Grandma Cruising

Yippee - thanks. I might have to give the local one a try just to see what it’s like.

A suggestion for Amalfi - take the little open topped bus up from the roundabout near the ferry ticket offices to Ravello & go to see the Villa Rufalo and it’s wonderful gardens. The bus was €5pp when we took it and very well worth it. Fantastic views.

If you look at the spreadsheet these are a lot less than others have been offered in the past. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pEoojQ5-EPmD4cI3gw1dVcYfYTXfZePdDXxU09l0H3M/edit

Unlikely as when you apply for an upgrade you tick Ts & Cs saying you can’t.

The Veranda Plus and CC Suite minimums look reasonable, given that you get extras in those cabins (Wifi, speciality dining etc), but the rest look pretty high. I’ve added this to the spreadsheet. Don’t forget to come back & let us know which, if any, bids you make and what the outcome is. Good luck!

We made a low bid.

You can still sit out there, but there is no bar service outside of mealtime. You can get a drink at the pool bar and take it there. When Azamara took those two ships over from Princess and P & O the bar structure was not there and they decided not to put one in, to leave more room for tables at meal-times.

You won’t need a shuttle in Amalfi as the ship docks very close to the town centre. I’ve not been to any of the other ports apart from Athens. Athens is a bit like Rome in that the ship docks at Pireus which is about 45 minutes from Athens centre. It is likely that Azamara will offer an airport transfer and also possibly a hotel transfer, but for three of you a taxi would probably be cheaper. You can get the train from Rome to Civitavecchia, but if your mother has mobility issues a taxi or a booked transfer might be best.

Yes, we got an upgrade bid invitation too, yet no suites or veranda cabins available. Very strange - unless they’ve kept some back, or maybe some cabins went out to specialist TAs who haven’t sold them. The last transatlantic we did, there were a lot of passengers who had got a really cheap last minute deal through a cruise specialist company.

The room was called the Drawing Room and was a very nice library and quiet room. To be honest I’d have to admit that it was not used much, though those people who did use it really valued it. On the Onward they moved the books to one side of the Living Room on Deck 10. I’d addition there are now lots of travel books in the shelving at the front of the Den, near where the shore excursions staff work on all the ships. The only other significant difference between the ships is the sunset bar which is aft on Deck 5 on the Quest and Journey. There is no bar in that area on Pursuit and Onward.

Thanks and congratulations - you got a good deal. information added to the spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pEoojQ5-EPmD4cI3gw1dVcYfYTXfZePdDXxU09l0H3M/edit

Thanks, added to the spreadsheet.

Yes there is free detergent capsules in the laundry room. There are US and European power outlets above the desk/dressing table on Quest, Journey & Pursuit. Onward has UK, US & European plugs. Standard cabins and Club Continent suites on the Pursuit also have UK outlets. There is a standard US electrical outlet in the bathroom, designed for using electric shavers. I would expect that you should get the Azamara OBC, if it’s not on your invoice from Azamara it might be worth ringing them yourself. The non-alcoholic beer is O’Douls - a USA brand I think. Have you had a look at the Tips spreadsheet - it puts together all the information in the posts in this topic. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15Deg-GaeZYLml8NN3PVwoh_jUkQ8QmYUe1wxnVAlODE/edit

There’s a variety of cookies available at Mosaic coffee bar on Deck 5 all day - chocolate chip, coconut macaroons & others, There’s also a variety of other small food items available at Mosaic such as small sandwiches and cakes. All are delicious . Added to the spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15Deg-GaeZYLml8NN3PVwoh_jUkQ8QmYUe1wxnVAlODE/edit

I was also surprised about the comments about the Quest not coping with rough seas. We were onboard one of the Azamara ships in a typhoon in the South China Seas and it was really not too bad. We didn’t feel sick at all.

One thing that is certain is that you will need to organise Indian visas yourselves.

Thanks, that’s great. I’m happy with Schweppes so lets hope they have plenty of it left in March!

That’s interesting, especially if she was in the spa on Quest. I was very unimpressed with the spa. I booked for a treatment to use up the spa credit I had bought in the Indulgence package. I arrived a couple of minutes early to be told that the appointment ahead of mine was going to run over and I’d have to wait a few minutes. In the event I had to wait well over 20 minutes and, apart from initially being asked if I would like a drink, I was pretty much ignored. The therapist popped out once to apologise, but there was no attempt to put me at ease or chat to me by the spa reception staff.

Thanks. Happy new year to you too.

Thanks.

Gordon’s & Beefeater gin, Famous Grouse whisky, Smirnoff & another vodka (can’t remember which). Can’t remember which rum either & no brandy is included. The wine seems to vary from cruise to cruise but I think there are two reds, 2 whites a rose and a sparkling wine included all the time. Sodas are included as are coffees including speciality coffees such as cappuccino , latte etc. Beer seems to change too - last I heard the draft was Carlsberg. I’m sure others will have more information. Have a look at the Azamara topic Question about drinks package and cocktails too. From Explorer up you get a free bag of laundry per 7 day cruise. On most cruises they do laundry bag offers - last time it was $40.

To be fair we were not over impressed with Guest Relations on Quest in October/November, when we tried to establish that we would be able to leave the ship early in Dubai (this was after BA moved our flight & we had an email from Azamara saying we would be able to disembark early). Every time we asked we got a different story, as did other passengers in the same position, and often the answer was given in a very exasperated fashion - you could so obviously see them thinking ‘oh no, it’s them again,

You don’t need to buy it beforehand. You can get onboard and have a look at prices and what’s available (wines etc) before making up your mind.

Yes, it’s that topic again. We’re due to join the Pursuit at the beginning of March. I just wondered if anyone is on board now and can report on what tonic is available. I’d love to know so I can decide whether I need to buy any in Rio before boarding.

And you can have a Virgin Mary (Bloody Mary without the vodka)