Photo Review- 1st Timer on Journey: Questions Were Asked, Answers Were Learned!

[Familygoboston]

Familygoboston: Love your style and your "running" review! Really enjoying your perspective too. We were on the Journey after you, and it's nice to compare and contrast. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Thank you! So many friends we met were continuing on from Caldera to LA...hope it was a good sail! I'm anxious to hear all about it!

As a fellow introvert, I can say it's never been a problem! Rest easy!

 

So glad you could reassure, I didn't mean to make it sound like its a 24 hour party! ;)

[amarillocruisecat]

DW and I are taking our first cruise on Azamara this October. I must say your wonderful review style is fabulous. I can't wait to check it every day to see what new and wonderful information you've shared. Love your attitude also. Very refreshing after reading some of the negative comments from others.

 

Can't wait to see what's next.

 

Thanks

[Familygoboston]

DW and I are taking our first cruise on Azamara this October. I must say your wonderful review style is fabulous. I can't wait to check it every day to see what new and wonderful information you've shared. Love your attitude also. Very refreshing after reading some of the negative comments from others.

 

Can't wait to see what's next.

 

Thanks

 

Wow, that is like really high praise! Thank you! Thank you for setting an impossible bar for the next 9 days of cruise that I now must review :eek:

 

Ok, so just kidding you!

 

Now I can go negative, but I find I really need something to be negative about. I don't get negative when things aren't perfect. Not perfect is pretty much what life is...entropy, you know. What makes me negative is when I feel people being paid to provide some service or product don't care if it's perfect, or if it's good or even horribly bad (I'm looking at you, airlines!) What I discovered on Azamara, was people cared. If something wasn't perfect, I might let it go, or if it really affected my experience I might mention it. And the people I mentioned it to cared enough to a) remember me and my concern, b) take the time to find a satisfying resolution for everyone. Was my trip "perfect"? - no, but the people providing me with the experience CARED that it was perfect, and strived for that. It's hard to get too fussed up about the color of the carpet or a clingy shower curtain when people bring that kind of passion to their work!

 

More to come tomorrow, tonight (hand to God we did this) we watched the whole Academy Awards on DVR (skipping the deserving but somewhat dull categories) because we wanted to watch with our DD who is home from college on spring break (she's a WILD one !) :p

Edited March 7, 2016 by Familygoboston

[pvkatmom]

Thank you so much for your amazing photos (I agree with others that they are so terrific, some should go in Azamara's brochure)! And I am also just loving your commentary on everything-- so enjoyable to read, as you are so witty and upbeat! You make your readers smile or laugh out loud-- this one, anyway. Going to show DH all your photos tmw. We were on Journey for Christmas/New Years 2014 trip and loved it (Buenos Aires-Rio). This upcoming Christmas 2016 we are on Journey for Singapore/Indonesia /Bali. We were a bit worried about the "re-imagining," as we thought the ship was just great as it was and loved the friendly vibe from the crew and fellow pax. There was a lot of concern (many posts) by the CC Azamara faithful about the potential loss of the Sunset Bar and loss of tubs in the Club Continent suites-- but Azamara listened, and both were retained (still some tubs). So yay, Azamara, and @family, I SALUTE YOU for all your time and hard work you put into this thread. Sending thanks and hugs from Southern California, you rock!

[Wacktle]

Don't miss the Usb port...it's got gorgeous beaches! :p

 

Ok, I'm just kidding you! As Maverine pointed out most cameras, computers and smart phones charge with a cable called a usb cable...the usb port is a power outlet that allows high tech passengers like ourselves to keep our devices topped up on energy! Low tech passengers won't notice or miss them ;)

 

Ah, that made me laugh! Thanks for the info too (and to Maverine).

[dramirez]

Thank you for an excellent review. I have been considering a cruise on Azamara and have read your reviews on on Royal Caribbean.

 

Can you please tell me if the dining room seats were comfortable? From the dining room picture that you posted, it looks as though the back of the chair is quite low. Is this the case? I like to be comfortable when dining so I thought I would ask.

