ptrpanpens

When you can find better service, better itineraries, better food, much better small ship experience for a lower price on some Azamara cruises in the Med next April and May than comparable Celebrity itineraries, you know something is up.

Add to this non refundable deposits on Celebrity and the fact that drinks and gratuities are included on Azamara it’s a no brainer as to which line to pick. Even though they are both part of the same company. Le Club Voyage points earned on AZ are higher and automatically apply to Captains Club loyalty program, too.

Believe it or not, I am paying less per day for a Veranda on a May 2020 10 day cruise to Portugal, France, and England on Azamara than comparable cruises on Celebrity in 2021. Pretty weird. And AZ includes drinks and gratuities plus a FAR better small ship experience, azamazing evening, white night buffet, incredible crew, food and service. And three overnights in Bordeaux, among other ports.

6 minutes ago, Budget Queen said:

Have you been to the catacombs?  I recently did Priscilla and Agnes.   ((less visited by massive tour groups).  Aqua duct?    I have multiple downloaded walking tour apps.   And really enjoy the details.   I’ve done a couple of Trastevere that were superb as well as across the River of the Jewish Quarter.     So much to see and do.    

i have been to the catacombs, took a tour with a private guide to the Jewish Area, been to Trastevere many times including the flea market. I am mapping out a tour to take to some of the Byzantine churches I havent seen, after I visit St Clemente, so hopefully I can pull it off. unfortunately there is rain forecasted for every day but one, which does put a crimp in your style there as there arent as many museums there as some other cities. But like I said, I have my regular repeats I always visit, so wont be bored, thats for sure.

thanks for your help,

Anne

Unfortunately, flying out of there this afternoon to Rome. Each time it gets worse.

On 11/1/2019 at 11:31 AM, Budget Queen said:

I left Rome yesterday after a week there.  3rd time there this year   So much to see and do.  I’m in Barcelona now 3rd trip here too.  I will have done 5 med cruises this year.   They are port intensive.    I’d suggest the 4 days in Rome before your cruise.  

Budget Queen, did you do anything way out of the ordinary you would recommend? I  am flying to Rome today for four nights before a cruise and am looking around for something different since I have been to Rome at least 15-20 times. Not that I dont have my favorite sites and repeats to see, and shopping/wandering around is also fine, but just wondering If there is anything significant I have missed. I am going to Basilica San Clemente this time and taking a food tour of Trastevere but no explicit plans other than those.

I am flying out his afternoon to Rome on Air France through Paris. I have also flown the NS Alitalia flight to Rome. Both in business and both were excellent flights. Always prefer stopovers in Paris before going to the med but do not fly on US airlines.

I booked last night right before the deadline. I wanted to wait to book when I am onboard on board Celebrity next week but didnt want to risk it not being extended because it was an amazing deal for single occupancy. When it was extended, I called AZ and was able to cancel with no penalty since it was in the 24 hour period. 
 

i intend to rebook next week onboard to get my 7% discount and $300 OBC plus lower deposit. Win win. 😁😁😁 There is plenty of availability for prime verandas, too.

Does anyone have any clue on whether the double upgrade will be extended?  Just wondering if anyone has any inside information.

I will be following your adventures with interest as I was on the TA before they dropped Cuba, then changed to the Celebrity Adriatic cruise on Nov 8 Venice to Rome. I am spending a week in Paris at the end. I am glad you were able to fly in the 777. I love the privacy of the 1-2-1 configuration and almost always fly Air France to Europe since I rarely go there without a visit to Paris, my happy place. (This will be my 31st visit). Unfortunately I do not stay at 5 star hotels, as I prefer the little boutique hotels in the 6th St Germain. It is nice to travel on hotel points, though, after working as hard as you do for them. I don't blame you for spoiling yourself.

I am sure you want to see as much of Paris as possible in the shortest amount of time, but since you won't get to see anywhere near what Paris has to offer in 5 short days no matter how many hours you have, I recommend you spend some time just wandering around and soaking in the atmosphere, not running from one tourist attraction to another. Pick out the priorities and leave the rest for another time. (there will be one) 

Some great areas IMO for just walking are St. Germain, the Marais, Monmartre, the Grand Boulevards, Hidden Passages, the 7th and streets around the Eiffel Tower and the 5th near the Pantheon Rue Mouffetard., and Luxembourg Gardens. You will come across some hidden gems in all of these areas. Do not stress yourself trying to see too much, you wont make it anyway, I guarantee, and you will miss the real essence of Paris. That is my opinion of course, and easy for me to say I guess as I go there at least once per year, usually more often, and never for less than a week, but it is my advice nonetheless. PS don't spend too much time at the Louvre, go to the Musee D’Orsay instead. They have a great cafe on top, too where you can walk out and get great views of Paris and the Seine. 

i know you are going to love Paris but then, I'm biased. I am glad you said you had a friend who lives there, she will undoubtedly  give you very good advice on how to experience Paris. Have a wonderful visit. Looking forward to your photos.

