lexdisic

17 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Just rung Azamara to book excursions and discuss the fact that my husbands account has the wrong reference number, shows his status as Preview instead of Discoverer and doesn’t show his upcoming cruises.

I got through straight away at 2pm. The agent said that on her screen his account is correct - right number and right status. She then asked me what email address he uses to sign in and we discovered that they have an incorrect email address for him. She’s going to find out how to amend it, which should sort it out, I hope. 
I was also able to book excursions during the phone call.

My DW has the same problem as your DH -  They had discovered an incorrect email address and v.old details and it would rectified within 24hrs - needless to say it wasn't. They did confirm they had correct details for both of us,  but it appears neither me or the TA can see them.- only them !

23 minutes ago, beatnix said:

Yes! If you want to use OBC I think it is the easiest way at the moment.

If not log in and got to "Manage my reserveration"

Click on the edit symbol in the section "Add ons"

then click "Available"

There you can book it like the excursions.

Thanks for that - I'm able to get to the booking add on page but it won't accept payment on my account as it and my DW account shows we have no cruises booked - the information on our profile is from several years ago which was supposedly updated last year and has gone astray.  Our OBC has disappeared. I'm reluctant to pay for anything at the moment due to the present situation with the account mess, so its good to know we can do it all on board. Thanks again.

Due to the current account problems, I am unable to book the "Experience More - Essentials " package for our upcoming cruise. Am I able to book this once on board ?

TIA

Thanks Jazzbeau and Riocca - Looks like more patience from me is required and hope they at AZ have got it sorted in 24hrs. I did, however, receive an email last week to say it was fixed and nothing changed. 

4 Months until our cruise  🤞

Hi everyone.

If there is anyone that has been successful in getting their account/reservations/loyalty points correctly allocated to their account,  could you please tell me which it is?

Long story short - mine and my wife's accounts have been altered/changed either by AZ or myself trying to put them right before this new system. We are now faced with two ways to login - both of which give different results.

1.  https://www.azamara.com/gb/login?rUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azamara.com%2Fhome

2. https://seaware.azamara.com/touchb2c/#/dialog-proxy/login-page

Az have again given me 24hrs in which both our accounts should be sorted but didn't say which login option

TIA

Adrian

Its all about timing. Gone are the days of booking well in advance. There is, of course,  a trade off with cabin choice and those that are not able to be flexible due to commitments of work etc. Those who seek loyalty are going to get nothing and those that do will only get it because others and themselves have paid for it, so why be loyal to a cruise line. There is a huge choice out there and bargains are to be had - its constant trawling through the cruise companies and hit the button when a bargain appears.. I am now going on my 2nd Marella cruise and have snagged a bargain twice - it is possible especially when doing repositionals. Shop around - don't follow the crowd

I get the impression that Dubai, Singapore etc, want you to buy from their respective countries simply for the revenue it produces - can't see any other reason as they sell it in their shops. My tipple is Southern Comfort and the last 2 times coming out of Dubai, they were sold out. Over the years, Dubai seems to have been playing catch up with their duty free prices as the bargains are getting few and far between - same as Dubai itself, which is becoming harder for us to stay there for any length of time these days with VAT and tourist taxes coming into play - payback time for the investment they've put in I suppose.

TUI gin (wifes tipple) prices on board the plane are 2ltrs for £24 - bargain - also hoping that the plane sales are regarded as from the EU as opposed to Dubai giving us the option to have a bigger allowance - can but hope.

I will check if Birmingham has a pick up on return service and compare to Dubai - if not - wife will have to go without - I have my SC stash 🙂

3 hours ago, edinburgher said:

"returning from Dubai - who don't allow alcohol to be taken ashore/airport "

 

Not sure I understand this.

 

Arriving into Dubai they have a very generous duty free allowance, more than many other countries allow.

 

If flying into the airport they actually have duty free shops for arriving passengers, after bag collection and security. It was very cheap, cheaper than buying in duty free in the UK before flying so we bought on arrival.  You can check pricing on the website and current allowances online. As we were going to a hotel for three nights before boarding, we could drink alcohol in our room, as the restaurant pricing was very, very high.  And you cannot buy alcohol anywhere else you see it for sale without a permit of some kind.

 

We didn't fly home from Dubai, but I would be very surprised if you could not buy alcohol and cigs in the airport duty free if flying out, especially as you can buy it flying in.

 

Not sure I noticed any duty free at all at the cruise terminal, so you would need to find out if there is one and if so, whether you can buy on arrival.

 

What you absolutely must check is the list of prohibited and restricted medications and the rules for bringing in those which are permitted.  The list is VERY extensive with some surprising inclusions, and the penalties for not following the rules are quite severe. There should be threads on the Africa and Middle East Forum on the topic, but check the official lists first.