 

Thank you for all the time and effort you put into your reviews - it is appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Diane

[Familygoboston]

Thank you so much for your amazing photos (I agree with others that they are so terrific, some should go in Azamara's brochure)! And I am also just loving your commentary on everything-- so enjoyable to read, as you are so witty and upbeat! You make your readers smile or laugh out loud-- this one, anyway. Going to show DH all your photos tmw. We were on Journey for Christmas/New Years 2014 trip and loved it (Buenos Aires-Rio). This upcoming Christmas 2016 we are on Journey for Singapore/Indonesia /Bali. We were a bit worried about the "re-imagining," as we thought the ship was just great as it was and loved the friendly vibe from the crew and fellow pax. There was a lot of concern (many posts) by the CC Azamara faithful about the potential loss of the Sunset Bar and loss of tubs in the Club Continent suites-- but Azamara listened, and both were retained (still some tubs). So yay, Azamara, and @family, I SALUTE YOU for all your time and hard work you put into this thread. Sending thanks and hugs from Southern California, you rock!

Oh, thank you! I put my two cents in on Cruise Critic about the Sunset bar/dining area myself before I sailed when I saw the plans called for a change. I expressed that that area was one that had "tipped the scales" for us to choose Azamara...the idea of dining outside at the buffet (and the international nights) at night really appealed to us! I was impressed by the responsiveness, and we did dine there twice for dinner and a couple of breakfasts. Lunchtime it was tougher to find a table out there.

Thanks for the southern Cali hugs ...could use some sunshine...it's officially "mud season" here in NE!

 

Ah, that made me laugh! Thanks for the info too (and to Maverine).

 

Know that I was laughing WITH you, not AT you! But I couldn't resist!!:D

[ostreidae]

My wife and I have been following your cruise. Last March we sailed the Miami to Caldera/Caldera to Miami B2B and it was one of our favorite Azamara cruises. The tours and tour guides in Costa Rica were wonderful. We are still talking about the scream of the howlers. Your review brought back many good memories.

 

We will be on the March 16 West Indies/Temples B2B and were interested in your impressions of the ship. Thank you for your photos, which weren't the glossy standard publicity shots we have been seeing on the boards and Twitter. Not that we haven't enjoyed the publicity shots, but your photos seemed more realistic. Real people enjoying a good cruise. We are HUGE Azamara fans and eager to see the new decor in person. We have been following the reimagine as it progresses on social media. (Let me take a second to give a shout out to Host Andy for jumping into the breach on the first cruise out of dry dock. Terrific job Andy. Thank you.)

 

Thanks for clothesline trick. My wife used to make use of the pull out quit a bit. The rubber band look as if it will suffice until the clotheslines are replaced at some point.

 

FYI - This is my first Cruise Critic post after years of lurking on the sidelines. I apologize in advance for all formatting errors.

 

Jim

Edited March 7, 2016 by ostreidae

[Familygoboston]

Feb 8 Sea Day

 

Will we survive 2 and half days at sea?

 

I know, I know, we aren't clinging to a door in the North Atlantic like Jack and Rose, but...

We knew there would be a lot of sea days to get the ship from Miami to Cartegena, we just didn't know if we could survive them. Usually, when we sail (or tour) our itinerary is pretty go, go, GO! We are active people who regularly hike and bikes dozens of miles in a week. Take Zumba classes, walk the dog, cross country ski, or kayak. We like to be OUT and we don't sit well, we can do the beach thing for a couple of hours...if we have snorkels and a kayak, we can make a day of it. But they discourage kayaks in the pool! So we really didn't know how the multiple sea days would go.

 

It started out pretty well, we enjoyed sleeping in, and we headed to breakfast and found BurningCo and her hubby at a 4 top on the Sunset Verandah area and enjoyed breakfast with them. We chatted till 10:30 then made our way to hear Port Lecturer Chuck Richardson's talk about Cartagena.

 

Chuck is an "actual" port lecturer, a former university professor who shared information about the history, geography, culture and sights to see. What he did not do was try to sell us anything. That's how I define "actual" port lecturer versus a sales person who plays one on a cruise ship. I like that my all inclusive fair included someone with some knowledge and experience with the destination, who shared that in an interesting and humorous way. Chuck did this all week long...for each of our ports and for the Panama Canal experience, he had an entertaining 45 minute slide presentation that touched all the major points. Even if I hadn't read a thing about the destination before I attended, after I left his lecture, I could expect to visit the country without making a complete fool of myself!

 

Chuck Richardson giving his Panama Canal Talk

 

 

 

 

 

At noon we went to the gym to work out, we thought it would be quieter at that time. We ran into a little trouble for using the spin bikes. We really didn't mean to be all bad ^&% and break the rules, but when we arrived (well after any scheduled classes in that space) there was already a fellow on one of the spin bikes (Dr Mike). We noticed that the single stationary bike had an out of order sign on it. DH has some special circumstances with his health that make the stationary bicycle one of the few ways he can get cardio work done in a gym, so we joined Dr Mike on the spin bikes. The three of us spun, happily chatting for about a 1/2 hour when the fitness staff member arrived in the gym and told us DH and I couldn't ride the spin bikes. Company policy, Dr Mike had a special exemption.

