ShopperfiendTO

I wish that there was something that one could do. It isn't fair to present two cruises as one, to save giving out 1 credit.....then to treat the cruise as two cruises once on board.

I suppose if lots of people wrote to complain, it might get through...but who knows.

 

I have O air in November...and the flight from North America to Lisbon is the standard 3 plane, 2 connection flight. Naturally they don't want to pay any hotel costs...but want you to get to the cruise ship on time, so they don't have to lay out anymore money to get you to the next port. But on the way home...:eek::eek:...a freaking horror story. They must have sweated for months trying to find the most convoluted, irritating, downright stupidest flight plan. Oh...but for only 1200 more CDN dollars, they found me the standard 3 plane, 2 connection flight home. What gives? I want to know what airlines they are using....but of course the Air dept doesn't work weekends. I have a 6 plane, 5 connection flight home....nice....NOT!!!

 

This really disappoints me because I always thought that Oceania was a cut above the standard cruise lines including Celebrity....but with all these changes..they really should change their name to O-Norwegian....then people would really understand what they're dealing with.

Are you flying from YOW? If you are, not sure if it's still possible but have you thought of changing your departure airport to YUL and seeing if that's any better?

Assuming it is, the car+park/train ride to Montreal must be worth the hassle if it cuts down the connections, no?

On our last O cruise, we were burned by the experience (but not as badly as you) and now we don't really see the included air as being worth it, as it seems you really have to add the deviation and its ever-increasing cost to ensure you have tolerable flights.

It's hard to take the wait-and-see approach as well because you don't know what you've been assigned until about 75 days out and if you're flying super international (i.e., North America to Asia/Australia - I assume that's yours with so many connections), it doesn't leave much time if any to look for reasonably-priced alternative flights.:(

It depends on when you catch the first train out of Livorno and how long you're in port for. If it's 8:00 - 20:00 and you catch the train not too long after 9:00, you should be able to do it.

Our plan was to do Lucca first and then Pisa so that if we found that we were running out of time, an emergency taxi from Pisa would be less than an emergency taxi from Lucca!

As it turned out, we did only Lucca as it filled our day, with a nice leisurely lunch and we really enjoyed it. Pisa is really a 1-hour stop unless you're keen on climbing the tower.

I wouldn't say that we are Oceania cheerleaders but it is our line of choice for the usual reasons. I have to agree that the rewards system is very inequitable. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to the points system. People who book the higher level suites are given the same points as the person in the inside cabin. There should be some difference. I would not give up on Oceania because of this but there should be some recognition. If you pay 10,000 for a cruise and someone else pays 4,000 there should be a difference in awarding of points. This is just my opinion.

There is a difference. If you only book inside cabins, if you reach your free cruise, it will be in an inside cabin and if you only book owners' suites, your free cruise will be in an owner's suite.

Does anyone know if the X80 runs all year? I'm guessing not, so does anyone know where I can find information on when the X80 stops for the season and starts again?:confused:

On Riviera last year we docked at the big industrial one far from the inner harbour (where the little "train" starts). Pretty sure that this is where you'll end up as well.

Does Azamara's price include airfare like the pricing on Oceania?

 

Staying longer is some ports would have an advantage

Generally it does not include airfare. Not sure if you think that including airfare is an advantage - I used to think it was but since O keeps on reducing the air credit and increasing the deviation fees, I'm not so sure anymore.

Longer port times is definitely a bonus. We really liked that part about our Az cruises.

I still prefer O's product because we weigh cuisine quality to be an important factor in our cruise enjoyment, but if it's not an issue (you're not too picky about food quality/options) then they're close enough.

We were there in mid November 2014 and it rained at least a little bit every single day of our cruise. On some days it wasn't so bad, maybe a 1/2 hour. On others, it went all ways. On one day, it was pretty miserable, with heavy downpour, sunny break, then cloudy, then light rain (but not drizzle), then sunny, then another heavy downpour, then drizzle, then nice and sunny as we left the port. :(

The almanac information indicates that it's sunny almost year round (less than a month's worth of non-sunny days, not all in or around November!), so the chances are pretty good that you'll have OK weather, but it really depends on your luck at that stretch and unfortunately November is too far right now to have any sense on what it might be.

