DS

We did the Amazon on the Quest in Nov 2023 (Bridgetown to Buenos Aires--we actually started in Lisbon). We had had the cruise scheduled at least twice before and had it cancelled by Covid ( on both Azamara and Oceania). So, finally made it last fall! As some above have noted, it is a bucket list cruise for many (for us!). It is also not a cruise on the Mediterranean Rivera in the sense that the ports you visit have not been tourist traps for hundreds of years -- so, as expected, there was not the level of tourist infrastructure that one might be used to on other cruises. But, in some ways, that's the point! One port (Boca Da Valeria) was a simple village of about 100 people, with a single dock for the tender and a dirt path. To be sure, the villagers had become used to cruise ship stops and "hammed it up" a bit, but again, a once in a lifetime visit. Manaus on the other hand, is a city of more than 2 million, in the middle of nowhere, with a magnificent opera house (see below) where the Azamazing evening was held. Sure the water was muddy-- but it ALWAYS is in the river. We had no bug problem (and DW attracts them when they are around...), but we did have low water problems that caused one port to be skipped in the river. We also had engine problems that limited our speed to about 3/4 normal that compounded the issues. BUT, such adversity showed off some of Azamara's best features. Captain Johannes kept us up-to-date with constant communications on the engine issues, the effect of the low water ( again requiring slower speeds), etc. every single day ( and sometimes more often if new info was available). The line was also very generous with compensation on the missed port in the river and two more outside. So, we are very glad to have done it. Its not something we'll probably do again and again, but as a place that very few of us ever get to experience, it was worth it to us!

That sounds like a "traditional' Azamazaming Evening. As noted in (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2990719-azamara-seem-to-be-scaling-back-azamazing-evenings/page/3/#comment-67194925) I think three things are needed: Destination, Passenger involvemnt; performance. This seemed to have all three!

Based on past history, one would expect the Journey to do South Africa during the northern winter of 2025/26, the dates of the latest news-- you know, the one with no Journey in them. The Quest is doing South America, Pursuit, Asia, Onward, its world voyage. I don't know of anything about this itinerary that might be a world-trouble? Is it the ship? Or the individuaal ports?

We did get the email today, touting our loyality: "Because of your loyalty, we wanted to give you an exclusive sneak peek of our thrilling new itineraries" I guess its not so exculsive, since JazzBeau reported them on the web site more than 12 hr before the email. In the past, loyalty members were given a 24 hr head start to book desirable cruises and cabins... not so this time. Nor were we impressed with the itineraries, while a few new ports, not really new itineraries. And wondered why no Journey itineraries ( normally our favorite ship...). Also noted the much increased prices ... Overall impression: underwhelmed ( and a bit disappointed...)

Source of this info ??

We have been on more than 30 Azamara cruises and have had the opportunity to attend many “Azamazing Evenings.” Some have been fantastic and fascinating, some, not so much… I’ve found that the good ones contain three ingredients. The first is the Destination. We have had classical and historical opera houses and concert halls, 12th century churches, natural sites like Wadi Rum. We have also had a pier side, folding chairs set up, with a minimal stage so only the first three rows could see the magician (comment: not so good…). Once, a court yard between two building of a shopping center…yuck. In short, the Destination is important. The second is the involvement of the passengers – US! The best ones have had something special for us, either activities or food or something. We’ve had great “fair like” experiences of local activities, and others that merge with the performance (see Wadi Rum). We’ve had many that provide local food, etc. (including the bad location of the shopping center…). If that something is “dinner in the main dining room before/after the performance,” well…not a positive grade. Neither does a “whatever-area-buffet” in Windows or on deck. The third is the actual performance. It should be over and above what is normally available. In many ports Azamara brings on “local entertainment,” often of a folkloric nature—local songs and/or dances. That is good and appreciated—but it is not “azamazing.” The Azamazing Evening performance should be something that cannot be accomplished any old night in the Cabaret Theater—it should be something Azamazing. So… I really appreciate traditional “Azamazing Evenings” (even though we may not attend every one for any of a variety of reasons). “Destination Celebrations,” a wholly acceptable product of the pandemic, is not a substitute for “real’ Azamazing Evenings.” These, and “Onboard Azamazing Evenings” tend to violate all three of our essential characteristics.

Which ship is the 3 May cruise on? Can you post the email?

Thanks to you both

Does anyone know the current senior officers on the Journey? We board in a week...

Pray tell... new Aqualina menu? have you a copy?

ONWARD... 3rd leg world voyage: Papeete to Auckland NZ Capt Gianmario Staff Capt Daniela Chief Engineer Stanko Raji (he may have gotten on at Easter Island??) Hotel Dir Elizabeth Vogel CD Martin Lawson A/CD Roy " broken wrist" Ryan F&B Iwan Pennings Exec Chief Srinath only changes from leg 1/2 are the Captain and the Chief Engineer, and CD/ACD new on leg two after Eric went home Captain G stays until Dubai, when Capt Carl will return. Eric returns in Kong Kong **** all current plans, subject to change at the will of King Neptune and others...***

We ( ONWARD) made it to Easter Island and could land! A very nice day, weather and all. Proof:

We got today's email also. Its an entirely different offer than the December one... not 5% discount, but 5% OBC. Still, interesting... we have one cruise that will mostly be paid from existing Fut Cruise Credits, which we have not applied yet. Maybe we will do that (apply them), pay the small balance, and get the extra OBC ??

