sovilav01

2 hours ago, uktog said:

Great to hear that the ports continue to deliver so much. Azamara (and other lines) are hugely helped by the port authorities in each stop. This pamphlet that they prepare shows how much will be set up if you ask. 
I have also found it a useful resource for planning. Other countries should prepare a similar one stop summary! 

 

https://partners-pamph.jnto.go.jp/simg/pamph/2349.pdf

WoW , we should have it las year, a great document. 

We did B2B last year on the Quest, Tokyo to Tokyo to Singapore and it was perfect to enjoy this country. We had special events on the ship and amazing sail away in each ports. Go for it, you won’t regret it!

We are Canadian and have boarded the ship on Friday. Our OBC are, until now, correct so we are happy with it!

We are Canadian and we board the Onward on the 4th of January and we got our final invoice with OBC showing in USD with no discrepancy. One section shows excursions booked without price and another one shows OBC in USD, looks good!

We already booked Iceland to Montreal but would love to book Montreal to NYC with stops in Nova Scotia and l’Anse-aux-Meadows. Leaving from home would be fantastic.

Regarding the wine, we had the same problem on the Quest last April and May. At lunch time, I was ordering our wine 30 minutes before eating to be sure I was to have it with my meal. Speaking of sommelier, I don’t think they are enough qualified to use that term, this was our experience last spring.

6 hours ago, Cruiser Craig said:

Hi Silver Claire, thank you for this post.  Do you remember if there was a shuttle from Keelung Port to Taipei, and if so where it dropped off passengers in Taipei?  Thank you!

There was no shuttle to Taipei as the terminal is close to the train station and it’s very easy to take the train.

52 minutes ago, Dr H said:

Help! Can't find the Greenland itinerary! I'm VERY interested! Luann, San Diego should be an easy departure. Icelandic flies out of Seattle, but if you are on B2B, the initial departure sounds like it's out of Dublin.

You can find it under July 2025 and the departure is from Reykjavik.

January 18th, 2024, from Lima to Papeete on Azamara Onward, followed by a seven days stay on the islands.

On 4/20/2023 at 5:20 PM, kozycz said:

We have stayed in Cabins 7079 and 7085, so in the vicinity. We heard no noise at all. Very quiet at night, smooth sailing and still close to the self service laundry. Enjoy your cruise! 

We spent six weeks in cabin 7083 from Tokyo to Singapore to Athens and everything was perfect! No noise at all and pretty close to laundry and if you get Mark as cabin attendant it will be much more perfect, it will be perfection!

4 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

It used to be up to 10% providing you booked at least 3 excursions, but I don’t know if it still applies

Yes it still applies, I did it last month on the Quest.

We didn’t get the survey neither the final invoice. Usually they left an invoice in the room the night before checking out and send the final one after check out. 

47 minutes ago, Susancasteel said:

Hi, I think it was from Mackdogmolly about the topic of having the essentials package and upgrading to Ultimate, I was trying to understand were you saying you were able to upgrade the drink package at the bar? If so you just go in on your first day and upgrade for all the days and just pay the difference I think $7 a day ? 

Yes, $7 a day per person. 

3 hours ago, JWayne60 said:

@uktogYour cruise is beginning to sound like the “Magical Mystery Tour” (Quest holiday cruise Dec 2021 - Jan 2022) that both @Mackdogmollyand I were on last year… but fortunately for different reasons… yours weather / sea conditions, whereas ours was totally COVID related.   Nevertheless, hope you continue to enjoy your cruise, just as we did last year 😎 🚢.

 

Jeff

We were also on the Magical Mystery Tour last year and for the first time of my life I can’t remember🤔 where we went as the itinerary changed every day, especially since an island is an island 😂 but I remember the wonderful weather we had.

2 hours ago, Fatfish said:

Interesting....Is that via TA or Azamara direct?...Does Azamara have a dedicated Canadian website?

We booked via TA but is available on Azamara Canadian website.

3 hours ago, uktog said:

I am not surprised people are reacting to the pricing.  

 

As a comparator, I have a trip to Japan in 2024 which is 15 nights, the equivalent one in 2025 is 14 nights however it is 55% more expensive on UK pricing and current booking benefit is $300 whereas at the 2024 trip has OBC and a premium drinks package.  I appreciate the strength of the dollar is not helping overseas bookers but conversely the strength of the dollar should be having an overall positive impact on international costs for Azamara.  I have looked at competitor pricing for those lines that have 2025 releases available and Azamara is running about 25% more expensive.  

However I can see from roll calls today folks are already  booking at these eye watering prices so some are prepared to pay them.  I for one will be sitting waiting (hopefully for the inevitable sales), looking at other options and recognising the bucket list might need an edit

We are in Canada and there is a 20% off for an early booking.

1 hour ago, uktog said:

Well after a day of rest we hit another ship’s excursion. Maybe a benefit of not going to Venice which we’ve done before many times but the opportunity to go to Bologna. 

