Live - Pursuit, Norway 1-13 August (Maiden Voyage)

[Lioncub]

Thanks Alsun for your outstanding effort with these posts. So detailed and informative, and very addictive! Have been cruising with Azamara for years and never knew one could order an expresso martini from the included list. The other half has had to suffer the grasshopper for years! At least the mint is good for the breath. Now all we need to do is convince Azamara to provide an included desert wine [emoji54]. The pic of Bergen at sunset was superb too.

 

 

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[Lioncub]

That should read ‘dessert’ wine, oops!

 

 

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[aussie travel bird]

We once attended a Chef's Table which was hosted by the on-board jeweller and someone from the on-board shops.

The gentleman from the on-board shops was lovely, interesting and engaging. The on-board jeweller promoted his products (though , admittedly, the guest sitting next to him was interested and arranged to meet him again to view the jewellery).

However, when the jeweller was asked about his favourite cruise line he said that it was Regent and continued to emphasise during the evening how wonderful the Regent experience was (with no mention of Azamara).

Considering that he was hosting the table and (presumably?) not paying for his meal (whereas we were) we were more than a little annoyed.

I should add that this was our one and only negative experience on a Chef's Table and that on other occasions the hosts have always been Officers (eg Guest Relations Manager/ F & B Manager) and the evenings have been wonderful.

 

That's interesting, we've done a total of four Chef's tables and not once has it been hosted by an Azamara Officer or Staff, we've all been paying guests. Very interesting indeed.

[BrownieCruises]

Thank you much Alsun for this blog. We will be first time Azamara cruisers in Jan, 2019 on the Pursuit. I feel this has given me a lot of information on what to expect, plus it reminds of a previous cruise on another line in Norway.

 

 

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[Alsun]

Second day today in Bergen!

 

The day started with a hint of rain - but there is also some blue sky appearing.

We are going on a fjord tour today - to Mostraumen so hopefully the blue sky will stay!

 

P&O Azura has docked on one side from us, and we also saw Fred Ohlsen Braemar (who we had seen earlier in Eidfjord) pulling in.

 

Tonight is the White Party, depending on the weather it will be on the pool deck, but alternative locations are Windows and Cabaret Lounge. Discoveries restaurant will also be open tonight, so will Prime C, but Aqualina is closed.

 

 

 

[Alsun]

We had breakfast again at Windows, and it was still quiet so I took the opportunity to take a photo, showing from the entrance with the smoothie bar area on the left.

 

There are juices available on the bar to pick up (although the staff will also bring it to you at the table if you prefer), including orange juice, tomato and apple. The other day they also had prune juice.

Bit still no enegizers!

 

Also a photo of an empty Sunset Verandah, it is too cold & too windy to use this morning.

 

And a photo of an example of a freshly prepared omelet. There is a cooking station in the middle of the buffet and they will prepare freshly made omelets, fried eggs etc for you. There is a selection of ingredients to choose from but I get the impression they will pretty much make it as you like it. There is no need to wait for it whilst it is being prepared, a waiter takes the order and they will bring it out to you.

[Alsun]

Thank you working to cruise, lioncub, aussie travel bird and wjpenterpriese for your posts. Am glad that you are enjoying this thread.

 

We are really happy with our choice for our first cruise, Norway is impressively beautiful and the Azamara crew is doing a great job to ensure we have a wonderful time.

 

Of course - as first time cruisers - we can't compare the Pursuit with other ships, but we like Pursuit for it's size, it's facilities (or should I say non facilities, as we enjoy the absence of a casino) the way it is decorated, and we are really satisfied with our room.

 

Apologies to anyone else who has contributed to this thread but whom I forgot to mention. Have to admit I am a bit surprised by the number of views/popularity of this thread (and also flattered), but this also means the thread is going quite fast and I might have missed/overlooked a comment.

[Grandma Cruising]

Alsun, your thread is outstanding - it’s like being on the cruise with you.

I’m especially interested with the destinations as we’re doing Norway next July.

 

 

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[Alsun]

Talking about the Azamara Crew, we really also want to mention the security staff who is "manning" the embarkation/disembarkation posts.

 

They are always friendly, assisting those who need it, asking about our day, greeting us back from outings with cool or hot drinks (and hand sanitiser) and always "welcome us back home".

[Alsun]

Thank you Host Grandma Cruising.

 

Btw, do you know whom at Azamara I should contact re that email that has been sent out which refers to this thread?

 

Upwarduk offered to forward it to me but I can't send her a pm and I don't want to put my email address on a public forum.

[Literary Lynne]

Thank you so much Alsun for this wonderful thread. Your photos are superb, as are your descriptions which help me to relive a similar cruise a few years ago. It's my daily fix of Azamara and all builds the excitement of our upcoming cruise on Journey at the end of the month. Sorry that the weather has changed and you are now experiencing rain. Hope it's still warm though.

