TeaBag

We are scheduled to be there Jun 2 next year.  Hopefully things will be calmed down by then, as this will be our only chance to see Israel. I can't believe a passenger yelling at the Captain.  Do they not know the Captain is ultimately responsible for his passengers and the ship?

To go early to see Singapore is a really good plan.  DH used to work in Singapore and I loved my days as a tourist.  I am sorry we are not going to be in Singapore for a few days also, since we added on the Japan segment.  Since we sail at 6PM we won't be able to see the gardens at night.  if you do go early, make sure you see the night Safari.  It is great.  Last time we were in Singapore it was also on a cruise and we flew in a few days early.  Unfortunately I had Sciatica and was not really able to walk very far so we missed the whole new botanic garden area with the Ferris wheel.  We definitely want to see that this time.  Sentosa is another place you should try and see.

Here is the link for the roll call if you are interested in joining. 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2767493-azamara-journey-may-13-2022-spice-route-cruise/?tab=comments#comment-60623728

Hopefully as we get nearer to the cruise COVID will be a distant memory (dreaming!) and we will be able to organize private tours.

1 hour ago, littlebrownbook said:

I now only travel on Azamara and use open seating at supper. The gratuities are included so  there's never a problem of coming up with  a slip of cash, or having tips added. They offer sedate activities eg trivia, lectures, music, rather than water slides, bowling alleys, rock climbing etc, and therefore attract a more mature crowd of 750 passengers. On  the 3 trips I've taken with them I've never seen a child, and only in Antarctica did I see  2 teenage brothers.

 I was thinking about your concerns re: others not tipping at the last supper: perhaps the tips were added to their bill, and they wanted to use the time to pack up?

 I'm from Brampton Ontario, just outside of  Toronto (don't hate me), and am travelling with 2 friends from Ottawa. Our  next trip is on the  Azamara Journey May 2022, Singapore to  Athens.

 TEABAG,  I think you're on that one as well.

Yes, we are and we are so looking forward to trying Azamara.  I really like everything I read about it.  We have also added on the Tokyo segment but I wish I could change a few of the ports!!  I am disappointed that they are spending 2 days in Hong Kong and not going to Hanoi at all.

I look forward to meeting you. 

Thank you so much Cr8tiv for your suggestions re the pie and saimin noodles.  Why have we never found them?  I have copied down the address in Kauai and we will certainly be gong there when we are there in 2023.

welcome Sue.  I too, love this new forum.  it's great to see where people are from and who they cruise with.  I tend to just read the forums of the cruise lines I sail with and this one is a remedy to that.  our next cruise will not be till Apr 26 and we are looking forward to it. 

1 hour ago, matamanoa said:

I think that a huge part of the problem with trying to get the numbers to go down is the lack of enforcement of the restrictions that have been in place for many months.  Has anyone in the Toronto area watched or listened to the traffic reports throughout the day?  There are thousands of cars on the roads and we are supposed to be under a stay at home order.  The fact that there are traffic jams, etc. certainly points to the fact that no one is listening or following the rules and the virus just continues to spread.  There are so many areas that need to be improved and enforced and yet nothing seems to get done about that.  The lineups at pop up clinics are crazy.  People standing in inclement weather for hours, not knowing if there are enough doses for everyone.  Then having to repeat the same thing the next day in the hopes that they get lucky.  The rollout is a disaster and should have been organized by someone who knew what they were doing.  As I'm sure you can tell, my opinion of the provincial government's handling of the pandemic is less than enthusiastic.  They keep implementing new rules by the day and nothing seems to work.  Their handling of the border closures has been less than ideal and people are always trying new ways to circumvent the restrictions.  Hopefully now that more citizens are able to get their vaccines, at some point in the months ahead, we will be able to see results and some return to normalcy and properity.

 

Barb

I agree with you totally and I am at the other end of the country.  There were huge line-ups here too and many had to be refused when they ran out of vaccine.  Next day the poor folks lined up again for a few hours before someone from the parks board told them there was no clinic that day!!  Has no one ever thought of a sign?  Our whole vaccination program is a disgrace.  I don't like having to wait 4 months between shots either.

