AJCM

We finished a B2B2B on Pursuit recently (including the four ships get together). As our first cruise since 2019 has finished, I’ve lacked the enthusiasm to closely follow the board as I recover from the inevitable jet lag flying west to east for 24 hours. I’ve just read several pages of this thread and people are talking about how to avoid aspects of White Night (eating and attire). To give a different perspective, for many this is the highlight of the Azamara cruise experience. I encourage people to get into the spirit - arrange a table with friends or ask to join a table and make new friends, eat what you do like from the buffet (there’s a really wide choice), make sure you leave space for the crepe suzette. Seems to me plenty of people leave once the eating finishes and the dancing starts,so you don’t have to fully throw yourself into the night. However, if you want to fully enjoy the night, I suggest you wear white and dance. The music, singing and dancing is great fun and the whole crew make a tremendous effort to make it a special experience. One outfit in white doesn’t take up much room and plenty of people wear their white more than once. From some comments it’s clear that some people don’t want to wear white. It’s not compulsory but imho everyone looks great and who’s watching that closely anyway. If you wear white you’ll likely feel more a part of the night. It’s a great night if you choose it to be. If you choose not to wear white (completely up to you) you’ll probably still have a very enjoyable night but feel a little out of place. This comment is not intended as. a criticism of anyone - just trying to give a different perspective to people who may not have cruised with Azamara before.

Ours also must be used on a sailing which commences before 31/10/23. We will not get to use it as we have 2023 cruises already booked on other lines. Perhaps the expiry is based on the date a Ravenna cruise ended, which in our case was Oct 22.

Just finished- stayed in 8049. A drawback to be aware of is that the balcony gets a good drenching at least every couple of days. I think it’s because they wash down the outside of the windows on the pool deck (so it probably happens on port side too) but it may be due to the washing of deck 9 and they just have a run off outlet above 8049. The cause isn’t really relevant. Consequently, our suite balcony would be hosed down later in the morning on those days. 8053 seemed to get the same drenching. It made the balcony fairly unusable until the suite hose down had dried.

Just off Pursuit and busing into Venice. Both Onward and Pursuit disembarked this morning and the whole process appeared seamless. Our bus left 3 minutes after the scheduled 8.30 departure. Having completed B2B2B, we’ve gained a good sense of the mood of the crew and they have been wonderful. They’re obviously happy and very attentive. So all credit to the Azamara leadership for being able to reinstitute the crew aspect of what made Azamara our line of choice. I’d be confident it’s the same on the sisters- especially after seeing the joy felt by many crew, catching up with old friends at Koper.

TV offerings have always been pathetic. From your post, it clearly still hasn’t improved. Here’s the work around we’ve had success with. Load movies you like onto a laptop; connect a HDMI cable to the back of the tv (difficult but doable); bring a universal remote so you can change the TV input to HDMI; and watch what you want on demand. If the ship has mainly port days (as opposed to sea days) and you’re prepared to buy external wifi data for a hotspot (phone or device) you can also watch streaming services from your laptop through the HDMI cable. I don’t know whether casting works. Sometimes many of us just want to have a rest in the small cabin in the afternoon and it’s significantly more enjoyable to watch a movie from the start ( and a movie which actually has some appeal). Also, if you’re wide awake at 2.00am, it’s nice to have options. The TV offerings is an area where Azamara fails badly.

Well, you’ve certainly made us keen.. However, the website menu doesn’t include either the fish cake or the Korean chicken. Is there a new, different menu in Prime or were these special requests? If there’s a new menu (and in Aquilina), can anyone supply copies please.

I reckon “background” music is neither required nor wanted. I love listening to music on the pool deck. I and others happily do this with headphones/buds, which as far as I know don’t annoy anyone’s serenity or conversations. With the den, I’d prefer any piano music to be background only pre-dinner. The living room is a more suitable venue for some pre-dinner entertainment. Crank up the Den after theatre shows.