Lynne :)

[Grandma Cruising]

Thank you Host Grandma Cruising.

 

Btw, do you know whom at Azamara I should contact re that email that has been sent out which refers to this thread?

 

Upwarduk offered to forward it to me but I can't send her a pm and I don't want to put my email address on a public forum.

 

 

 

As you are a U.K. passenger it may be worth emailing Richard Twynham, UK MD. He is away from his office at the moment, in Miami I think. I emailed him and got a reply from someone who is looking after his emails. His email address is RTwynam@azamaraclubcruises.com

 

 

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[upwarduk]

Thank you Host Grandma Cruising.

 

Btw, do you know whom at Azamara I should contact re that email that has been sent out which refers to this thread?

 

Upwarduk offered to forward it to me but I can't send her a pm and I don't want to put my email address on a public forum.

 

I have never been able to PM on Cruise Critic; when I tried again yesterday, it said I wasn’t allowed to, never been sure why!

Here is the main body of the e mail, probably from Le Club Voyager( LCV)/Azamara advertising the new ship and selling a few cruises.

 

 

 

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[Grandma Cruising]

Alsun, having seen this wording I think Richard Twynam is the right person to email as he is also quoted!

 

 

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[150edmiston]

This is a great thread Alsun and thanks for taking valuable time to post during your holiday. David

[Alsun]

Day 2 Bergen - continued - Fjord Tour

 

Again we were lucky with the weather! We have come to the conclusion that the best approach is to ignore the weather forecast, expect the worst and it can only get better! I really do hope that this approach will last though as we have another excursion planned for tomorrow where we really could use some good (dry) weather.

 

Anyway, today we felt extremely lucky. Although Bergen was mainly overcast with a hint of blue both when we left for and when we returned from our Fjord Tour, during the tour itself we had a lot of blue sky!

 

We had booked the Fjord Tour with Rodne, they offer several different routes, but the one we took is a 3 hour round trip to Mostraumen. This tour leaves daily at 10 and 14 (and during July and August some evenings also at 18.00) from near the Fish market. A ticket is 600 NOK per person but discounted with the Bergen Pass.

 

It is quite a popular tour, when we arrived at 9.30 this morning (they advise you to arrive at least 20 minutes early) there was already a queue ahead of us, and we were a bit worried about available seating inside (as we didn't fancy our chances with the unpredictable weather, but if by magic by the time we were allowed to board, a second boat had appeared. We asked and as that one was going to do the same route, we were allowed to be the first to board that one.

 

Strangely enough a lot of people in the queue behind us continued boarding the first - by that time quite full - boat, and eventually we ended up with a boat that was less than half full. No complaints from our side obviously as it made it much easier to walk back and forth to make photos of the stunning scenery.

 

Even more baffling was that we left first and actually never met/saw the first boat, and the fjords are pretty narrow at some points so they must have been quite far behind us.

 

It is an amazing route, going along the narrow Osterfjord up to a tiny, beautiful village Modalen. The whole trip takes 3 hours, but the last hour is getting back from Modalen to Bergen at a very rapid speed. On our way to Modalen (the first 2 hours) it slows down at several scenic areas to allow for photos and there is also some audio guidance (and music).

 

The boat itself has 2 decks: the lower inside deck with comfortable chairs but has open bow and stern areas. The top deck is open to the elements and has some basic chairs. There are toilets on board and a small kiosk with snacks.

 

There is also (free) WIFI, and I recommend using that to keep track of your progress through the Fjord - as although the whole route is stunning - there are some spots where it is absolutely a must to be ready outside with your camera!

 

Especially the area near Vikanen is stunning, the narrow bit at Mostraumen and of course Modalen itself. We were able to get extremely close to the waterfall (so close that we felt the water on our face) and they offer you some water to taste as well (they scoop it with a big metal bucket).

 

Bw, one tip for Norway, make sure your camera/phone is fully charged (and/or spare batteries) and has enough memory space. I have taken so many photos on this trip! It is so difficult to choose the ones to share as there are so many and as said, it is difficult to do justice to the amazing scenery.

 

Back to the tour, from the photos below you can see how beautiful it was, and how amazing the weather. It was quite windy outside, also because the boat goes pretty fast most of the time (I think the distance from Bergen to Modalen is about 25 miles one way). Actually it was quite funny, the closer we were getting back to Bergen the more overcast it became and we even had some short but heavy rain at one point.

 

But again we were lucky that once back in Bergen the rain had disappeared and we had a leisurely stroll back to Pursuit.

[Alsun]

Internet is again dogdy and won't let me upload photos. Will try again later :(

 

Meanwhile, some other things we noticed:

 

 

There was a strong smell of paint when we left this morning, clearly some maintenance was taking place or maybe there were some spots missed/in need of redecoration.

 

The speed button menu on our room phone has appeared - apparently the phones had been preprogrammed, but the menu paper thingie wasn't ready yet. Luckily we knew the number of our butler so we were never in need of the other numbers, but it is useful to have.

