Azamara Cruises

Azamara primarily attracts baby boomers who are active and well-traveled, and looking for port-intensive itineraries that include marquee cities and offbeat places. About 60 percent come from North America, 18 percent from the U.K., 11 percent from Australia and New Zealand, and the remainder from the rest of the world.

Yes and no. The dress code does prohibit bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps, bathing suits and shorts in the dining room or specialty restaurants, and jeans are not permitted anywhere after 6 p.m., but formal wear is never required. In general, most women wear sundresses and pant and blouse outfits in the evening, while men will put on nice pants and collared shirts. In the casual Windows Cafe, cruisers can dress more casually even at dinner but are always required to wear shoes and a cover-up or shirt.

No, but the fare is semi-inclusive, with items like select standard spirits, international beers and wines, gratuities, bottled water, soft drinks, specialty coffees and teas, self-service laundry, shuttle service to and from port communities (where available) and concierge services for personal guidance and reservations all included.

All cruises, except transatlantic and transpacific sailings, also include one special evening shore excursion, referred to as an AzAmazing Evening, a private onshore experience that is specially arranged by the cruise line for its passengers.

On top of all the standard inclusions, suite passengers also receive English butler service and free dining in specialty restaurants.

Extra costs include specialty dining, shore excursions, Wi-Fi, spa treatments and retail store purchases.

Azamara's shoreside activities are the real attention-getters. Shore excursions are divided into different types (Taste Local, Bike Local, Meet Local) and often sell out. Many passengers take advantage of overnight excursion options to inland cities like Berlin, Madrid and Moscow or to UNESCO World Heritage sites like Bagan and Angkor Wat that require full days or longer.

In the evening, passengers gather for shows, one of which is an at-sea version of New York supper club and cabaret, Feinstein's 54 Below with Broadway talent, along with local dancers and musicians from the destinations. Enrichment lectures with the World Wildlife Fund Guest Speaker Series are well attended, and foodies hit the culinary demonstrations and wine tastings. There are ship parties, like ABBA Night, dancing in the Living Room and occasionally karaoke, but destination immersion rules.

Best for: Baby boomers, older Gen Xers and foodies who prize destination immersion and experiences rather than things

Not for: Big-ship cruisers looking for lots onboard activities and late-night parties