When do you think Azamara will resume Cruising?

[Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, blag said:

I created the topic. The first post (mine) asked for views.

The thread may have moved in a different direction, but isn't that often the way these discussions go. I see one recent discussion digressed to 'jabs' or 'shots', which, I would hazard a guess, was never the original intention!

Personally, I don't think anyone yet knows what will happen, but that doesn't diminish the worthiness of anyone's opinion. 

 

That was a topic about the possibility of a vaccine and it was lighthearted but relevant, nothing to do with this topic.

[snowglobe]

2 hours ago, cruisinteach2 said:

Wouldn't  be surprised to see RCI close down Azamara because of its 3 old ships that may not be allowed in some ports because they don't meet environmental regulations that may be imposed. Upgrading would be very expensive and be something cruise lines don't have funds for right now. What do you think?

On the flip side, some ports may further limit the max size and number of passengers into their ports, making Azamara’s ships’ size interesting to address this market.

[Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, blag said:

I created the topic. The first post (mine) asked for views.

The thread may have moved in a different direction, but isn't that often the way these discussions go. I see one recent discussion digressed to 'jabs' or 'shots', which, I would hazard a guess, was never the original intention!

Personally, I don't think anyone yet knows what will happen, but that doesn't diminish the worthiness of anyone's opinion. 

 

In actual fact the originator of the topic was the person to mention shots and jabs,

I suggest that you read the posts thoroughly before making comments.

[Host Jazzbeau]

The danger in using an example to illustrate a point is that sometimes the reaction then focuses on the example and loses sight of the point.  On some forums that have a self-appointed 'drift cop,' the shots/jabs digression would have been reported – and would probably have been left alone by the host.  My point is that there is a wide variation of opinions on Cruise Critic about what constitutes drift.  And IMHO that backs up the point that @blag was making.  Drift is common on Cruise Critic and, within limits, reflects and builds community without harming the thread.

[Grandma Cruising]

37 minutes ago, Bloodaxe said:

 

In actual fact the originator of the topic was the person to mention shots and jabs,

I suggest that you read the posts thoroughly before making comments.

In the interests of accuracy and having just read this whole topic, blag originated the topic by setting up the survey and norn iron was the first person to mention vaccines in post #6.

 

I don’t feel the topic drifted too far as vaccines were mentioned in the context of doctors  recommending that people not cruise until there is a vaccine - very reasonable point to make in the context of cruising recommencing.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Back to @blag's original theme:  since the first cruise was cancelled because of CV, my expectations about its effect on cruising have gotten progressively more pessimistic [which is very hard for me, because I am congenitally optimistic].  So I was surprised [can't find the exact word: some combination of startled and pleased] to read that Carnival has announced they will begin cruising eight ships out of Galveston TX, Miami FL, and Port Canaveral FL on August 1.

Carnival Cruise Line to resume select cruise voyages in August

 

At the same time they have extended the cancelations on all other North American and Australian homeport cruises to August 31, which is more like what I was expecting.  So there it is:  cruising with either resume sooner than we currently expect ... or not.

 

[blag]

3 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

I think that’s the point of this topic - people’s speculation about the immediate future of cruising.

 

Exactly!

 

If there were a definitive factual answer to this question, it would be pretty pointless to ask it. It seems to me that the title of the topic and my post which immediately follows the poll say it all. I thought we could share what we think about this in a simple manner, via the poll, rather than a multitude of digressive posts which would probably not produce any data.

I don't know whether the topic has any intrinsic value.

I suppose it was inevitable that some would consider this to be a waste of time, but it takes all sorts.

Inevitably, there are numerous nuances to the topic, and they may, or may not, have an impact on Azamara's resumption of cruising.

But the question remains: 'When do YOU think Azamara will resume Cruising?'

[Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, Bloodaxe said:

 

In actual fact the originator of the topic was the person to mention shots and jabs,

I suggest that you read the posts thoroughly before making comments.

 

In the interest of accuracy the topic I was referring to was,  Room for some optimism, originated by Nordski, not this one

Edited May 4, 2020 by Bloodaxe

[Host Jazzbeau]

13 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

They each serve a distinct niche, although IMHO Celebrity has lost its mojo and become too much like Royal.

 

10 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Interested to know what makes you say that. 

 

Phil 

 

My first Celebrity cruise was in an Inside cabin on Summit in 2012, following on an Inside cabin on Oceania Insignia [an 'R-ship' like Azamara's fleet].  The two experiences were not that different from each other or from our subsequent Azamara cruises – good food and service, a classy atmosphere, and an interesting itinerary.  My last Celebrity cruise was a Suite on Celebrity Edge in 2019, and the experience was 180 degrees from those earlier ones – the food and service was good in Luminae but not so much in the rest of the ship, there was loud music everywhere [intrusive and unescapable] and the activities and shows were deliberately 'edgy' and provocative, and the itinerary was same old-same old.

