impala1ss

To those of you who have sailed on Azamara in the past, given that we can now cancel tours paid with credit cards and rebook using OBC, will we have 500 passengers all cancelling and rebooking at the same time the first day?

Bonnie - I guess I am just thick in the head but II still do not understand those questions that I think you missed. Here they are:

Is this Cancelling all done on the ship (Journey) when we get onboard by staff?

How does the "must cancel before 48 hours before tour" happen?

I am still confused about the new policy, for Aug. sailing, of booking land tours.

Can we NOW, 3 months before the cruise, book tours listed online using our credit cards?

How and when do we switch to our OBC and cancel our credit card paid tours? For instance, a first-day cruise while in port, or any others we will have reserved.

Is this Cancelling all done on the ship (Journey) when we get onboard by staff?

How does the "must cancel before 48 hours before tour" happen?

Thanks for all responses. Looking forward to cruise.

Uktog:

I agree with you. Hopefully these posts will not be offensive to anyone. I certainly never intended it to be. This being my first cruise with Azamara I just wondered how, or if, they deal with this.

Notwithstanding, we are looking for a fantastic cruise with fantastic people , all of who have posted on CC seem to be. Meeting, and enjoying, people is the real reason for cruising. :)

First of all, I have a question for the OP since it's some time ago that we were on Viking River Cruises. Unlike ocean cruise land discoveries, river cruises usually offer one generic tour at each port. Does Viking create separate categories for this generic tour based upon mobility; namely, by establishing a slow walkers group?

Certainly others, including in our experience Uniworld, do so.

 

*********Nordski - Viking now has river cruises and ocean cruises. I have been on each. The tours were labeled as to how easy/hard they were. The problem, of course is, when the handicapped person does not care (the only reason I can see for such a person to sign up for a strenuous event.). Viking also sells tours that they charge for.

 

 

2/ On one of our Viking Cruise, the guide arranged for a family with a wheelchair-bound mother to meet us at more easily accessible points whilst we negotiated the entire route. Was this approach suggested by the guide?

 

***********Apparently not since the person showed up for the tour.

 

 

3/ These questions about the options before the couple perhaps lead to a greater issue. Were they simply intransigent about altering their expectations. If so, it is difficult to imagine a simple system that would deal with that issue.

 

*************The woman in the wheelchair complained the entire time, very loudly, that the guide was walking much too fast. The guide then slowed the entire tour down.

 

4/ Thus, I think that the potential issues concerning Land Discoveries on Azamara are somewhat different since there is not a generic tour, but rather a menu of offerings labelled "mild", "moderate" etc. As usual, uktog has clearly identified some important issues. In our case, my wife has very mild mobility issues but is very concerned that she not become THAT person on a tour.

 

In most cases the details in the write-ups describing said tours are very helpful, however a reference to "limited mobilty" does not particularly help. A good decision is based in the details. As Anne suggests, knowing whether one can easily detour from a particularly onerous part can be quite useful, as can the knowledge that there is a reception centre, meeting point or open vehicle nearbye.

 

Since it would be impossible to include all of this information in the write-up, the only source would be the Land Discoveries team on board. On our last cruise I must say that for one of our tours the discussion was not particularly useful, and at least on my part led to considerable confusion. In a second case it was handled exceptionally well.

 

*********This is the reason for my original post.

 

This places a lot of pressure on the Land Discoveries officers to provide accurate information so that a wise decision can be made, and clear co-ordination with the central team in Miami that the message is consistent.

 

**********It should be someone's responsibility when people pay for an entire tour, not one cut short. I believe all tour brochures, on all ships, list the degree of difficulty for each tour.

 

I'd also add, that in the vast majority of cases I think participants make thoughtful choices.

I agree completely. I feel that accomodations should should be made for the handicapped but one has to be reasonable. If the tour involves places a wheelchair can not go, those unfortunate enough to be in a chair should not sign up and/or participate in the tour.

Bonnie - I've reposted my post from another thread below. I can see that it needs reclarification. My concern is not whether you allow physically challenged on tours. It is whether you allow those with difficulty walking (perhaps those in wheelchairs or walkers) to sign up and be allowed to go on tours labeled as strenuous, many stairs,or stating gravel/rough traverses for example. Posts on CC seem to show that handicapped guests are allowed on these tours by Azamara.

