goldiemom

Returned last week from a 15 night Silver Cloud South Georgia Island and Antarctica cruise.  The cruise itself was fabulous (although the Cloud is showing her age), but getting to/from the ship was horrible. My husband and I paid for the upgrade to fly Business Class.  Due to a 10 hour delay on our flight from SFO-DWF, we missed the AA flight from DFW to Santiago.  AA booked us on the same flight a day later.  However, Business and Premium Economy was sold out, so we got down graded to Economy.  On January 15, we received an email from AA that they had refunded the difference in price to "Air Travel Plan ending 0014"  (aka Silversea).  Calls to Silversea have been futile. My question is who can I send an email with all the backup reservations, boarding passes and AA refund email to get this refund?

Thanks.

Thank you for letting us join you on your voyage!  Safe travels home.

Oh twangster, these photos are fantastic!  I can't wait to get down there!

Love your photos and commentary.  Following closely as we will be on the Cloud January 15.  First time on Siversea and an expedition.

I saw in the Chronicle that a jacket is required in La Dame for men.  Is this true?  Hubby was not intending to bring one.

Thank you for your daily updates.

We are first time SilverSeas cruisers (have been on over 50 other cruises).  We will be on the 15 night Antarctica Silver Cloud departing Port Williams on January 15.  First stop is South Georgia Island on day 4 after 2 days at sea.  Does anyone know when the Captain well have his Welcome Aboard Party?  We are trying to plan reservations for restaurants that need them. TIA

Thank you so much for the info.  We will use the local buses as transportation.  We use them all over Europe and are used to the Tap and go concept.  I have already downloaded the bus routes or Aberdeen.

Thank you everyone for the info.  I have researched and found some walks that the tourist agency suggests.  Mainly Old Aberdeen, so I think we will take the bus to the University and walk there.  I do have two questions:

Where does the Azamara shuttle drop you off in Aberdeen?

Is Footdee worth a visit?

Thank you tango9!

Does anyone know which port Azamara uses for Aberdeen?  If it is the new port, do they provide a shuttle to the city center?  Will be on Journey in August.  Azamara cancelled our tour in Aberdeen, so will have to explore on our own.

Glad some of you can look up your booked cruise.  I am on the Scotland Intensive August 17 cruise and my account still shows I have no upcoming cruises.  I have requested assistance several times, but no response.  Luckily I booked several excursions using OBC prior to the new web site roll out. When final payment was due, Azamara charged the additional cost of the excursions to our credit card (over $700).  It took our TA almost a month to get it sorted out.

As for excursions, I am all set for all the ports (booked some private ones) except for the second day in Greenock.  I think my husband and I will take the train to Ayr and visit the Robert Burns Museum.

This is our first cruise on Azamara, so I am a bit anxious about this whole experience.  That said, I have booked the Croatia Intensive for Sept. 2024.   

I am not able to access any reservations on the Azamara site.  We have two reservations.  The first is in August this year.  I paid the final a week ago and they charged our credit card not only the cruise final but almost $800 worth of shore excursions that we booked with onboard credit.  I have emails regarding all the excursion bookings, but I can't get ahold of them to talk about the shore excursion charges.  If this is not rectified by the time we have to pay our credit card company, I will dispute the charges for the shore excursions. 

This is my first cruise with with Azamara (we booked the cruise 3 years ago, but it kept being cancelled during COVID).  I am not too impressed with the transition after it was bought by Sycamore Partners.  I have lost any status I would have had it I had cruise when I originally booked.  I have to keep telling myself this cruise will be great once on board.  Meanwhile, I am packing for a Celebrity cruise in Spain & Portugal.  I leave in 4 days.

Yes!  Our cruise is 28 days out and can't get to our account.  I did call Princess and waited 1 hour and 3 minutes for a "navigator".  I think it was an Indian Call center.  I wanted to make a reservation with our Specialty dining credit.  She said we do not have one and to look it up on our account online.  Told her Princess was having technical difficulties and I could not, but I had printed a hard copy of it a few weeks ago.  She hung up...grrr. 

