screen-gem

1 hour ago, BBMacLaird said:

To both: Have you checked your Spam folder? Have you tried clearing your cache, shutting down your computer and rebooting? 

Bonnie,

I've checked my spam folder - nothing there. Nor is this a cache issue. IT support people love to blame browser caches for all and sundry problems, but my emails don't go anywhere near browser caches. These issues all reside at Azamara/RCI HQ.   Here are two suggestions you could pass on to the powers that be:

1) It's clear this new upgrade program has not been well communicated.  If one searches the web for "azamara upgrade", the first hit that comes up for me is this one:

    https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/int/stateroom-upgrade

That's the request form for the old upgrade program: "By submitting this request, you are committing to pay $398 USD per stateroom if an upgrade becomes available".

You've been on the internet long enough to know how Page Rank works. That old link is still out there, bookmarked by lots of customers, and highly ranked (currently top-ranked) by search engines. That fact that the URL still points at the old program's web page is appalling.  Some might say incompetent.  You might suggest to your IT colleagues to re-home the /stateroom-upgrade URL to the web page for the new Upgrade program.   DON'T 404 THE OLD URL. That will break existing bookmarks, and lose your valuable page rank.

2) Based on what I've read, Azamara has also dropped the ball on communicating with Customers who already submitted upgrade requests, that were pending under the old system. Such requests were acknowledged and are sitting in a queue somewhere. It's most disappointing to learn that AZ Management decided to renege, and without notice to those Customers. (thanks to your post above, I now know that I need to re-submit my request, but what about all the others out there who haven't heard )?  Somewhere in Miami there is a list of all the pending requests, along with Customer name, booking number, e-mail address, etc.   I think it would be helpful if Azamara would notify them of the need to re-apply and submit bids if they wish to participate under the new Ts & Cs.

Thanks again for letting me know that I need to re-apply. However, I followed the link that you provided, entered my name and booking number, and received an error message that I'm not eligible. I'm fully paid up, I sail in less than 90 days, and I'm not traveling on a TA or interline fare.  Still a few bugs in the system, it seems.

On 2/19/2019 at 3:34 PM, BBMacLaird said:

AFAIK the WWF program is as strong as ever! I've just sent an email to our inside manager to see when the 2019 onboard speakers will be listed on our website. Thanks for pointing out that they are all 2018!

Bonnie,

Could you poke your "inside manager", or perhaps the "manager--of-the-inside-manager", and point out that the WWF webpage still lists the 2018 speakers. It has not been updated with any 2019 speakers, if in fact there are any.  Perhaps the program has been put on hiatus.

Thanks.

On 3/11/2019 at 3:46 PM, BBMacLaird said:

 

How about you...have you been to New Zealand? What would you recommend doing there?

 

We've been to NZ, on the Journey (Sydney to Auckland) two years ago. It was a memorable trip;  you should certainly move NZ up on your Bucket List.

Two things stand out in my memory of the voyage:

1) an overland 2-day excursion from Milford Sound to Dunedin, with an overnight in Queenstown. This was a ship's shorex - not inexpensive, but well worth it to see something of the interior of an amazing country.  The drive up through the fjordland mountains from Milford Bay across to Queenstown was spectacular.  We took a sunset boat ride across Lake Wakatipuan on the SS Earnslaw, an 1912 Edwardian vintage twin-screw steamship.   The second day, we stopped for lunch at the Wild Earth Kitchen and Winery and sampled their excellent wines (alas, they specialize in pinot noirs🍷, not your favorite sauvignon blancs).

The only downside was that by taking the overland excursion, we missed sailing around the South Island through the other sounds (Dusky, Doubtful, Breaksea).  Fortunately, we got to experience them thanks to this GoPro video made by Konstantinos (an AZ crew member).
Sailing the Sounds

2) after disembarking, we spent a fascinating day at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Don't be put off by the name. While it does have a number of displays relating to NZ involvement in various wars, there is an extensive exhibit on the Maori peoples, their history and culture. It was a day well spent.

On 3/12/2019 at 3:18 PM, aussie travel bird said:

Has anyone received an email re the new LCV stateroom upgrade bidding which replaces the previous upgrade arrangements as advised by Bonnie in a new post. I’m not sure how I’m going to ensure that our emails are registered when we continually drop off the email list. 

