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On 7/26/2023 at 7:58 AM, fruitmachine said:

It's somewhat convoluted, but the instructions are in the attachment to post #1776 on the New Website thread: 

You need to "Store" then "Cancel" in the booking process.

Thanks so much for this - it reflects very poorly on Azamara’s management that their Customer Services Representatives  are not aware that this pdf (Azamara’s own advice) exists, and instead waste their own time and ours with long and utterly useless email chains blaming the web transition, rather than providing this much more useful advice!

I realise you asked about transfers, but for anyone reading who may find it useful info - the train from Civitavecchia to Roma Termini takes 45 minutes (direct Frecciarossa fast train) and costs just €12.  The slower train (again no changes) takes 1hr 5 min and costs €4.80.  Tickets can be bought online https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html 

Simple answer - Yes!

On 7/21/2023 at 8:30 AM, fruitmachine said:

I think the zero figure is the cost to you.  My rationale is that OBC is always in US$, but here in the UK we see "GBP" and a £ sign in front of the zero.

I have the same issue - OBC showing as £0, so I cannot book excursions (Azamara takes payment from my credit card instead).

Azamara seem unable to help.  Over the phone they told me that I have more OBC than I ever imagined, but getting them to email confirmation of this OBC, or to fix the OBC in my account seems to be impossible.

Our OBC for two cruises shows up as coupons with $0.  I phoned, was told that my OBC balance was double what I thought it was (yay!!!).

Azamara promised to:

(a) email me confirmation of my OBC; and

(b) fix it in my account

A month later they have still not done either of these things.  I suppose I’ll need to spend a few more hours on the phone to them.  As much as we enjoy Azamara’s cruises, every admin interaction with them is exhausting!

We did the Azamara excursion from Volos to Meteora in July 2022.

An 8am coach, long (3 hour?) drive to Meteroa and we went inside inside 2 monasteries - St Stephen’s and Varlaam.  The coach took us between the two, with a short photo-stop on the way.

Both monasteries were extremely busy - Varlaam was particularly bad. You couldn't walk up the steps to enter as the queue went all the way down the steps. That may have been good for the older people as there were plenty opportunities to sit on the wall, then shuffle up 2 steps, and sit on the wall again!

The trip certainly did not include any hiking. The most uncomfortable part for me was sitting in the coach for about 6 hours of the day.  I’m glad that I went, because we used OBC, and its astonishing how they built in such an inhospitable environment, but I wouldn’t go again, and without the OBC it would be a very expensive trip for what was a very short time inside.

Cabin Number: 4000

Ship: Onward

Month/Year sailed: April 2023

Would you choose this room again Y/N: No

Is noise an issue Y/N: YEs - the anchor chain makes a really loud noise when docking, and I like to sleep past 5am which seemed to be the approx time we docked daily.  Also you hear the entertainment from Deck 5 above in the evenings, if you go to bed before it ends.  Luckily Guest Relations eventually  moved us, but it took 4 days of asking.

Balcony size Normal/Larger/Smaller - none, just a window

Any other comments (keeping these succinct so the spreadsheet does not grow too much)

we used www.breatheassured.com for our last Azamara cruise that required a test.  Very easy online video test with results emailed immediately.

This thread is brilliant - really helpful for Azamara newbies like me!

I just returned from my first Azamara cruise (on Journey) - loved every moment of it - and would like to add some more tips:

- There is a smoking corner on deck 9 on the starboard side of the pool bar. If smoke bothers you, choose a sun-lounger away from this.

- Do not leave books / sunglasses / hats on sun-loungers while you wander off for lunch etc.  You do not need to "reserve" sunbeds as there are more than enough to go around.  The staff constantly collect up any belongings left lying around and replace used towels with fresh ones.

- If you want peace and quiet try the sun-loungers on Deck 5 and Deck 11 (the busiest area is by the pool on Deck 9).

- If its really hot, the swinging nest seats on Deck 11 catch a good breeze, and are a great place to read a book.

- There are free daily Yoga / Pilates / Spinning classes in the gym and organised power-walks on Deck 10. It all helps combat all that food and drink!

- If you are meeting friends for dinner, arrange to meet in the Living Room and enjoy a pre-dinner glass of wine and tapas.

- There are a wide variety of board games and packs of cards available in a cupboard in the card room, Deck 10. Help yourself and have some fun.

- You can request a particular waiter in Discoveries if you have a favorite.

- After the Azamazing Evening, we returned to the ship at 10.30pm to a "light snack" which, it seems, is Azamara speak for a huge buffet! So don't worry if you miss dinner beforehand. You certainly wont starve!

- At Discoveries ask to join a larger table, you will meet some fabulous people.

- At Discoveries some of the larger tables (for 4-6) are at the back, right above the propellers. If you don't enjoy the vibrations ask to sit elsewhere.

- Don't eat too much dinner on the evening of the chocolate buffet - you will need some "stomach capacity" to really enjoy it!

- Go to the Living Room for an after dinner Appletini (delicious included cocktail) and listen to some music. The DJ was very amenable to requests.

- The included coffee at Mosaic is much better quality than the Nespresso (premium).

