Ithikan

Thank you to the several above posters who reminded me of the additional Azamara birthday treats: signed card! towel elephant! (Well done on the Towel B'Day Cake, fruitmachine!). Corinna121, I was mistaken when I said to use 'Addon.' I used the Special Requests icon to report my birthday - this selection incurs no cost. And we just used it again for my husband's upcoming birthday on Journey : )

I celebrated my birthday during our Journey cruise in January of this year. We were in a CC suite and so were able to breakfast in Aqualina, where Ruby and her staff sang "Happy Birthday" to me. I loved it. And when we returned to our stateroom there was a birthday banner and balloons. I felt special! And yes, there was the offer of a discounted bottle of beverage - the day before, we'd encountered a couple roaming the ship with their anniversary coupon, seeking the sommelier so they could select something special for their occasion. (I was grateful, but we didn't take advantage of this offer.) And finally, the White Night deck party happened to occur that evening. Seriously, one of my best-ever birthdays! I highly recommend checking the Addon box and letting the Azamara staff and crew help you celebrate your husband's birthday!

We didn't have an Indian Chef's Table during our January cruise on Journey. Not even a Rice Table. Waaah! This menu looks wonderful!

When we sailed on Journey in February, there was no Rice Table. I asked about it twice, on the first day and mid-cruise, and was simply told that we would not be having one.

This is an overwhelming display of food! The fruits! The variety of dishes with the flags of origin - an altogether wonderful and Azamara-specific experience. Enjoy!

Uktog, are you seeing Humpbacks or Minke whales? Or both, perhaps?

Lots to do, indeed! I think I'd head to the Sunset Bar at 5:00 PM for the Wildlife Watching with Caroline Still. Enjoy your cruise!

We have enjoyed 3 cruises with Azamara to New Zealand & Australia. Each offered an Azamazing Evening off the ship, and we loved them all. (The event in Bali was beyond spectacular - I do hope you select an AZ cruise, and that your Azamazing event occurs offshore.) Happy Planning!

Thank you, IslandThyme, for your blog. It's a pleasure to read, and the photos are quite wonderful. As an aside, the Ladies of Picton, New Zealand, prepared lovely little nosegay corsages for those of us going ashore from Journey last month. We, too, were asked to toss these flowers before reboarding. I was sad, but not to the degree that you must have been when losing that gorgeous, bespoke lei!

It was a "special," sorry to report -

During our recent cruise when dining in Aqualina, we enjoyed the dover sole entree. Both of us ordered it, and the plates were prepared tableside by two servers - a bit of a gentle competition, as the deboning was slightly varied. It was absolutely delicious, and other diners also appeared to enjoy "the show." FYI, the sailing was on Journey this past month, disembarking in Auckland on Jan. 21.

Betsey, no. From the stationery stash in Guest Folder, I'm guessing - that's where I pulled mine.

With apologies to Host JazzBeau (who closed the tipping topic last February) I am here to note that tipping at voyage end was alive and well on Journey's Melbourne-Auckland cruise, which ended on Sunday. By Saturday afternoon the envelopes were flying - passengers stopping the servers in Windows for a word and an unsubtle tucking of envelope into pockets. The Living Room also saw a lot of action, numerous guests arrived with fists full of white envelopes like happily perched, New Zealand Fan Tails, distributing to favorite servers and bartenders. I also noted other passengers with envelopes, like myself, at Guest Relations with contributions for the Crew Fund. Let each of us do what feels right and good. This post is simply an observation of another change in the Azamara culture: overt tipping is happening onboard.

