iana1212

16 hours ago, Werangels said:

People did this on our South Africa cruise this year.  

I thought that would be the case. I have also reached out to Azamara to try and get official confirmation before I book flights (still too early to book them).

We are on the S Africa cruise next year and looking at flights. The best timing for us is a 00.35 departure. As we dock in Cape Town overnight it would be best for us to leave the ship in the evening of the last night rather than filling in a day (we have a few days in Cape Town before the cruise so don’t think we will need the extra time there.. Has anyone done this before? I know this could be an issue with immigration on some itineraries but as all the ports are in S. Africa I am hoping there won’t be an issue.

Unfortunately with holidays, cruises and other commodities prices go up and go down. I am sure I am not the only person that has bought something and then a couple of weeks later seen it discounted in a sale. If it is something I really want I will pay the full price and suffer the anguish if the price is reduced rather than risk not getting it. Cruises are exactly the same, when we book a cruise it is only if the price is acceptable, we have never booked a cruise thinking it is costing £2,000 more than it is worth.

We have cancelled and booked again when there has been a price drop, accepting a lost deposit - not Azamara but another line who took exactly the same line as Azamara has here. We have 2 cruises booked with Azamara this year, which we booked some time ago, and which are still cheaper than the currently discounted prices, it also meant that we could book our flights at lower cost than leaving it to the last moment, it isn't a saving if you reduce the cost of your cruise but have to give the reduction to an airline.

We are in the UK and have used US agents in the past so we know that you can often get a better deal with them - some of the time. We currently have 3 Azamara cruises booked and 1 Silversea cruise. All of these have been booked through UK agents and all were at better prices than a very large US agent could give for the same cruise. When I book a cruise i usually benchmark against a US agent and if within a couple of hundred pounds will book through the UK as it is easier and removes any of the potential issues of booking through another country regarding only selling to 'US residents' type restrictions (although we have never had an issue).

While I sympathise with the poster I doubt if his experience would be any different with any other line. I do tend to continue to watch price trends after I book but I know many who don't as they don't want to fall into the trap of feeling they have been unfairly treated. In the main, by booking early we have saved a lot of money but it is easy to ignore the savings and only remember the one or two where the cost has gone the other way.

Just back from a Mekong cruise. Dinner was very informal, much more than most ocean cruises, and no need for anything more than smart casual. Never saw anyone wear a tie. There were a couple of ‘special’ nights where people were a bit smarter but really no more than a collared shirt for men or a nice top for women, a few wore dresses.

Just wonder if anyone has been on this excursion and whether it includes a visit to the baths and/ or is there an alternative for those not wanting to enter the lagoon?

Our agent has come back to me re using obc before the cruise to pay for a transfer  and it seems this is not possible. But is possible when on board. Response from agent (who does a lot of business in UK with Azamara):
 

I have just heard back from Azamara and they have advised that you will need to use your OBC on board to book this.

As there wasn’t an option to book a transfer (August cruise) using obc on the website I tried contacting support and got the following response:

Thank you for contacting Azamara. I can add the transfer to your booking if you would like but it can not be purchased with OBC. I apologize for the inconvenience. I would also need your flight info to be able to add them to your booking. Payment is also due at the time of booking the transfers so my overall suggestion would be to give us a call or have your travel agent give us a call

I have asked our agent to see if she can get it booked ailing which we will do it on the cruise.

A lot of the comments are comparing pre Covid with post Covid standards (Covid is used as the differentiation point but it is really a combination of inflationary costs, loss of profit that needs to be recovered, supply chain issues and staffing that are the issues. So not really valid comparators.) Don’t think it is fair to compare a pre Covid experience on one line with a post Covid one on a different line. We have sailed Oceania pre Covid and Azamara both pre and post Covid.

If you are comparing the old Renaissance Class ships there is nothing between the two lines as they are the same ships and no real difference between the different lines in terms of public spaces and cabins. Unless you look for it you won’t see any evidence of the age of the ships. We found food better in Oceania but Azamara with included drinks and lower price better value.

post Covid we have only been on Azamara and no real difference in quality of offering from before Covid. A few times there were shortages of items due to supply issues but nothing, to us, worth mentioning. 
 

if you look at Oceania Facebook posts they are full of negative comments re drop in standards and reduced time in port but  I cannot comment on that.

Didn’t hear any negative comments from fellow cruisers on Azamara standards on 2 cruises we took last year (different ships).
 

