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AllisonJames

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About Me

  • Location
    Highland Village, Texas
  • Interests
    Golf, travel, wine, reading
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Azamara, Seabourn, Viking
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Northern Europe

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  1. Thanks for this, I found it interesting. We were on the Silver Whisper (our only time on SS) in 2011, 5 years before we started cruising on AZ. We too liked the size of the Silver Whisper, which is one of the aspects that encouraged us to look at AZ. But I can’t say that we thought SS was much better than AZ, although the larger veranda staterooms was a plus. I am wondering how you found the ambience and other guests on SS. We definitely thought SS was more formal and the guests less friendly than on AZ and that’s one of the reasons SS hasn’t been appealing to repeat. But then again, I am talking about 13 years ago so would love your thoughts on that. We like the casual and relaxed vibe of AZ. I don’t think we’d sail the Silver Whisper again, but some of the newer ships like Silver Moon look incredible.
  2. We cruised quite often when our kids were that age. The two questions I encourage you to ask yourself: “Would my kids be happy if there aren’t any other kids on the ship to have fun with?” And “Would I be happy if my kids were bored and reduced to spending lots of time gaming when I have invested significant time and money in giving them an amazing travel experience?” Only you know the answers to those questions.
  3. This is wonderful … we were booked to sail Crystal Bach in July 2020, it was going to be our very first river cruise and we were so excited…well, we all know how that turned out. Those ships are absolutely gorgeous (and very different from the typical Uniworld decor, which frankly, has kept us away from Uniworld) and so now maybe we can experience them!
  4. Hi, we had the French Chef’s Table on Journey in August…wondering if the wines are the same from ship to ship…but I think I have the menu…will look and post here if I find it!
  5. None in Invergordon or Greenoch. Inverness and Glasgow are quite a distance…you can take the train if you don’t want to to do tours. In Lerwick (Shetland Islands) and Kirkwall (Orkney Islands) we had shuttles In Oban and Stornaway (Isle of Lewis) we tendered directly to the town. I hope you make it into Edinburgh — we didn’t on Journey in August due to rough seas and difficulty getting through the locks. Ended up docking in Rosyth about 45 minutes away.
  6. There can be a line at Discoveries in the first hour after it opens (6:30 - 7:30). We like to arrive a little later (around 8 - 8:30) and usually don’t have a long wait (or any wait) as the earlybirds are departing for the show. Of course, the downside to a later dining time is we often find ourselves missing the shows…so it works well for us to plan accordingly if there is a special show we want to see. I do wish they would have a slightly later show time but they do their best to accommodate the schedules for most of the guests…if there are two shows the times are usually 1 1/2 to 2 hours apart and most shows we have attended have been 45 minutes which we think is a perfect length!
  7. I would be much more impressed if Carol came on this board and started directly answering our questions. Considering the situation, it’s warranted.
  8. We were on Pursuit’s Maiden and I really thought it was beautifully done and loved the improvements that were done — for example the upholstered chaise lounges that face the windows in the living room…and the fact that they moved the band area more to the center so you don’t lose that window space and some of the view. I really notice the difference when on Journey and wish they would do that to Journey and Quest…not sure if that’s how it is on Onward. I followed along on social media as they were refurbishing Pursuit and it was amazing to see how everyone pitched in and accomplished what they did and the scale of the entire operation. Yes a few hiccups on the maiden but not many that were obvious (pool chair cushions were delayed but I am remembering correctly they were in place before the end of the cruise). I would bet the condition of Onward upon delivery to AZ, as well as supply chain issues really had an impact. Whomever led the Pursuit refurb did a first-class job. However…it is time to get rid of the dark wood in the staterooms…time for new cabinets and a lighter/more contemporary design!
  9. Thank you for this very detailed review. We have only sailed on Viking Ocean once and it was more than 5 years ago but our experience and perspective was very similar to yours…Did not feel like there were noticeably more guests than AZ (and it was a holiday week) and loved all the indoor/outdoor areas — great ship for inclement weather or longer cruise. We are booked on Viking River for next July and yes, their payment policy is a bit crazy…payment in full more than 11 months in advance, but we were happy with the cost for a two-room suite so we paid it and the river cruises really book up so necessary. Also booked on AZ again but there are areas where Viking is edging out AZ. Although we did not find the service or the other guests as friendly on Viking as on AZ…I can say the Viking pre-cruise experience, this far ahead, has already been extremely good.
  10. In my experience the best sale has been the Double Upgrade Sale which usually happens…mid-September! In that sale you pay the price of one category and get a 2 category upgrade so the savings have been substantial. However, this upcoming sale (if they still have it) will probably be for cruises in 2024 rather than 2025. Here in the U.S. they usually allow rebooking (just booked one for 2025 while onboard Journey and it was made clear that one rebooking at lower price was available without penalty) but not sure if rebooking is allowed in UK. The penalty is low in U.S. so we have options if the price decreases. Other than the double upgrade, I have tracked AZ prices over long periods of time and not seen a lot of sales that are actually sales…but that could change with new owners. When you see a price you are happy with, I would book! And yes, I personally think AZ is comparable to Viking although I like the ambience/service/friendliness of AZ more and the Viking ships are newer and have more bells and whistles.
  11. There were very few dresses on our recent Scotland intensive and I don’t recall seeing any sport coats. Those would have definitely seemed too dressy. Vast majority dressed appropriately but always a few outliers such as some wearing a t-shirt with a saying on it In Discoveries. If you want to wear that eat at The Patio. However, I actually thought there were more women dressed a notch down at dinner than men. Lots of sneakers these days in the evening but that’s the world we live in now.
  12. Interesting comments about Captain and Hotel Director and I agree…we never met either of them during our cruise. We are used to cruises with Captain Carl and Captain Johannes where they would often be at the gangway as we came off the ship or returned so there was definitely a slightly different vibe. Or they would be a Cruisecritic gathering which also didn’t happen on Scotland Intensive.
  13. Regarding Journey needing to be spruced up…it’s not as though you board and think “wow it’s a wreck!” overall it still looks decent. I am frankly amazed how well those carpets in those colors have held up. But let’s face it, it’s now been 7 years since the re-imagination so it’s time for some decor improvements. I thought our stateroom was looking a little worn…the wallpaper, the dark cabinets which seem a little dated…especially with all the other lines with new ships and others that have bright, shiny new stateroom decor—the “new” Crystal spent $150M upgrading those two ships. Also, furniture in the Living Room a little worn…this is normal wear and tear of all these years. I well remember the WOW factor when the AZ re-imagination was unveiled (we sailed Quest when all of that was brand new, and we sailed Pursuit’s maiden voyage and experienced the same, so yes, to us Journey deserves an upgrade. Also, I found the mattress a little hard, which may be because we are used to pillow top mattresses now, at home and in many hotels. My other niggle is that it always seems like the windows in Aqualina and Prime C are dirty…I know it is a ship so may be hard to keep them clean but I noticed it in 2019 and said to my husband this time “They still haven’t cleaned the windows!”
  14. Buyer beware! Just off Journey where many of the wines advertised in the package were unavailable. As a result it was not worth it to us. However, if you only paying to upgrade, and will also get the discount, maybe it’s a good deal for you. But we were very disappointed and were told AZ is redoing all the wines. This also may vary ship to ship — depends on what they have on hand.
  15. Thank you for sharing. Maybe if all our posts didn’t get AZ’s attention, articles like this will!
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