excitedofharpenden

I remember being told that story by MJM Marine chairman Brian McConville at the Pursuit naming ceremony. Boy, he was a character and his wife too. I also remember hearing from high up in Azamara a little later on that they wouldn't use them again. You've added a bit more meat to the bone. I was afraid to ask "why?". They had a great time on their short friends and family cruise I understand. Phil

I'm very pleased to read that Azamara have recognised the issues with the ship and come through with this generous offer. I hope that they get at least some of this money back from the shipyard and suppliers. Phil

Have a great and safe cruise Ivi👍 Phil

I'll tell you a personal story about those cabinets. Not long after the first round of refurbishments by the shipyard in Northern Ireland I was on Journey and had an outside cabin. One of the laminates that was glued to the front of the cupboard fell off in the night. I didn't notice it on the floor because of the light colour, stepped on it and walked. It had stuck to the underside of my foot and as I picked it up the sharp corner cut the inside of my other leg. Medical were excellent. The hotel team were excellent. I wanted them to be aware of it for others. Hopefully they asked am the cabin stewards to check the cabins for a similar fault. I dealt with it. Never happened to me again. Phil

I saw that too as I was interested to see the commentary. Piece of salt I think. You'll get glowing reviews and things like this. The truth lies somewhere in the middle and will vary from person to person. Phil

Draw your own conclusions. I know I have. It all comes down to attitude. You do wonder what that is of the poster of the video who goes onto YouTube to tell people not to bother going on the ship. Better off taking that time to deal with it onboard by talking to management. I will say that is a disappointing job done by the shipyard though. Hopefully by people constructively and maturely feeding this back it can be addressed, Phil

Steve, thanks. I guess my question is given the extra CC suites on Onward, is the spa deck crowded? Sounds like they've had a change of heart, maybe with comments onboard or observation as to what little use it gets with just the large suites. Or maybe it's WIP?🤷‍♂️ Phil

There is a cabin sticky at the top of this board and it would be useful to add your comment on 8002 there. Here is a link. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1739068-azamara-cabins-thread/page/37/#comment-63124378 Phil

That's an Ocean Suite that is forward and both the cabins and balcony are smaller. Yes, The anchor and movement if the sea is rough can be a challenge. Phil

Not sure when you are going as Covid protocols have had some effect. In normal times you will be invited to an exclusive welcome event with drinks and canapés and have a chance to meet some of the senior crew. If they are running the Azamazing Evening then you will meet up for drinks in the Cabaret Lounge beforehand and be escorted off the ship and onto the first bus with reserved seating at the event. You will also be first to go back to the ship. Nice if you want to get a seat at the Sunset Verandah for food. If you want dinner in your room or on your balcony, if you speak to the speciality restaurant maitre d' and let them know you are in a CW you should be able to have it from Aqualina or Prime C. This is a really nice thing to do, only available to the big suites. It's up in the air as far as Best of the Best meal on Onward as it has historically been held in the Library which has now been converted to a bar. I hope they can still accommodate this private dinner for the big suites and do it in a subtle way. It's a really special dinner. Enjoy the space. Not sure what deck you are on. The balconies get deeper as you go down. Deck 6 is the biggest and my preferred. Deck 7 slightly shallower and deck 8 shallower still. Phil

All soft drinks are included, but any alcoholic drinks in there you'll pay for. The selection of soft drinks is limited. If you have preferences (eg Cranberry Juice) then mention it to your butler and say "I only want xxxx soft drinks". Get him to take out the alcoholic drinks or do it yourself and put them on the side as space in the fridge is limited. Phil

Al, hope you feel better soon. Phil

No, you can only turn the temperature up or down. From experience it isn't noisy (I'm noise sensitive saying that) and it doesn't have to be cold. You can have it at 80° if you want. Phil

I’m afraid I've been hearing some very negative reports from friends currently on Onward who are very experienced Azamara cruisers (and I'm talking a LOT of cruises and money spent) and they say the ship is not ready and shouldn't have sailed. The odd thing or two, but there are many. And the crew aren't adequately trained. It's very disheartening for me to hear this as a lover of Azamara. And the reports from Quest that I heard weren't at all stellar either. It all seems to have gone to hell in a handbasket just now, no matter how it's dressed up as "Covid". I think we just need to be honest. Phil

I'm really confused. The new Azamara ship is Onward. Beyond is the new Celebrity ship. Phil

From memory it was $99 per person or $180 for a couples pass regardless of cruise length. Phil

John, I remain unconvinced, but am happy to be proven wrong and will gladly eat humble pie. I really do feel that sometimes those on the ship will tell you what you want to hear because you are in front of them! Phil

I hope they are actually listening and not doing a "Royal Club" on us! 😉 Phil

I had an email yesterday from Azamara trying to flog me internet packages for my upcoming b2b cruises. Thing is as part of my Azamara Circle Loyalty tier I get free unlimited internet anyway. They can't make the excuse they didn't know my tier as it's clearly and proudly stated at the foot of the email. It made me question whether the perk had been removed, but on checking with a friend who is the same tier, it hasn't. A waste of time and not a very good demonstration of appreciation by Azamara. Get the simple stuff right! Phil

Wonder if they've had a rethink? Is it Heike as HD? I hope you and Rose are having a great cruise. Phil

Yes, it's been promise after promise and whilst it is nice that onboard management appear to be listening it's the same story. They obviously aren't or don't have the ears of the office because nothing gets done and the Royal keeps coming back like a (excuse the phrase) turd that won't flush. The mixers certainly don't go with a premium or ultimate drink package. They can restrict the use of the better mixers to those on the packages if they want. At least we can all make a choice of whether it's worth the upgrade. They might sell more packages because of it. Perhaps that should be an idea and might get their attention. Phil

I think this is a very good point. Phil

IF Azamara ships had big balconies then maybe some big comfy recliners, but they don't. What works for me is a pillow behind my head trapped between the back of it and the patio door and my feet on the balcony railing. Works a treat. If you are in a big suite with a larger balcony then of course you have a lounger too. Never thought of shipping them! Phil

You couldn't make it up! Phil

There is a very active roll call for the 2024 World Cruise on Onward. A few are stressing there about the comfort of the balcony furniture and talking of shipping their own out for the cruise. For goodness sake! Best of luck to the crew trying to handle the entitlement of some. Phil