Xcelsior

Onward. I did give feedback on the mid cruise form (which I believe came out on day 3 of a 12 day cruise). This was one of the issues I mentioned. I actually asked the Guest Relations manager to meet with the Hotel Director on Day 1 regarding this and some other issues in my stateroom....he told me that was not possible. On Day 4 another supervisor came to my room to address an issue. I finally saw the Hotel Director about the ship around Day 8. Perhaps was in quarantine...I have no idea.

Completely agree. Just off the Onward and I think there is nothing to distinguish between Azamara and mainstream lines now except for the size of the ship - which of course also brings fewer onboard amenities and activities. I will now only sail with Azamara for the itinerary as the food, service etc. is the same as other lines (honestly, IMHO Celebrity is actually a step UP from Azamara now).

I showed up at my boarding time of 3:30pm. Apparently I was the only person who did as everybody else was already on board. I then got into a HUGE line for specialty reservations they had set up next to the pool with a lot of unhappy passengers. After waiting half an hour, I was told that they were closing and I couldn't make my reservation even though I was already in line. Told to come back at 6pm. Did so...no table, no staff there. Went up to Aqualina where I found the same person. She neglected to tell me that I was supposed to go there instead. Could no longer get what I wanted for all 3 tables. Got two instead, therefore couldn't get the special pricing for 3. Was told that they would have cancellations and contact me later (they didn't). Instead they signed me up for a different package including Aqualina and PrimeC which I didn't want. I was then told later in the cruise when I tried to cancel my Prime C reservation that they could find me a seat at the 3rd Chef's table if I kept my PrimeC reservation. If not, they couldn't. Huh?? Nuts. I cancelled my reservation regardless. This was not good customer service.

Thank you. I thought boarding started at noon.

What are the odds of me being able to buy the chefs table tour if I can’t board the ship until 3:30? Seems a bit unfair if you can only book onboard and they assign you a late boarding slot.

Hello, Wondering if anyone has current pricing on spa deck pass for the Onward. I was onboard Journey in June for 12 nights and believe I paid $99 for one per person and the rate for 2 persons would have been $179 if I remember correctly. Does anyone know what the current rate is? I'm getting mixed answers. Thanks so much!

I used it in on my Greece/Turkey cruise in June - europe regional plan. It was fantastic. Used the regional plan for the Caribbean earlier this month - it was terrible for connectivity.

Did you get any options to bid on suites? I only got the 2 kind so of verandas.

I am on Jan 5 sailing, didn't get an email yet, but I can now pull up the offers on the website.

The Celebrity Blue Chip Club lists a "standard" drink package at Amethyst level and Classic and Premium packages at higher levels of the Club on the Celebrity website. And if you google it...you will find flyers from onboard that show what drinks are included in the Standard, Classic and Premium packages.

It is my understanding that there is a "Standard" beverage package that is below the Classic Drink Package - but I never see it listed on the Celebrity website to purchase. Does anyone know if this still exists or how you can purchase?

That is one heck of a price jump! I was on Journey in July for an 11 night and it was $99 for a single and $170 for a couple.

They would be right about that!

What is the balcony furniture issue?

I meant the lower tables that other lines like Celebrity have, this one looks high enough...just cheap.

I guess that's true. They just look so dang cheap in comparison to the other ships. I really like those - much prefer having the higher table and something I can eat at instead of the lounge type chairs with a low table. It makes the veranda more functional and I spend much more time out there as a result.

It looks to me like the table is too narrow though when placed lengthwise on the veranda for the arms of those chairs to slide under so you can pull it up comfortably to eat. Am I wrong?

Could someone who has sailed on the Onward in a Club Veranda please provide some feedback on the table and chairs on these verandas? They don't look nearly as nice, comfortable or functional as the furniture on the other ships....and the table looks like it would be difficult to get your knees under to have a meal if it is positioned lengthwise on the balcony. If you turn it the other way it probably isn't wide enough for 2 people to sit across from each other while dining. Are these temporary...or are they the real thing?

Have not sailed celebrity since they allowed CC elite cocktail drinks at bars around the ship instead of the hosted event in the lounge. Do they still have the hosted event in the lounge? AND are guests travelling with an elite member who are not elite still allowed to have complimentary drinks?

Same here. New Year's cruise. Best email I've ever received!

Can anyone who has sailed on the Onward tell us if the Locker/Change rooms were refurbed? They are still original on the others - Quest and Journey (not sure about Pursuit) and are REALLY looking shabby and in need of some TLC in my opinion.

No it was not, and that was a disappointment. Go for lunch though, it continues to be great. Perhaps it will be open on your sailing. We had so few passengers it was probably didn't make much sense to have it open I guess. I would rather they kept it open though and close Windows for dinner.

If you didn't like the mediocre vegas shows on X, you will not be happy with the productions on Azamara. You will really enjoy White Night though. They do a top notch job on that. Hopefully you will have a better guest entertainer(s) on your sailing(s). As with most cruises, it's also about the fellow passengers you meet onboard. I was lucky in that department on this sailing so my gripes need to be taken into perspective. Azamara always has interesting fellow passengers onboard. I hope you have a great time.

The food certainly had its moments - I think they do an absolutely excellent job on the White Night and in the Brunch buffets. I found Main Dining Room hit and miss. The food in Windows Cafe was great at breakfast and lunch. The themed a la carte dinners on deck were not very good at all the times I went there. The staff however are excellent. In terms of the shower size....the first time I sailed Azamara was when the line was first launched and the shower while the same size then, didn't bother me as much. I was obviously younger and the ships of the day mostly all had smallish showers. The last time I sailed I was in a suite, so of course it wasn't an issue. Being in a verandah this time - I actually loved the room, except for the bathroom size. The linens were great, loved the balcony and the decor. They got this part right. I do wish they had put a door on the shower though like Celebrity did when they refit the Millennium and Summit a couple years ago. That being said, these showers are even smaller than those....so maybe not possible. I think someone said Oceania did but didn't like that either. In terms of expectations with entertainment, the singers/dancers and CD did an amazing job with White Night as per usual. It was the rest of it that was a big letdown. The other annoying thing was that the guest lecturer apparently "missed a flight" to join the ship....so there were no lectures. I would have loved it if there had been some lectures on the greek islands/ruins/mythology etc. as I didn't pay much attention to this in school and I would have been more interested in the sights on the islands we visted as a result. Why it was not possible for the lecturer to catch up with a ship that was in port every day is a mystery to me....so I don't think they were trying very hard to deliver on that front. I also didn't like that The Patio was not open for dinner. That would have been a great option. Why they opened Windows every night with an a la carte and not just simply open the Patio is another mystery to me. The food at the Patio was always GREAT. So......will I sail Azamara again? Yes. Is it still my favourite cruise line? No. Will I pay extra to sail Azamara? Only if the itinerary is something I can't do on other lines. If they are ever able to build or purchase newer ships that offer a few other options to keep me a bit more entertained I will re-evaluate. The cruise line needs to realize that the competition is tough, and with older ships, they aren't helping themselves with poor entertainment onboard. While it was never industry-leading, it was definitely much better previously. Another final note, I think there is probably a big difference in the ships right now. The best staff seem to have been moved to the Onward and the Pursuit. I think perhaps those ships are satisfying others better at the moment?

I thought he was from the UK, but maybe he was American....maybe I had too much to drink to tell the difference? Trust me when I say it was not about personal taste or preference in a type of comedian, he just wasn't even remotely funny.