Host Jazzbeau

One thing I like about the Cruise Critic boards is that you get to know the personality of people, which helps in interpreting their reactions to things. [This is missing from the Reviews section of Cruise Critic.] Some people are naturally pessimistic, others naturally optimistic. That can lead to two reports from the very same cruise that don't even sound like the same ship!

I found the airport website with info on their storage lockers – this would work, but they are outside Security. I would prefer to leave the bags inside, to make our later entry through Security that much easier. We will have access to the ANA Airport Lounge. Does anybody know if we can leave our bags there (safely)?

On our way to the Azores we will have a 9 hour layover at LIS. We were thinking of visiting the Gulbenkian Museum, but don't want to be lugging our carry-on bags. Is there a bag check facility at the LIS airport?

Thread pruned to get it back on OP's original topic. This thread is about personal experiences of getting Covid onboard.

Thanks – I didn't know it was possible recently. [I figured it must have been back in the 'formal' days when ships rented tuxes, but I wondered if that died out because of tighter pollution controls in addition to lack of interest.] I never bring dry-clean-only clothes when traveling, so never had occasion to test this out.

Since Scenic is all-inclusive for drinks, that isn't really an option. But Scenic was very very good to us last month, so I'm sure they will do right by these cruisers. [I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I stupidly left my camera on the tour bus on the D-Day excursion and didn't notice until the next morning. Our Scenic CD went above and beyond, calling the bus company every day for almost a month until they finally located my camera. She has contacted me for return instructions, and I expect it back soon. I couldn't be more positive about Scenic's onboard experience!]

There are a bunch of amphibious bus-like vehicles called 'Duck Boats' in cities in the US [and elsewhere?] based on a WWII design. They are a lot of fun [we did this in Boston] – until they capsize and the limitations of that old design become obvious. The Amphicar sits even lower to the waterline than the Duck Boats – so "you'll never get me up in one of those things!"

Viking's ads on PBS make it the only river cruise line many people have ever heard of. So they think this is normal. You, as an astute member of Cruise Critic, know better! And the sticky's at the top of this thread will help you discover and compare the many other river cruise line options. Enjoy your research, and bon voyage!

You should also check with your airline, as they might have their own requirements.

For best compatibility with all computer OSes and browsers, and phones and tablets: don't select any particular font or size. If you leave the settings as 'default' each user's settings can change the fonts to make them more readable. But once you choose any font or size, they can't be changed. [I run my browser at +4 for Cruise Critic for maximum readability, which works great most of the time – except when people lock in their selections instead of letting my choices override.]

Which is the 'take-away' I got from Gary Bembridge's video review in the link above. No reason for CONCERN!! Looking forward to our cruise on Journey in October, and expecting it to match our AzAmazing experiences on prior cruises.

Absolutely! Please pass on anything she reports – as this ship [and the whole category of Emerald ocean cruises] is new, every report is worth its weight in [gold, electrons, ether? – whatever, worth a lot!!!]

The lesson I took from your photo was that Jeans are just not a good thing to bring on travel. Too bulky to get laundered, and impossible to do in the cabin because they would never dry.

Thanks to @lisiamc here is recent video review of Azamara that compares it to the old Azamara [under Royal Caribbean ownership] and to Oceania (and Windstar):

So Mysty, we're all glad you're having a great time on this cruise. But I just wanted to say that this place [the water cooler] just ain't the same without you! 💌

I suspect that Covid has changed the rules in a lot of places...

Or has realized that Marghera is a lousy alternative until the new terminal is built [some day; remember the adage about Rome...]

Multiple people have stated that it's excursion-only, and an equal number say all OBC is for anything. Likewise multiple people have stated that Azamara rejects the eMed proctored tests, and an equal number say they were let on the ship with that test. So I don't think we can believe either answer on either issue... In this case [unlike the pre-cruise Covid test issue], there seems to be less danger of a fatal mistake. My advice would be this: protect yourself by booking lots of Azamara excursions now to make sure you have secured your spots [in case it really is limited to shore-excursions] – and, if you think you can use up the OBC without shore excursions, make sure your third-party providers allow penalty-free cancellations once you are onboard and learn the real truth. Then you will be protected either way and can sleep soundly until you are onboard!

Once you have reached Tronchetto to park, how much time does it then take to get to the tourist sites you want to see in Venice, or even to the vaporetto stop at Piazzale Roma? Assuming this is a first visit, St. Mark's and the Doge Palace would presumably be at the top of the list, so then you have to get all the way back to Tronchetto before starting the drive to Ravenna. IMHO this plan is too likely to end with you waving goodbye to the ship as it has pulled out without you...

Only saw one person on our Scenic Normandy cruise using the Scenic backpack. [Ours were waiting for us when we got home. Very heavy – wouldn't have used them anyway.]

They also haven't watched a "medically proctored test" lately: at CVS, they hand you the swab and let you probe your own nose. How is that different from the tech on the video call watching you do it?

How long is the cruise? Time to cross the Arctic Circle between Basel and Frankfurt??? 🤣

The song was never accurate! But the lyricist needed 'April' to fit the meter. Charles Aznavour was much more accurate with his song 'J'aime Paris au mois de mai.'

We prefer a French balcony. The ships we've been on have two curtains: sheer and room-darkening. Even if rafted we can close the sheer and still get light. It makes the cabin so much more pleasant. And we do spend time in the cabin other than showering and sleeping – there is so much social-time on river cruises that we savor the privacy!

Does that mean you also left your magnets? Hopefully the cabin attendant was able to use them in their crew cabin, which must be even tighter than the passenger ones!