DS

WE had a Svalbard cancelled for COVId and eagerly await the next oppotunity ( if its with Johannes, a BONUS!).... BUt where are the 2024 cruises??????

but understandle recogniztion of these guests.... BUt gueeees.... this interface is terrible!

Ohh.... so it is the "best guests" who happen to get the best food and drinks.... Again, I say, BAD NAME, but understandable re

Thanks UKTOG... especailly for the shjp-board summary at the end. We had freinds on this voyage as well and got good reports

Who gets invited to the "best of the best" ? Can anyone go and experiecne the best food and the best wine?

Frankly, I find the phrase "Best of the Best" offensive.... No problem with big suite quests getting a special dinner, but please... a bit of humility/ equality/ whatever....

I'm assuming that your cruise in on the Pursuit starting in Rome on Nov 19th ??? If so, while there are no AzAmazing Evenings or Destination Celebrations ( on board) listed, the only possilbe days are the late stay in Barcelone on 21 Nov, and the two nights in Seville ( 26 and 27 Nov)

Phil.... like your idea of a "who's in charge now" thread... hope passengers will fill it out! It would still be nice to know who the senior officers just a few months in advance.... surly Azamara know that, modulo the rare resign-now. Doesn't have to be a year and a half in advance ( although it would be nice for booking purposes), but useful as we get ready to board

Martinis with complementary spirits are included... as are Manhattans and gin gimlets.... I have one or the other or the other almost every night!

Try this: https://secure.cruisingpower.com/choiceair/protected/home.do?brand=C

See post 22 on the board below for the list of all beverages in the 2 packages ( no desert wines other tha port were listed on the Ultimate package, but the premium ( which is included in ultimate) had some sherry and grappa, if you consider those desert wines......) https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2865688-current-wine-list-help/#comment-63598342

We've often used the TV to view menus on Quest (and Journey). But can't do it on Pursuit, as they don't have the intereactive TV.... used to have a smartphone app, but that has gone by the wayside--- so can't see account or menu's or ... WHAT DOES ONWARD HAVE???

Baring Holidays or wekends, do not expect to be informed of your success/failure until 72 hours before boarding. Admittedly this is very late for people traveling from afar. (We were once informed after we were at the airport!). But that is the way they are doing it now. SO.... don't give up too soon. Most recent cruises have been well below capacity, so many bids are accepted.... just not too soon...

We recently did a pre-boarding test in Copenhagen that cost $20 USD... I'd gladly pay twice that or more to guarentee that the people next door, or at the next table, or on the same exursion, did not bring it onboard. Azamara can't guarentee that people won't be infected on shore during the cruise, but they could do more to insure that it is not brought aboard by infected travelers on embarkcation (see recent ONWARD voyage where many cases were observed in early days). Other comments on this board that people are purposly concealing their infection because "they don't want to be inconvenienved" are all the more reason for the Line to take a strict stand on people before boarding... I doubt that people will cancel because testing is required; I'm sure people will be happy that such assurances are in place. We're already investing thousands of dollars in the trip... an addditaion 20 or 40 or 100 to increase the odds we have a safe and enjoyable one, not isolated in a cabin with "haz-mat served meals" is certainly worth it to me!

We have been on 6 cruises since the "restart" and while there are definitily differences, mainly COVID related, there are none that I can attibute to the new owners. One change that has been discussed is the new complimentary wine program.... but that was in the works before the pandemic. (I'm not happy with it, and it seems that it might be changing.... hope so...). Other changes (corkage fees, drink selection, etc. etc.) may be good or bad on one's opinipn, but are hardly a major change by the new owners. BUT... the key thing to us is that the crew is still the best, the service is still great. The Senior Officers are, to be sure, a bit less visible, but that's undertstandable and surely not new-owner-related. I think it is COVID related, and the fact that given the expanded fleet, we have a whole bunch of new senior officers, who are still learning their jobs. Some have expressed concern about favorite senior officers leaving ( e.g. Heike). While we are truly sad for that departure, it, in itself, is not a reflection of new owners.... now if we get 4 or 5 more... different conclusion! So, I choose to remain optimistic until we see a definitive reaons not to!

They actually make it extremely easy for back to back guests. You get your new room key at the day-before meeting mentioned above. You can also make speciality restaurant reservations and shore excurion reservations at this time, beating the boarding day rush of other passengers. (SO.... its important to attend this meeting!) On change over day you have to "check out" and then "check in" for the new cruise. They usualy do this about 9 AM in the Caberet. The process usually takes 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the number of back to back guests. If you want to do this earlier, they make arrangments. At that pont you are free to leave the ship and return at any time. Lately they have had a special lunch in Aquilina for back to back guest who are still onboard. If you are changing staterooms, the stewards and bulters do almost all the work, and it is effortless ( other than packing your suitcase of loose items.... things hanging in the closets are moved as is.). That usually happens close to 9 AM, as they take care to prepare your new room first. We have done this twice since the restart... once in the same room, and once changing staterooms... all were accomplished smoothly.... and many times in the "Before Times".