While you said "Azamara Club Cruises welcomes all guests, including those with special needs or disabilities. Here's our page on Accessible Cruising: https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/life-onboard/accessible-cruising

If you click through to the FAQs link, you'll find our information on Accessible Shore Excursions. We go to great lengths to label all tours according to difficulty. "

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/discover/frequently-asked-questions#land-discoveries

it doesn't address whether Azamara allows it.

I have been on Viking tours where on one a husband and wife (in a wheelchair) slowed everyone down, especially after the wife complained loud and often that the tour leader was going too fast for her. On other tours the guide simply slowed down to accommodate the very slow pace of the handicapped families causing the entire group to miss excellent parts of the itinerary.

I do not think it is fair to allow someone on the tour who is incapable of going as fast as everyone else to prevent those who have paid for a full tour, and then only actually get a partial tour.

This is not to disparage handicapped people, I have several relatives who are but to help us decide whether to take certain tours or not. I do not mean to offend anyone.

MY ORIGINAL POST:

Bonnie - we are going on our first Azamara cruise in August. I am distressed to read on this thread that Azamara allows physically challenged guests to sign up for, and go on, strenuous tours. Some here have said that their tour was shortened, and highlights missed because these handicapped people slowed the entire group down.

What is Azamara's policy reference this and could people using a walker (as noted by some) or a wheel chair, be allowed to go on a tour where there is uneven ground, many stairs, gravel pathways, etc. I have been on a Viking tour where a husband and wife (in a wheelchair) slowed everyone down, especially after the wife complained loud and often that the tour leader was going too fast for her. The Viking rep basically told us they did not want to tell the couple they could not go on these tours. No one on the tour was told beforehand that we would be required to see less because of this. Would we be advided prior to the tours we choose? Thank you.

I think it's probably up to the people who sign up. All the excursions have a description about how strenuous they are and what is involved.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Hello impala1ss, and welcome to our Azamara forum!

 

Azamara Club Cruises welcomes all guests, including those with special needs or disabilities. Here's our page on Accessible Cruising: https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/life-onboard/accessible-cruising

 

If you click through to the FAQs link, you'll find our information on Accessible Shore Excursions. We go to great lengths to label all tours according to difficulty. https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/discover/frequently-asked-questions#land-discoveries

 

Hopefully this answers your concerns. If not, feel free to ask again, but if I may, I'd suggest starting a new thread with a more appropriate title, rather than "Too old to drink." That way others with a similar interest/concerns will participate in the conversation.

 

Thanks for writing, and thank you for choosing Azamara Club Cruises!

Bonnie - we are going on our first Azamara cruise in August. I am distressed to read on this thread that Azamara allows physically challenged guests to sign up for, and go on, strenuous tours. Some here have said that their tour was shortened, and highlights missed because these handicapped people slowed the entire group down.

What is Azamara's policy reference this and could people using a walker (as noted by some) or a wheel chair, be allowed to go on a tour where there is uneven ground, many stairs, gravel pathways, etc. I have been on a Viking tour where a husband and wife (in a wheelchair) slowed everyone down, especially after the wife complained loud and often that the tour leader was going too fast for her. The Viking rep basically told us they did not want to tell the couple they could not go on these tours. No one on the tour was told beforehand that we would be required to see less because of this. Would we be advided prior to the tours we choose? Thank you.

I would think if the wines were not that great you could have upgraded to the Premium Package for just $10 more a day. This would allow you better wines if that is what you drink. I am really fussy about good wine and about good vodka so I got the premium package. I looked at the wines under $8 and they just were not that great.

I am NOT fussy about wine but this was undrinkable as you would find trying to drink a glass of vinegar.

No offense but you get what you pay for. Wines selling for $8/glass equate to a bottle selling on the ship for $32. The ship has a restaurant type mark-up so a $32 bottle of wine would retail for about $10 give or take a few dollars. At $10/bottle for red wine you're in range where a lot of red wines are mediocre and you really have to be picky and have some experience to pick a reasonably OK wine in that range. Also, if you're buying one by the glass you never know how long the bottle has been open. If it tastes stale it probably is and you can request a fresher bottle.

 

Frankly, I think you should be happy and thankful that some of the bartenders and supervisors gave you a more expensive wine. I think it is unrealistic to think an exception granted by one person would automatically be known by all the bartenders on the ship.

 

As for not letting you pay the extra money for the upgraded above your package limits, it is well known on these boards, and Celebrity's site, that this is not an option on the classic packages and is only a benefit of the premium packages.