So if it is wet, it will be cool as well, and don't forget the wind as well. I would suggest bringing a waterproof light jacket with a thin quick-dry sweater just in case - you'll probably end up wearing it at night outdoors anyway, even if it's sunny skies.

We've sailed on Az twice and on O four times, all on the R-ships except one (Riviera). We enjoyed all of them, although some more than others and we don't think the greater/less enjoyment is because of any defining difference between Az and O, just that particular cruise.

In addition to a change in cruise line, you're jumping from R-ship to O-ship, so you're really looking at two levels of changes.

The R-ship to O-ship jump is quite a difference, as you'll be able to enjoy more dining options, plus on-board cooking classes. You don't really feel that it is that much larger than the R-ship (spacious on ship, not crowded), but over the course of the cruise it does show itself when you start to see people near the end of the cruise that you never saw before (on the R-ships, this is a much less likely occurrence).

We agree that overall, food is only moderate on Az compared to O (they are more comparable in the specialties). However, what we really liked about Az was that the heated food was consistently served hot. This wasn't always the case on O (and sending it back to be heated takes too much time so we just deal with the tepid food temperature). Yes, there are duds on O (sound great but execution just isn't there), but at least they try to be creative and you can order something else.

Also, on O, there is the daily afternoon tea which is so much better than on Az, even when it has its special "high tea" event in Aqualina. O's French pastries at tea are excellent.

O doesn't have a Mosaic Cafe where you can get finger sandwiches and sweets 24/7, but to be honest on our last Az cruise the Cafe wasn't that great anyhow so this advantage isn't as valuable as it once was.

There is definitely a difference in officer interaction so don't expect to be greeted personally by every officer you come across. The staff (room stewards, restaurant staff) are great on both so really no difference between them.

I don't think you will regret trying O. It may not be your cup of tea in the end, but it shouldn't be a huge disappointment either.

Hi GITC,

 

FWIW, Azamara appears to be better than many other lines, as we rarely see complaints on this.

This happened to us on our recent cruise on Journey as well. I didn't post a complaint because the amount at stake was not huge, but still an annoyance. I think that it's not as rare but that people can't be bothered to complain about it. I hope not, but perhaps Az is counting on this because it really shouldn't be hard to see which box is ticked and how to enter it because it's really the only thing on the form that needs to be entered as a choice.

Found a couple of old threads seems it changed on Oct 1 2012

post #4

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1715641&highlight=club

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1718988&highlight=club

I think this old thread is more relevant?:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1904992

Shouldn't the choices be ports that are not "hub" ports like BsAs since you can simply just come a day earlier or stay a day later anyway? What is the advantage of staying on the ship instead of a hotel room (presumably at a lower per diem rate) that one extra night?:confused:

Just back from first Azamara experience and really could not have been more pleased.......so thanks to Terrier for the wonderfully detailed assessment of each which provided the motivation to give Azamara a try. Despite the "sketchy weather" we had, I found that virtually all the comments made comparing the 2 lines to be spot on. And as for us, we have found a new preferred cruise line in "A" as they delivered clearly more value and fun than "O". Thanks for all the comments.

We may have been on the same cruise if "sketchy weather" = rain rain and rain...

Although the experience on this Azamara cruise was much much better than our last one, all things being equal we would still cruise O but only because we value cuisine quality greatly and O is still better than Azamara in that regard (although it is true on Azamara the entrees do in almost all cases come out hot which is great!). The only dining advantage Azamara has over O is at Aqualina.

If we didn't care about cuisine very much we would choose Azamara because it does provide a very good overall cruise experience on a smallish ship and the art auctions and photographers are there but not a nuisance.

I would not confirm this. To my taste buds, HAL's food is bland and its buffet is boring. I don't like their desserts either. Princess food has been hit and miss for me with highs and lows, but when it was good it was really good. Imho, O is in a totally different league.