 

Chastised, I immediately moved to an elliptical, but DH asked if he could stay to finish and explained his health reasons for not being able to use the other equipment. She allowed him to stay, but told him - only for that day. It never got contentious, that's not our style- but we had the feeling it was her gym, and we no longer felt welcome in it.

 

Going to the gym when we can't get off the ship is an important part of our cruise experience, especially if we wanted to survive the sea days. Maybe it was just a bad day for the fitness staff member, but after that point we did not get what I would call "great customer service". We left the gym feeling very disappointed, this was a real low point of our cruise. There had been a few service miscues in the Windows Cafe the first day when we were virtually ignored by staff. (After later having overwhelmingly positive experiences there, I really think waiters may have been stretched a little thin entertaining all the lookey loos and muckey mucks that were touring the ship before it left Miami, as well as having to serve everyone on the buffet.)

 

After the workout we moved onto our deck to relax until we were ready for a late lunch. We were both feeling badly about the cruise and worrying about what we would do with the upcoming 2 sea days. We were feeling a little bit ignored and mistreated on a ship full of new friends who kept telling us service was "wonderful"! I was literally near tears at this point...I had advocated for this cruise vs other lines and we had another AZ booked for a big anniversary and we weren't feeling good about it. Our basic thought was "we could be treated like this for half the price"

 

Luckily, we ran into those same friends later in the day, and after hearing our story, they felt it was very uncharacteristic and they encouraged us to bring it up with the Hotel Director, Richard. We happened to run into him on his way to a crew drill the next day. We quickly explained our experience in the fitness room and he said that didn't sound right to him. He took our cabin number and promised to get back to us. The next time we saw him, he remembered us and said he was working on our issue, and the next day Richard approached us with news that the we could use the spin bikes for the rest of the cruise and that the stationary bike would be repaired. (that was done by the 3rd or 4th day of the cruise) It still felt a little awkward going to the fitness room, but we did and the staff member was very polite and helpful. We were very pleased with response by Richard and the resolution and spent several mornings biking with Dr Mike!

 

We went to Windows buffet and it was jammed! After circling for a table, we found one empty but not cleaned or cleared. The waiters quickly cleared it and brought drinks promptly. Another couple joined us, as space was limited. And I started to feel better.

 

After lunch we went to Discoveries to peak at the menu and decided to dine there in the evening. After a walk on the deck, a frozen yogurt and a nice chat with a fellow passenger from Australia, then we retired to our room for a nap! It had started to rain, so a plan to stay on the pool deck in the afternoon didn't work, instead we discovered the Internet minutes and checked in with family and friends, where a big snowstorm happened!

 

I'm posting a "sample menu" to give everyone an idea of what the menus look like and might include. I resisted taking photos of food and menus because it's my understanding that the menus are still being "tweaked". Also we didn't eat in Discoveries every night, so I don't have experience with all the menus. And lastly, Host Andy and Bonnie have mentioned they would be posting menus when they are confirmed. But this gives newbies an idea!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At dinner time, we went to the Discoveries Lounge for drinks and ran into a couple of our new friends and sat and had a drink with them. Shortly, it was not long before more of us folks who had arranged tours together on line gathered and we had a table of 8 and made our way into the dining room. All 8 of us had a lively and fun dinner together from 6:30-9:00.

 

After dinner, we went to the Captain's Reception in the Cabaret and stayed for the magician, Mandy Muden. Many is described as a Cabaret Magician. We found her show very funny and entertaining! Sometimes the humor was in the magic she DIDN'T make!!

 

 

 

 

 

We went up to check out the Mowtown hits with DJ Eddie in the Living Room, but it was very quiet up there and we decided to take a walk on the promenade, but discovered it was raining. We found that in the evenings, the entertainment offered was of excellent quality, but if the particular offering didn't interest you, you really didn't have any other choices, that is the downside of the smaller ship. Despite CD Eric's earlier admonishment to try to get guests to stay up..."10,11,12 ...minutes past 10" by 10:45, we were headed to bed instead. We had survived Sea Day 1 (barely!)