 

Also note that e-cigs are banned and will be confiscated.

 

Hope some of the above is helpful. If any of it wrong, I am sure someone will be quick to correct it!

 

 

Hi 

We sailed into Dubai on Discovery last year and customs would not allow alcohol to be taken to the airport for our journey home from the ship, in fact, the ship told us that customs would scan the baggage and told those that had bought alcohol on the ship to return it for a refund.

Yes you can buy alcohol from the duty free at the airport, can/t remember if it was at the cruise terminal, but it cannot be taken off the ship. I don't know if the same applies to arriving by air.

As TUI has very good prices for its duty free, and much better than the airport, I was asking if there was any way of pre - ordering for our return journey as last year they sold out and there was none to be had on the plane back. Thomas Cook do an online pre-order for flights and TUI were supposed to do the same in 2016 but there is no mention of it anywhere on their site. Rumour also had it that you could pre-order on the flight out for the return journey but I have yet to hear of anyone that has actually done that.

We have disembarked in Dubai many times but last years experience with TUI was the first I had been warned not to take alcohol off the ship so I'm not sure if it was TUI being over cautious or that the rules had changed - some peoples interpretation of the rules in the Emirates can be a bit of an over reaction .

Has anyone managed to pre-order duty free alcohol for a return flight home, whether it be online or ordering on the flight out? We will be travelling to Naples and returning from Dubai - who don't allow alcohol to be taken ashore/airport. Our previous trip with TUI, the alcohol was sold out on the return home 

Many thanks in advance

12 hours ago, cruisevirgin66 said:

Thanks guys! Going to take meds in original packaging and current prescription  note.  Fingers crossed!

Still check the sites. What is acceptable with prescription in certain countries, may still be illegal in the UAE.  Painkillers and anti-depressants there carry jail sentences, even for small quantities. I believe Oman is more relaxed, but do check and make sure.

4 hours ago, mactire said:

We are going on the Discovery 2 in March 2019 for a back to back cruise to Cuba and the Panama Canal. I have seen no mention of the need for a Yellow Fever Vaccination for this cruise from Marella and that some cruise companies make it a requirement of boarding. I know that both Columbia and Panama have the virus and that some countries require a certificate upon entry. I am 70 and my wife is 69 and have never been vaccinated against these beasties and have been told there are risks at our age.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Patrick

Hi

Please don't take this the wrong way, but, I think your question should be directed at your GP, and not a cruise forum. Your GP knows your history - we don't

3 hours ago, cruisevirgin66 said:

Has anybody got any experience of traveling with prescription medication to Oman? We're flying into Muscat, and joining the cruise.  Hubby has quite a few meds for heart and back problems. Does anyone know if a current prescription note is all that's needed? Cheers

Hi again

Here are the government sites for UAE and Oman

UAE - https://www.government.ae/en/information-and-services/health-and-fitness/drugs-and-controlled-medicines/controlled-medicines-

Oman - https://www.moh.gov.om/en/-/---276

2 hours ago, cruisevirgin66 said:

Has anybody got any experience of traveling with prescription medication to Oman? We're flying into Muscat, and joining the cruise.  Hubby has quite a few meds for heart and back problems. Does anyone know if a current prescription note is all that's needed? Cheers

I have heart medications and those don't pose a problem.  If DH is taking painkillers, that is where there may or maynot be a problem. Oman is not so much of a problem as the UAE if you take them ashore, but as Vitalsign says, check with the gov.uk site or with the Oman/UAE equivalents

We did our first Marella cruise in November 2018 and have previously done Princess, RCL, Celebrity, NCL, Hal & Azamara. We couldn't believe the price we got so took the plunge and lowered our expectations comparing the others we have sailed with were US cruiselines. How pleasantly surprised we were. 

Its all about managing expectations and as donnygirl says, keep an open mind. We found the staff just as good as the others, the food, which of course is subjective, was maybe not as high a quality as the others, was perfectly adequate. Judging by our last Princess cruise, I'd say it was a very close second. The buffet seemed to be quite crowded and we found the food there was lukewarm, but there was always something there and we were not going to starve. We were on all inclusive and found  there was no need to upgrade to the premium unless there were specific exclusive brands you wanted - the major names were there. The only downside especially for DW, was the sunbeds. I thought it was days gone by where the Brits and Germans battled it out to get their towels on the sunbeds at the crack of dawn. It was quite frustrating that all the beds, and there were plenty of them, had towels on them, but a large proportion were vacant all through the day. It seems TUI don't police the sunbeds so there were those claiming their sunbed and then going ashore - very selfish.

We are now looking for another cruise with TUI - when you get the right deal especially with the AI package, I think they are very hard to beat where value is concerned. Give it a try.