I have NOT received any notice regarding the new upgrade bidding program.

We sail on the Pursuit at end of May. I submitted an LCV upgrade request months ago, and received a confirmation at the time that it had been received. I've received no instructions indicating that my prior request now needs to be refreshed or re-submitted. So I assume that the request is still in the queue awaiting processing.

17 hours ago, BBMacLaird said:

 

In the LCV section of our website there is a place to "Opt In". 

 

Found it!

Thanks, Bonnie:-)

I've not received the newsletter by email. How does one go about getting it?

9 minutes ago, hubofhockey said:

Of course, the screen on the iPad is smaller than my 11" screen on my Mac,

The new iPad Pro has a 13" screen, and is actually a bit bigger than an 11" MacBook.

Higher resolution too:  2732x2048 pixels vs 1366x768.

However, if it's not compatible with your work laptop, then it's not a good fit for your needs.

13 minutes ago, hubofhockey said:

 We have Netflix, but it would be nice if Amazon Prime Video allowed downloading to computers.

We often download Netflix titles for off-line viewing on trains, planes, & ships. We don't have Amazon Prime, but I thought you could download Prime videos:

Download Prime Video Titles

23 minutes ago, hubofhockey said:

 

I am thinking about buying a travel monitor on Amazon to hook up to my Mac. 

With apologies to @Dean for hijacking his thread, you might consider getting an iPad and using it as a second screen for your MacBook, both at home and when traveling. That would be a lot easier to pack/transport than a travel monitor, and give you (and, more importantly,  your wife:-) the flexibility to use it on its own.

These links might be of interest if you consider this approach:

https://tidbits.com/2019/02/22/attach-an-ipad-to-your-macbook-as-a-second-display-with-mountie/

https://www.duetdisplay.com/

https://lunadisplay.com/

3 minutes ago, Dean said:

Currently, I have been using "go to my pc" to hook up to my office  computer and this has become impossible due to public computers locking out the software.

 

BBMacLaird's recommendation on the use of the computers in the Card Room is appreciated, but they probably will have the same software that would prevent me from connecting to my office computer.

 

iPad Pro looks like the solution. I will have my grandson instruct me on how best to transfer my data from my PC to the iPad.

 

 

@Dean,

I travel extensively with an iPad (sadly, not an iPad Pro - it doesn't satisfy household budget constraints...). It's great for e-mail, web surfing, reviewing photos, document prep, and the like.  However, based on my experience, remote access to distant computers (such as your office PC) is problematic from cruise ships. The problem is the excessive transmission delay in the satellite connections that the ships use to connect to the internet, combined with relatively slow data rates. Screen sharing programs like Go To My PC are bandwidth hogs and tend not to work well over satellite connections.

For remote access to other computers (when I'm not on a cruise ship), I use an iOS app named "Screens". You could ask your grandson about it.

5 hours ago, Dean said:

This is a good excuse to buy the new apple pro with a 15 inch screen.  I am sure my wife will understand the reason why I have to spend the money.  I can always tell her it is a requirement from the cruise line and since she was the one that wanted to go with Azamara.  Hopefully, I will probably get by with it.

If she pushes back on the price of the 15" MacBook Pro (a mere $3100USD), you could consider the new iPad Pro. It's available with either 11" or 12.9" screen.  More than adequate for doing spreadsheets, and you can take it up on deck to continue your spreadsheeting while watching the world go by.  With the money you save, you could take a couple of Azamara shore excursions:-)

https://daringfireball.net/2018/11/the_2018_ipad_pros

4 hours ago, Cyber Kat said:

 

Do you know when it will be available on the Journey?  We are on an April 10, 2019 cruise and I would love to try it!

If you haven't already done so, you might try downloading the app and see if it works at all.  I'm sailing on the Pursuit in June, but at present I'm not physically on the ship. However, the app launches without complaint, and I can poke around and get a sense of what it does: displays layout of the ship, maps, lists of restaurants & bars, etc. You might find that the design of the app already anticipates all three ships even though the on-board infrastructure has not yet been installed on Quest & Journey.

On the other hand, if you do try out the app and find it appealing, you might be even more unhappy when you get on board and are unable to use it:-)

Bonnie,

That is great news.  I will watch the schedule, and keep fingers crossed that there will be a WWF speaker on the May 28 sailing of the Pursuit.  (the speaker on the Journey two years ago gave one of the best enrichment programmes I've ever had the pleasure to attend!)