Just like Robin, we have often done it (I especially like the PC KFC appetizer, even when in AQ). So it took me by surprise when we were sternly rejected...

JUst a side note... we were in AQ two nights ago, and asked to see the Prime C menu. The assistant restaurant manager ( i.e., not a low level staffer) reluctantly got one for us, then told us we could not order from it, because "the ship was too full and that would stress the galley" (!!?!!) The ship has only about 500+ passengers, and we have been able to cross-order on all other ships on any cruise we were on before. Don't know why he said it, but be aware...

MDR and Prime C ( but not Aqualina) are open on WN

We were told by a "reliable source" on the Quest a couple of months ago that while they have the new Starlink system, they still have the old ( he called it the Royal") system as well until that contract runs out in April 24. At that point(last November), the guests were getting the old Royal setup unless they paid for the high speed. Even in his work internet, which was supposed to be the high speed link, sometimes they ended up with the slow speed one... We are now on the ONWARD, and internet coverage for 1 device was part of the booking promotion when we booked. We also have enough points/suite time to get another device full time. The first account we set up was given the high speed, while the second one is on the old, low speed system, or at least throttled back. So games are still being played... Here is a sped test I just did ( we are on a sea day)

We were on the Quest at about the same time and owing to its difficulty were also offered a FCC. We have not received an email yet, but it is visible in our "profile" on the Azamara onboard booking system-- i.e. the future sales people can see it and apply it to a new booking. They said our travel agent should also be able to see the FCC

On ONWARD ( 1st leg of World Voyage), Jan 5 out of Ft Lauderdale, bound for Lima Peru Captain Karl Smith Staff Capt Daniela Epuras Ch ENG Hans Jensen Hot DIR, Elizabeth Vogel CD Eric De Gray Asst CD Astrid Alphonso F&B Iwan Pennings Exec Chef Srinath Gokulanathan Capt Carl implied that he was getting off after leg 2 in Tahiti, but would be back at some non specified time; Eric made comment about getting off after leg 1, but rejoining in March. The original plan was for Elizabeth to be here for the whole 10 legs--- no info on if that has changed.

THIRD....We have been in Aurea Museum Hotel twice and love it. Great location near the port, near good restaurants, ... and the premier chocolate shop, a necessary stop in any port!