Anne

I will be following along as I cancelled this cruise due to it dropping Cuba. I will be on a Celebrity cruise through the Adriatic at the same approximate time.

Would much rather be on AZ but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. At least the cost of Celebrity was half so that’s something.

have a great time,

43 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

No. The b2b tiered OBC up to $400 is separate from the onboard booking OBC of flat $200 or $300 and is not dependent upon when you book in the cruise.  Thus it is possible to have a total of $700 OBC for booking onboard. 

 

Phil 

Thanks Phil. I knew that didn’t sound right. I recently had $800 OBC and didn’t use It all so don’t really need that much. Unless it is refundable from the TA lol.

anne

You can also upgrade from Chase preferred to reserve. You cannot have both at the same time so you either have to cancel preferred (use your points before canceling or you lose them) or if you upgrade you can transfer your preferred points to reserve but are not eligible for the 50,000 new customer bonus on reserve. Make sure you understand before cancelling/transferring cards.  PS you can also downgrade back if you want to for some reason.

i agree that the Reserve pays for itself even if you only take one large trip per year. 

I didnt realize that OBC goes up to $400 on cruises of 9 days or more. I assume you need to book during the first half of the cruise. Correct? I also intend to try and book a cruise on AZ when I am on Celebrity in November. 

Thanks,

Anne

Thanks for the review. I am taking Connie from Venice to Rome on November 8. Have done the itinerary before on Silhouette in 2013 and liked it enough to repeat. I have cabin 3138 so hopefully it will not be as hot in winter. I also usually cruise in verandas but have been wanting to try those cabins on deck 3 with the big windows so ended up saving almost $2,000 on it. Would you book 3142 again? Was there much noise from people going up or down the elevator there?

26 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Same for me Anne and considering you have the same size bathroom as other standard cabins I particularly liked the more open access to the wardrobes, which again are standard size. 

 

Phil 

Good photo Phil. I wouldn't mind a smaller bed for one person, but I guess you cant have everything. Those cabins are outstanding value, especially if you snag the right ones. The location is the best, IMO.

Anne

On 9/10/2019 at 10:59 PM, Kristal Blade said:

Thank you Combine,

we have an odd number, 6039, but sounds like it will be similar to yours. As it’s our first Azamara cruise and port intensive I don’t think we will spend a lot of time in the cabin.

so long as we have the surface of the dressing table for plonking down cameras etc it will be fine.

I have been in 6036 and really liked it. Both that cabin and 6039 are between the lifeboats so you can see out. I have not been in the corner cabins at the ends so cannot comment on that but definitely would choose 6036 or 6039.

I will mention that I travel alone so no problems with space or closet. Also I do not order room service so do t need the couch or coffee table. The desk was fine for my needs and the cabin was cozy for one person. The only thing I needed to remember was to keep the blinds closed when the crew was working on the lifeboats outside the window!

Anne

On a positive note regarding the upgrade promotion, I just noticed that there are very low single supplements on several of the Azamara cruises in the Mediterranean, including the 2020 spring TA on Pursuit.

These are mostly on cruises between April and May on some of the more common routes but some of the prices are excellent if you are traveling alone. (Especially the TA and the May 14 repo from Lisbon to Southampton). These cruises are not advertised as solo deals, but they certainly are. 

Hope some other singles out there can take advantage.

I am on the November 8, 2019 Connie too. This will be my second time doing this itinerary. The first was 6 years ago in November and we got lucky with the weather. Hopefully that is the case this year. See you onboard cruisecatmomma and Denie!

And Joel, thanks for the great review!

1 hour ago, Mackdogmolly said:

All but 1 of the 5 cruise I am tracking for next summer are more expensive with the Double Upgrade, and the OVs are ridiculous.

Betsey 

No kidding! I happened to check on a cruise I am booked on next November 2020 in an OV cabin and my cabin went up from $4,900 to over 7,200. In addition, Azamara increased the price of the insides on that cruise even more so that people who have not been tracking prices would think that the double upgrade prices are such a great deal when in fact they are higher than they were yesterday before the promotion. 

