pickypicky

2 hours ago, manderer77 said:

We are on the May 11th - 25th sailing. The email we received has the changed itinerary as Chania. 

Thanks. Yes, I realize that we are going to Chania, but a local tour operator is asking which pier we will be docked at in Chania...Souda or Chania. I know nothing about it but that is the question I am trying to answer.

Might as well go ahead and face it. Trying to put together a private tour now that our port has been changed from Santorini. The guide is asking Souda Port or Chania Port? Would appreciate feedback from anyone who knows. I could do a deep dive but this is my starting place. 

2 hours ago, Star Voyager said:

I will let you know after our cruise what is available, we are able to bring 1 bottle per person, each additional bottle is 20 dollars.

So is that $20 the corkage? May I take it to any dining venue no charge after that?

Can anyone tell me what the corkage fee is if I bring my own wine?

This happened to me after our last cruise in September. I filled out the request support form and had no reply or result. I called the Loyalty Support number and was able to get someone (I'm in the States) who uncovered that the problem was that I had two email addresses on file. The rep was able to correct it, had me sign in again and voila, my points were correct. I'm not saying that's your problem, just that they were able to correct it without my having to provide "proof".

12 hours ago, BenLynn said:

Will be on a Azamara cruise docking in Bordeaux on September 6,2024 and looking for a private wine tour guide. My email is bgoldman@littler.com. Thank you.

Ben

I can highly recommend Henri Challeau of Bordeaux wine tours recommended in post #5 by Laurie B. We took his tour this past September prior to embarking an Azamara Spain Intensive cruise. He is a sommelier, very engaging, very responsive, and worked with me to format an itinerary that suited us, including three choices of restaurants for lunch. The link is in the post, but here it is again.http://www.bordeaux-wine-travel.com/

41 minutes ago, Dr H said:

Folks, a major diversion from the topic, sorry about that, but. We are B2B starting in a week and a half. Just found out on one of our threads that we can now reserve dining packages, chef's tables, drink packages, and more ON LINE, by going into your reservation, click on "Manage My Reservation", then click on "Addons". Some folks just might want to consider the ultimate drink package at this time. 

Interesting. Does this include individual specialty dining reservations? I am currently unable to see my future cruise.

This was the French Chef’s Table on Journey in July. No idea if the wine selections are the same. 

We've just returned from Spain Intensive Bordeaux to Barcelona on Pursuit. Not sure where they were sourced, but lunch the first day (we overnighted in Bordeaux) was fresh tempura battered soft shell crabs, cooked a la minute. Delicious and soooo special!

Thank you. Is the personalizer on the App? I'm totally in the dark here and could be one of those with an assignment at the pier lol!

We are Princess newbies, but not new to cruising (we are Azamara devotees, but excited to be cruising with our family), traveling with kids and grandkids. We have a guarantee mini suite M2. Any ideas about when we will get our assignment? Just curious. There are only 40 suites in our category and none of them is in an unappealing location, AFAIK, so I'm not concerned at all. New build, not lots of  info. Can anyone tell me how this works?

1 minute ago, maggie777 said:

We have sailed many times on Princess and continue to do so. We also love Azamara and will do a b2b in Oct. The two are not comparable but both have good features. A family cruise is a wonderful experience and the newer ship should be a pleasure. However you will have to be very patient with the larger number of passengers.

Thank you. I think something new and different is always fun! 

At least we’ll be going in eyes wide open! And we do have six incredible 20 somethings to keep us company if the food isn’t memorable. Thank you so much for your input. I think we are going to take the Princess plunge!

6 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

4,300 passengers (double occupancy).  New ship with a very youthful vibe.  Complaints about cutbacks on Princess generally (as about most mass market cruise lines trying to pay off the Covid borrowings).  Your kids and grandkids will probably like it a lot – and you will enjoy traveling with them...

Thank you! I have no doubt that we will enjoy traveling with the kids. It's only a week, but I wouldn't mind having decent food and wine. Comments?

On 8/23/2023 at 2:17 AM, Host Jazzbeau said:

I have done Quebec to New York on Princess [it was the cruise that made us realize we had outgrown Princess].  

 

I would like to do this itinerary again – on Azamara – because I hope that Azamara would do their 'destination immersion' approach, meaning the cruise would be longer and would stop at more of the out of the way places (including L'Anse aux Meadows) and stay longer in port.

