Beyond the Arctic Circle

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wendy

 

Did not realize you were not doing Japan. Thought you were cruise shopping

 

All suites. Get a bag a laundry .. if correct. Many get the LCV laundry bag. Just means free.

 

I had a 14. Night cruise and did not use it all. I did Facebook and email daily. Only on CC rarely on ship. Rare I run out and use daily

 

I just like to do comparisons. Did this when choosing our Norwegian Fjords trip next summer, and Azamara came out ahead of Regent, mainly for the itinerary. And the price, of course, but I would have chosen Regent if they had a superior itin. And we know we do like Journey!

 

Keeping in touch with home runs through more minutes than they give us. We now trade our minutes for the discount off the unlimited package.

It is a little unfair IMHO that you do not get to double up your loyalty laundry bag and your suite allowance, also it is one bag per suite/room not per guest .

Never been offered more

 

Thanks for the tip about trading minutes for a discount on the unlimited package! But then we're not travelling in a suite next year to Norway so I guess it doesn't matter. Oh well. As much as we liked the size of the CC suite, we didn't like the way it was furnished or equipped, plus the location is often noisy. So we're risking the smaller Veranda, hoping we don't hate it. We did get a peak at one last fall, and it seemed okay to me. We have coped well with 200' and no balcony, so I think we can cope with this.

[uktog]

I just like to do comparisons. Did this when choosing our Norwegian Fjords trip next summer, and Azamara came out ahead of Regent, mainly for the itinerary. And the price, of course, but I would have chosen Regent if they had a superior itin. And we know we do like Journey!

 

 

 

Thanks for the tip about trading minutes for a discount on the unlimited package! But then we're not travelling in a suite next year to Norway so I guess it doesn't matter. Oh well. As much as we liked the size of the CC suite, we didn't like the way it was furnished or equipped, plus the location is often noisy. So we're risking the smaller Veranda, hoping we don't hate it. We did get a peak at one last fall, and it seemed okay to me. We have coped well with 200' and no balcony, so I think we can cope with this.

 

You can trade your loyalty minutes for discount as well. We are moving to veranda for several of our upcoming cruises because the prices for suites are so high and the benefits are not that great - you are paying for a little more square footage because I could do a restaurant package covering all the nights (not that I would ever do specialities every night) and buy a spa deck pass for us both and still have change.

 

As an example, the Arctic Cruise which I was writing about in this thread was in a verandah and we did not miss the suite at all. At the end of the cruise we struggled to identify what we would have had extra in the suite and we had enough in the kitty for another holiday (not a cruise at Azamara's prices though!!)

[marinaro44]

i have sailed regent to test the waters and prefer AZ. doing Regent again for the ports. then changed two already.

We've done three Regent cruises for a total of 49 nights and...never again. Included domestic flights were dreadful. 6am departure for a three-hour flight to Miami when we lived two hours from our airport and there were eight direct flights every day. The next time a two-and-a-half hour layover at Laguardia on what should have been a three-hour direct flight to Miami. Said they'd change it for a $175 deviation fee and an additional $135 in fare. Letter to the then president was fruitless.

 

No water or chilled towels upon return to ship in the Amazon. Wrote that up on the mid-cruise survey and asked to have it placed on the general manager's (their hotel director equivalent) desk. Said they couldn't do that and we had to put it into a box. Never heard a word about it. General manager never spoke to anyone, nor did the captain, whom we saw only at officers dinners.

 

Our first Regent cruise was an eastbound TA. After final payment they offered us the following cruise for $2500. We accepted, but were then told the amount was a "mistake" and we would have to pay $3000. The letter to an earlier president did get results on that issue, but it was a struggle. On those two cruises, for 25 nights, we saw the general manager only once, on the last night, when I specifically asked to see him after they stuck us on the earliest airport bus even though we had a mid-afternoon flight. They still had our flight time from the flight we would have taken home after the TA. When they admitted their mistake, they told us there wouldn't be room for our luggage on the late bus, so we'd still have to go early. The GM did fix that at midnight before disembarkation. Ryszard would have arranged a car for us after that screw-up.

 

You may get better liquor but the on-board experience is cool and you are treated anonymously. We were greeted in the main dining room on day 24 no differently than on day one. No sense of familiarization or recognition. Security says nothing to you when you return from ashore. No smile, no greeting, nothing.

 

I suppose it depends on your definition of "luxury." Regent fails mine miserably. Give me warmth and personal attention anytime over Grey Goose, a lousy vodka anyway.

[ellbon]

Ienjoy my suite but that is me.. I do ont like how the CC was redone at all. I tried out the spa suite and it is bigger. but only one drawer under fridge.. little folded clothes space. waste of closets. give me folde

d space.

