis & Jeff Jones 

And 800 bars! RT @AzamaraVoyages: Did you know there are 400 churches in Mykonos?

Travelanswerman John Van Kirk

@CruiseBuzz Q7: When in Venice, Italy consider either of these fine wines: Prosecco or Amarone

LandLopers LandLopers 

Cliffs and Domes – How to Cruise Through Santorini in a Day http://bit.ly/kmPw8S

AzamaraVoyages Azamara Club Cruises 

Azamara ships sail to Kos, a Greek port that larger ships cannot get to! Visit the Asklepieion, the world’s oldest hospital!

CruiseRadio Doug Parker 

It really doesnt matter what ship you’re on, sailing through Venice is always breath-taking.

MiddleSeatView Christina Saull 

A2 of course, after a long day of kayaking, local beer is a must, so then we head to the pubs.

Azamara Club Cruises: destination immersion specialty cruise line

Join us on #CruiseChat July 26th to explore the Eastern Mediterranean ports in Greece, Turkey, Croatia, and Italy.

Recap

Cruising the Med with Azamara. Photo by Dennis from Atlanta via Flickr.

Catering to less than 700 cruise guests, Azamara Club Cruises can treat each cruise guest like a member of a private club: the staff is attentive and service is top-notch. And the level of excellence does not stop at the gangway, Azamara also brings their high level of excellence to a well thought-out shore excursion program.

“Don’t just visit a destination – live it” Azamara Club Cruises

Join us as we sail to foreign ports of the Eastern Mediterranean in a special edition of #CruiseChat with Azamara Club Cruises. Did you know that 60 percent of the ports Azamara visits, Azamara’s two vessels now stay late into the evening, and overnight in 38 destinations? Find out more about this cruise line at The Avid Cruiser.

Off-the-beaten path in Trieste, Italy. Photo by TravelEden

Learn more about Azamara Club Cruises at #CruiseChat on July 26th

Discover some fun facts about popular ports in Italy such as Venice or Trieste; the Croatian ports of  Hvar, Split, Dubrovnik, and Korcula; or the Greek ports of Corfu, Santorini, or Piraeus for Athens.

Let’s see what type of buzz we can stir up on #CruiseChat with Azamara Club Cruises.  Discover how this cruise line sees the world through the local culture and its music, dance, art and history, or through more active excursions on extended biking trips, golf, walking or hiking.

European waterways essential to life and trade

The Thames: London's river with a big history

The rivers and seas of Europe have always been essential to life and trade. But, until the mid-1800s, European boats and ships were only concerned with moving cargo or hauling in the day’s catch – not with passengers or their comfort.

In 1835, Arthur Anderson, a sailor from the Shetland Isles, wrote about his vision of providing passenger service from Scotland to Iceland in the summer months, and from Scotland to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) in winter. Two years later, he co-founded the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), which became a major operator of passenger liners.

The mail route and birth of the trans-Atlantic cruise

Other shipping lines, which got their start by carrying mail across the Atlantic, began to offer passenger service. More ships began to consider the comfort of passengers: in 1840 the Britannia, the first ship to sail under the Cunard Line name, reportedly took a cow on board to supply fresh milk on a trans-Atlantic crossing.

The emergence of elegance at sea – luxury cruising

By the early 1900s, European passenger ships had taken on the characteristics of elegant, floating hotels. However, World Wars I and II interrupted the building of new cruise ships, and many ships were pressed into service as troop transports.

Interest in trans-Atlantic cruising surged between the wars and again after World War II, but the introduction of trans-Atlantic flights put a damper on that era. During the 1960s and 70s, the European cruise industry slowly refocused on sailing the coasts and rivers of the continent.

Today, discover Europe all over again via cruise ship

Regent Seven Seas

Today, multiple cruise lines visit an amazing variety of European ports. Major cruise lines that sail Europe include the contemporary lines Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line; premium and deluxe lines Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises; and luxury lines Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea, Uniworld and Viking River Cruises. Uniworld River Cruises and Viking River Cruises are noteworthy because they cruise the rivers of Europe – the Danube, the Rhine, the Seine and more – providing access to inland cities and villages.

The big four – Northern Europe, British Isles, Western Med, Eastern Med

European cruises cover four regions: The Baltic and Northern Europe; the British Isles and Western Europe; the Western Mediterranean; and the Eastern Mediterranean. Some cruise itineraries focus on ports in one region, while longer cruises may include ports in two or more regions.

A cruise of Northern Europe might include the stunning fjords of Norway’s west coast. Or, choose a Baltic-based itinerary, enjoying Scandinavian capitals like Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki. Some cruises also visit Russia’s jewel of the Baltic, St. Petersburg.

Cruises of the British Isles and Western Europe often launch from London and may stop at Inverness and Edinburgh, Scotland; Dublin, Ireland; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Hamburg, Germany; and Le Havre (for Paris), France.

Western Mediterranean itineraries can stretch from Gibraltar and coastal Spain to the west coast of Italy. Ports of call might include Cannes and other cities on the French Riviera; and the Italian ports of Livorno (for Florence), Citavecchia (for Rome) and Naples. Some itineraries also call on the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Malta.

The Eastern Mediterranean includes a classic cruise destination– the Greek Isles. However, there is much more to see, including the ports of Croatia (Dubrovnik and Hvar); the gorgeous, watery city of Venice, Italy; and the exotic ports of Turkey (Istanbul, Izmir and Kusadasi).

With so many places to see, deciding on a European itinerary can be challenging. Luckily there are numerous resources available to help make a decision. Consider using  a travel agent to help get the best value for your time to match the right cruise to your lifestyle.

Azamara Club Cruises
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