Host Jazzbeau

VS are at the very front of the ship, so you will feel the most movement, you may notice anchor chain noise in tender ports, and the balcony will be windy when the ship is moving. OS are at the very back of the ship, so much less movement, little noise except engine vibration at full speed, great wraparound balcony (soot is a problem but crew clean it up). Have sailed in OS equivalent on Azamara and love these suites!

As tipping threads always do. People mostly read them for the entertainment value. 😉

Especially since it was the Viking Sky power-loss off Norway in March 2019 that raised the issues about sea rescue for the Svalbard authorities. But the Viking cruise ships are 930 passengers, which puts them completely out of the running, and their expedition ships are only 378 which puts them in the clear (except for the 'protected areas').

Use Skype. The App helps you with the country code business, and calls only cost pennies. [I put in $5 years ago and still haven't gone through it.]

They had said earlier Viking Var.

Longyearbyen has been in the news with plans to severely restrict cruise ships, limiting both size of ships (as low as 500 passengers max, and only 200 in protected areas): https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/cruise-lines-prepare-major-changes-coming-svalbard The lower limit would exclude Azamara. They would just sneak in if the upper limit of 750 is adopted, but they may be waiting to see the final regulations.

Several of your complaints (no printed dailies or menus, metal water bottles) are signs of Green-ness, not cutbacks. I don't like them either, but watch out: they are surely coming to Viking too.

Slightly OT and hugely off-the-wall: New French Cruise Line starting Feb. 2023 with Aurora Borealis theme cruise: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/new-french-cruise-line-cfc-revive-long-sea-voyages

New French Cruise Line: Compagnie Française de Croisières launches with former Holland America Maasdam: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/new-french-cruise-line-cfc-revive-long-sea-voyages

New French Cruise Line: Compagnie Française de Croisières launches with former Holland America Maasdam: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/new-french-cruise-line-cfc-revive-long-sea-voyages

If your husband can barely walk to the coach, what will he do when the coach arrives at the tour location? River cruise tours are rarely just a 'panoramic' bus ride – they almost always have you get off for a walking tour of a town or at least a tour of the main attraction (e.g. castle). They do try to find a café where those with mobility issues can sit and wait for the group to return, but is that going to satisfy your desire to 'see' this part of the world?

I sent you an email but I wonder if it's an old/bad address. Please email me at HostJazzbeau@cruisecritic.com

I think calling the lower deck 'swan class' would be confusing. The middle deck cabins are the ones where the swans come up to your French balcony expecting handouts. Two 'swan' decks?–too confusing! Let's stick with the accepted terminology. 😀

I think calling the lower deck 'swan class' would be confusing. The middle deck cabins are the ones where the swans come up to your French balcony expecting handouts. Two 'swan' decks?–too confusing! Let's stick with the accepted terminology. 😀

Everybody has their own recipe for soda bread. The best I ever had was from an Irish-American friend who got it from a Latino woman he met on a bus! That's America!!! And yes, @UKCruiseJeff, we're happy to be called Yanks – except those of us from South of the Mason-Dixon line [and maybe Boston Red Sox fans...] 😉

Agree. The location can't be beat. And the staff are so friendly: we arrived in the morning so our room wasn't ready - so they invited to have a late breakfast (in addition to the one the next morning that was included in the room rate).

So you did have the shuttle on embarkation/disembarkation day? We will be starting in Ravenna with an overnight, but want to use the shuttle on embarkation day for sightseeing after we check in.

Yes, please. We plan to sightsee Ravenna on embarkation day, so we may need to drop luggage early (or find a place to store it) then get a transfer from the train station area to the ship in the afternoon. It has been very hard to find answers. Anyone who has been on an Azamara cruise starting or ending in Ravenna – please share your experience!

I may be missing something, but all the information I have seen about Athens/Piraeus clearly states that the rules are for those embarking on a ship. My October cruise will be dis-embarking in Athens, after visiting two other Greek ports in the few days before. My assumption is that I don't need to worry about the Greek rules – and if I do, my cruise line will figure it out.

Sounds like a great idea – I'll send you an email.

St. Petersburg Chihuly Collection and Dali Museum.

Trust – and verify!

We don't shop there, much [they have good deals on nutritional supplements and a few things like that – no food items] – but at home and on road trips they always have the cheapest gas in the area [as confirmed by Gas Buddy]. And the Costco Gas Station doesn't require setting foot in the store. Tell your husband 'money talks' !

When I visited Zagreb in 1967 – because it is halfway between Budapest and Venice so worked for the train schedules at the time – my official Yugoslavian tourist guide asked me "Why the h*** did you come to Zagreb?" I don't think he thought I was a spy; he was just a local who didn't appreciate what his home town had to offer [which in retrospect wasn't much – but maybe that was his problem in not explaining it well...]

Is Costco a presence where you live [they seem to have a bunch in what I would consider 'Central Texas']? We get back the annual membership fee just on Gas savings alone. Being a member makes the credit card free, and then we get the benefits of money back on Gas, Restaurants, and Travel.