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Hi Lynne, I'm remembering all the great trips we took with you, and that last wonderful dinner we had with you under the stars. Thanks for remembering. Toni

Wish we could take you up on this incredibly kind and generous offer. The roads heading North are jammed. We'll make the best of a bad situation and hope we meet you on a future cruise. Thanks again.

We're 6 miles inland so storm surge isn't a problem. However, if the winds continue at 180 mph, things will be flattened. We're surrounded by large trees. We'll move in tomorrow or Wednesday with a friend who has more storm protection than we have. We've stockpiled water and non-perishable food. We'll lose power and the heat will be a lot to contend with. Guess we should have stayed up North for another week or two.🥵

We've gone through full hurricane prep here in Sarasota. We'll see what Hurricane Milton brings on Wednesday and hope for the best. I've never been through this before and it is terrifying. Hope you stay safe in Ft. Meyers.

As we sailed past Mt. Etna on an Azamara cruise many years ago, the captain turned the ship 360 degrees so that everyone could see the spectacular lava flow. I can't imagine this happening on Oceania.

My husband and I are enjoying your wonderful pictures of so many of our favorite ports. Great memories! Thanks for posting. Hair or none, you look fantastic.

Like Host Jazzbeau, I get a rebate of 8% - 10% of the commissionable fare on every Azamara cruise I book with my agent. This is in addition to any Azamara promotions. Although my agent is part of a very large travel agency, I have her direct number and she responds to calls quickly.

I'm guessing that anyone who brings kids on an Azamara cruise is smart enough to have researched the ship thoroughly. They know that there are no kids programs. So they've decided that their kids will be OK on a ship full of people who will look like their parents and grandparents.

Don't expect kids. On last year's holiday cruise, there was one rather well-behaved child whose parent was a ship's officer. Azamara is a lovely step up from Celebrity, as long as you're not wanting a casino and big production shows. You'll quickly meet some great people who cruise on Azamara again and again. Not very many pretentious people either.

Arrange your private excursion to get back earlier.

Heike's post on Facebook. Excited to announce a new chapter: Two amazing years with Explora Journeys and having been part of the launch of this unique brand, it will certainly always remain very special to me. I have had the privilege to work with some amazing and professional Individuals as we shared great milestones and achievements together. I am now celebrating my return to the Royal Caribbean Group and thrilled to be joining Silversea Cruises as Hotel Director. With a stunning fleet of 12 luxury cruise and expedition ships and journeys to all seven continents. Our industry is huge but yet so small, I hope to see You on a journey or in one of the ports around the world

Has there been a news release announcing her new job? I've not seen one in the usual places.

We do this too. I love a nice, quiet dinner followed by lots of dancing outdoors. Be sure not to miss the special dinners with ethnic food specialties served in Windows at night. You can have a lovely dinner eating outside on deck 9.

Mistakes happen. Drink up and remain silent.😄

We went from Boston to New York, Newport, Halifax, Gaspe, Quebec and Montreal with 12 of the most perfect weather days we've ever had on a cruise. No rain at all, clear skies, temps in the 60s and 70s.

Hi Kathy. We did the included tours because these were all places we had been, so we did the drive-around tours to see what was new in town and then went back to see museums/sights we were interested in. If these had been new places, the included tours would have been insufficient. Some of the optional tours were wildly expensive. John and I like to do things at our own pace, and I don't know if we could have handled a 6 1/2 hour tour with lots of walking. I'm sorry we'll miss you and Peter on the Christmas cruise. Enjoy.

Now, if someone wants to talk about dover sole served tableside in Aqualina . . .

Hi Phil, Thanks for your good wishes. Looking at the bright side of my bad luck: I got Covid on the 23rd day of my 23 day Azamara cruise. I got Covid on the 12th day of my 12 day Viking cruise. So I got to enjoy both cruises fully and got to deal with the illness from the comfort of my own bed. I'm almost back to my normal energetic self. It wasn't quite as awful this time. Your report about the food gives me hope that things are improving. Thanks again for the update. Anyone who knows me knows I'm all about finding the right cruise at the right price. I don't like spending $ 600 per diem and being disappointed. I feel duped. I think I have reasonable expectations based on what I know about each cruise line. Posts on this board and others within CruiseCritic have been a highly-reliable guide to cruising for years. John and I look forward to our Journey cruise in November. Toni

I said I'd get back to you in a few days. It's taken a bit longer because I was diagnosed with Covid the day we disembarked Viking Mars last Thursday. We had tried to stay away from the many people who were coughing up a storm, but it didn't help. Value, to me, means getting the things I expected for the money paid. Seabourn delivered the great food and luxury accommodations I expected. My husband enjoyed the formal nights, me less so. They involve too many packing decision, too much hair and makeup, too much fuss. We might book Seabourn again for the right itinerary if the price was right. We chose the Regent cruise for the itinerary. I was not thrilled with the "included" excursions; some were fine and others less so. There were a few too many people playing the "I can top that" game. This was our only Regent cruise and we probably won't go back. Oceania was fine until it wasn't. We've done 8 or 9 cruises with them. If you have no problems while onboard, Oceania is fine. If you have a problem, the lack of responsiveness is appalling. The friendly crew vibe of Azamara is non-existent. The food and dining room service was less than average and we haven't been back. We booked Celebrity for the itineraries and the reasonable price. We always chose Aqua Class so we could escape the tumult of the dining room and the morning buffet breakfast. Then the food quality became unacceptable and we will not be sailing Celebrity again. It's been several years. Our Holland America cruise came about because we had to get to Europe to spend a week with our daughter's family. Instead of booking our business class flight, I realized that we could pay lots less and do a TA - and get used to the time change a few days at a time. We had a Neptune Suite with lots of room. I had realistic expectations about the food, which proved correct. What I hadn't expected was that we enjoyed dancing most night at B.B.King. They had great music all over the ship. We probably won't book Holland America again, but it was a great choice for adjusting to the time change. We arrived ready to have fun with our grandchildren. This leaves Viking. We chose it solely on the itinerary and timing. The per diem was higher than we wanted, but we did it anyway. The variety of food was huge, the quality inconsistent. I had fantastic escargot. My husband was served the worst steak he has had on a ship. Others were also shocked by the inedible meat. The ship is attractive in a somewhat stark way. As we walked into the show lounge the first evening, I mentioned to my husband that it felt like the corridor of a hospital. We liked the well-traveled people we met. The included excursions put us off, and the optional excursions were very expensive. The jury is out on whether we'd book Viking again. We started sailing with Azamara in 2008 or 2009. We forgave the early mistakes because the value was fantastic. We loved the friendly crew and officers. And concerns were responded to quickly. But on our cruise last year, we were seriously disappointed with the food. We tried Viking thinking we could find a new favorite cruise line. NOPE. I'm encouraged to read recent posts here about food quality improvements. We will be back on Azamara in November/December and hope significant changed have been made to make us not regret the choice. And the short answer to your question about best overall value - Azamara.

I don't mind the question at all - and I'll be happy to give you a thoughtful answer when we get home in a few days.

No. It is the most to least expensive.😀

I have sailed on Seabourn, Regent, Oceania, Azamara, Celebrity, and Holland America. Right now I'm on the last day of a Viking Ocean cruise. None has been perfect. Nothing in life ever is.

Our confirmation says wifi plus. Guess I should have a copy with me when we board. 😃

Yes, ready to arrange with the butler.

This is yet another UP TO offer. It could be 5% or 10% or 15%. I wonder how many shore excursions are offered at 20% off. I guess any discount is better than none. 😉