 

Laundry, our laundry arrived back today, all neatly pressed and on hangers (those metal ones that dry cleaners ues). Smaller items were bundled together and wrapped in tissue paper.

 

Usually there is a twice daily room service, during the day and early evening. With the turn down service at early evening baffels me a bit that they close the curtains already - as with the long evenings you want to keep them open as long as possible - but I guess it is part of their routine. Also they will bring inside the loose cushion from the swivel balcony chair (the table chair cushions are attached to the chair).

 

If you order any room service, this will get cleared afterwards, either you give a call to room service for the trays to be collected, or your butler/room attendant will come and ask to collect it.

 

And of course you can always ask for extra room service, towels etc if needed. (We usually reuse our towels a few times - we hang them up and I do like it that they respect that and won't give you new towels unless you specify it (by putting the towels in the bath/on floor). We have stayed at hotels where they say they are environmental friendly and ask you to do your bit towel wise, but where they still took the towels anyway, which I find really annoying)

 

 

Bottles of water are always available at disembarkation area.

[Alsun]

Thank you Upward UK for the text. And Grandma Host, yes I think Richard is the person to email.

 

I don't mind at all that they have linked to this thread at CC, after all, I am posting on a public forum. I am just surprised that they didn't think to at least mention it to us (we were at the Meet & Mingle so I know that some Officers know who we are) and/or post something in the thread itself to let us know.

 

Also, I do think there are better bits that they could have quoted ... [emoji8][emoji9][emoji6]

[Alsun]

LiterallyLynne and 150Edmiston.

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

Hope to be able to post more photos again soon!

[Alsun]

Now trying via cruise critic app instead off tapatalk..

 

 

Fjord tour

 

Rodne boat located near fish market (and next to Tourist information)

 

"map" of route and "star" photo opportunities

 

3 ships.

 

Looking back towards Bergen

[Alsun]

More Fjord tour

[Alsun]

Fjord tour - waterfall

 

We got very close to the waterfall to the right of the first photo

[Alsun]

And this one deserves a post on it's own

 

Tapatalk still not working. Had to upload via the cc app.

 

[Zoey]

Internet is again dogdy and won't let me upload photos. Will try again later :(

 

Meanwhile, some other things we noticed:

 

 

There was a strong smell of paint when we left this morning, clearly some maintenance was taking place or maybe there were some spots missed/in need of redecoration.

 

The speed button menu on our room phone has appeared - apparently the phones had been preprogrammed, but the menu paper thingie wasn't ready yet. Luckily we knew the number of our butler so we were never in need of the other numbers, but it is useful to have.

 

Laundry, our laundry arrived back today, all neatly pressed and on hangers (those metal ones that dry cleaners ues). Smaller items were bundled together and wrapped in tissue paper.

 

Usually there is a twice daily room service, during the day and early evening. With the turn down service at early evening baffels me a bit that they close the curtains already - as with the long evenings you want to keep them open as long as possible - but I guess it is part of their routine. Also they will bring inside the loose cushion from the swivel balcony chair (the table chair cushions are attached to the chair).

 

If you order any room service, this will get cleared afterwards, either you give a call to room service for the trays to be collected, or your butler/room attendant will come and ask to collect it.

 

And of course you can always ask for extra room service, towels etc if needed. (We usually reuse our towels a few times - we hang them up and I do like it that they respect that and won't give you new towels unless you specify it (by putting the towels in the bath/on floor). We have stayed at hotels where they say they are environmental friendly and ask you to do your bit towel wise, but where they still took the towels anyway, which I find really annoying)

 

 

Bottles of water are always available at disembarkation area.

 

 

Alsun: Wonderful review and terrific photos!

 

You mentioned in a previous post that Pursuit was using the old Adonia equipment which operates some of the technical features on board - such as the interactive televisions in the cabins, and possibly the internet/wifi. Since the television interactive feature doesn't work, that old equipment is apparently not up to snuff. Have you heard from anybody on board whether they are going to update the old equipment, and if so when? I'm a little surprised that with the millions they spent on the ship, technical features like that weren't more of a priority. I really do like to be able to review charges to my portfolio, order room service, and check out dining menus on the television from my cabin.

I

[Alsun]

Alsun: Wonderful review and terrific photos!

 

You mentioned in a previous post that Pursuit was using the old Adonia equipment which operates some of the technical features on board - such as the interactive televisions in the cabins, and possibly the internet/wifi. Since the television interactive feature doesn't work, that old equipment is apparently not up to snuff. Have you heard from anybody on board whether they are going to update the old equipment, and if so when? I'm a little surprised that with the millions they spent on the ship, technical features like that weren't more of a priority. I really do like to be able to review charges to my portfolio, order room service, and check out dining menus on the television from my cabin.

I

Sorry wasn't me. Think it was Riocca who mentioned it.