Onboard Quest's first cruise

[Huntingdon1701]

6 hours ago, slprpMay2018 said:

Huntington,

Thank you for taking the time to answer all our questions. I hope you don't mind a few more as I know you'll be disembarking soon. I hope that goes well for you. With the excursion to the Palace of Knosos, had you purchased the palace and museum package. I noted that you indicated going in the Museum. We received notice that they had cancelled the museum and Palace tour for our booking. I've replaced it with the Palace and town tour but was just wondering. The other question was about the form for coming back into Piraeus port. We need to do an addition locator form is that correct? Thanks again and hope your next cruise in January goes well! Safe journey to your home. 

 

Thanks. 

 

Yes, I did palace and museum. Strange that they've cancelled the museum, as you really need both to appreciate the site. They did mention having an issue with long lines, and reversed the order of our tour to avoid it. 

 

However, the museum is less than five minutes walk from the main Street which will feature on your town tour, so you could probably do it on your own - although free time on a tour may not be enough. 

 

Yes, you do need to do another Greek locator form to get back in - and they gave you 30 minutes free internet time to complete it. The Greek form is very straightforward (unlike the UK one!). That said, there were no checks at the port where anyone wanted to see it. 

Edited September 4, 2021 by Huntingdon1701

[Huntingdon1701]

I was going to work through the cocktail list on the last night, but got stuck on Grasshoppers, so just a picture of that and the Banana Split cocktail offered in the Living Room. If you don't have a drinks package, the complimentary cocktails are listed on the penultimate page of the bar menu. Took me all week to spot that. 

 

Disembarkation was very straightforward. Suitcases outside the door between 7-11pm. Out of the cabins by 8am, with Windows Cafe serving breakfast between 6-9am. 

 

The captain and officers were queued by the gangway to wave you off, and there are port staff with signs to guide you to the luggage. 

 

No port checks. Decent queue of taxis outside the port, although I'd pre-booked with Welcome Pickups again, and driver was waiting with my name on the sign (he was early). 

 

General reflections:

- if you're concerned about health safety, I don't think you need to be. Everyone complied with mask requirements, social distancing measures are in place and easy to follow, and they are constantly cleaning everything. Add in everyone being vaccinated and the testing on day 5, And you can be more confident of a virus free environment than anywhere else I can think of. 

 

- if you're concerned about Covid measures impacting on your enjoyment, you probably don't need to be. Yes, masks are required when moving around, but 90% of the time you're sunbathing, eating, drinking or in your own cabin where they are not required. The only time they did get a bit onerous was on shore excursions, so you might want to do your own and social distance, or pick ones like the boat on Santorini which are outside with a strong breeze, and therefore didn't need masks. Everything else is operating mostly as normal, although more passengers numbers will help the bigger events go with a swing. 

 

- I'm mostly an NCL traveller. Overall, I thought that service on Azamara was more consistent. I've had great service on NCL but there's usually the odd crew member who's not happy. Didn't see that on Azamara, although of course first cruise and pick of the crew may also be an influence. Captain and officers were definitely more visible (I understand uktog's comments on that now) - much more approachable. 

 

- I did miss the variety of NCL's dining options, but Azamara food was very good throughout. The Mosaic Cafe being included is an absolute winner. However, Quest's Spa was comparatively basic and lacked shade (although I enjoyed being the only person in it). Similarly, the online offering and interactive TV is definitely lagging behind more modern ships. 

 

- pre-cruise information was dire, inaccurate, contradictory, and too late to help passengers. They really fell down on this. However, that should be sorted for all future travellers and they generally have adopted pragmatic and practical approaches, so shouldn't put anyone off. I am grateful to uktog and excitedofharpenden for persuading me not to cancel from frustration - the onboard experience was worth persisting through the pain.

 

I've enjoyed sharing the experience with you all. Thanks for all your comments and questions. I'm happy to keep answering them if any come up as more people resume cruise planning. 

Edited September 4, 2021 by Huntingdon1701

[excitedofharpenden]

Thanks very much for your reports. They have been very helpful. In fact I have sent a thread link to two of my friends to look at as a reference point. There are so many unknowns just now, but it's good to have sense of it from someone giving an honest opinion. Safe stay in Athens and good trip home. 

