uktog

You can ask shoreside to start the process however it’s sometimes hard getting through to the right people. I would call up indicate you want to arrange a private land discoveries experience and take it from there. Be ready for a near four figure sum though!

The concierge can indeed make arrangements for you onshore. The cost of what they source will be high but it would be a nice way to blow OBC.

Pay with a credit card - Insurance Policy No 1 Have loss of cruise due to the insolvency of the provider cover on your travel insurance - Insurance Policy No 2 I accept that in many worlds though asking for early payment or cash payment only does sound alarm bells for some. Maybe Azamara need to finesse their "pay sooner for more benefit" message

It’s usually City Terminal 101 but I have also boarded at the other piers. However they are all very close as @AJCM says very close to the Holiday Inn. You will be able to find the exact pier on the Southampton port website a few days before, it’s very accurate.

Agree Sounds like a very different dynamic which is great to read. I also think Azamara will hopefully have learned a lot of lessons from the first time. They knew they had issues then

I would not name names here but it’s very much the style of two of the regular waiters.

For me having done three cruises (one b2b legs 2 and 3 and then the second last leg) of a previous World Cruise on Azamara I would never book any legs that are part of the world cruise. We and others were left to feel very uncomfortable if you happened to be in what they perceived as their space eg certain seats in the Living Room and Den. Trivia groups did not welcome others into their teams. The ambience was just not what we had grown to love on Azamara. We actually reboarded again when the world cruise disembarked in London - what a different atmosphere, back to the old Azamara I am not saying it is like this on this World Cruise but we spent a higher per day rate on average for a sub par experience and we wont take that risk again.

Congratulations to all the hard working staff on Explora 1 who have just learned that their first USPH inspection score was 100 - perfection!

Not always (I am talking about UK accounts)

Thank you for keeping us so up to date on this and enjoy your time onboard

And why I don’t want to be an “ordinary” guest as there will be distractions to their experience

They should hold back price increases until they improve the menus. Reading what's going on in the World Cruise I am seeing lots of attention on Chefs Table type menus - maybe thats what is going to be "Speciality" going forward although the high table excludes some as so much of the experience is about eating in the group. Chefs Tables were a later introduction on Azamara - in those earlier days the specialities were really special - cheese shuffles, dover sole, higher quality beef and beautiful soups. All no longer offered

Thanks, I was sure given how accurate you were on other things that there was indeed a price increase applying certainly on Quest - maybe the other ships will apply them from their next sailings Thank you also for the menus- these are indeed the unchanged menus. We hear of menu changes coming (well we often here that one!!) - if they are upgrading the menus I would have preferred them to "show us the colour of their money" rather than push the prices up first.

Yes but @Mercruiser has indicated in their original post that the price onboard is now $120

So is it that everything is more expensive if you wait to book onboard?

It should be a consistent price across all four ships and if there is a pricing change this should be covered in an email to all booked guests. I am hoping current Quest guests are not “testing victims” to see what the market will stand That price would be appropriate if 1. The menu included premium offerings 2. The tables were much further apart and for some not rammed up against the service clearing areas 3. There was a more professional and less folksy “class clown” level of service. - dinging the butter covers or joking when bringing the soup bowl with just garnish isn’t appropriate. As @excitedofharpenden says it’s a nice meal that’s all and even taking account of inflation given the current menu, service and ambience $35 per head supplement is around the right level.

Wow a big jump! Have they enhanced the menu or is it still the same (reduced from what it used to be eg no Dover sole) offering. Not sure I’d pay $100 for what was available on Onward last time.

I believe it is now $35

Is the Chefs Signature Dinner the same price as a Chefs Table?

Captain Jonas is an excellent communicator- looks like a specific trait of Scandinavian captains on Azamara Just shows how good communication defuses situations Keeping my fingers crossed for you all

I am not aware of any issues relating to the distribution on Azamara. The funds are controlled by a crew committee with officer and HR support and we hear of so many fantastic fully funded excursions and social events paid from the fund. That and the entertainment kit etc the crew have in their mess I would not want people reading your post to worry about the Azamara fund and hold back from contributing

Great news thanks for your timely and accurate reporting. I hope the rest of your cruise is incident free

Interesting approach to isolation 😀. Whilst recognising the server, there are a number of unseen backroom people who have contributed to what the server did. I’m not saying don’t recognise the server but an alternative approach is to name them in the mid and end cruise survey plus if you really want a small token gesture and give the majority of your tip budget to the Crew Fund. On a “no added gratuities” line that approach may be fairer all round.

A circle could be testing or trying to free something Fingers crossed for you 🤞

To the crew fund?