uktog

Very disappointing if access to the steam room was removed for everyone just because the right door wasn’t in place. Hope the steam room and shower room access is restored for all promptly

Thanks, not good for gym users etc or for those wanting to use the steam room On the other ships they used a much simpler solution, the door to the spa deck had a lock that could only be activated by eligible sea passes. So those who could not use the spa deck could still use the steam room and the showers. Look forward to hearing from others on how it shapes out on Onward in the coming cruises as to whether this is another new cutback policy for the lesser mortals

I read on the Cabin Upgrade thread that on Onward guests who are not in the top suites cannot access the Spa changing rooms, showers or steam rooms. Can anyone confirm if this is a new policy. (It has already been reported that the suites could not use the front verandah). It is very disappointing if these facilities have now been withdrawn for all guests other than those in the Club World and Club Owners suites.

Thank you. Oh dear Another reason Onward is going to really annoy me in December I fear. DH showers at the gym before coming back from exercise. We prefer it that way. Secondly the steam room was always accessible to all guests so another cut away 😔 Feels like Onward is a different company to the rest

On which ship? The changing rooms where the showers are were accessible to all guests on Journey last week - some shower after gym sessions there anyway, its not just showers for the front deck. On some of the ships the access beyond the rooms is controlled by a keycard door (not sure if they all have the keycard door fitted yet) and only certain rooms or passes can open that door.

It’s too risky to book and hope to change onboard. It would ruin a cruise if there wasn’t a shower suite available to swap to - you’d be having to go to the spa to shower

Yes but it’s quite a climb in

Absolutely right decision - if they would alternatively split the CC between shower and tub and you could bid on both or specify one that would solve so much for many of us. Your thinking is identical to ours for exactly the same reasons.

I suspect the issue as in all ports is the customs as opposed to immigration authorities eg you can walk off and tour but taking luggage off is a different set of rules. I know in Athens they do have to do a lot of juggling to accommodate when the authorities will or will not "appear" both at embarkation and disembarkation. Your advice is spot on, allow plenty of time to get to the airport and I would say calculate from an 0800 walk off (Journey did not manage 0700 last month it was about 0730). Personally I find trying to juggle with liquids etc and placing the case out is not something I am now good at so I opt to fly home the next day if I can - just a lot less stressful. So my minimums are one day ahead and one day behind for my schedules

If Keukenhof represents hills (rolling or otherwise) what is the Royal Mile or The Mound (note name, not even a hill) in Edinburgh. 😂😂😂 I think we can all understand miles v kilometres. Jazzbeau I expect your “innkeeper” reaction was because he would usually expect tourists to “do” places not flash through them. It’s like how we react to the one day Edinburgh- Loch Ness - Highlands tour. Accept for many maybe that’s all the time they have but that’s a drive by not a “do”. I do think the copywriter has been carried away by something and it does Azamara no favours.

Goodness me, compared to Journey that Brunch is a real feast

I think individual ships have different approaches but even without dinner you can have interactions. If it’s a transoceanic trip there will be more activities but unless there’s a lot of bingo players it’s only going to be a few games across the cruise. I’d be ready to do other things or head to the library early cruise for materials

The later scheduled boarding times work much better in my experience too. I am arranging transfers to align to the slot I get. Makes a much nicer experience than hanging around

1st December Onward 11 nights Offered min £75 pp to move from a Verandah to Verandah plus and £370 pp to move to a Club Continental. Loyalty level Platinum Not planning to bid - the added value for a Verandah Plus does not exist for us (we get the internet anyway) and the location of the new room could be worse. Likewise, if you ignore a little more room space, I can buy speciality restaurants and be sure I have a room with a walk in shower. Cannot risk getting a tub suite.

Not seen any evidence it helps indeed on personal experience, in the past we bid more than someone in a lower tier and they got an upgrade and we did not. We no longer take part in the scheme chosing to buy the room we want from the outset

I see the ships ATM as a backstop as it’s also most expensive. It was working fine on Journey recently. Another area that ships need to be more consistent and reliable in I agree

Well said And remember if the guide or establishment do politely accept payment in a currency other than the currency of the country they will receive at least 10% less than you think due to the costs of exchange. On European cruises the Euro covers most if not all the cruise. Get some before you go, at an atm when you arrive or the atm on the ship (there are two one for dollars and one for euros on European cruises). (Note Croatia also moves to the Euro on 1 January 2023).

Lovely to hear David. I was kicking myself for forgetting I can do video as well as still photos when I got home. It’s a nice itinerary you have done.

Still no officers dinners with groups of guests on any ship Bingo was offered on Journey, they offer it once, they only offer it a second time if there is reasonable take up on the first game. Very few play these days

I think Azamara's problem is being itinerary intensive, the first full day at sea could even be the last day -, as was the case on our recent cruises. But I agree sea day morning is better and even when Day 2 is a sea day Azamara still tend to set the get together at the same time as sail away or just after which is no good.

It is very much venue and itinerary dependant so some ships will start there off ship events sooner than others and even after a ship goes "off ship" it may have to bring some back on ship for some cruises

Norway in particular have been very active in mandating deadlines by which cruise ships must use shore power in port. By 2025 it is going to be an issue for older vessels who cannot convert. As I understand it Bergen and Flam already requires it and Alesund has just put all its infrastructure in to support the change

Thanks will do, hope to speak with our agent in the next few days but as its a bricks and mortar operation I want to go in and sit beside them and talk through options

Interesting point, we have missed port insurance and our insurers queried why port charges were not refunded with Viking. I do not know the outcome of that conversation as the insurers settled in full with us but it was clear they found that non refund to be a practice not followed elsewhere. Our decisions to cancel were made very early and in the case of one port the weather conditions reported were not what was actually showing on all forecasts or indeed what transpired on the day. It felt like an early decision was made, it allowed the ship to crawl to the final destination (our last two ports were cancelled) so a saving on the fuel budget and two lots of port fees....hmmmm

Unfortunately I only discovered that is was on Oct 6 after the event as the ship was saying it was on departure day not embarkation day. Its really not clear how it happens and it needs much better organisation