Small but mighty: all aboard Azamara Onward

“I’ve worked on bigger ships before and they simply wouldn’t suit Azamara,” says Captain Jonas as I stalk the wide, old-school bridge like a curious child discovering a brand new world, my imagination pressing all the wrong buttons and tracing bright yellow radar echoes with my finger. 

“The reason these smaller R-Class ships are so popular is because of their size. No one floats into ports like we do.” I nod, admiring the confidence. Captain Jonas’ cocksure swagger isn’t unfounded; with a grace that’d be lost on a chunkier vessel, Azamara Onward swims seamlessly into the tiny Port of Eden on New South Wales’ deceptively dramatic Sapphire Coast. 

This low-slung style of cruising is renowned for being reliably intimate and generously spaced; there’s no need to retreat to your room for privacy. With 684 passengers on board, the 27-year-old ship has reached its capacity as it muscles across the open seas from San Diego to the Thai port of Laem Chabang on an ambitious 87-day around-the-world journey. I immediately understand that bigger isn’t necessarily better in this industry. 

“What’s that thing they call it now? Quiet luxury?” A friendly woman from Frankfurt muses as she straightens her zig-zaggy designer necklace. The German couple spooning breakfast one table over at the excellent a la carte Discoveries restaurant are passionately schooling me, a first-time passenger, on Azamara’s many virtues. They’ve been on 15 of these itineraries, conquered almost every upmarket and luxury line on Earth (according to them) and tell me this is their go-to. If there’s one thing avid cruisers love to talk about, it’s just how avid their cruise career has been.

“Some can be high-minded and we’ve encountered tension before, there’s no sense of community,” the perfect stranger continues. “We feel welcome here. No one is judged.”

I start to wonder exactly how a ship’s social hierarchy works. Is it based on room type? Whether you got the standard or ultimate drinks package? But also, what’s the point in breaking the fabulous sense of togetherness that can form on these nomadic seafaring vessels? A sense of community, rather than the lack of it, is part of what makes travel such an extraordinary, life-affirming experience. 

Such snobbery must be a world away from the big-hearted warmth I experience as soon as I tear myself away from Sydney’s White Bay Cruise Terminal and reach for the welcome drink, a complimentary glass of sparkling wine that, importantly, doesn’t taste like an inexpensive box-ticking exercise.

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Small ship, big vibe

Azamara Onward’s petite size doesn’t just have its functional benefits. A varied international crew naturally means better service for fewer passengers. The cruise line proudly lists the all-important staff-to-guest ratio as 1.7 staff for every two guests. That’s an impressive feat for any large-scale hospitality venture and the natural benefits are more attentive, quicker service. Which of course cuts waiting times and makes everything run more efficiently. You aren’t a number, you’re a guest. 

Another, more abstract benefit is genuine relaxation. When the travel experience is held taut, kinks melt away and all that’s left is a bonafide holiday. The mind is clearer, the attention is more focused. This inner and outer calm often marks the difference between just another trip and a transformative experience. 

The ship’s history has built up a lovely old-timey romance about it. Azamara Onward was delivered in 1999 for the long-defunct Renaissance Cruises, only to be reflagged for Princess Cruises in 2002. It sailed under that banner until 2022, when Azamara welcomed Onward into its fleet one year after the cruise line was sold by Royal Caribbean with designs on carving its own boutique identity. 

While its frame aches with age, there’s contemporary polish in the parts that matter. The Lounge quickly becomes my favourite getaway with its elegant spread of comfortable armchairs, strategically placed to maximise views via the angled floor-to-ceiling glass windows. A dancefloor and stage in the middle hosts stock-standard cruise ship entertainment, but I’m more interested in the sociability of the space. This place is full of life, whether it’s the group in the corner armed with name tags and wine glasses – one of many ice-breaker-style meet-ups on the ship’s rich daily schedule – or the couple on the other end squabbling over a game of Monopoly.

It takes no less than five minutes to reach my other prized spot, Atlas Bar. Dressed like a scene from a glamorous Hollywood movie, the space – exclusive to Azamara Onward – is a clever avenue to bring the spirit of each destination onboard. I cling tightly to my Old Fashioned and opt for a well-built classic, but the long list of signatures nods to a great variety of destinations.

