Traveling Fools

Azamara begins boarding much later than X, NCL, and Oceania. These boarding times correlate with ours on the Nov 18th boarding of the Onward out of Lisbon. We arrived at the dock at 11:30 and were permitted to proceed to check-in at 12:00, but not allowed to board until 1:30.

It is close, only open when ships are at dock and processing passengers, and is used by other lines.. It is covered. It as safe most other commercial lots.

On our cruise they only had 1 (one) table handling dinning reservations. When I got there there was only one couple in front of me and they were in the booking process. I too had to wait 10 minutes and then it took less than 15 minutes to make the reservations. HOWEVER, when I left the line stretched out of the dinning room back to the elevator. You do the math. 15 minutes for each guest to book their reservations x how many guests are waiting x you place in line. A breeze for you and me, but not for those in line behind us.

November 8, 2023 Well today is the day our actual journey began. And as many people a fond of saying, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” We started off from home close to 2-hours later than planned, and that comes into play later. The drive from our house to just north of Fort Lauderdale was incident free with no congestion. North of Fort Lauderdale traffic began to get heavy and surged back and forth from stop and go to moderate speeds. Except for when one of two lanes ended forcing a merge, the flow in the express lanes was unimpeded. Remember, our goal was to park at Port Everglades and the Uber to MIA for our flight. We arrived at Port Everglades just before 5 PM. The guard had to confirm that we could park at the cruise terminal parking lot adjacent to the pier Azamara uses at Port Everglades. She gave us the wrong directions to reach the Palm parking structure and we ended up driving through the port and exiting the port at its north entrance. No problem, we made a U-turn and reentered the port. This time we got the proper directions and 5 minutes later we were at the parking structure. The only problem was the structure was completely sealed off to the public. This meant our original plan was voided and that we would have to drive to MIA and park there. It is now 5:45 and we are burning up the clock. Traffic to MIA wasn’t very kind to us. For a lengthy period of time all lanes, including the express lane were stop and go. At about 6:15, express lane traffic started moving and we were able to reach the airport, park, and enter the terminal by 7:00. Information provided by MIA regarding where to check in for Royal Air Moroc was flawed, meaning we had to walk the length of on one terminal and halfway through the adjacent one. Check in at the Air Moroc Business Class counter was quick and painless. We were told the aircraft was departing early and that boarding was to begin at 8:30. It was now 7:10. Royal Air Moroc doesn’t participate in the Known Traveler program, but flying business meant expedited security screening. Wrong, the security line we were using had no expedited lane (they did, but the lady screening passengers was unwilling to provide the service unless you were in a wheelchair. Bottomline, we didn’t clear security until 7:30. Once we cleared security, we were able to finagle a ride in a motorized cart to the Admiral’s club. Once inside DW grabbed a flute of bubbly and I visited the men’s room. When I looked at the departures screen, it showed our aircraft was set to board. It is now 7:45. We decided we should head over to the gate. We reached the gate at 8 and 20 minutes later started pre-boarding, for which we qualify. Once on board and squared away, we started to chill. The flight attendant made the rounds with a tray of water, tea, and mint lemonade. If you have never tasted mint lemonade, give it a try! After takeoff, we ordered a couple of adult beverages and perused the menu. I ordered the fish and DW the chicken My meal was one of the best I’ve had aboard an aircraft. DW said her’s was dry. The lay flat seats worked like a charm and enabled several hours of sound sleep. More Later

For some unexplained reason, out two youngest grandchildren, (now 11 and 14), always like dressing up at least one night each cruise. It has always been their wish and decision and not one we suggested. DW, their parents, and I don't know where they even got the idea. That said, we have a family cruise booked in January aboard NCl and they both insist on dressing up for their Mom's birthday dinner. No one has ever been snide about their dress and most have even paid them complements. Dress how you want and enjoy the moment!

You can pre-book, but must wait until aboard to make reservations. Contrary what others told me, it isn't the breeze they suggested! We were some of the first to board and were told the only place to book reservations was on Deck 10 at Aquilina. I dumped my bag in the suite and hustled up to Deck 10 where there was one couple in front of me. I pulled up a chair and waited my turn and could sense other shipmates lining up behind me. When I finished making the reservations and turned around to leave, the line extended out to the elevator.

And you too Carol! Overall, we enjoyed the entire journey.......More Later.

Long story short...I left the charger for my Surface Pro at home and battery went dead on me the morning of day. For that reason and because our land package was much busier than any of thought it would be, plus the poor internet service onboard the ship; I wasn't able to make daily postings. We are home now and after being gone for 28 days getting things squared away. In the next few days, I will post a review of our trip.

