nordski

3 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Happy Thanksgiving to you, @nordski, and to all my other Canadian friends!

Thanks!!!

One thing to be thankful for is that, although you can buy pumpkin spice syrup, no one has yet decided to add pumpkin spice to maple syrup. I am certain you will agree that that is a Good Thing!

But you now can purchase pumpkin spice poutine and a pumpkin spice latté.

And that is NOT a Good Thing!

This is our commemorative Thanksgiving Day in Canada and I hope that, despite  all the trials and tribulations that posters on this board may have encountered over the past year, there are also elements of that year that each person can remember and celebrate. 
 

I am particularly cognizant of those who have suffered in recent storms both on our East Coast and in the United States, and also of the ongoing toll taken by the presence of Covid.

But we can be warmed by the thoughts of Thanksgiving gatherings in the past and moments of happiness that they brought. 

 
We can also anticipate new challenges and experiences in the year ahead.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1 hour ago, uktog said:

Katakolon

 

Today we shared this port with Celebrity apex. - it was really great that we docked a good 2 1/2 hours before apex. 
I had done the research and knew we wanted to go to Olympia to the ancient ruins and to see the home of the original Olympic Games. The cruise line was offering two excursions and again with credit to use we thought this was the safest way to do it although we did hear some people did the journey which is about 45 minutes each way in local taxis without issue

The two excursions had a price difference of $70 each person. One was Olympia on your own which effectively drove you up there and you made your own arrangements for entering the site whereas the other one included your admission and a guide. Having researched online that admission tickets were easily viable in advance for €12 each and recognising that sometimes going with guides can be too strenuous for me with the pace too fast we opted to go for the on your own option. Not only was that much better value it really worked out so well for us

In case there was a switch ports I did not buy the online tickets until the day beforehand and guest relations very kindly printed them out for me. Azamara really came up trumps for guests on bus tours due to our early arrival we got Olympia with virtually no tourists

however when we were leaving around 12, we were having to part the red Sea on the walkway back to the buses as 12 Celebrity buses each with over 40 guests in them arrived. 
 

The interpretive plaques beside all the monuments gave me enough information to know what each monument was about and the key features - everything was clear in English and for my level of interest in Greek things this was very sufficient. 

The entry to the site also gives you entry to the archaeological museum which contains many artefacts that have been dug up during excavation. It surprises you find you think how many hundreds of years BC these items were made for you see how complete they are today.

 

There is also a small coffee shop here if you need topping up so most people opted to use the two little cafés on the way back to the bus if they were wanting anything more than the water they had brought from the ship
 

Unless you really need extensive guiding I would say to Olympia on your own and you will not be disappointed you can even run the track at your own pace! 

 

For the sake of authenticity, as a former track coach I can give free instruction as to how to present the proper form in the starting blocks in the stadium.

But I am not such a stickler that I would insist that the demonstration be performed in the nude and with no women present since that would violate the religious rules guiding the competition. 😄

3 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

That was my first thought! Your in charge of that? He did mention new heavier shower curtains that don’t cling are on order.🤔

As I understood it, Tony is not on board right now. Perhaps chairs have been ordered and he didn’t know if/when they will arrive.

Of course, he simply could have stated that.

At the beginning Tony was a bit amped up, as if he were presenting a show in the Cabaret. But I think the delay in answering questions was due to their belief that the Captain would soon be online.

Lesson learned, I hope.

34 minutes ago, uktog said:

I think the issue is one of timing. When did Azamara know vs when did they still collect final payments. If they didn’t know then that’s a different thing to if they did. 

It’s not an annual event, soccer fans have waited 5 years for this and it’s a big thing even to go to the fan zone. I think some of the earlier responses were a little dismissive. I hope Azamara can do a lot more to help fans stuck with a very expensive cruise to ports that they’ve probably no interest in seeing- this cruise was about going to experience the World Cup atmosphere. A few, not many, would score tickets to the game. 
 

Yes the authorities may have blindsided them - but when? 

That’s certainly a good question and it will be interesting if we ever have an answer.

I have a friend who spent a number of years teaching at a university in Qatar, and he described the decisions of the government as often seemingly “capricious”.

But at the foundation of those decisions was the apparent benefit of the citizens of that nation. Concern about the welfare of non-citizens was not uppermost.