But i do love my bathtub. . yes, i book the cabin for the tub.

bookek=d Regent for the ports. i know i will not love the crew-cold-just like Oceania. But I should like my cabin.

I have brought the unlimited package but in Norway not worth it.

[scapel]

You can trade your loyalty minutes for discount as well. We are moving to veranda for several of our upcoming cruises because the prices for suites are so high and the benefits are not that great - you are paying for a little more square footage because I could do a restaurant package covering all the nights (not that I would ever do specialities every night) and buy a spa deck pass for us both and still have change.

 

As an example, the Arctic Cruise which I was writing about in this thread was in a verandah and we did not miss the suite at all. At the end of the cruise we struggled to identify what we would have had extra in the suite and we had enough in the kitty for another holiday (not a cruise at Azamara's prices though!!)

 

 

uktog--What happened to the pictures you posted on cruise critic. They got replaced with a message. Will they ever come back.

[scapel]

We've done three Regent cruises for a total of 49 nights and...never again.

 

I suppose it depends on your definition of "luxury." Regent fails mine miserably. Give me warmth and personal attention anytime over Grey Goose, a lousy vodka anyway.

 

Thanks for this great report. haven't sailed Regent and now won't even give it a try. I usually make my own flight and travel arrangements to have better control over them. Better connections usually cost more.

I am a Bombay Blue Sapphire Gin drinker- But I think the Grey Goose is a fine Vodka. My daughter keeps it in the freezer. What would be a recommendation of a better Vodka?

[scapel]

This may be off topic, but I enjoyed someone else's report on their opinion on other cruise lines.

First the Millennium is still my favorite cruise ship mostlybecause I have a history with her since 2000. The Penthouse Suite I must sayhas as good a service as any ship I have been on including Azamara andSilversea. Everything is as it should be. Butler, cabins steward and concierge at your personal service and ofcourse you are recognized and the captain or a staff officer attends (ifinvited) any parties you give in the suite. Of course the regular cabins don’tget that same service.

I had sailed the R4 (stern cabin) – (Now Princess Tahitian)-yearsago and remember that it was a fine sailing ship. R1-R7 all built about thesame. It rode well in the seas. Mythinking was that Renaissance would not work with all travel agents but wantedthe travel agent profit for themselves and that with getting caught in 2001crises, busted them out. Management wasprobably poor anyhow.

When I started cruising Azamara (last 3), I realized to my thinkingthat this was Celebrities answer to Silversea Cruises. (Three). They are very close in their service but justa matter of personal preference. Azamarahas won me over mostly to guys like Russ, Tony and Phillip, Capt, Jose, Daripo,Heike, Milen, (engineer) Tony (CD),Yazman and the new Captain whose name I forget now.

If you have an Owners or Club Ocean suite you really don’tget any more personal service than everyone else on the ship as you do in aPenthouse on the Millennium. I guess that is what makes it special to everyone.For example in an Owners Suite they furnish complimentary alcohol, but if you ordera complimentary drink to be brought to the cabin, you pay for it just likeanyone else. You can go to the bar andget it without pay, but you pay if brought to the cabin. That is what it was in2014.

On my first Azamara cruise I found the cabin rather small (apparentlya stern cabin is larger) and asked onboard for an upgrade. Yazman said she hadone, but it was taken when we went to look at it. This was supposed to be a Presidents Cruisebut Larry Pimentel didn’t show up so I this was the only choice I had.

The only beef I had with Azamara is that on our last cruiseI had finally gotten the cabin I wanted after my TA kept checking to see if itcame available and it did. I was happy until I went to check in and was toldthat without my permission my cabin was upgraded to an Owners suite and I wasangry and began to show out. I wanted the club ocean suite I had booked. My wife told me to shut up and I did as told,but moped around until I got over it. Itis hard for anything to destroy having a good time on a cruise, even badtoilets. We bring lots of deodorizer.

As far as the Best of the Best, I have never had a betterexperience on any ship except our first trip to the Olympic Restaurant in 2000.

If anyone knows of any other ships that have forward viewingcabins (Other than the other Ren Ships) like Azamara I would be please to knowas that is now my favorite cabin.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks for this great report. haven't sailed Regent and now won't even give it a try. I usually make my own flight and travel arrangements to have better control over them. Better connections usually cost more.

I am a Bombay Blue Sapphire Gin drinker- But I think the Grey Goose is a fine Vodka. My daughter keeps it in the freezer. What would be a recommendation of a better Vodka?

 

Wow, say what you like about Regent, we have always gotten lots of warmth and personal attention! Never had Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire is too bland for me. I just like Gordon's, but how about Hendricks? It's really high-end I think.

[excitedofharpenden]

What would be a recommendation of a better Vodka?

Stoli Elit is better than most.

