alfredo1

Todays email offers the 18 night Ancient Trade Routes in October 2024 on the Pursuit, sailing from Athens to Dubai via the Suez Canal. As there is little sign of the conflict in that area ending any time soon, this does not reflect well on the quality control on Azamara......or perhaps they offer in hope!!

After much grief with the previous dreadful Azamara landside communication and management much discussed on this forum, we have booked another cruise direct with Azamara which was an easy and pleasant process assisted by Bridget at Witchita and two subsequent brief calls to others, and we also managed at use the OBC from the Livorno incident on this booking. All in all a very efficient and professional service which bodes well for the future. Here's hoping.

We were also on this cruise and accepted the two day FCC, to be with us within 40 days and not yet here, but more disappointing was the very poor treatment of mainly UK passengers compared to those from the US and Canada who received considerable more benefits in either OBC or FCC. First time ever Azamara did not implement transparent and equable treatment across the board to all passengers. Disappointing and probably counterproductive in the long run.

Also on Onward just now and situation handled well byCaptain G, but the situation with compensation is causing some upset, some guests get offered 50% off next cruise whilst some get a smaller amount of refundable OBC dependent on where they booked the cruise and whether it was booked direct or through an agent, and at a public forum they failed to mention that. Situation ongoing.

Goldoni used for the Azamazing Evening is in Livorno. https://www.goldoniteatro.it/

Received today: "Your scheduled AzAmazing Evening – An Operatic Evening at the Goldoni Theatre has been changed to a Destination Celebration – Evening of Italian Opera . We believe this change will provide you with a truly memorable, authentic experience that immerses you deeper into the local culture." The Goldoni was on of the better evenings, shame it's gone while dressed up as an improvement.

Been on all four Azamara ships in the last year, and over four score since inception, and to my mind the conversion of the library on Onward from a classy upmarket space to a small elitist cocktail bar chasing revenue demeans the Azamara product and removes something which distinguishes them from other lines, makes the BOB evening and other events less special, and removes an intimate event space. Please do not do this to the other ships, the library is a special feature of Azamara, cocktail bars are not, and Azamara is an unique cruise line.

The whole discussion about small showers and shower curtains is a non issue as explained to me by a cabin steward over 12 years ago, put a floor mat and towel on the floor outside the shower and wash with the curtains open. It makes surprisingly little mess and works for me at 1m90.

Latest flash sale is interesting. Ran it through for a cruise in November we booked a week ago to find that our cabin grade is approx. £1000 more expensive than what we paid and: Our package includes BA flights, one night pre cruise hotel, transfers, and two nights post cruise hotel Hard to fathom Azamara's pricing strategy, especially as it seems ships are sailing at far from capacity.

RE THE SALTIES POST: Do you have a contact number for the UK Hertfordshire office. Thanks

Hi, In terms of clothing some manufacturers do mosquito/insect proof clothing. Used for trekking in Peru and survived, and some more fashional items are available. Not allowed to name manufacturer but if you google nosilife that should take you to them. Hope this helps.

Re Goldiemom enquiry re Burns Museum. Greenock Burns Club (The Mother Club), oldest in the world, have a Burns Exhibition within the historic Customhouse Building in Greenock which is on the quayside almost adjacent to the cruise terminal. Entry is free and exhibition is open when cruise ships are berthed. Much Burns history in Greenock, and the burial place of 'Highland Mary' Campbell, who was a lover of Burns. www.greenockburnsclub.com https://discoverinverclyde.com/

GREENOCK (GLASGOW) CRUISE VISIT. With a new terminal now opened, Greenock Central train station is 5/7 minutes walk away, safe and very easy. There is a regular direct train service to Glasgow, 3 trains an hour, with fares below $15 per person. This terminates at Glasgow Central Staion, and the name illustrates the location. The current taxi rate from the pier is around £45 per hour, with also fixed rate tour prices. Capacity 4 persons and up. Hope this helps.

Jeez, looking to find and book a cruise today, website opened up as special offer from 1st June......2nd passenger half price and $750 OBC, sounds good so examined a couple of cruises,but...come to process a booking that reverts to up to $500 OBC, to quote an across the pond saying, What Gives??

Glad to see CHTobi agrees with us, both well invested in Azamara over the years, more than most, but wish them well and Larry back. Azamara ain't Holland America and until the new management recognise that they will struggle. We don't want new ships, fancy cocktail bars and falderalls. Great crew, good food, interesting passengers and different itineraries are sufficient for the average discerning Azamara passenger. If not Silversea and Seabourn will welcome us, and too bad for that.

