mwf7501

Thank you very much for putting this together. Very useful for this Oceania newbie. Mark

Totally agree. The live talent has been very good, except they’ve had to compete with over-amp’ed background tracks. We left the destination event after 3 songs. In pain. I believe that environment was literally dangerous, damaging to human hearing. No doubt it would have violated OSHA regs.

Hello Jerry -- I'm not sure I have the technical skills or bandwidth to upload a video, but I will try a few pics later today. Bottom line though is the Onward owners suite is virtually identical to the Pursuit. If you look at Cruise Critic photos of the Pursuit suite, that is pretty much it, even down to the artwork in some cases. The bathrooms and dressing area seem identical. The cabinetry throughout seems identical. The only differences I see are: -- Different furniture, although similar styles and very comfortable. The veranda table and chairs are the same as the deck furniture in Windows, the loungers are the same as on the pool deck. -- The headboard is different. -- The veranda deck surface on Pursuit appears to be some kind of wood, or wood-appearing surface. Onward has some sort of solid surface material, very plain but easy on the feet and quiet. -- The carpeting has the same color tones as Pursuit, but different pattern. Everything (furniture and surfaces) seem virtually all new. I don't think they replaced the ceiling panels and the crown mold, but they're in very good shape. The windows and slider do not seem new but in good shape. And of course all the above comments are based only on our suite; I assume the others on Onward are the same, but I don't know. Attached is a link to the Cruise Critic Pursuit photos I looked at. Also you can see a 45 second video by googling "Azamara Pursuit club world owners suite video". https://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/azamara-pursuit-1288/club-world-owners-suite-416885/club-world-owners-suite--v18584087/

Hi Paul, I suspect we’ll see you after dinner. I admit my wife and I are both somewhat irrationally aggravated by smoke. But I really think moving it to the back of the pool deck would be a reasonable compromise. We’re in an owners suite, courtesy of COVID and the fire sale AZ was running last year on our final lift and shift. Our lights are mounted on the wall, no usb. Other thoughts — there has been no piped music on the pool deck, which we think is good. Also, the internet speed has been mostly good, not fast but much better than no internet. Happy travels to all.

Currently on board; fortunate to have a suite. All surfaces, cabinets, and furniture seem brand new. Air conditioning is fine, both heating and cooling to desired temp. First day or so it made a loud thrumming noise on heat, called guest relations and it was fixed within a few hours. As Belfast man mentioned the railings need refinished on the balconies; they're quite serviceable, just showing wear. It appears they have been refinished in public areas (eg deck 10). I don't think the balcony sliding doors have been replaced, but they are in very good shape and work well. Minor quibble -- we only have European outlets next to the bed, and there are no USB ports either. If you like to keep your phone by your bed, bring a couple of adaptors. There are plenty of US outlets elsewhere in the cabin (no USB ports though). To our eye all the public areas seem new -- furniture, flooring, etc. It certainly does not feel like an "old" ship. Some of the deck doors in public areas are showing wear and should be refinished or replaced, but they get hard duty in a salty environment. All service has been excellent. We have encountered zero staff who are not cheerful, responsive, and helpful in the extreme. And staff seems plentiful in all public venues as well as for our cabin. We are infrequent cruisers, our last ones being Viking river in 2015 and Windstar (Star Pride) in 2017. My wife feels the service level is similar to Viking and Windstar; I feel Azamara may be a slight step ahead. One anecdote: on arrival we had a loose toilet seat; meant to mention it but never did. Yesterday I noticed it was magically fixed, no doubt on initiative of cabin staff. We have eaten in every venue, all have been excellent (and my wife is a picky cook). We prefer the specialty venues, primarily because they are quieter. We are both on the ultimate bev package, and we go to Atlas every evening. It is excellent; the staff (usually Budi and Mike) are outstanding. Design comment -- the gold upholstered sofas at each end of Atlas are very pretty, but way, way, too narrow; anyone over the age of about 10 could not sit comfortably. Poor choice for a bar, but there is plenty of other seating. Binoculars are not available. Pack some compact ones if you want a better look at the neighborhood. Only one really significant complaint, and we have not yet made the effort to bring it up to senior staff. The designated smoking area is immediately adjacent to the pool bar. Depending on wind the pool bar can really stink, especially with one or two cigar smokers. If I had my druthers I would move the smoking area to deck 12. But at the very least it should be moved to the other end of the pool deck (opposite of where the patio is). People routinely visit the pool bar, there would be no similar impact at the other end of pool deck. If I had a spa suite I would be particularly unhappy with the smoking proximity. That's my 2 cents for now. Now off to the pool bar to get my daily dose of nicotine. Mark

