Sanatee

We've done both....SA on the Infinity and Norway on the smaller Azamara Journey with a Norwegian captain.  Chile was nice, but Norway was much better especially on the smaller ship that gets further into the fjords.  Incredible scenery, waterfalls, people, ports, etc.  

9 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Uh oh.

1 hour ago, clojacks said:

So, this message is on the Choice Air site this morning...

 

ChoiceAir is currently unavailable. We are working to resolve the issue quickly and we apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for your patience.

It's been that way at least 2 days

We're curious about what will happen with Le Club loyalty status that has been earned with both Azamara and Celebrity cruises.  A rep at Celebrity Captains Club told us that we will retain our current status there, but there will be no future reciprocity or joint earning.  Wonder if Azamara is doing the same?  One sad downside to this sale of Azamara is losing the reciprocity with Celebrity as we love both lines for different reasons and itineraries.

I started a Roll Call for a cruise, which has now changes dates and embarkation point.  Can I edit, or rename, the Roll Call title?

On 3/12/2019 at 6:14 PM, BBMacLaird said:

Looks like I let the cat out of the bag a day early. The emails to LCV members should be in your inbox by tomorrow.

And the upgrade system will officially start accepting bids tomorrow as well I'm told. There will be a confirmation notice letting you know your bid has either been accepted or is *not eligible*.

*You must be within 90-days of departure date, and your booking paid in full, to be eligible to bid. 

Never got an email

We're looking at a V2 Deck 7 veranda cabin for Journey's July 1, 2019 Norway and Midnight Sun cruise. Currently considering Cabin 7083 on the starboard side.

 

Starboard because that seems to be the land side for most of the trip (see picture below). Does that make sense?

 

But the starboard side is the diesel fuel bunker side. If that's going to be smelly, should we switch to port side?

 

Any other comments on Journey Cabin 7083? It's not on the spreadsheet.

 

Starboard and port don't really matter much on this cruise because you'll have land on both side in fjords and will see both sides as you enter and leave fjords. Same when doing much of the inside passage routes. When you're at sea, you'll be far enough off shore that you won't be seeing that much. Take the best cabin for the money and don't worry about port vs starboard.

Stayed at the Boscolo Venezia pre-cruise in 2016. It's a boutique hotel in an old mansion/estate in Venice's Canaregio neighborhood, away from the crowds of San Marco! Has a beautiful large garden area, unusual for Venice. It's included in Marriott's access to Autograph Collections. Close to vaporetto stops and canal-side local cafes. Also has it's own water shuttle to San Marco. We really enjoyed the hotel and the neighborhood.

We stayed at the Copenhagen Marriott (downtown on the main canal and almost adjacent to Tivoli Gardens.) Great location with both HoHo bus and water stops, and walkable to many downtown attractions. Very nice hotel with all amenities. We stayed on Marriott points, so were not concerned about price. Would definitely stay there again.

Hi Bonnie

Just want to acknowledge outstanding support from Guest Relations today. We're giving a travel talk about the amazing Norway cruise we had on the Journey this summer, and I discovered that I didn't have the itinerary map from that cruise and, of course, it's no longer available on-line. I called LCV and was transferred to Ruben Alvalos in Guest Relations. He had to do some digging, but came up with an old brochure, where he was able to photograph the old map and send it to me. He could have easily said nothing was available, but he kept trying until he succeeded! He deserves a real pat on the back for outstanding support. (y)

There is a two-year old thread on your question. Click here for the thread.

 

It looks like the cruise mentioned in this thread was supposed to tender and actually docked in Cai Lan. We are doing the 2017 Southeast Asia itinerary and it says tender.

Our 2013 cruise said Tender, but we ended up docking at Cai Lan, with shuttles into Ha Long village.

You nailed it Ann! Thanks for the pictures to remind us of all the Norway beauty. And we completely agree about under-rated Hamburg--very pleasant surprise.

Here are a couple other comments about places we visited on this trip:

In Olden, we did the Kjenndalen Glacier & Loen Lake shore excursion and it was excellent! A beautiful bus ride along Lake Loen with beautiful mountain and waterfall views, then a short 10 min flat walk to the glacier viewpoint. Both Kjenndalen and Briksdal glaciers have receded a lot so you don't really get close to either, but you have good views. After the viewing area, we drove back to a cafe at the head of the lake for Norwegian waffles and coffee/tea. Then we boarded a very nice boat for a scenic cruise back to Loen and then the bus back to Olden (very close). Unfortunately we did not have time to do the new Loen Skylift which has great views of the fjord, lakes and valleys. In Olden most of the concentration was on Briksdal with plenty of buses, mini-trains etc going up to the head of Lake Olden. But then it was a 45 min walk to glacier viewpoint. I think the Loen trip was better.

One unsung thing to do in Tromso is the amazing Arctic and Alpine Botanical Garden. Its free and one of the best we've ever seen for northern plants, layout, and information. It's near the university, about 3.5 km from the city dock, or maybe 1 km from the newer cruise port.

There is the chance the price will change; that's why that caveat is in the T&Cs.

But that said, I hope you won't worry too much...it's your vacation, and as I understand it you'll be paying with On Board Credit not hard currency.

We were able to do this very easily with 2 tours on the recent Norway cruise and we were not put on a waiting list. It was a direst transfer of our tickets to the OB account (and OBCs). But the price did go up about $10 per tour per person. Not a big amount, but Azamara should not be "nickle and diming" until they get this fixed the right way. The fact that Celebrity has already fixed it should make it easy for Azamara.

