Turangi!

Viveretravel,

Yes, an hour at the Faberge is good... it's a small museum, unlike the Hermitage!!! The Faberge eggs are exquisite but so are all the other Faberge items. Even the teenagers on our tour were more interested than I thought they would be! Definitely say yes to the subway tour, which my husband thought was a highlight!!!! And prepared to be overwhelmed with gold leaf at Catherine's Palace! Make sure to carry extra camera batteries!!! And make sure to take a silly picture of your "booties" at the Palace! Also...make sure to admire the ceilings at the Hermitage that rival the art on the walls!!!! Have fun...I could go back again!!!

Mary aka Turangi!

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Viveretravel,

We did a private tour last August in St. Petersburg when we were on the Quest. There was no problem as long as you have the proper paperwork from your tour company (usually the tour tickets, so make sure you print them at home!) when you go through Customs and Immigration at the end of the dock. We were at the English Embankment and our tour guide from Alla met us right outside.

Azamara will provide the Russian Immigration forms to be filled out the night before and I think wanted to know private tour information for St. Petersburg when we checked in Southhampton. You must be on an organized tour which means you are not allowed to wander around and your tour guide is responsible for you. The cost of getting a full Russian Visa that would allow you to tour around on your own is more than hiring a guide so it's the easiest way to go. Most of the tour companies that are recommended on Cruise Critic are excellent and do pretty much the same itineraries. We did Alla, but I know people who have done SPB, TJ Tours, Tours by Locals and everyone was very happy with their guides. I've done St. Petersburg twice (once on Celebrity and then on Azamara) and both times we toured with Alla on a "shared" tour; we definitely saw a lot more than the Big Bus tours. Consider the new Faberge Museum if you are customizing an itinerary or choosing between standard offerings.

We had a wonderful Azamara Amazing Evening in St. Petersburg and they organized everyone off the ship and back, so we went in and out of Russian Immigration 3 X while we were there without much delay, first day there was a line, but they gave people time slots. We found Azamara Quest staff more than willing to accommodate our private tour arrangements as we were meeting our guide at a certain time. St. Petersburg is a beautiful city and there is lots to see! Have a great cruise!

Mary aka Turangi!

Cambodia has an e-visa... here's the link https://www.evisa.gov.kh/

Or you can apply at the airport in Siem Reap when you arrive... not sure where you will arrive in Cambodia for your river cruise so the evisa might be the best option...

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Perhaps Bonnie could run it by corporate??? There aren't a lot of perks for B2Bers but it's a nice gesture and the B2B will smell nicer! ;)

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Azamara Affecionads,

On our last B2B on Celebrity, we got a free laundry coupon for doing a B2B... does AZ do this? It was a nice perk in addition to our Elite/Discoverer laundry allowance!!! <Bonnie???> We had enough laundry coupons for the entire cruise!!!

Turangi

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Hi Allison,

We were on the Quest last August and disembarked in Stockholm at 4:30 AM without any problems. We basically walked off the ship and met our driver from Sun Transfers who got us to Arlanda Airport in half an hour!

We were on an early flight to Heathrow and there were quite a few people from the ship on that flight. It is too early in the morning for an Azamara transfer so you will have to make your own arrangements.

Like you, I was worried about disembarking so I wrote to the Ports of Stockholm and here's the official response from last July 2016.

"I’ve received your email through the Port of Stockholm and you can leave the Azamara Quest anytime during the night from Vartahamnen.

Any transfer request the ships concierge or front desk will be able to help you with. Please observe that the drive from the port to airport is around 35 – 40 minutes in the morning and check-in opens only 2 hours before all departures to Europe and only for direct flights to the USA or Asia will check-in open 3 hours before departure.

Kind regards

Bo M.....

Regional Manager Nordic Countries & Baltic Sea

Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services"

There was lots of confusion of where we were docking and although we were told we would be at Frihamnen, my research showed we would be at Vartahamen, which was where we ended up. The docks are next to each other and Vartahamen, where we actually docked was a temporary tented facility, so I couldn't predict where you will be next summer, but be assured that if you make transfer arrangements, the driver will find the ship. We had the Concierge contact our transfer company the night before as were not docked where we had told them.

Everything went smoothly, so "don't worry...be happy!" Have a great cruise!

Turangi!

ArtistCleveland,

Definitely you should try Azamara as it is an upscale experience from Celebrity. One of the major reasons for this is mostly due to the happy crew, who are always willing and able to help or just smile and say hello! We loved our barista Ruby on our last cruise on the Quest! When staff ask if everything is fine, they go above and beyond to make sure it is up to your expectations.