Our Itinerary

The Final Countdown Monday morning greeted me at 5:00 AM. I got up early intentionally. With only 2 more days before we go wheels for the pre-cruise ground portion of this adventure there are things I need to finish up. You know, when you are prepping for a cruise, it isn’t all packing and repacking that needs to be accomplished. There are many other tasks that require attention ranging from last-minute work-related issues to pet care. We are going to be gone for 22 days and believe me there are several important things I need to get done. An unexpected trip to the bank to handle issues relative to my brother’s probate, making last minute adjustments to the sprinkler system, finding a home for all perishable food items, last minute medical appointments, etc. The crush of everything at the last minute tends to make me feel cornered in. I’m sure many of you experience the same anxiety. So, it’s the night before we head to Miami to catch our flight, and just when I think I have things under control, DD stops by and tells me, “Dad, I know you have sent me one, but could you email me another copy of your itinerary?” I tell her sure….and then within the span of t0 minutes she asks me 3-times if I had sent it. Not to be out done DW asks the same question. Give me a break girls, I told you I would do it….let me do it on my time table and not yours….have another glass of wine and chill. The email went out at 9:20 PM. Our game plan for tomorrow morning is to leave for Miami around 10 or 11. Soon after the trash chaps have done their thing. It’s about a 5-hour drive from here to Ft. Lauderdale where we will park the car in the cruise terminal and then uber over to MIA for a 9:30 departure aboard Royal Air Moroc, non-stop to Casablanca. I know there will be at least one more couple in our roll call group who are on this same flight and are part of the same Enchantment Journey as us, and I suspect there will be even more. I’m going to call it a day and will attempt to post something tomorrow night regarding airport activities. If not tomorrow night, than the morning of the 9th after our arrival in Casablanca.

Review of 2023 Trans-Atlantic Cruise Aboard Azamara’s “ONWARD” Lisbon to Miami ABOUT US We consider ourselves veteran cruisers who have sailed in all classes of cabins, inside, ocean view, veranda, concierge, and suite. For the last 10 years, we have decided to save enough to be able to book a suite whenever we cruise. We have sailed in suites aboard Carnival, Celebrity, NCL, and Oceania. We do not select a cruise based solely on the cruise line. Rather, we let itinerary dictate the line we book. This was our first experience with Azamara, so can’t compare this cruise with other Azamara cruises, only with those lines with whom we previously booked suites. However, having cruised on Oceania, we were familiar with the layout of an “R” class ship. This cruise was part of a package “Enrichment Journey” that included visiting cultural centers in Morocco and Lisbon. The selection of Azamara and the “ONWARD” was purely incidental and was selected by the organizers of this “Enrichment Journey”. PRE-CRUISE BOOKING Our booking was made through our travel agent. We booked this “Journey” on June 8, 2023. We upgraded from the cabin that came with the package to a Club Ocean Suite. POST-BOOKING My initial impression of Azamara was gained through its website. I quickly learned that after the cruise was booked the website isn’t…well it just wasn’t. I couldn’t enter traveler information. I couldn’t make dinner reservations. I couldn’t order a beverage package. I guess I don’t know what else I can’t do pre-cruise. In fairness, I could book: A shore excursion (DW lived in Bermuda, so don’t require) A hotel A transfer All of which I don’t need. Because we are seasoned cruisers, I know one place to go for questions and answers and that is right here…Cruise Critics’ Azamara Forum. But what if I wasn’t a seasoned traveler?!? Good chance that if I had booked directly with Azamara and given the fare of our cruise has been paid in full, I might just be freaking out. I learned on Cruise Critic from past, current, and future Azamara customers that I would not be able to make dining reservations or pay for an upgraded beverage package until after I boarded. I consider the inability to perform these tasks on-line, before boarding antiquated and unacceptable. Especially for a cruise line that some consider to be a “Luxury” or “Boutique” line/experience. I pre-plan our vacations as far in advance and as much as is possible. When I book a cruise, I expect the boarding process to be seamless and hassle free. Regardless of how easy it might be to jump from the boarding check process to the restaurant reservation table, I find it to be completely unnecessary. I appreciate the concern that booking on-line pre-cruise dining reservations could result in a conflict with the White Night or AzAamazing Experience, however, it should be the responsibility of the hotel director or cruise director to plan those two activities around dining options such as the Chef’s Table. I also appreciate the mistaken concept that restricting booking reservations to after onboard affords more equity among all passengers, regardless of cabin or loyalty status, to book dining preferences. In harsh reality, the preferential perks extended by Azamara, or any other cruise line, have either been paid for through the loyalty program by repeat customers, or outright by suite passengers. There are two solutions to gaining perks, 1. Book more cruises with Az, or 2. Pony up and book the class of suite that provides those perks. Moving on and back to on-line issues and developments. On August 22nd, our OBC was posted on our Az booking page. On August 28th, I was able to complete and "Store" our travel document information. In October, I began receiving emails from Az advertising a 20% off sale for upgrading beverage packages. I kept checking my booking page and was unable to purchase anything but excursions. Finally, on October 26th, I discovered a new button Az added to the booking page titled “Addons”. When I toggled that button, I was given options to purchase an upgraded beverage package and a combination of three Chef’s Table dinners. Whereas unlimited specialty dining is included in my fare I did not need to look for the option to purchase a dining package. Just a caveat, I was able to purchase a Chef’s table package, BUT not make reservations for them. Here is what I have learned from Azamara customers who populate Cruise Critics’ Azamara forum. 1. In Comparison to other CC cruise line forums, I monitor or contribute to, the number of participants and issues discussed on CCs’ Azamara’s forum is relatively small and therefore very easy to track. That is a very good thing and a factor I’m sure doesn’t go unnoticed by Azamara corporate offices. 2. Past Azamara passengers appear to be an objective, loyal bunch that don’t go overboard flag waving and torching contributors with opposing views or comments. Even those who either don’t know how to or won’t use the search feature to find answers to common questions/situations. That said, some were very protective of the current system Az employees regarding post boarding booking of dining reservations. 3. Most posters truly like the Azamara brand and are genuinely concerned that recent changes in ownership and management signal a decline in product quality. 4. Some, maybe even many, posters like to compare Azamara to Oceana. A comparison I’ll reserve judgment on. The Azamara fleet appears to share footprint characteristics with Oceana. That said, DW and I were disappointed with our foray into the Oceana world and know, in most instances, we can get the same bang for less buck elsewhere. It was through CC’s Azamar Roll Call that I learned on Oct 19th (less than a month before departure from Lisbon) that Az had not sent us our “Booking Ticket”. All it took to get it was a promptly answered call on Oct 27th to Az. The call and email response took less than 3 minutes.