On 1/20/2019 at 8:19 PM, Kazbar69 said:

Hi Len and Carol

we too are flying from Birmingham, Hubby is still undecided between what your tour offers and Mekon Delta river trip! We need to decide in the next day or so, so will let you know if that’s OK? Sorry I know it’s incredibly close now and getting really excited!! Also let us know if you change your plans in the interim.

 

Karen and Paul.

Hi

We have done the Mekong river trip with Smile. The two tours are completely different. The city tour is a very busy one with alot of sites to visit where the Mekong was very relaxing and chilled. If it is your first visit to Vietnam  then I would say do the city tour as you get to see all aspects of chaotic city life, but bear in mind the the heat can be quite oppressive and there will be alot of walking to do. We did the river tour on our 2nd visit to Saigon as the relative relaxation was very welcome. The 3rd time we went, we went as passengers on the back of the Vespa scooters - what an experience that was. A tour of Saigon similar to the city tour, but instead of a coach taking quite a while to get through the traffic, it took just minutes so even had a ride into the countryside. 

Wonderful people, great food and a real eye-opener - we are so jealous - enjoy your trip whatever you choose.

I've no doubt that after that date they would incorporate the charge into the pricing. Cash used to be king, but not now.

45 minutes ago, BLJ1 said:

Thank you both for your replies. This is looking good at the moment, the other side of it is that we booked last year for a stay and cruise to Corfu with Marella in September, we booked as my partner always get problems booking dates off, however he's now going self employed sodas are not a problem. It's also my 60th and  don't really want to be in Corfu for that. I've worked out the prices and to be honest it's working out slightly cheaper for the Arabian cruise (that's what TUI are calling it).  One of the main factors for me is weather I like it hot !! 

 

Last year I booked an Ocean view 12 weeks out and got it for £1000 from my TA while the TUI price was about £1250. At the moment it is £1356 from him and £1418 from TUI online. It does fluctuate depending on demand and hopefully it will go down much further with my TA nearer the time. The gamble is, of course, that it may not go down as far as it did last year, and demand maybe higher this year keeping prices up. The gamble will be no OV cabins left -. Really want to do this cruise again so I have to ask myself what I am prepared to pay? The alternatives around are quite expensive and we did thoroughly enjoy our cruise last year albeit with the stops taken out - decisions, decisions - those first world problems 🙂

On 1/9/2019 at 8:02 PM, DAZNICH said:

Just letting you know that I received my refund this evening, directly into my bank. 

My faith in Marella has been restored.

Mine is now winging its way to me from my TA. TUI did say they were paying it direct to my card but changed their minds, but no worries anyway.

16 hours ago, BLJ1 said:

Hello, I have a few questions so here goes, thinking of booking a Cruise on the Marella Discovery, never sailed with Marella before, any advice etc greatly appreciated.  This is the Itinerary, the date is Nov 7 for 14 Nights, I'm wondering about the weather and if these places are safe to visit ?  :- 

• Aqaba (for Petra), Jordan
• Aqaba (for Petra), Jordan
• Port Rashid (for Dubai), Dubai and Emirates
• Port Rashid (for Dubai), Dubai and Emirates
• Manama, Bahrain
• Doha, Qatar
• Sir Bani Yas (Abu Dhabi), Dubai and Emirates
• Port Zayed (for Abu Dhabi), Dubai and Emirates
• Khasab, Oman
• Port Sultan Qaboos (for Muscat), Oman 

Hi neighbour 

We were on the ill fated cruise last November and are looking to book this cruise again as we missed some of the ports. All inclusive was brilliant and found no need to upgrade to the premium unless there are specific brands you need. Adult only so no screaming kids on the ship or the plane 🙂 We go to this area often and love it. Temperature was mid,high 20's everyday - no rain 🙂 - ships tours can be done cheaper on your own but not by much - we found them very reasonable. All the stops are safe whichever way you tour them. We had an ocean view cabin and had more storage than you could shake a stick at. Food in MDR was good, but did find the food in the buffet in the evening to be lukewarm at best. Staff very friendly and accomodating - captain visible and chatty. We're leaving the booking to nearer the time to hopefully snag us another good deal (12 weeks before sailing unless TA's have a sale sooner)  - but that does have its risks in getting exactly what you want. Paid for extra legroom seats on the plane which allowed us to book the seats at time of booking and was also a good flight - just a little delayed going as it had to be de-iced first. Go for it - for the price its unbeatable.

57 minutes ago, orford.len said:

My Wife and I are travelling on the Discovery on the 30th January. Have had a very highly rated review for a full day tour from Phu My port. We dock on the 11th February.

