PAtravelbug

I checked with Juan. He does NOT have any go pros. He has some selfie sticks, gorilla pods and some Azamara branded ear pods. No current plans for go pros. He will be onboard when you cruise.

Nothing like that in the shops. I’ll check with Juan, the photographer.

I am on this cruise. Azamara always makes the Christmas /new years cruise special. And the panettone is delicious! All of the Christmas treats have been so good. The food has been excellent- we are mostly eating in windows and enjoying the different theme nights. We had Christmas Eve, dinner and Christmas dinner in discoveries. And they had a special menu for each of them and made it a very nice evening. We have met some lovely people and the crew has been excellent too. The music in the den has actually been fun with the variety as Martin the cruise director worked to fill the gap until the new piano player joined. Jules has been on a few days now. There have little changes like the containers that hold the toppings for the frozen yogurt were changed out to matching white with decorative edging, and extra silverware in windows are in labeled container instead of on a plate with a napkin to protect. I was on the Dec 12 cruise too, and noticed the difference with the about 100 more people. The lunch buffet can get crowded if you time it wrong. The patio for dinner is much busier than last cruise which had three nights in a Row with no one so they closed it the last three nights of that cruise. The shows at night have been very good. The signature singers and dancers and their show are well done and well choreographed. The Christmas show was very warm and fuzzy. Last night we had a comedian who just came on who will do two shows, the Cameron family did two shows- plus the previously mentioned jam session in the den and Alex’s performance of the Tchaikovsky. Martin did his show the other night and we had the azamazing evening in Cartegena which was enjoyable. I find any bit of cultural access to be valuable. I don’t usually attend the lectures or so the activities so can’t comment on those. I am on my 6th book- all from the library in the living room, full of books that I want to read. And I use the Gym on most days. The days are full in the just the right way for me. We are in curacao today for New Year’s Eve which will combine with white night. We are parked at the mega dock - the last time I was here on journey- we were parked inside of the floating bridge. So- a new experience. The temperature is gorgeous at just below 80, windy and a few rain showers. Nice not to have the oppressive heat. This cruise is clearly a lot of work for the crew. And each time we lose an hour, they look even more tired. But they are full of smiles they use our names, they’ve learned our drinks, and they are making it all very special. that’s my point of view! happy New Year!

Aboard Onward. Miami-western Caribbean cruise. First time on Onward after several times on Journey and Quest. The slight differences are interesting- set up of the living room, furniture differences, No library but LOTS of books on the shelves of the living room. Gym is set up differently and has new looking equipment. The sanctum terrace is set up with lounge chairs and two umbrellas. Quite different from the comfy furniture of the others. There is no bar in the sunset deck which is startling- but means more room for people to sit outside. Haven’t seen everything yet. Some familiar faces from the crew from a 2019 cruise we took aboard Journey. I’m always shocked at how they recognize us- and I’m in a mask!! our room is lovely. We were ungraded to a CC suite so there is nothing to complain about there! cruise critic gathering is posted in the Insider- 5:15 pm. Looking forward to it!!

Frozen yogurt. Usually two flavors per machine and you can chose either/or or combine. Assuming they are operational.

Captain Johannes on Quest said on our cruise a few weeks ago at a Q&A that he guessed that that wouldn't come back until the crew masking policy was lifted.

What kind of camera are you using? Your quality of photos are magnificent. Or is that all due to the photographer?

Really appreciate how Captain Johannes does things. And how accessible he is.

I am happy to report that we got all of out bags bag last night at 1am in Buffalo after one long day starting in Amsterdam We did see PILES of luggage in Chicago near the re-check area - labeled for delivery - PILES. and some didn't have labels yet - they were just piled all together in a mess. And even last night, in Buffalo there was a lot of luggage on all of the carousels left long after everyone had picked up their bags from that particular flight.