 

Phil 

[mj_holiday]

Thank you very much for spending the time to give us details of your trip and also the admin stuff around COVID testing etc.

[Deck Chair Queen]

Thanks again for your detailed, informative review. I hope it didn’t take too much time away from your vacation. I was wondering whether you heard of any crew or passenger testing positive? From what I’ve read about other cruise lines, they are not great about communicating this vital information. 

[Huntingdon1701]

28 minutes ago, Deck Chair Queen said:

Thanks again for your detailed, informative review. I hope it didn’t take too much time away from your vacation. I was wondering whether you heard of any crew or passenger testing positive? From what I’ve read about other cruise lines, they are not great about communicating this vital information. 

I quite enjoyed sharing it. I find these forums so useful for planning my own cruises that it's nice to be able to give back. 

 

I didn't hear of any positive tests. But as you say, they may not want to share widely. 

[royallondon]

A real big “thank you” Huntingdon 1701 for opening this thread and providing us with such wholesome information about your wonderful experience.  It’s just great to see Azamara back at sea under their new stewardship.
Having just returned from a week on Celebrity Silhouette, we were totally touched by the welcome we received from the staff.  The resumption of cruising means so much to them.  Chuffed for the Azamara crew as well as passengers. 

 

Regards

[Ilovemygarden]

Thank you so much for your review and subsequent answering of questions.  Looks like you were flying solo - how much did the present restrictions impact on interaction with other passengers ie sharing tables at dinner etc?  I am a bit nervous about cruising again on my own.    Have a good journey back.

[cruisingsfun]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful information. I am REALLY looking forward to my cruise on the Journey on October 13.

[Mackdogmolly]

9 hours ago, Huntingdon1701 said:

I was going to work through the cocktail list on the last night, but got stuck on Grasshoppers, so just a picture of that and the Banana Split cocktail offered in the Living Room. If you don't have a drinks package, the complimentary cocktails are listed on the penultimate page of the bar menu. Took me all week to spot that. 

 

Disembarkation was very straightforward. Suitcases outside the door between 7-11pm. Out of the cabins by 8am, with Windows Cafe serving breakfast between 6-9am. 

 

The captain and officers were queued by the gangway to wave you off, and there are port staff with signs to guide you to the luggage. 

 

No port checks. Decent queue of taxis outside the port, although I'd pre-booked with Welcome Pickups again, and driver was waiting with my name on the sign (he was early). 

 

General reflections:

- if you're concerned about health safety, I don't think you need to be. Everyone complied with mask requirements, social distancing measures are in place and easy to follow, and they are constantly cleaning everything. Add in everyone being vaccinated and the testing on day 5, And you can be more confident of a virus free environment than anywhere else I can think of. 

 

- if you're concerned about Covid measures impacting on your enjoyment, you probably don't need to be. Yes, masks are required when moving around, but 90% of the time you're sunbathing, eating, drinking or in your own cabin where they are not required. The only time they did get a bit onerous was on shore excursions, so you might want to do your own and social distance, or pick ones like the boat on Santorini which are outside with a strong breeze, and therefore didn't need masks. Everything else is operating mostly as normal, although more passengers numbers will help the bigger events go with a swing. 

 

- I'm mostly an NCL traveller. Overall, I thought that service on Azamara was more consistent. I've had great service on NCL but there's usually the odd crew member who's not happy. Didn't see that on Azamara, although of course first cruise and pick of the crew may also be an influence. Captain and officers were definitely more visible (I understand uktog's comments on that now) - much more approachable. 

 

- I did miss the variety of NCL's dining options, but Azamara food was very good throughout. The Mosaic Cafe being included is an absolute winner. However, Quest's Spa was comparatively basic and lacked shade (although I enjoyed being the only person in it). Similarly, the online offering and interactive TV is definitely lagging behind more modern ships. 

 

- pre-cruise information was dire, inaccurate, contradictory, and too late to help passengers. They really fell down on this. However, that should be sorted for all future travellers and they generally have adopted pragmatic and practical approaches, so shouldn't put anyone off. I am grateful to uktog and excitedofharpenden for persuading me not to cancel from frustration - the onboard experience was worth persisting through the pain.

