uktog

If you are an Azamara Circle member and on their mailing list, it is always mentioned in their quarterly newsletter. And certainly onboard you will get flyers about it and it does also get mentioned at Loyalty events. As for negotiating better prices, the onboard staff these days are order takers and (sometimes somewhat aggressive) sales closers at the advertised prices plus whatever offer bus is passing at the time.. They have no scope to negotiate, they just refer it back to Miami (if indeed they even do that). Its always worth asking but be prepared for a negative response.

Perry Golf only has a positive impact on a cruise (from multiple first hand experiences). In terms of shore excursions, yes spouses will go on them but I have never seen it impact on availability, in fact the opposite, less popular trips are far less likely to get cancelled. Also some of the Perry Golfers come in sub groups and the spouses organise private activities as a group. We too have cruised with the Harley riders - most of whom we discovered were doctors, lawyers and academics of our own age, its also lovely seeing by chance during the day as you tour around how the islanders love them and come out to watch a ride by. I would love to sail with them again but that would mean a celebrity cruise.

The find my facility now gives owners some more comfort but given what is potentially accessible on my devices my work requires them to be on my person, in a safe place at home or appropriately secure place - their words - elsewhere. I wouldn’t like to “insult” the attendant by inferring I keep it in the safe so as not to tempt them, it’s in the safe because others need it to be. Maybe on some lines you might be tempting someone but not I feel on Azamara. On Onward the safe is smaller and you have to be careful your iPad doesn’t tip forwards towards the door mechanism when closing it or you’ll need security up to do a reset.

To me, pinning something like this is changing the direction and underlying ethos of the Azamara board. Whether it’s done elsewhere or not shouldn’t be the driver, it’s what fits with the culture of the board and the line. This soliciting doesn’t. The whole point is you refer friends not passing strangers.

Someone has wires crossed on this one Azamara Quest has not gone to NZ since the pandemic . It came round from Singapore to Perth to Sydney where it spent New Year and is now en route (as planned) to Melbourne where it disembarks on 4th. It is due to head to NZ arriving in the sounds on 11th. Unlike many ships laid up over the pandemic, Azamara vessels had full dry docks before returning to service in 2021

Lucky you just $75 its £250 for UK guests who lose deposits

Good point To be fair, its not just cruise critic members though that influenced Azamara's decision. Around the time of start up post covid, there was a lot of surveying of guests who had cruised with Azamara before and also non cruisers (probably accessed that group via Captains Club) a whole section was on pool entertainment. The outcome was there was no change to the pre pandemic model - lunch time slots for entertainment on sea days only

We've been to SA before, the timing of northbound would be at a point in the year we would not be able to do so we have moved on, SA will not be on the agenda for a while. I note the point about not accepting the letters, but it is difficult when the waiver is accepted globally why suddenly it was not. We booked the cruises in good faith knowing I would be travelling on the waiver and never having had an issue with it before, but now we have to lose two deposits - ouch lesson learned. Keep SA off the agenda for now

I suspect we got screwed on exchange rate which added to our pain

I can see the Silver Drinks Package for my August cruise has gone up from £210 to £280 each - quite a big jump. We had already purchased ours last month glad I did not hang about on that one

Not seen any reports of this, Azamara Quest has been in Sydney as scheduled for the last two nights. Will be interested to hear though of evidence of more issues on other vessels as it sure puts sailing in this part of the world into a new risk bucket for the upcoming season

The issue is now on main page BBC in the UK today. It will be interesting to see how Viking deal with UK guests who will have very particular consumer rights protections in relation to this cruise. Viking Orion: Cruise passengers stranded after marine growth halts ship https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-64138743

No they do not. There are ocean views and insides available which are popular with some guests

Yes it’s a shipboard role I understand

Given that Azamara is a smaller ship, they also carry fewer entertainment staff so they do not necessarily have the capacity from the existing crew to run extra activities during the day. (Crew can be off for extended hours during port days in line with their contract to reflect the extensive number of hours they work on sea days and the fact they are working a 7 day week). There would never have been the intention to offer much then and it would not have been possible to add things in at short notice. Just as guests had paperwork issues, its even harder to get documentation for crew, even those staying onboard, so it would not be easy for Azamara just to ask another person to be onboard. If I had been going on a cruise knowing I was grounded onboard when others were ashore, I would have been working out my own entertainment (reading materials, craft etc) and bringing it with me. If you are referring to Quest, the cruise director was always only on a temporary contract to fill in (as he posted on his Linkedin page) ahead of the usual director returning from leave (her previous alternate had opted to go and work elsewhere at short notice). Others are saying the gentleman was delightful and was just doing a short term to help out Azamara and was as good as any they have had recently. I am not sure which Facebook page is being referred to (I do not follow most of them) however there can also be agendas on these pages, particularly if posters think someone else already part of the activities team whom they are friendly with should have been given the step up. I have seen that happen several times recently. I appreciate the poster here has no agenda other than to repeat her disappointment but others may be different. OK lets just agree some people wanted more provided on port days, a time Azamara does not offer activities, some wanted more noise, others were happy with the noise level and lets drop it

