federalexpress

Yes, I think the unresolved issue is whether I can use my OBC for that. People have said you can't, my TA said I can, and will find out imminently who is right. I have $1000 of OBC and if I had the Indulgence package, I can't see me getting through $1000 onboard, if it can't be used for the Indulgence package in advance. I'm mostly organising my own tours. Anyway, soon find out, otherwise I'll just buy it onboard with a mix of cash and the $1000 OBC.

Interesting insight. That sounds encouraging on the Ultimate package, that is a fair budget per bottle, if anything maybe slightly more generous than I'd have expected/hoped for. Can you recall any of the reds you were offered?

Ah, I see. I had planned to get it as part of the Indulgence package. My TA said that I can buy that ahead of the cruise and also use my OBC towards it. But she may be proved wrong. I've just emailed her to ask her to include the extra money required to buy the Indulgence package in with my final cruise payment. Maybe she'll find out she can't do that. If so, your way makes sense. I'm in S America and I have a winery visit on the second day so if the wines look rough, I could always stock up from there, it should be decent stuff. That said, I'd have thought they could offer a bit more info on what you are likely to get, guide prices etc so you have some idea of the quality level. I know some people don't plan much but this is one area I like to.

What intrigues me is that the Ultimate package is far from cheap, yet there seems to be little guidance on the quality standard that is provided, even allowing for the individual wines to change/rotate. I'm planning on buying the Ultimate package on the basis of what I've heard reported as being offered. For example I've seen they offer (or offered) a Matanzas Creek Merlot which is a decent quality wine. I've seen that at $60 plus a bottle on their main list. I'm fine with that not being available but if I'm then offered a $30 a bottle Chilean Merlot from a mass producer instead, that doesn't work with me. The Ultimate package is quite a big extra cost, roughly $25 a day I believe. I think you have a right to know what you're getting for this in advance, at least on the guide price point. They must have plenty of wines available at a given price point range, which I assume (but don't know) is $40-60 or so per bottle (restaurant price, obviously their buy cost will be way lower, probably a third of that).

My own experience is several months old, dating back to when I first booked in early June. There was a wait but not of the proportions you quoted. I called mid morning and got through to someone who I believe was US based.She was helpful but to my surprise, suggested I also speak to TA's in the UK, and named a specific one to contact. Generally I'm used to booking direct for some of the reasons others mention, including an assumption that I'm getting the best price. As it happened, the TA got the business, not least because they were able to offer a small, but meaningful discount on the direct quote. That left me with the impression that while some brands may chase direct business (I sense Viking Ocean does this) others, like Azamara, push loyalty to the TA sector. Maybe that is because it is easier to allow the latter the handle incoming queries?

I'm afraid the die is cast on that. I wanted a CC suite, they are only on deck 8 and the ones in the very centre had gone. I'm about 3/4 back towards aft, I'm told the latter is a little better than being forward in rough seas, but as the decks get less long as you go up, it's probably 2/3 back in terms of the total ship length so not too bad. I comfort myself that although this is pretty much the highest stateroom deck, these are not especially tall ships and people I know have been on mega ship 4 or 5 decks higher. I suspect you feel it rolling more with that height. Anyway it is what it is. Part of the appeal of this cruise is seeing some wild places so the possibility of some serious weather goes with the territory and anyway, maybe I get nice weather....

Thanks you, am very much looking forward to it, especially as it goes to a continent- S America- I've never been to before. It would actually take something pretty poor to spoil the trip given the places are so interesting, I guess only the one thing cruise lines can't fix, the weather. I've only been on one other cruise previously so I don't know what my sea legs will be like on a smallish ship in a storm around Cape Horn!! Like you, more often that not, my intention to do a review is often not followed through. Actually, for better or worse, I tend to do them when things are either wonderful or awful and thus I can get my teeth into it. It's a bit less motivating to post 'yeh, it was ok, decent enough' even though that might represent most of the experiences we have in our travels.

Yes you are probably correct in being just about the safest person onboard! I've had some friends who have tested positive for close to that long, albeit not quite 16 days. In my own case, it was positive for 10 days, although the last day or so was a line so faint you could barely see it. My symptoms were in any case mild and had pretty much ceased after 5 days.

