gasman489

I think if all goes as planned, the purchase of Crystal by A&K will present some incredible opportunities for the very talented industry vets.  

19 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Below are the cruise line stock charts for the past week.  Not exactly positive and upward in optimism!!  As example, Royal Caribbean went from the opening bell on Tuesday morning at $87.10 down to $77.88 late this afternoon.  That is a major drop.  The other two companies followed a similar pattern for the past week.

 

How much of this negative rating by Wall Street would be about Covid rates rebounding, fuel prices being high, interest rates going up and/or Europe war worries, etc.??  Any other factors of importance being missed?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 31,198 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

 

 

From the Wall Street Journal during the most recent five trading days, below are the charts for the three major cruise lines.  First and second are the charts for Royal Caribbean during the past week and second is their "roller-coast" ride during the past twelve months.  Rocky??  Third and fourth are the charts for the other two lines during the past week.  For this past week, it has NOT been a good positive period.  What will be happening for the future?:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

 

 

 

Really loving your very informative posts!  I think one other factor that will impact cruising for quite a while is the cruise lines’ ability to lure the younger travelers with big money (and there are a lot of them!) -  onto their ships.  Many are more interested in taking expensive land tours to exotic destinations.  The cruise lines won’t survive with a passenger demographic that just does one-offs.  They need to build a solid, younger base.  Not sure if you have seen Celebrity’s new media campaign, touting “inclusive cruising for all.”  This is a good start.  Cruising has come a long way since my Med cruise that started in Barcelona on Celebrity 18 years ago, where some of my fellow cruisers (they were from California) weren’t happy that there were approximately 500 Spanish passengers!!  It’s a global thing now, and the emergence of many wealthy Chinese et al passengers, has changed the face of cruising.  

On 4/4/2022 at 11:26 AM, excitedofharpenden said:

I’m not sure what your qualifications are for these and your other observations, but in my opinion you are talking out of the top of your hat and worrying people unnecessarily. 

 

Phil

Hop on over to the Silversea board on Cruise Critic.  There is a very lengthy thread about these very issues.  

On 4/4/2022 at 11:26 AM, excitedofharpenden said:

I’m not sure what your qualifications are for these and your other observations, but in my opinion you are talking out of the top of your hat and worrying people unnecessarily. 

 

Phil

I work in the restructuring industry. And many of my observations were gleaned by reading the posts on this board.  My intent is not to worry anyone unnecessarily, but more caveat emptor.  And I think most of the people here are savvy enough to realize that (including yourself).  There are people who have lost thousands of dollars they may never see again.  So, caveat emptor!! 

1 hour ago, takemewithyou said:

I have those concerns.  It is now V Ships who is doing the provisioning, I believe.  

There is a lot to be sorted out in the cruise industry right now.  I don’t think any of it is specific to Azamara.  They need to figure out how to start luring the younger passenger demographic, many of whom are anti-cruise ship for environmental reasons, whether valid or not.  The older passenger demographic is shrinking, and many of the cruise loyalists who are able to cruise are not doing so right now, due to health concerns related to Covid or not wanting to get vaccinated.  And then add in a scathing review like the one of the Silversea cruise (yikes!), and it all portends for some stormy sailing ahead. 

2 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

Sycamore Partners had the "purchasing power" to buy and refurbish a ship for Azamara before any of its ships had sailed under the new ownership.  I don't understand your concern.

I'm speaking about purchasing power for provisions, not the ship itself.  When they were under the RCCL umbrella, it was strength in numbers.  So my question is - do they have the same purchasing power now.  And my question really wasn't my question to begin with.  If you read some of the other posts, you'll see that posters who have recently taken cruises on Azamara, speak about the lack of certain items onboard (have read posts about the food, wine, liquor etc).

On 3/31/2022 at 11:01 AM, takemewithyou said:

@uktogDid you find there was a lot of seafood onboard Viking?  I am seeing pictures being posted from current Viking cruises of crab legs, shrimp,etc that are offered on the World Cafe buffet throughout the cruise.  If that happens, I will be very happy!  You mention halibut on the chef table menu.  Also have heard they will grill fresh tuna for you at the pool grill.
 

My last cruise on Quest I was disappointed that they did not do a seafood buffet the first night onboard in Windows, as they frequently used to do.  And we were sailing out of Miami.  I didn’t see much seafood the whole cruise!  Have never seen crab legs or halibut on Azamara.

 

I have concerns over how their food, wine and Liqour are being provisioned since the switch over from RCCL to V ships.  I hope there is more consistency eventually.  

 

Azamara is now owned by a hedge fund.  Hedge funds are in the business of making money for their investors.  Doesn't matter what type of business they buy  - that's the bottom line.  I also wonder what their purchasing power is now that they are no longer under the RCCL umbrella?  Couple that with Covid and supply chain shortages, and you realize it will be difficult for the foreseeable future.  With that having been said, Azamara has some of the most interesting itineraries out there.  So I do hope they can ultimately get it together!

