Onboard Quest now!

[critterchick]

Greetings from Quest! We are currently waiting to get to Shanghai, so I thought I would take a few minutes to post my thoughts so far. We are having a great time!

 

The crew are fabulous, and are taking very good care of us. Our N-1 has some bumps and bruises and our duct tape is coming in handy for keeping loose things from rattling during the night. It's spotlessly clean and nothing is too amiss, but is definitely ready for a makeover.

 

The food is delish - we've been to Discoveries, Aqualina and Prime C so far, will try Windows Cafe eventually. In spite of getting my 10k steps daily, I anticipate going home heavier.:eek:

 

We had our CC get together on the first night, our overnight in Osaka, and it was surprisingly (to me) well-attended. It was announced that our stop in Hong Kong will be at the remote terminal rather than in town and all hell broke loose, with poor Russ being the shot messenger. I will confess that we are very disappointed in that decision, but of course can't do anything about it. It was a decision made by Miami, and unless Captain Jose, a/k/a the Voice from the Bridge, can pull a rabbit out of his hat, we are stuck with it.

 

One thing not mentioned in the letter about the 20% cruise credit offered to those who chose to continue with the sailing is that it can only be applied to a sailing within the year. We likely won't be able to take advantage, since we are booked through that period of time. However, they are offering 25% off every cruise we book onboard, so we are more than making up for it.:D

 

Oh, and contrary to what has been reported previously, lemon drops and cosmopolitans are NOT available on the complimentary list.

 

But otherwise all is grand and we are happy to be here. And Philip says hi to Bonnie.:)

[dbali]

No lemon drops or cosmos? Such a shame as they are not hard to make and I can't believe that the bartenders don't know how to make them, either.

 

Glad you are having a good time.

[florisdekort]

Curious what is meant with "the remote terminal" in Hong Kong. The new terminal is brilliant and just a short taxi ride from everything. Granted - it's not right in the heart of Kowloon, but it's still way better than most other ports!

 

As for things "rattling in the night", you're on a ship - it moves :) I hope your duck tape doesn't damage things; I'm not sure if I wanted someone to go around my house putting duck tape on everything.

 

As for cosmos being included / not included - you might get the "no" answer if you ask it like that. If you ask for a vodka with cranberry juice they'll happily make it for you :)

Edited March 21, 2016 by florisdekort

[Host Jazzbeau]

As for cosmos being included / not included - you might get the "no" answer if you ask it like that. If you ask for a vodka with cranberry juice they'll happily make it for you :)

 

That's what I was thinking: ask for the included vodka, then ask for the other ingredients and make your own. Of course, you won't be able to get it "shaken, not stirred"! :eek: But I'm only 001 [license to glare :D]

[critterchick]

Glad to see the attack dogs are on duty. I don't even drink cosmos or lemon drops, was just doing some research for people, sheesh.

 

And the rabbit is indeed out of the hat - Captain Jose was able to get us our lost two hours back in Hong Kong.

[excitedofharpenden]

Good to hear you are enjoying Quest and pleased you are going to be able to dock in Kowloon after all. The view from the open decks of the HK skyline are one of my most memorable sights on a cruise ship. Continue to enjoy!

 

Phil

[Lioncub]

Just a note on Cosmopolitans. Looking at the included spirits list on the website, Triple Sec is on there. Just ask the bar tender to use Triple Sec instead of Cointreau (the offending and non comp spirit in the blend). Bobs your uncle you have a very nice Cosmo! In fact checking the recipe out in my cocktail book shows Triple Sec as the required ingredient for a Cosmo anyway. This worked very well on my last trip on Journey last year. In fact there are quite a few cocktails where this switching of ingredients can work very well. I just hope I haven't opened a proverbial Pandora's box with this one........

[KirkNC]

Thanks for your report.

[critterchick]

Good to hear you are enjoying Quest and pleased you are going to be able to dock in Kowloon after all. The view from the open decks of the HK skyline are one of my most memorable sights on a cruise ship. Continue to enjoy!

 

Phil

 

We are docking at Kai Tek (I think that's it' I've never been to HK before) but are no longer departing at 4:00 - we are back to our original time of 6:00. We are currently in Shanghai enjoying the building light show. Wow.