 

If one is picky about their wines then considering the moderately high prices on board they should take the premium package which includes better wines and the option to get nice wines by the glass by paying an up charge or forget the packages and buy your wine by the bottle from the larger wine list of wines sold only by the bottle.

Don't want to argue but you apparently didn't read my review or you would have known that I said the wine was undrinkable, not just not as good as others. Even bottles opened in front of me were undrinkable, as vinegar is undrinkable. I have drunk the cheapest wine in China and found it OK.

While I was very grateful to get drinkable wine at some locations, I never knew where (what bar, AT VARYING TIMES) I would have to get in a discussion about the resolution of the problem by the CellerMaster who had advised me that they had received many complaints and were removing the brand and replacing it with another.

You state "if one is picky about their wine.." well I am not just want some that was undrinkable, as verified by many others on board.

I realize it is hard for some to accept criticism about their favorite cruise lines but two years ago on a transatlantic Celebrity cruise I NEVER had a problem. This cruise did.

Just got off Solstice yesterday morning and not very pleased with drink package. We had the Classic package and had consistant problems.

First time beverage pkg. - on Celebrity Solstice 3/25.

I am a wine drinker and found that the Cabernet Souv. and Merlot were both undrinkable on this ship. I am not a wine snob by any means but these were the worst wines I have ever had. If you have ever opened a bottle of red wine, and left it uncorked for several weeks, you knopw the "skanky" taste; worse than vinegar. On the 2nd day I complained to bartender and he got his manager who said there was nothing they could do. I asked to pay an additional $.50 a glass to get Pinot Noir and they said No, our package only allowed up to $8 a glass . You can not pay extra with the Classic package, but if we upgraded to Premium pkg, we could pay extra if we wanted.

Finally went to guest relations who told us there was nothing they could do. Sorry.

Then went to CellerMaster who said they were getting complaints so he would fix the computer to allow us to get Pinot Noir on our package.

At most bars they had no knowledge and wouldn't allow us to get it. However, in Dining Room, wine steward told us he had been advised to provide Pinot Noir for us; no further problem there. At Lawn Club bar no problem getting it.

Asked bartender at Martini Bar if I could get and he said no but got his Supervisor who told me that it was impossible to for me to get Pinot on ship in my package. He said the person (Cellermaster) had no authority to allow me to get this but we continued to get the better wine at many places but were rejected at many others.

So the main idea is that if your package has really bad wine you may be stuck with it the entire cruise and you can not upgrade by paying extra.

Another quirk is that when you get bottled water with this package when you ask for it you will get a quart+ bottle. This was very heavy to carry around. They have a much smaller Evian bottle but since this is listed as a premium water you can only get it with the premium package. This is in spite of the smaller Evian costing less than the generic larger bottle. Odd?

But the food (when they got your order right) and cruise was excellent.

Quality has certainly deteriorated since my last Celebrity cruise 2 years ago.

First time beverage pkg. - on Celebrity Solstice 3/25.

I am a wine drinker and found that the Cabernet Souv. and Merlot were both undrinkable on this ship. I am not a wine snob by any means but these were the worst wines I have ever had. If you have ever opened a bottle of red wine, and left it uncorked for several weeks, you knopw the "skanky" taste; worse than vinegar. On the 2nd day I complained to bartender and he got his manager who said there was nothing they could do. I asked to pay an additional $.50 a glass to get Pinot Noir and they said No, our package only allowed up to $8 a glass . You can not pay extra with the Classic package, but if we upgraded to Premium pkg, we could pay extra if we wanted.

Finally went to guest relations who told us there was nothing they could do.

Then went to CellerMaster who said they were getting complaints so he would fix the computer to allow us to get Pinot Noir on our package.

At most bars they had no knowledge and wouldn't allow us to get it. However, in Dining Room, wine steward told us he had been advised to provide Pinot Noir for us; no further problem there. At Lawn Club bar no problem getting it.

Asked bartender at Martini Bar if I could get and he said no but got his Supervisor who told me that it was impossible to for me to get Pinot on ship in my package. He said the person (Cellermaster) had no authority to allow me to get this but we continued to get the better wine at many places but were rejected at many others.

So the main idea is that if your package has really bad wine you may be stuck with it the entire cruise and you can not upgrade.

Deck - 9

Cabin # - 9360

Class – Concierge

Starboard or Port Side - Starboard

Bed near?(balcony or bath) – between

Quiet Cabin (With comments on problems. Note if connecting. ) – very quiet

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – great

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Normal

Was wind a problem? No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? No

Any specific problems with this cabin? None

Any other comments?