 

I've enjoyed sharing the experience with you all. Thanks for all your comments and questions. I'm happy to keep answering them if any come up as more people resume cruise planning. 

FYI, for your next cruise: you can get many other drinks not on the included beverages menu, such as martinis and manhattans. Just ask to be made with included spirits

[Huntingdon1701]

2 hours ago, Ilovemygarden said:

Thank you so much for your review and subsequent answering of questions.  Looks like you were flying solo - how much did the present restrictions impact on interaction with other passengers ie sharing tables at dinner etc?  I am a bit nervous about cruising again on my own.    Have a good journey back.

 

There were definitely several solo passengers around, including me. 

 

You weren't supposed to be sharing tables and I didn't see that happen. But it was still possible to talk across tables that were socially distanced - I couldn't tell if they were part of a travelling group, or just friendly strangers.

 

Most of the interactions happened on excursions or the more interactive activities like the quizzes or lectures. I did also notice a solo traveler get together in the Insider schedule on a couple of nights, but don't know if people attended. 

 

[Huntingdon1701]

1 hour ago, Mackdogmolly said:

FYI, for your next cruise: you can get many other drinks not on the included beverages menu, such as martinis and manhattans. Just ask to be made with included spirits

 

Thanks. I definitely feel I took a conservative approach to drinks on this cruise, although I enjoyed the variety of the daily wine selection. Will be a bit bolder next time (although more Grasshoppers are a must). 

[Cruizer Diana]

On 9/3/2021 at 12:23 AM, Huntingdon1701 said:

 

Test results arrived today and checking them against the Government guidelines, they meet all the criteria.

 

However, uploading it to the app BA is using for verification results in consistent rejection (no explanation). BAs language on their website is that they're following government guidance but then outlines a stricter set of requirements. I think BA are wrong, and will complain to them, but I think a second test may be worth it for peace of mind. 

 

The hotel I'm using, Athens Gate, were doing onsite testing once a week, and have said they can point me in the direction of a local provider if needed. However, you may want to consider the cheaper ones you can bring from home and do under the webcam supervision of a professional. 

 

In case anyone is interested, this is what the results letter looks like - the censored top bit contains the precise date and time of test, your date of birth, full name, passport/ID number and your cabin number. 

 

We are on the 10/19/21 cruise. We are debating whether to change our flight. We either fly out of Rome at noon on the day of arrival (very tight timing) or fly out at noon the next day after arriving in Civitavecchia. How many hours/days prior to disembarkation was the test given?

[Huntingdon1701]

1 hour ago, Cruizer Diana said:

 

We are on the 10/19/21 cruise. We are debating whether to change our flight. We either fly out of Rome at noon on the day of arrival (very tight timing) or fly out at noon the next day after arriving in Civitavecchia. How many hours/days prior to disembarkation was the test given?

 

Disembarkation was on Saturday and they did the test at 7.30am on the Thursday. Had they done it in the afternoon, I think it would have been okay - my flight is 15.20. 

 

What I've done as an alternative is speak to my hotel, who arranged for someone to come to test me at the hotel. They can do antigen and PCR tests with the kit they bring. 

 

The test took 2 minutes at the hotel. It cost €35 and they took payment in cash or card. Results turned up 4 hours later by email, and have been accepted by BA for my flight. 

 

I suggest anyone who is unsure about testing speaks to their hotel in the first instance. They'll either have a similar arrangement to the above or be able to put you in a taxi to the nearest and quickest testing site. 

 

For those in Athens, I stayed at the Athens Gate Hotel. 

[Marmaduke]

Thank you once again Huntingdon 1701 for taking the time out from your cruise to post on here.  You will have reassured many people that foreign cruising is still possible in these Covid times.

 

Please let us know how your flight home went and how you fared getting back into the UK.  I believe you are flying  BA to LHR (terminal 5?)  Apparently the airport was chaos with long queues on Friday so I hope the situation has improved by the time you arrive.