 

I've now crossed 5 continents off the list. Hoping for all 7 by summer 2017.:D

[Azamarajunkie]

We are just off the Journey, we managed to have a lemon drop made in the Discoveries bar after a short discussion with the bar tender about using normal vodka and Triple Sec with lemon syrup. Bonnie was indeed right, it is available, you just have to ask for it to be made with the included spirits. I doubt it will appear as an included cocktail on the list though.

[excitedofharpenden]

We are docking at Kai Tek (I think that's it' I've never been to HK before) but are no longer departing at 4:00 - we are back to our original time of 6:00. We are currently in Shanghai enjoying the building light show. Wow.

 

I've now crossed 5 continents off the list. Hoping for all 7 by summer 2017.:D

 

Sorry, I misunderstood your post. Yes, Kai Tak is where the old airport used to be, but not too far. I loved the Singapore to Shanghai cruise I did on Quest a few years ago and felt it was a real journey from the heat and humidity of Singapore to the chill of Nagasaki and Shanghai. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

Phil

[BBMacLaird]

We are just off the Journey, we managed to have a lemon drop made in the Discoveries bar after a short discussion with the bar tender about using normal vodka and Triple Sec with lemon syrup. Bonnie was indeed right, it is available, you just have to ask for it to be made with the included spirits. I doubt it will appear as an included cocktail on the list though.

 

I have confirmed that both a Cosmopolitan and a Lemon Drop are available if you ask for one. The confusion may be that they are not listed on the complimentary drinks.

[Spursgirl]

No lemon drops or cosmos? Such a shame as they are not hard to make and I can't believe that the bartenders don't know how to make them, either.

 

Glad you are having a good time.

 

I am very happy with the complimentary drinks selection but on our last Journey cruise we fancied a Lemon Drop and had no problem about paying for it.

 

Have to say it was probably the worst Lemon Drop ever and is probably one of the few things that Azamara can improve on.

 

Won't stop me booking another Azamara cruise soon though:D

[Lottie A]

I am very happy with the complimentary drinks selection but on our last Journey cruise we fancied a Lemon Drop and had no problem about paying for it.

 

Have to say it was probably the worst Lemon Drop ever and is probably one of the few things that Azamara can improve on.

 

Won't stop me booking another Azamara cruise soon though:D

 

Or me! :D

[Pam]

I just thought of something, I'm curious. How does the bartender know if the passenger has an alcohol package? Do you have a sticker on your card?

[excitedofharpenden]

I just thought of something, I'm curious. How does the bartender know if the passenger has an alcohol package? Do you have a sticker on your card?

Yes, you have a sticker.

 

Phil

[critterchick]

I have confirmed that both a Cosmopolitan and a Lemon Drop are available if you ask for one. The confusion may be that they are not listed on the complimentary drinks.

 

Thanks for the follow up, Bonnie. Now I'm going to have to ask for one. Oh, the hardship!:D

 

We had a great overnight in Shanghai. The traffic sailing down the river was impressive. We passed by the dock where the big ships have to be and felt just a wee bit smug. We are docked with a spectacular view of the buildings lighting up at night, and should have a great sailaway in a litter over an hour, assuming that none of the ship's tours are stuck in traffic. We've had a late arrival in both Osaka and Hiroshima, which probably only affects the Chief Engineer's fuel budget, poor guy.

 

Oh, and the included red & white wines are eminently swillable. I prefer the whites as a whole. We got a 5 bottle package with our extra OBC and are splurging on the occasional more expensive bottle, since we can't take the OBC with us.

 

Life is good.

[nordski]

Thanks for all of your comments.

 

They make that itinerary seem very intriguing indeed.

[Clarea]

Looking forward to following along Jean.:)

[Keith1010]

Enjoy your cruise.

Keith

[muggchen]

Greetings from Quest! We are currently waiting to get to Shanghai, so I thought I would take a few minutes to post my thoughts so far. We are having a great time!

 

 

 

our stop in Hong Kong will be at the remote terminal rather than in town and all hell broke loose, with poor Russ being the shot messenger. I will confess that we are very disappointed in that decision, but of course can't do anything about it. It was a decision made by Miami,

 

 

we enjoyed it very much docking in the old place, in the heart of the city.

very comfortable to walk into the city.