We have an "opportunity" to go on the new Sun Princess next summer with our children and grandchildren. By "opportunity", I mean that they are all paying their own fares and we are invited to tag along!!! The itinerary will actually take us to a couple of places we have never visited and the grands are all young adults in their 20s  with whom we rarely spend quality time, so it is a tempting offer. We primarily sail on Azamara and have never cruised on Princess. How are we going to like it?

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Agree.  The Eggs Benedict in Aqualina are completely different from those in the main dining room.  The MDR's are very good and traditional; Aqualina's are amped up to 11.

Are reservations required for Suite guests to breakfast in Aqualina? And is it crowded?

We are on Journey now in a standard veranda and there are no outlets on the wall where the bed is. Our room attendant brought an extension cord that plugged in at the desk, then he taped it down for safety. Not pretty but it works. 

We have never attended one. The ship is really quiet and we enjoy a nice dinner. 

Can anyone recommend a car service for transfer from Dublin port to a city hotel?

Hoping the OP will return to finish the review. I was enjoying it and looking forward to the remainder!

1 hour ago, SoBaycruiser said:

Because of the new software problems, I finally got to look at the excursions for our Sept Spain Intensive.  It says the the Azamazing Evening is in Valencia but it says nothing about what it is…or even where… just a picture.  Could you share what you know about that evening?  This is our first time in Spain and I am way behind in my research.

 

Thanks!

So have they changed it? Last I knew it was in Seville but I haven’t looked in a few days. 

9 hours ago, laurieb said:

We did two tours with him in 2018.  He selected very good wineries; be aware that you’ll be doing a tour at each one you go to. He took us to a wonderful local bistro for lunch, and also to a fantastic wine shop on way back to the ship, as we wanted to pick up some bottles to enjoy on the ship.  We’ve booked with him again for two days in 2024 when we’ll be there on Azamara again.  
Here’s our tour schedule from 2018:

Thursday September 13th

St-Emilion/Pomerol region (280 Euros)

 

01:00 PM: Departure from your Azamara cruise ship ports in Bordeaux (I'll welcome you with a « Bordeaux Wine Travel » sign)

02:30 PM: Visit of château Canon La Gaffeliere in the St-Emilion Grand Cru's vineyard (12 Euros/pers)

04:00 PM: Visit of château La Croizille in the St-Emilion Grand Cru's vineyard (10 Euros/pers)

05:15 PM: Free walking time in St-Emilion medieval town

07:00 PM: Drop off at your Azamara cruise ship ports in Bordeaux 

 

Friday September 14th

Medoc region

 

09:30 AM: Departure from your Azamara cruise ship ports in Bordeaux

10:00 AM: Visit of château d'Issan in the Margaux's vineyard (10 Euros/pers)

12:00 Noon: Lunch at Le Bontemps restaurant in Cussac Fort Medoc town (Typical French dish)

02:00 PM: Visit of château Branaire Ducru in the St-Julien's vineyard (15 Euros/pers)

03:30 PM: Visit of château Pichon Baron in the Pauillac's vineyard (12 Euros/pers)

06:00 PM: Drop off at your Azamara cruise ship ports in Bordeaux

Thank you so much! You are most kind to have taken the time to provide me with your schedule. Now that I've heard from you I plan to book with him ASAP.  

On 1/16/2023 at 11:08 AM, laurieb said:

Bordeaux Wine Travel - Bordeaux Wine Tours France - Bordeaux Wine & Golf Holidays - Driven Car & Chauffeur Service in Bordeaux, France (bordeaux-wine-travel.com)

contact@bordeaux-wine-travel.com

Thanks for this link. I have contacted him and have received a prompt and thorough reply to my questions. I am considering the St. Emilion tour, but hoping to hear a little more about your experience with this company, please, before booking it if you have a moment?  

Hope you’re enjoying your trip. We are booked on two Azamara cruises this year after an almost five year hiatus and would really enjoy some photos, esp. food. Appreciate your time spent on this review!

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I have seen price increases before a cruise.
 

I have also seen sales that covered some of the excursions on a cruise but not others - and later a second sale that covered some of the same ones and some different ones.
 

So I always book excursions immediately to lock in the prices. When there was a sale I have always been able to cancel and rebook at the lower price. ASAIK there is no benefit to waiting to book. 

Agree. Excursions on our upcoming Iceland Intensive had a huge price increase after Jan. 1. Because I had some OBC, I had booked several before that time and am happy that I did. Now I'm hoping they won't be cancelled because of the outrageous prices/lack of participation!