As with many others who have posted, we prefer longer cruises / back-to backs ( to backs...), if only to limit air travel. For this reason, we do not like repeated 'COUNTRY intensives". For example at one point we had an Alaska to Japan curise, followed by Japan to Hong Kong. The second cruise was replaced by a Japan intensive ( and then another Japan intensive!). We cancelled ( and then the whole thing was cancelled, if I recall, by COVID). Another example.... repeated Med trips between Athens, Rome, Barcelona, etc. ( with slightly modified itineraries to be sure, but much overlap), while another ship does repeated Northern Europe trips, Great Britian, Norway, Baltic. Why not have one ship make the "grand voyage" from Athens or where ever all the way to Northen Europe, while the other does the reverse itinerary? People who are interested in a particular place can book accordingly; people who are interested in a longer, non repeative cruse can also be accommidated. So, please come up with some itineraries that allow a 20 or 30 or 40 day cruise without multiple stops at the same port (s).

For the record: two cruises in OCtober with Destination Celebrations.... ONWARD 10 Oct from Ravenna... Destination Celebation is in Livorno the first night ( 18 Oct): "Celebrate your arrival to Florence with the best of Italian opera - a performance by Incanto Quartet accompanied by a pianist. Grab a drink and mingle with guests during the cocktail time, then take your seat and hear the sounds of four sopranos that combine their classical training and pop-crossover evolution to create beautiful music. Delight in the precious synthesis of traditional Neapolitan and Italian songs and modern and contemporary pieces in a natural acoustic, free from any electronic processing." And on the next cruise, Isalnds of the Med, Falmenco Fusion in Palma on OCt 26: Descriptoin vague at this time: "Soak up traditional and contemporary culture with an exclusive night filled with music, dance, and more. This private, bespoke Destination Celebration event delivers authentic travel moments that bring you closer to your destination, its culture and its people. We’re busy developing a unique experience for your voyage which will be available soon."

Nope.... only beer I had on the Pursuit was Becks

We just got off the Pursuit on Saturday past. I brought paper copies of all the beverage packages home and scanned them in. (Assuming I can do things right...) they are attached below. Note that all of them say "All selections subject to change and availability" ( although the Premium package says "all sections"...) AZ Ultimate Beverage.pdf AZ Prem Beverage.pdf AZ Comp Beverages.pdf

We just got off the Pursuit on Saturday past. I brought paper copies of all the beverage packages home and scanned them in. (Assuming I can do things right...) they are attached below. Note that all of them say "All selections subject to change and availability" ( although the Premium package says "all sections"...) AZ Ultimate Beverage.pdf AZ Prem Beverage.pdf AZ Comp Beverages.pdf

We just got off the Pursuit on Saturday past. I brought paper copies of all the beverage packages home and scanned them in. (Assuming I can do things right...) they are attached below. Note that all of them say "All selections subject to change and availability" ( although the Premium package says "all sections"...) AZ Ultimate Beverage.pdf AZ Prem Beverage.pdf AZ Comp Beverages.pdf

No COVID announcements on Pursuit, nine days into cruise; have seen no haz mat suits or heard any rumors; only 294 pax; very few masks; hallways are mostly empty given # of passengers

On board the Pursuit: Food and entertainment Overall we have found the food to be good. In Prime C and Aqualina, with full menus, it seems better than the cruises we took in the spring and winter. In the MDR, we have been disappointed, not in the food, but the menus… we’ve retreated upstairs a couple of times because we could not find a tempting dish at the MDR… fortunately with 40% occupancy, we could be fit in, even without a reservation. When we have eaten in the MDR is has been fine… as always, EXCELLENT service. Lunches in the Windows have not seemed as good to me… although the potato chips and beer are FINE! For entertainment, we had a destination celebration in Gdansk (AzAmazing evening held on board). It was billed as a “Classical Violin”… but it was less than classical, IMHO. The solo violinist – who spoke NOT A SINGLE word, in English or Polish the entire evening—was accompanied by a recorded sound track with a very heavy bass beat. While some of the pieces were based on classical music, each piece was more frenetic than the one before. All in all, not to my taste. The Captain said that they hope to begin real AzAmazing evenings by the end of the year (as reported elsewhere on these boards…) Last night we had a real “White Nights” party on deck (not the “Bright Nights” scattered around inside. Although, being in Helsinki, it was not Night…. The sun did not set until after 10:30 PM, so the entire show was in daylight. (Compensation: sunrise before 4:30 AM!) There have been two production shows, and the Cruise Director show. Although different shows from the Quest earlier this year, not much overall difference. In Tallin they brought a local group aboard for a “folkloric” show… that word scared us off, and I heard no comments from other passengers over the next day or so about it. Tonight is a solo show by the lead male singer… late info… was quite good… he has a good voice ( NOTE: the assistant cruise director, Lee, is NOT an entertainer, so has no show.)

They generally don't notify you until about 3 days before the cruise. WE had one accepted for our current cruise that left July 6 from Copenhagen and got the notification 5 days before.... "early" probably because of weekend and 4th of July