Tips for Azamara Newbies

[Host Jazzbeau]

This thread is for tips.  If you have a tip, post it.  If you know for sure that a tip is wrong, correct it.  But stop the nit-picking and arguing over and over!  It isn't important that you be proved right – in the history of the internet, no one has ever won an online argument.

[Grandma Cruising]

10 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

This thread is for tips.  If you have a tip, post it.  If you know for sure that a tip is wrong, correct it.  But stop the nit-picking and arguing over and over!  It isn't important that you be proved right – in the history of the internet, no one has ever won an online argument.

Quite agree Hist Jazzbeau. Perhaps if there is an item here that sets of a dispute, one of those discussing it could set up a new topic and pursue the discussion there.

[cruiseerf]

Thank you!  What a fabulous spreadsheet!  I have been on hundreds of cruises but each line does things their own way.  This thread is informative and clear.  Again, Thanks.  Safe Sails to all!  

[Grandma Cruising]

On 7/6/2022 at 4:22 AM, Grandma Cruising said:

Quite agree Hist Jazzbeau. Perhaps if there is an item here that sets of a dispute, one of those discussing it could set up a new topic and pursue the discussion there.

Sorry about the misspelling - of course it should have said HOST Jazzbeau!

[Grandma Cruising]

3 hours ago, cruiseerf said:

Thank you!  What a fabulous spreadsheet!  I have been on hundreds of cruises but each line does things their own way.  This thread is informative and clear.  Again, Thanks.  Safe Sails to all!  

You’re welcome, but don’t forget it comes with a health warning because times have changed since it was initially put together and it is a compilation of everyone’s posts, so depends on Cruise Critic members posting information. Things do change over time, Azamara has new owners and of course COVID has changed a lot of things.

[resstation]

First cruise on Azamara in September (Spain Intensive on Quest). Where can I find EVERYTHING I have already booked?? It doesn't seem to be online in my account. I booked it almost a year ago and have been purchasing excursions, wifi, upgraded package, etc - and the only things showing online in my account are the shore excursions. Obviously, I can search my credit cards for charges, but they don't show what I specifically purchased. Is there one place to find all?

[Grandma Cruising]

11 hours ago, resstation said:

First cruise on Azamara in September (Spain Intensive on Quest). Where can I find EVERYTHING I have already booked?? It doesn't seem to be online in my account. I booked it almost a year ago and have been purchasing excursions, wifi, upgraded package, etc - and the only things showing online in my account are the shore excursions. Obviously, I can search my credit cards for charges, but they don't show what I specifically purchased. Is there one place to find all?

No, this is one of the problems with Azamara, you can’t see your bookings, other than excursions, anywhere on your account. Did Azamara send you a receipt for your purchases? If not it might be a good idea to email or ring them to ask them to send you proof of your purchases. I had the same issue regarding my purchase of the Ultimate package. My Travel Agent contacted them and they emailed me a receipt as proof that I had purchased it.

[simpson168]

I am sure this question must have been asked before, but I have searched the spreadsheet and can't find the answer.  Does Azamara provide lotion along with the shampoo and bath soap in each cabin?

[Port Power]

14 minutes ago, simpson168 said:

I am sure this question must have been asked before, but I have searched the spreadsheet and can't find the answer.  Does Azamara provide lotion along with the shampoo and bath soap in each cabin?

Yes, it does.  Shampoo and conditioner of course.

[kaymoz]

After the ship arrives in port, when does disembarking for the day typically begin?  I have the idea that it is one hour later, but I'm not sure why I have that idea (and if it's correct!).   

I'd like to book a popular activity for 8:30 am one day (before the crowds), but the ship's arrival time that day is 7:15 am.  I think we're gonna need more than 15 minutes to reach the starting point, so I'm wondering how to schedule, if I need to allow for that hour, etc.

[blag]

19 minutes ago, kaymoz said:

After the ship arrives in port, when does disembarking for the day typically begin?  I have the idea that it is one hour later, but I'm not sure why I have that idea (and if it's correct!).   

