Rare Host Jazzbeau Posted August 29, 2023 #101 Share Posted August 29, 2023 2 hours ago, nordski said: Now wait just a gosh darn minute here. Several years ago I had to enter the trenches on this forum to defend the honour of Canadian back (peameal) bacon. And as a long ago hog farmer I am certainly willing to vigorously defend the quality of the source of that bacon. Being of a peaceable nature I am going to assume that maybe there is a confusion in terminology between Canadian bacon and what the English seem to call “streaky” and what we would call American bacon. But be warned that I will not stand for any slander of our fine Canadian bacon (either back or peameal) Your fine Canadian bacon makes a great Eggs Benedict. But to go with scrambled eggs [fresh eggs scrambled, not some orange liquid out of a container!] you need American, streaky, smoked, crispy [not but burned] bacon. Horses for courses. 😀 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandma Cruising Posted August 29, 2023 #102 Share Posted August 29, 2023 12 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said: Your fine Canadian bacon makes a great Eggs Benedict. But to go with scrambled eggs [fresh eggs scrambled, not some orange liquid out of a container!] you need American, streaky, smoked, crispy [not but burned] bacon. Horses for courses. 😀 Nooooooooooo! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare travelberlin Posted August 29, 2023 #103 Share Posted August 29, 2023 I do not see an alternative to Azamara for me. The closest would be Oceania in that Premium Category. Having said that, this that not means that I am not cruising. I am booked on cruises with the New Crystal and with Explora. Different markt segment than Azamara though. New Crystal and Explora are claiming a place in the luxury segment not in the premium one like Azamara. We will see how they actually perform. I also like cruises with Windstar and Mein Schiff. We have several options for cruising although the experiences would be different that those in Azamara. But maybe it is good so… Ivi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susiesan Posted August 29, 2023 #104 Share Posted August 29, 2023 On 8/22/2023 at 12:44 PM, donaldsc said: For a unique cruising experience try Star Clippers - https://www.starclippers.com/us-dom/. They are true sailboats not like Windstar which are nowhere close to being a true sailboat. A Star Clipper cruise is a unique great experience. DON If you are not a smoker you will not enjoy Star Clipper cruises. They cater to mostly European passengers and allow smoking everywhere on the outside decks. You can't get away from it. I've cruised with them once and will not again due to their smoking policy. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Miggins Posted August 29, 2023 #105 Share Posted August 29, 2023 I loved Star Clippers. I am a non smoker and never experienced any issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blag Posted August 29, 2023 #106 Share Posted August 29, 2023 3 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said: 3 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said: American, streaky, smoked, crispy [not but burned] bacon. Horses for courses. 😀 Expand Nooooooooooo! Could not agree more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare travelberlin Posted August 29, 2023 #107 Share Posted August 29, 2023 1 hour ago, susiesan said: If you are not a smoker you will not enjoy Star Clipper cruises. They cater to mostly European passengers and allow smoking everywhere on the outside decks. You can't get away from it. I've cruised with them once and will not again due to their smoking policy. As a non smoker, I have not had a problem on the Royal Clipper. I have loved the experience. Ivi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1985rz1 Posted August 29, 2023 #108 Share Posted August 29, 2023 (edited) 4 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said: Nooooooooooo! Yesssssss! Sorta sound like a James Bond recipe for bacon: crisp, not burned. 😁 Edited August 29, 2023 by 1985rz1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaldsc Posted August 30, 2023 #109 Share Posted August 30, 2023 4 hours ago, susiesan said: If you are not a smoker you will not enjoy Star Clipper cruises. They cater to mostly European passengers and allow smoking everywhere on the outside decks. You can't get away from it. I've cruised with them once and will not again due to their smoking policy. I also did not have a problem w smokers on my recent Star Clipper cruise. DON 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debcip Posted September 27, 2023 #110 Share Posted September 27, 2023 On 8/13/2023 at 3:05 PM, Marylebone37 said: “ until the current senior management team is gone and my online account is accurate (on its own, without any more hours of follow up from me).” LOL, agree! I have spent so many hours on this, to no avail! I’ve got all my info printed ou (from Celebrity) and am just hoping it can be straightened out on board in March! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debcip Posted September 27, 2023 #111 Share Posted September 27, 2023 On 8/13/2023 at 3:42 PM, Host Jazzbeau said: I've been on the one Viking itinerary that appeals to me. The cruise was great, but I don't cruise for the ship. [And I don't expect them to change, since they seem to be doing fine with their over-and-over itineraries. Just not for me.] We are going to try Windstar in the Caribbean – they have interesting itineraries and their small ships can go anywhere. Thanks, Jazzbeau, for an interesting perspective. I think I should adopt this as a philosophy— don’t worry about the ship and just go for the itinerary. I had become a bit of an Azamara loyalist but maybe I shouldn’t be so rigid, esp while they are ironing out the kinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nippy Sweetie Posted September 29, 2023 #112 Share Posted September 29, 2023 (edited) Having been on Azamara last year then Viking early this year (5 months between cruises), it's Viking only for us now. It's more than the ship it's the wrap around customer care that we liked. I could give numerous examples starting from the basics - Viking answers the phone! I've spent hours trying to get through to Azamara. The food was much better on Viking (Venus) too. Sorry. I know there