 

Phil

[scapel]

Wow, say what you like about Regent, we have always gotten lots of warmth and personal attention! Never had Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire is too bland for me. I just like Gordon's, but how about Hendricks? It's really high-end I think.

Gordon's is too rough for me. Now Hendricks we can definitely agree on. Just a little different flavor that the Sapphire, but very smooth.

[margbem]

Try Martin Millers. Really different. Also a new one called Silent Pool in a gorgeous turquoise bottle.

 

 

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[scapel]

Try Martin Millers. Really different. Also a new one called Silent Pool in a gorgeous turquoise bottle.

 

 

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Thanks, I didn't know that after we through all that tea overboard you would let us have any of the good gin.

[scapel]

Stoli Elit is better than most.

 

Phil

 

Ok, I am going to my daughter's house next week in New Orleans and will go looking for a bottle of Vodka. I typed Stoli in Google and got the 10 most expensive vodkas in the world. If I paid more than $100 on a bottle of Vodka she would say. Give me the $100 and I will buy some Grey Goose. Wow $5000 for one bottle of Vodka. That could make a person quit drinking. I would be afraid to try. I might like it.

[critterchick]

uktog--What happened to the pictures you posted on cruise critic. They got replaced with a message. Will they ever come back.

 

Not unless she shells out $400/year to Photobucket, the photo hosting site. They recently changed their terms of service and one can't upload photos to a third party site like CC without paying what I consider to be a ridiculous amount of money.

[scapel]

Not unless she shells out $400/year to Photobucket, the photo hosting site. They recently changed their terms of service and one can't upload photos to a third party site like CC without paying what I consider to be a ridiculous amount of money.

Well, they did that to me also, but they will not get $400/yr. Well getting greedy and going for the big bucks rather than using all the little guys and making millions with a legitimate lower charge, Could hurt this company. Certainly put a bad taste in my mouth for photo bucket. Maybe there is something I don't understand.

[uktog]

Well, they did that to me also, but they will not get $400/yr. Well getting greedy and going for the big bucks rather than using all the little guys and making millions with a legitimate lower charge, Could hurt this company. Certainly put a bad taste in my mouth for photo bucket. Maybe there is something I don't understand.

 

Regardless of the price (it ranges between $60 and S400 a year depending on the amount you need) I will not be taking out a subscription. To support the level of pics I have shared on these boards I would need the more expensive end of the spectrum.

 

Lets not focus any more replies to the costs of photobucket and other providers. That's history.

 

Lets concentrate on asking and answering questions about cruising Norway with Azamara which was the reasons I did the thread in the first place, the photos were just additionals but most could be found elsewhere such as on Azamara sites.

[nanacruiser]

Does someone remember the name of the oil rigs that we sailed past in the North Sea going North bound. The ones that were a small diversion that Miami did know about according to the Captain.

I wrote the name down somewhere but cannot find it know and I am trying to label pictures.

 

Any help much appreciated

 

Nana

[uktog]

Does someone remember the name of the oil rigs that we sailed past in the North Sea going North bound. The ones that were a small diversion that Miami did know about according to the Captain.

I wrote the name down somewhere but cannot find it know and I am trying to label pictures.

 

Any help much appreciated

 

Nana

 

Oil rigs were on the Asgard and Heidrun

[nanacruiser]

Oil rigs were on the Asgard and Heidrun

 

Thank you, Much appreciated uktog

[workingtocruise-59]

Try Martin Millers. Really different. Also a new one called Silent Pool in a gorgeous turquoise bottle.

 

 

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There are so many new and different gins now that gin is enjoying a (well deserved) revival.

We enjoy Brockmans and Gin Mare..

Just make sure the tonic isn't Royal Club!

[margbem]

There are so many new and different gins now that gin is enjoying a (well deserved) revival.

 

We enjoy Brockmans and Gin Mare..

 

Just make sure the tonic isn't Royal Club!

 

 

 

Agree on the tonic. Love Gin Mare too. Are you from the UK? If so, a trip to the Ginstitute in London is great fun.

 

 

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[uktog]

Not many special gin palaces beyond the Arctic Circle....but I've found a way to post a few pics

 

Bergen

 

 

Flam

 

 

Geiranger

 

 

Tromso

 

 

 

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[uktog]

Henningsvaer - Lofoten

 

 

 

Trollfjord

 

 

Nordkapp

 

 

Olden Skylift

 

 

Stavanger

 

 

 

If anyone specifically wants a repost from earlier ones on the thread let me know and I can do it

 

 

 

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[Floridiana]

Thank you for the great photos. It's interesting how the small Azamara could go to places our larger ship could not.

[uktog]

Thank you for the great photos. It's interesting how the small Azamara could go to places our larger ship could not.

 

That is why Norway with Azamara is so special