On board jazz event at 2 times, in Koper, on the 30 Sep Pursuit cruise, which includes the Koper jamboree in itinerary

Not by us - adds $2,000 to a $10,000 cruise. We factor in buying the ultimate package (admittedly helped by 20% Discoverer Plus discount) and we happily pay for the 3 night specialty restaurants. Works out considerably less than 20%. In case you’re not aware, the wifi is, like on other ships, including luxury lines, woeful. I have a portable wifi hot spot device, loaded with data which is usable once you’re at port. Works like wifi should and is inexpensive. Azamara cruises are port intensive, so we can wait until this is usable; and have a technology rest on sea days. Also, if everyone could freely access the two specialty restaurants, we’d all be limited to a maximum of one night per cruise; given their guest capacity. This is what happens in the luxury lines.

You’re showing a bit of Port Power resilience in adversity there. I’m a Saints man, so I have a lifetime of experience of rolling with the punches when things don’t work out as hoped for. A Sep cruise is a great distraction from yet another year of failure for us both.

Hi Diana Our flight in lands at 8.00pm. Do you know if it’s easy to get a taxi to our hotel at Central Station? Thanks Tony

Hi We're on Pursuit next month. Can anyone pro ide the Atlas cocktail list. I'd like to ask if we can try them while on Pursuit.

In our early days of Azamara cruising, from 2012, they gave a good discount for pre booking shore excursions. These were very reasonably priced and we found they were generally very good excursions. The only deficiency was when lunch was included, which we always found to be ordinary buffets. The other relative weakness was a larger group number; so movement can be slower and it’s not as friendly. Otherwise, they were good value and generally included what an external excursion would. Once Azamara removed the discount, they were no longer price competitive and we’ve found that small group excursions organised through cruise critic roll calls are usually preferable. Almost every one of them has been a very enjoyable experience both for content and the company of good travelling companions. Fortunately, we have never had any concern about arriving late back to the ship (touch wood). If we’re looking for an all day excursion, then we focus on a roll call group for an external excursion provider. We’ve had some great ones (St Petersburg; Petra; Mumbai; Jerusalem). These are usually better priced, flexible and a small group moves better than a potentially larger ship group. We have more wonderful memories from these type excursions, for the reasons stated. Often, though, we’re more interested in half day tours. It seeems that there’s not much difference in content or price on these. So, unless someone is looking for participants and it suits, we’ll happily do ship excursions. We’re not fans of what we consider overpriced walking tours for 2-4 hours (which we can do ourselves) or what we consider blatant rip offs (e.g. certain museum type visits which we can do ourselves for a pittance instead of $100 or more per person). Instead, we’ll either work out the public transport or pay a taxi to take us. Its up to each of us to choose what ship excursions we’ll happily pay for. Some but not all are certainly worth the price.

Given that the library room is gone on Onward and is presumedly likely to go on the others if proving popular; on past cruises we’ve found the Living Room a good quiet space to sit and read during a sea day; along with others doing the same. It’s really quiet unless either approaching a port or from late afternoon, when activities commence (and sometimes at 9.30am if the trivia is moved there). With the change, this is the logical alternative location for the library collection. When weather permits, the outside loungers on deck 5 are also a very enjoyable quiet location, with the benefit of the sound and sight of the ocean; as well as easy access to a coffee. These are good alternatives for those who don’t want to read in the Atlas Bar during the day. The library has seemed quite under utilised whenever we’ve strolled through during the day. Also, on any occasion we’ve visited the library at night (when it’s not closed due to a function) to check out the Atlas, we’ve been on our own; except for two occasions when onboard solo musicians were practising.

We’ve done many Azamara cruises since our first in 2012. We love the cruise experience with them. However, on almost every occasion there have been some issues around the booking or OBC or FCC (both quantum and application). Because of this we have booked direct for years, just so I can deal directly with them. They have always been a very frustrating organisation to deal with. Hopefully, when they are completely separated from RCI there may be some improvements in both communication and accuracy. Until I see evidence of this, through a seamless booking process, I’ll continue to book direct; despite the ever present difficulties in getting issues resolved. So, given the problems outlined in this thread, welcome to the club.