After discussions of electrical problems on a couple of ships, speed limitations, docking issues, and water restrictions, smoky air, I thought a lighter post might be appropriate… so, A PORT EXPERIMENT At first one may wonder why this is posted on “Anyone Currently Onboard.” Well, I am currently onboard, and the events to be discussed began in our port of departure, Lisbon, and continued onboard for almost two weeks. To be clear, this is not a discussion of ports like the Azores or Miami or Barbados or Rio. No, it is a discussion of port wine. And it includes aspects discussed on these boards about bringing wine onboard, and where best to get it before you board (without having to haul it from home on an airplane…) So, some specifics… We boarded the Quest in Lisbon on the way to Barbados and hence (B2B) to Buenos Aires by way of the Amazon River. Our hotel in Lisbon was about ¼ mile from the pier. Between the hotel and the pier was a store that offered port wine tastings and sales. Since the answer to “Can I bring wines onboard” is a clear YES, this store offers an easy option if the wine you are interested in is port and you are in Lisbon! Knowing that I enjoyed an occasional glass of port, and knowing that port was not included in the beverage package we had, DW suggested, kindly, that we check out this store and perhaps take a bottle onboard to enjoy in the evenings, perhaps at the show. In the store we found a very nice two-pack of ½ bottles, one a 10-year tawny and the other a 20-year tawny. An ideal set-up for an experiment, as I have never had 20-year tawny before: would it be twice as good as the 10-year? would I like it better? did my tastes just get more expensive? To eliminate any incorrect impressions, I am NOT a port expert. As noted, I enjoy an occasional glass, usually on a cruise or in a restaurant. Port is seldom in our home wine cellar: when we lived up north, a bottle on a cold winter night, in front of a roaring fire, was great; now that we are retired to Florida, not so much… I did recognize that my experiment could not be conducted with just any old glassware: one cannot use dixie cups or jelly glasses for such an important undertaking. With the help of our room steward, we were able to obtain two Riedel port glasses to be used in the experiment, an excellent way to remove many variables from the tests and insure a consistent presentation of the innate qualities of each test subject. So, how did we do this experiment and what were the results? The experiment was to be conducted over six (not necessarily consecutive) days. Day 1 we opened the 10-year bottle and put a “generous pour” in the glass. The generous pour was probably about twice what you would get in a commercial establishment, but I wanted a sufficient amount to conduct the experiment without skimping. I also figured that I could get 3 such “generous pours” from each half bottle, which fit the parameters of the test protocol. The bottle was re-corked and the same procedure carried out the next day, day 2. This meant I got to taste it just after removing the cork and again after about 24 hours of oxidation. The bottle was then recorked and placed in the refrigerator to suppress any further oxidation. This same process was repeated with the 20-year bottle on experiment day’s 3 and 4. (There were a couple of “off days” between day 2 and day 3 caused by other onboard activities.) Days 5 and 6 changed the protocol: in this case, the test was a head-to-head experiment between the 10-year and the 20-year. On these days I removed the port from the refrigerator when we went to dinner to allow it to gradually warm. After dinner and before the evening’s entertainment I returned to the cabin to prepare the night’s libations. I poured a normal size pour of each into a (separate, of course!) glass and conducted the tasting. On day 6 this process was repeated. But, I was surprised that there was sufficient port left in the bottles so that we could have a Day 7 of any even complete experiment! So, what were the results? Remembering my disclaimers above, you will not hear things about “black fruit” or “hints of cassis,” or (my all-time favorite wine descriptor…) “wet horse blanket.” Who even knows what a wet horse blanket tastes like!?! I’ll stick to the facts of what they looked like to me and how I liked the taste. First the 10-year, which I have had before (not necessarily this brand). It looked and tasted like I remembered it. Quite dark in appearance, and a very smooth taste, no hints of sharpness or astringency. It was very consistent between the first and second nights, and virtually the same on the nights 5 and 6 taste-offs (which ended about 10 days after first being opened). The 20-year, to my surprise, was noticeably lighted in color—even DW remarked on that. The taste was a bit sharper, with a bit of astringency, especially on the sides of my tongue. I thought that maybe it needed more time open, but noted the same things on the second night (experiment “day 4”). In the head-to-head part of the experiment, which started several days after the individual trials ended, I was surprised that the observations of differences in color and clarity remained, and the 20-year remained astringent. At the end of Day 6 I had made my choice: I enjoyed the 10-year more. It was smoother to me and the wine had a ricker, darker look. And then Day 7 (or, should I actually say, Event 7, since by now the first bottle had been opened for about 2 weeks) happened! By this point I could detect the beginning of deterioration in the 10-year: it was just beginning to get that taste of a bottle left unfinished for too long. And to my surprise, the 20-year sample was no longer as bitey; indeed, by the end of the glass it was actually quite smooth! So, my conclusions? Well, while Event 7 was a bit of a shocker, I really do not want to wait 10 of more days after opening the bottle to enjoy the first glass. Therefore, I will stick to my previous conclusion that I enjoyed the sight and taste of the 10-year more. The port experts may have an explanation for my observations; I do not. And since I’m sure the 10-year is not more expensive than the 20-year, my wallet is also happy!

Actually, @terry&mike have posted some other nice pictures and info on our trip on the "roll call" page. If interested in more Amazon stuff, see their excellent info: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2828028-november-18-2023-amazon-intensive-voyage/page/10/

We made it to Manaus! On our way back out the river. In both Manaus and Santarem we were originally scheduled to be docked, but had to revert to using tenders because of the water level. What does this actually look like? see attached. The water usually is at or near the top of the dock, with “floating docks” attached to it. You can see the floating dock (looks like a barge) now (with a bus on it) where the tenders dock. The water level is down 50 feet or more, and dropping another foot every 3-4 days! You can see lots of sand that used to be underwater (with some grass beginning to grow). The water level on shore is way to shallow for our ship.

Amazon update for Tuesday from onboard Quest Its 9:30 PM, ships time, and we are just hauling in anchor to leave Macapa, after picking up river pilot and specialist electricians, and clearing Brazilian customs/formalities—been anchored about 3 hours. Entered the Amazon this morning. Well before we could see land, we could see the muddy waters. After land was sighted, one could see areas where smoke was rising. Within a few hours the air was redolent with smoke, as it continues now, permeating into the cabins and other rooms onboard. The river flow out at about 3 knots, so our forward speed today has been reduced to 10-12 knots. There appeared to be a following wind this afternoon, so we ended up making good time to Macapa. Don’t expect updated itinerary until sometime tomorrow, after ship’s staff confers with river pilots, gets input from electricians, works with port agents and Miami on various stops. All-in-all, a nice day at sea with calm seas (rivers) until the smoke took over in midafternoon. As noted, tomorrow’s planned stop in Santarem has been cancelled, so expect another sea day—hopefully with less smoke

On the next Quest cruise: Barbados to Buenos Aires via the Amazon River. All the senior officers listed above are still on with the exception of the Cruise Director and Asst CD: New are: Stephen Millet ( from Journey) as CD Justin Schneyer, ACD (When CD Amanda left on Saturday, she still did not know if she was coming back to Quest or to Journey...) Richard, who was leaving in BA on the last cruise has been extended into January...