Lostinparadise beat me to it.

i would agree Silhouette is a wonderful ship and I think the Lawn Club Grill is the best Celebrity restaurant afloat.  Maybe you want everything decided up front and that is fine.  However for $34/night, I would not book 6 nights.  You can often get a discount as high as 2 for 1 on the specialty restaurants just for asking.  More commonly it is 30% which would still be less that $34 for LCG if it is still $45pp/night.  It depends on how fully booked they are.  We have been approached in Spa cafe or oceanview by waiters selling dinners at discount.  They are often at the entrance of the oceanview as well.   Sushi on 5 is lovely too but then, we like sushi.  We have not been to the Porch but I hear their seafood tower is amazing.  I don't know if the seafood tower is included in the dining package.

I am envious of your sailing as our Aug 26 on Silhouette was cancelled to make way for the 6 or 7 day UK cruises.

Whatever you choose for dining I hope you have an amazing cruise.

I worry about resistant variants here too and I have to say I'm glad Air India has been stopped from flying here. 

I think I read somewhere that Flam does not want to welcome big cruise ships any longer.  Looks like you take some very interesting cruises.  I see you have done both Uniworld and AMA.  Which one did you like better?  We have only sailed with AMA.

loved your pictures of the carpet of Bluebells, Ellie.  it reminded me of the picture we have of the carpet of Grape Hyacinths at Keukenhof.  We have bluebells here too but not plentiful like you have.  We have had an unusually warm and dry April so the daffs said goodbye mid April.  I still have a few tulips but they won't last long in the warm weather.  I love the Spring flowers. 

I think we will most likely cancel our Sept 4 cruise out of Southampton and that will be both of them gone.  They are using the ship (Silhouette) to do 7 day cruises around the UK for Brits only.  Why not jump on it?

I have one after Sept 2022 also and would love to use mine.

Yes, I would like it too.

We were booked on Silhouette Aug 26 Norwegian fjords which was 9 days and visited Gerainger and Flam.  It was cancelled and I think the 2022 cruises are only 7 days and do not go to either Flam or Gerainger.  Very very disappointed. 

2 hours ago, kebrown said:

I tried to get my FCC extended by just 2 days for a cruise that starts on 10-2-22 and I was told no by a supervisor.  However, she did say that there is a possibility that Celebrity could change their mind and extend the sail by date but she could not guarantee it.  I think that we all should keep calling Celebrity to complain about the 9-30-22 sail by date on these FCC.  There is strength in numbers and if enough of us complain, there is a possibility that Celebrity could extend the sail by date and allow us to use our FCC on cruises beyond 9-30-22.

Good idea. 

I was told basically the same thing.  Check the website.  I need the FCC to be extended 5 days more than you.  Fingers crossed for both of us.

Loved this review with all the interesting descripitons like the car rental story.

We were booked on the Pacific Princess in the same cabin for the same basic itinerary that we have booked on Journey for May 2022.  Really looking forward to it.

Sorry, I meant can you get patches where you live.  I don't think you can get them in Canada any longer.  Yes, it's a splendid idea to come prepared.  We are so grateful that motion sickness is not something that bothers either one of us.  We were on a Celebrity sailing out of Alaska once that was extremely rough.  Waves were coming up onto the deck.  People were leaving the dining room in droves and it was not bothering us.

I love the Spring blossoms.  Then you get the coloured "snow".

Definitely port side for some sun.

For those of you who get seasick, can you get the patches?  I think they are superior to  Gravol.  I only know that because my cousin was terribly sick as we sailed round the south of NZ.  The pills were not helping.  A very kind passenger gave me one of her patches.  I gave it to my cousin and she was a different person in 30 minutes.

Thank you so much.  I would love to circumnavigate Australia.

Oh thank you people. it must be nice to see the odd ship even if it is going nowhere.

We will so miss going to Stanley Park again this year to watch the cruise ships sail.

Yes, you can select a time, but there still might be a small queue.  We found that they often asked if we wanted a table for two or if we wanted to eat with others.  It is some time since we did Select Dining as most of our latest cruises have been in Aqua class and therefore in the Blu dining room.  Because we ate early, I think we had less wait time.

We book everything in US funds.  We howl when the CDN $ goes down and we cheer when it goes up.