We just completed a fleeting two days in Venice, and are now onboard Onward in Ravenna. Just a few follow up thoughts, please bearing in mind this is our first time in Italy. 1. Thank you to all who replied to my original post, encouraging a visit. We now understand that you cannot appreciate Venice from photos, documentaries, or books. It struck us as a somewhat magical place, and completely improbable -- an ancient city built on a marsh, at sea level, with no roads. No offense to Venetians, but it sometimes felt like a Disney park, except real. The evenings especially brought a wonderful atmosphere -- emphasizing that not a single car, truck, or motorcycle was to be heard. 2. I originally interpreted the "no cruiser" uprising as "anti-tourist," and this was completely wrong. Every single Italian we encountered was delightful, kind, eager to share their city, and totally nonjudgmental regarding our ignorance of all things Italian. Having been there, we fully agree with the no-cruise ship policy. Ships disgorging thousands of day trippers would have made it feel like Duval street in Key West. 3. I will watch with interest how the cruise industry adapts, there seems no easy solutions. Venice is clearly a draw, as either a stop or embark/debark. But a bus ride to Trieste or Ravenna is quite a negative. We went near Marghera on the way out of town, and even that seems a bit removed. Perhaps requiring some greater effort or inconvenience for a visit will simply become the new normal. Now looking forward to dinner, and making every effort to make AZ regret selling me that beverage package. Mark and Diane

If a generalization is possible for Italy -- Is tipping in US dollars disliked / acceptable / preferred? I'm thinking here in particular for tour operators, bus drivers, hotel staff. And I suppose even ship staff, even though most ship gratuities are included. Thank you for any advice.

Sounds kind of like the start of a dystopian novel. Except my cable tv is still working and I see no glowing auras on the horizon. I would suggest they should at least put up a message banner on Azamara.com, but if they could do that they could probably also answer the phones faster.

Thank you Baynanno1, that is very useful. Great summary info of all excursions including times. Hope you're having a lovely morning in NSW. One of our favorite memories is taking the Indian Pacific train from Sydney to Adelaide and then driving the coast road to Melbourne (a mere 20+ years ago).

Thank you Sue -- I see the times now. Just a couple of extra clicks, but I don't have to commit to purchase so no worries. Thanks again.

Azamara newbie here, and pretty much cruising newbie for that matter. For our Oct 10 cruise we have studied the excursions on the Voyage Planner. We see durations, but not start times. We have not yet booked any. At what point would we learn when an excursion will actually depart and return? Eg, AM or PM? This would be useful when planning specialty restaurant reservations for example. Thank you for any info/advice.

Thank you very much for that explanation! With your description (the little bus circle right at the end of the glass-roofed people mover station) I think I now see where this is located, I've circled it in the attached pic. I think I also now understand "Tronchetto" -- I kept googling its Italian translation (boot?) which was not that helpful. Wikipedia explained it perfectly ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tronchetto ) Thanks again.

Thank you very much for that info. May I ask for a clarification please -- On Google Maps I see "Piazzale Roma" denoted, but I'm not sure about "Tronchetto." In the attached screenshot Piazzale Roma is in the red oval, and something Google calls "Tronchetto Transportation in Jesolo" is in the red rectangle. Is the Trumpy Tours pick up location near the red rectangle? Thanks again and have a great cruise. Mark

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice. Will get the Rick Steves book today, should have already done so. Mark and Diane