[Familygoboston]

FEB 9: SEA DAY

 

We were promised a day of spirited seas by Capt. Johannes, and we got one! We went up to the pool deck and settled into one of the new "nest" cabanas on deck in the shade. Being further south, the day was much warmer and sunnier. The pool area began to fill, but there were always pairs of chairs available. The new pool towels are huge sheets longer than the chairs and still very fluffy! We noticed the pool attendants moving old towels off within 20-30 minutes, but we also didn't notice any "chair hogs"; everyone was in their chair or moved off and left towels in such a way it was obvious that they were moving on. Although it wasn't a super hot day, we did notice there were always some chairs available around the pool and certainly more on the sun deck. Azamara is a line that doesn't usually feature many sea days, so it was nice to see they were geared up to deal with a full ship in the pool area.

 

We enjoyed an afternoon on the pool deck, with the band playing

 

 

 

 

 

And I became known for ordering virgin strawberry daiquiris. I order one at the pool at 10 AM and suck down like a smoothie, and my fellow passengers would be in awe that I could start drinking at 10, and suck it down in 20 minutes, lol! I didn't disabuse them of the notion that I was pounding rum drinks since dawn, and I'm sure they thought I should probably be at the Friends of Bill meeting!

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a Officer's BBQ, with the senior officers serving. This seemed especially popular with the repeat passengers as they had a chance to connect with the officers. The Windows buffet was quite a bit quieter today because of the BBQ, which featured a variety of meats, nachos, chili, fried chicken, mac and cheese, ribs, and a carving station. The regular Windows Cafe still featured the pair of soups, salad bar and the same amount of hot specialties as usual.

 

After lunch, we made our way to our cabin for a short nap before

attending Chuck Richardson's Panama Canal 101 lecture - A Man, A Plan, And a Canal- Panama about the geology of the Panama Canal and the story of the France's attempt to build the canal before the US tried to build the canal. The next day's lecture would be PC 102- where we will learned about the American success - at least we hope it was a success or we will be sailing there in vain!

 

During Chuck's talk, the seas picked up a bit and many of us started feeling the effects of the seas- which can happen when watching a screen in an interior lounge forward on the ship! Again we retreated to our room for some Bonine and a quick nap.

 

 

After our nap, we felt refreshed and cleaned up to go up to the living room for some tapas. The spread was very nice. There were, empanadas, tiny cups of gazpacho, delicious grilled seasoned tail on shrimp, prosciutto with asparagus, as well as a couple of others. Each portion was adorable in size and very nicely made with fresh, original ingredients. Each day the offerings changed a bit. We enjoyed the view and the opportunity to have a glass of wine and a little snack before getting ready for dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

Geography Trivia was going on, I noticed DH starting to listen to the questions and signaling answers to Gardendog's team, so I knew it was time to leave! I try to keep DH away from trivia or people and feelings get hurt, Hubby considers trivia blood sport and it gets embarrassing! (for more on why see our PG review!) So we just stayed for the last bit, and moved on after our snacks.

 

With the motion of the ship, we found ourselves a bit queasy again being way up on deck 9 forward!

To settle our tummies, we headed out onto the starboard promenade deck to get some fresh air, and enjoy a beautiful peek a boo sunset through the clouds on the distant horizon. Our balcony was on the port side and was quite windy so the promenade deck was a comfortable place to relax.

 

About 6:15 we headed inside for an early dinner at Discoveries. I had crab cakes, cucumber salad and the pasta of the night with seafood. It was all excellent. DH had onion soup which is available every night, and a entree chicken salad that was served with a soy sauce and Asian slaw. He wasn't feeling tip top, so he did not enjoy it, but that did not mean it wasn't a good dish. It was my dessert that caused the stir...the tables around us all looked on with interest as I tackled a chocolate fondue - a small cup of chocolate with several fruits and brownies and marshmallow to dip. Yummy! We dined alone, but were seated alongside a lovely couple from Australia and had a wonderful chat.

 

 

The show for the evening was a cabaret singer, Marcos French with the Journey Orchestra and a new show by the Piano and Clarinet duo- Virtuosos.

 

We decided instead to chat with friends and check out the jewelry shop- where we learned that there was not an object there for sale for much less than $1000. I know that at least one item retailing for almost $1000 in the jewelry shop is available in my home town mall for about 1/2- 2/3 the price. We decided not to spend our OBC's in the fine jewelry shop.

 

After a quiet evening, the seas settled a bit, and rocked us to sleep.

 

It was the end of sea day 2...we had survived! One 1/2 sea day left!!

 

[Familygoboston]

Thank you for an excellent review. I have been considering a cruise on Azamara and have read your reviews on on Royal Caribbean.