We have had a Chase Sapphire Reserve for several years.  The past few years we have had to put claims in due to tours or ports on a cruise being cancelled.  We have received all of our money back that we put claims in for.  Usually within a few days. We always use our Chase card to purchase travel so we get the various insurance (medical, trip delay/cancellation and car rental).  I'm sure it helps to have a Chase Private Banker.

Just got home from a Princess cruise in Europe.  We had the beverage package included.  It does not include canned sodas.  I paid $1.88 per can for Diet Coke.

After a lot of investigation, I found the following company:

https://rapidtestandtrace.com/product/observed-test-for-travel/

The best part is the rapid test kits are the same ones the government sent to households that requested them (I got 4 packages for free!).  So, I only need to pay for the proctoring.

Depending on the additional amount you need to pay, you can take your agent to small claims court.  If the facts are as you stated, you would most likely win.  No doubt her agency has errors and omissions insurance. 

I wanted to report back on getting the PCR test in Bora Bora with Dr. Azad.  Our hotel concierge arranged transportation to his office.  We took the test at 3:00PM on Thursday (Dr. Azad had picked the time & day).  He told us he would sent the test to Papeete on Friday morning marking them URGENT. The cost was 15000 XPF per person, cash only.   Everyone but me had their results by 6:00PM on Friday.  The results were also emailed to Dr. Azad.  Friday evening my husband replied to his email results that mine had not come in.  By 6:30AM on Saturday Dr. Azad had emailed me my results.   

I was on the Jan. 29 sailing.  We took several private tours and two ship excursions.  We never had to take any COVID test to reboard the ship.  We did have to have our temperature taken every time we reboarded the ship. I had heard we would have to take a rapid antigen test midweek, however the only test we had on the ship was the rapid antigen test done on Friday evening so we could fly out to the USA on Saturday.  The ship charged $30 per person for that test.  They did not offer the PCR test on board the ship.  If you need to be tested at the PPT airport, you need an appointment.

I am currently on the PG Jan. 29 sailing.  Only about 150 PAX.  Had a PCR test in Bora Bora with Dr. Azad as I was in Bora Bora a week before the cruise.  All went well and results before we flew to PPT from BOB to board the ship.  Crew wonderful.  Food fantastic.  We have cabin 767.  Nice cabin, but shaking from engines is a bit much at times. Scheduled our rapid antigen test for flight home with medical center on ship.  At airport it is over $100 per person.  Onboard it is only $30 per person.

Massage person stated yesterday that next weeks cruise is cancelled due to low PAX and cancellations.  No idea if it is true.

stpie:  I just talked to Paul Gauguin Cruises.  The gal acknowledged that this weeks cruise was cancelled but they intend to go forward with the 1/22/22 cruise.  I guess time will tell.

kkalman:  I have already come up with a Plan B should the 1/29/22 cruise be cancelled.

Check Princess Cruises.  They have a 7 day cruise out of Southampton to Norway in early June.  Celebrity and Holland America also have 7 day cruises to Norway from Amsterdam.

kkalmon:  A group of 7 (3 couples and a single lady) are on the Jan. 29 sailing also.  We are all very anxious about the situation.  Hoping someone from the Jan. 21 cruise can update us.  We leave for Tahiti on Friday.

The doctor is Dr. Azad Roussanaly.  Locally known as Dr. Azad.  Our hotel is arranging the logistics on getting to his office and back.  He does not take appointments, but told our hotel that we should be there at a certain time on a specific day for the test to be processed in Papeete in time for boarding the cruise.  The cost is 15,000 XPF  per person ( approx. $144 USD).  Paul Gauguin Cruises stated his office is in Vaitape just past the Bank of Tahiti.

Thank you for the update Fitsylist55.  A group of us are scheduled on the Jan. 29 sailing.  We are flying in on Jan. 21 for 2 nights in Papeete and 5 nights in Bora Bora prior to the cruise.  Everyone is anxious. We have all of our tests lined up (even in Bora Bora).  If the cruise cancels, we will try to stay on Moorea for a week.  Booked this trip over a year ago, so hope all goes as planned.  First time on Paul Gauguin.  I have been to Tahiti and Moorea, but over 40 years ago.  So looking forward to this trip.

Yes, Dr. Azad.  He told us when to come take the test for timely results.