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Buses run every 30 minutes and all the designated stops are admission paid. Three of the four were free stops anyway. The Rock and Roll Hall was paid for

Cleveland was a city that surprised. Some guests onboard said they wouldn’t be getting off it was a dreadful place. We are glad we ignored them. The ship is using AQ hop on off buses that travel along with us so we will get to know the drivers. Today the drivers are getting to know the routes as it’s their first time. So there were glitches. First everyone had to come off the ship to the immigration building and officially enter the US. (little green roof building at the end of the pier) It was a painless process with very pleasant officers- although too many guests did not seem to understand simple instructions so it took longer to clear the ship than planned (yes you may be a US citizen you still have to go!!) The HoHo did four stops 1. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What can we say except wow, three hours gone in a blink could have stayed longer 2. The International Women’s Air and Space Museum - em well this is a very small collection of artefacts in a foyer of a private airport- not worth the stop made worse by the fact the bus forgot to pull in to pick us up 3. The Rockerfeller Greenhouses- pretty gardens though the ones we drove by themed by country were more interesting 4. Downtown- it was Saturday nothing was happening! We did, however, enjoy our time. If we were back again in Cleveland we would just do the ride around to see the city on the bus, then head back to the rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame where you have all day in and out entry via a wristband. We would also buy admission to the Lakeside science centre next to it which a lot of people said really was exceptionally good. One glitch we found is that we returned the vessel just before two and found by the time we had got onboard there was absolutely no lunch facilities open. Unfortunately the only cookies out both contained nuts so my dear husband did have a very long wait until dinner. I do think this is something American Queen that should look at - on the Mississippi there was always something available, but it doesn’t appear to be the case here. We heard those who went on the Amish adventure had a wonderful time. As far as we can tell the ship is pretty full. The only time the grill has been closed was the second night where they were doing the welcome dinner onboard. The entertainment continues to be very good and appropriate to the age of the audience

Why? They are sailing from mid July. The ships through its sea trials

Our day on Niagara did indeed tick that bucket list item. We opted for the Premium tour as this was more extensive and gave us lunch at the Sylon Tower. The food was fine I just “ate in the view” We also visited a winery (Bella Terra) which was very nice wine. Many guests bought bottles to enjoy onboard. The included tour just gives you the boat ride to the falls and back which others enjoyed. We loved our soaking but dried off fast! Our guide was one of these “marmite” folks you either like or dislike No in between. We felt she talked so much about herself and did not share much of the information we would have wanted about the geology and river management. There was a lot of standing waiting with no explanations- timings seem to have been all wrong. However it was a great day and the icing on the cake was the fantastic lakelorian presentation onboard that really gave us all the facts we were craving- though we would have preferred them “at the scene”. Captains toast was followed by a good dinner - this time they did ask how we wanted beef cooked and it came out absolutely to our liking. Hopefully also captured the always available!

But given my and others first hand knowledge of what’s involved in the tours in Scotland the prices are unreasonable. I think the example of Glasgow on your own says it all. There is no real added value other than transport $174 for something you can do for $25 I see very unreasonable prices or a computer glitch.

There is an everyday offering - I will try and get it in tonight’s menu picture. The food was nice, nothing outstanding nothing bad. Little things like no choice how your lamb is cooked and my potatoes were very cool but the fish was hot. I’d give it 3.5/5 - a reasonable effort and no washing up! Last night we transited the lock system towards Port Colbourne. One lock it was dusk otherwise dark. No point in going to bed early a lot of noise and bumps until about 2300 then unfortunately seemed to have one more through the night that woke us. The bed is very comfortable though!

Sail away from Toronto, no idea of timings suddenly realised we were leaving (at 6) everything previously said 7 so got caught out for photos Captain did the announcement during the safety drill except everyone was outside so and speakers weren’t working. There was no schedule in the room so only just discovered things were happening earlier Night 1 menu Nice meal, nothing outstanding in the meal BUT someone else did the cooking! So far a few little things all stupid but nothing to get worried about

I think the issue is the Westin was where we were supposed to be. There was nothing near at the Canopy so many had nothing to do until the 3pm departure. We hopped on the No 2 line just at the corner of the hotel three stops along to the Bata Shoe Museum and spent a few hours. Even found some special 18th Scottish nobleman shoes. As well shoes for the car mad grandson. My view The Canopy Toronto is a poor fit for AQV. Guests need comfortable chairs to sit on and reasonable facilities near by. However if you can master the subway - it’s very very easy and felt very safe - you can still make good use of your preboard morning. The transfer to the vessel took 40 minutes there was a lot of traffic. Embarkation includes handing over passports (not an issue for us but seemed to be for some) and escorting to your room. We are now onboard. There was a small buffet available (we skipped) and are now organising our room. There’s not masses of space but enough storage (we don’t pack light) we just need to work out how we both move around at the same time (or maybe not!!!)

