Azamara Journey to Cuba January 15 to 19 2019

[Bimmer09]

Here is the link to my photo/video review of Journey in Cuba and Nassau. We left the ship yesterday in Miami. 

Lots of pics of the ship including Azamazing Evening and White Night. All meals lovingly photographed.

 

 

[May B]

3 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

Here is the link to my photo/video review of Journey in Cuba and Nassau. We left the ship yesterday in Miami. 

Lots of pics of the ship including Azamazing Evening and White Night. All meals lovingly photographed.

 

 

 

Very exited to be heading over to breathe in all that you tell and show. We board soon. A few years ago, I was so excited to see that you had been on your first X at the same time and same ship I was on about my 12th.

 

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. You certainly have the talent, and we have the thirst!

[Bimmer09]

1 hour ago, May B said:

 

Very exited to be heading over to breathe in all that you tell and show. We board soon. A few years ago, I was so excited to see that you had been on your first X at the same time and same ship I was on about my 12th.

 

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. You certainly have the talent, and we have the thirst!

Thank you May! You are very kind. I have a lot of work to do and a big story to tell-an exciting destination and a new cruise line. When do you board? 

As you know, but many here don't, I write chronologically and so there will be no ship stories until we set foot on it in the narrative. I even photographed the Journey leaving Miami yesterday at 5 pm. I am very excited to share our trip.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

12 hours ago, singinalot said:

heading to follow it now. Thanks for sharing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi, Crystal!

Glad you found the link.

I'll have the first food porn up later tonight when we dine at Joe's Crab House in South Beach.

Norris

[BBMacLaird]

Hi Bimmer09,

I too am awaiting your cruise review.

Had to laugh at Snowy throwing a catnip party for his pals while you & DW were away on the cruise 

Our daughters have a running joke that if DH&I travel late Summer our two cats find the car keys and head off to Burning Man in Nevada, without our permission of course!

[Bimmer09]

6 hours ago, BBMacLaird said:

Hi Bimmer09,

I too am awaiting your cruise review.

Had to laugh at Snowy throwing a catnip party for his pals while you & DW were away on the cruise 

Our daughters have a running joke that if DH&I travel late Summer our two cats find the car keys and head off to Burning Man in Nevada, without our permission of course!

Bonnie, LOL re Burning Man which a friend of mine attends and which resembles an Azamazing evening on steroids. I have just watched my videos from Cuba and have about half an hour from the Az evening in Havana. I can't wait to show the CC world! Also some good Discoveries videos....brunch and a great German lunch. (and all the dinners we had there). Plus live music from Casa de la Trova in Santiago de Cuba.

All coming up ahead...

Norris 

 

[Bimmer09]

Just an update to say that in my review I have now got to the part where we have embarked the ship. Cabin photos included.

Tomorrow I will have the sailaway and first Discoveries meal posted. Oh and a fine Miami sunset. After that I have almost 600 photos and video of our classic car tour (Blexie Tours) and HoHo bus tour of Havana.

Plus sports and weather with our Meteorologist Storm Freise.

Norris

[QueenP]

I'm loving your review Norris! I'm missing the Journey already. Your posts are my first port of call with a cup of tea in the mornings. Long may it last!

Penny

[farmerj]

Bimmer09,

 

Link?  I can't find a link to your review (unless its what's posted in this thread)

We are going on Azamara to Cuba in a few weeks.  Want to see and read your review so I know what to expect.

 

Thanks for your link help & reviews!

-f

[Grandma Cruising]

10 hours ago, farmerj said:

Bimmer09,

 

Link?  I can't find a link to your review (unless its what's posted in this thread)

We are going on Azamara to Cuba in a few weeks.  Want to see and read your review so I know what to expect.

 

Thanks for your link help & reviews!

-f

Look at post #3 above and click on the section with the cat!

[May B]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 11:23 PM, Bimmer09 said:

Thank you May! You are very kind. I have a lot of work to do and a big story to tell-an exciting destination and a new cruise line. When do you board? 

As you know, but many here don't, I write chronologically and so there will be no ship stories until we set foot on it in the narrative. I even photographed the Journey leaving Miami yesterday at 5 pm. I am very excited to share our trip.

Norris

 

Norris, we board tomorrow! and with a visit from our son that lives on the other west coast, I've been absent from Cruise Critic for a long time! so now I have plenty of catching up to do. All packed and ready to head out. I'm looking forward to catching up with however far you've gotten and I'll be patient for the rest!

 

Wish I could've convinced my travel mates to go today and have dinner at Joe's. 

[Bimmer09]

1 hour ago, May B said:

 

Norris, we board tomorrow! and with a visit from our son that lives on the other west coast, I've been absent from Cruise Critic for a long time! so now I have plenty of catching up to do. All packed and ready to head out. I'm looking forward to catching up with however far you've gotten and I'll be patient for the rest!

 

Wish I could've convinced my travel mates to go today and have dinner at Joe's.

