Don P

Thank you so much for remembering me! I have fully recovered from my COVID-19 experience. I was glad that I had purchased travel insurance as we were fully reimbursed except for the cost of the premium ($800). We made an effort to rebook with Emerald and sought a discount or onboard credit to offset the insurance premium cost. Our logic was they had received our full payment and might be a bit sympathetic to us for having to cancel the cruise the day before departure. The response was negative. I know some may say that “business is business” and they did not have to do anything. I thought maybe a $500 discount or an onboard credit would have been a goodwill gesture. We are doing a cruise through the Greek islands this year with another cruise line. This trip will be with three other couples. Had Emerald offered me a discount or onboard credit the eight of us would have booked with them….”business is business”.

John, Thank you so much for your kind words. I totally agree with your thoughts regarding how much good will one can generate with a minimalist effort. We remain impressed with the Azzurra and its forthcoming sister ship and.....if the price is right.... will consider it again. We've had the exact same experience with United and Marriott. Both fully understood our plight and were quick to offer alternatives that were more than acceptable. You didn't salt my wound John and I'm glad to know that you and your spouse thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Maybe Emerald will be willing to offer that 5% discount. I'll let you know. Don P.

You’re right…..that’s what I signed up for. Just hoped they would have made a token offer. My eyes were open and like I said I’m disappointed I didn’t also get to go on our 50th anniversary celebration.

You’re breaking my heart! I am still recovering from my COVID which caused us to miss the trip. I have filed my claim with the travel insurance company. We did purchase pandemic coverage so I should get my money back. Emerald does not offer any compensation or discount on future cruises so our entire cruise fare was to their coffers. We paid over $800 for the insurance and expect full reimbursement from the insurance company. Our only out-of-pocket loss should be the insurance premium. We have been looking into a cruise with Emerald for next year. When we asked for some relief (discount equal to insurance premium or price the 2023 cruise at the 2022 price list) we were told no. I got sick on August 30, 2022. Airlines and hotels fully booked refunded us all our monies and points. Not Emerald’s style. I’m a little disappointed by that but hey…..I’m a big boy…I’ll get over it. Just thought they might have been a bit more understanding. Glad you enjoyed the trip. one final point for future cruisers…..make sure to get insurance!

21”x9”x14”. The 9” depth expanded to 10” when fully packed. My back pack only carried my electronics and personal hygiene items. My suitcase remains packed as I’m not feeling well enough to empty it. Have a safe flight and enjoy the trip.

Emerald does not offer any reimbursement or credit toward a future cruise. We knew this in advance and therefore we purchased travel insurance. We are expecting to be reimbursed. I understood the rules when I booked but was hoping Emerald might offer a future cruise perhaps at this year’s prices. I paid $814 for the insurance and would have hoped Emerald would have matched that amount but no, that’s not their stated policy. What hurts as well is that this itinerary is no longer available in their future cruise offerings. All of our airlines and hotels offered full reimbursement. I am currently taking Paxlovid for my COVID. It is helpful. Unfortunately I did not get a mild case of COVID. I feel sorry for my wife. She has always wanted to cruise the Greek islands. We will see what’s available for next year. I am not a happy camper.

Thank you……it is heartbreaking. We are quite dispirited right now.

Unfortunately we will not be making the trip for this week’s sailing. I tested positive for COVID yesterday and am unable to travel. This was to be a 50th anniversary celebration for us. it hurts.

Can’t believe it……got everything into our carry-ons with room to spare. Florida was best move we ever made! We were at the Jersey shore in July and while we miss the pizza we don’t miss the property and state income taxes!

I just finished packing my carry-on suitcase and will do the backpack next. If I’m fortunate I’ll have one more outfit in my backpack. We’ll be arriving in Dubrovnik early in the afternoon on the 2nd. We lived in Sayreville, NJ for 30+ and moved to Florida in ‘05.

We have each managed to pack everything into our onboard luggage and a backpack. We tried this on a recent flight to New Jersey earlier this month and it worked well for each of us. Obvious benefit was we didn’t have to go to the luggage carousel to get our bags.. I read that there is an iron and an ironing board on the ship. I admit this isn’t for everyone but we liked the end result. what part of Central Jersey are you from?

