lisiamc

I’m speaking without ever having tried these, so I don’t know what I’m talking about. But truly, these sound horrific. They sound like wine for people who don’t like wine, or who don’t want wine that actually tastes like it comes from grapes. I’m glad you draw the line at Brew and Inferno. I’ve always had a good opinion of you, and thinking you liked those might have damaged it! 😁 I’d be deeply disappointed to have these as the included option on a cruise, and suspect the cruise line of trying to force all their customers to upgrade to “real” wine! I’d rather take my chances with the hit-and-miss wines already on offer.

And so it should. I’m a big fan of the Atlas bar! 🙂

What is this “leftover wine” of which you speak? 😄 They will hold it for next time, and it will follow you to wherever you’re dining. Or you can take it back to your cabin if you prefer.

From that list, we do have a few magnetic hooks (good for hanging a hat or pyjamas out of the way) and several magnetic clips (good for hanging excursion tickets and invitations where they can easily be found) and a highlighter for marking the daily information sheet so we don’t forget the things we want to do. Not on that list but still useful: I throw a couple of clothes pegs into my bag. They’re lightweight, and useful for closing that gap in the curtains that allows sunlight to beam you in the eye at 6 am. I bring plug adapters so that we can make use of all the outlets. We have UK plugs on our electronics so adapters are usually necessary anyway. I have a universal adapter, but I prefer my set of two specific adapters, US/UK and EU/UK. The universal ones tend to be heavy, and US outlets especially can have a very loose fit. Too often I have prop up the universal adapter or wedge it in with a chair leg to stop it falling out of the wall.

On the Onward Inaugural cruise, I recognised some of the included wines as the ones that kept turning up on Pursuit in March 2020, because no one liked them and opportunities for restocking were very limited due to Covid. Due to the vintages, I can only assume that they came from Journey, or from the depths of a warehouse somewhere. Hopefully they will be gone very soon, to be replaced with something drinkable!

That’s in Greece, right? They’ve been an exception right along, with tighter rules about masks and tests.

The wine situation is in a state of flux at the moment. There are still some wines on some ships from before the change of ownership. Supply chain issues have meant that supply of many items is variable. On our Onward cruise, some Italian wines were added to the mix. I have seen photos of the new Azamara branded wines, but not tried them yet. They make some sense, as the parent company also owns a winery. If they are rolled out across the fleet, it will probably take a little while. We wanted to buy a nice red for our anniversary when we were on Onward, and the sommelier had a Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino for us, a wine that we are familiar with and enjoy. She couldn’t refer to any wine list as Onward had been supplied with some Journey leftovers and some local acquisitions. We paid for the Ultimate package to get better wines with dinner, and we found several we liked. That’s been true in the past as well. Logistical problems, Covid restrictions, and less than optimal weather in some countries have added additional challenges in getting access to some wines. That’s the long answer. I suspect the short answer is it’s going to take a couple of seasons to sort out the new offerings, so try to be flexible!

That was supposed to be “newly arrived” dryer. Something got lost between the brain and the fingers!

I looked at the. ETLYGO-arrived dryer on the last day of our cruise, and I don’t think it had a button. I remember it having a switch, but someone else currently on board can confirm that.

I have AirTags for a couple of things, and I find that they send me sad little messages whenever I and my phone get too far away! It’s somewhere between cute, reassuring, and annoying. I will be trying them for my luggage later this year.

Get your vodka in Duty Free, because it’s the most likely to be a bargain, ask for the Captain Morgan’s from the butler?

Definitely horses for courses! We’ve felt the need to upgrade the wines for at least five years before Covid. I’ve felt the same on other cruise lines too. It’s very subjective.

In your shoes, I would much rather go on a Mediterranean cruise in April than July. There will a tonne of tourists everywhere, with lots of children, It will almost certainly be HOT in July. Over 100° is not unusual. And humid. The heat and humidity can sap your sightseeing energy to a surprising degree. It may also get very hot and sticky where you live, but you may not normally walk for miles outdoors in those conditions. And thunderstorms or even hailstorms are not that uncommon either.

I’m sorry to hear she’s going. We first met her years ago on a Celebrity ship, and have sailed with her many times since then on Azamara. I hope her new opportunity brings her lots of success and satisfaction.

Having read about people’s experiences in Athens, I’d get my test done as late as possible before embarkation, if embarking from Athens. There is nothing on the FCO website advice for Greece particular to cruising, but in Athens, they have been very twitchy about accepting tests done sooner than embarkation day.

I get it in ports, too. I’ll be in a museum or a shop, when I notice that the floor feels like it’s gently heaving up and down! It can last a week or so for me, but it does go away eventually.

Athens has been a particular problem for tests, and tests that are routinely accepted for boarding elsewhere are often not accepted in Athens, due to timing, type of test, and other factors known only to the Greek authorities. We also had a fairly shambolic boarding process in Monte Carlo for the Onward inaugural, with unclear queues, and very slow check-in. That seems random, and not just a speciality of Athens!

I have bid every time I’ve been invited to, and never had a successful bid. I generally receive the news that I’ve been unsuccessful about 2 days before the cruise. Maybe successful bids are confirmed sooner?

I am definitely not a doctor, but FWIW, I have BPPV, (treated with the Foster Manoeuvre when it flairs up) and my doctor has never warned me against a rocking chair. YMMV.

You’re right, Pursuit has them under the desk, at least in the cabins I’ve been in. Maybe some are different? Quest and Journey both have them in the lower part of the corner cupboard, I think.

An easy fix that helps lots of people is a little bit of time in an old fashioned rocking chair. The motion seems to reset whatever it is in the ears.

I think GB is generally pretty good. If he gets a free cruise, or a free upgrade, he will say so. So I think the grumbles from the Onward Maiden Voyage may have been rippling out. We were on the MV, and had a great time, others found some things to complain about. I don’t think those complaints herald slippage of Azamara standards, but some grumblers have been noisy.

I’ll check that out. Currently in Italy, so I hope they keep the sale on for a while!

There might be a mutiny! It’s very popular, and the major reason why we spring for the Ultimate package.

Oh no! Maybe they’re finding the price is higher for them too. I know I can’t get it for less than £20/bottle at home. Only for special occasions, since I’m a tightwad. I do make it a mission to have a glass every day on the ship.