We received an offer to upgrade our cruise (Jan. 4, 2024-Jan. 21, 2024; Journey) via email. We were invited to bid; did so; our bid was accepted and final confirmation was via a telephone conversation between 3 parties - myself, and two Azamara people. It was a tiny bit fraught as we were enroute internationally during the call and had the missing day & New Year's holiday to contend with, but all's well that ends well... And yes, we are in a Club Continental Suite, nicely placed midship. With a tub. Which, happily, is not an issue for us. The suite number was discussed during the final, confirmation call so we would have been able to sail without accepting the upgrade. I do understand that accessing the tub (there is a solid handrail, BTW) is not feasible for some. We are very happy with our placement and are enjoying the Aquilina breakfast option as well as the other suite amenities.

If you're interested in current staff & crew on Journey, here's the list for Melbourne-Auckland: Master - Captain Kresimir Korona Staff Captain - Dario Guerrieri Hotel Director - Tatiana Morello Cruise Director - Darren Lynton Food & Beverage Mgr. - Ertan Karasakal Executive Chef - Dhani Limboo Asst. Cruise Director - Grace O'Donnell-Clancy. (A gem, IMO.)

Pease forgive me this sideways image. But, perhaps it's best to see this 'askew?' Taken today in the Living Room on Journey (after a very satisfying day in Dunedin, N.Z.), where evidently "Country Club Casual" has been redefined for 2024. Yes, it was a post-trivia, relaxed group, but, honestly? Shoes are always appropriate. And yes, if unfortunately I see this again I will request that the staff suggest Mr. Fungal Feet wear his shoes rather than carry them.

On Journey now, and the M&M was offered at 5:30. It was listed in the daily schedule both under "Get-Togethers" and within the Events timetable. Cruise Director Darren attended with some waitstaff, drinks, and nibbles. There were 4 of us when I arrived (admittedly a bit late), and we did not linger. A far cry from the "old days," but this has not impacted our enjoyment of this Melbourne-Auckland cruise.

I will not be on the Rio trip ; ) ,but I did check for my cruise booklet after following this thread... and found that the Guest Confirmation email we'd received from our TA for our January cruise did not include a boarding pass. Called Azamara today, and was emailed the legit "e-ticket," cruise contract, and boarding info. Thanks, again, to these boards for all the sharing of vital, pre-cruise information!

Oh, I like the look of these tours. Only sorry that I do not see one for our forthcoming cruise, but this is a good start!

Interesting email from Azamara today. "Experience a Memorable Culinary Adventure" invites us to pre-purchase the dining packages before boarding. And the fine print at the bottom suggests that one meal out of the package is to be enjoyed on Day 1 or Day 2 of the cruise. And if the voyage is sailing full or close to full, will it be a fraught experience to find reservation times during those days? The email: "One night of dining in Prime C or Aqualina must take place on night 1 or 2 of the voyage for dining packages."

Thanks for this very specific update on Quest's sailing, DS. It's good to have info both on the "fail," and on the potential fixes.

Except, when it doesn't. Per "what you said" I click Roll Calls; click Journey; click January. Which produces a list of 4 sailings not including the one I'm looking for. But, I know now to drill down, and I'll take Grandma Cruising's note to heart about continuing to post. Thanks to all for your feedback.

If I search all of Journey's roll calls under the main tab, I find 27 pages. Journey's Jan. 4, 2024 cruise Melbourne to Sydney is listed at the bottom of page 3. Awkward. Not impossible, just not very helpful.

For reasons unknown, it is no longer possible to cavalierly search Journey's "January" roll calls at the top of this page, and end up on a page with my cruise. I must correctly type the original title (January 4, 2024 Azamara Journey 17-Night Australia/NZ Voyage) or I'll simply find a roster of 4 roll calls, none of which are mine. Anyway... there's an enticing 'views and vines' excursion out of Napier on Jan. 17th with space for two to four more in the van. If this piques anyone's interest, please check our roll call. (Best of luck, lol!)

We found Antalya to be one of our favorite forays into Turkey. This was on an Azamara cruise more than 10 years ago, but the ship's excursion included Perge, Aspendos, the Antalya Archeology Museum and a quick shopping stop at a small bazaar. Lots to do and see with your revised itinerary, have fun!