Priya2

Are the shuttle busses always ‘free’. We have only taken one cruise with Azamara so far, so we’re not sure. Celebrity always charge - $10 I think!

We have done our laundry on board and found no need for conditioner. We don’t use dryer sheets as they are another thing that are terrible for the environment.

I have been successful in login in via Voyage Planner. Thank you all. I still maintain that cruise company sites are unreasonably quirky!

I have be trying to login to ‘My Azamara’. I didn’t notice there was a separate ‘voyage’ area to login to. Why are cruise company website so badly designed. You would think they could afford to use a good website designer 🙄 Even when we can get into them, they are often not very intuitive. Maybe eventually we will be able to get there Jelayne. Good to know that ‘they are working on it’. Of course when other companies need to work on a problem like this on their websites, the problem is sorted with in hours!

Is it me! I am a tech savvie individual, but I can’t log in to the website! It gives me a login option for ‘my cruise in 2018’, but my cruise is 6th January ‘19, so it won’t let me in. This seems crazy to me and this is from someone who has successfully negotiated the Celebrity Cruises website - no small feat!

 

So again I ask, is it me?

Sounds good Shannock. I’m glad you had a good time. Your review is really helpful. As you know from another thread, hubby and I haven’t cruised with Marella yet, but we live near Newcastle, so we should give it a go. Having looked at the website, the ships, cabins etc, look impressive. Sailing from the UK without having to drive to the other end of the country, but just getting a taxi ‘up the road’, would be great!

 

Someone above mentioned that one of the ships used to be Celebrity Century. Interestingly (for us at least), that was the ship we took our first cruise on 🙂

Thanks Pud 👍

Thank you Shannock, that’s very helpful. Any idea if there is a sunlounger on the standard balcony?

Can anyone tell me if there are any differences in furniture on the XL Balconies when compared to the standard ones? I have looked on the TUI website, but they just give sizes. I think I can see a hamock through a window on a photograph. If that is the only difference, we would stick with the standard. I thought it a good idea to check though, with those who have experience.

 

We have, as yet, never sailed with TUI.

I like the look of the India Itinary starting in Mumbai, except that at 24 nights, it’s a little long for us.

Thank you. Which ship?

The Quest, but all Azamara ships are mirrors of each other really. This includes the Persuit, which has her maiden voyage in August. We are booked on her going to Antartica in January ‘19.

We are booked for Celebrity South America (Chile to Argentina) in Jan 2020 in the smaller Sky Suite (14 days) but the price is very high. We are Celebrity Elite members so we will get points and status on Azamara so looking forward to the release of 2020 itineraries this month to see if we want to switch. It will be interesting to see the price differential as Azamara offers a very similar cruise. Has anybody done Azamara in S.America? We have also noticed that Oceania seems to be less expensive than Azamara so considering Oceania as well.

We did Azamara Costa Rica (more Central America) in January this year. It was a lovely cruise.

From the amount of new ship building, the industry must believe their nurvanna days will never end.

 

But "what goes up will come down"

Agreed! You are in a perfect place for some great road trip holidays. We flew to Calgary, stayed in Banff and drove the Icefields Parkway, Lake Louise etc from there. Then we ditched the rental car and took the Rocky Mountaineer train to Vancouver. That’s much cheaper than a cruise, especially with no trans-atlantic flight. I also strongly recommend road trips including the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Death Valley and Zion National Park, if you haven’t been yet.

 

It says a lot about how far the cruise industry are pushing prices when we find ourselves discussing alternative types of holidays on cruise critic!

The prices for this cruise have been all over the place. If that is the total cost for a suite for two of you then you got a great deal I think.

Phil

It is for two of us, so I’m very pleased. It’s comparative though isn’t it. That would have been expensive even a couple of years ago. It only looks great because the costs of decent cruises have risen so much. If the industry pushes it much further, it could price out most ordinary people. I guess then, prices might come down again! :rolleyes:

We (in the UK) booked very early the Antartica cruise from Buenas Aries in January ‘19 with the second person 50% off & onboard credit. We compared it with a very similar, slightly longer cruise with Celebrity. Pro rata regarding the nights and adding the additional costs of what we would pay for drinks (without a package), a relatively modest amount (not much alcohol, premium coffee, mineral water, Coke Cola), the onboard credit and gratuities. The cost of Celebrity in a Balcony Cabin £9800. The cost of Azamara in a Suite, so including all meals in specialty restaurants as well as everything else £9811! We have nothing against Celebrity, but this was a no brainer! This will be just our second Azamara cruise. To those here more experienced, have we just got a one off great deal, or does it always, or mostly pay to book very early?

