uktog

Just for information 45 days since Explora cancelled my cruise at the last minute- they are insisting on applying their standard MSC terms so 25 days more before the refund will be issued (and goodness knows when my flight and hotel refunds will come - Explora didn’t do air when we booked)

That is excellent progress - Azamara need to give Explora Journey lessons!!

Be careful with a veranda plus room if you are not chosing the room. The location of some of the VP rooms on Deck 8 is not great as you get noise from above

She went on leave in Hamburg so NO!

Don’t hold your breath Phil. I’m still waiting for a response post auto emails from June and July about two existing bookings I was entitled to lift and shift. In the end I gave up and cancelled

At least you are using magnetic hooks. In some hotels in China there is a sign by the high wall/ceiling fire sprinkler that says please do not hang clothes here it will cause a flood 🙂

That was my experience. I just hold back the tours not likely to sell out when I have the package and sort them onboard. Works no problem

In the meantime, boards like here needs to get the message out to manage expectations about Leith. Rosyth isn't straightforward either - strong currents and rules about going under the bridges in high winds I meant to say I saw a message on Cruise Forth on Saturday asking for anyone with a minibus and able to run shuttle service to contact them for Sunday so they could offer guests Dunfermline. I know some local groups did go and help

Internet willing I will try to

Whilst I agree, some people need help or more space to change so they might return to their room to do that. I shred a cover up/shorts failing that the robe but please not your bikini or budgie smugglers (seen both on premium lines)

I think many of the times set at present on Explora for dining are quite "Italian/Greek" eg later start to dining, clear gaps in dining offerings so the mid afternoon nosh is more in the cakes and ice cream vein than is seen elsewhere in the world. They work fine for me

I know from current experience it is actually so much easier to hold morning meetings (or morning prayers as they are irreverently referred to at my clients) these days with Teams (our preferred system) than when we were office based. People can join from anywhere and can far more easily share documents. By the end of the quick call Senior Managers clearly know what has to be cascaded, picking up crib sheets if need be which are instantly shareable. So all in all it’s actually easier to have the meetings @babykay talks about and much easier to get key agreed messages from these meetings to the front line in minutes.

Look forward to your posts and the posts of those cruising earlier than you are. Some of the shills/influencers have recently got quite nasty to anyone on FB who asks questions or highlights little bits that are not to their personal taste. Clearly only fawning posts about the Ocean of Wellness are allowed which is really unhealthy for Explora. Lovely to see the more balanced focus here

I am interested in any updates on this from Saturn or Sky as I am seeing mixed reports on whether my 30/08 trip is going to have a lot more sea days than I had hoped for or not (yes I know weather can change again etc)

Taken near Koper last year. I think the message is clear

Do they offer extra benefits for booking onboard?

Viking also have experts onboard, often real specialists. My last canal transit (Pursuit 2019) there was no "expert" - just the gentleman who often talks about ports all round the world did something in the Caberet - very generic - the day before the transit and the Cruise Director talked from the bridge but he was just reading from Wikipedia if you looked it up there on the day. Our transit in 2012 was excellent - that time they had an engineer on board who was very good. I hope in future you get the engineer and not the generic supplemented by Wikipedia

The support was dropping off a lot pre Covid - the writing was on the wall in 2018 and 2019

As @tgg said never used to be but then they started to make more intensive itineraries. As the first full day on board is often not a sea day Azamara defaulted to moving the meeting to embarkation day. Their argument was people might want to connect up who have set up private trips so they have to do it that day. I kind of get that, however nothing frustrates me more as I have had on many cruises since the change, the next day is a seaday but they still insist on doing it embarkation, and of course as officers are busy and so very little if any support from the senior management team. Never go if it’s at sail away.

@frogfish12 Our other cruises are in November, cancelling was going to incur significant penalties give the terms of trade they apply in the UK. I would have cancelled given how we have been treated. I will have a refund this week but only because the travel agent is paying it from their funds. If I was waiting for Explora - or lets be honest MSC they are calling all the shots and treating guests like passers by on 6000 guest ships - the money would not be back until mid to end of September from a July cancellation.

I think you are right on some cruises but not on others. I know some very loyal Azamara cruisers who have gone back to Celebrity. They are not young cruisers and they have high standards re food. Aqua class seems to tick all the boxes. If it wasn’t for the background music we would be looking more at Celebrity for sure given the price points are so similar

Thanks, not a night time venue then for us, but I am sure it is for others.

Thanks yes I knew it was not table service I just wondered how much "service" there was. On another line for example at breakfast the made to order items such as omlettes are brought to your table you do not stand around waiting for them. I was just wondering what Explora was like in the evening

Can you tell me in the market place in the evening do you have to stand around and wait for the food they cook or do you go back to your table and it is brought to you when it’s ready. I like the sound of the food concept, but I do prefer not to be jumping up and down to get food in the evening. Thanks

https://dunfermline.com Late post I know. If you can don’t miss the Tiffany window in the Abbey. I remember it in its previous location in the local hall and let’s just say as kids we didn’t respect it.