On 3/30/2022 at 10:15 AM, Redtravel said:

Thanks for sharing your comments.  We like Azamara and Viking.  Both do a good cruise. Viking is a much larger operation than Azamara. Viking trips are usually extremely well planned.  On one Viking trip, cruise director got sick.  The sub was excellent. He knew his stuff.  Azamara is great when things go as scheduled. Viking has better resources to recover when things go astray.  Viking ships are beautiful.  Cabins are spacious.  Amenities are excellent. Azamara ships are old. Even with renovations, the cabins are small. Bathrooms are tiny.  When picking a trip, Azamara often is not chosen if a similar itinerary is offered on Viking. We also like Oceania’s larger ships. Oceania does a great cruise.  
 

Hi!  I'm very interested in hearing your thoughts on Oceania - good and bad.  Have never cruised with them before, but thinking that they might be a good step forward after Celebrity (although we're also sticking with them as well, as we got a fantastic deal for next year on one of our bucket list trips, Galapagos and Macchu Picchu).  We really wanted  to try Azamara, but after being dropped on our heads for 2 cruises, my significant other is not so keen on it.  We were stuck with thousands of dollars worth of airline tickets, despite the fact we had insurance - didn't cover the cost, due to the fact the airlines both gave us a credit.  So I guess I consider us lucky vs the poor people who booked on Crystal who may never see any of their $$ again!  We're actually going to Turkey and Greece in 2 weeks, and have made our own arrangements there, as a substitute for the Greek Isles cruise we were supposed to be on that was cancelled.  We'll be on an ultra luxury ship - aka the "ferry!"  LOL.  I guess I can also cruise on over to the Oceania boards to see what people are saying there!

We were supposed to be on the April 19 cruise to the Greek Islands that was cancelled, so we decided to do our own thing and travel around the islands on these incredibly luxurious ships called….ferries!  😂 

15 hours ago, ECCruise said:

For those concerned about making final payment, we made ours weeks ago and haven't heard.  But we understand the issues.  Changing entire itineraries is not like making a quick substitution of one Caribbean or Mediterranean port for another.  And the itineraries are  not all the same, so there are variations that need to be addressed.  Agreements with new ports need to be arranged and inked.  Sea distances need to be computed and coordinated, often times with tidal changes.  Tour operators, even if they have a relationship in the past, need to be contacted and tours arranged.  

 

All of which needs to be completely done prior to the release of any itinerary changes.  Azamara told us that things are in process, and we trust that they are.

 

We leave on a trip that leaves in less than a month that includes a Black Sea cruise (as well as a Greek intensive one, tours in South Africa, Ireland and the Baltic--which has its own issues because it includes Krakow, less than 100 miles from the Ukrainian border--and Italy).  There are dozens of moving pieces in this 10 weeks of travel and we decided long ago that you have to be patient and, if necessary, go with the flow.  COVID-19 and 17 trips cancelled or severely altered solidified that attitude.  The geopolitical situation is just another unexpected curve being thrown at us all. 

Traveling right now is not for the faint of heart!  Your attitude is 100% spot on.  Definitely have to be willing to go with the flow!  

They’re a hot mess.  They’ve lost us as potential new customers.  Have returned to Celebrity for 2023, and are exploring other possibilities for itineraries similar to Azamara’s.  

I completely get that part of it.  This is our second cruise in 2 months that’s been cancelled.  What I don’t get is how it was handled.  No notification whatsoever.  We only found out when we went online to look at shore excursions and saw “Voyage Cancelled” on the booking!  Not really a great way to do business.  

Geez, I’m delighted to hear that this was the reason they cancelled all of the scheduled cruises on Journey (not).  

4 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Gasman from New York, why did you have to “eat” your airfares?    When we have cancelled during COVID most airlines are offering a no cost change to your booking if you are not eligible for a refund.   Hotels in the Marriott group are allowing cancellations 24-48 hrs before you are scheduled to arrive.

We’ve traveled a lot over the past two years, and found hotels to be accommodating regarding change and cancellation policies.  No issue there. 

For the March 4th cruise that was canceled, we did have travel insurance, but they would not refund us for our airfare tickets, since the airline gave us a credit.  It’s not an airline we normally fly.  We were using them because not many airlines fly to Capetown.  The travel insurance was also expensive, but the travel insurance company graciously offered us a credit, since we never even started the trip.  For the second trip that was just recently cancelled, we’ve decided to arrange our own trip to Turkey and Greece, so as not to be stuck with a credit for those airline tickets as well. 

Did you read the language at the bottom of the last page of the PDF?  It essentially says “we reserve the right to change anything at any time.”  The whole thing just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, which is a shame, as I was really excited to try Azamara after only traveling on Celebrity (which I love) for 20+ years.  But doing stuff like this is not the way to cultivate a new customer base - which is what they need.  They never even notified us that our cruise had been cancelled.  We only found out by logging into our account to look up something on our reservation!! I knew when I booked the first cruise that it was going to be a crapshoot with the new owners.  Hedge funds are in the business of making money for their investors.  That is the bottom line.  And all of the cruise lines are struggling right now.  I read through several other posts on this thread.  We’ve now had to eat our airfare for 2 cancelled cruises, but my heart goes out to those who were booked on Crystal.  They may never see their money again.  