 

I would book these lines again if the itinerary is right. Princess only if the ship is new.

Hi Floridiana, thanks for your thoughts. When you say hit and miss, do you mean that it's been mostly miss in the main dining room and mostly hit in the alternative restaurants or do you mean it's hit and miss at both venues (I am ignoring buffets because they are what they are unless it's on an O ship)?

The question is in Alaska which is better... answer simple Princess or Holland

 

It is not the quality of food, cabin, butler, wine list.....its Alaska. It aint the food and drink...you can stay at the Ritz Carlton in Timbuckto... its the place you go. and that's Alaska.

 

Which ship shows you Alaska best....and Princess has ALL the permits to all the best places where as Oceaina, Crystal, Seabourn,Regent and all the others simply can not go. Oh, you will dine and sleep like a king but you will see 1/2 to 1/12 of what Princess will show you

 

No matter how you sugar coat it NONE of these lines will, or can deliver a better Alaska experience........... and to pay 3 times as much for 1/2 as much seems like a un wise investment

 

So what is the reason for the trip? Ya' gotta decide because you can Not have both....trust me

Does Holland America have the same permits/licences for Alaska as Princess? Can you advise which these "exclusive" ports are (other than Glacier Bay)?

We're thinking of Alaska and there are some smallish HAL ships and I understand that HAL is closer to O for cuisine quality than is Princess.

Hi,

If you love walking and can go at a relatively mobile clip, then you should be OK to walk to the centers at all of the ports except maybe Santa Cruz and Casablanca (haven't researched Casablanca so it may be walkable as well). That is, you don't mind a 20-40 minute walk to the centers.

However, in my research for Arrecife, Lanzarote, there doesn't seem to be much to do in that town, and first-time visitors usually go on excursions to the Timanfaya national park (the lunar landscapes park).

I think I pretty much know the pros and cons and ins and outs of taking Oceania's included air versus booking my own flights. However, I could use some advice on how to book my own, should I choose that option. I know it's hard to generalize about booking airfare, but I was wondering if overseas flights (Washington DC to Europe in late September) should be booked as soon as you're sure what flights you want, or if there's any merit in waiting. (In this case, the wait is 11 months until the cruise!) Do prices ever go down after an initial period such as the one ahead of me (11 months)? Do flights often get changed or eliminated during that time? Also, for those of you savvy in booking your own airfare, what considerations do you think about when booking (connection time in a particular city, for example) and do you use any tools to help you? (I like DOT's on-time records, but I don't think they are obtained for international carriers, or perhaps not for international flights.)

Your base point should be what your air credit is plus the air deviation cost. This is the number you would be trying to beat in arranging your own air.

There is merit in waiting after the initial period because prices fluctuate until about 3 weeks before the flight's departure and there could be sales in the interim. If you have a set schedule however, it may not be worth the risk (you pay the advance price, provided it is reasonable, and any sales reduction are viewed as the price of peace of mind).

In my recent example, I bought round trip tickets for about $1000 about three months prior to departure and they went as low as $750(!:() until three weeks prior to departure. So price does go down. But I definitely wouldn't be able to stomach waiting until three weeks prior for the price.

Yes, flights can be changed and even cancelled, but usually the change is manageable (a few hours earlier/later).

I seriously do not understand Azamara's marketing department. If I had a cruise that was totally sold out, including not creating a wait list, I would trumpet that as a banner on my website, rather than mysteriously remove the cruise as if if the Journey or Quest was in dry dock or disappeared off the face of the earth for that cruise time frame (I told some friend to check out my itinerary as a push to get them to check out Azamara, and they laughed when they said I must have fell for a scam by booking the Nov. 6th sailing!).

 

Oh well, glad I am booked!

 

John

You can still see the itinerary if you go to this link on their website (page 49): http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/31d952e2#/31d952e2/50

Perhaps they think that it would frustrate potential clients to see that an itinerary they like/prefer is sold out and that they would have to "settle" for some other itinerary. Out of sight out of mind.

Royal Caribbean just changed their policy on the corkage fee.