We have booked again this year with Azamara but would have booked Oceania if suitable itinerary and cost was comparable but haven’t seen any that would justify to us the significant premium that Oceania now ask for for similar cruises over Azamara.

we stay in standard balcony or inside cabins and eat in the main dining room for dinner with occasional speciality restaurant although we haven’t really thought the food much better than the main dining room (both Azamara and Oceania) except captain’s  table meal on Azamara which was a step up.

On 11/17/2022 at 5:18 PM, Cantlogincaptain said:

I just contacted my TA to see if this offer can be applied for the additional OBC.

After 3 hours i received a callback stating it could not as my booking was made after 31st August. This coincides with the Best Price Guarantee which expired 31st August 2022.

 

All UK bookings after this date will not have the latest offers applied.

Ours was a UK booking made in September and we got the $1000 obc added.

We booked on a UK promo,  a couple of months later they added a higher obc for new bookings. Our travel agent contacted Azamara and got the higher obc added to our booking. She did comment that Azamara were good at allowing you to get a better price/ promo if one came up after you book, you do need to ask for it though as they won’t do it automatically .

Re Barcelona. We were on recent cruise and didn’t berth at the World Trade Centre. Azamara provided a free shuttle from the main cruise terminal to the World trade Centre where you can just walk to the town.

Vassi is the pianist and also did a show (her first)

Also on Onward just now. Don’t get the impression that there is work going on all over the ship and that it will interfere with your trip as it probably won’t. We have seen workmen at the doors to the outside decks - probably the work being done on air flow referred to in the previous post- but only one door st a time so no impact at all. 
 

We were on the Quest in June this year and no real difference between the two in terms of look and feel, although furniture is newer and decoration fresher on the Onward. To be honest I wouldn’t be able to tell you which boat we were on so if you are ok with the old ones you should be fine with this one.

Only disappointing aspect to us is the entertainment which we feel falls far short of the last cruise - this is a subjective view and we could see some people loving the performers.

Food is good. Wine not great but a couple of drinkable options. 

Considering Saga and interested in how well the included travel works. We live in the north east of Scotland and it is easier (and cheaper) for us to access cruises from European ports than ‘no fly’ cruises fro the UK which are usually from the South of England. The included domestic flight option appeals as it would seem that we can get flight to Gatwick included then picked up for the transfer to port. In light of current issues on flights (we had a 2 day delay getting home already this year from Barcelona) would this include travelling down a day early which we are now building into our trips - happy to pick up the hotel cost- and transfer from hotel to port or would that transfer be down to us? The service advertised  emphasises the trip to port rather than the return but assume that the same process of being picked up and taken to airport applies? Is there any provision for travel to/ from home to airport? The details are rather scant on what is covered with the domestic flight option.

We were on the Quest this year to go to the Grand Prix. We had originally booked Crystal as it was due to port in Monaco and Azamara in Villefranche  sur mer (Adjoins Nice) but as Crystal failed we booked Azamara and had booked transfers privately from the port to Monaco but these were not needed as Azamara got tendering berth at Monaco, if they had had that originally we would have booked with them from he start. 
 

We booked our tickets online direct with the Monaco race organiser which allows you to select where you sit, you do need to book immediately when the seats go on sale or there are very few left! We got a good price for the cruise and would have had just about enough onboard credit to get the tickets but we had already bought them. If you can get the tickets yourself I would do so as there is little ‘extra value’ in the excursion other than the possibility that you cannot get ashore. Everyone is tendered in and just make their way to the stands which is not that difficult so no need for any guide.

As it it is a street race you can eat and drink in any of the adjoining cafes or get something from the supermarket. There are sandwiches and beer/soft drinks available in the stand areas and were not that bad 7 euros for a large beer plus 2 euros for souvenir cup and 5 euros for half baguette sandwich. Can be a long queue but there are quite long periods where nothing is happening.

quite a lot of toilets but can be long queues.

Leaving was much more of an issue. The stands allow exit in numerical order (or that is what they said) but then it becomes a bit of a free for all with thousands exiting into a small number of streets. That being said we were on the tender about an hour after the race finished. As there are so many people work on the basis of finding your own way back as you are likely to lose contact at some point with your guide.

Currently on Azamara Quest. Been a few years since we were last on Azamara but food is excellent as is the service and entertainment. About 540 passengers and 340 crew. They are short staffed in galley and service in main dining room can therefore sometimes be a bit slow - but there is nowhere we need to be by a set time so we just accept and relax as we are on holiday.

they have combined the menus for the two speciality restaurants so they are both reduced but as the food in the main dining room has been so good we haven’t seen the need to book.

