Whitby100

We did an Edinburgh to Copenhagen Norway Intensive (our first AZ cruise) and it was fabulous. I recommend paying for access to the spa deck so you can enjoy the hot tub there. It was great pulling out of the port with great views and being lovely and warm. To me, the only way to see the fjords is from the water and AZ ships are small enough to do just that. We went up one narrow fjord and the captain did a 360 degree spin with the ship and them back out. We happened to be in a port when close friends were doing a hiking tour so met up for a beer on the waterfront. All they did was complain about the cost of food, beer, rainy weather and the inability to see the fjords because they were on land. We bid them adieu, hopped back on the ship and savoured good wine and good food. We are hikers so we enjoyed hiking, walking and puttering about. Sunset at midnight was amazing. We are Canadian so used to cool temperatures and rain so the weather didn’t bother us a bit. We certainly loved the comfort of the ship after our day’s adventure. Ok, now I want to go back …

Crazy as it sounds our online info is correct. No money owing; our booked shore excursion with remaining amount left in OBC is showing. It was incorrect with no cruise and then no OBC a few months back but I sent in a help ticket and it was fixed. (Previous cruises weren’t there but loyalty level appears correct so I’m not concerned there). To be honest, I am not logging in again until a month before we go since I am happy with the info as last posted. We have only sailed on Azamara so perhaps it was easy to update our file as there was no merging of information.

We successfully used OBC to book a shore excursion by calling them. I’d try that whether your OBC shows or not. Ask for a confirmation email, person’s name, take notes etc. Also ask for the amount of remaining OBC. I suspect (hope?) you will be successful. I was only on hold about 10 minutes when I called a few weeks ago. Good luck.

Brooklin is lovely! But my brief visits to Orangeville also indicate it’s lovely too. Thunderstorm over, no tornado 👍celebrations have resumed and hopefully we will be able to see fireworks from the rooftop terrace later 🤞until then a few glasses of wine and dinner. Happy Canada Day !

We’re visiting our eldest in Ottawa 🇨🇦 And are currently under a tornado watch as a thunderstorm rages. Lots of haze for last few days, but no smoke smell. Celebrations are on hold downtown as storm hopefully passes.

When we went it was the old locks. We were told the new ones were for bigger ships - not specifically bigger cruise ships, bigger working ships. We did Miami to Lima and it was fabulous! Enjoy!

On our first AZ cruise we did not sign up for the transfer. When we arrived bleary eyed in Edinburgh after a over night flight the 4 of us gleefully pointed to the rep in the airport and exclaimed how excited we were! See you soon! The rep came and asked us if we were with AZ. We explained we would be, but we’re finding our own way to the ship. She insisted that it was no problem to get on the bus with them, especially since it was too early to board the ship. So, we had a coffee, joined the group and didn’t think about it again. That is until the bill appeared while on the shipboard account. My sister-in-law explained the situation at the desk, and it was removed, but we won’t make that mistake again.

Sounds like we are pretty similar in interest, except for the family travel. Children (under 18?) are virtually non existent in my experience on Azamara, and there are zero activities for youngsters. Having said that, the staff will welcome them. Maybe some itineraries have kids on board? I have only cruised with Azamara (due to our shared interests) so can’t compare to other lines.

There is a topic Shore Excursion booklet which has a linked posted to a pdf file of excursions. Prices are there. I booked by calling Azamara and used OBC. The pdf link was sent out In an email a few weeks ago, but if you don’t have it, this topic has it embedded. We don’t sail til September so I haven’t worried about forms etc. yet but I am watching to see what the answer to that query is.

I am hopeful that we will have access to pricing and available cabins again. We have completed our bucket list cruises and are now looking to go to places we know little about, haven’t considered, etc. I really enjoyed surfing through itineraries and hopefully pricing out cruises. In fact our next cruise was booked when we realized a window for travel opened for us. I surfed Azamara, narrowed it down to 2 cruises and then contacted 2 travel agents to see what the final numbers were, with cabins already identified. I am sure I would have picked another travel destination if I couldn’t do the preliminary research.

It’s also possible they have sold off some space to a wholesaler. Twice we have booked Azamara cruises on short notice (less than a month - one Caribbean, another Panama Canal) through a discount travel agency that adds air (not Choice Air) and insurance for massive discounts. The first time I saw it advertised I contacted my reliable TA (who we had previously booked an Azamara cruise with) and asked her to price match/ investigate. To be honest it was so cheap I thought it might be a scam. She got back to me and said, book it. She couldn’t come close to getting that price. It is a Canadian company - not sure if that is relevant.