I have just looked at our cruise booking and it is showing no excursions booked. I booked two places on the Azamazing evening in Bergen on the 25th June. Should this show up or is it not there because it is free? I can't find my confirmation email. Help!!

We're on the same cruise and our Azamazing booking does show up when I login into My Azamara, On-line Checkin, Select your reservation, and look at Shore Excursions. Should be there along with any purchased excursions. But as marinaro44 says, just check with Shore Ex staff on board to verify.

We did the 17 day cruise in 2013 at ages 66 & 68 with absolutely no problems. Yes, if you have mobility issues, you may have some difficulty with the smaller canal boats in Viet Nam and Thailand. But you have many other options. Don't miss a cruise on Halong Bay, the beautiful town of Hoi An, the Mekong, or the temples and markets in Thailand! It was one of very favorite cruises, especially as a reunion visit for this Viet Nam vet to this beautiful and friendly country.

SHIP: Constellation

CABIN #: 1120

DECK #: 11

CLASS/CATEGORY: Aqua

LOCATION/AREA: Aft Starboard

QUIET?: Yes

BALCONY/PORTHOLE VIEW: Starboard to Aft view. Forward view partially blocked to to adjacent full bump

BALCONY/PORTHOLE SIZE: Half bump, so balcony is larger than standard.

WIND A PROBLEM?: No

SOOT A PROBLEM?: No

PROBLEMS/COMMENTS: Some debris on balcony. There was construction in the basketball court above on deck 12, so it may have been coming from there. There is only a partial overhang to shade the balcony so you will get sun. AC has a hard time keeping up when sun is on the starboard side.

Hi

 

...missing out marble mountain which is too touristy, and the taxi took us back to the ship at the conclusion....

We did a private small group tour from the port and stopped at Marble Mountain. But we spent little time in the touristy marble carver shops (where the ship tours spend most of the time). Our guide took us up on the mountain (hill!) to visit the beautiful Buddhist shrines and caves. Marble is very historic, up to and including the US-VietNam war. It is well worth a visit if you minimize time in the shops. The mountain has an elevator to make it more accessible.

Hi

 

I was hoping for some recent updates from those who have done HK to SNG

 

I understand that Azamara docks at Tien Sa Port for Danang.

 

Does Azamara provide a shuttle service for this stop and is there a charge ?

 

What is the drop-off pickup location in Danang ?

 

Kind Regards

 

Anthony

In 2013 the shuttle dropped off in the city center area. However, except for the Cham Museum in DaNang, which is well worth a visit, most people opted for trips and tours to Hoi An, China Beach, Marble Mountain, and other sites in the surrounding area. None of these are near the city center. It's a beautiful area, so I would get out of the city most of the time.

All the above are great suggestions. But I would also include Montserrat Monastery in the hills above Barcelona, only about an hour outside of the city. Very beautiful and meaningful site.

Hear, hear! The OP is correct on the popularity of IPAs. Please add at least one, and Stone would be a great choice (but there are many great options that would fit Az distributor lists.) Also, it would be nice to offer a good non-alcoholic such as Beck or St Pauli Girl on the "included" list.

Oh, and the Azamazing evening was truly dreadful but we won't hold that against you! Even Eric, CD, apologised for it!

We did a similar cruise on the Quest in 2014, and also had a poor (but different) AzAmazing evening on-board in St Barts. It started out good with a kids' Carib marching band, but quickly devolved into a poor hip-hot/go-go girl raucus! Not even good reggae. Buffet was not great either.

But it's clear from all posts on AzAmazing Evenings that some are great, some mediocre, some bad --- depends on cruise location and passenger perspective.

Hi Bluegum,

 

Thank you for your kind comments.

 

If you enjoy beef, I'd highly recommend Prime C. Our meals have been outstanding !

 

Hope this helps, and have a wonderful Cruise.

Aqualina is also very nice with upscale Italian/Continental cuisine and great service.

Hi Everyone,

 

Thank you for your very kind comments, and for your concern. I promise to get plenty of rest, and to enjoy every minute onboard Journey.

 

And of course, being with loved ones always make each cruise very special !

Have a great cruise Andy. Thanks for all you do as a great Host!

I do a number of fitness classes at home, but at sea I just do my own thing. The classes, while "ok" are usually extremely entry level, and as it sounds, you have a good fitness level, so I would try to develop a routine at home before you leave for the cruise and just follow through. There are very good cardio and weight machines on ship as well to keep you fit.

 

Good luck.

 

John

The spinning classes are not entry level....maybe mid-level experience. It depends on the instructor, most good, some so-so. Most classes are on sea days, with some early stretch and abs on shore days or maybe an occasional late class if departure is early enough. Most, if not all, classes are free (unlike Celebrity which charges.)

Best of both worlds. Those are the N2s that are closest to midship and you save a little over the cabins next door to you.

 

Another thing to consider is what is on the deck above you. There are a few spots where noise from above is a potential issue. Most of the N1s are below the pool grill or bandstand and most of the N2s are under the Windows Cafe.

 

I can tell you from experience that 8054 is definitely quiet and 8057 on the starboard side should be pretty good as there is not much immediately above them in the way of furniture that needs to be moved for cleaning. The same is true for the two you are considering as they are under the entrance to the Cafe and shouldn't have much noise. Azamara does a good job of keeping noise to a minimum, but cleaning inevitably requires furniture to be moved.

For more info on cabins, use the sticky cabin thread and the cabin spreadsheet at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=47733118&postcount=354. FYI...8059 has some bad reviews, so 8056 is a better choice.

Your wrong that Holland goes to Whittier. They actually go to Seward as well. Princess and maybe NCL only use Whittier.

Thanks for the correction.....it is only Princess.