Andy

Agree Host Grandma. **IF** anything were to happen to Azamara (and I sincerely hope it does not come to that !) I'd be confident they will allow you to move FCC's to Royal or Celebrity. Marinaro brings up a good point about Silversea. They would be the only Royal brand (sort of) in the same Universe as Azamara. Whether they would accept their FCC's is uncertain, but I would think it's possible, as they are now part of the Royal Family -- again, IF it ever came to that. I highly doubt any of us knows what the future holds. Honestly, I felt pretty good about Azamara's future, until Larry resigned. IMO, it boils down to "who knows" - but the same could be said for a number of other brands. I wouldn't be surprised to see a major brand go bankrupt (probably not Royal) IF this lasts for many months. IMHO, I'm not convinced on the most dire shutdown predictions, but I suppose anything is possible at this point. FWIW, I'm still hopeful that we will see at least some ships sailing this Summer. Probably a small percentage - but some. We live in unprecedented times, and Cruising will change - at least in the early phase of sailings. I truly believe the industry will rebound, and ships will eventually sail full again, but it's going to take a fair amount of time before we get there.

I should have been more precise Phil. When I said "run independently" - I meant the brands are run independently as far as management teams go. Has that changed ? I was aware that Azamara shares services with other departments at Royal. Not sure who is handling FCC's for Azamara, but (FWIW), when I asked Celebrity about their FCC's this week, they stated they're handling their Celebrity bookings. Whether that's 100% accurate, is anyone's guess. Hope all is well with you. Please stay safe.

The same thought crossed my mind today. I always hoped he would be the Master of Ceremonies at the naming ceremony, watching his dream come to reality. Sad.

Hi Everyone, Hope my dear Cruise Critic friends are doing as well as possible, during this horrible Pandemic. I wanted to also share how sad I am, to learn of Larry's resignation. I've had the pleasure of meeting Larry, and I was always impressed by everything about him - especially how passionate he is, about all things Azamara and the Cruise industry. To describe Larry as "Brilliant" & "Visionary" isn't nearly enough. Azamara, and the entire industry was lucky to have his leadership. While Larry's departure is a massive loss for Azamara, I believe they have an excellent management team, both shoreside and onboard their beautiful ships. While I'm sure we can all agree the current state of the Cruise industry is difficult at best, I'm rooting for Azamara and the rest of the Cruise industry to return to what we all love... just as soon as possible. One last item - Please give Bonnie a break. With everything going on in the industry, and with life in general, we're ALL under a great deal of pressure. Bonnie does a wonderful job, and you are lucky to have her. IMO, the industry needs voices like Bonnie more than ever, and most brands are virtually silent ! Can't understand that. If it were my call ? I'd want to be reaching out to past Guests and prospective cruisers, more than ever. Getting this industry sailing again, and prospering, is going to be a daunting task. Each & every Guest must be treated like Gold. Larry - In case you are reading this... Thank You for everything you've accomplished for Azamara over the last 11 years. I wish you much continued success. Godspeed in your future Journeys, Quests, and Pursuits. Wishing My Cruise Critic Friends, Bonnie, and the entire Azamara team, good health and safety during this very difficult time. May God bless us all. Please stay in touch. I miss you all very much.

Hi Oceangoer2, How are you ? I hope all is well ! In most corporate structures... the email address is typically the first letter of the person's first name, and, their entire last name. For example, Joe Smith would be "JSmith@aaa.com". Celebrity has 2 email domains : @Celebrity.com & @Celebritycruises.com . FWIW, I've tried emailing Ms. Lutoff-Perlo in the past (via email & via Twitter), and have not received a direct reply. With that said, your email will undoubtedly be read, and it's likely that someone from her team will respond. Thank you for your very kind thoughts. I miss everyone on here very much, though I visit often, and help when I can. Life has changed in recent months, as My Mom took very ill late last year. Thankfully, she's doing MUCH better now, and we just celebrated her 95th Birthday on Reflection 2 weeks ago. I'm also writing a book. Not sure if it will ever be published, or, if I will try to publish it - but I'm enjoying the project, as I love writing and helping others. Between my full time job, taking care of Mom, & the book... time is a precious commodity right now. I am considering doing Cruise podcasts. Recently purchased the equipment. Would anyone like to see that project happen ? Hope this helps. Please feel free to reach out anytime. My email address is HostAndy at Comcast.net or you can Direct Message me at : @HostAndy on Twitter.

Hi Everyone, Celebrity Press Release (1/28/20) highlighting updates to Celebrity Apex. Enjoy ! https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reaching-the-apex-of-luxury-at-sea-celebrity-cruises-unveils-encore-in-edge-series-with-new-celebrity-apex-300994472.html

Hi Tom, Welcome to Cruise Critic. Nice first post ! We're on this sailing too. Celebrating a BIG birthday for My incredible Mom. My Sister & Nephew are joining us. Hope to meet you onboard. Will you be attending the Meet & Mingle ? Safe travels to Sunny Florida. It's a beautiful Morning here !

Thanks very much for your kind words Hcat ! It's been a very challenging few months. Had a wonderful Social Media project in deep discussions, and was fairly certain it was going to happen. Out of the blue, it fell apart earlier this week. While I'm extremely disappointed, I must move on. One thing I've learned from personal experiences, is that when something doesn't happen, it seriously hurts for a little while... but, it usually opens the door for something MUCH better. We'll see ! I've also been writing a book about Cruising and, in part, my experiences and passion for Social Media. Unsure if it will ever get it published, but only time will tell. In the meantime, I will try to be here as much as possible, and I'm thrilled to be back. Sad to see this forum so quiet. Hopefully, we can all change that.

Hi m8zenblue ! If all goes according to plan, Sue Denning should be the CD on Silhouette in December. IMO, she's a fantastic Cruise Director, and a tremendous asset to Celebrity. Which sailing are you on ? We're expecting to be on the Dec 1st sailing. Hope this helps !

My pleasure Katie. Happy to be back. I hope all is well !!!

Hi Njmelis24, It's really haphazard. Sometimes we receive a call, sometimes we don't. It's pretty much a friendly soft sales call, to see if they can offer you items to purchase on your sailing. Good sales/marketing I suppose. Hope this helps !

Already a thread on this topic here : . Hopefully, the mods will merge.

BTW, my sincere apologies for not posting lately. Work has been extremely busy, but I will make every effort to participate as much as possible ! Miss everyone very much. Hope you are doing well.

Hi Everyone, Today's Press release (9/20/19) from Celebrity : Celebrity to launch new ad campaign "Wonder Awaits", on the 71st Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 22nd. BTW, Spoiler alert for Captain Kate fans 🙂 Here's a link to the Celebrity Press Release & Video : https://multivu.com/players/English/82190510-celebrity-cruises-unlocks-world-of-wonder/ Thought this might be helpful. Enjoy !

Dear Anne, Thank you for sharing this tragic news. I'm shocked & deeply saddened to learn of Walt's passing. For those who may not be aware, Walt, Anne & I Co-moderated this forum for many years. We always worked together in perfect harmony, and it was an honor working with him. I've always held Walt in the highest of regard, as he was always kind and fair to myself, and the entire Cruise Critic Community. Our wonderful community won't be the same without his presence & brilliance. Sending My thoughts & prayers to his Family & Friends. Rest in peace dear friend, and G-d bless.