We are not foodies, but I do think the food is better on Azamara. We loved the Tapas in the Living Room and enjoyed the themed buffets in the Windows Cafe as well as upscale dining in the MDR. Azamara listens to its customers and have been improving its services, such as adding more choices for complimentary wines.

There are some disadvantages to the smaller size ship—the staterooms (and the bathrooms) are definitely smaller, especially compared to the recent builds. But the ship size allows it to dock in closer in the major cities and the free shuttle makes for touring on your own easy. We loved being in Helsinki at Market Square and docking up the Neva in St. Petersburg this summer!

Because it is a small ship there are not as many activities offered and I would say that the Itinerary has to be the dominate reason for choosing it over the less expensive choices with the mid-sized cruise lines, including Celebrity, as it is a very laid back atmosphere and there's not as much to do on sea days, which is fine with me!

The Cabaret shows aren't spectacular but the small group of performers are usually excellent (and CD Russ is fabulous). AZ does excel with their complimentary Azamara Evening and the two I have attended were excellent.

When I can justify the difference in costs, I would choose Azamara, but we are more than happy with Celebrity, who we are cruising again with this November.

Turangi!

UpWardUK,

My most vivid memory of Tallinn is "pier running" ... after spending a wonderful day exploring the walled city, we got back to the port mid-afternoon but lost track of time in the wonderful craft market at the end of our pier and realized that our ship was leaving in a few minutes and we had to run for the ship before they pulled up the gangway... the furniture was already put away!!! :eek:

Never thought I would be one of the "pier runners" that you watch with amusement from your balcony!!! :o :p :o

Turangi!

WCC19,

Many thanks for the info! Getting excited about our upcoming Baltic Quest. My husband had to cancel last time last minute so I went with a girlfriend instead, so it will be all new for him...so it willl be interesting to see what he likes best! Definitely St. Petersburg was the highlight, especially Catherine's Palace and the Church of the Spilled Blood, but LOVED Amsterdam... but each port was unique.... the strawberries in Helsinki, Rosenberg Castle in Cophenhagen, Vasa in Stockholm, touring with Dave in Warnemunde, pier running in Tallinn.... can't wait until we board late July!!!

Turangi!

WCC19!

Many thanks for your review. We are on the July 22 Baltic Quest and appreciate hearing about your cruise. I did the Baltic in 2013 on Celebrity and we had great weather so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A few quick questions...

Where did you dock in St. Petersburg——English Embankment or Lt. Schmidt or out at the big terminal Marine Facade?

Where did you dock in Stockholm——Frihamnen or Vartahamnen? Was there a shuttle in Stockholm?

And finally, what was your favourite port????

Turangi!

[emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898]Cheers to AZ![emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898][emoji898]

AZ Affecionados!

Most excellent news that we will be given even more choice and if the could slip in a prosseco or cava in the white option, we would be most happy cruisers! Well done AZ!

Turangi!

Hi Bonnie and AZ affecionados,

Can I add my vote to adding a cava or prosecco option on Azamara and also a suggestion of how it might work!

I understand why Corporate might not want to add a bubbly option throughout the ship because of the issues of wastage; once a bottle is opened it has to be consumed before it goes flat. Also, we know that Corporate doesn't want to discourage Champagne sales in the dining venues.

I would like to suggest that a cava or prosecco be offered in the Living Room with the Tapas in the late afternoon/early evening. It is a perfect compliment to the type of tapas that AZ is offering and would satisfy the many AZ cruisers who want a bubbly glass before dinner. It would make the Tapas service a bit more special, in keeping with the upscale image of AZ.

When we are on Celebrity, we often will have a glass or prosecco before dinner instead of wine or a cocktail. It is included with their Classic Package and even though we have a Like Package on our upcoming AZ cruise, we still don't have a bubbly included although DH is happy with the expanded beer choices.

Hope my suggestion makes for interesting discussions!

Turangi!

Take the ferry across to Lokrum Island and enjoy a quiet day on the island. Bring your bathing suit for a swim in the Dead Sea Lake or off the rocks in the Med! We toured the city in the morning, but enjoyed the beauty and tranquility of the island in the afternoon. Wished we could of spent more time at the little outdoor bar near the Lake!