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Culinary creds

“Our classic Aussie BBQ will be served on Deck 9 at 12pm,” a perky voice chirps throughout the ship on my second of two sea days. I saunter up from my Veranda Stateroom expecting the typical shrimp-on-the-barbie set-up but instead find an extravagant spread, made even better by the atmosphere. Chefs laughing with each other while searing top-shelf Aussie beef on the grill. Exceedingly polite guests filing through rows of sides and trying not to eye the massive dessert station. Tables set up in between the pool and the small, semi-circular stage, on which the ship’s multi-talented resident musician proves his worth. I could get used to this.

Yet my favourite meal is at specialty restaurant Prime, a fine-dining steakhouse tonight hosting a special wine dinner with Keith Hentschke, of the highly awarded Hentley Farm Wines, popping on board. The ship is steadily making its way towards Adelaide, so it makes sense to welcome a slice of the Barossa Valley. Award-winning wines pair beautifully with star dishes like an achingly tender beef Wellington. And your palate has never truly danced until it has welcomed the holy matrimony of rich lobster brioche and an immaculately clean Eden Valley riesling. 

On the other side of the ship, at specialty restaurant Aqualina, pancetta-wrapped scallops play well with crispy squid and generous plates of texturally perfect pasta are best followed with classic dolci. While Prime’s design is more meaty and masculine, Aqualina favours a softer, gentle atmosphere. 

On the inclusion side, the classic cruise buffet is supersized and elevated by Windows Cafe. The aforementioned Discoveries is a sure thing for a satisfying a la carte breakfast, lunch or dinner. And the tiny Mosaic cafe is perfectly placed if you want to grab a coffee and a quick pastry while browsing the small boutique or enjoying entertainment at The Cabaret Lounge.

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A shore thing

Azamara is well-regarded for many things. Its food and drink is a top-biller, but so is the admirable focus on building distinct and immersive shore excursions. Destination immersion may be the marketing term, yet empathy is the goal. Cruising is an economical and fascinating way to see the world. But when you get onto a line that really honours its destinations, you aren’t just seeing the world, you’re building a deep understanding of it.

The cruise line’s dedication to deeper shore excursions must be why I can’t stop thinking about the “Law of the Tongue”. I’d never set foot in New South Wales’ most southerly town before so am unfamiliar with its gruesome history of both slavery and whaling. Yet a guide taking us from Eden across to the other side of Twofold Bay into Beowa National Park doesn’t shy away from the area’s shameful past.

“Old Tom and his family couldn’t get enough of the lips and the tongue,” I hear as I stare out onto a bay renowned for its theatricality and wild nature. As I’m told, 19th-century Scottish slave trader Benjamin Boyd imported cheap labour from the islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia – a practice then known as “blackbirding” – when the Davidson Whaling Station was in full-scale operation.

The Davidson family would take advantage of the Pacific Islanders’ unique communion with the orcas of the area, who would help trap migrating humpback whales so they could be herded and harvested. As a reward for the orcas’ devious work and misplaced loyalty, they were treated to the lips and tongues of the butchered whales. This sacrosanct deal between human and orcas is the kind of context I didn’t expect from what I thought was just going to be a moderate hike to the stately looking Boyd’s Tower.

I imagine leaving with that kind of rich, unfiltered lens is another essential piece of the worldly puzzle for passengers who’ve been living on board since the ship left San Diego. 

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Tips and tricks

What to pack

I’m glad I packed some comfortable walking shoes. The walk in Eden isn’t intensive but the gravelly landscape is much smoother if you’ve got some grip. Both Prime and Aqualina have a dress code (strictly no shorts) so I advise at least one professional fit. 

Who is the cruise aimed at:

Both beginner and veteran cruisers who want to understand the world around them, not just see it. 

Secret tip:

The fun, relaxed atmosphere means everyone is up for a good chat. And cruisers are a fascinating, worldly bunch. Strike up a conversation with anyone and I guarantee you’ll learn something new.