 

Can you please tell me if the dining room seats were comfortable? From the dining room picture that you posted, it looks as though the back of the chair is quite low. Is this the case? I like to be comfortable when dining so I thought I would ask.

 

Thank you for all the time and effort you put into your reviews - it is appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Diane

 

Hi Diane- We had heard concerns about them on line before we sailed, so we paid some attention to them. Here's what we noticed...they are very low backed,and when you scan across the Discoveries dining room you realize why...by being low, they create a clean line across the room, making it appear much more airy. My DH is 6 foot 6 inches tall, and he didn't feel at all uncomfortable. No one on board complained about chair comfort and we didn't see anyone leaving early or resettling because of chair discomfort.

If you feel like the low chairs won't work for you, the center area under the chandelier has some chairs that are higher profile, and you could request to be seated in that area.

 

I'm posting the DR picture again...so you can see what I mean!

 

 

My wife and I have been following your cruise. Last March we sailed the Miami to Caldera/Caldera to Miami B2B and it was one of our favorite Azamara cruises. The tours and tour guides in Costa Rica were wonderful. We are still talking about the scream of the howlers. Your review brought back many good memories.

 

We will be on the March 16 West Indies/Temples B2B and were interested in your impressions of the ship. Thank you for your photos, which weren't the glossy standard publicity shots we have been seeing on the boards and Twitter. Not that we haven't enjoyed the publicity shots, but your photos seemed more realistic. Real people enjoying a good cruise. We are HUGE Azamara fans and eager to see the new decor in person. We have been following the reimagine as it progresses on social media. (Let me take a second to give a shout out to Host Andy for jumping into the breach on the first cruise out of dry dock. Terrific job Andy. Thank you.)

 

Thanks for clothesline trick. My wife used to make use of the pull out quit a bit. The rubber band look as if it will suffice until the clotheslines are replaced at some point.

 

FYI - This is my first Cruise Critic post after years of lurking on the sidelines. I apologize in advance for all formatting errors.

 

Jim

 

Jim, thank you! I'm pleased that I managed to get you out of the shadows! Welcome back to the "light"! So you transited the PC TWICE!! Holey, moley, that's a whole lotta locks!;) Yes, one of the wonderful things about Costa Rica is that the guides are all nationally certified, and they have an excellent reputation! When we get to CR- I'll post a little homage I wrote about the guides!

 

The rubber band clothes line worked like a charm! One of the advantages is that when you tuck a corner of the item into the rubber band, it dries faster than laying an item over itself on a pull out line. (I don't carry clips with me) Also, when someone took a shower, we moved the whole line with everything attached to another location in the cabin (between handles on the closet worked well.

 

Reposting the clothes line in case someone missed it:

 

 

 

 

 

As for the photos...Thank you for the compliments, DH gets what he sees, so we don't get to clear the ship of people for a photo;) But I agree, it's fun to see regular people enjoying their cruise too!

[Hoyaheel]

Curious about the spin bikes (you, or someone else, has mentioned in another thread?) Did they allow just you & your husband to use those bikes, or did Richard clarify with the fitness center staff that the bikes should be available to everyone when a spin class is not in session?

 

(re clotheslines, we have a "tactical" clothesline of braided latex - same thing - works great and I love it though the shoulders of clothing can get annoying wrinkles. Not an issue for "smalls" as that's usually what I'm washing in the cabin and no one will see....When I make sure to ask about the presence - or not - of a clothesline in a hotel room or ship cabin, it's so I know whether or not to pack my own clothesline....Just seeking info, not being a cranky puss:D)

[Gina]

Familygoboston, thank you for your detailed review and photos. I am eagerly following along. My first Azamara Journey cruise isn't until December 2018, so I have plenty of time to gather as much information as possible. I will be traveling solo, were there many solos on your sailing?

[excitedofharpenden]

Thanks for the photos and details of the tapas area in the Living Room. Looks and sounds great:cool:

 

Phil

[Familygoboston]

Curious about the spin bikes (you, or someone else, has mentioned in another thread?) Did they allow just you & your husband to use those bikes, or did Richard clarify with the fitness center staff that the bikes should be available to everyone when a spin class is not in session?

 

(re clotheslines, we have a "tactical" clothesline of braided latex - same thing - works great and I love it though the shoulders of clothing can get annoying wrinkles. Not an issue for "smalls" as that's usually what I'm washing in the cabin and no one will see....When I make sure to ask about the presence - or not - of a clothesline in a hotel room or ship cabin, it's so I know whether or not to pack my own clothesline....Just seeking info, not being a cranky puss:D)

I don't think the policy changed on board, I think that the officer involved wanted to make sure that the expression of it was done properly and politely.

