Marmaduke

I also had trouble using up my OBC.  Non of the tours appealed, and at the time there was always a Covid risk.  The selection of merchandise in the shop was very poor.  We had a couple of meals in the specialty restaurants and I went to the hairdressers twice.  We also paid for some glasses of nice wine, although even then the selection was limited.  I wanted to try the Whispering Angel rose but that was out of stock.  I would have liked to donate the surplus to the crew welfare fund but I did not think that was possible.   I noticed that when signing for a drink or spa treatment there is a space for an addtional tip, so if you give an additional amount does this come off your OBC and does it go directly to the crew member who served you?  Perhaps this could be a way of giving OBC to the crew.

56 minutes ago, Riocca said:

Same being said on Facebook about Azamara U.K. apparently busier than they’ve ever been. The easing of testing requirements for the fully vaccinated has probably released a wave of pent up demand.

I booked yesterday for May, the price was too good to miss.  I phoned the travel agent at 12:15, it took 15 minutes to get through (which never used to be the case with this particular agent).   She was unable to book on line because there was a problem with the flights.  She said she would contact Azamara and get back to me.  At around 3pm she phoned, apologising that she hadn't been able to get through but would keep trying.  At 5:30pm she finally called back, with Azamara waiting on the other line and I was finally able to get the cruise booked.  Yes they are busy.

The included wines are the one area which lets Azamara down.  I have to agree with most of the comments on this thread. Having recently cruised on Journey I found most of the white wines to be undrinkable and only a few of the reds were acceptable.  I mentioned this on the comment form and received a call from the bar manager in acknowledgement . If I understood correctly they are getting some new  Amarara branded wines later this Spring.  Hopefully they will be better, (well they can't be any worse).

Glad to know things are going well on both ships.  For those of you on Journey, did you have to undergo another covid test onboard before you were able to disembark in Maderia?

I have just checked the Azamara web site and the Canary Island cruises in February have disappeared.

The one on the 29 January 2022 seems to be still going ahead and seems to be quite full.  I think one of the reasons for the cancellation of the February cruises may have been low bookings.  We looked at taking the 11 night one on the 8th February but the return flight to UK was very expensive and the flights for the following cruise were even more pricey especially for a 7 night cruise.  This could be because the timing coincides with the Uk schools half term holidays.

16 hours ago, Huntingdon1701 said:

Got the 'close contact' letter today on Journey. They've arranged complimentary testing for us tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, we can wander around the ship as usual but those of us affected had to be grouped into our own private tour to ensure social distancing on that. 

 

It's quite civilised, and more relaxed than I expected. We think this is because it's a low risk contact - the original guide for the tour yesterday went home feeling sick. Direct contact would have been no more than 30 seconds, so it's probably an abundance of caution. 

 

On the other hand, if I test positive tomorrow I can give you a first hand experience. Since they're using ocean views for quarantine, it would basically be a free upgrade for me. Silver linings... 😁

Glad to hear that you are negative and can continue enjoying your cruise.  Am I correct in assuming  that you were considered a potential covid risk because you came into contact with a local tour guide who later tested positive ?  What are the tours in the Canaries like, regarding social distancing,  coach size, maximum number of passengers on each bus etc?

Last summer I was on a Viking cruise around the UK and  the 40 seater coaches were always only half full and alternate pairs of  seats were blocked off.  Therefore there was nobody sitting in front  or behind you or directly adjacent across the aisle.

1 hour ago, Glitterati said:

Just got back from 2 weeks on Azura. Only changes were the same as experienced on the seacations. 

Staff were the most friendly I have ever experience on P&O. 

 

Only thing that was a bit frustrating was not being able to dance to the band. On NYE they played outside and it was an amazing atmosphere. Why they didn't put the band outside more often and advertise it as a deck party I have no idea. 

 

The reduced capacity meant all venues were practically empty, which must have been horrible for the performers. 

 

Aside from that, had a fantastic time and it was worth all the documents and tests!

Glad to hear that all was well on Azura and you had a great time.  I am interested  to know if any areas the ship have been refurbished since it was taken out of service in 2020.  Back then I found that the cabins and many of the public areas were in drastic need of a refit.

Had the same problem back in December for a Canaries Cruise.  It is not a problem if you do not complete the form on line prior to the cruise. The Eurofin staff will complete the form for you at the terminal, it just takes a little longer.  It might be worth writing down on a piece of paper all the answers to the questions on the on line form.  Then the staff can just copy it into their computer.  I found I was continually having to write out information such a email address, home address etc. for them to ensure correct spelling.

