federalexpress

I've not cruised on AZ yet, just booked and researched it but I'm reasonably sure there are no CC suites at the front of the ship. N1 is pretty much middle, N2 more towards the back. Of course even the CC suite furthest back is not as the very back of the ship, given it's on deck 8 and the shape of the ship. I booked 8060 which is N2 but in the first half of them.I'm not midship therefore but someone told me that with regard to comfort in rough seas, the centre point in pitch terms is further back than the middle because the engines, which are heavy, are in the back. Agree with you re shower. We actually booked a CC suite and chose the room number with shower and won't be getting involved in upgrades (to go to the spa suite or the front big suite was eye wateringly expensive anyway). Like you, I wondered about which might be worse, under the pool deck or the buffet. My hunch is the pool deck might be worse, hence preferring the N2 rooms, but that may be wrong. Most nights we will be sleeping we will be at sea anyway and I imagine there will, like a plane, be plenty of other noises to dampen things out.

Thanks for this be interested in any other updates on current wines available, especially for the Ultimate package.

I'd generally agree with your comments but above all I'd like to send my sympathy to you regarding the news of your grandchild. I've had this awful news for two close relatives of my own in the past few years and I know how harrowing it is. At least they were 'current' generation, it must be worse when it is for a generation or even two below.

First time cruiser with Azamara booked in a CC suite of the Jan 24th 2023 S America cruise for 17 nights. Got the following upgrade offers, all minimum bid shown, in pounds sterling, per cabin (not per person) Spa suite £3540 Ocean suite £4950 Owner's suite £6190 Maybe this won't count for the spreadsheet because I have no intention of bidding at these levels. Looking at others' offers and bids, it seems the sweet spot is verandah to CC suite, those seem much more affordable for the extra 50% space and the suite benefits. If there is another time, I might book a veranda and bid for a CC suite.

OK, useful to know. Am I right in thinking there are one or two other theme nights for the chef's table. Think I saw an Italian one and maybe an Arabic one.

Yes I though they looked pretty decent. I assume this is on every ship? I'm on Pursuit in Jan/Feb. Do you know also if it is just one night only? I'm on a 17 day cruise.

Excuse me if I've missed something but what are we looking at here? Is this the chef's table menu?

I'm with Nippy Sweetie on this. I want to dine at the time I want, not at the time that is convenient to the restaurateur. On land this is easy. I avoid venues that cram in two sittings. I hadn't realised they did this when I booked my first cruise. They certainly don't mention it on the website.

If my perception is correct from my email exchange with them, they would be ok with you doing that but their current IT, which I gather is soon to be replaced, prevents that being possible.

Further to my last post above. this is what exceeds moving the goalposts. When I booked, corkage was $10 not $25. I saw no mention of confiscating wines bought in port. What use are they to me at the end of the cruise? At a minimum, I had assume they could be consumed in your room, free of charge and without interference. Now I also see they app ear to have markedly reduce quality of the package I had assumed I would buy. I'm sure I'll still find pleasure in my forthcoming cruise but I'm now beginning to feel nickel and dimed and I booked Azamara to avoid that.

As I've posted elsewhere, I'm going to have to do that anyway. I was going to get the Ultimate package as part of the Indulgence package but although my TA said I could buy this (or part buy) in advance with my OBC, that turns out to not be the case. So I'll just have to wait to buy the Indulgence package onboard- on my 17 night trip, that is a no brainer on value for money versus buying the Ultimate package for 17 days. I guess I'm a bit of a trainspotter when it comes to (good) wine, it's a bit of a passion and before choosing Azamara over others, I researched wine offerings carefully. Hence being a little concerned if I see the quality on offer seemingly being downgraded somewhat. It actually raises an interesting moral question: once you have committed to your cruise, how reasonable is it for cruise lines to alter the prices and/or quality of what they provide onboard? You might argue that in these hard times, cutting the quality of wine in a package is fair game (I don't!). But what if they seriously hiked the price of the add ons, for example sticking another $500 on the Indulgence package. It's a grey area I think...

Just to conclude an earlier post on this topic (may have made it on another thread), my TA had indicated I could buy the Indulgence package with a combination of my OBC of $1000 and a card top up. But when I contacted Azamara, they said no, it has to be done onboard. They described it as a 'system limitation' and I take from this that they would sooner pre-sell these packages in advance if their IT allowed it. That leaves me with trying to book an excursion before it possibly sells out but unable to use the $700 I would get from the package. I'm minded to follow the suggestion on here, book it with my existing OBC, then cancel it onboard to restore my $1000 credit, then re-book it after I've acquired my Indulgence package. To be on the safe side, I've asked Azamara if this will work and I won't get double charged. Will update when I hear.