And took initiative to meet DHs needs, which to me is an example of excellent customer service.

No retractable clothesline, so yes, bring along your own!

 

Familygoboston, thank you for your detailed review and photos. I am eagerly following along. My first Azamara Journey cruise isn't until December 2018, so I have plenty of time to gather as much information as possible. I will be traveling solo, were there many solos on your sailing?

That's great! I didn't notice a lot of singles, but I I did see there is a singles meeting every single (ha ha) day right around 5 pm. I think the idea is that it goes you all,a chance to connect before dinner, so no knew is dining solo! Have a great cruise!

[Familygoboston]

Thanks for the photos and details of the tapas area in the Living Room. Looks and sounds great:cool:

 

Phil

 

It was yummy! Wish we had made it up there more often!

[perfect match]

I have a question about your clothesline. I am wondering what you attach it to in the shower. :confused: I tried to expand your picture on my tablet, but I couldn't quite see the ends or what they were attached to. I might try this eeven when a pull out line is present, or if we need a bit more drying space than the pull out line provides. I am not above "borrowing" a great idea! :D

 

Thanks for sharing your cruise. I am really enjoying cruising along with you.

[pvkatmom]

Glad to hear that your dinner in Discoveries was yummy, and I can't wait to eat tapas in the Living Room! Sad to hear about your experience in the gym, my husband uses it almost every day unless we're on an all day excursion. He doesn't do the spin bikes, but I find it VERY odd (and inhospitable) that they wouldn't be available for all guests to use (except when there is a spin class). While we're active at home too (yeah, Zumba (me), running (DH), golf, hiking with our dog and lifting weights (both of us)), I am perfectly happy on sea days to sleep in, then go to a dance class, play trivia, go to a lecture, and lie by the pool or elsewhere and read or do crossword puzzles. We rather enjoy sea days as a rest-break from the ports, as like you, we really try to "pack it all in"/see as much as we possibly can when in port and often walk for 6-8 hours looking around or on an excursion. Do try to dine at Prime C and Aquilina at some point on your trip, we enjoyed both of them very much. I admit that we went to those venues pretty often since we had a Club Continent suite (because we just have to have a bathtub to loll and relax in, especially if we've walked 6 or 8 hours...). But we also enjoyed Discoveries for dinner and a Mexican night at the evening buffet (the guacamole was excellent!). I hope the rest of your trip is wonderful and look forward to hearing more about it!

[Familygoboston]

I have a question about your clothesline. I am wondering what you attach it to in the shower. :confused: I tried to expand your picture on my tablet, but I couldn't quite see the ends or what they were attached to. I might try this eeven when a pull out line is present, or if we need a bit more drying space than the pull out line provides. I am not above "borrowing" a great idea! :D

 

Thanks for sharing your cruise. I am really enjoying cruising along with you.

That's the genius of it! Because the elastic a are sticky and stretchy, you can attach to anything that has a knob! I attached it to the shower handle and looped it around the shelf in the other side.

I stole it from CC, so pass it along! ;)

 

Glad to hear that your dinner in Discoveries was yummy, and I can't wait to eat tapas in the Living Room! Sad to hear about your experience in the gym, my husband uses it almost every day unless we're on an all day excursion. He doesn't do the spin bikes, but I find it VERY odd (and inhospitable) that they wouldn't be available for all guests to use (except when there is a spin class). While we're active at home too (yeah, Zumba (me), running (DH), golf, hiking with our dog and lifting weights (both of us)), I am perfectly happy on sea days to sleep in, then go to a dance class, play trivia, go to a lecture, and lie by the pool or elsewhere and read or do crossword puzzles. We rather enjoy sea days as a rest-break from the ports, as like you, we really try to "pack it all in"/see as much as we possibly can when in port and often walk for 6-8 hours looking around or on an excursion. Do try to dine at Prime C and Aquilina at some point on your trip, we enjoyed both of them very much. I admit that we went to those venues pretty often since we had a Club Continent suite (because we just have to have a bathtub to loll and relax in, especially if we've walked 6 or 8 hours...). But we also enjoyed Discoveries for dinner and a Mexican night at the evening buffet (the guacamole was excellent!). I hope the rest of your trip is wonderful and look forward to hearing more about it!

Pvkat mom, thanks for your comments! We've actually been home a while- just reporting in a travelogue style! I could never put in this much time while actually ON the cruise!