Just had a glance through the reviews, given I have my first Azamara cruise booked. Seems to me they have had a big QC problem with the refurb on this ship, looks like it is sub standard. I imagine- hope- they are aware of it and will find ways to fix it as they go. Luckily I'm on Pursuit so it won't impact me but I can see why others might be concerned. Other shortcomings sound more like picking the wrong cruise. One person said they wanted to go back to NCL. Personally that line, while suiting others, is not not one I'd even think of going on. Equally if you want lots of glitzy theatre shows and loud music, I assume Azamara is not for you. Because it doesn't do that is precisely why I'm booking it. You can interpret reviews- when I see a tripadvisor review giving a low rating, complaining there is nothing to do and it's boring, that makes me give it a positive mark. Relaxation and tranquility in nice surroundings is my aim. Horses for courses. Some negative comments about excursions which should worry Azamara given their positioning as a brand, but I've noted they are eye wateringly expensive for these and am mostly arranging my own, as I did on my only other cruise. I suspect the reviews will perk up as they fix the snagging..

Can't say I'm feeling sombre like another poster. She was 96 and thus was due to die any day, albeit there was much less warning on the precise timing than is usual with very old people. I would personally take her death for myself; doing the things she wanted until the very, very end, clearly still with good mental faculty, a very quick death at a very ripe age and in the place she loved with her closest children with her. That's about the best anyone could hope for. I hope we don't get too maudlin in the UK. We are prone to over emoting (Diana for example) and I feel it should be possible for those who want to grieve to be allowed to do so without curtailing those who don't. Life should go on as normal. The queen was an admirable lady and also a stoic. So should we be.

I suppose if one was being pedantic, one might argue that these are indeed the highest standards, where they are decided upon 'in accordance with' local Health authorities (who are downgrading standards) and the positive direction of the travel industry, that 'direction' being to drop safeguards as part of returning to normal. Obviously different people will have differing views on the soundness of such an approach. Personally I am broadly in favour of normalisation as part of sensible risk management but maybe could argue that the unique qualities of a cruise could justify higher safeguards than in normal life. Of course, if you dig deep enough, logic can be shredded at every turn. Personally I'd much sooner have next to me an unvaccinated person who had Covid in the past 4 weeks than someone who was vaccinated 9 months ago. And, one step further, the best person might be someone testing positive at boarding but symptom free, in other words, they might have had a very recent vax or more likely infection and still have enough traces to test positive but they are, I think, the least likely to get infected from that point and thus infect me. It's a complicated we we weave...

Hi Phil, That may have been referring to me, point taken, but I'm one of those who is not by instinct a cruiser and I can get a bit claustrophobic, hence booking a bigger cabin, and my concern over not then having access to the outside, if confined. Actually the issue was only brought into focus by another poster, saying they had been taken out of their balcony cabin and away from her husband, isolated for 12 days on her own with an angry person next door also isolated, banging on the walls. Sounded very traumatic. I've read a fair few posts on cabin options. People who book inside/outside have said they spend most of the time outside on the ship or in the port and mostly just sleep there, so that makes sense, especially if you want to go on cruises more often than I do ( couldn't financially run to multiple CC bookings per year even if I wanted to). On the only other cruise I've been on, I spent a fair bit of time in my cabin, enjoyed the privacy. I guess as you suggest, it's horses for courses...

The isolation in another cabin Covid issue is one that concerns me too, especially as I have a small suite booked. Bad enough to have your holiday spoiled, another thing to be kept in what probably feels like a cell, given you can't get out. Happily quite a few posters on here have said that they tend to now just confine you to the cabin you are in. Not great, but better than before and at least you can sit on your balcony and admire the views and enjoy some fresh air. Having had Covid, I'm not that bothered about it from a health point of view, but I am from a 'spoil holiday' point of view, so will actively seek to minimise infection risk. All one can do, ideally, is get another vax or infection as close as possible to departure, which should give a modicum of protection against infection. Obviously that might be hard to plan for (especially the latter!) so if it's a while since your last jab or infection, it might be a case of being more careful that you might otherwise be re distancing, masks etc.