@cheznick

You're quite right - I misunderstood your comment.  Not enough coffee:-(

The app looks quite nice, and has some useful features even prior to boarding the ship. It looks like I'll be able to use it to check-in in just 7 days.

On 2/8/2019 at 5:51 AM, cheznick said:

it doesn't download or work on ipad or iphones which cant run ios 11

According to the app's Information pane, it is supposed to work on iOS 11.0 and up. I can't verify since all my iDevices are on iOS 12.  

If you're unable to install it on your iOS 11 device, you might submit a bug report to AppFeedback@azamara.com

@Bonnie,

After a two-year hiatus, we are returning to Azamara (on the 28 May 2019 sailing of the Pursuit).

What's happened to the WWF partnership?  There don't appear to be any speakers listed for 2019 (or beyond):

WWF on Azamara

Azamara partners with WWF

Did the powers that be decide to abandon the joint Azamara-WWF initiative? That would be a shame.  Please tell me that the 2019 Guest Speaker roster will be posted soon:-)

On the other hand, if the program really is dead, it might be best to remove the page from the website.

BTW, I am so pleased to see are you are still omni-present here on the AZ forum. You are a tremendous asset to the Azamara brand, and to all its loyal customers.

The link that Russ posted didn't work for me either.

These links should go directly to Parts 1, 2 & 3:

 

Geiranger - instead of taking one of Viking's excur$ions$, we booked the Geiranger "Exclusive Panoramic Tour", a 3hour tour to all three of of the main sights (Eagle Bend, Flydalsjuvet, and the very top of Mt. Dalsnibba)

https://www.geirangerfjord.no/panorama-exclusive-bus

It was a fantastic excursion, with spectacular views of the fjord below. Instead of being packed onto a 40-pax bus, we were on a brand-new Mercedes mini-bus with one other couple from the Star.

The drive up/down the twisty turny mountain road was great fun. See video here:

In the better late than never category:

I just noticed that I had previously posted the wrong URL to the drive down the twisty turny road from the Eagle Nest lookout at Geiranger. Here's the correct link.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wkmoe9epvqch34k/Video%202018-07-02%2C%20Geiranger%20bus.mov?dl=0

Our driver was a local, who has been driving tour buses there for years. Note how he would often pause just before entering a 180-switchback in order to let an oncoming bus get around the turn. A lot of tourist drivers (and itinerant bus drivers who come in to Geiranger from the cities during peak periods) are not so talented. We heard that every season, a few buses will get 'stuck' on particularly tight turns - can't move forward, can't back up (without toppling down the mountain). The locals then have to assist with jockeying the bus around the turn, while the traffic backs up each way.

russg140. I don't know if you ares still following this but... You mentioned that you would do a full review of the ship and itinerary. I was wondering if you have done so and where might find it. Thanks.

@Lorna,

Russ has posted his review. It's linked at post #220 above.

@miami mama,

The weather on the June 30 sailing of the Star (Bergen -> London) was splendid. Perfect. Clear and sunny nearly every day, even at NordKapp. There was a bit of rain one sea day. Shetland was a bit cloudy. London (and most of the UK) had, and is having, a record-setting heat wave.

The seas were quite calm.

However, as investment advisors say, past performance does not guarantee future results. You might get wonderful weather next June. You might get crappy weather next July. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. And of course, pack & dress in layers.

I'm wondering if folks who have cruised Viking before can comment on the relative food quality on the Star on this trip. Thanks in advance!

Stan

Stan,

Like you, we were less than impressed with the food nor service on the Star this month. The specialty restaurants were the most disappointing, esp in terms of service. We found the service in CT to be generally sub-par. Servers in World Cafe were more responsive in terms of basics like refilling water and wine glasses. Intervals between courses was excessive. We had a reservation for 7:30pm -- the mains didn't arrive until after 9. One the other hand, the main course on that menu was lamb tenderloin, and it was outstanding -- one of the best lamb dishes I've ever had. It was a shame that the overall meal experience was sullied by the service.

We dined in Manfredi's one night, and the food was quite good. But again, service gaffes spoiled the experience. They got one order wrong, and thus served the wrong meal. Apology, apology, new order submitted to the kitchen. More delays.