It is awkward for the crew. We were once on a cruise that preceded one. We met people who were annoyed they couldn’t follow up with another cruise, making it a back to back. When we chatted with the crew they found out it was because of a swingers’ cruise. The crew were discreet but were clearly not looking forward to it.

We bought a bottle of Amaretto before we boarded in Venice which we kept in our cabin. Every night after dinner we stopped by a bar for 2 glasses of ice. We returned to our cabin, poured a glass and then went wherever we wanted. No problem. In fact, the bartender asked, amiably, what was going in to the glasses, and we told him. He’d sometimes have the glasses ready.

Just don’t forget to move it to your suitcase before you fly home. We bought some lovely whisky in Edinburgh and had to give it to security when we forgot to move it from our carry on where we had stowed it during our cruise. Still upsets us!

We are doing the Spain intensive in September and haven’t sailed since before Covid. While we do qualify for some free internet onboard (or discounted package), we generally don’t use much. To be completely honest, we do like being hard to get ahold of. I am wondering if the port facilities now offer free Wi-Fi. Has anyone any experience here? Thanks.

Mara01, This is exactly how I remember it. Loungers aren’t the same quality as Onward and the lack of shade is evident. I remember everyone trying to tuck under the overhang.

That is definitely not the set up from any of my spa deck experiences. I have not been on Onward, but have experienced the other 3. They originally had a day bed for their sleep under the stars experience, which I now believe is discontinued. There were a few chairs and loungers and I don’t recall an umbrella (I targeted the day bed for the shade). Has anyone photos from any of the other 3 ships?

I seem to recall paying $175 for a couple and maybe $99 for individual pre Covid. The last time we did, the spa deck had few comfortable chairs and very little shade (sorry I can’t remember which ship). Perhaps ask for a tour before paying so you see what you’re getting. When we did our Norway cruise the tub was fabulous. Also, check on their drink policy - can you bring in drinks ? I seem to recall some issue with this. We have also been advised to purchase the spa passes as soon as possible because there is a limited number.

Is this new or have I missed opportunities re laundry service? I have only ever had one bag of laundry per cabin, not one per guest. I have not sailed since before Covid though.

We typically do not use Azamara shore excursions either. We often walk off and grab a taxi or walk about, and have also booked private tours. OBC and short stays in port are when we book with Azamara which is what we will do here. We booked this cruise because we have never been to Spain and know nothing about 80% of the ports. We are looking forward spending our evenings doing research with a glass of wine in hand. I have now joined the roll call and will happily integrate the tips given here and there.

Thanks!

I have never joined one before lol. How do I do it? I can see it but do I reply to the last entry or right at the top?

Thanks so much for all the advice. Because we have OBC to use we will go ahead and book the City under Siege tour, hoping we get something close to the great one XJ6 experienced. We typically find our own way with local taxis but will use up some OBC here. Great tip about watching sunglasses with the monkeys. I will remember to stow them securely in my locked bag. The tips provided by Host Jazzbeau are fabulous and I really appreciate the link provided. Of course with the current website issues, I’m not sure how I’ll book the tours, but at least I know what I want to do. Thanks again!

I am hoping that the vast experience of cruisers here can help with shore excursion selection for our September visit to Gibraltar. It’s a fairly short stop (1 - 10 pm) so we are thinking we will use OBC here. Key context is that we (especially DH) are keen about history, and while we are familiar with Gibraltar’s historical sites, have no knowledge of the area and specifics of visiting the sites. We are fit and love walking. There are 2 shore excursions offered by Azamara that we have short listed. ‘A City Under Siege’ which includes cable car, tunnels, drive past Moorish Castle and finishes at Gibraltar Museum. The other, ‘Upper Rock on Foot’ also has the cable car, path to St. Michael’s Cave ( which we don’t think is of particular interest to us) and tunnels. Both are 2 - 5:30 pm. We are disappointed that the Moorish Castle doesn’t appear to be included. Has anyone done either or both of these excursions that could give me a review? Any comment on the castle and missing it? We have done Sintra from Lisbon and found it fascinating. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

We are actually embarking in Bordeaux but I would expect your Lisbon check in experience to be the same as ours will be so I am pleased. We really do not want to have to double back to our hotel to pick up our bags as others have suggested. Lisbon is a fabulous city having spent a week there last fall - we get to visit again on this cruise and we are definitely excited for that port!