Bonnie, why decide Miami this?

perhaps all cruise ships incl Azamara will dock in the future at the new terminal Kai Tak Terminal ,10 km away from the city.

 

 

 

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[BBMacLaird]

we enjoyed it very much docking in the old place, in the heart of the city.

very comfortable to walk into the city.

Bonnie, why decide Miami this?

perhaps all cruise ships incl Azamara will dock in the future at the new terminal Kai Tak Terminal ,10 km away from the city.

Gesendet von iPad mit Tapatalk

 

If / when one of our ships changes to another terminal at such short notice, eg while a cruise is underway, you can be sure it was not our decision, unless there was a safety / security issue at the originally scheduled terminal, which is not the case in Hong Kong. (Wow, that was a convoluted sentence, wasn't it, where's an editor when I need one?)

[muggchen]

If / when one of our ships changes to another terminal at such short notice, eg while a cruise is underway, you can be sure it was not our decision, unless there was a safety / security issue at the originally scheduled terminal, which is not the case in Hong Kong. (Wow, that was a convoluted sentence, wasn't it, where's an editor when I need one?)

 

thanks, but to clarify, will AZ use the former city-terminal also again in the future or not?

imo, it makes a big difference.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Thanks for the follow up, Bonnie. Now I'm going to have to ask for one. Oh, the hardship!:D

 

We had a great overnight in Shanghai. The traffic sailing down the river was impressive. We passed by the dock where the big ships have to be and felt just a wee bit smug. We are docked with a spectacular view of the buildings lighting up at night, and should have a great sailaway in a litter over an hour, assuming that none of the ship's tours are stuck in traffic. We've had a late arrival in both Osaka and Hiroshima, which probably only affects the Chief Engineer's fuel budget, poor guy.

 

Oh, and the included red & white wines are eminently swillable. I prefer the whites as a whole. We got a 5 bottle package with our extra OBC and are splurging on the occasional more expensive bottle, since we can't take the OBC with us.

 

Life is good.

 

Jean....and Don.....glad to hear you're having fun. Looking forward to hearing more about your cruise when you return. :)

Edited March 29, 2016 by suzyluvs2cruise

[critterchick]

If / when one of our ships changes to another terminal at such short notice, eg while a cruise is underway, you can be sure it was not our decision, unless there was a safety / security issue at the originally scheduled terminal, which is not the case in Hong Kong. (Wow, that was a convoluted sentence, wasn't it, where's an editor when I need one?)

 

I think I can shed some light on that. The ship picked up a lot of drydock supplies while we were in Hon Kong and I'm that she wouldn't have been able to do that at Ocean Terminal.

 

Also, it wasn't a last minute change. Our touring mate told me that, as far back as June, one of our private tour operators knew that we would be at Kai Tek. But another passenger said he had seen "somewhere on the Azamara website" as of a month pre-cruise that we would be at Ocean. So I suspect that somebody may have forgotten to update that part of the website.

 

So, as far as "live from" threads go, this one sucked, didn't it?:p We are currently in Singapore, having landed safely on March 30. We have thoroughly enjoyed the last three days, having logged 12k, 17k and 14k steps, respectively, as we explore this fabulous city/state. I may get it together to post a review/travel diary one of these days.

 

The Azamazing Evening in Hong Kong was great - they held it in the terminal, which was a little sterile, but they pulled out all the stops for our Year of the Monkey extravaganza - we had opera, dragons, agility, gymnastics and more. Given that they only had a couple of weeks to pull it together, it was a terrific show.

 

All in all, I would have preferred the original itinerary without the last minute scramble to secure our hotel bookings. I would have preferred that they not have started the drydock work while we were onboard. I would have preferred to see HCMC instead of disembarking 3 days early. But I am loving Singapore, and wouldn't have had the opportunity to explore it in some depth (we've had a comprehensive private tour and gone to the Botanic Gardens and Zoo on our own) without the change. We made money on the deal with the generous compensation. We are looking forward to sailing on Quest in 2017.

 

Life is good.:D