sofietucker

Here ya go! With two ports in Finland (not Mariehavn)... Join us next summer. https://www.azamara.com/cruises/jr250630-015-15-night-baltic-intensive-voyage

Right: look at the added choices of location and balcony size

Points well taken, the penguins. And the ability to always eat at say, 7:30--a time not offered in any cruise line's fixed dining--certainly trumps everything.

And wow, that Equinox TA is a nice itinerary too. Hmm!!

We were in corner aft Neptune suite a few years ago on a HAL ship, came out in the morning to see broken safety glass on the balcony deck. Peeking over, we saw that the next-door balcony was completely shattered and glass all over the deck on their side. We called maintenance, who showed up with a broom, lol. They got pretty excited and a bunch of officers showed up. The pax next door blearily came out in his robe to inspect. We never heard the explanation--but when we went up for lunch in the Lido, part of the outside deck was roped off to sweep up MORE safety glass, which was from a shattered glass wall on the deck above. All very odd...

This will be my next purchase too, lol

Thank you, nightowl1!!! I just received--and shipped back--my "light, portable" lounger from Amazon because the lying liars lied about both the dimensions and the weight. No can do, lol. This is a hugely relieving prediction for our corner sunset suite in the fall, albeit on the Connie... (Unless we hear different before then--in which case, perhaps a collapsible footstool is in our future.)

Yes and no. No: Just another stop up or down on the elevator. Yes--depends on what you're doing before hand! We like to grab a glass of the "good wine" at Cellar Masters on deck 5--outside the entrance to fixed dining--and listen to whatever solo or pair of musicians are playing there. But the casino, martini bar and rendezvous lounge--a bigger band, for dancing--are on deck 4, outside the anytime entrance. So if you tend to prefer one type of activity, it's a slight advantage to eat on the same deck, and avoid having to wait for an elevator or scamper the stairs while possibly holding a cocktail. That's all.

We've never HAD to sit with anyone else in fixed dining. Pre Covid, we requested large tables (8 or so). Sometimes they would put us with 6 or 4. In anytime (over the years), we usually preferred to have a 2-top--it would be a lot of work to get to know a new table each time as someone else noted. We also requested a 2-to in fixed the year we had a family death right before our holiday cruise--not up to needing to be cheerful that time. On our first post-covid cruise Edge's first trip out in June 2021), they wouldn't let folks sit together unless family... I know people who arrange "fixed seating" in anytime dining--they reserve the same time, same table each night for the duration of the cruise. And heaven knows X pesters us to death to set this up before the cruise! (Along with reserving specialty restaurants, of course.) So I think you could ask to be seated with the same folks each night in anytime dining--if everyone else agreed to eat at the same time each night (in which case, why not just switch to fixed --where you can also ask for a specific table).

The funny thing is, "anytime' would suggest they need to be prepared for an unexpected ebb and flow of traffic. Especially since the restaurant was mainly empty on both our visits. But yep, fall back option is always the buffet...

Welp. Amazon has a reasonably sized and priced portable lounger (search FLIPCHAIR) with backpack straps, that will fit folded up into my larger suitcase. 14lbs. Will see what happens in our next Sky Suite... If no lounger--and especially if we receive a blanket policy statement of no loungers before or on that cruise--it's going with us. I don't mind lugging along more/larger luggage to have my comforts. And such a chair would eliminate the need to book a ship's tour to a less-preferred beach, simply for the convenience of otherwise unavailable loungers. (Never mind that on some excursions you STILL have to pay for a chair...)

We've done both over the years on various ships/cruise lines, and far prefer fixed (late). In March on the Connie, our experiences taught us: no more anytime dining. We had fixed late seating (upstairs), except on 2 nights when we went with anytime downstairs. And it was disastrous: hectic, loud, crowded, confusing, rowdy (but no kids, lol). I think once was so we could get to an event and the other time it was too late to be seated with fixed. Aside from the obvious advantage of fixed dining--that the waitstaff know us and our preferences--you know where your table is, and can ask to have it permanently changed the first night if unsuitable. With Anytime, we found ourselves seated both times at different tables but both smack in the middle of entrance/kitchen traffic and next to the server's stations. The first time, we asked to be moved--but we were then still placed at a similarly unfavorable table. I don't care to have trays constantly being carried back & forth behind my chair... Second time, we just stayed put. It seemed they were seating the entire guest roster just inside the restaurant entrance. Whether to make it seem fuller or to keep that section's staff running back and forth (or being short staffed in other sections), I couldn't say. Our courses weren't served at the same time for all the guests, leaving some with cooling food and others with empty places. Plus, the waiter kept bringing extra dishes to the table for us to all try--unasked for! The evening's pasta, for instance. And while our party of four certainly drinks its share, the diners around us seemed much the worse for cocktails... Not a one-off, either. Just all unpleasant.