We are looking for 2 couples to join us on this tour to make it financially viable. The details of the tour are:-

07:00 Arrival at Phu My port

07:30 Pick up from the pier inside of Phu My port to transfer to HCMC

09:00 Visit China town, Thien Hau temple (Sea Goddess temple)

09:30 Enjoy a fantastic trishaw ride through the hustle and bustle of the city to China town

10:30   Visit the War Museum

11:30 Visit the Notre Dam Cathedral and the old post office

12:00  Stop at the city centre, taking nice photos of the City hall, Opera House, enjoy a drink on the rooftop garden at the Rex hotel (not included) or more shopping at many boutiques.

13:00 Enjoy Lunch at Pho 2000 restaurant where President Clinton enjoyed the local specialities of spring rolls and Pho noodle soup in 2000 (not included)

14:00  Shopping at the Ben Thanh market

15:30   Transfer back to Phu My port

17:00 Drop-off at the pier

Tour inclusions:

Private modern transport with air-conditioning, English speaking guide, entrance fees for tourist sites, trishaw ride, refreshment of water and wet tissues and permit to pick up inside the port

 

Tour exclusions:

Drinks and food, travel insurance, Tips, Costs not included above

 

 

The Price is 85 US Dollars. Details of this Trip Adviser5 star tour  

 

CONTACT    Thi Hoang            thi.smiletours@gmail.com

 

Let me know if you are joining us

 

Len and Carol

I can highly recommend this company. We have used them on 4 different trips to Vietnam - 3 in Ho Chi Mihn and 1 Hanoi, including the tour you mention.  Thi is the perfect host, but if you do not get her, all the guides are great.

9 hours ago, mactire said:

In February 2018 we went on a back to back cruise on Marella Discovery to the Caribbean. It was a great cruise but at the start, as we were registering, I was told that if I used my Credit Card I would be charged 2.5% on top so I used a Debit Card. At the time I was under the impression that had been stopped by legislation in the UK but Marella couldn't help me on that one.

Has anyone come across this problem in the past year.

Thanks for any replies.

Patrick

When did you pay for your cruise? If it was before Jan 13th 2018 then they can charge - after that date they cannot.

2 hours ago, Frankie705 said:

Hi All, Just letting you know, I have today received, as promised, the full 1/3 off our holiday booking price!!

This refund was paid directly into my bank account!

We have to also say we had a fantastic time on this TUI 2 week cruise which took us from Dubai to Langkawi in Malaysia, we will be booking the last leg of this journey later on this year/early next year!

Still nothing for us 😞

7 hours ago, DAZNICH said:

 

Thanks to all those who responded to my earlier post regarding the Marella refund.  

 

As Franki705 says, 'TUI are notoriously slow at these things' but I am reassured to hear that some passengers have received or are about to receive their refund, as promised by Marella. 

To those who are still waiting, myself included, I guess we'll just have to sit back and wait.  In the meantime I'm on the hunt for a suitable cruise to 'reinvest' my refund.

 

We are too 🙂 - Looking at the same cruise next year, just hoping the price goes down to the same as we paid last time - here's hoping

27 minutes ago, Frankie705 said:

 

We were on the Eastern Sunrise 1, the plane arrived in Dubai on Dec 6th 2018. We were called  from TUI the day before (at a Gatwick hotel) on the 5th of Dec to say the Discovery were experiencing problems. We were promised a 1/3 off refund within 7 to 14 days if we continued our cruise, we accepted. Date today is January the 6th and so far we have received no refund, 31 days later! 

I have looked at my letter I received on board and it stated that refunds will be paid within 28 working days from 5th December. Due to the Christmas break, that means we will receive ours by 23rd of January. I can only assume that due to the scale of this, there will probably be some 4000 claims, so someone has to be at the back of the queue. Giving you a 7-14 day window was probably a bit optimistic considering ours was a 28 day window and the number of claims involved.

TUI are notoriously slow at these things but I'm not particularly worried that I may not get it - I'm sure I will.  I had a 14 day all inclusive cruise in an OV cabin for £500 - one happy bunny here.

6 hours ago, DAZNICH said:

I was on Discovery during the severely disrupted Adventure to India cruise but thought the offer of a 2/3 refund was reasonable.

However, I've been back over three weeks now and no sign of a refund, despite being told to expect it within 7 - 14 days.

I would be interested to know if anyone has been refunded yet for their disrupted Authentic Arabia or Adventure to India cruise.

We;re still waiting for ours (Authentic Arabia) but know people on the cruise who have had theirs. We booked through an independent TA who has obtained a case number for our claim and was told they are refunding in order. First off is the ppl who paid online and then presumably by deck. He said to expect it sometime in January direct from TUI, not the TA, but could not be more precise. They will be refunding us on the credit card given to them when we boarded. I could not say about Adventure to India ppl as to when they can expect theirs.