The plot thickens! Doesn't look like it is the Pourcain co-op then. Seems to be in the Herault sub region and you can get pretty much any grape from there, it's a vast production centre for inexpensive varietals. I know there is a co-operative there in Cebazan because it produces a wine I buy from The Wine Society, a Sauvignon/Viognier blend called which is pleasant and inexpensive. I've not had any of their reds but I don't doubt they produce a very wide range of wines, so maybe they are bottling stuff for AZ. There's actually some seriously good wine made in Herault, Mas de Daumas Gassac for one, but much of the generic wine is bottled under Vin de Pays D'Oc (which is the larger region that includes Herault) as these AS offerings seem to be

I'd be surprised if they are the producers. While they might buy in grapes outside the area to make wine to specification, Saint Pourcain itself is pretty much exclusively Gamay and Pinot Noir, not Cab Sauv and Syrah. The term Unions des Vignerons is a very generic term, there are dozens of these in France, all consisting of producers in a given region. I suspect these wines come from a different union than the one in Pourcain, however the image of the wine labels isn't clear enough to see whether there is a named region or failing that, in very small print, there should be a geographic locator as to where it was bottled which would give us a better clue. The Merlot and Pinotage are easier, Zonin is a mass producer in the Veneto region (though it also owns a vast number of producers elsewhere in Italy). Its a reasonable quality producer, the Merlot from NW Italy maybe retailing for £6-7 in the UK. Personally I find these Merlots thin and shrill but the other Zonin wines from the area are OK if no more than that. Swartland Winery is also respectable and I imagine the Pinotage, although most likely their basic entry point, would be perfectly drinkable if you enjoy that grape. I would have thought the Italian Merlot up against the Matanzas Creek Merlot on the ultimate package would not be much of a contest.

That's alarming. On my first cruise, they come to over $1000. I've checked my documents and it clearly says the cruise price, no mention of any extras. I started with Azamara but my TA, who Azamara pointed me in the direction of, managed to knock a few hundred off the price, presumably from their commission. But nowhere near $1000. I'm in the UK with a pretty large cruise specialist TA so they better had be correct in what they have invoiced for. I suspect they are.

Useful to know, thanks

That is possible. The only thing that matters to me is that I want to buy the Indulgence package and I've asked them can I use this OBC to book this in advance and they say(in writing) that I can, obviously with me paying the $500 difference. Haven't done it yet but hopefully there will be no issues, if there are I'll report back.

Yes and the base price was pretty competitive too, several hundred pounds under Azamara's proposed rate. My hunch is that Azamara are not seeking to do that much direct, and want to support TA's. Thus what they quote is not the net fare but what they charge TA's who can then make use of some of their commission to reduce the price down, while ensuring Azamara's promoted OBC offer is also matched. But I'm new to Azamara so this is all speculation.

That is odd. I'm in the UK. Mine shows where I referred to top right, next to cart, in sterling. Not sure why it would be different. I booked through a UK TA and the $1000 OBC was part of the offer from them, specifically to match what Azamara were offering direct. I went with the TA because they were actually a little cheaper on the base price. My strong impression was that Azamara were quite happy for me to go with the TA rather than direct, in fact they helpfully pointed me in the direction of one to talk to.

Handy to know. I'll try that myself. Might have a go with the Ornellaia as well......

For what it's worth, my $1000 is shown on my account, top right hand side, next to 'cart'. As far as I know it was provided by my TA and is shown in sterling, given I am UK based.

I'm in a suite albeit a diddy one (CC) but I have no objection to them laying on an extra special dinner for those who have coughed up $$$$ more than me, anymore than I object to them having a bigger balcony or a seperate lounge. You gets what you pays for. Clearly the name is to do with the experience not the people- the latter who are in First or mega suites are certainly not always the 'best' people. Clumsy name, yes, but it is surely trying to big up the overall culinary experience as being 'the best' of which this is 'the best of the best'. Clunky, yes. Should have asked for my marketing advice.....

And that one is definitely out of my price bracket! Although I did once charter a 40ft catamaran for me and the OH, with just a skipper as company so maybe that counts? No Petrus though, just some Croatian vino....

This option already exists. It's called the Ultimate package for which you get the top wine package, free wifi, chef's table, free laundry as well as some tours and spa credit. It adds a lot less than 20% to the cruise. Book any suite and unlimited speciality dining is in there anyway. I guess any cruise cannot be 100% inclusive otherwise I'd be doing helicopter tours by day and drinking Chateau Petrus by night.