What should be worrying for Azamara, if they monitor this forum, are the ongoing and continual complaints and dissatisfaction from obviously long time cruisers and supporters of Azamara who do not seek to put the line down but want it deliver the standards experienced some time ago now. We have cruised with Azamara since the early days, been top cruisers etc. and could have bought a nice apartment with what we have paid them, but found that Azamara delivered what we wanted at decent value for money, but there is no denying that things things are awry just now. Over three cruises last year we could see things improving, but still not as good as expected and the huge turnover of crew would not have helped. The current situation with website and contact centre is disgraceful, it is impossible to properly research cabin availability and book online or even by telephone due to the lack of knowledge being displayed and it seems at times prices are unrealistically high despite the repeated "special offer" emails, to such an extent we have just booked a like for like cruise with Seabourn at a better price all in than Azamara. Something has to give and in troubled times Azamara should be pushing forward unbeatable value to maintain and increase their customer base rather than chasing increasing fares without delivering the quality expected. Wonder how Larry P. is doing??

Why tip there and not in windows, mosiac, kitchen,laundry, etc. Tips are included in your fare and you will not get any better service by tipping. Put something in the crew fund and all crew will get benefit. Sorry, but it's a North American driven habit. Try it in japan, OZ, NZ, where tipping is not required or appreciated.

Hi, A google search for luggage store "facilities cape town city centre" identifies a couple of options. Enjoy the day it is a great city.

I know that this thread has gone off subject to an extent, however the report highlights an issue that Azamara really has to address where it refers to the lack of any dress code. Over the years we have been cruising with Azamara the dress of passengers onboard has changed from "country club casual" to almost "Gardeners World" and there seems to be no management of any standard during the evening in Discoveries Restaurant and the speciality venues. This was particularly apparent on our last cruise on Pursuit where there seemed to be many passengers who made no effort and one group in particular who frequented the speciality restaurants dressed in shorts and T shirts in none too clean condition. The casual environment on Azamara is very comfortable and a million miles from the stuffy and strict codes of the past, and in some cases current, but it is nice to make an effort during the evenings when it creates a pleasant environment for all. In the main the immediate competitors to Azamara such as Oceania and Seabourn manage this better, and it is generally disrespectful to the staff who are all immaculate and clean whilst serving, and if allowed to continue will lead to a decline in the public perception of Azamara standards.

We also viewed this and having been on board Quest some months ago we were taken aback by the content, especially if Ryszard was the Hotel Manager. He is one of the best and very adept at handling guest complaints correctly.

Hi Just in case. We have used the underneath on 4 cruises both ways. Very reliable and 100 euros each way. Contact Pino at. jumplimousinerome@gmail.com

FLORENCE ON YOUR OWN!! Azamara are normally tied up almost right in the town centre of Livorno. Get off the ship, walk five minutes to the bottom of the Via Grande, buy bus tickets from the newsagents on the right hand side at the bottom of that road, get the bus outside the newsagents (blue route from memory, check), and in 5/8 minutes you are dropped off at the station. Get off the train at Florence and you can see the architectural sights, 5 minute walk and you are there. Repeat to get back to the ship. Very easy, very reasonable price, and you are in control of what you want to see. Simples!!

We have used the operator below many times, and always reliable, smart drivers with quality vehicles. Used again 8 weeks ago, and charge was 100 euros per vehicle. https://www.jumplimousinerome.it/ Used by many Azamara passengers. Email to Pino for immediate reply.

We were also on that cruise and were presented with the disgusting brown Viognier. I rest my case!!

Why the discussion about buying wine ashore. Azamara address the problem!! I read this discussion with some dismay because the root cause is that Azamara produces poor complementary wines, and has done for some time. The same applies to the complementary bar menu which is probably the poorest on the high seas, see RCI and Celebrity, and this leading to a push to upgrade onboard and generate revenue. We are long time Azamara supporters from the early days, are Discoverer plus, have completed two cruises this year and one approaching. On both we felt that the service presentation and quality was not as before, but possibly willing to accept that because of problems with staffing and supply, but Azamara make this difficult.....Cancelling Spa access for CC suite customers a few days before our cruise because of capacity issues on the Onward, changing the Covid test process at short notice, changing the library into a bar, and now cancelling four half bottles of spirits and replacing by one litre of spirits. The spa and spirits replacement do not particularly bother us but it leaves the feeling of nickle and diming as described by American guests which was not the Azamara way. This feeling is not helped by the slow drip replacement of loyal senior staff to other lines which causes a feeling of disquiet. The new management of Azamara need to make a decision as to the way forward, because the move to Seabourn and Silversea with massively better quality is not too difficult, and Oceania and Celebrity provide a much better product around the same price band. I understand that Azamara monitor this forum, and it saddens me to say this but our next Azamara cruise may be our last unless things improve across the board, and having spoken to many disappointed travellers on our last two cruises we are not alone in this view. Over to Azamara.