Port Power

Aah…I understand. I think they mean “the implication being” you must complete your Celebrity cruise before February 1. However, it would have been much clearer just to firmly state, “This means you will have to complete….”.

Didn’t someone post earlier that they had to sail once on Azamara before their Celebrity status kicked in? My take is the if you are Celebrity Elite for example but take your first Azamara cruise after February next year, you will be a newbie with no status. If you have already cruised with both lines, you can continue to rise up the Celebrity levels between now and Feb 1 and that will be recognised by AZ.

Some interesting statistics. “39% drink instant coffee” - all those jars of freeze dried coffee on supermarket shelves are there for a reason! “65% have a coffee machine at home” - Nespresso and the like have really made a place for themselves. But are they real coffee machines? Not like my Jura!

I have also just received the email. Yes, it was expected at some stage. Nice that we will keep our current levels though. I guess the new owners wouldn’t want to start everyone new at the same time, while also acknowledging loyal Azamara guests and wanting to them to continue booking Azamara cruises.

My apologies, I didn't mean to offend. As you are new to Cruise Critic and from your comments, I thought you were new to river cruising as well. However, I appreciate your point is as you have posted above: misrepresentation. 🙂

As you are a novice to river cruising, you were probably not aware of every little thing included with each cruise company. “Live and learn”, as the saying goes, has unfortunately applied to you. 😢 You now know why people choose APT, Scenic and Tauck, etc.

The main point is that the laundrette is not open 24 hours. The neighbours might complain! 😉

That’s not on. My husband would never leave the area holding his cigar, nor have I noticed anyone else do that. But there are some self-entitled types around sometimes. The barman should certainly have advised the passenger that smoking is not permitted at the bar. And not served said passenger!

Yours is a very strange comment when the OP said quite clearly in his review that he was very happy with his overall experience. Dissatisfaction with some wine doesn’t mean the whole cruise was unsatisfactory.

I always found that smoking area the most social area on the ship. Not everyone smoked, as some were partners. People coming through from inside would sometimes complain but never used the door on the opposite side of the bar instead.

The laundry can be quite a social hub. Washers, driers and ironing boards, and washing pods are included. There are rarely actual queues, but finding an empty machine takes practice for timing. Port day mornings are a good time.

No, the cruise lines aren’t selling knock offs. Buying via eBay and such online private outlets is rife with items not exactly what is described!

I was only referring to the booking bonus for Elite members of an upgrade. For example, pay for 1C and receive 1A. In reality, that is only two decks up, or mid ships instead of fore or aft.

Several years ago we were in the same position. To use the non refundable OBC my husband bought a good Citizen Eco watch with the intention of selling on ebay or the like. However, the watch didn't come with the usual paperwork you receive in a shop on land. My son said there are many so-called brand name watches for sale online, but not all are the real deal. He did sell the watch on-line eventually (the purchaser received a really good deal!) and I did get some cash from that OBC, but it is not something I would do again for recommend. Isn't one of the shops skin care, make up and perfumes? Stock up or buy for Christmas presents.

Azamara ships are too small to offer cabin upgrades. There aren't enough decks! 🤣

Think of it as a pen name rather than an "alias". I think it is also really helpful to show your country in the avatar so that replies will be relevant to you. For example, you are given suggestions relevant to the UK rather than USA.

For example, I prefer the sitting area next to balcony so that I can easily move around the leisure area without having to squeeze past the bed. As other posts described, bigger ships alternately swap the bed and sitting area, so you can choose your preference if you have one.

If you cancel once on the ship to get a refund so that you can rebook using OBC, you might lose out on the excursion. Friends did this. They lost their place when they cancelled and someone on the waiting list had first option. Just for information. It might well depend on the shore excursion staff at the time.

No, not correct. It has been years since AZ followed Celebrity with being able to book shore excursions online using OBC. Azamara's OBC of course, as TA OBC isn't posted until after you board. I think you might have a fight on your hands trying to claim a refund for tours you booked online. We used to have to wait until we were on the ship to use OBC and did not receive refunds for paid shorex. Hopefully there might be a more recent example if this has happened.

@floridababa meant, I assume, a cruise with Scenic River Cruises.

As @floridababa wrote “scenic” instead of “Scenic”, the could easily be confused as just describing a picturesque cruise. Understandable for many who don’t know all the river cruise companies. I am totally confounded by your response, though. Why “horrific”? Is Viking not nearly as good as Scenic? Having included beverages all day, good food, guided walks at every stop, plus a couple of major included tours does give Scenic the edge, but I thought Viking was pretty well rated too?

That will be from Az, which as you see can be used for shorex. In my previous experience, TA OBC shows in your onboard account a day or two after boarding.

You won’t see OBC in your account until you are on the ship. However it should show on the booking paperwork from your TA. General OBC from Azamara is not refundable and will automatically be used first. OBC from your TA is usually refundable, so if you don’t use it, you can take it as cash on the last day, or credit it back to your credit card.

I have no idea what happened! “Selfie” of an blank mind?

I do like medium rare, but must admit your steak was not bleeding. Well cooked and well rested. Now, back to your trip report…….