need2cruisesoon Posted October 4, 2019 #1 Share Posted October 4, 2019 Wow just found out that AZ will be cruising the Black Sea, on my bucket list and seriously looking to book. Always wanted to see Varna and Constanta. And of course return visit to the Beautiful city of Istanbul for a topper. Thanks AZ. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Literary Lynne Posted October 4, 2019 #2 Share Posted October 4, 2019 Looks fabulous, but so expensive, at the moment! Lynne🤔 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2cruisesoon Posted October 4, 2019 Author #3 Share Posted October 4, 2019 5 minutes ago, Literary Lynne said: Looks fabulous, but so expensive, at the moment! Lynne🤔 Yes, but very limited cruise choices for this region so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBMacLaird Posted October 4, 2019 #4 Share Posted October 4, 2019 3 hours ago, need2cruisesoon said: Wow just found out that AZ will be cruising the Black Sea, on my bucket list and seriously looking to book. Always wanted to see Varna and Constanta. And of course return visit to the Beautiful city of Istanbul for a topper. Thanks AZ. Hi Need2cruiseSoon, I agree...this is a fabulous itinerary of the Black Sea! I cruised a similar itinerary back in the 90's and it is still very memorable to me. The Steps of Odessa (actual name: Potemkin Stairs) were so impressive. I just looked online and see that they have been significantly 'beautified' since then. If I think of it I'll look for my old photo albums for a picture. I still have various knickknacks I brought home from that region. https://www.azamara.com/voyage/jr14u092/14-night-black-sea-voyage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare travelberlin Posted October 4, 2019 #5 Share Posted October 4, 2019 This is a very nice itinerary. As a matter of fact, our first cruise with Azamara was to the Black Sea. If I remember properly it was in 2009. Some of the ports were different though. Enjoy it. Maybe one day we will cruise again in that region. Ivi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaldsc Posted October 4, 2019 #6 Share Posted October 4, 2019 We had booked that cruise. However, we found another cruise on Oceania that did both the Black Sea and the Greek Islands that was better for us. However, the Azamara Black Sea cruise is also a good one. DON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2cruisesoon Posted October 5, 2019 Author #7 Share Posted October 5, 2019 2 hours ago, donaldsc said: We had booked that cruise. However, we found another cruise on Oceania that did both the Black Sea and the Greek Islands that was better for us. However, the Azamara Black Sea cruise is also a good one. DON Your cruise '21? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaldsc Posted October 5, 2019 #8 Share Posted October 5, 2019 4 hours ago, need2cruisesoon said: Your cruise '21? https://www.oceaniacruises.com/grand-voyage-cruises/istanbul-to-rome-NAU210826A/?sr=%2Fcruise-finder%2F%23search-result-anchor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare oddjob16 Posted October 5, 2019 #9 Share Posted October 5, 2019 It will be HOT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mj_holiday Posted October 5, 2019 #10 Share Posted October 5, 2019 It would be very interesting to see a review of this cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1970 Posted October 5, 2019 #11 Share Posted October 5, 2019 I really think Azamara have lost the plot with pricing. I can see Oceania, Crystal and Ponant who are less expensive for Black sea cruises. I know it's a very popular cruise but would you risk booking this far out at these prices? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
excitedofharpenden Posted October 5, 2019 #12 Share Posted October 5, 2019 (edited) 36 minutes ago, john1970 said: I really think Azamara have lost the plot with pricing. I can see Oceania, Crystal and Ponant who are less expensive for Black sea cruises. I know it's a very popular cruise but would you risk booking this far out at these prices? I totally agree. I’ve just looked at it. Crazy pricing. Wait and see it half like it did for me to Antarctica on Pursuit earlier this year. I will not play this game Azamara have going at the moment. I hate to put a dampener on the op, but much as I love Azamara it is never worth this price. I’m taking a current screen shot from the U.K. site from just now. We will see...... Phil Edited October 5, 2019 by excitedofharpenden 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xcelsior Posted October 5, 2019 #13 Share Posted October 5, 2019 Yes these prices are nuts and Azamara is not that superior a product to Celebrity or Princess IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baynanno1 Posted October 6, 2019 #14 Share Posted October 6, 2019 AU$788.86 per person per day for a cat. 5 ocean view! That's totally crazy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare uktog Posted October 6, 2019 #15 Share Posted October 6, 2019 We did the similar voyage on Quest in 2009 and had hoped to revisit next year. I appreciate it’s an itinerary that will be popular and so the bottom liners will be out in force when pricing but they scared us right away, just as they did Antarctica. I will be interested to see where the prices eventually land but we’ve made alternative plans now. As others say, crazy prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
excitedofharpenden Posted October 6, 2019 #16 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, uktog said: We did the similar voyage on Quest in 2009 and had hoped to revisit next year. I appreciate it’s an itinerary that will be popular and so the bottom liners will be out in force when pricing but they scared us right away, just as they did Antarctica. I will be interested to see where the prices eventually land but we’ve made alternative plans now. As others say, crazy prices. They did the same with Antarctica saying it was a limited trip they hadn’t done for a while and the ship wasn’t even full for the sailing. I know it’s a different part of the world, but all the same. Booking an itinerary to the Black Sea this far out would also make me unsure as to what it would eventually become. It’s not a stable part of the world. Phil Edited October 6, 2019 by excitedofharpenden 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted October 6, 2019 #17 Share Posted October 6, 2019 2 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said: They did