X cruiser sails Azamara to Cuba Jan 15 to 24 2019

[excitedofharpenden]

I take issue with calling the Azamara board a leafy cul-de-sac.  Far from it. It's pretty active and a good resource of information for those that might be considering them. There is also an Azamara representative there, Bonnie whom you have already referred to.  I look forward to reading your review when it gets started. 

 

Phil

[yoshi]

I like a nice leafy cul-de-sac  I live on a nice leafy cul-de-sac!

I have sailed Celebrity many times but am also interested in trying Azmara-ready to read more please.

[Bimmer09]

11 hours ago, Jase0581 said:

Can't wait for this review as Cuba is on my bucket list for travel.  As always your reviews are excellent, thank you for taking the time to do them.

It was based on your Silhouette review that I have a cruise booked next month on that ship.

Jase, it's a pleasure to write the reviews when I get great feedback like this from you and the many others who stick with my Epics.

I hope you enjoy the Silhouette as much as I did! We are on her again in September to the Norwegian Fjords.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

3 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

I take issue with calling the Azamara board a leafy cul-de-sac.  Far from it. It's pretty active and a good resource of information for those that might be considering them. There is also an Azamara representative there, Bonnie whom you have already referred to.  I look forward to reading your review when it gets started. 

 

Phil

 

Phil, thanks for joining us here but it is a quiet board with very few contributions in a day compared to the X board which of course has many more passengers with something to say. The numbers tell you something about my town-planning analogy. The review of the ship will get started when I am on it. This is the prologue and will feature some great food and  architecture in Miami-a city blessed by its  location.

 

I will have a lot to say about the time we spent on Journey as I was very  excited  to sail  Azamara. To Carol it was an unknown quantity. I know she (Deck Chair Queen which is a very apt screen name) will chime in as this wends its merry way.

Glad to have you aboard Phil!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

4 hours ago, Freestyle Cruiser said:

Bimmer9

 

Best cat tree ever!

Our LeLu is not as fortunate, but she has every chair, couch, rug and bed!  LOL😻😻

 

 

Carol gets all the kudos for the cat tree. It is the biggest of Snowy's four or five trees.

We have an arborist who comes in once a month.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

10 hours ago, sbt518 said:

I’m looking forward to this review, Cuba is on our list of places we want to go and I agree, it seems Azamara has the best itinerary.

 

This is Murphy in his don’t leave me behind again pose.  I’m sure he and Snowy would love to party together.

Typical cat ploy! Cute. They know us so well....

I will have several stray cat photos in Havana to show the world....soon.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

8 hours ago, macsford said:

Following and looking forward to your review, your pictures and the journey. Also a few cyber cocktails.

This is on John's wish list.

Sandra

Sandra! Another long-time Norris companion on these long recounts. Cyber cocktails are free and available on all my reviews. Top shelf liquor and generous measures. I will actually have some cocktaily sort of drinks on this voyage-it's not all Guinness this time around! (shock!)

Regards to John!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

17 hours ago, cjcruiser27 said:

I am following along as well, ❤️ your photos!! Especially the classic cars, WOW!  Just Beautiful.  Can't wait to read more of your review and hear of your comparison.  Have never sailed Azamara but would like to try them as they have some interesting itineraries.  Thanks for taking the time!

Thank you for joining me here. Azamara keeps those three little ships flitting around all over the world and kudos to them for the itineraries.

Norris, who is answering the mail right now but is itching to show you the photos which will propel this narrative allied to Carol's meticulous notes of everything we did. While I'm busy swapping lenses at the dinner table she is jotting down what we ate/experienced.

 

I'll use this post to remind everyone that this is not so much a review but rather a Seafaring Gentleman's Journal.(TM). It sounds way more posh. I will tell the Good, the Bad and the Ugly if it dares to raise its head.

Also- and this is important- I take photos that are best seen BIG and so I urge Mac users to hide the bookmarks and PC users to hide the Favorite Places to allow the photos as much space as possible as the CC margins are "uuuuge."

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, yoshi said:

I like a nice leafy cul-de-sac  I live on a nice leafy cul-de-sac!

I have sailed Celebrity many times but am also interested in trying Azmara-ready to read more please.

 

I don't live on a cul-de-sac, but in an older suburban neighborhood of leafy streets with a real neighborhood feel – and Azamara is definitely like that and better for it!  This forum is also like that – and Bonnie's presence makes it quite unique on cruise critic.  [The Celebrity forum would be so much better if it had someone like Bonnie ]

[clskinsfan]

Great start to the review here! I love my cat. But there is a reason we have a cat and not a dog. They (cats) dont give a hoot about us traveling. We have a neighbor come by a couple of time a week and make sure our cat (Demi) is OK. She is always indifferent when we walk in the door after a cruise :).

[Bimmer09]

1 minute ago, clskinsfan said:

Great start to the review here! I love my cat. But there is a reason we have a cat and not a dog. They (cats) dont give a hoot about us traveling. We have a neighbor come by a couple of time a week and make sure our cat (Demi) is OK. She is always indifferent when we walk in the door after a cruise :).