I'd like to book a popular activity for 8:30 am one day (before the crowds), but the ship's arrival time that day is 7:15 am.  I think we're gonna need more than 15 minutes to reach the starting point, so I'm wondering how to schedule, if I need to allow for that hour, etc.

I don't know that this question can answered other than in the most general of terms. Customs/immigration clearance may be a factor.

If you identify which port, and the preceding one, you might receive more specific input from others who have visited that port. 

[Grandma Cruising]

4 hours ago, kaymoz said:

After the ship arrives in port, when does disembarking for the day typically begin?  I have the idea that it is one hour later, but I'm not sure why I have that idea (and if it's correct!).   

I'd like to book a popular activity for 8:30 am one day (before the crowds), but the ship's arrival time that day is 7:15 am.  I think we're gonna need more than 15 minutes to reach the starting point, so I'm wondering how to schedule, if I need to allow for that hour, etc.

Just had a look at our October cruise. The ship is due to arrive in Aqaba at 8am and the first excursions start at 8:30 am. My memory tells me that you can disembark in many ports pretty much as soon as the ship has tied up (presuming it’s moored, not anchored with tendering to get ashore), so you may be OK, so long as the ship arrives on time.

It does, though, depend on the port, as blag says. For instance Indian ports have a lot of bureaucracy to go through before you can get off and then you can get held up at the dock gates.

[Grandma Cruising]

Here’s the spreadsheet link again 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15Deg-GaeZYLml8NN3PVwoh_jUkQ8QmYUe1wxnVAlODE/edit

[kaymoz]

6 hours ago, blag said:

I don't know that this question can answered other than in the most general of terms. Customs/immigration clearance may be a factor.

If you identify which port, and the preceding one, you might receive more specific input from others who have visited that port. 

The port in question is Dublin.  Preceding Dublin (the Republic of Ireland)  is a stop in Warrenpoint, which is in Northern Ireland, part of the UK, so a different country if that matters.

[uktog]

2 hours ago, kaymoz said:

The port in question is Dublin.  Preceding Dublin (the Republic of Ireland)  is a stop in Warrenpoint, which is in Northern Ireland, part of the UK, so a different country if that matters.

Clearance should be very quick then. Although a change of country this change is one with lots of protocols in place to make it easy.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, DS said:

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 532.69 kB · 7 downloads AZ Prem Beverage.pdf 485.27 kB · 7 downloads AZ Comp Beverages.pdf 428.95 kB · 8 downloads

[Beamafar]

Is there any benefit to booking a future cruise while onboard?   Is there a reduced deposit for doing so?  

[Port Power]

22 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Is there any benefit to booking a future cruise while onboard?   Is there a reduced deposit for doing so?  

Yes, there are benefits. They vary between cruise lines, but the main benefit is usually extra OBC.  Quite often, not always, there is a reduced deposit.  On some lines you receive a two-level cabin upgrade. (Book on AZ for a Celebrity cruise.)

[Beamafar]

1 hour ago, Port Power said:

Yes, there are benefits. They vary between cruise lines, but the main benefit is usually extra OBC.  Quite often, not always, there is a reduced deposit.  On some lines you receive a two-level cabin upgrade. (Book on AZ for a Celebrity cruise.)

Cheers. 
 

We’re torn between an Az and an X cruise for next year (though X is winning out as it’s on Beyond, and we like big ships). 

[simpson168]

My luggage tags on the Azamara web site mention the opportunity to order personalized Bag Tag Mailers  by going to www.azamara.com but I don't see these anyplace on the Azamar website.  Anyone know what these are and if/how I could get them?

[jbx1]

I thought I would never go on a cruise again after Covid but here I am having just booked our first ever cruise on Azamara and looking forward to it so much. (A former Yugoslavia cruise on Azamara Quest starting in Ravenna and finishing in Athens this October).