Today we start our Great Lakes cruise from Toronto final destination is still a mystery staff interchangeably say Chicago and Milwaukee at the hotel. As you know our hotel was changed from the Westin to the Canopy by Hilton. We arrived three days ago and have enjoyed two nights in the Westin fabulous location beside so many of the things we wanted to do and very comfortable. Apart from one elevator out of service there was absolutely no sound or evidence of refurbishment going on. We did however discover the Westin was fully booked the day we checked out (would have been AQ check in day) with a large conference that night so maybe the real reason was AQ did not secure a reservation at a good price. We enjoyed exploring town and loved our dinner up CN tower. We found the Westin which you can see in this view from Ward Island perfect for our needs We did an early morning market tour with Culinary Adventures who claim to be No 1 in Toronto - they are not - having done many such tours worldwide they are No 1 in the world it was outstanding and we would thoroughly recommend them. I can’t believe how much we nibbled - look at these berries and of course the Peameal bacon sandwiches the local specialty We moved to Canopy by Hilton. It’s brand new (so new maintenance have been to our room three times with snagging). Staff aren’t used to dealing with larger numbers but are trying. It’s all high tech electronics in the room for lights, curtains etc. Unfortunately it’s so trendy there aren’t many comfortable chairs in the restaurant (lots of high tops or stool chairs) so if you’re coming here book your dinner reservation in advance on open table and specify a standard seat. The other thing to be aware the hotel has no vehicle pull in, taxis have to stop in a moving traffic lane and Uber won’t pick up from the door as a result. If you’re only coming to sleep it’s fine otherwise it’s not a patch on the Westin with little dining nearby (lots of Hortons, Subway McDs etc). It is very close to subway line 2 we will use this morning Here is the information we got on checking in which may help others plan I will try and post daily details and answer questions along the way

Must have changed. I could use obc FROM the ship but never TO the ship.

Bear in mind some websites don’t give balanced views. They should do or they have zero credibility

Been discussed here already

Why horrible? Whilst things may be improving I wouldn’t blame any agent who opts to work with a line that answers calls promptly and gives out accurate information as opposed to one where there are horrendous call waits and agents who are not fully conversant with the product once the call is picked up. How do all the agents you know get their calls picked up?

I’m not so sure. Luxury cruises often equal entitled adults and the worst “disturbances” we’ve had by far have been on high end lines where there were no children onboard. I will do my three Explora bookings this year including one peak school holiday and report back. I have no issue with children being around. I’ve more issue with the demanding entitled who “nit pick” and “flash the cash” physically or metaphorically for attention

On a high end line our cruise was spoilt by the constant attention seeking antics of a lady who had entered their second childhood ~ and yes she did scream, shout etc. Cruising unless you charter a private yacht does require tolerance and recognition that some others around you may be annoying regardless of the price you pay.

It is not working. I am on the first cruise and despite paying my agent in full over a month ago the site says payment not complete hmm

Dear Azamara Guest, We deeply value your trust and loyalty to Azamara. As many of you are aware, we’ve completed the final steps of becoming an independent company. As part of this process, we implemented new technology to support all aspects of our business. The most critical and complex component of transitioning our reservation system was to transfer bookings for future cruises from our former parent company’s system into our new system. We underestimated the complexity of moving over these bookings and as a result, trip components and prices may appear inaccurate in some guests’ accounts. We deeply regret the inconvenience or frustration this process has caused you and your travel companions. I can assure you that we are working diligently to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. We want to assure you that all your booking information remains secure, and you’ll be able to sail with us as planned at the same rates you reserved. In the most concerning cases, customers may see a balance due that is not accurate. No additional payment outside of the original balances on the original booking is required, even if one appears in the account. We understand that many of you and your travel advisors have questions, which has led to an increase in our call centre volume. Wait times have been unacceptably high, which has made servicing existing bookings and making new reservations difficult. We recognise that the current pre-cruise process does not meet the Azamara standard. To address this issue, we have: Increased overall global call centre staff to help answer request forms in a more timely manner. Added a dedicated call centre option for sailings within 30 days. Added IT resources to repair bookings and account accuracy to fix any incorrect information before you board so you can have a stress-free experience. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition period. We remain committed to providing the exceptional service and experiences that have made Azamara one of the most respected and beloved brands in the travel industry. Thanks,