May, I am excited for you!

Re Joes, it's not all about the $100 crab claw trio. They have a fried chicken dish for $10 and the fish dishes I order are in the low $30 range.

 

For those who haven't visited my review, today we are in Havana and just walking to our classic  Blexie car for the driving portion of the tour. Revolution Museum, Fusterlandia, lunch in a fantastic Paladar and Revolution Square all coming up followed by an Amazing Evening which lived up to it's name. In photos and video.

Norris

[Sapphire45]

Thanks so much for this! I look forward to catching up with the latest installment every morning. We're going on our first Azamara cruise in July so avidly reading everything about the ships.

[G&T Cruisers]

Hi Norris and Carol we just finished watching your videos on Youtube (we are subscribers) and were so happy to see you back again.

We just finished our first cruise on the Pacific Princess and seeing that the Journey and the Pacific are sisters we can understand the quaint feel of the ship.

Thank you for the review and the videos we know how much work they entail so thank you again for taking us along.

G&T Cruisers

[Bimmer09]

On 2/3/2019 at 4:44 AM, Sapphire45 said:

Thanks so much for this! I look forward to catching up with the latest installment every morning. We're going on our first Azamara cruise in July so avidly reading everything about the ships.

 

My pleasure, although I haven't touched upon the ship much yet as Havana is taking the focus.

But after day 2 in Havana there's a sea day and I can feature more ship. I doubt you will be unhappy when I show the Journey to you. She may be 20 years old  but she doesn't need Botox.

Norris

 

[Bimmer09]

On 2/3/2019 at 1:25 PM, G&T Cruisers said:

Hi Norris and Carol we just finished watching your videos on Youtube (we are subscribers) and were so happy to see you back again.

We just finished our first cruise on the Pacific Princess and seeing that the Journey and the Pacific are sisters we can understand the quaint feel of the ship.

Thank you for the review and the videos we know how much work they entail so thank you again for taking us along.

G&T Cruisers

Welcome, old friends! So good to see you here.

I think you will be surprised when I show you the interiors of Journey. It's the same ship as Pacific Princess but the decor....

Anyway, you'll see once I get us out of Havana.

Norris

[NJ Gal]

As we will be on our first Azamara cruise in  March & will spend 2 days in Havana, I am very interested in your review.  We are experienced cruisers, but mostly on Celebrity so this will be a very new experience being a much smaller ship.  Keep up the good interesting review.

[Bimmer09]

On 2/6/2019 at 2:15 PM, NJ Gal said:

As we will be on our first Azamara cruise in  March & will spend 2 days in Havana, I am very interested in your review.  We are experienced cruisers, but mostly on Celebrity so this will be a very new experience being a much smaller ship.  Keep up the good interesting review.

Thank you!

I have just finished up our time in Havana and now have time to spend (once we sail away) on  showing you more of the ship. I put about 600 photos from Havana including our Azamazing evening there. Video too.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Today is a sea day in my story as we sail to Cienfuegos. More ship pictures including brunch in Discoveries....

 

 

Norris

[Grandma Cruising]

I’ve been following along with your review on the Celebrity pages. Very entertaining- a great read. Thanks very much.

[workingtocruise-59]

Many, many thanks for your wonderful, interesting and most entertaining blog from the Journey.

I check every morning for the latest updates and am most distressed if there is nothing there!

Cuba has always been on our wish-list but now it has moved to the top!

 

 

[Bimmer09]

10 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

I’ve been following along with your review on the Celebrity pages. Very entertaining- a great read. Thanks very much.

Thanks for following and for the kind compliments!

I'm glad you have been reading it. 

I have much more Journey in the can and much more to say about it. No summary or spoilers from me at this time. I'd rather let the experience build day by day which is how I experienced Azamara.

I also have two more Cuban ports which some may not be familiar with.

Norris

[NJ Gal]

I also am following your review.  The pictures of Havana bring back wonderful memories of our 7 day trip there in 2012. Anxious to see all of the changes.   In March, we will be on Azamara Journey and will be back to Havana for two days.  We are experienced cruisers mostly on Celebrity, but this will be our first time on Azamara. All pictures of the ship and your cabin will be appreciated.  Thanks for a wonderful review.

[barryw1111]

Given that the ship is on port for so many days, how available was casino gambling??

[Bimmer09]

On 2/12/2019 at 9:33 AM, barryw1111 said:

Given that the ship is on port for so many days, how available was casino gambling??

Hi, I am not a gambler but basically it was open whenever we were 12 miles out of Cuba-so embarkation night, after we left Havana on the 17th and all day the next day. After we left Cienfuegos and until mid-afternoon of the day we arrived in Santiago de Cuba at 5 pm.

Closed until we left Santiago at 5 the next day and then an open sea day. Open again after leaving Nassau on the 23rd.

The ship's ATM was closed anytime we were in a Cuban port.

I hope this helps.

Norris