We did get to aquilina! Great! Didn't do Prime C (I'm a pescatarian- seemed pointless;))

As for the gym, I agree, on the rest of the corporations ships the spin class costs extra, so maybe that's the reason for the policy. Maybe it's the risk management people? But if there is no class and the fitness folks set them up for you for safety, I don't understand why they couldn't be used? That's what no one could explain. I hate to keep going over the issue in this thread though because it was handled so well when I brought it up on board- and that would be my advice for anyone. Rather than come home and be a "cruise critic"- I find the person responsible and see if I can change the experience before I leave!

It was a great cruise!

[Familygoboston]

Feb 10 Cartagena

 

Have we been to Our Lady of Perpetual Confusion yet?

 

The seas had settled, and with a 1/2 sea day (they do these a lot on Azamara don't they?) we slept in till 8:30, and headed to breakfast at Windows cafe.

We got all ready to go and packed our day bag and went to hear Chuck Richardson's talk about the Panama Canal. In "An American Success Story", we learned that after the failed French attempt to build a canal, Teddy Roosevelt strong armed the US Congress and then the Panamanians into allowing him to build the canal. (Big stick, indeed!) After the Maine was destroyed in Cuba, he wanted a quicker route for naval warships from Pacific to Atlantic. He got a 10 mile Canal Zone instead of a 10 K Canal Zone requested (oopsie, lost in translation!) and the Americans succeeded because they accepted medical advice that the mosquito was causing disease (the French believed that it was caused by "mists" released from the rocks) Carter handed back the canal in 1999 to the Panamanians and it's now run by the Chinese but remains a Panamanian asset. The old canal worked by metered locks, and the new one will work with a series for double retractable sliding gates. I'll have photos of all of this on Panama Canal Day!

 

 

As we approached Columbia at 11 AM, we sat on the humid pool deck to acclimate the camera lenses and watch the sail in. It was very hazy and we saw a large city, and some virgin coastline as we sailed slowly into port. Columbia is on our port side.

 

Sailing into the harbor- the modern city of Cartagena

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***Once we are docked the port side looks towards the distant city skyline and the dock. Starboard looks out to the harbor and other areas of Columbia***

 

View of the working port area where we docked.

 

 

 

 

 

Azamara was NOT allowed by the port authorities to have a shuttle bus to the old city because of a strong taxi union. They have a complimentary shuttle from the dock to the taxi stand (300 meters) for those who have trouble with walking. This was clearly communicated ahead of time and cabs were $20 each way. Most of the Land Discoveries meet on buses right on the pier.

(Parenthetical unrelated content) (It was kind of fun watching the buses arrive...I took a time lapse video...if you have the new OS on your iphone, (so my techy daughter taught me in January) you can take a time lapse video, which is oh, so much more fun than regular video, and blessedly - short! I became addicted to time lapse, like crack, and it wasn't just me...I'll give you one guess which "wicked smaht" man took a time lapse video of the entire PC transit...yup, Capt Johannes may have been joining me at the "time lapse 12 step" meeting on board, but I can't say, because it's supposed to be anonymous! However, I can (if it works as promised) post his time lapse, which we used OBC to purchase and should be able to download! )

 

Link to Youtube of buses on the dock

 

For this alone, it makes sense to plan to share a cab, or plan a tour with a pick up at the pier. Our tour with Dora De Zubiria Cartagena Tours cost only $65 per person for a 4 hour tour and pick up and drop off at the pier.

 

Link to Dora Tour

http://www.cartagenatour.com/

 

 

After the all clear, we met Dora at the dock at 1:30 PM and made our way to the 15 passenger bus with just 12 of us, so every couple could have someone in a window seat. Dora had 3 tour guides employed for our ship, but we had Dora. All of them seemed equally good (we saw and heard the other groups at each sight)

 

Dora as an excellent guide, but Cartagena is an awful lot of city to to try to see in 1/2 a day! We went to the Popa for a tour, by the fort for a photo op, then to Las Bovedas for a walk on the walls (or shopping break- your choice) and then we stopped in the old city to walk around the beautiful squares and churches and churches and churches!!

 

Dora

 

 

 

 

 

We MOVED! And in the intense midday heat, I was pretty impressed at the 70 yo's among us who kept right up! Dora promised if we got left behind to sit tight, she would come right back for us. We lost one member of our tour when we went into an art museum. But, as promised Dora made sure no one was left behind and we located Linda outside of the museum, and we returned, hot, tired, but otherwise unscathed!