Reading this thread brought me back to how much I have benefitted over the years from the cruise critic forum and past passengers' willingness to help future passengers have a better cruise experience.

This thread and the wonderful spreadsheet from Grandma Cruising answers almost all my questions, but I couldn't find answers to:

- we drink a lot of sparkling water. I saw that there is a complimentary sparkling water included but can you only get this at dinner or can you just walk into any bar and ask for one whenever the bar is open?

- when getting settled into our stateroom (a balcony) can we ask the attendant to remove all the non complimentary drinks and replace them with complimentary tonic water and sparkling water?

- the ship arrives in Athens at 5am and I have read that all passengers are expected to be disembarked by 9am. Can we expect to have breakfast on board before disembarkation?

 

I obviously don't have anything to contribute yet about Azamara, but we lived in Italy and I can tell that some people are struggling a bit with Ravenna replacing Venice. While few cities in the world can match Venice, Ravenna was very high on our list of favourite Italian cities. Its Byzantine heritage sites are unmatched in Western Europe, and it's also a very charming and walkable small city in its own right.

The train information on Rome to Rio is seriously wrong. There are direct trains from Bologna to Ravenna and Bologna is on the fast train line from both Rome and Milan, as well as having its own international airport. The Trenitalia site is where to look for train details and this site has a button to change the information from Italian into English.

[beatnix]

You may order water at every Bar. Just order 'sparkling'.

[Port Power]

20 minutes ago, jbx1 said:

I thought I would never go on a cruise again after Covid but here I am having just booked our first ever cruise on Azamara and looking forward to it so much. (A former Yugoslavia cruise on Azamara Quest starting in Ravenna and finishing in Athens this October).

Reading this thread brought me back to how much I have benefitted over the years from the cruise critic forum and past passengers' willingness to help future passengers have a better cruise experience.

This thread and the wonderful spreadsheet from Grandma Cruising answers almost all my questions, but I couldn't find answers to:

- we drink a lot of sparkling water. I saw that there is a complimentary sparkling water included but can you only get this at dinner or can you just walk into any bar and ask for one whenever the bar is open?

- when getting settled into our stateroom (a balcony) can we ask the attendant to remove all the non complimentary drinks and replace them with complimentary tonic water and sparkling water?

- the ship arrives in Athens at 5am and I have read that all passengers are expected to be disembarked by 9am. Can we expect to have breakfast on board before disembarkation?

 

I obviously don't have anything to contribute yet about Azamara, but we lived in Italy and I can tell that some people are struggling a bit with Ravenna replacing Venice. While few cities in the world can match Venice, Ravenna was very high on our list of favourite Italian cities. Its Byzantine heritage sites are unmatched in Western Europe, and it's also a very charming and walkable small city in its own right.

The train information on Rome to Rio is seriously wrong. There are direct trains from Bologna to Ravenna and Bologna is on the fast train line from both Rome and Milan, as well as having its own international airport. The Trenitalia site is where to look for train details and this site has a button to change the information from Italian into English.

All drinks are included with Azamara all day, so just ask for sparkling water at any bar.

There is no in room mini bar that I can remember, but am happy to be corrected. I truly never remember having a soft drink in the cabin.  Is there a refrigerator at all?  An ice bucket would definitely be available though.

Yes, breakfast is definitely available on the morning of disembarkation.  

[marinaro44]

All staterooms have a small refrigerator,

[kent4489]

54 minutes ago, blag said:

Ah... 

Suites have a minibar. Maybe other staterooms don't. 

Our last cruise was in a CC suite and we had a refrigerator. We asked them to remove soft drinks and only stock club soda. They simply moved the soft drinks out of the fridge, but left them lined up in the cabinet beside the fridge. The cruise before, we booked late and had an oceanview cabin and the same thing happened. They moved the soft drinks to the side of the fridge. Not sure why they didn't just remove them from the cabin, but we've had the same thing happen twice, so apparently that's the way they handle it. In both CC suite and oceanview cabin, we had a mini fridge.