 

I'm a fan of the old General Motors brand distinction model of the 1950s.  The idea was that your first car was a Chevy, and as you moved up the career ladder to progressed to Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and then Cadillac.  Each marque was designed to fit a particular market niche, and nobody ever confused a Chevy with an Olds.  Later, GM lost the thread and it was very hard to tell any of the marques apart – and GM's market share plummeted.

 

I feel that RCL has lost the thread on Celebrity.  Celebrity was originally a classy, mature step up from Royal Caribbean.  The Edge class has severely disappointed a lot of their long-time cruisers who want that ambience, but it doesn't offer the roller coasters and such that would attract young adults.  What do they have for the mature [in outlook, not necessarily age] adults who can't afford Azamara?  [CCL has Princess for the younger vibe and HAL for the older one.]

And if they lose those mature adults to Princess or HAL, they have lost the smooth path toward Azamara.  Once out of the RCL ecosystem [and the Celebrity/Azamara joint loyalty program], they are likely to gravitate to Oceania or Viking for the next step up.

[Grandma Cruising]

32 minutes ago, Bloodaxe said:

 

In the interest of accuracy the topic I was referring to was,  Room for some optimism, originated by Nordski, not this one

Sorry, my mistake, I thought you were referring to this topic.

[blag]

34 minutes ago, Bloodaxe said:

 

In the interest of accuracy the topic I was referring to was,  Room for some optimism, originated by Nordski, not this one

I see that to be accurate.

But, I hope you'll agree that the jabs versus shots was merely a comment, and not the main gist of the original post, or the topic! What I was trying to say is that it's easy for topics to get sidetracked, and I chose the jabs versus shots as an example. Clearly, not a good example. 

[excitedofharpenden]

39 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

 

My first Celebrity cruise was in an Inside cabin on Summit in 2012, following on an Inside cabin on Oceania Insignia [an 'R-ship' like Azamara's fleet].  The two experiences were not that different from each other or from our subsequent Azamara cruises – good food and service, a classy atmosphere, and an interesting itinerary.  My last Celebrity cruise was a Suite on Celebrity Edge in 2019, and the experience was 180 degrees from those earlier ones – the food and service was good in Luminae but not so much in the rest of the ship, there was loud music everywhere [intrusive and unescapable] and the activities and shows were deliberately 'edgy' and provocative, and the itinerary was same old-same old.

 

I'm a fan of the old General Motors brand distinction model of the 1950s.  The idea was that your first car was a Chevy, and as you moved up the career ladder to progressed to Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and then Cadillac.  Each marque was designed to fit a particular market niche, and nobody ever confused a Chevy with an Olds.  Later, GM lost the thread and it was very hard to tell any of the marques apart – and GM's market share plummeted.

 

I feel that RCL has lost the thread on Celebrity.  Celebrity was originally a classy, mature step up from Royal Caribbean.  The Edge class has severely disappointed a lot of their long-time cruisers who want that ambience, but it doesn't offer the roller coasters and such that would attract young adults.  What do they have for the mature [in outlook, not necessarily age] adults who can't afford Azamara?  [CCL has Princess for the younger vibe and HAL for the older one.]

And if they lose those mature adults to Princess or HAL, they have lost the smooth path toward Azamara.  Once out of the RCL ecosystem [and the Celebrity/Azamara joint loyalty program], they are likely to gravitate to Oceania or Viking for the next step up.

How many Celebrity cruises have you done?  How many Royal Caribbean?

 

Phil 

[Host Jazzbeau]

17 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

How many Celebrity cruises have you done?  How many Royal Caribbean?

 

Phil 

 

Not sure why it's important, but:

Celebrity = 5 [2 M-Class, 1 S-Class, 1 X-Class, 1 E-Class]

Royal = 0 [never any interest]

Plans to sail on any ship >1,250 passengers = 0

 

Equally relevant to above:

General Motors cars owned = 0

 

[blag]

7 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

Not sure why it's important, but:

Celebrity = 5 [2 M-Class, 1 S-Class, 1 X-Class, 1 E-Class]

Royal = 0 [never any interest]

Plans to sail on any ship >1,250 passengers = 0

 

Equally relevant to above:

General Motors cars owned = 0

 

At the risk of being controversial - the numbers are important because some may consider that you may not be qualified to make such statements, even if they are opinions! 

[MakingUpForLostTime]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I feel that RCL has lost the thread on Celebrity.  Celebrity was originally a classy, mature step up from Royal Caribbean. 

And if they lose those mature adults to Princess or HAL, they have lost the smooth path toward Azamara.  Once out of the RCL ecosystem [and the Celebrity/Azamara joint loyalty program], they are likely to gravitate to Oceania or Viking for the next step up.

Totally agree!

 

I started with RCL in 2003 and did 9 cruises slowly moving up to Celebrity. I did 7 Celebrity cruises and the last one on the Reflection would be our last, as the difference that once existed between RCL and Celebrity was gone. Food was not great, dining room crowded and service just... ok. We moved up to Azamara and we enjoyed the difference. Food is great, not as crowded and service fantastic. We have done 6 Azamara so far. We have done Oceania and Viking as well. The ship staff are the best on Azamara but the on shore RCL experience has left a bitterness that cannot be forgotten. Time to move loyalty to a company that deserves it. Oceania.

[Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, blag said:

I see that to be accurate.

But, I hope you'll agree that the jabs versus shots was merely a comment, and not the main gist of the original post, or the topic! What I was trying to say is that it's easy for topics to get sidetracked, and I chose the jabs versus shots as an example. Clearly, not a good example. 

 

I do agree, actually it was just a little humorous exchange between myself and Nordski, at least on my part.

[nordski]

1 hour ago, blag said:

I see that to be accurate.

But, I hope you'll agree that the jabs versus shots was merely a comment, and not the main gist of the original post, or the topic! What I was trying to say is that it's easy for topics to get sidetracked, and I chose the jabs versus shots as an example. Clearly, not a good example. 

I thought it was a good example and when I posted I knew the topic was drifting.

The degree of acceptable drift is, no doubt, subjective, but HJB will make the final decision.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Getting back on track......IMHO Azamara won't be sailing any time soon. With the current repatriation of crew to their home countries and countries/ports not being completely open for resident travel I don't think that bring a ship full of tourists will happen for quite awhile. I just wish Azamara would cancel those cruises they know won't sail so those of us booked can cancel hotel, tours, airfare etc. For us it's July 6 British Isles. Ireland has a plan to re-open and it's not before late July. 

 

Reopening Plan for Ireland

Edited May 4, 2020 by suzyluvs2cruise

[suzyluvs2cruise]

34 minutes ago, blag said:

At the risk of being controversial - the numbers are important because some may consider that you may not be qualified to make such statements, even if they are opinions! 

 

I also think having experience sailing on Azamara is important when making assessments. 

[the mice]

Not sure if this should be added to this topic or in the one on suspensions to June 11 or maybe in a new one, but this ws something I came across today - it is data from IATA Timatic   (per Wikipedia;  Timatic, an abbreviation for Travel Information Manual Automatic, is used by airlines and their representatives (check-in agents, managers, etc.), airport staff, and travel agents to determine whether a passenger can be carried, as well as by airlines and travel agents to provide this information to travellers at the time of booking).   

 

Anyway, here's the document link showing travel restrictions by country with date of update (and the general proviso that "  IATA cannot guarantee its accuracy and can accept no liability for any errors or omissions."):

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm

 

Updates to this list may start to provide some answers to the question.

[sunlover33]

28 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

I also think having experience sailing on Azamara is important when making assessments. 

I think having a wide experience in a variety of cruise lines is important when making assessments. Too much experience of one particular  line leads to a blinkered view. The ability to compare lines to see why each may or may not be viable by comparison within this brave new world we are entering is useful. 

[suzyluvs2cruise]

7 minutes ago, sunlover33 said:

I think having a wide experience in a variety of cruise lines is important when making assessments. Too much experience of one particular  line leads to a blinkered view. The ability to compare lines to see why each may or may not be viable by comparison within this brave new world we are entering is useful. 

 

My comment about experience with Azamara was in response to another post and, yes, I think one needs variety of experiences to make fair and accurate assessments.

[excitedofharpenden]

8 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

Not sure why it's important, but:

Celebrity = 5 [2 M-Class, 1 S-Class, 1 X-Class, 1 E-Class]

Royal = 0 [never any interest]

Plans to sail on any ship >1,250 passengers = 0

 

Equally relevant to above:

General Motors cars owned = 0

 

My point is that how can you say that Celebrity is more like Royal Caribbean if you've never sailed on Royal?  Very relevant as a host posting information here. I definitely don't agree with your assessment. 

 

And speaking of relevance, you are the one who originally brought up General Motors and started talking about HAL and Viking and Oceania. I won't talk about them because I've never sailed on them. I've sailed Celebrity and Royal 40 times.

 

Phil 

[chromered7]

I think from a UK perspective  the uncertainty of cruising any where Is unlikely without a vaccine. As for choosing a cruise line , their are pros and cons with all of them . We are moving from Azamara to try another cruise line because of changes made on the ship, poor communication and paying a higher price for friendly service. It’s good to try other cruise lines  but it can be a costly experiment if you get it wrong.  

 

[blag]

12 hours ago, the mice said:

Not sure if this should be added to this topic or in the one on suspensions to June 11 or maybe in a new one, but this ws something I came across today - it is data from IATA Timatic   (per Wikipedia;  Timatic, an abbreviation for Travel Information Manual Automatic, is used by airlines and their representatives (check-in agents, managers, etc.), airport staff, and travel agents to determine whether a passenger can be carried, as well as by airlines and travel agents to provide this information to travellers at the time of booking).   

 

Anyway, here's the document link showing travel restrictions by country with date of update (and the general proviso that "  IATA cannot guarantee its accuracy and can accept no liability for any errors or omissions."):

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm

 

Updates to this list may start to provide some answers to the question.

This is a very useful resource. Thanks.

I wonder if the link merits elevation to a sticky.