Invite guests to dinner on the ship?

[Floridiana]

We are meeting friends in Kobe and I wonder whether it is possible to invite them to the ship for dinner. If yes, how do I go about it? Ask in guest relations on the ship? The ship stays overnight in Kobe, so no need to rush dinner.

[BBMacLaird]

Ask at Guest Relations when you get onboard. 

[Floridiana]

1 hour ago, BBMacLaird said:

Ask at Guest Relations when you get onboard.

 

Thank you. Is it possible at all? I need to know before we leave for Japan.

[Grandma Cruising]

I do know of at least one person who has done this.

[uktog]

It all depends on the port and the authorities.  As Azamara will no doubt still be feeling their way in Japan I think only onboard can tell based on what the agents are telling them at the time. So to the OP have a plan A and a plan B for dining with your friends and take it from there onboard. 

[Lottie A]

I have invited friends onboard on two different occasions. I had to submit a form to Azamara with their passport details so they could be security checked and then the HD arranged the rest. I had to meet them at the gangway, and there was a standard charge pp for any food or alcohol they consumed onboard. 

 

It is very much a privilege to be able to do this and as Ann has said, it may be more problematic in Japan. My friends visits were in standard Med ports. Both of them were past Azamara guests and one was very well known to the officers and crew....and on this forum too! I am not so sure it could be done for strangers but it can't hurt to ask. 

[Floridiana]

We'll ask then. Thank you for the information y'all.

[excitedofharpenden]

My understanding is that this is something that isn't normally done because of the security implications. If they can set it up for you then you'd need to provide identification details for your friends in advance. I'd email Azamara and ask, but you might not be able to do it.  Also as uktog says, some ports are easier than others. 

 

Phil

[upwarduk]

4 hours ago, Lottie A said:

I had to submit a form to Azamara with their passport details so they could be security checked.

This happened on our TA cruise, Southampton to Montreal, in 2016. One of the passengers actually lived in Montreal where we were overnighting. Her grown up daughter visited the ship in the afternoon and they all had an evening meal before the passengers had an early Disembarkation later that evening.

[Lookyboy]

We have been fortunate to have been able to do this several times with family and friends, over the years, both in UK ports and (like the above poster), in Montreal. We also met fellow Azamara friends who visited the ship in Sydney recently, although not arranged by us on that occasion. We have always provided Azamara with passport details / ID details of those involved a fair bit in advance (two to three months), and met them in various locations, depending on the port's arrangements.

[ellbon]

I had a friend on the ship while in Osaka in 2015. We were able to use her DL number but in general they prefer a passport.

[Cyber Kat]

On 3/31/2019 at 7:44 PM, BBMacLaird said:

Ask at Guest Relations when you get onboard. 

 

Do you know if it’s possible to invite guests for White Night?  We are on Azamara Journey next week heading for Charleston, SC and Bermuda. We have many friends in Bermuda and we are trying to plan dinner with one couple.

 

The first night we are in port is the first Harbor Nights festival of this season and I’m hoping the folks on the ship pay attention to such things and don’t cause a conflict. So there is just the second night left and that’s when we thought we’d have dinner with our friends. We don’t want to miss White Night, so that would be perfect if we could have them join us. 

 

TIA

[Covepointcruiser]

Hope they don’t allow guests for White night.    There are not enough tables for the current passengers and the wait for food in the lines is extra long.    Doubt your friends would enjoy that.    Isn’t there a wonderful place in Bermuda to take them for a meal?   We are on the Journey right now and the ship is quite nice but will be nothing to impress friends unless the have never been on a small upscale cruise ship.   You will enjoy the cruise and the personnel are exceptional.

[excitedofharpenden]

Bottom line. Inviting guests is the exception, not the rule. It is done as a favour by Azamara because there is some administrative work required. I'm going to be honest here. Posters saying "Oh, we did this" or "we did that" are going to publicise it in such a way that they will just stop doing it all together. 

 

Phil 

[Cyber Kat]

23 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Hope they don’t allow guests for White night.    There are not enough tables for the current passengers and the wait for food in the lines is extra long.    Doubt your friends would enjoy that.    Isn’t there a wonderful place in Bermuda to take them for a meal?   We are on the Journey right now and the ship is quite nice but will be nothing to impress friends unless the have never been on a small upscale cruise ship.   You will enjoy the cruise and the personnel are exceptional.

 

Yes there are plenty of wonderful places in Bermuda for dinner, but everyone insists we can’t miss White Night and this seemed a perfect solution. Everyone has been telling me that tables are no problem at all and the lines move quickly. Quite frankly, I wish there was a consensus of opinion. It’s very frustrating for a first time cruiser who doesn’t know what to expect and is trying to make plans. I’m beginning to think it’s more bother than it’s worth. ☹️

[Grandma Cruising]

There is no difficulty getting tables if you’re happy to sit down at 5:30. I agree that lines for food move reasonably quickly - and you can keep an eye on them and go up when they look shortish.