I phoned Liverpool Victoria excellent when Viking did not call at advertised ports in terms of giving a sum per day for each port missed, the figure was per person. They also reimbursed private excursion costs Our problem was getting the paperwork from Viking to prove that the ports had been missed on board. They declined to give anything in writing that showed ports had been missed, which frankly was ridiculous as other lines, openly give that to guests who ask. We did eventually manage to get the paperwork via the London office, but it was as if Viking was in denial that they had not called at ports. I do hope those on board to manage to be treated appropriately given the circumstances. It is not right that people fly halfway around the world for a dream trip, having given up precious annual leave to do so, and then find that for reasons beyond their control, but potentially within the control of Viking, the advertised voyage was not delivered. Good luck.

Bear in mind there are now differences in “how they do things” between the four ships which apply to many responses on this thread. It used to be a standard way across the fleet, now it is not. So for example do you need to order afternoon tea or not varies from ship to ship. When you meet the butler get him to concentrate not on the layout and switches of the room or what he can do (although important) but how he does it. So what’s automatic, what do I need to ask for, how much notice, what’s the best time of day to chat with him re upcoming needs etc Its also a good idea to clarify what he wants to do vs the stateroom attendant as that does vary and in our experience if you don’t get the demarcation right and ask the wrong person you can have some gaps in whether your expectations are met.

To be honest, the butler does very little more than the stateroom attendant. In theory they will do restaurant bookings, though many prefer to do their own and could set up other reservations eg spa for you. They used to bring afternoon tea but it has been reported this now only happens if you order it. The write up on the website is like someone has swallowed a bucket of spin. I have never known a butler mix a drink for me in the suite, they look after a large number of rooms and I would be awkward calling them to come and do it - I just go to the bar when I am ready. They usually look after at least 10 suites

I believe this gentleman was onboard on the 30/11 sailing and I referenced him then in the Anyone currently onboard thread - my husband found his talks very engaging. I think the issue most people had was the destination lecturer where the talks continue to be disjointed and of course we had some scheduled for AFTER we had visited the port. Not the lecturers fault but he was then not able to flip what he was saying away from the "look out for" type comments so when I watched excerpts later (I did not give up other activities to go live) it very much felt like "here is one I made earlier and this is what you are getting" I think it is good people know the range of entertainment is modest and for some boring. That way people will know to bring their own entertainment and be prepared to use it. Maybe the reason I did not feel "bored" is I see what was provided by the cruise line as "possible activities" but with my iPods, books, crossword books and other things I always have enough to relax with during a sea day without relying on the ship. I do expect the ship to provide a variety of entertainment in the evening. Some cruises I am always in the Den, other cruises I prefer the Living Room, sometimes a mix - again not every show will be for every cruiser

I could not agree more re the presentations and the lecturers, it is an area that needs a right shake up. It is a woeful embarassment. However as with all the comments unless people put them on their feedback forms there is no way things will get looked at so boring needs to be commented on. OK comments can be ignored, but if they are not made they will always be ignored!!

As someone who has sailed on six different lines since restart 2021across oceans and rivers, three different Azamara vessels and in response to @laurieb thread has already indicated I don’t yet have a horse in the Azamara race for 2023 but could have amongst others I have objective experience. But I do like to focus on sharing facts and if appropriate counter views.

Reports I am hearing from the OPs cruise is that there are no issues with the entertainment which is particularly good to hear as the full time CD is not onboard due to a family situation and the very able assistant has stepped into the role to the extent that many do not know he was originally due to be their assistant. Folks need to bear in mind the style of an Azamara CD is not a hi-de-hi camp director

They do, although you do not often see children on board other than the officers little ones

Oh goodness I remember Alex with a tiny 1/8th size Violin - where has the time gone?

Vassi went on vacation from Onward on 12/12. She was well due her holiday but expected to be re contracted she packed the Den every night