Just a heads up....Our journey begins tomorrow morning. This evening I am going to post my review of things to date. This will include a rehash of some of the issues previously discussed. I want to include them in this portion of the review for continuity sake.

Thanks for letting us join you on your adventure!

We had just missed it. BUT on one of our dives you could hear one or more talking. It was awesome!

On No!!!! Another Bed, Bath, and Beyond post!😂

In the summer of 1998, a group of six of us visited the Dom's cellar in Epernay. We took the tour of the cellar and enjoyed a tasting. We also bought a case of DP. If you are ever in the area, it is worth the visit! One night at my BIL's house in Germany we decided to have a bottle and ended up drinking the whole case. The DP pairing dinner should luscious, but i honestly can't justify spending the money.

I do not know if you can reserve handicap parking at the terminal. Per the Port of Miami's website athttps://www.miamidade.gov/portmiami/parking-information.asp vehicles with a handicap tag or permit (including those with a disabled veteran license plate) are not charged for parking. There is no mention of being able to reserve a space. As a disabled veteran, with disabled veteran license plates, I can verify that in, the State of Florida, vehicles with a handicap plate or permit are not charged for parking at Public cruise terminals and airport parking facilities.

We did a Papeete to Papeete cruise last November aboard one of NCL's smaller ships. We arrived 4 days early. Gave me 2 days for diving and time for pre-cruise sight seeing. The night we arrived it was pouring and we had rain the next 2 days. On both dive days I met up with a couple who arrived aboard a HAL ship. They embarked in Seattle. They told me that upon arrival in Hawaii it started raining and continued raining until that morning. They had been to French Polynesia many times and told me the best ship they had ever sailed on was the Paul Gauguin was the nicest ship they had sailed on. They described it as truly 5 Star. In that respect, a factor to consider is that the Paul Gauguin that only sails Polynesian waters. It is considered a local ship and is going to be extended docking privileges other ships may not receive. Maximum capacity of the Paul Gauguin is 332 passengers making it smaller than anything O sails. Many of the Islands have grown wearing of the crush of people cruise lines dump onto their Island and have imposed docking limits on the larger ships. Although we had an "overnight" stay at Bora Bora, the ship actually weighed anchor and the ship cruised in circles through out the night and drop anchor again the next day. It cleared up late afternoon of the 2nd day and remained clear and calm until the morning we anchored at Huahine. The weather was nice going ashore, but turned very bad enroute to the catamaran excursion we had booked. Bad enough that all the passengers decided to cancel. The weather cleared up that afternoon and remained clear for the remainder of the cruise and at least one day after disembarkation.

My wife's first husband (former Air Force) worked with NASA and spent some time in Huntsville.

learned something new!

Wow! The only time I've seen that happen was in Las Vegas. Never ever on any of the cruises we have been on. I am assuming you were diplomatically say he was bribing the staff to get priority seating or treatment. Is that so? I know on other lines I have cruised with that when you check in at the Maître d' your file reflects class of cabin. I don't know if it means anything regarding prioity seating, but the information is there.

Not yet, with it being the weekend and I've been busy. As we don't depart Rio until march 5th, no real rush to call at this time. Exactly! My first cruise with O I thought the drink package we purchased included liquor. Wrong...only beer and wine. I only drink when on a cruise and then top shelf brands. I was miffed to find I had to pay for a whiskey while DW was getting her wine for free. Shame on me for not thoroughly reading the T&C regarding the package, but I felt as if O had been disingenuous with their advertising.

For us it is a big IT glitch....21 day cruise @ $30 per day is significantly less than 21@69.95

I would imagen the same logic works for the last night at sea as well.

Interesting, I booked a March 2023 cruise in September that falls under the Simply More umbrella and they want to charge us $69.95 per person to upgrade to the prestige package. Must be a computer glitch.