Captain and senior staff are often seen walking about.

Mask wearing, all staff wear all the time but guests purely voluntary so maybe 20% in crowded areas such as tenders and waiting areas and less in other areas. Quite a few dry and frequent coughs to be heard from other passengers- not the ones wearing masks but no communication about whether there are Covid cases or not.

Has anyone received any advice on what is acceptable to Azamara for an antigen test? I cannot find anything on their website. We were recently on a Marella cruise that had a similar requirement to provide a negative test but a diy test that you took then sent a photo to the testing authority who then issued a negative certificate was acceptable (and was actually promoted by the cruise line). I know some other posters want to use these types of tests, as would we, as they are cheaper and much more convenient but don’t want to purchase them if they are not acceptable.

We were in balcony cabin on deck 9 and it did not have any USB charging points.

In the same boat as we have/had a Crystal cruise booked for May. Looking to book an Azamara cruise to replace it- it has a similar itinerary to the one we were going on. Have cruised Azamara and Celebrity before and have no qualms about booking Azamara again but less likely to book Celebrity. Did not think Celebrity was really much better than HAL or Princess( I am sure Celebrity lovers will disagree) and was lower standard than Azamara which I would rank as similar to but not quite as good as Oceania (but Azamara included drinks if that is important to you). In all of these we were in standard cabins so experience in more expensive categories/suited could be different.

42 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

@Kalasi Our cruise price dropped by almost 40% at some point (paid $9,200 CAD for three of us for balcony, and the price was $5,600 CAD at some point). We were offered an "upgrade" from balcony to concierge (which to me is not really an upgrade, the cabin is the same size).

 

Celebrity loyalists will continue telling you that Celebrity owes you nothing, and just be grateful that they let you sail on their amazing ships. The truth is that all cruise lines play games with prices, but Celebrity turned it into an art. They are really good at dropping prices after the final payment, and they will always do it gradually so it doesn't make sense to you to cancel and re book at lower prices. I have never experienced such drastic price changes on other lines, definitely not on lines like Oceania or Crystal.

 

It is what it is.  

Like many others in this thread i keep an eye on price movements but tend not too look too often after i have made final payment as it can be depressing but I have found that as often as prices have gone down they also go up. We booked in the Infinity in August last year and the equivalent booking is now about 20% more expensive but we tend not to complain when the movement goes in our favour. We booked a Princess cruise  s few years ago that offered big discounts for a period before final payment was due so contacted them to see if they would reduce price but they wouldn't budge so cancelled and we booked same cruise but lower cost than we would have paid even though lost deposit we still made a decent saving just seemed a pity we had to go through the hassle rather than them just adjusting price or giving on board credit.

Other factor to bear in mind is that if you are like us and always have to book a flight to get to port by booking cruise early you can book flights when they are on sale rather than shortly before cruise and this can more than offset any late book ing  discount. We have booked flights before booking cruise but only where there are alternative cruises available that we are happy to take if we don't get first choice but not very often as we tend to book cruises by  destinations so can be difficult to do this.

can anyone advise how much any of the following cost? Formula 1 Simulator, Bowling, Interactive XD Cinema, Select Video Games, and the Zip Line or Flight Simulator or Vr Maze*. not been able to see this anywhere.

It is a few years ago that we were last on an MSC cruise and we used to order carafes of wine at lunchtime as they were a good size and good value. They were hidden at the back of the winelist. Does anyone know if they are still available?

will be going on Zenith next week and wondering whether to take a tuxedo as never sailed with pulmantur before . It actually takes less space in my case than a lounge suit, which I would only wear on formal night anyway, so I have never seen the problem with dressing formally as to me it is less hassle but don't want to be the only one in black tie. Any advice?

Thanks for the feedback. I think we will end up renting a minivan and driver for the day. That way we won't have to organise 6 young children and deposit/pick up luggage answer and can go to the places we want to in our own time. I found a website that obtains quotes from a number of different operators and  cost is from 315€ to 515€ picking us up at 8 driving around the city and then taking us to airport midafternoon.

We fly out of Barcelona at 17.45 so will have a few hours to fill after finishing our cruise. There will be 14 of us - 8 adults and 6 children between 3 and 6. As we will have our luggage it starts to get complicated - dropping luggage at a left luggage shop (getting to left luggage shop in the first place!), spending a few hours sightseeing then coordinating return to pick up transport to airport. tried a few transfer companies but they are all point a to point b which is fine if just want to get to the airport. Has anyone any suggestions?