Explore again sail well

[uktog]

Azamara have published their requirements

 

No real surprises here, a lot to be determined by local conditions

 

https://www.azamara.co.uk/booked-guests/before-you-board/explore-well-at-sea

 

Another link is https://www.azamara.com/explorewell

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by uktog

[ECCruise]

Just saw that as well.  It does verify in writing what we pretty much knew, i.e., 100% vaccination.  And specifically, if you can't be vaxxed for any reason, you can't sail. 

[uktog]

And for the avoidance of doubt

 

"Guests will not be required to wear masks in their staterooms, while dining in restaurants or in outdoor areas where physical distancing can be maintained. "

 

So the speculation on these boards about masks between bites or courses of dinner etc was misplaced

 

I too am glad about the vaccination statement, interesting to see some criticism of this move on Facebook posts but for me, its a very sensible precaution certainly in the getting back to sail period

[ECCruise]

There is a good deal more information in the FAQ section GOOD TO KNOW.

Dining with others, reservations for dining, reduced capacity (but no specifics on pax load), Muster Drills, more.

Edited May 11, 2021 by ECCruise

[uktog]

5 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

There is a good deal more information in the FAQ section GOOD TO KNOW.

Dining with others, reservations for dining, reduced capacity (but no specifics on pax load), Muster Drills, more.

Yes I spotted that and meant to say, I think they have covered as much as they can in this rapidly changing situation and its sensible what they are thinking.  Its not going to be perfect and I am sure there will be a lot of learning on all sides as we move towards their first sailing 

[mwf7501]

19 minutes ago, uktog said:

Yes I spotted that and meant to say, I think they have covered as much as they can in this rapidly changing situation and its sensible what they are thinking.  Its not going to be perfect and I am sure there will be a lot of learning on all sides as we move towards their first sailing 

I'm expecting that what we see in these guidelines is the "worst case" scenario, i.e., that any future revisions will tend toward more liberal procedures, not toward more restrictive ones.   No guarantee, of course (given the risk of variants, etc.), but that is my hope.

 

We're booked on the first Pursuit sailing, Sept 28, with final payment due at the end of this month.   The fact that we're turning out to be guinea pigs is by chance, not by choice -- we were pretty much throwing a dart when we picked this back in November last year.

 

Unless more shoes drop in the next couple of weeks, we're probably going to proceed.   One -- we're really eager to travel, and two -- we got an excellent bargain, less than 60% of the current quoted cost of comparable 2022 cruises.   Oh well.  I read somewhere that nothing is guaranteed except death and taxes, so I guess I will learn to savor uncertainty in other regards.

[Skicruiser55]

Does anyone know when they will be releasing 2023 sailing information and Onward sailings for 2022?

[tgg]

"Whether you are on shore immersing yourself in your favorite Azamara experiences or on board enjoying the comforts of our boutique hotel at sea, our commitment to community consciousness and personal wellness will deliver the peace-of-mind and safety you need when it comes to traveling within our new world.

 

Does this mean that Azamara shore excursions will be required to get off the ship?

[uktog]

6 minutes ago, tgg said:

"Whether you are on shore immersing yourself in your favorite Azamara experiences or on board enjoying the comforts of our boutique hotel at sea, our commitment to community consciousness and personal wellness will deliver the peace-of-mind and safety you need when it comes to traveling within our new world.

 

Does this mean that Azamara shore excursions will be required to get off the ship?

The answer is in the Q and A - its all evolving

 

What requirements are there for guests who wish to go ashore in ports of call? Will I be required to buy a shore excursion? Can I take an independent tour?

 

Views on independent exploration by international visitors vary from country to country and even port to port. This remains a very fluid situation. We encourage all guests to explore on one of our curated and controlled shore excursions, whether that be a small group experience or a private one. Our shore excursions are available to book on-line or through one of our Destination Insiders who can create a customized Private Journey for you. We’re continually monitoring public health guidelines and will modify policies as new information becomes available and standards evolve.

[laurieb]

1 hour ago, Skicruiser55 said:

Does anyone know when they will be releasing 2023 sailing information and Onward sailings for 2022?

The last I heard was the end of this month

[Dr H]

With all the worrying and concerns expressed, I think it interesting that Aza is accepting reservations for its JUNE 17th Greek cruise. If I'm not mistaken, today was the first day reservations were being accepted. Verandas are already sold out. Does anyone else get the feeling that there is a great deal of pent up demand out there  to go cruising?  

Edited May 11, 2021 by Dr H

[tgg]

Just now, Dr H said:

With all the worrying and concerns expressed, I think it interesting that Aza is accepting reservations for its JUNE 17th Greek cruise. If I'm not mistaken, today was the first day reservations were being accepted. Verandas are sold out. Does anyone else get the feeling that there is a great deal of pent up demand out there  to go cruising?  

It's easy to create pent up demand.  Just cancel scores of cruises and issue 125% FCC.😉

[KevintheIrishDJ]

3 hours ago, ECCruise said:

There is a good deal more information in the FAQ section GOOD TO KNOW.