 

Onto the photos of our whirlwind tour of Cartagena!

Edited March 8, 2016 by Familygoboston

[Familygoboston]

Feb 10 Cartagena

 

 

Have we been to Our Lady of Perpetual Confusion yet?

 

Some folks at a shop

 

 

 

 

a fruit seller

 

 

 

 

Our first stop was at Convento La Popa, which is a convent on a the little hill (150 meters) overlooking the old city and the harbor.

 

On the way up there hill are the stations of the cross, a religious pilgrimage made by faithful to follow the steps of Christ when he was crucified. We had visited on Ash Wednesday, which is a day of atonement for Catholics and marks the start of the 40 day period of Lent that precedes Easter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panoramas from La Popa (again, my "bad" photos- it's difficult in the overhead light to get a great pano!)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2016 by Familygoboston

[Familygoboston]

Feb 10 Cartagena

 

Have we been to Our Lady of Perpetual Confusion yet?

 

During the Colonial period, parts of Central America were "discovered" (conquered) originally by the Spaniards; their churches and faithful remain, along with the beautiful art and gold works that didn't get sent back to Spain.

 

If you weren't raised Catholic, (as DH and I were) it very quickly became overwhelming trying to figure out the playbook for the statues and icons inside all these churches; there's Jesus...most people get him- sometimes he's a baby, sometimes he's depicted as a grown up, even in the same church! Then there is Mary, mother of Jesus, and most folks know all about her. But then there are all the Saints and the fact that Mary has different names for every place where folks believe she has visited since she left this planet. (such as in Fatima, Portugal, where "Mary" is known as "Our Lady of Fatima")

 

As a Catholic, it makes my head spin, so it didn't come as a surprise that by the third church, when our guide emerged with a smudge of ashes on her forehead, people on our tour who didn't have the advantage of childhood catechism were perpetually confused!

 

La Popa

 

Inside the Convent

 

The Virgin (and the baby Jesus)

 

 

 

 

 

And her wardrobe from her past feast days stored

 

 

 

 

 

An angel, not a saint (here's the hint: angels have wings, saints have a halo or crown)

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus statue outside the Convent

 

 

 

 

 

* Disclaimer: no disrespect to the Catholic religion is meant by this post, even those of us who were raised catholic have to admit it can be confusing! Luckily, Dora did a great job of explaining things, even for those without the 8 years of CCD!

[crzrr]

Hey Kathy - great job. Just as clarification, the captain did not do the time lapse. One of his officers did it using two go pro's. We bought it as well - the geek in the family definitely wanted it (although, I think that it's pretty cool as well). So, bottom line is that I guess you'll be in time lapse rehab by yourself ;-)

Edited March 8, 2016 by crzrr

[Familygoboston]

Feb 10 Cartagena

 

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas

Our biggest disappointment about our tour of Cartagena was that it included only a photo stop at the fort. After the tour, 6 of the 12 of us got to be better friends and while discussing it and we realized we all wished we had asked for 30 minutes there to climb the walkway and at least visit the fort at the top of the hill and to take some photos from the summit. Generally on a private tour I will speak up if there is a place we'd like to linger, others said the same thing, but being new friends to one another, and hot and tired, none of advocated for that and all of us regretted it later! We didn't poll the other 6, but there was a nice park where they could have relaxed at the base, even if they didn't feel like making the climb. In the end we all agreed, it's a good reason to go back!

 

Castillo San Felipe

 

 

 

 

The statue of Admiral Blas De Lezo who fought off British Privateer Vernon in a 1741 battle between the British and Spanish. Interestingly, he is portrayed with a wooden leg, hook, and eye patch! Clearly, life was rough for De Lezo!

 

 

 

 

A statue of India Catalina who was a native girl who was captured and forced to lead Spanish Colonial forces through challenging terrain of Columbia with her native navigational skills.

 

 

 

 

A statue of Simon Bolivar- If you travel around Latin America, every capital has a Simon Bolivar statue! This is Cartagena's (with a pigeon on his head!)!

 

[Familygoboston]

Hey Kathy - great job. Just as clarification, the captain did not do the time lapse. One of his officers did it using two go pro's. We bought it as well - the geek in the family definitely wanted it (although, I think that it's pretty cool as well). So, bottom line is that I guess you'll be in time lapse rehab by yourself ;-)

 

darn!:p I'm hopeful I can post it, but I haven't tried to download it yet! I have a few time lapse snippets myself, but not the whole transit...I did see it in the photographers cubby, it's neat!