Made the dreaded trip through the Amsterdam airport today. If you are paying attention, you can take some time off the wait. We had an 11am flight to Chicago and arrived at the airport at 7am It is confusing at first where to go - what number counter for your airlines as they are not immediately visable. A man in a vest came and asked if we needed help, looked up on his phone and said #26. Which was the long, long line for United check in. Now, in some airports, in the states, like Washington, Dulles, there is a Bag drop for people who have already checked in online or on the app which saves a good bit of time. I left my dad in the long long line, and went to ahead to find a completely empty line right along side that said "Bag Drop". There is also a 1K/Polaris line - do don't wait in the long line. So I went back for my dad and we walked past all the people in the long, long line and went to the bag drop line. The agent took our bags, checked out passports, asked the questions about batteries in luggage, etc, tagged our bags and sent us on our way. So do this! Would of been at least another hour in that long, long line, Security is what it is. If you have Priority written on your boarding pass, you can get in the shorter priority line. There is a agent there to help you do that. Otherwise, it's the other line which said 10 to 15 minutes from where we got in line. While in line, read the signs about about what you do and don't need to do. You can keep your 3oz bag of liquids, electronics in your bag. Keep your shoes on. Take your jackets off, take your belt off, empty pockets and make sure your water bottle is empty. The security agents are very nice - smiling and helpful. But it saves time if you are prepared. Security took us about 25 minutes. The line got longer from the middle somehow as we waiting - but more x-ray lines were being opened up as we were there. I got my bag pulled for inspection and it was my pouch of jewelery that did it. Not the pile of laptop, ipad, DSLR camera and two kindles! I also got pulled to the side for a check as my zippers on m pockets showed up as something. Next is passport control. This was a little crazy but really not too bad. about 20 minute wait. There are two sections - one for all passports with agents, and on for certain passports for Self - check. .USA passports are on this list - so we went there - and met a couple that has been on our ship (Quest Dublin/Norway/Amsterdam) right in front of us. It's been three days, and I didn't expect to see anyone from our cruise. The self - check is a little robot like machine that you put your passport on, then stand and get your photo taken, then the doors open. Then you walk to an agent, who takes your passport and stamps it. Easy for me, and the couple that we met. But my dad got stopped by the same agent that did ours and asked him why he didn't have an entry stamp. We were ready for that because of this board. He said he came in on a cruise. She said,where did it go. Then he explained about it stopping in Dublin. Then she gave him back his passport without stamping it! Next is the long long walk to the gates. We were D49 - and looking for the aspire lounge at 26, Lots of shops and lots of walking, lots of signs, and the people movers weren't working. Turns out, we were in Terminal 1- we followed signs for 26 - but came up on the passport control for transferring passengers to Terminal 2 and 3 and didn't want to go through that. So found a place to settle. 1 hour 35 minutes after we arrived at the airport. NIce cup of tea, a pastry, bought some chocolate, used up some Euro coins in the massage machines and got to our gate just as they called for Group 1. On the plane. The flight left on time! Was pleasant! And now we are in Chicago for an 8 hour layover. Spending more time in Chicago today than in Amsterdam. We fly to Buffalo at 9:20pm and then have a 90 minute drive home. We feel lucky to have gotten through okay. So - check in before you arrive - you don't even have to show a boarding pass in the bag drop lane - they will give you a paper copy and check your passport. Now - if you have any problems with online check in , need additional verification, or your name is tagged for some reason - you will have to stand in the long, long line. It is not easy to find help - they need a united agent out in the line getting people into the right line.

Well, we got our refundable onboard credit back and we went back into Amsterdam today - and it was kind of sad knowing that the ship was long gone. Amsterdam was a different place today - much less crowded. We walked to and a bit into the Jordaan area. Took lots of photos. Very enjoyable. We have gotten very comfortable with the trains. To the dreaded airport tomorrow for home.

We will be on an 11am flight on Thursday to Chicago and appreciate the postings about this airport. Interesting about the passport stamp - that must happen all the time will the cruises coming into Amsterdam. We are not flying business but are in the in between section with the slightly wider seats and more recline. We will expect the entire 4 hours.