Dining with others, reservations for dining, reduced capacity (but no specifics on pax load), Muster Drills, more.

I thought I saw somewhere, the muster drill will be virtual.

[laurieb]

26 minutes ago, Dr H said:

With all the worrying and concerns expressed, I think it interesting that Aza is accepting reservations for its JUNE 17th Greek cruise. If I'm not mistaken, today was the first day reservations were being accepted. Verandas are already sold out. Does anyone else get the feeling that there is a great deal of pent up demand out there  to go cruising?  

June 17, 2022.

This year's Greece cruises start the end of August ( available to book in three days)

[laurieb]

22 minutes ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

I thought I saw somewhere, the muster drill will be virtual.

Will you still require the guest safety muster drill? How will this be conducted safely?Muster drills are an important part of ensuring our guests' safety—and we're excited to introduce an entirely new approach to delivering that information, called Guest Safety Briefing. This new briefing streamlines the traditional muster process, making the key elements of the safety drill available on a more personal basis. As soon as guests arrive onboard, they will be escorted directly to their muster station, where a member of the ship’s team will go over the safety information in person, including information such as what to expect, where to go in case of an emergency and how to properly use a lifejacket. This will take only a few minutes, and could be individually or in a very small group. Once done, guests will be escorted to their rooms and can rest, unpack or explore the ship.

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, uktog said:

And for the avoidance of doubt

 

"Guests will not be required to wear masks in their staterooms, while dining in restaurants or in outdoor areas where physical distancing can be maintained. "

 

So the speculation on these boards about masks between bites or courses of dinner etc was misplaced

4 hours ago, uktog said:

Azamara have published their requirements

 

No real surprises here, a lot to be determined by local conditions

 

I was never talking about Azamara's rules, but about what will be determined by local conditions for cruises out of US ports.  This may not worry you, but the view from those of us who live in the US tends to be more Western-hemisphere-centric.

[gskimmel]

We are booked on the Oct 19th sailing from Venice - Rome with final payment due next month.  A possible deal breaker for us is the potential requirement that we can only get off the ship if we are on a ship sponsored excursion.  That takes the fun away from independent exploration.

[laurieb]

They have plenty of  good exploring excursions. We’re booked too and I’ll be on the ship!

[ECCruise]

CDC updated their Operations Manual for cruising today.  

 

Although this is US centric, they are taking a much more liberal attitude towards vaccinated pax on things like independent exploration and private tours in port. mask usage outdoors including dining and several other issues. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

CDC updated their Operations Manual for cruising today.  

 

Although this is US centric, they are taking a much more liberal attitude towards vaccinated pax on things like independent exploration and private tours in port. mask usage outdoors including dining and several other issues. 

Several welcome changes.  But the section on indoor dining remains unchanged with the disputed language about mask wearing during 'extended meal service or beverage consumption,' and the suggestion that cruise lines offer 'alternative meal services options, such as prepackaged grab-and-go meals, for consumption on open decks or in individual cabins to minimize risks associated with congregate indoor dining.'  Lovely idea to pay Azamara prices and get a box lunch for dinner!

[ECCruise]

2 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 Lovely idea to pay Azamara prices and get a box lunch for dinner!

But it is not required that you do that.  It is only an option, and one that I can frankly see taking advantage of under certain circumstances. And yes, Azamara has already announced that it will be an option for those who might wish it.

 

But as to the overall Operations Manual, these updates were all announced in just a week.  I would expect to see further modifications or clarifications. 

I have emailed the CDC re: the unverified but often cited "mask down, sip and bite, mask up" meme  and got a personalized response (in addition to the immediate auto-response),  They told me they forwarded the request for clarification to the specific department responsible.  Don't really expect a further personal response, but we shall see.

[uktog]

A box lunch or dinner on the balcony would be a perfect meal for us in the right circumstances I am sure.  

Box meals can be extremely smart and luxurious

Edited May 12, 2021 by uktog

[ptrpanpens]

Curious as to how they will handle disembarkation is there is only one dining room? And since there will be no buffet, will they convert that area into another dining room, or perhaps a cafe where you cannot serve yourself. The dining room may be very crowded if that is the only option other than a boxed meal.

[ECCruise]

9 minutes ago, ptrpanpens said:

Curious as to how they will handle disembarkation is there is only one dining room? And since there will be no buffet, will they convert that area into another dining room, or perhaps a cafe where you cannot serve yourself. The dining room may be very crowded if that is the only option other than a boxed meal.

There is a buffet, it just will not be self-served.  This is the way it has been done on some other cruise lines for many years. From the "Explore Well at Sea:"

Buffets will now be served by crew rather than self-service

[gskimmel]

15 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

There is a buffet, it just will not be self-served.  This is the way it has been done on some other cruise lines for many years. From the "Explore Well at Sea:"

Buffets will now be served by crew rather than self-service

I also interpreted this as the buffet operating like it does during the first few days of a voyage: I point and a crew member puts on a plate for me.