Edited April 7, 2019 by Host Grandma Cruising

[uktog]

25 minutes ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

There is no difficulty getting tables if you’re happy to sit down at 5:30. I agree that lines for food move reasonably quickly - and you can keep an eye on them and go up when they look shortish.

It used to be 6.30 was no problem now 5.30, that’s ridiculously early,  For us any earlier is a huge turn off especially on a day we might still want to be ashore. 

 

There is a hype around White Night that’s now unjustified. It’s no longer unique to Azamara and you can have a wonderful cruise if you don’t go to White Night or if you eat in the dining room and then attend the dancing later. It’s a nice night just as the Azamazing evening is a nice evening but some really whip it up. 

 

Bernuda in the evening was a lovely surprise even on a very wet night in November. We enjoyed drinks with those having after work drinks complete with their tailored shorts suits. 

To Cyber Kat just do what you want, your cruise will not suffer don’t feel you have to do what everyone else does. 

Edited April 7, 2019 by uktog

[excitedofharpenden]

1 hour ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

There is no difficulty getting tables if you’re happy to sit down at 5:30. I agree that lines for food move reasonably quickly - and you can keep an eye on them and go up when they look shortish.

Unlikely the tables will be set up properly by 5.30pm. That's too early from my experience and you'll be in the way of the crew setting up. I've done quite a few White Nights and it totally depends on the cruise, weather (windy will mean a rush for a table on the lower pool deck) and itinerary, but generally 6.15-6.30 and after you should be fine. Buffet starts at 6.30.  White Night should be a nice relaxed and fun evening, not a dash for a table in my view. 

 

Phil 

[Baynanno1]

Minimum 72 hours to process I.D. information to allow or decline the request.

If allowed, guests must bring their original I.D. (as submitted for approval) with them.

As has already been said a $US fee is charged per person for the meal and included beverages.

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Unlikely the tables will be set up properly by 5.30pm. That's too early from my experience and you'll be in the way of the crew setting up. I've done quite a few White Nights and it totally depends on the cruise, weather (windy will mean a rush for a table on the lower pool deck) and itinerary, but generally 6.15-6.30 and after you should be fine. Buffet starts at 6.30.  White Night should be a nice relaxed and fun evening, not a dash for a table in my view. 

 

Phil 

I agree with you, but we’ve seen quite a few people ‘bagging’ their tables at about 5 :30 when crew were still setting up the tables on Deck 10.

We tend to show up at about 7:15, which is still much earlier than we normally eat. We usually manage to find a couple of seats at a table. I guess I was a bit early saying 5:30, but if you want a table for 4 I still think you’d need to be there not long after 6.

[marinaro44]

We brought friends on in Provincetown for lunch in Windows.  They've since taken two Azamara cruises and have two more booked.  Pretty good return on investment by Azamara, I'd say.

[Lookyboy]

1 hour ago, marinaro44 said:

We brought friends on in Provincetown for lunch in Windows.  They've since taken two Azamara cruises and have two more booked.  Pretty good return on investment by Azamara, I'd say.

Same with us....several cruises booked as a result of being able to come on board with us. Without exception, everyone impressed with each of the  three ships, the ethos, the service and the excellent service witnessed and experienced on those occasions. A job well done by Azamara.....and, in our experience....worth doing.

[Cyber Kat]

7 hours ago, uktog said:

It used to be 6.30 was no problem now 5.30, that’s ridiculously early,  For us any earlier is a huge turn off especially on a day we might still want to be ashore. 

 

There is a hype around White Night that’s now unjustified. It’s no longer unique to Azamara and you can have a wonderful cruise if you don’t go to White Night or if you eat in the dining room and then attend the dancing later. It’s a nice night just as the Azamazing evening is a nice evening but some really whip it up. 

 

Bernuda in the evening was a lovely surprise even on a very wet night in November. We enjoyed drinks with those having after work drinks complete with their tailored shorts suits. 

To Cyber Kat just do what you want, your cruise will not suffer don’t feel you have to do what everyone else does. 

 

Thanks. That’s the feeling I’ve been getting  - a lot of hype. People over on the Place That Shall Not Be Named have gotten quite zealous when I mentioned that we might bail and have dinner with friends in Hamilton. There have been nothing but pics of empty tables and food for weeks 😜

 

I think I’ll just tell them we will meet them at the Hog Penny 😁. We planned this to be a relaxing cruise. 

[combine]

Cyber Kat,

We have never eaten at the White Night Buffet on any of our 9 cruises. We prefer to eat in the main restaurant Discoveries and then join the entertainment and dancing afterwards. We do not feel we have missed out , so go ahead and enjoy your evening ashore and maybe call in later for  the dancing ?

[Shawnino]

Am I the only person who dislikes this notion of people inviting their friends aboard for meals on security grounds?

 

We were on an NCL sailing in 2015 looping around the med. On the ship's previous 'loop' a group of people came aboard in Istanbul allegedly-for-dinner and swapped IDs with the actual cruise pax who had gotten on in Rome. By the time the ship figured out what happened, the Switchers had gotten as far as Athens and disappeared. 

 

Needless to say, security on our loop was unbelievably surly.