We booked our flights independently from Sarasota to Newark to Paris and then onto Dubrovnik. I’ve been checking flight status daily since yesterday and thus far all is good. Our return is from Athens to Wash. D.C. and then to Tampa. we fly out on the 1st of September and return on the 11th. Don and Carole P.

Seems odd considering the length of time between booking (and paying for) the cruise and your sail date. I do however agree that 100 duplicate backpacks could be a recipe for disaster. We flew yesterday from Florida to New Jersey for a week’s vacation WITHOUT checking luggage! We’re enjoying some beach time at the Jersey shore. We were able to prove to ourselves that we can pack a week’s worth of clothes into an overhead size suitcase and a backpack. That confirms our decision for our Azzurra cruise……we will not be checking luggage.

We’ll be gone a total of 11 days as we have “pre” and “post” hotel stays. I am aware that there are self-service laundry capabilities onboard along with an iron. That will work for us.

We didn’t lose any luggage although we did flight changes from Florida to Hawaii. Our non-stop to Aruba we had no problem. We have several flight changes going to Dubrovnik and do not want to risk the possibility. We’re off to the New Jersey shore this week and are only doing carry-on. We’ve read so many anecdotal stories about lost luggage we simply want to avoid the possibility.

Just received our travel docs for our 9/3/22 sailing. Pleased with arrangements for picking up and transporting us to our hotel the day before sailing from Dubrovnik. Also good to know details for our transfer from the hotel to the Azzurra. Having this information allows us to make plans for our Saturday evening in Dubrovnik. Thinking of light meal and some sundown sightseeing. Lessons we have learned from several flights this year. We will not be checking any luggage. A carry-on suitcase and a backpack for each of us will allow us to bypass the luggage carousels. The trip just got more real. Don and Carole P. Lakewood Ranch, FL

AnnYM, we are originally from Central Jersey. Wondering what you thought of each port of call? We’ve been to Dubrovnik and Kotor, but not Albania. Also have been to Corfu, Kefalonia and Athens. We absolutely loved Kefalonia! Have never been to Parma and Itea (Delphi). Our choosing this cruise was based on seeing these new places. Did you enjoy your ports of call? Don P. Lakewood Ranch, FL

We hav been on 100+ cruises ranging from river cruises to the mega liners. It has taken us over 40 years to achieve that number! I think your comments are excellent. You have given us insight as to what we can expect onboard. It sounds very much like our experiences on the river cruises we have done in both France and Germany. Quiet, intimate lounge with soft background music until the dinner hour(s) ended and then a performer or two. We once had our room steward and ship staff perform some music comedy…..amateurish but definitely entertaining. We’re looking forward to it. Don P. Lakewood Ranch, FL P.S. Thanks for letting us know there is an iron!

Given the present issue with lost and/or delayed luggage we were quite pleased to learn that self-service laundry is available. We are packing much differently as a result. Our total stay will be 11 days with pre and post days before the sailing. Thanks to learning that self-service laundry is available onboard we will pack our carry-on luggage with enough clothing to last for three or more days. Given our total number of days our check-in luggage will have more clothing but no essentials. We are wondering if the boat also has an iron and ironing board? We know that’s not common on most cruise lines but I do remember an 11 day sailing we did on Oceania which provided self-service wash and iron options.

Thanks for taking the time to provide us with specific information! Curious about your travel to the ship; specifically flights, being picked up at your port of origin and taken to hotel or ship. We’re sailing on 9/3/22 and are staying at the hotel in Dubrovnik recommended by Emerald. Don P. Lakewood Ranch, FL

Wondering if anyone else has reached out to the cruisecritic help desk to ask them to create an Emerald site. There are people sailing now on the Azzurra that might want to post something. I’ve written to the cruisecritic help desk but haven’t heard back yet. Don P. Lakewood Ranch, FL

We are on the 9/3/22 sailing and hope your daughter and her husband would post a review and share any pictures. Don & Carole P. Lakewood Ranch, FL