I think it’s inevitable. Coincidental, this week, I purchased a beautiful, retro looking, lightweight mirrorless camera. The technology within it is fantastic. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been selling my DSLR equipment. I did feel a wrench on selling my favourite lens, but I know this is a good move for me.

To the post saying tip in every country; over here in Finland you'd probably get a look for trying to tip, it is not customary here nor do anyone expect it. And the total pay the porters would receive here yearly is way less than in the US. Another funny place to tip that seems customary in the US is in the casino at the tables (I've understood). And both at the port and in the casino they make 6 figures a year for that. That's just weird. Do people pay tax on the tips or do you make 100k for lifting some bags? I should just move over there and leave my IT job for that. :)

Well said 👍

Our next 2 cruises booked are back with Celebrity and I can’t wait. Per night we have paid more for this cruise than we have paid for Celebrity past and future. To repeat this experience would only be worthwhile at a bargain basement price

which Celebrity ships are you sailing on and where to?

Yes agreed

I have travelled on Adonia which is smaller and the facilities were much better but this ship seems like it’s on its last legs

One thing is puzzling me though - anything I read about FO before this cruise praised the friendliness of the staff. This is not the case here. I smile at everyone and say good morning etc but get a grunt in return. On other ships when you come back on board you are asked if you had a nice day and welcomed back. Not on here - the security staff don’t say a word you you. Our waiters don’t want to chat. This is a strange experience and not like the cruising I am used to

Not like the cruising I’m used to either! We have so far only cruised with Celebrity and Azamara. The staff are always helpful and friendly (even more friendly on Celebrity despite what Azamara loyalists say). Fred is going to have some serious competition, like it’s never had before in a couple of years. Liverpool Cruise Terminal have now obtained planning permission for a huge extention and £50m has been agreed for this. The contractor has now been identified and this will allow the port to have turnaround facilities for ships carrying up to 3600 passengers. Happy days!

We are on Braemar at present in a balcony and are very disappointed. The space on the balcony is fine but there is a huge overhang so no sun and obstructed by a lifeboat below. I like to sleep with curtains open but this is not possible in port as our balcony has had a huge searchlight on overnight. I would never book this again - simply not worth the money

 

The cabin layout is very poor - we are in twin beds and have had to re-organise. Original layout had small bedside tables at foot of beds which just don’t work for us as we need somewhere for a glass of water and to leave specs. Also head of bed is not against a board or a wall so pillows kept dropping off. Worst cabin I have ever been in

Sorry to read that you are not enjoying your cabin. I think they need to stop with the refurbishments and just invest in some new ships!

The 'spat' is also about a Russian produced nerve agent being spread liberally around a quiet English city. A police officer (first responder) is still in hospital in a serious condition after being contaminated. Ambulance staff, hospital staff, pub and restaurant staff being monitored for longer term effects of coming into contact with this noxious substance. Less of a spat more of an incredibly serious issue highlighting how one country feels it can attempt to kill foreign citizens on foreign soil and seriously injure innocent people with impunity.

Well said!

I find the results of the poll, with the large majority saying they don’t think about it, quite depressing. No wonder the planet is in such a mess

The Security Staff certainly appear to be unfit for purpose there, but maybe they did the best they could in unanticipated circumstances (we only see a moment). Reading the article, the problem was two large groups that provoked each other and threatened other passengers from the point they embarked the ship. Maybe they got them off the ship at the first port of call. The article indicates that 30 of them took part in that brawl. The number of Security staff on any ship won’t be more than a handful (if that). Maybe the Cruise industry haven’t needed to train them to the Standard of Police or Prison Officers in the past because crime was usually carried out by an individual at a time. Groups of violent yobs didn’t used to cruise. As others have said, maybe we shouldn’t be happy anymore to find a cheap cruise!

Have sailed on all Fred's ships in the past, and loved them, especially sailing from Liverpool rather than having to get to the south coast. However, to get the type of balcony we like, we have to go into the suite categories and pay £££££.

Last year we discovered that Viking Ocean cruise ships aren't much different in price to Fred's suites and are modern, bright, comfortable and spacious. Lots of windows in public areas - it seemed that wherever you were on the ship, you could see the sea. Excursions are included, there are more dining options, no 'hard sell' extras, no photographers, no jumble sales in the atrium... bliss!

The downside is, of course, that most times you have to fly to reach the ship.

It's unlikely we'll be back to Fred - though never say never... if a ship was sailing from Liverpool over the Christmas period, I might, just might, be tempted!

Surely they have to respond to the increasing competition. I like the look of Viking too.

I mustn’t have been concentrating. When did the number of degrees held by posters become significant here?