We were generally quite happy with the MDR. I think it's highly dependent on which waitstaff you get. At all the venues (except World Cafe), I observed a lot of the servers spending a lot of time staring into the tiny screens on their fancy Order Entry Devices (iPods). I wonder if this season there's a higher percentage of new less-experienced staff on the Star, who are relying more on automation and less on experienced waitering.

We've sailed on Viking Ocean once before, in fact on the Star two years ago. I don't recall being quite so disappointed in the food experience after that voyage. I remember really nice meals in both CT and Manfredi's. In the MDR that year, we gravitated to one table at the stern, and had the same (excellent) waitstaff pretty much every night we ate there. That made for a very nice and consistent experience, and we were traveling with another couple which added to our enjoyment.

I certainly wouldn't rule out Viking simply because of the food. It might not have been the best available on the high seas, but the Midnight Sun itinerary was great, the weather was exceptional, the ship was comfortable, and our fellow passengers (mostly) great company! And both the chocolate and Gran Marnier soufflés were top-notch.

How lucky that you got bow access for the sailout and Geiranger. The captain on the Star was not so accommodating:-(

Here's a link to a time-lapse video I made of the Geiranger sailout. It runs much faster than I would have liked, but it will give you an idea of what to expect. The time-lapse interval was 30 seconds. Next time, I'll use 3 or 5.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yzpem8r8sjx8i8n/Geiranger%20timelapse%20copy.m4v?dl=0

And here's another live blog started by russg140 on his recent Midnight Sun voyage (Viking Sea, Bergen to London). Lots of useful information.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2644127

I strongly recommend the Bergen to London (Greenwich) direction, as it gets an evening sail up the Thames and passage through the Thames Barrier. It's quite spectacular all lit up, with the London skyline glowing in the distance.

We just returned from Midnight Sun (Viking Star, Bergen to London).

You are mostly correct in your assumption: we saw very few churches and palaces, except of course in Edinburgh and London. We also did Viking's pre-cruise Oslo-Bergen package, which features the Bergensbahn (train) from Oslo to Bergen. I will admit that in Oslo we went to the Norsk Folkemuseum and saw the famous Gol Stave Church which dates back to 1200. (we did this on our own - it was not part of Viking's shorex itinerary).

This 'live blog' might give you a sense of where we went, what we saw.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2650400

We would like to get transportation from our ship in Greenwich to a hotel in London near Victoria Station. What is the most cost effective way to do this? We don’t want to take the subway/Tube. The taxi service the ship is offering is expensive ($300-$400 per person). Can we do it cheaper? Thanks!

Last week we disembarked from the Star at Greenwich and used Addison Lee to get to our hotel in Kensington. Cost was £30. Booked it on-line the day prior using the AL app. Service was excellent. Details on the overall process here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=56531785&postcount=63

Thanks for all the great info on this itinerary, it’s all been very helpful!

 

A question on your disembarkment - did the ship dock in Greenwich or London Tilbury? Our itinerary says Greenwich but Cruise Mapper shows London Tilbury. Trying to get transportation into London set up. Thanks!

Cruise Mapper is incorrect. The Viking Star (June 30 sailing from Bergen) docked at the Greenwich Tier, and used tenders to transfer pax to/from the Greenwich Pier.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=56531785&postcount=63

All the Midnight Sun sailings this season are scheduled to go to Greenwich. The transit through the Thames barrier is one of the highlights of the MS itinerary.

We used Addison Lee to get from Greenwich to our hotel in Kensington. The cost was £30.

There's a DLR station right by the Greenwich Pier which is one way to get into London proper.

Or take a London Clipper (river transport). It has stops at Embankment and Westminster - both are easy connections to the Underground.

Thank you so much for sharing about your journey! I was wondering how far away the port from Leknes centre and how often the shuttle buses go there and back? I'm thinking about renting a car for a few hours to drive around and see all the beautiful spots. Do you think it's doable? If the ship leaves at 3pm, what is the latest time I should get back there by?

The shuttle buses were on an irregular schedule. Seemed to be on demand.

Another passenger told me that he had rented a car from an agency at the Leknes airport (which is small, and not too far out of town). He was able to get the rental firm to deliver the car to the port. That arrangement might be unusual. At another of the ports (Molde, I think), someone else I spoke to had rented a car at the airport, but he had to take taxi to/from the port to get the car.