I doubt anyone will get a cheap upgrade on a new booking, although it is possible that the verandas of some people already booked might have gone down on some cruises. So if the bottom line is what you want to pay, go for it.

I think most of us experienced cruisers are used to the games all the cruise lines play and don’t jump on them as enthusiastically if at all.

28 minutes ago, DENIE said:

Hi ptrpanpens!!

 

Yes, we are on the November 8 sailing.  My wife and I are from Scottsdale, AZ, and are traveling with our dear Phoenix friends, who are cruising for the first time.  I did join the roll call, and check in on it now and then.

 

Glad to hear your experience on Connie was great....ours was on the Infinity and Silhouette, and now the Constellation, and then the Reflection in 2020. 

 

See you on board!  Down to about 73 days! 😀

Looking forward to meeting you all. I have taken a similar cruise in 2013 and loved it so doing a repeat.

anne

45 minutes ago, Spideysmum said:

We are doing the April 4, 2020 Tulip Time on the Panorama (I think). It’s really one of the special cruises as the focus is on .....beer. Hubs is a beer blogger.  I drink Chardonnay or Pino Grigio. But oh well. I’ll live.  My main focus is seeing the Jan Van Eyke altarpiece in Ghent .   Nope.not religious, but over the years since I received my masters in art history, I’ve seen every painting or drawing or sculpture etc that I ever studied or wrote a paper on....EXCEPT that one. We’ve traveled a lot in the Low Countries and I never got there. 

 

The keukenhof gardens will be just icing on the cake.  First river cruise. Maybe not the last. 😻

 

I saw it a couple years ago. Like you, I have a degree in Art History and early Flemish painting is one of my favorite periods . The Ghent Altarpiece was on top on my list and It did not disappoint as long as you get there when the church opens and before the crowds of tourists. I was able to spend 30 minutes alone in the chapel with the triptych but I took a taxi, not a tour. I think you can get in at 9 am and perhaps earlier. When I left there was a group waiting to get inside and I would not have wanted to be rushed with all those people!

Ghent is a charming place and not as touristy as Bruges. Good luck.

16 hours ago, DENIE said:

Thanks for the review...we will be on Connie in 77 days for our 10-night Venice to Rome cruise.  Eager to compare to our 2 previous experiences with Celebrity - both were terrific.

Are you on the November 8 cruise? If so, see you there. Be sure to join the rollcall if you haven’t already.

i was on Connie last October and found the food in the MDR to be outstanding overall. Indian food in the buffet always very good too. 

I agree that the crew is outstanding but hope we have a buffet in Tuscan Grille Captains Club breakfast. Don’t like the plated breakfasts.

I much prefer the smaller M class ships.

I second the Mediterranean cruises. Much more interesting and exciting than the Baltic and you will see so many sights you have studied and read about, especially in Ports like Rome, Venice, Florence and Barcelona. I have been traveling regularly to Europe for over 40 years and still remember my first views of the Forum, Colosseum, Sistine Chapel, Michaelangelo’s David, Sagrada Familia, St Marks square, etc. These are the familiar sights we all know in the countries of the Mediterranean region and it is thrilling to see them in person.

Any itinerary between Lisbon or Barcelona to Rome or Venice is great, also Istanbul if it is on the itinerary. Greek islands are beautiful too, but Athens not so much. Also the Adriatic is gorgeous.

But do NOT go during June, July or August when temperatures are ridiculous, crowds are huge and you get mosquitoes galore. Best months IMO are April, May, late September to October.

2 hours ago, footer6 said:

The Choice Air site in no way offers discounted airfare prices for Celebrity customers.  The prices they show you are the same prices you will see if you go on the airline website, or any of the internet sites that advertise airfare prices eg. Kayak).  The prices go up and down constantly based on the computerized marketing programs the airlines use.  Celebrity has nothing to do with it.  The only thing Choice Air gives you is protection against airline delays, which is something.

Sorry but I must disagree.

I just booked open jaw in business class both ways on choice air next May LAX-CPH and CDG to LAX on Delta/Air France for $2,300. The same fare booking directly on Delta is over $5,000. I would say that is a large savings. Maybe you are talking about economy but not the higher class fares.

also just got a OW fare in business class in November through choice air for $874 CDG to LAX nonstop on one of the new Delta suites. Airlines would cost 5x that much or more.

usually great deals are to be had through choice air on the higher class fares or OW fares but you have to do your homework to get them. 

Oatmeal cookies (when you can find them.)