Cabin Number  -  8041

Ship   -  Azamara Journey

Month/Year sailed  -   November 2018

Would you choose this room again - Yes

Is noise an issue - No

Balcony size Normal/Larger/Smaller - None (Inside Cabin)

Any other comments (keeping these succinct so the spreadsheet does not grow too much) - Small but functional. Plenty of wardrobe space plus storage under bed. Housekeeping keep a cart right outside the door.

We had ice in drinks all over Cuba and were fine. You can’t go to Cuba and not have ice in your Mojito!   We did however drink bottled water as we were guzzling gallons as the weather was so hot.

We were told that nothing other than water was allowed to be taken off the ship and that Havana customs were likely to confiscate “gifts”.  All bags go through an airport-style scanner,  so you could chance it with gifts, as they will end up with someone in Cuba... perhaps just not their intended recipient!

Haha... the woman in the bathing suit wasn’t actually part of the walking tour.  Perhaps she was working on her tan outside the Cathedral.

I don’t remember if this particular Cathedral was one of them, as I went in a lot of churches, but several churches had signs forbidding short-shorts (golfing style shorts/Bermuda shorts seemed to be acceptable) and vest tops (T-shirt’s which cover the shoulder seemed to be acceptable too).  I suspect it is just too hot in Cuba to insist on clothing that is much more demure.

The Strawberry walking tour didn’t actually go inside the cathedral. It ended near the cathedral, so you could go and visit inside the many beautiful buildings at your own pace after.

We just returned from a cruise which visited Havana.  We selected “Support the Cuban people” and arranged our own schedule.  As others have said, there is no need to do the ships own tours, just use the Internet to plan your own trip according to the OFAC requirements.  By using Cuban guides directly, it’s much cheaper for you, and the local people benefit far more than when most of your money goes to a major international cruise line!

 In Havana we did free walking tours with Strawberry Tours.  You just tip as you wish at the end.   Each one runs for 2.5 to 3 hours, with lots of stops in the shade. It is a lot more walking than on a ship’s tour, but so rewarding.  So, if you can cope with walking in the sun, then I highly recommend booking online for https://strawberrytours.com/havana/tours/free-historical-centre-tour and https://strawberrytours.com/havana/tours/free-cuban-revolution-tour.  There were 12  people in our group and we had a guide named Cesar who was just brilliant. Really knowledgeable, completely fluent in English, and a clearly passionate about his country.

Interesting and confusing! I just had my (UK) travel agent call Azamara and she was told that I should obtain the visas (tourist cards) myself before I go. Azamara also said that onboard the fee will be $150 per person (2 x $75) because the itinerary visits Cayman between Cuba ports necessitating 2 separate visas.

Also Azamara recommends https://visacentral.com/tourkits.php?bookmark=1&login=azamaraclubcruises for obtaining visas and there it says "Cuba: Cuban tourist visas for U.S. passport holders will be secured by Azamara at a cost of $75 per person. This fee will be added to your onboard account. Non U.S. citizens and travelers who were born in Cuba should contact the cruise line for further instructions and requirements.

Hi,

Can anyone confirm the process for obtaining a Visa for an Azamara Cuba cruise?

Azamara's web site says "It is the responsibility of the guests to obtain information on countries that require visas on your voyage and Cruisetour, and then to obtain the appropriate visa. Please contact the Embassy (Consular Services) of each country on your voyage or the visa service of your choice for specific visa requirements, information, forms and fees based on your nationality."

However, I have also read that Tourist Visas are provided on the Ship at a charge of $75. Confused!

Last time I went to Cuba I got a Tourist Visa, which is good for all EU residents, only costs £17 and is valid for 30 days, but is limited to one entry / one exit. Since the cruise leaves Cuba for Grand Cayman, then re-enters Cuba, I doubt that this is acceptable.

Does anyone know how it actually works?

Thanks

Thanks for the tips. Azamara says that we disembark at 7am at the end of our cruise, so from roughly what time am I likely to be free? Do they kick you off at 7am sharp, or is it a long/relaxed process to disembark, clear customs etc? I only ever travel with hand luggage, so as to avoid waiting around at airports and ports for luggage, if that makes any difference.

Have your agent cancel the transfer and take the 3 or 4 hour excursions provided by Azamara that include luggage transfer and drop off at MIA.

 

Although it is only about 30 minutes to MIA from the Cruise terminal MIA is one of those airports that you have to give yourself at least 2 hours from drop off to departure. 17:50 is close to peak time so don't cut it close.

Thanks - I hadn’t realised there were shore excursions after the cruise ended. Azamara’s web site doesn’t give exact timings (just length of tour 4 hours). There is an Everglades trip which looks fun and which says “This tour is for guests with domestic flights departing MIA after 3pm, and international flights after 4pm”. So that ought to work for me.

I'm new to Azamara and also quite new to cruising, so I'd like to know about disembarking in Miami after the Cuba Intensive cruise.

The itinerary for Journey says that we disembark at 7:00. My TA has arranged my transfer at 10:30. My flight is at 17:50.

I don't want to "waste" the last day of my holiday waiting for a transfer, or sitting at the airport, but I have no idea how long it takes to actually get off the ship. It's only a 20 min drive to the airport, so even with a 10:30 transfer I imagine that I have time to do something in Miami.

Would welcome opinions from anyone who has disembarked in Miami. Thanks.