Ranking from least important to most I would put Online check in Accuracy of points Claims I owe money (we all know that is a glitch) Ability to pre book excursions using the method I want to use (and if I cannot a guarantee the onboard price will be the same as the pre board price) Ship having the right information about my OBC and being able to refund in the correct manner Access to accurate pricing and prompt answering of calls by fully competent agents evidencing the standard of customer care from the past Flight arrangements being as advised to the guest and access to a priority answered phone line if there are issued. Of course all this should be solved but its clear that is currently still beyond Azamara's technical competence.

And people disbelieved me when I reported that last week...... I am not going to play around trying to get things to look right on my PC, actually I dont care about my bookings, they are still at deposit only and even if I was further down the payment line, my agent would have records and I would have the protection of my credit card company. I dont care about my points I have a screen shot of them (but it was wrong pre migration but I am past caring) But I am seriously annoyed I cannot get correct information I need so I can progress flight bookings for next year or to either change my room (Ok silly me trying to give Azamara money). And I cannot ask my travel agent to hang on for 4 hours to try and do battle. I have sent an email in to Azamara but have not even had the boiler plate acknowledgement and we will get back to you. I have bookings with two other lines just now, one I have cruised with once, one I have never been with. Both are working well and calls/queries are answered promptly and accurately. My last cruise on Onward was not up to scratch so it is becoming even more difficult to rationalise spending any more with Azamara and if these two cruises hit the right spot, the loser will be Azamara. It did not need to be this way.

Do you realise how lucky you are - we are £250 (c$310 per person. It looks even worse if you are booking via Switzerland, Germany and Austria (Source Azamara website)

Nor me, I doubt we will get to the bottom of this only Azamara IT can - but seriously is the IT situation so bad that they are getting so many calls that people are reporting wait times in excess of three hours? What level of call volume were they resourced to and what level are they currently resourced to by using staff still in training? Bring back Guatemala..........

They have just sent out an email and one of the things they make a big play about is the Adults only area including the Helios Bar (see below) so they are very well aware that some people want to be child free. They also only seem to allow one child with two parents in the main suites ( Maximum capacity: 2 adults and 1 child under 18 years old it states) so to bring a larger family it is not until the Grand Penthouse that you can have 2 children under 18 in it. A panoramic adults-only pool and lounge experience Inspired by the Ancient Greek god of the sun, and also literally meaning “sun” in Greek, this adults-only area is indeed the sunniest venue onboard, panoramically facing forward on deck 12. Enjoy lying by the pool or lounging throughout the day as you watch the ship sail through the sea. Refreshing towels and sunscreen are offered to guests throughout the day. Outdoor seating: 100 (Includes sunbeds, lounge chairs and bar seating) Open all day

It always was going to have children but it’s not an issue as some of the pools and terraces on the website are labelled as adults only I think the price of the cruise will limit the number who bring children. We were on MSC Yacht Club in 2021 with shared facilities in the Yacht Club with children and it was absolutely no issue. They were all impeccably behaved

I think it would be a very bad business decision to penalise guests who can’t use FCCs due to the current debacle

We might but because of the onboard loyalty discount Odd I’m loathed to go down that route as I’d lose that and I’m sure the price the agent has given the TA is wrong. To be honest we will probably chose to lose the deposit and book with another small ship line doing the same itinerary if it comes to that which I suspect it might. 😢 I can see how the misquote might have happened the owners suite appears first on the suite list on Seaware and the difference quoted equates to what it would be for the Owners Suite keeping the loyalty discount. I believe my travel agent challenged the price several times reminding the call handler it was a CC suite that she wanted. The response she got was odd - that’s the only suite available for that guest to upgrade to … and then she was cut off. But there is lots of availability so that’s not correct. As she had waited hours to get through and as her managers have told them not to hang on calls for the cruise line if there are other customers waiting in the store to be served she couldn’t call back to get someone else. I’ve emailed Azamara loyalty but not even had the standard auto reply 😞😞