mdeegooden

ECCruise, curious why Oceania didn't work out. What removed them from future consideration?

I know! I thought the same thing!

Welcome, Davy! DW and I completed our first Az cruise last year on the Journey sailing R/T Cape Town on the South Africa Intensive. It was wonderful, memorable, even "azamazing"! I posted a review here on CC after we got back; you might find it useful as you plan your adventure. See link: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=696984 We enjoyed the overall experience w/ Az so much, it's bubbled up to be our favorite line, and we're looking forward to the next opportunity we have to sail w/ them later this year on the Croatia Intensive R/T Venice. I hope you enjoy your experience w/ Az as much as we. Happy sailing and safe travels!

Stunning! WOW! I do hope we get to experience these places someday. Your photos are so well taken!

Wow! What a phenomenal shot! DW and I were on the Journey a year ago for a two week South Africa intensive and didn't wildlife like this. How lucky you are (and quick w/ the shutter)!

What a great idea! Another standout, point of difference for Azamara. Looks delightful!

Agreed Agreed! Looks amazing. How nice! I do wish we were there to enjoy w/ you!

Seeing this really makes me appreciate AZ. Such a different experience from the other lines we've sailed, and how nice to create community among the pax! Looking so forward to being back on board! I do understand why AZ has such a loyal following.

Looks delightful! Did they get a good crowd to enjoy? I've heard that sometimes if it's not French, they sometimes have to cancel or reschedule for lack of diners.

I would echo the sentiments of the OP. I've recently had to contact AZ's customer service over OBC and booking shorex. In the two or three times I've called, I've had nearly no wait time and prompt, courteous, and (importantly!) competent service. So very much improved from a year ago! It seems from my own (limited) experience onboard and from many of the posters on this forum that AZ's shipside experience is uniformly excellent. Now their shoreside customer service is rapidly catching back up. Well done AZ!

Outstanding! Wishing you safe and happy travels and looking forward to your periodic updates of sites you see. What fun!

Wow! Looks just delightful!

I will say that I did call Az customer service a day or so after I received the email and asked to apply our OBC to the shore excursions I had previously "booked" online for our upcoming sailing. The customer service rep quickly looked up my account, found the reservations that I had made, and was able to apply the very generous amount of OBC we got w/ our booking. I paid the balance w/ a credit card and all is set. The process was fast, relatively efficient, and consistent w/ the Az's email stating the "new" way excursions are to be reserved and paid. All in all, well done.

Thank you for the recos! I am researching excursions now and have been reading Rick Steves. This appears to be an outstanding itinerary!

Jay19, what a thoughtful review! Thank you! DW and I are booked on the Quest next year for a 9d Croatia Intensive. It will be our second cruise w/ Azamara and our first in the Adriatic. What excursions or port experiences did you do while there? Were there any that were particular standouts or that you would recommend?

"Combine," was the link only for the 2023 sailings or did she include those for 2024 as well?

"Host Jazzbeau," thank you for posting. The link works fine for me and the hotlinks within work as well. I've just booked Az's 2024 9-day Croatia Intensive. If you can point me to the 2024 equivalent listing of excursions, I would very much appreciate it!!

Wonderfully written! I want to go!

Agreed.

Congrats, "AnnaNicole"! I'm sure you and DH will have an amazing vacation seeing some unique and memorable sights. We found this itinerary and our stay energizing and refreshing. I can't wait to do another one similar! As far as hotels go, if you can't get into the AC Marriott, I would recommend you check out the Radisson RED V&A Waterfront. It's in an excellent location easily walkable to the ship and the rest of the V&A. The location is safe and comfortable for any kind of walking you wish to do. I would be leary of choosing a downtown location or someplace other than in the V&A if you intended to do most of your Cape Town exploring on foot. Best of luck to you and happy sailing!

We also have the South American around-or-through-Cape Horn itinerary high on our list as well, Santiago to Buenos Aires. I can imagine that Patagonia must be as stunning as the South African cape!