Indeed, especially as it appears to have replaced the Matanzas Creek Merlot which is a much more serious (and expensive) wine. Yellow Label is the standard of wine I'd expect to see on the included drinks package.

Ah, ok thanks, understood.

Ok well that is worth noting, maybe I need to get my reservations in fast and see if my butler has any leverage.

Forgive me, what is Windows?

This is new to me and I hadn't realised they did double sittings. Are you saying this has only happened post Covid? I'm assuming, maybe wrongly, that if you took Aqualina and Prime C together, you are unlikely to find them both completely full at any given point. Is that fair? In which case, it ought to be possible to get a table when you want it. I'd probably be OK moving from one to another if needed. In fact don't they serve each others menus anyway on request? Which would make it less of an issue anyway.

I hear you. I can see the restaurants perspective in terms of managing orders. Maybe one could try and spread stuff around between 7 and 8pm. But restaurants that do 2 sittings, both at hours well outside most people's preferences are, I suggest, doing more to optimise their profit (obviously less applicable on a cruise line) than meeting customer needs.

If they arranged your flights, then that is poor. Certainly if they didn't make you aware of the potential issues. I was also concerned to hear that you only get 6.30 or 8.30 bookings at the speciality restaurants. I personally don't like restaurants that do that and try and avoid them. I'm new to Azamara, but I'm certainly going to try and eat at my preferred 7.30pm time, at least for some nights, if necessary by doing what others have said and speak to the F and B manager.OK maybe if they are rammed that night but I think most people want to eat 7-8 so offering times that are only outside that pleases nobody.

Whoever booked you on a 1 hour connection is unprofessional, especially given the time sensitivity involved here. 60 mins is the absolute minimum connection time at CDG which means you are guaranteed a stressful time. And even that assumes it is a through ticket and the flights arrive and leave from the same terminal. If either or both do not apply, you really need to be looking at a couple of hours. As per the above post, if you fly from non EU to an EU destination, you do need to go through passport control at the connecting airport. That makes the 60 mins minimum likely unachievable. If Azamara recommended this and booked your flights, then I agree their travel advisors are inadequate.

Mmmm. The reds in particular a fair step back from what I last saw on the website. Wolf Blass Yellow Label????

I forgot to add that I also got $1000 OBC which I'm using against an Indulgence package which means I pay an extra $500. That gives me $700 for some shore excursions(most I'll arrange myself), free wifi (to the extent it works) $250 spa credit, free laundry, a chef's table event and, most importantly, an upgraded drinks package, so I'll get wines at least as good as Viking, if not better. And I'm still some way below the Viking veranda price. Tbh, I think Viking is a more premium line than AZ but there are things you can do with Az to somewhat mirror the experience.

Perhaps I shouldn't be commenting because I've not even cruised on Azamara- first time will be this January-but my choice happened to be between Viking and Azamara for my S America trip. The main reason for going with AZ was that Viking pre package their flights but were totally uncompetitive on Business class upgrades and if I wanted to book myself, the fare reduction was very meagre, only £500, and I can't believe they are paying as little as that for Economy class fares between London and Santiago/Buenos Aires. The Viking ships looked wonderful, I like the Scandi vibe. Azamara looks more to me like one of those ever so slightly faded country house hotels, but I like that vibe too. Like you, the smaller cabins didn't appeal, but the extra money for a CC suite still brought it in at roughly the same price as a Viking Veranda cabin so that swung it for me. Not that it's easy to tell from websites etc, but I also got the impression that AZ may be a little less formal, a bit more relaxed, which also suits me.

What a lovely, informative and well photographed review. Glad I found it. Might check out the itinerary, have always fancied Greece and its islands.

I'm new to Azamara and I gather the wine offering is in a state of flux right now but if anyone is onboard, I'd really appreciate it if you could post a pic of the current wine list, especially the Ultimate package options, or if recently returned just list what the current choice includes. I'm booked on a cruise in January 2023 and thinking about buying an Experiences package with Ultimate beverage package included, and am trying to figure out if it's worth it, given I barely touch spirits and cocktails. Appreciate what will be onboard in 6 months will possibly be different from today, but it would help to see whether standards are slipping as a few have suggested.I've seen the example on the website, which I assume is well out of date, but I'd be happy with the level on there, Whispering Angel rose, a Matanzas Creek Merlot, Sokol and Blosser Pinot Noir etc. Sort of stuff that would retail for USD25-30 or so.