Thus it will not always be transparent as to when/why decisions are made. But it is certainly possible that the port decision is an exception.

It must be very frustrating to miss a sports or similar event that one has anticipated for a long time.

Advice that I read on this Board some time ago is still worth considering.

If there is a site or event that is a high priority, cruising may not provide the most promising access.

There have always been ports missed because of bad seas, mechanical issues, etc.

Now there seem to be increasing political pressures that limit the use of certain ports, pressures that may be either short or long term, surprising or long-anticipated.

I have to remind myself that changes in a ship’s itinerary, while not common, are not unheard of.

2 hours ago, uktog said:

Fail to prepare prepare to fail. What about the standard event management practice- test all your systems 

Excellent advice!
 

It’s circumstantial evidence but I think that they may have tried the connection to Captain Carl while they were anchored in Ashdod, but the event occurred while the ship was out to sea. Apparently the ship was late to leave port so the latter test may not have been conducted.

At one point they seemed to suggest that the Captain was trying to use his 4G network to join the chat.

Regardless, it would have been more useful if the Captain had been available to answer the viewers’ questions.

But, as I have suggested, the problem of the ships’ wifi has been clearly demonstrated.

32 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

At least she got to promote her book!

I know I am not the market, but oddly I want to buy her book. 😄

1 minute ago, Mackdogmolly said:

I think they were hoping to get a report from Captain Carl!

Surely the next report will be an improvement of the wifi.

Beth Santos seems to be the personification of  “ebullient”, so despite some technical glitches and limited content she had me smiling during the whole event.

No small thing in these times.

And the glitches revealed the inadequacy of Azamara’s wifi service, so . .  . .

8 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Sigh… I guess we are with you there. At least my DH is DECIDEDLY with you!

You will have to agree that in all of life’s most important decisions, who to propose to, where to live, he is a man of wisdom and good judgement.

This post will convince no one but I think “winter weather” is a variable concept.

If one is going to experience it, certainly it is best not to live where it is damp and dark with long periods of slush. That is depressing.

A better choice is where the temps are consistently below freezing, the snow remains firm and skiable, and hockey ponds remain frozen. Sure there is shovelling, but there are lots of the young and able-bodied who will take care of accumulations. And those frequent high pressure days of brilliant sun are priceless.
 

We also love the noticeable transition of seasons.

There are lots of resorts in Canada that attract visitors with a “real” winter. 😄

45 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Just having a couple of nights in the Yorkshire Dales, staying at Leyburn. We went for a walk this afternoon towards The Shawl - a limestone escarpment overlooking Wensleydale with glorious views.

 

 

Leyburn is a lovely little market town. We were delighted to see that the local council are using this lovely old building as the local library.

 

I am certain that when we are visiting Yorkshire that will be exactly the weather we will be enjoying. Gorgeous scenery.

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Same here in Canada.  And yes, shocking it happened so fast, but good for her, good way to go.  I think she just decided she was done.  Waiting for King Charles's speech.  Apparently he had the choice of being called George, Philip, Arthur.  I think King Arthur would have been pretty neat, myself.

The question is will he emulate Charles I, whose life ended during an appointment with the axeman, or the rather more laddish Charles Ii, who also had a Royal mistress, or three?

I recall that the first time I heard of BOAC (now BA) was the flight chartered to bring the film of Elizabeth’s coronation promptly to Canada so that our neighbours could gather in our living room and watch the ceremonies on a grainy, black & white TV.

As some have pointed out, during her reign Elizabeth II had to adjust to a rapidly changing media landscape, much more intrusive than in 1953, and culminating with the highly popular series on Netflix.

No doubt sharing thoughts and memories today with residents of the UK and of the Commonwealth who are experiencing the end of an era.

When I was a student, she watched over us from her portrait in every classroom of this nation.

What will the future bring?

2 hours ago, uktog said:

I suppose the curse of sailing a lot is very little new to us.  I recognise with not being able to go into St Petersburg or the Black Sea there was always going to be a lot of similarities between the itineraries offered, theres only so much of the Med they can do and they are getting more and more restricted in where the boats can go in Norway and probably in the UK soon

 

Disappointed that they have not re-offered the Norway Lonygearben cruise that was cancelled in 2020.  The Norway itineraries are eye waveringly expensive compared to similar offered elsewhere for 2024.  