the same with Antarctica saying it was a limited trip they hadn’t done for a while and the ship wasn’t even full for the sailing. I know it’s a different part of the world, but all the same. Booking an itinerary to the Black Sea this far out would also make me unsure as to what it would eventually become. It’s not a stable part of the world. Phil I would love to book this cruise but no chance at these prices, will wait and see if things change, if not so be it. Also looking at other Azamara cruises but have no intention of ever booking early again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azamarajunkie Posted October 6, 2019 #18 Share Posted October 6, 2019 12 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said: I totally agree. I’ve just looked at it. Crazy pricing. Wait and see it half like it did for me to Antarctica on Pursuit earlier this year. I will not play this game Azamara have going at the moment. I hate to put a dampener on the op, but much as I love Azamara it is never worth this price. I’m taking a current screen shot from the U.K. site from just now. We will see...... Phil Unbelievable! We booked this cruise when it was first released and have a Club Continent for less than the current price of the Interior stateroom, and we thought that was a lot at the time! There have already been three ports of call changed since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janerlve Posted October 6, 2019 #19 Share Posted October 6, 2019 AZ increased prices in the Black Sea by about 30% early this summer. It will not surprise me if the prices are reduced accordingly and they call it a sale. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubofhockey Posted October 6, 2019 #20 Share Posted October 6, 2019 The Azamara prices don't appear to be sustainable, but that cruise is only 9 months away. 1 hour ago, Azamarajunkie said: Unbelievable! We booked this cruise when it was first released and have a Club Continent for less than the current price of the Interior stateroom, and we thought that was a lot at the time! There have already been three ports of call changed since then. It must be selling well. The itinerary still looks outstanding, but that current price point is incredibly high. Maybe it is at one of those points in between promotions and will come back to reality soon enough. Agree with my friend Need2CruiseSoon that this is an itinerary that is on "the list". I want to see how we like our first AZ cruise, which starts in 10 days, and then maybe we'll look to do more. That Oceania itinerary referenced above is not good for people still in the workforce because it's 24 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2cruisesoon Posted October 6, 2019 Author #21 Share Posted October 6, 2019 8 hours ago, Azamarajunkie said: Unbelievable! We booked this cruise when it was first released and have a Club Continent for less than the current price of the Interior stateroom, and we thought that was a lot at the time! There have already been three ports of call changed since then. What ports have been changed, can you enlighten? Also, I think pricing is high because this is one of the very few cruise lines to do the Black Sea, what other choices are there for next summer? Hub, hope you have a great cruise with AZ you must me pumped as only 10 days out... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azamarajunkie Posted October 6, 2019 #22 Share Posted October 6, 2019 4 minutes ago, need2cruisesoon said: What ports have been changed, can you enlighten? Also, I think pricing is high because this is one of the very few cruise lines to do the Black Sea, what other choices are there for next summer? Hub, hope you have a great cruise with AZ you must me pumped as only 10 days out... Skiathos, Trabzon and Kavala were deleted and Istanbul added at the beginning and end of the cruise, followed by an extra half day in Piraeus before disembarkation, all these changes for us personally are a minus as the deleted ports were firsts for us, and we’ve already done Istanbul a number of times before and have no added benefit for us. However I recognise that for some the opportunity to visit Istanbul is a plus. Also not sure what benefit there is to a half day and overnight in Piraeus is as most of our previous Med cruises have started/finished there and we are already staying in Athens prior to the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2cruisesoon Posted October 6, 2019 Author #23 Share Posted October 6, 2019 14 minutes ago, Azamarajunkie said: Skiathos, Trabzon and Kavala were deleted and Istanbul added at the beginning and end of the cruise, followed by an extra half day in Piraeus before disembarkation, all these changes for us personally are a minus as the deleted ports were firsts for us, and we’ve already done Istanbul a number of times before and have no added benefit for us. However I recognise that for some the opportunity to visit Istanbul is a plus. Also not sure what benefit there is to a half day and overnight in Piraeus is as most of our previous Med cruises have started/finished there and we are already staying in Athens prior to the cruise. Wow, thanks. I Googled all those ports and they look amazing (2 Greece, 1 Turkey) that really is a bummer..... I'm sure they'll be others as well as we get closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaldsc Posted October 6, 2019 #24 Share Posted October 6, 2019 5 hours ago, Azamarajunkie said: Skiathos, Trabzon and Kavala were deleted and Istanbul added at the beginning and end of the cruise, followed by an extra half day in Piraeus before disembarkation, all these changes for us personally are a minus as the deleted ports were firsts for us, and we’ve already done Istanbul a number of times before and have no added benefit for us. However I recognise that for some the opportunity to visit Istanbul is a plus. Also not sure what benefit there is to a half day and overnight in Piraeus is as most of our previous Med cruises have started/finished there and we are already staying in Athens prior to the cruise. That was one reason why we cancelled the Azamara cruise. DON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2cruisesoon Posted October 6, 2019 Author #25 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Excellent, thank you everybody for your input.....I will keep this cruise on the back burner for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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