Lisa, you may be right, but it’s hard to really say.  If you go to the May 5, 2022 Black Sea sailing, there is a Printer Friendly PDF.  If you open it and review the last 2 pages, that is where I saw this.  It could just be the way it paginates, but there are asterisks in front of all

of the cruise fares as well.  I definitely know that our first cruise was cancelled due to lack of minimum participation, because they told us (which, as I stated before, was perfectly understandable due to the newly emerged Omicron variant).  They have to have a break even point, and it just seems like if they don’t reach it, they don’t sail. 

Very disheartening to read all of these comments.  We are now on our second Azamara cancellation.  We were originally booked on the March 4th West Africa cruise, which was cancelled (completely understandable - Omicron had just emerged on the world stage and no one want to fly to South Africa).  Since we booked directly with Azamara, we had no difficulty with getting a refund.  We then rebooked another cruise to the Turkey and the Greek Isles that was scheduled to depart on April 19, which has now also been cancelled (and we found out purely by happenstance, so we're not even sure why it was cancelled).  While I'd like to adhere to the old adage of "three strikes and you're out", I think I may be holding the line at 2 here.  Was looking at the Black Sea cruise sailing on May 5, 2022, and when you read the pricing structure, there is a little asterisk that says "provided the minimum participation of guest level is met."  Does this mean that if the minimum participation of guest level is not met, it is cheaper for them to simply cancel the cruise?

We've now been stung twice with having to eat the airfare (no refund, just a credit).

Disappointing.

Thanks to all posting here for all of the info.  We were booked on the March 4 West Africa cruise, which has now been cancelled (not surprising).  When we booked in May of last year, I knew it would be a bit of a crapshoot, since Azamara now has new owners.  Royal Caribbean sold Azamara to a hedge fund earlier this year.  I think there will likely be many changes and growing pains that will be further complicated by Covid.  But we’re going to hang in there and give it a shot.  We’re more geared toward the itineraries, and Azamara really does have some of the best.  

Robb, we were supposed to be on that cruise with you.  It’s disappointing they cancelled, but not surprising.  We’ve requested a refund - we’re going to try to find something else for 2022, and rebook this one for 2023.  

I don't know if they offer this tour any longer, but years ago while cruising on the Millennium, I skipped out on Florence and Pisa and took a tour to Tuscany, which encompassed visits to Volterra, Lucca, San Gimignano and a fantastic winery called Tenuta Torciano (near a little town called Ulignano). We did wine tasting and had a lovely lunch at the winery. I enjoyed it so much, that I've been back there twice over the years on my own. The second time I went, I stayed at the farmhouse at the winery!

I went through this whole discussion - ENDLESSLY - with my S/O's father, but finally convinced him to get one before he left for his trip. Everyone should get a visa for China. Regardless of what anyone tells you. Given the current state of affairs with our relationship with China, I would not go without a visa. My SO's parents are in their late 80s/early 90s (and yep, they're still cruising). If something were to happen, and you needed to leave the ship for medical treatment or whatever, you need to have a visa.

I just cruised Alaska on the Millennium and I thought the entertainment was fantastic. There were 3 production shows - Boogie Nights, a Broadway tribute and a show called Ellysium (that one was a bit strange, but good due to the talent of the singers and dancers), a Whitney Houston retrospective by an incredibly talented young woman named Ashlie Amber-Harris, a bilingual comedian named Andrew Kennedy, a great show by a young man named Sean O'Shea (Canadian)...I only missed one out of the 7 nights because we were in port that evening, and he was also a comedian. I live in NY and go to Broadway shows quite often, and I thought the singers and dancers really busted it out for the production shows. They were all incredibly talented. And judging from the feedback in the theater, everyone else thought so too (Ashlie Amber Harris had a line outside the theater after the show). Even though the vast majority of the passengers were American, there were still people onboard from 42 other countries. I thought the shows covered a lot of familiar material that would appeal to the widest audience possible. And I would be remiss in not mentioning the Celebrity orchestra. They were fantastic. I really enjoyed it all. Every bit of it!

Just off the June 8 sailing on the Millennium, and Steve Gayda was the Cruise Director. Fantastic cruise!

We just came off the June 8 sailing on the Millie and we absolutely loved it. Didn’t do a cruise tour though. We’re very independent travelers. Actually still in Alaska. Rented a car and we just go. Had friends who were on Princess a couple of weeks prior to our departure on Celebrity, and they weren’t enthralled. Passenger demographic wasn’t right for them. I think the person who wrote “do your homework” said it best. Do your homework!! Ask a lot of questions and research.