travelberlin

For those of you who are onboard at the moment, did you have issues with your OBC not showing previous embarkation? And if yes, were you able to get it corrected onboard? My cruise is at the end of this month and my OBC is not showing. I am hoping to have it fixed it onboard. Ivi

Explora seems to be using Bridgetown as port of embarkation quite a lot in its Caribbean itineraries. Not an easy port to reach for us and with very expensive hotels for pre cruise accommodation. Cartagena in Colombia is also not that easy to reach for us as a port of embarkation. We have decided not to go to the Caribbean with Explora. We have booked with the New Crystal leaving from Miami, which is for us better for the Caribbean. Ivi

Cruises for February 2024 are supposed to be released on June 12th. This is for Explora I. Ivi

They are not offering anything new. You have to provide a flight on the day of embarkation. But the point here is not that Azamara is offering new services but that the pre cruise services it has traditionally offered are being difficult to book. They come with mistakes and no one fixes them. I hope this changes. By the way, online booking is more difficult. I have booked the transfer via my travel agent who got tired of trying to get things fixed. Ivi

I have booked my own flights as I always do. Azamara offers transfers from the Airport to the ship on embarkation day and from the ship to the airport on debarkation day. In this case, my transfer is from the Airport to the ship. This is where Azamara is struggling. Like I have said before, it is not the first time I book that transfer, but it is the first time we (my travel agent and me) are unable to get the thing without mistakes. First, they register a wrong airport (Franco airport). Does anybody know thar airport? Second they register wrong departure dates of my flight. And third they tell me I should contact for details their hotel representative at my hotel. I am a fan of Azamara but at the same time I see that this is not their usual procedure. I am sure that onboard this pre cruise experience will be forgotten but I am not onboard yet. Ivi

I am sorry but you are wrong. My booked and paid transfer is from the airport to the ship. It is not the first time I book such a transfer but it is the first time I have so many problems. Azamara provides a transfer from the airport to the ship and this is what it says in my paid confirmation. Ivi

For my transfer from airport to the ship, Azamara writes, I should contact their representative at my Hotel 😳 which hotel? I am not taking a hotel with Azamara. My travel agent has given up. It is just me now trying to make sure I get picked up from the airport for my transfer. Azamara, Azamara, what is going up with you? Ivi

It is becoming very frustrating just trying to book a transfer from Airport to the Port. And this is not only an issue of the webpage. My Travel Agent has done her best and still it is unsure if my transfer will work. What a pity. It demotivates to book further cruises. Ivi

Thanks Keith. New Crystal had confirmed my Crystal Society Number at the time of my booking. Only I do not see that number or the number of cruises taken with the old Crystal anywhere on my new account with New Crystal. I was just wondering if others can see that in their profiles. Ivi

I was able to create an account without a problem. It is not the same account I had with the old Crystal. In the account that I have just created, my booking appeared automatically. Documentation shows incomplete because I have filled some of the requested information but not all yet. It says “member since June 2023”. Now I have a question: the Crystal Society number from the old Crystal and the number of cruises already taken with the old Crystal are supposed to be somewhere? Or are we starting from zero in this case? Ivi

We had Jacquart in the MSC yacht club. I am glad to hear Explora will serve Veuve Clicquot. It is my favorite. Charles Heidsieck is OK. If this will ve a rose, I will be happy 😃 Ivi

Thank you again. I was able to look if there is a strike planned, selecting the dates in which I will be in Italy before my cruise. As far as I could see, there is no strike planned between June 26th and 28th. Ivi

Thank you! Ivi

How do we get the information about strikes in Italy before hand? In Germany the Union can call a strike for the next day. It happened to me and of course no way to avoid it. Ivi

Me too but at the moment just one with Crystal 😉 Ivi

Ask the Assignees. You might get an answer from them. Crystal said to me it is the Assignees giving them the numbers. And the Assignees seem to be making mistakes. I am waiting for an answer from the Assignees. But as I have said before, i have booked a cruise. Ivi

In my case, the credit was also for less of the amount that old Crystal owes me. I think it is a problem of the assignees not of the new Crystal. Anyhow I am booking a cruise. I think for the next cruises, the assignees might get my amount right. Let’s hope… Ivi

Alaska cruises and those cruises which were not selling well, were cancelled. Including mine out of Brasil. Reason? Due to popular demand from guests and travel agents, Explora I will stay in the Caribbean instead of going to South America. Ivi

I have received an email from the Crystal initiative with a certificate. The amount of credit was less than what the old Crystal owns me. I have asked them why and they have told me this amount was given to them by the assignee. I have asked the assignee and instead to tell me the reason for the lower amount of credit, they have told me to resubmit my claim! I have done it with very clear explanations of the amount due to me by Crystal. Since then, no more news from them. It is the never ending story… I am willing to give new Crystal a try and I have requested my travel agent to book a cruise for me. I hope things will get solved and I am looking forward to be on board the Serenity again. Ivi

Thank you so much for this information! Ivi

I have seen that all trains from the airport to Civitavecchia mean we have to go to Rome and change there. For example in Trastevere. I am somehow afraid of the strikes. How do we get the information if there is going to be a strike? Any advice of a company for a transfer? Ivi

Can somebody please recommend a reliable transfer company from Fiumicino to Civitavecchia? I have also tried to look at train tickets with train Italia but even though they provide the train schedules it is not possible to buy them online. How do we get the train tickets? Ivi

This thread is called “my changing opinion on sailing Explora “. I have to say my opinion about Explora has changed after the many cancellations. This is not a good way to start business … ivi

The reason they gave for the cancellation of my cruise is that the ship will stay in the Caribbean because of popular demand. Go figure… Ivi

I am quite disappointed about the cancellations. Of course the reason is probably that they are not selling enough cabins on those itineraries being cancelled. I am quite tired of cancellations from flights, trains, cruises… I need to have a reliable cruise line to book with. Even though they offer compensation, this compensation does not make up for the lost itinerary and it is not as generous because prices of cruises have already increased since my original booking. Ivi