AZ Affecionados,

Does anyone know where Azamara usually docks in the St. Petersburg. We are not on the Schedule for the BIG port outside of the city, Marine Facade, for 2016 and others have suggested either the English Embankment or Lt. Schmidt? But I can't find an answer (no reply from AZ yet).

Just to add to the discussion, we used Alla in 2013 and I will be using them again. We had a great guide and two full days in St. Petersburg, seeing a lot more than the Celebrity tours did. Other CC's used SPB and TJ and everyone loved their guides and had a great experience. We ran into our fellow cruisers throughout the days at all the major sites, so I would say it's just a minor preference for what they are offering from each company since the tours cover all the major sites. Don't miss The Church of the Saviour of the Spilled Blood, St. Catherine's Palace and the Hermitage. We saw the St. Petersburg subway but didn't ride it and it was impressive but not a tour breaker if it's not offered!

If you are offered a chance to go to the local produce Market, do say yes, instead our group went to a very high end souvenir shop, but others who did the market loved the experience!

Has anyone been the Faberge Museum? It wasn't open when I was there last time, so it's on my to do list this time!

Turangi!

Aussie Travel Bird,

Enjoy the Dubai to Athens cruise! Yes, travel is about exploring the world with an open mind. If our cruise paths cross, loved to have you on a Trivia Team... one piece of advice for this cruise, make sure your team is geographically diverse, we definitely needed some Aussies or Kiwis on our team... With all the sea days, trivia was a major competition!

And yes, Petra is amazing... We did a Land Discoveries tour in Muscat, Oman and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque was the highlight!

Turangi!

AZ Affecionados,

I agree with Kazloudspeaker that the military presence made the transit much safer, and I would definitely do this cruise again. There's no reason to rethink your travel plans, but go in knowing it's not a typical cruise and the extra security measure are in place to keep you and the multimillion dollar cruise ship safe!

Some people didn't know about the Gulf of Aden situation before boarding and did express concerns which was what I was trying to convey with my initial comments. We all have different comfort levels :o!

Turangi!

AZ Affecionados,

We did this cruise from Dubai to Istanbul last April 2015. This is not a cruise for the faint of heart.

Captain Carl was hard on the gas pedal through the Somali pirate territory but we didn't see any pirates, mostly because the Saudi airforce was patrolling everything on the water there to stop arms transport to Yemen that they were in active combat with when we went through. There is an international armed forces presence also patrolling the Gulf of Aden and they are usually bored so they investigate anything suspicious!

We "went dark" for only four nights but we were allowed to dine in the dark on the back deck at Windows Cafe. A new CC friend was upset because she couldn't use her balcony but when I told her she could go to Windows, she was happy. We both agreed it was disappointing when they put the lights back on!

Then we speed through the Red Sea to make our Suez Canal transit. The Canal is silting up so there was only one-way traffic, backing up traffic at either end! (Not sure if this has improved since last year?)

Envious that this trip stops in Aqaba. Jordan is a marvellous place to visit. We did Petra in the 1990s with our then 6 year-old son. Petra is a World Heritage site. DO NOT MISS IT. Don't take the camel ride into Petra, wait until you are tired and hot and take it back out, it used to be half the price!!!

Have a great cruise... we did Progressive Trivia (and we have bragging rights) and I learned that I'm not ever going to become a famous watercolour artist, but it was fun to learn on the many sea days!

Turangi!

AZ Affecionados,

Many thanks for the info, especially the link to the picture! Okay, Tapas looks like it's mostly small appetizers so it won't be enough to graze on ... but looks delicious! I want to try the Gazapacho!!!

Okay, so what's the schedule for the new Patio? Does it close down to make the changeover? I'm still trying to figure out our options for an early dinner so we can get out and explore Amsterdam.

Turangi!

AZ Affecionados,

Can someone who had cruised recently tell us a little about the Tapas being served in the refit Living Room? What was on offer? Is there enough to graze on and miss formal dinner? Is it similar to the afternoon hors d'oeuvres we had delivered to our stateroom last time? Anyone know what time it goes up??

I'm trying to plan a Canal Cruise when we arrive in Amsterdam in the early evening next July, so I need to figure what our options will be. Windows doesn't open until 6:30 and a meal in the MDR might take too long to get out and enjoy the daylight, so I'm hoping that this new service might be exactly what we are looking for and I can reassure that if anyone joins our group, they won't go hungry!

(The charter boat will also be serving hot and cold appetizers... so we are not likely to starve...:rolleyes:)

Many thanks!

Turangi!