Been back a week now from a fly cruise around the Canaries with Azamara.  The weather was great, about 20C and we were able to visit all the ports including Maderia independently, although I believe under the new Spanish rules you now have to wear a mask outside.  We were able to visit the island of La Palma, the sun shone and the sky was clear, no impact from the volcano which I believe is on the opposite side of the island to the port.  There is not alot to do in the port, you will have seen it in an hour, so it is possibly worth taking a tour there.

I have received an email asking me to register for embarkation testing, but having completed the form, every time I press submit it comes back with a data error message telling me to check my details.  Several other people on my roll call are having the same problem so it is not just me.  I have emailed the adress provided (eurofin) two days ago but no reply.   

Has anyone else had this problem with their cruise and what procedures do you have to go though if you turn up at the port having not registered.

14 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

How is the quality of the tote bags?  Is there a zipper?  Are they cloth?

Yes, are a decent size, made of a strong canvas material with the Azamara logo on one side, and they have a zip.

Do Azamara provide/ sell masks or do I need to bring sufficient quantity with me ?

Are they allowing a person from the local tourist board to come on board whilst in port, and if not are there plenty of maps available for the local area ?

Am I correct in my assumption that if you set up a UK PLF account  you can fill it in at home before you go, and log in and out as many times as you like adding and altering information as required.  Then you can just press the submit button within the 48hrs before your return date?

The only caveat being that if any of the information changes once the form has been  submitted you have to start again and complete a new form ?

At home I have a decent size computer and keyboard but when abroad I will only have access to a small i phone.  Will this work?

21 hours ago, uktog said:

I agree the UK PLF is a nightmare, on our Greek Islands cruise you had to enter every island separately.  I did it in port using my data and to be fair the issue isn't entirely the fault of the ships wifi, it was a slow pain even on 4G.  The form is designed for those who go for a trip to one place not us more adventurous travellers 

 

Hope you had an enjoyable time on Quest

Did you just have to list the islands you visited or did you have to supply further information such as dates and times you where there.

Surely Azamara would except the NHS Covid Pass letter which gives clear details of your vaccination doses, dates etc and now includes the booster jab.  It is easily available by phoning 119 or can be ordered on line.  

I was under the impression that if you were going on a cruise you could complete and submit  the UK PLF within the 48 hours prior to boarding, but having just checked the government website, the wording has been changed and it would now seem that it can only be done in advance for cruises that are visiting or returning to the UK.  Therefore it would appear that people on a fly cruise have to submit the form 48 hours before returning to the UK.  How are people on the Caribbean fly cruises coping with this, are P & O making free wi fi available ?

I understand that as Azura has been out of service for 18 months, she has been required to undergo a refit and major inspection before re-entering service shortly.

But does anyone know if she has had and interior refit, particularly the cabin soft furnishings?

I am considering using Testing for All as they seem to get good reviews and are reasonably priced.

Are the test kits delivered to your home by Royal Mail or do they use a courier service, and is the package small enough to go though the letter box or do you have to sign for them?

Glad everything went to plan for you.  Which testing company did you use, did you have to register you result by uploading a photo to the company?

14 hours ago, Bartswife said:

I have read on other forums that you have to take a bus from the terminal to a testing centre quite a distance away. We are flying from a different airport whose details haven’t been given out anywhere I can find and when I contacted P&O I was told I would be notified with detailed instructions in due course.

 

If you are not allowed to check in until you get a negative result from this airport test do you have to take all your luggage with you on the bus to the testing centre ?

How many passengers are there currently onboard Azamara ships ?

If you have passed the P & O Lateral Flow test and been allowed to check in for the flight to Barbados, are you going to be kept in some sort of a bubble at the airport before boarding?  No sneaking off for a coffee or visiting the duty free shop ?

How long is it currently taking for P & O to respond to emails?  I contacted them a week ago with a list of  7 question (some general, others Covid related) using the Contact Us button on their web site.  I have yet to receive even an acknowledgement  email.

I also contacted Azamara on the same day with a problem and they responded with a personal email within hours, and had the problem sorted within three days.

Does anyone know if the Travel Insurance provided by a bank is the same for all customers of that bank regardless of their account  eg.   Silver, Gold, Platinum ?

 I guess that the more prestigious accounts may have extra benefits eg.  cover for winter sports insurance, a higher amount for baggage loss etc but is the basic terms and conditions the same for everyone?

Regarding online Check In,  I have registered my forthcoming cruise in My Azamara Account but cannot find how to enter my details into the system. 

I always used to be able to enter passport no. insurance details, next of kin etc. within about 24 hours of booking.  The acutal checking in and printing boarding passes  was then completed a few weeks before departure.

Does everything including entering details now have to be done when they e-mail you at approx 15 days before departure?