Hi "AnnaNicole," our travel arrangements were similar to yours. We flew direct ATL-CPT on Delta. 14 hours there and 15 hours back. Relatively comfortable all things considered (and we were in coach) as long as you remember a good neck pillow, waterless toothbrush & paste, and rewetting eye drops ;)... The only travel documentation we needed coming from the U.S. was our passports. We, of course, brought our covid immunization records though they weren't needed for embarkation. Azamara did provide day visas for Mozambique at $50/pp. Quite seamless & convenient. We booked all of our excursions directly through Azamara's website using our OBC first and then credit card for any balance. The OBC from our TA was not available prior to the cruise but did show up in our account after we were onboard, which we used to pay for the internet. DW isn't a drinker and I found the included basic beverage package enjoyable, so we were happy to allocate the OBC for excursions. We chose day visits to both the Pumba and Thula Thula game reserves, kayaking the Nahoon river, the cooking class & lunch at the Polana Serena in Maputo, and the Table Mountain & Signal Hill tours & lunch in Cape Town. We also signed up through the website for the Azamazing Evening w/ the Philharmonic in Cape Town, which of course was included at no extra fee. All the excursions were well done, though we were disappointed in the long lines and wait time w/ the Table Mountain tour. In retrospect, I wish we had done that one on our own so we could have purchased express tickets, skipped the line, and spent more time hiking the trails on the top which were spectacular. While in Cape Town our first day, we walked the V&A Waterfront to take in sights, get our bearings, and recover from jet lag (which surprisingly wasn't too bad). On the back end of trip for our overnight in Cape Town, besides the Table Mountain tour and Azamazing Evening, we did the Hop-on-Hop-off bus and spent more time walking the area and doing a bit of shopping. The HOHO bus was excellent, a great way to see the broader area in context. On the last day, disembarkation day, we rented a car and spent the day touring the South Cape and Boulders Beach, lunching in Simon's Town, and then driving through Stellenbosch to Franschoek where we had dinner up in the hills overlooking the town and the surrounding mountains. Honestly wonderful views in a stunningly beautiful atmosphere! Again, in retrospect, I wish we would have stayed the night in Franschoek and spent a day there rather than just the late afternoon and early dinner. At any rate, we drove back to Cape Town to the airport to return the car in plenty of time for our late night departure back to the States. Fantastic trip!

Hi "AnnaNicole," DW and I recently completed the 12 night South Africa intensive R/T Cape Town itinerary on the Journey earlier this year. We also chose to arrive a day early, stayed at the AC Marriott V&A Waterfront, and thoroughly enjoyed nearly all aspects of the vacation. As "Grandma Cruising" notes, Deck 7 is an excellent location which I would also recommend. We chose an interior cabin there mid ship and, other than the size of the bathroom and shower, were pleased w/ the quietness, comfort, access to both Decks 5 and 9, where much of the action is, and performance & attentiveness of the cabin steward. We were fortunate to have quite a bit OBC w/ our booking and were happy to spend it on the ship's excursions, which we took in all ports other than Durban where we rented bikes on our own and road up and down the Golden Mile (a little over 13km of scenic biking). We enjoyed all the excursions we took other than the Table Mountain, which in retrospect, I wish we had done on our own so we could have spent less time in line and more time hiking the trails on top. Our favorite excursion was visiting the Pumba game reserve. Breathtaking, memorable, and just so well done. First class. We were especially fortunate w/ the weather, which nicely cooperated the entire trip except for the very last day when it rained in the AM. I submitted a review of the itinerary and ship here on CC once we got back. I've included the link for it below. Bottom line, it was an amazing trip both in destination and in conveyance. I highly recommend the itinerary and sailing it on Azamara. https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=696984 Happy sailing!

Having sailed the South Africa intensive itinerary earlier this year w/ Azamara, I can confirm that their included basic beverage package offers wine, beer, and select spirits throughout the voyage, not just at mealtimes. So if you're one to enjoy a martini before dinner, for example, or a cocktail during the evening show, they're included!

Hi "dmwood4," yes when we weren't off exploring on our own, we choose Azamara's excursions. We were fortunate to have quite a bit of OBC w/ the booking and were happy to use it on the ship's tours. While in South Africa we chose two day-safaris, the first Pumba and the second Thula Thula. Both were excellent but Pumba was really outstanding, first class. We sailed early February and the weather was nice just about the entire trip and very good for seeing the animals and scenery out in the bush. Azamara offers several day-safari options, so it's good you're researching your choices. If you still cannot find excursion information through Azamara's website, I would recommend you contact customer service (if you booked directly) or your travel agent otherwise to assist. This was our first trip to Africa, first safari, and first time w/ Azamara. Taken all together, it was a most memorable and enjoyable vacation. Still puts a smile on my face thinking about it! Wishing you safe travels and happy cruising!