The attire required is basic. No pool wear in the living room after 6pm - per the sign at the door, and no ripped jeans or shorts in discoveries. That leaves a LOT of wiggle room.

we did it today. We are staying out at the Hoopdoorf station and wanted to get to Haarlem. We took to the train to Amsterdam and then changed to get to Haarlem which was about 15 minutes. There were some challenges at the start with a change of track, and then a change back but announced in Dutch (which we missed) but we found our way. Haarlem was lovely. The church is jaw dropping. We enjoyed the smaller city and less people. I don't think my dad was impressed with Amsterdam! We had a nice lunch in a cafe in the shadow of the Church and then went inside an spent 90 minutes in there. There was an organist practicing the 5000 pipe organ that Mozart played at the age of 10. We made it back unscathed though faced a VERY packed train on the transfer because we stopped at the airport stop. We are feeling brave now, and will try another place tomorrow. Regarding dress, I dressed more casually than on previous cruises. In general, it was chilly and we were very active at the ports. No lying around the ship in lounge chairs. So, sometimes, I didn't change for dinner, which I always did on warm weather cruises. Sometimes, I did. But we were always in windows and often sat out on the sunset deck under the heaters.

Hi all. We are off the ship. So sad. Easy disembarkation. Windows open at 6am for breakfast and you have to be out of your room by 8am and off the ship by 9am. We walked off the ship, down an escalator, picked up our bags and walked out the door. No fuss like in some places with customs and immigration. Getting a taxi was easy despite what the departure paper work from the hotel said. We have a hotel (Hampton) out by the airport for the next few days. The ship also said that the airport cost by taxi would be 40 euros. It was 80 euros. Lovely driver. Shockingly, for the second time this trip, we were about to check into our hotel room before 9am! Unheard of at home - except occasionally in Las Vegas where I travel to for work a good bit. We are having 2nd breakfast, enjoying fast internet and think we will take a day trip out of the area - the train station is right next to our hotel. Take me with you - as to comparision wtih our dec 10 to 23, 2022 cruise on Quest - Wines - Not as good. Not terrible - but all are branded with the Azamara logo - It used to be that each day there was a selection of wines for that day - might be from Chile, or Australia, or France, etc. Now they are all the same every day. We settle on a french cabaret for red and a pino Grigio for white from time to time. But they are not Bordeaux! In december, there were covid protocals in place. Free testing, mandatory mask wearing, no mixing outside the travel parties, chairs in cabaret and all the restaurants were rearranged for maximum distancing. This time - no testing at all, and the crew was in masks. That was it. After day 5, when covid started to become a problem, we were requested to wear masks in doors, to not mix the travel parties and masks were mandatory on tour buses. And, they added a show to spread us out when a local group came aboard the day after the big spike in case. The whole next week, the cases came down and the last 3 days were 1 case each and none(reported) yesterday. I noticed that masks were no longer mandatory on the tour buses in Amsterdam. So we stared the majority without masks, and ended the majority IN masks. UKtog has talk about the attendant change - we had asked ours on the first day when we only saw one name card on the desk and explained. he was great, but not often seen. Service is, as always, excellent. There ARE a lot of new crew and we saw that through out the voyage as they were integrated into the crew. Once waiter, Jansey from Brazil , came out of quartentine after joining the ship in Dublin with us, after 5 days - a bit dazed for a few days - but was getting the hang of it last night. We only took one tour through the ship, The Flam Railway. Honestly, we could of skipped that. It was fine. LOTS of time on the bus. Then a train. Then the Flam. Then lots of time on a bus. But the scenery from the bus was stunning, even with 90 kilometers total of it being in tunnels! The tour guide was very good. Cruise director Amanda and Assit - Justin - were good and have good chemistry. Justin was newly the DJ and activities host on our December cruise, but sung with the performers a few times. Now he is clearly a very happy man finding is place, fine tuning his show and his bad jokes (he makes puns). There were more destination focused things like special foods picked up that day or the day before and prepared for us. 3 separate local acts brought on board. Not as much of that on a more general cruise like in December. White Night in full day light the whole time is different! The sun sets late in Norway. The entertainment shows were good. The singers and dancers are a different cast than in December but with the same shows - but very well done. Very sharp and clean. And they have been aboard for 4 months. Jacob - the violin player from december was back, and just as good. a new piano player.singer in the den and a new party band - both good. we had only 2 sea days - one at each end of the voyage. On the 2nd one, there was a special brunch in discoveries from 10 am to 1pm. This was the only time we set foot in discoveries. It was very well done (of course) - and the night after White Night. Ryzard did a presentation of the time on the Pursuit from March 3 to March 29, 2022. Very interesting about how the cruise halt built up and how they handled it. Lots of logistics and stories about it. He working on a 2nd presentation about the restart and getting the crew back, and what they did to survive during the lay off. Of course, it was a wonderful trip. Lots of familiar faces on the crew. Godson has been promoted to head waiter (along with tall Vishal) - and will start next cruise. 🙂 That's all for now. I have to do some research about what to do today. I do hear that the Amsterdam airport is pretty bad these days - used to be a lovely airport - long long lines. So we will go very early on Thursday when we fly back. The cab driver said that on Saturday, the lines when outside of the airport and down the walk! Next for us is Onward in December! Travel well, Allison