In addition to the general requirement for crew to pool any cash: we have also been told a couple of times that any money that goes into an envelope must have the recipient's name on it or they will be forced to report/share it. We do try to use those additional gratuities forms from guest services, referred to above; that way we can be sure it goes directly to a specific person but we don't have to hassle with USD vs euros, etc. And better to track in our budget vs cash. PS: they now have renamed tips/gratuities to "crew appreciation."

Our Celebrity transfers for October 2024 are $111pp, for Bologna airport BLQ to Ravenna pier and then from Civitavecchia to Fiumincino FCO. So roughly $55 per transfer event.

We're doing this itinerary in the fall, only tendering once in Montenegro. Have been to most of the ports several times & looking forward to it again! A few of the ports you need to take their shuttle into town from the pier: Dubrovnik, Zadar, Brindisi. That live review posted above noted that the Zadar shuttle isn't free--but this to my mind is an outrage as you apparently can't leave the pier on your own... But Get Your Guide often offers cheap shuttles in the ports. Bruges, Bilbao are a couple we've done.

Check out the poffertjes in their Dutch Cafe!

Just a note that Get Your Guide sells water taxi tix to the airport (one way) for 40 euro. We did that a few years ago. Or you can also see the ticket machine where you can buy them on the pier in a couple of the photos above. I would book it ahead/ make advance reservations though...

We get Allianz Global insurance and always get reimbursed for any missed ports, $100 pp. But it depends on the specific policy: check to see what's covered before you buy any given one.

Just adding this here for the folks who will be cruising on the Connie sometime soon; we were on her in March: a hidden side door in the minbar cabinet holds an ice bucket, corkscrew, glasses, etc. Check it out if yours are missing.

We sailed on Connie in March too, just before the TA and refurb. Folks who work on board, officers, staff, bar & restaurant, crew--and even the shop personnel--were lovely, ship was great, entertainment rocked... Food was fine; we only did MDR, OV and the free venues this time (cruising with friends & fam). Our concierge stateroom was just okay--but we're spoiled Elite who usually stay in Sky Suites, so that's on us, lol. BTW, a hidden side door in the minbar cabinet holds the ice bucket, corkscrew, glasses, etc.

Thank you so much!!! We're doing this itinerary next fall, Rav to Rome. I struggled mightily to figure out a way to get to the Sea Organ in Zadar but the logistics were daunting (and the ship's tuktuk tour is sold out), so I went ahead and booked a tour that would drop us nearby. The shuttle is perfect! Appreciate the info about Brindisi and drive time to Alberello too (had booked a tour with that as well). All very enlightening, entertaining--and lovely photos! You have a gift. Btw, we were on the Connie in March, just before drydock--CD Sue had announced it was her final cruise!!! Retiring. Funny to see she is still aboard, in the same role. Will be curious to see if she's still there in Oct.

We discovered after a few days on our last cruise that there was a second full set of linens (for the bathroom) under the sink...

Oops, replied to JackE for your post...

Ooh, one of our all-time favorite itineraries! Depending on your interests, the university of Tromso's museum has a great anthropology exhibit on the Sami people (you will be in the Sami nation that far north). Also a cool Arctic native plants garden. In Honnigsvag in June, the locals were all in shorts and tee shirts, but the Cape requires at least a good windbreaker and scarf, lol. Astonishing geography! And reindeer, just wandering about...

I suspect our encounter with (I think) the Scarlet Lady in Rhodes last Sept. may have been a one off: our tiny Azamara ship docked next to them at the same pier, and bunches of pax disembarked at the same time. The V folks seemed overwhelmingly to be in their 30s (college prof here; I guess age ranges pretty well). And partiers, based on overheard conversations. Our small private tour was mostly V folks. They regaled with fun events such as regular pajama parties onboard. Typical or no?