 

We were offered a chance to book early last week but did not take it up.  I think I will wait until nearer the time to book

I was so impressed with your recent Norway cruise report that I immediately checked out those 2024 itineraries.

And yes, those elevated prices brought tears to my eyes. I actually reread the terms to confirm that the charges were per person not per stateroom. 🙀

On 9/2/2022 at 12:04 PM, ccsuwxman said:

Have port shuttles been reinstated in French ports (Rouen, Honfleur, St. Malo, Cherbourg, Nantes and Bordeaux)?  I cannot find this information on the Azamara website anymore.  Thanks!

 

Steve Newman

Azamara Pursuit

Sept. 6, 2022

We did not have a shuttle in St. Malo several years ago, nor was one needed.

2 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Yes. I just got a new phone and also switched to T-Mobile. With 2 overseas cruises in 2023 and likely some trips to Canada, I will save a bundle.

Good for you!

And I will be envious that your rates in Canada will be considerably cheaper than those offered by our two largest carriers, Bell and Rogers.

3 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Now I will have to take a look at Scenic!

You will have to be really patient with the website. 😄

We have this itinerary booked for next fall.

Thanks to Jazzbeau for posting this excellent summary.

3 hours ago, uktog said:

We were told onboard last week they are finalising for release shortly.  

 

They have had to make adjustments, I suspect because of political issues but also because of emerging environmental rules which are starting to have quite an impact on Azamara's older ships.  

I would also guess if it was my business I might just wait a little before doing initial pricing.  Its a minefield out there.  

As a guest, given how volatile the air prices are and the projections of the cost increases/reduced services in the next two years reported in the financial press over the last few weeks, I am nervous about committing to holidays involving long haul flights in 2024 right now.  Who knows what the cost of the flights will be.  I wonder if they will even commit to cruise plus air costs at this stage.

 

So I am happy to wait

Absolutely agree. There are a lot of moving parts to consider now.

3 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

I have no idea what the policy was/is. I just know what I was quoted. He had evidently erred, but is honoring it.

Good for him, and good for you!

8 hours ago, marinaro44 said:

If it's Perpetuum Jazzile performing in Koper's town square you're in for a treat.

Absolutely!

Our performance was at a nearby bar and it’s gardens on the water, so I imagine the size of that venue could be an issue. I don’t remember the town square as being particularly large either.

But the performance was memorable and, if offered, should not be missed.

1 hour ago, rsverdier said:

Are the stateroom layouts always the same? In May, I was onboard the Onward, where we had a veranda stateroom, with a layout that had the bed near the bathroom and the couch near the balcony. Are all Azamara veranda staterooms like that, or do they alternate the position of the bed and the couch, like Celebrity does - so with the couch near the bathroom and the bed near the balcony?

In our experience at least the verandah staterooms all have the same layout. I appreciate that Marinaro confirms that in a reply that he posted as I was typing.

So, unlike on Celebrity, you don’t have to consider that factor when selecting. Certainly we have done so.

The only stateroom issues that are notable are the presence of a bath/shower combo in a Club Continent Suite or the possibility of noise issues.

The former is addressed on the Azamara website, and the latter on the pinned discussion about staterooms near the top of this forum.

Good luck!

6 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Oh I hope so! 

Keep us informed. 

10 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

I will preface this by saying that I have been very happy with my TA, a fairly small US company and have been working with the same person for a couple of years. I recently asked him for a quote on a cruise that Azamara currently has a good price on the website. Often he can shave a little off the price. The price he quoted me was hundreds of dollars below the mock booking I did, so I jumped on it and confirmed the price in my email back to him. He responded that he had booked it, charged the deposit, and I should see the confirmation within 48 hours. This morning , via the TA, I got confirmation from Azamara, but with the Azamara published rates, not the rates I was quoted. I emailed the TA that the invoice was not what I had been quoted and to please make the adjustment. I haven’t heard back and not sure what my recourse might be. Azamara had a fair price, but still….

Even if Azamara’s price was “fair”, you clearly were committed to the price quoted by your TA. It would certainly be disappointing that this has become an issue.

I hope this issue is quickly resolved and you can begin anticipating your upcoming cruise.