Stunning day in Oslo today and the preparations for White night have been evident all day. My dad and I another day of a lot of walking - getting up onto the Oslo Opera house this time (which was closed yesterday) - Great views and a special experience to do that. Then to the Cathedral (which is closed on Fridays until 4 - and the walk down the pedestrian plaza toward the Royal palace and all around it. We got to see a changing of the guard as the line got from guard house to guard house and replace with a snap and stomp of the feet. Then down through the city center to the harbor where the giant MSC ship is docked - the Nobel peace museum, the historic boats, the huge brick city hall - and a long meander back to the ship for lunch on the sunset patio. Oslo'ians are out in force - a sunny day like this is not something that they often get and the floating saunas are draped in people. We even saw one with an outboard motor, motoring down the fjord. A room down the hallway was being fumigated today by two men in which PPE from head to toe. maybe that person has been released from isolation. There are several new crew on board today who arrived yesterday. If they are boosted they don't have to quarantine for 5 days. We have met a mix of new crew this trip. Sea Day tomorrow

It's interesting to read Uktogs experiences on the same cruise! We are on Deck 7 and have chosen to not eat in the main dining room at all this cruise to avoid the crowd. We have enjoyed windows in the evenings, gotten to know the wait staff there well, and have tried foods that we would not have otherwise tried! We have never eaten in Windows as much as we have on this cruise - each night has a different theme. We have also, not been to the specialty restaurants at all this cruise - whereas last time in December,, when we had a CC Suite, we ate there almost the entire trip. The flowers in NOrway are stunning as you could see by Uktogs photos. I am stealing interne t from nearby ferry terminal and sitting on the balcony. not sure that I can get photos to load. The hot sauna, fiord plunge is quite the thing here and in Finland too. My dad is thinking about it! We went to the opera house from the outside, did the fortress and the castle and met someone that we know who lives here for lunch. Then we did the rest of the fortress. The morning was very nice and, like UKtog said, we got pretty wet in the afternoon. We enjoyed Mediteranian night from the sunset bar deck over looking the opera house, the fiord and the sauna jumpers! Good call to move white night to tomorrow and we will stay in port a few extra hours too for it. Amazing show tonight by Amanda - the cruise director. We over night now in Oslo. Our single attendant - also the first time that I have only seen one per room - has been great - thought we have barely seen him. Which is a change from previous cruises. We had 5 more positive cases yesterday and haven't heard today - but I know that a man down the hall had a positive test today - because I heard him say so and hear another man in the hallway who is "out" from isolation. I, too, am now seeing the crew - medical and food delivery - is full suits and covered up in the hallways going to the rooms. I was nervous about this cruise to begin with, and with the ending of testing to board the ship just a week before we boarded, I was more so. I dread the thought of possibly infecting someone - whether my dad, or on the ship or on the plane or at work next week (Next week!). But I have thoroughly enjoyed this cruise, am exhausted from all of the exploring, and have learned a lot about this part of the world. So much to see out there! -Allison