We have a cat -sitting service guy called Chris-we always ask for him as the cat is now familiar with him- come in once a day for 45 minutes to top up the food bowls and scoop the litter boxes for a fee. He also sends us e mails and photos to show that Snowy is alive and well.

Norris, uploading photos of our first day in Miami.

[Marvy Mare]

Love the Snowy story. I don’t think our dogs have so much fun when we leave them on vacation. Interesting to see the Canadian money. I didn’t realize they took our money in Cuba. No wonder many of our friends travel to Cuba. 

 

Looking forward to the Miami in the morning photos. 

 

Maris

[Bimmer09]

This screen shot got us excited!

 

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton by the beach in 2017 when we sailed Reflection to the Western Caribbean and wanted to stay there again this time but it has been closed for renovations due to hurricane damage.

 

 

So this time we were staying at the Marriott Stanton Beach hotel on Ocean Drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norris

 

 

[Bimmer09]

We arrived at the hotel around 5 pm and got settled into our room on the 9th floor

 

 

 

 

I stepped outside onto the balcony to view our surroundings....

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

Our first order of business was to walk the couple of blocks to Joe's Stone Crab for an early dinner. They don't take reservations so early finds a table for at 7 pm the place gets jammed.

 

They have valet parking on the street

 

See you inside!

Norris

[british lady]

looking forward to your review, Cuba cruise is on the list  to book.

Sara

[Bimmer09]

Let There Be Crab!

The crabbing industry in South Florida has been hit by a Red Tide of destructive algae and so catches have dropped. I asked two questions upon being greeted in Joe's by the several head waiters who line up to assist;

1. Do you have stone crab? Yes

2. Can we have one of Joan's tables please? Yes. Please step this way.

 

At 6 pm the vast restaurant is not yet busy. Joan was our server the two times we ate here before and after the Reflection and is great at her job.

 

 

I order a glass of Malbec while perusing the menu.

 

 

One day I will own my own shrimp boat...

 

Carol's wedge salad

 

Carol's Jumbo claws @ $100 

 

My red snapper with crab relish and coconut curry sauce

 

and a half order of dee-lishus hash browns

 

Carol and Joan

 

Some lime water to clean one's fingertips

 

Carol's Key Lime Pie

 

My Sambuca (they don't have espresso-EEK!)

 

The bill before tip

 

A very satisfying dining experience!

More soon.

Norris

 

[Bimmer09]

On our way out of Joe's I took a few snaps

 

Art

 

Another busy dining room

 

Outdoor dining-full menu not served here

 

Joe's exterior

 

Right next door...

 

Norris

 

 

[Bimmer09]

On the walk back to the hotel on a nice warm evening

 

 

 

 

 

We were in bed and in my case asleep by 9 pm. In the morning I would hope to be on the streets by 6 am for an Art Deco walk. Then breakfast, then checkout around noon and at terminal J to join our ship....

But now I am off to work. See you much later!

Norris

[georgiacat]

Looking forward to Cuba.  I love your reviews.

[p0240]

Made it across!   Your dinner bill converted to $Aust, - had put it on my list of Norris recommendations but I think I would be divorced or overboard or had my drink card taken away if I asked to go there!  But then again if Norris said it's good then trust him! 

Cant wait to read the rest 

Pat

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

On 1/26/2019 at 7:40 AM, scubacruiserx2 said:

Great start Bimmer !

 

We too went South for a winter cruise and a road trip .  In fact - all the way to Antarctica  !

 

 

 

You can see a lot more here :

 

 

 

Joe (and Pat) thanks for stopping by and dropping the link which I have bookmarked for my leisure reading which will take place on Wednesday as I am off work then.

Those South American itineraries are so appealing but the length will mean they are a few years away until we can take extended vacations. Nine days on the Journey was our longest cruise yet.

Cheers!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

10 minutes ago, georgiacat said:

Looking forward to Cuba.  I love your reviews.

 

Thanks for reading and enjoying my long reviews and I can promise you many visual and sonic delights on this one. I photographed a sunset "the like of which has never been seen before", certainly by me.

My head is filled with things to say which I will forget until I see the photos and read Carol's copious notes.

Welcome!

Norris 

[Bimmer09]

15 minutes ago, p0240 said:

Made it across!   Your dinner bill converted to $Aust, - had put it on my list of Norris recommendations but I think I would be divorced or overboard or had my drink card taken away if I asked to go there!  But then again if Norris said it's good then trust him! 

Cant wait to read the rest 

Pat

 

 

 

 

Pat, so happy to see you again in one of my reviews!

Joe's is a spend, an indulgence but stone crab is stone crab and one must pay the price.

Norris, off to work .

[OhioDogLover]

Love your reviews and thanks for posting.  Looking forward to the rest of the trip.  

 

We have a cat here who reminds me a bit of Snowy.  His name is Walle and he rules the roost (and the dog).

 

Ohiodoglover