are keen Azamara fans but it's just not for us Edited September 29, 2023 by Nippy Sweetie 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare uktog Posted September 29, 2023 #113 Share Posted September 29, 2023 23 minutes ago, Nippy Sweetie said: Having been on Azamara last year then Viking early this year (5 months between cruises), it's Viking only for us now. It's more than the ship it's the wrap around customer care that we liked. I could give numerous examples starting from the basics - Viking answers the phone! I've spent hours trying to get through to Azamara. The food was much better on Viking (Venus) too. Sorry. I know there are keen Azamara fans but it's just not for us We were very happy with our recent Viking cruise and agree certainly on our cruise and for our tastes the food was light years ahead of our last Azamara experience. But one swan doesn’t make a summer and one bad apple doesn’t ruin the crop. So our position now is a mix between Azamara and Viking and others in 2024 and review after that. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacktle Posted September 29, 2023 #114 Share Posted September 29, 2023 On 8/29/2023 at 9:48 PM, Mrs Miggins said: I loved Star Clippers. I am a non smoker and never experienced any issues. We've never had an issue on Royal Clipper with ciggie smoke either. We're both non-smokers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ithikan Posted September 29, 2023 #115 Share Posted September 29, 2023 We recently gave Seabourn a try, on a 10-night RT from Vancouver BC through Alaska's glorious Inside Passage. Staff and crew members were universally exceptional. They gave every impression of being delighted that we'd joined them on this voyage. Ship and food, not so much. Odyssey's carpets were afflicted with mold and mildew in our stateroom and elsewhere; blown seals on the large, observation windows made viewing problematic; the bland and repetitive food led me to a 3# weight loss on this cruise. (Immediately replaced, no worries 😉) We're back to Azamara in January and although Seabourn offers a tempting Iceland-UK itinerary next fall, we can't bring ourselves to commit to 21 days with probable mildew and unappealing food. So it's Onward in October for us, and I'm hoping for cruises that match our prior Azamara experiences. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takemewithyou Posted September 29, 2023 #116 Share Posted September 29, 2023 47 minutes ago, Ithikan said: We recently gave Seabourn a try, on a 10-night RT from Vancouver BC through Alaska's glorious Inside Passage. Staff and crew members were universally exceptional. They gave every impression of being delighted that we'd joined them on this voyage. Ship and food, not so much. Odyssey's carpets were afflicted with mold and mildew in our stateroom and elsewhere; blown seals on the large, observation windows made viewing problematic; the bland and repetitive food led me to a 3# weight loss on this cruise. (Immediately replaced, no worries 😉) We're back to Azamara in January and although Seabourn offers a tempting Iceland-UK itinerary next fall, we can't bring ourselves to commit to 21 days with probable mildew and unappealing food. So it's Onward in October for us, and I'm hoping for cruises that match our prior Azamara experiences. That’s very helpful to know because some of us have been considering giving Seabourn a try. How old is the Odyssey and what was the size of the ship? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ithikan Posted September 29, 2023 #117 Share Posted September 29, 2023 Odyssey felt enormous, takemewithyou. Our deck 8 cabin was comfortably large with so many drawers and shelves throughout that I continually forgot where I'd tucked stuff. (Where are the warm scarves? And what day is it, anyway??) Bathroom plenty large, no comparison here, the nod goes to Seabourn. The layout with one large atrium staircase piercing the center of the ship made traversing from one end to the other feel like a bit of a hike. To avoid the spiraling stairs we used an enclosed, dark passageway on deck 5, quickly dubbed The Tunnel of Love. Reservations in the specialty restaurant, TK The Grill, were easy. We ate there twice, both times revelling in the tableside Caesar Salad. The mains were okay; I left my significantly over-salted gnocchi on the plate. (Remember, 3 pounds lost on this voyage.) Afternoon tea in the Observation Lounge was worth the price of admission. Lots of clever savory and sweet treats on a tower and a large menu of teas. However, finding a seat for this event was challenging - the Odyssey sails with 450 pax and during this cruise it felt like nearly everyone wanted tea. Just The Facts, Ma'am: Odyssey, 650 feet long, 450 pax. Azamara, 594 feet long, @680 pax. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takemewithyou Posted September 29, 2023 #118 Share Posted September 29, 2023 3 hours ago, Ithikan said: Odyssey felt enormous, takemewithyou. Our deck 8 cabin was comfortably large with so many drawers and shelves throughout that I continually forgot where I'd tucked stuff. (Where are the warm scarves? And what day is it, anyway??) Bathroom plenty large, no comparison here, the nod goes to Seabourn. The layout with one large atrium staircase piercing the center of the ship made traversing from one end to the other feel like a bit of a hike. To avoid the spiraling stairs we used an enclosed, dark passageway on deck 5, quickly dubbed The Tunnel of Love. Reservations in the specialty restaurant, TK The Grill, were easy. We ate there twice, both times revelling in the tableside Caesar Salad. The mains were okay; I left my significantly over-salted gnocchi on the plate. (Remember, 3 pounds lost on this voyage.) Afternoon tea in the Observation Lounge was worth the price of admission. Lots of clever savory and sweet treats on a tower and a large menu of teas. However, finding a seat for this event was challenging - the Odyssey sails with 450 pax and during this cruise it felt like nearly everyone wanted tea. Just The Facts, Ma'am: Odyssey, 650 feet long, 450 pax. Azamara, 594 feet long, @680 pax. Sounds like tea was the main event ! Maybe everyone was filling up on food there because the restaurants at dinner were not so great?! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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