Sitting in a fish market on Kristiannsaad, Norway having a fish fry 🙂. It POURED early today but seems to have settled down and we have enjoyed exploring. Last night the captain report 4 more cases with which he was relieved. The surge over the weekend mist of been a big pop. Most seem to be wearing masks for the moment- which we have always done. I wear one for work each do so it’s no different. the testing rules changed just a week before we were to board and it made me anxious too- like many of you. Each sneeze or cough is analyzed in myself- can’t help it. So far so good with both my father me. We are carrying tests and test regularly- as we do at home since fly frequently for work and work on crowds. I looked up the covid stats here in Norway- since it’s not mentioned ANYWHERE- 3500 deaths. And they stopped reporting cases one deaths on July 15,2022. The cruise ships passengers tend to be in masks about the towns- but that’s it. I worry about spreading something to someone - so am always cautious the Quest is still lovely. Comedian/magician last night. And Justin- asst cruise director tonight doing his show for just the 3rd (and 4th) times.Amanda is wonderful as cruise director. Captain Johannas is excited to be in Norway for the first time in three years and likes to share treats and dishes a whip out his phone and show people things on the map. Oslo tomorrow for overnight with white night. The crew likes Oslo and is looking forward to it.

I don't know the specifics. Nothing was said. There are too many at this point to move them all to the rooms by medical. I do know of a couple who are both isolated in their original rooms - both positive. There are 3 crew as of two days ago too. One crew member who appeared a few days after the left Dublin, was just out of isolation because she had covid and she was isolated for 6 days. I"ll keep my ear out for more information (and hopefully not find out for myself!).

Hi all. I'm aboard Quest too on the Norway intensive. It's incredible. Of course, the crew is great and I never know how they recognize us from cruise to cruise- one even remembered our names! (It's been 7 months) Finally have some internet from the Hotel Victoria next to the ship here in Stavanger,. I am sitting on the balcony making use of it. Hi Uktog! Much more mask wearing now that we are a week in. The captain has kept us posted on the covid cases. We were at double digits on Sunday, and at the Azamara cruise circle event he said that the doctor would like it if we wore masks indoors and not to mix outside of our travel parties at meals. That day, there had been a spike in cases. And he said that he would not be around quite as much. They were also working on getting more tour buses so that people can spread out. He didn't want to risk us getting turned away from ports. LOTS of masks that night and on the tenders the next day. The next day, were 2 additional cases and the captain was relieved and said that was normal and hoped that it would stay that way but appreciated all of mask wearing. He did make a point that he thought that he scared us all off of the evening entertainment of the singers and dancers due to the empty seats. The next day - he made of point of saying that he would be at the special classical concert. Norway is wonderful. Even had some sun. Though making up for that today. The entertainment has been good. Last night we had another local group - a piano and violin classical concert. They came from Bergan and came aboard in Rosendal for the evening. They added a 2nd concert to spread us out a bit. The concert four our Destination Celebration that UKtog mentioned, was very good. The best of all the Azamazing evenings as far as the performance goes that I have experienced. This cruise is very casual as we are adventuring outdoors a lot - hiking and long long tours. We notice that a lot more people take the stairs that we have seen before and people are very sporty. 🙂 Because this is a Norway intensive - they have brought aboard local strawberries and cooked a Norwegian dessert with it - Alex and Rizhard (sp?) did, The captain was very excited. Also fresh caught fish one night, Mussels coming tonight, and yesterday Jule - one of the head waiters bought 24 kilos of cheese in Rosendal for White night. We find that there are subtle changes to the food - for the better in my opinion. Different bread baskets to go with the themed nights, different welcome drinks at the gangway each day (One day it was "warm beer with cognac" - THAT was different) Enjoying it all. -Allison

This is huge news in the Azamara world. She always makes the cruise extra special with her energy and attention to detail - and she is EVERYWHERE. Agreed, that the crew also feels the same way.