Previously we were going to do Bologna on our own but then we ended up with some late price drop OBC which is going to be a challenge to spend - follow us as we try to 😂- so we changed to Bologna Bueno Appetito which gave us an excellent guided walk around plus more food than we could eat!  
 

Bologna is a city full of history being an old University town and lots of links to 12th 13th and 14th century events in history many interesting buildings our guide was a wealth of knowledge. 

 

Part way through we headed to the market area where the smells of Parma ham and cheese permeated. And to see the pasta…..

 

 

Anyway this was our little tasting….,,

After walking past more history including these leaning towers

 

it was lunch. But before we eat the most interesting pasta demonstration by a sfogline a young girl skilled in the art of pasta making by hand. 

A three course lunch followed

 

So if you are self sufficient do Bologna on your own there are hundreds of reasonably priced local spots to eat I’m the market. 
If you have credit to use the Bueno appetito trip is really good but there is a LOT of food.

 

Tonight our dinner consisted of two starters that was it! 

We ended a cruise in Ravenna and took the train to spend three nights in Bologna and four nights in Milano, a wonderful way to end a cruise on the Onward. We loved those two cities for history and FOOD!

Thanks @uktogfor suggesting #11 to return to the ship after the Tattoo, it worked perfectly!

7 hours ago, uktog said:

The reps did come on in Edinburgh on Quest last week so maybe it is slowly opening back up.  The maps were on a table adjacent to the concierge so you did not have to line up at Guest relations.  They also had the maps out for the next two ports which was great for forward planning.  I believe the access to information and local guides is handled through the port agent and some are better than others.  Edinburgh has a very well organised infrastructure with local volunteers which will help the agent tap into resources more quickly than perhaps happens elsewhere

I would love to leave from Montreal, going down St-Laurence River, making few stops and cruising the Atlantic Ocean up to Iceland

7 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

Could you bring a print out or a screen save of the website still showing $10 corkage?

You make a search on Azamara website with the word « corkage »
 

CORKAGE POLICY

Azamara® offers a wide selection of international liquors, beer and fine wines onboard. You may bring your own favorite liquor, beer or wine for private consumption in your suite or stateroom. If you wish to consume your liquor, beer or wine in any shipboard restaurant, bar or dining venue, each bottle is subject to a corkage fee of $10.

If you are given a bottle of wine that was purchased from Azamara's Bon Voyage Gift selection, then no corkage fee will apply. If you are given a bottle of wine from an outside vendor and/or travel professional, and the bottle was not purchased through Azamara's Bon Voyage selection, then a $10 corkage fee will apply if the wine is consumed in the dining room or other public area. All corkage fees will be added to your onboard account.

Alcoholic beverages purchased from onboard shops will be stored by the ship and delivered to guest staterooms on the last day of the sailing. Alcohol will not be delivered to any guest under the age of 21.

30 minutes ago, uktog said:

I would not walk all the way back to the ship just now.  Its safe for the main part, but with the tram works there is a lot in Leith Walk with no pavements, thats why the bus is going that indirect route as the road is closed to them.  At night they do some of the heavy lifting work on the tram works so even more pavement gets stopped off.  Some of the side roads are not so great in terms of being where I would walk at night.  Sadly you would be walking near where some of the homeless people hang out - and if you made a wrong turn at one point you could decide a route that takes you to where ladies will offer you services should you wish..... 🙂

Thanks a lot for a clear answer, I am the lady who prefers to be offered to my husband for more than 40 years 😉

1 minute ago, uktog said:

After the show the one thing you have to do is move away from the vicinity of the Tattoo.

What I would do is walk down the Royal Mile to Deacon Brodie Pub

Turn left there down The Mound - a twisting hill down to Princes Street

At Princes Street cross the road and turn left to the bus stop beside Boots the Chemist

Take the No 11 bus towards North Leith

Ocean Terminal by the cruise terminal is the last stop

 

I have mapped this based on going tonight so you can see the bus route, hope it shows

https://www.lothianbuses.com/live-travel-info/journey-planner/

 

Your alternative is to use Uber but when the tattoo comes out each night their prices are v high.  Uber cannot drive on Princes Street so if you are going to use them, I would suggest you follow the directions about but stop part way down and call uber from there.  Or alternatively, go down to Princes Street, cross over and go up the road opposite Hanover Street and call from there.

We are very good walkers, is it safe and easy to manage to walk back to the ship?

21 minutes ago, uktog said:

Made me laugh - guests wont be driving much or cycling in town but we have a third season - potholes although they could be counted as pre roadworks but the rate of infill these days with the government spending cuts that pre period is years now.  It needs to go to mini sinkhole before anything happens

And in Quebec (province), we have big orange cones, I am surprised you also have potholes as your weather is milder than our.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, I was sure Cruise Critic would be the best place to ask 😀Regarding roadworks, same in Montreal, it’s awful 😣