Thanks, upon re-reading this thread, I see that the topic has strayed from corkage fee to how many one can bring on board and they were mutually exclusive.

I thought the original post was that "on RCCL, you can now bring 2 bottles on board without paying corkage to drink them in a restaurant" and that there was a rebuttal that "you could bring as many as you want on Az without paying corkage to drink them in a restaurant", when the rebuttal was really just "you could bring as many as you want on Az but you still have to pay corkage on each one you drink in a restaurant".

[i had skipped over Midwestchick's posting of Az's policy thinking it was part of her signature :o]

I have carry on from wine tours and markets up to four or five bottles. I just can not hold anymore . Azamara does not care abd I enjoyed every bottle Ina restaurant

There isn't a corkage fee to drink these in the restaurants? I thought you could consume them in your cabin only.:confused:

I don't know much about air routines but I do know this:

 

Direct nonstop flights cost more. If I book a flight from Toronto to Paris it usually costs more than the same flight booked Detroit-Toronto-Paris. Cause it's no longer nonstop. At least that's the explanation I was given and it seems to hold true a lot of the time.

 

Mo

I can see this at the individual consumer level, but would this be the case at the consolidator level as well?:confused:

I thought O just buys a set of seats at a price it contracts for, and given the seats that the airlines allocate under the contract, O assigns them as it wishes.

BTW, I find it hilarious (in a bad way), that Oceania would use Toronto as a hub for folks from the States and fly them direct from YYZ to, say, BCN, but then fly Toronto folks through Heathrow or Frankfurt. And to avoid this you need a deviation! Give me a break!

 

Surely there's got to be *some* advantage to living in an air hub?

+1

(although it isn't just the States; it's other Canadian airports as well)

Singapore Air DOES have non-stops between Singapore and Barcelona. They are not daily flights.

If this is directed at me, what I intended to convey was that are no non-stops for the OP's desired flight segments, being YYZ-BCN ("to BCN") and SIN-YYZ ("from SIN").

Air Canada or maybe Air Transat might have seasonal non-stop service from YYZ to BCN so Factor #2 might come into play.

IMO, you should take the deviation and pay to control your own destiny, unless you truly don't care how you get there as long as you get there.

On our last cruise, we sailed from Istanbul on an O ship. The flights O assigned were connections through LHR even though both Air Canada and Turkish Airlines had non-stop flights from YYZ, which is our gateway airport. Some cruisers were assigned these flights, but it seemed that no one with YYZ as their gateway got assigned one of these non-stops. It seems that these flights were allocated to those flying from non-gateway airports so that their connection was YYZ instead of somewhere in Europe, so I guess they treat YYZ like JFK, and reason that those from YYZ can handle connections as well even though it is avoidable.

My suggested factors to consider:

1. Is the destination airport a popular arrival destination for that day? This includes what is the size of ship (R or O class) and if there are other ships sailing that day as well from that port and if there is a special event in that city (this brings into account the supply of favourable seats that are able to be assigned)
   
2. Is where you are flying to serviced by a non-stop flight from your gateway airport? If it is, based on my experience above I would strongly consider a deviation to lock in the non-stop flight if that's what you desire.
   

For your cruise, it does not appear that there are any non-stop flights to BCN or from SIN, so Factor #2 isn't really a factor at all.

Just a guess, but I think the assigned seats would be OK for what is available for your flight itinerary, so the deviation is more to lock in an itinerary you are comfortable with and also to build in insurance in case of flight delay/interruption to BCN by arriving a day or two early.

I think there were instances of price increases from the time a cruise was booked to the time of boarding, so you might think about that as a risk as well. In other words, locking in the price in case it goes up nearer to the start of the cruise (this is sometimes the case for excursions as well).

There certainly isn't a discount to buying early, if that's what you're really asking about.

:(

You totally miss the point.

Please advise me what the point is then.

OP first said that there weren't enough non-pork, non-shellfish dishes.

Then OP said that the theme nights didn't match the area of cruising, despite it being pretty well known that cruise ships have set GDR menus that rotate.

Is there something in between the lines I'm missing?:confused: