Sign of things to come??

[alfredo1]

Received today:

 

"Your scheduled AzAmazing Evening – An Operatic Evening at the Goldoni Theatre  has been changed to a Destination Celebration – Evening of Italian Opera . We believe this change will provide you with a truly memorable, authentic experience that immerses you deeper into the local culture."

The Goldoni was on of the better evenings, shame it's gone while dressed up as an improvement.

 

 

[oddjob16]

Goldoni is in Venice. 
 

[alfredo1]

Goldoni used for the Azamazing Evening is in Livorno.

https://www.goldoniteatro.it/

[oddjob16]

57 minutes ago, alfredo1 said:

Goldoni used for the Azamazing Evening is in Livorno.

https://www.goldoniteatro.it/

Just realised that. Sorry. What a bummer.🫣

[uktog]

Logistically better on board this one in my view. Appreciate others may not agree. Often tours from Florence struggled to get back in time to leave for the theatre. They have to allow so much time for transport to and from the theatre. Doing it on the ship will allow them to push the start time back quite a bit so more people can attend. 

[Kitekat]

If this is the same women singers (and keyboard player) it will be equally fabulous having experienced this Azamazing Evening in both locations - ashore before covid and on board after.

[hamrag]

12 hours ago, alfredo1 said:

Received today:

 

"Your scheduled AzAmazing Evening – An Operatic Evening at the Goldoni Theatre  has been changed to a Destination Celebration – Evening of Italian Opera . We believe this change will provide you with a truly memorable, authentic experience that immerses you deeper into the local culture."

The Goldoni was on of the better evenings, shame it's gone while dressed up as an improvement.

 

 

Back in May, Croatia Intensive, our scheduled Az Evening was to be in an iconic castle in Dubrovnik. The day prior we received a letter announcing that 'due to forecast adverse weather conditions....etc' the troupe would come onboard and perform in the Show Theatre. The weather was very good, and no-one we spoke to onboard had seen the alleged weather forecast!

 

Whilst the show was excellent, it would have generated so much more authenticism in the castle originally intended. It seemed clear to me that they hadn't worked out the logistics of getting 500+ guests onto tenders and ferrying us each way to the harbour!  

 

It was a beautiful clear evening, and we watched the tender return to the Harbour with the troupe members, and their equipment, sail off on calm seas to the harbour! Poor from Az IMHO.

Edited October 12, 2023 by hamrag

[Riocca]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

Back in May, Croatia Intensive, our scheduled Az Evening was to be in an iconic castle in Dubrovnik. The day prior we received a letter announcing that 'due to forecast adverse weather conditions....etc' the troupe would come onboard and perform in the Show Theatre. The weather was very good, and no-one we spoke to onboard had seen the alleged weather forecast!

 

Whilst the show was excellent, it would have generated so much more authenticism in the castle originally intended. It seemed clear to me that they hadn't worked out the logistics of getting 500+ guests onto tenders and ferrying us each way to the harbour!  

 

It was a beautiful clear evening, and we watched the tender return to the Harbour with the troupe members, and their equipment, sail off on calm seas to the harbour! Poor from Az IMHO.

We have just done the AzAmazing evening in Dubrovnik in the castle, it will be the last time that venue is being used as the access is very poor for those with any mobility problems. 
The venue is above a nightclub and open to the elements but I counted well over 100 stone steps to access the venue. The show was excellent but you didn’t lose much with it being moved onboard and more passengers would be able to enjoy it.

[ECCruise]

I'm afraid that this does appear to be the trend for the future.  2 of the 3 Azamazing evenings on our B2B2B have been changed to onboard events.

 

In the OPs case, the Goldoni event has been a staple for years.  We really enjoyed the theater as well as the performance. 

 

I have very little doubt that the fact that these events are changing in ports all over the world has more to do with cost than with logistics.  On 2 of our most recent Azamazing Evenings this year (HCM City and Colombo) we remarked how expensive the operation must be. 

[fruitmachine]

9 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

I'm afraid that this does appear to be the trend for the future.  2 of the 3 Azamazing evenings on our B2B2B have been changed to onboard events.

 

In the OPs case, the Goldoni event has been a staple for years.  We really enjoyed the theater as well as the performance. 

 

I have very little doubt that the fact that these events are changing in ports all over the world has more to do with cost than with logistics.  On 2 of our most recent Azamazing Evenings this year (HCM City and Colombo) we remarked how expensive the operation must be. 

Where driving-hours limits for coach drivers exist, the length of the working day for a driver that was earlier doing excursions can hit the maximum.  Employing a large number of additional drivers that have had their rest period is expensive. In high season and where there is a general shortage of drivers (more of an issue post-Covid) the alternative might be not providing cruise and/or non-cruise excursions during the day!

[hamrag]

1 hour ago, ECCruise said:

.....I have very little doubt that the fact that these events are changing in ports all over the world has more to do with cost than with logistics.  On 2 of our most recent Azamazing Evenings this year (HCM City and Colombo) we remarked how expensive the operation must be. 

That's fair enough, but Az should just be honest and do them all on board! Wouldn't bother us overall, but it's the way they try to pull the wool over your eyes that does for me. Incidentally, most other lines do similar in different aspects of the cruise....it's the post-covid effect that we see in our lives daily, but certainly by no means a deal breaker.

Edited October 12, 2023 by hamrag

[uktog]

Maybe it’s time Azamara looked at all their evening offerings - White Night, Azamazing evening and Folkloric events.  The original concepts are about 9 years old and there’s a blurring of what’s what. We’ve had folkloric at White Nights, Azamazing evenings and folkloric that are very similar. When boundaries get blurred and competitors challenge your USP in an area or it’s no longer feasible to offer it consistently it’s time to rethink and redefine 

[ECCruise]

24 minutes ago, uktog said:

Maybe it’s time Azamara looked at all their evening offerings - White Night, Azamazing evening and Folkloric events.  The original concepts are about 9 years old and there’s a blurring of what’s what. We’ve had folkloric at White Nights, Azamazing evenings and folkloric that are very similar. When boundaries get blurred and competitors challenge your USP in an area or it’s no longer feasible to offer it consistently it’s time to rethink and redefine 

Good point.

 

The cost for some of these events has to be in the stratosphere.  Not to mention the logistics.  We actually met a former Azamara Shore Ex staff on another line who said one of the main reasons she changed jobs was due to the massive amount of time that the Azamazing Evenings required.

 

Azamazing Evening was 10 years old earlier this year.  Perhaps it is time to rethink and restructure.  And stop promising events that never happen (we are up to 4 that were scheduled, booked online and then scrapped). 

[oddjob16]

10 hours ago, Kitekat said:

If this is the same women singers (and keyboard player) it will be equally fabulous having experienced this Azamazing Evening in both locations - ashore before covid and on board after.

We didn’t go to Goldoni, but had the Evening on board. If this is the same troupe that would have been in the theatre we had nothing to complain about. The show was fabulous.

Edited October 12, 2023 by oddjob16

[Kitekat]

12 hours ago, oddjob16 said:

We didn’t go to Goldoni, but had the Evening on board. If this is the same troupe that would have been in the theatre we had nothing to complain about. The show was fabulous.

Oh yes! Have seen them twice - once in the theatre and once on board and definitely fabulous both times! Would happily see them again.

[Marmaduke]

I received an email from Azamara this morning reminding me that the 20% quarterly saving offer will be ending soon.  After listing a few examples of cruises included in the offer there was a section ' Always + Azamara' , which stated as always included

5 Dining Options , Beverages including Alcohol 24/7, Tips & Gratuities, Exclusive Cultural Events, Unlimited Self Service Laundry. 

 

No mention of 'Azamazing Evenings' which  is the term they have always used in the past as a USP.  I suppose the term "Exclusive Cultural Events" covers Azamazing Evenings but I think that due to costs and logistics the shore side events that we   formerly knew as Azamazing Evenings are a thing of the past.

[hamrag]

2 hours ago, Marmaduke said:

I received an email from Azamara this morning reminding me that the 20% quarterly saving offer will be ending soon.  After listing a few examples of cruises included in the offer there was a section ' Always + Azamara' , which stated as always included

5 Dining Options , Beverages including Alcohol 24/7, Tips & Gratuities, Exclusive Cultural Events, Unlimited Self Service Laundry. 

 

No mention of 'Azamazing Evenings' which  is the term they have always used in the past as a USP.  I suppose the term "Exclusive Cultural Events" covers Azamazing Evenings but I think that due to costs and logistics the shore side events that we   formerly knew as Azamazing Evenings are a thing of the past.

Interesting observation, and it's word for word identical on the Az website here in the UK. What I do not know, did the wording change recently or was that always the case?

[uktog]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

Interesting observation, and it's word for word identical on the Az website here in the UK. What I do not know, did the wording change recently or was that always the case?

That’s new wording 

[cruisemom42]

On 10/12/2023 at 2:20 PM, Riocca said:

We have just done the AzAmazing evening in Dubrovnik in the castle, it will be the last time that venue is being used as the access is very poor for those with any mobility problems. 
The venue is above a nightclub and open to the elements but I counted well over 100 stone steps to access the venue. The show was excellent but you didn’t lose much with it being moved onboard and more passengers would be able to enjoy it.

I agree. (I am onboard Onward right now with you I think?) I have a bad knee at the moment and was told not to go by Az staff due to no access other than via a large number of old, stone steps. 
 

While I love the idea of these AzAmazing evenings in theory; I find in practice they may not add much. My sailing is BTB and I will likely miss the second one as well. Azamara scheduled it for the night we are in Thessaloniki. Because of this, they also canceled the longer shore excursion I’d booked with them as its late finish would make it difficult to make the evening event. However for me the excursion trumps the event; I’ve wanted to visit the birthplace of Alexander the Great for decades. So I booked a private one and will likely miss the event. Shame on Azamara for requiring this choice.

[Nashna]

My best experience in over 50 cruises was our Azamara cruise event in Crete.  We tendered into the town square, where we witnessed a typical Greek wedding with the bride and groom arriving via horseback, followed by their entourage.  We were treated like wedding guests; native-dressed locals passed delightful Greek pastries, and the wine flowed while actors who played the parts of groomsmen, bridesmaids, and parents performed native dances.  The bridal party visited each table and posed for photos.  After the ceremony, we all got up and danced with the captain and many ship's officers.  As the bridal couple left, fireworks went off in the harbor.  We were in a roped-off area of the square.  However, hundreds of onlookers watched and cheered along with us.  The beautiful night, music, merriment, and the pure joy of the participants truly made it an Azamazing evening.  Interestingly, the Captain had mentioned in his daily announcement that the evening event might need to be canceled due to rough seas, and a decision would be made later that day.  In his remarks at the "wedding," he said that he had been stressing all day about needing to cancel the event as he was looking forward to the evening.    

[Melissaghoti]

If you do a search of the Azamara website, you’ll find a list of Azamazing evenings for each ship through the end of this year. Some may be onboard, but some clearly show the off-ship venue. I did events at the fort in Dubrovnik and Goldoni in Livorno. Both were great, and transportation ran smoothly, but had to be an expensive, logistical nightmare. Both would have been impossible for someone with mobility challenges. Plenty for Azamara to consider going forward.

Melissa

[Melissaghoti]

[Mrs Miggins]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I agree. (I am onboard Onward right now with you I think?) I have a bad knee at the moment and was told not to go by Az staff due to no access other than via a large number of old, stone steps. 
 

While I love the idea of these AzAmazing evenings in theory; I find in practice they may not add much. My sailing is BTB and I will likely miss the second one as well. Azamara scheduled it for the night we are in Thessaloniki. Because of this, they also canceled the longer shore excursion I’d booked with them as its late finish would make it difficult to make the evening event. However for me the excursion trumps the event; I’ve wanted to visit the birthplace of Alexander the Great for decades. So I booked a private one and will likely miss the event. Shame on Azamara for requiring this choice.

Have you checked out the Archeological Site at Pella on Google Street View ?  Have followed your postings on other sites and I know how interested you are in ancient history and I applaud your wish to visit this site.  However many would take the Azamazing evening over Pella.

However I have found many of your previous posts really interesting and I love the fact that you are a knowledgeable enthusiast.

Some onboard have absolutely no idea where they are going - of course that is their choice.

Edited October 13, 2023 by Mrs Miggins

[cruisemom42]

31 minutes ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Have you checked out the Archeological Site at Pella on Google Street View ?  Have followed your postings on other sites and I know how interested you are in ancient history and I applaud your wish to visit this site.  However many would take the Azamazing evening over Pella.

However I have found many of your previous posts really interesting and I love the fact that you are a knowledgeable enthusiast.

Some onboard have absolutely no idea where they are going - of course that is their choice.

I’msure you’re right about what choices others might make…but it could easily have been a different long excursion!

 

Thanks for your kind words. I have done quite a bit of knowledge-gathering about Pella, and it also has given me opportunity to reread a few favorite books about Alexander - never a bad thing. 

[Dynacruiser]

Azamazing events are wonderful, although I have not enjoyed all of them due to personal preferences only.   I have even loved some that they have had in port, right next to the ship.

 

Organizing these events must be a logistical nightmare, particularly when there are changes at the last minute.  Speaking of...

 

Our recent Azamazing evening:

On a recent trip to Bilbao, our late lunch took much longer than anticipated, so we decided to stay in town and meet the group at the theater where the event was going to take place.    We we walking into the theater, they knew nothing about an Azamara event, so we waited for a while and then decided to continue enjoying Bilbao on our own and walked away.

We ran into an Azamara group walking to a different theater, several blocks away, purely by chance.   When we asked them why this change had not been communicated and the wrong name of the theater appeared  in the program we had received that morning, the Excursions Team told us that it was a last-minute change, that the original theater had not been able to hold the reservation!  

Luckily, we were able to join the group and enjoy the evening.

If it is true that Azamara found out of the change at the last minute, Azamara would have been justified to cancel the event, but many passengers would have been upset.

Of course, perhaps the change had occurred days before and the Excursions Desk didnt' want to admit that they forgot to communicate the change.🤭   In any case, I wish Azamara had an electronic way to communicate updates to all passengers (email, app, web, whatever) , instead of relying on pieces of paper.

The evening in Bilbao was very enjoyable.