[Huntingdon1701]

1 hour ago, Marmaduke said:

Thank you once again Huntingdon 1701 for taking the time out from your cruise to post on here.  You will have reassured many people that foreign cruising is still possible in these Covid times.

 

Please let us know how your flight home went and how you fared getting back into the UK.  I believe you are flying  BA to LHR (terminal 5?)  Apparently the airport was chaos with long queues on Friday so I hope the situation has improved by the time you arrive.

 

I am now airside at Athens airport. It's busy but I got through check-in, passport control, and security in only 15 minutes.

 

Anyone flying BA should download their Verifly app and complete it before getting to the airport. They had a dedicated check-in lane for it which was empty. I walked up, flashed the green pass and handed over my luggage. The queue for regular check-in was at least an hour long. Don't get stuck in it!

 

They sent me the link for the app 3 days before the flight. As apps go, it is not great, so here are some tips:

- It will only accept test results completed within 72 hours of the flight. That's less flexibility than Government guidance. It does approve/reject them quite quickly though but aim to submit at least the evening before.

- On android phones you can't upload the passenger locator form but must scan the QR code. That means you either need to get the hotel or cruise ship to print it for you; or use a second device to display the code. My iPad isn't set up for mail so I had to use it to take a picture of the QR code on my phone, and then scan the iPad photo with my phone. Stupid design but worth it.

- The last thing it asks is if you have printouts of all the documents but they don't actually check this at the desk. 

 

Security was a breeze with at least 5 open but empty lanes. You just walked up to your chosen security guard. All delays are at the check in point as they check all the documents.

 

I suspect Heathrow may not be as good, from the news reports. Will let you know.

 

[QM2 fan]

On 9/3/2021 at 11:12 PM, holidaysaregood said:

Thank you for the informative posts.  Has made lots of items a lot clearer.   We fly out on the 17th from LHR for the 18th sailing.  We fly back on the Saturday.   We are staying at the Fresh Hotel in Athens.

We also fly out of LHR on 17th for a night in ATH first-are you on BA? We are on the 0840 flt...

[Huntingdon1701]

I was through Heathrow passport control in under 5 minutes - and that's including the e-gate not working. Huge relief. 

[Ilovemygarden]

23 hours ago, Huntingdon1701 said:

 

There were definitely several solo passengers around, including me. 

 

You weren't supposed to be sharing tables and I didn't see that happen. But it was still possible to talk across tables that were socially distanced - I couldn't tell if they were part of a travelling group, or just friendly strangers.

 

Most of the interactions happened on excursions or the more interactive activities like the quizzes or lectures. I did also notice a solo traveler get together in the Insider schedule on a couple of nights, but don't know if people attended. 

 

Thank you so much for your reply - very helpful.   I hope you enjoyed your time in Athens- my daughter lives there and I haven’t been over for two years now.   Hope your flight home went well.

[uktog]

Can I ask did you download Verifly before leaving home and did you pre populate any of it or did you do it all onboard?  
 

Welcome home I think you’ve brought the heat with you for some (though not us!)

[malcliz]

I have downloaded the VeriFLY app but the only options on the airlines dropdown are American Airlines and Aer Lingus. Can’t select BA so can’t add our flight details. Has anyone found a way around this?

[uktog]

9 minutes ago, malcliz said:

I have downloaded the VeriFLY app but the only options on the airlines dropdown are American Airlines and Aer Lingus. Can’t select BA so can’t add our flight details. Has anyone found a way around this?

You cannot use Verifly to Greece on BA only for returning to the UK

Edited September 5, 2021 by uktog

[malcliz]

5 minutes ago, uktog said:

You cannot use Verifly to Greece on BA only for returning to the UK

Oh thank you. I will stop trying to work it out then! Hopefully BA will appear in the dropdown when we are in Greece. 

[uktog]

1 hour ago, malcliz said:

Oh thank you. I will stop trying to work it out then! Hopefully BA will appear in the dropdown when we are in Greece. 

It does, I tested that far. You have to remember to select a travel to the UK profile. 

[holidaysaregood]

18 hours ago, QM2 fan said:

We also fly out of LHR on 17th for a night in ATH first-are you on BA? We are on the 0840 flt...

Yes we are on the same flight.  See you there.