January. Canaries Cruises.

[tidespring]

We are desperate for some winter warmth this January, and do not want to travel to the Caribbean. We quite fancy a Azamara Journey cruise round the Canary Islands. Do we have any info regarding freedom to tour on your own during port calls.

[excitedofharpenden]

At the moment you are free to tour on your own in Spain, but of course that can change at any time. 

 

Phil 

[uktog]

You are right (as always 😀 Phil). I think anyone cruising in the next year has to accept there may be a requirement to use ships tours, there may even have to be missed ports and the position today is not guaranteed to be the position tomorrow.  Changes over which we have no control both onboard and ashore will happen some good some not so good. 

If you can live with ambiguity go for it, if not stay on land holidays for the time being. 

[tidespring]

Thanks for that Phil. I have just booked the 10 night cruise on Journey from Gran Canaria. This will be my second Azamara and really enjoyed my last on Pursuit.

[excitedofharpenden]

16 minutes ago, tidespring said:

Thanks for that Phil. I have just booked the 10 night cruise on Journey from Gran Canaria. This will be my second Azamara and really enjoyed my last on Pursuit.

I'm looking at one 18th January on Journey. I am due on the Spain intensive cruise at the beginning of November and keeping my fingers crossed that we can tour independently.

 

Reports I've had from a few friends on the ship at the moment are that it's a bit of a pain to use the ship tours. Public restrooms only and too many people on the tours are using their masks as chin straps instead of wearing them correctly when they are supposed to. 

 

Phil 

[tidespring]

1 minute ago, excitedofharpenden said:

I'm looking at one 18th January on Journey. I am due on the Spain intensive cruise at the beginning of November and keeping my fingers crossed that we can tour independently.

 

Reports I've had from a few friends on the ship at the moment are that it's a bit of a pain to use the ship tours. Public restrooms only and too many people on the tours are using their masks as chin straps instead of wearing them correctly when they are supposed to. 

 

Phil 

 

[tidespring]

This is my concern also. I am assured though that if things are looking too restrictive nearer the date we can move our cruise to a future date. I have to say though that having been to most of the ports before, I will be happy to just cruise, and do the occasional ships tour, suitably masked. 

[govanguy]

12 hours ago, tidespring said:

We are desperate for some winter warmth this January, and do not want to travel to the Caribbean. We quite fancy a Azamara Journey cruise round the Canary Islands. Do we have any info regarding freedom to tour on your own during port calls.

From todays Canaria Weekly: https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/cruise-passengers-return-canary-islands

[Baynanno1]

9 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Reports I've had from a few friends on the ship at the moment are that it's a bit of a pain to use the ship tours. Public restrooms only and too many people on the tours are using their masks as chin straps instead of wearing them correctly when they are supposed to. 

 

Phil 

 

That's disappointing . . . surely either the tour guide or the Azamara staff member on the tour (or both) ought to be ensuring that masks are being worn properly!

(I have assumed that tours are accompanied by a crew member as previously.)

 

Trish

[uktog]

9 hours ago, Baynanno1 said:

 

That's disappointing . . . surely either the tour guide or the Azamara staff member on the tour (or both) ought to be ensuring that masks are being worn properly!

(I have assumed that tours are accompanied by a crew member as previously.)

 

Trish

I agree.  I heard also that this was an issue.  It was also happening when we were onboard but not as much as now. Yes the tours are accompanied and they have an extensive check list to report back on.  One tour, the girl who was one of the nurses was excellent and did speak to the “chin strappers” but on a later tour, same people but the shop girl did nothing all trip.  
 

it’s hard for the crew they’re not as skilled at “enforcement”. We hear there are people onboard moving signs in the Den later in the evening and creating large groups to sit and drink together.  It’s not fair this boundary pushing by certain guests. 

[oddjob16]

We usually go to Puerto de Mogan, Gran Canaria once every winter and we like the short break it gives us. Direct flights and familiar place made it an easy choice when they put Azamara Journey on scheduled traffic there this winter. We have the jan 18.th sailing and really are looking forward to boarding again. Hopefully there will be normal restrictions for going ashore and that we can do it on our own if we prefer. The article in the Canarianweekly indicated that they are trying their best to acommodate just that.

Hopefully you can manage to come with us, Phil. 😁

[uktog]

If your cruise stops in Lanzarote, they have been allowing Aida passengers to go ashore unaccompanied for some time so hopefully you will be able to enjoy there as well.  We spend some of our winter there and will be looking out for the familiar blue hull each week or so

[oddjob16]

3 hours ago, uktog said:

If your cruise stops in Lanzarote, they have been allowing Aida passengers to go ashore unaccompanied for some time so hopefully you will be able to enjoy there as well.  We spend some of our winter there and will be looking out for the familiar blue hull each week or so

Maybe we'll have few and catch up...

[uktog]

1 minute ago, oddjob16 said:

Maybe we'll have few and catch up...

I am plotting...... might need a minibus for all we know on your cruise 🙂 

[oddjob16]

9 minutes ago, uktog said:

I am plotting...... might need a minibus for all we know on your cruise 🙂 

That might be the case...🥳🥳😁🥂

[Baynanno1]

15 hours ago, uktog said:

I agree.  I heard also that this was an issue.  It was also happening when we were onboard but not as much as now. Yes the tours are accompanied and they have an extensive check list to report back on.  One tour, the girl who was one of the nurses was excellent and did speak to the “chin strappers” but on a later tour, same people but the shop girl did nothing all trip.  
 

it’s hard for the crew they’re not as skilled at “enforcement”. We hear there are people onboard moving signs in the Den later in the evening and creating large groups to sit and drink together.  It’s not fair this boundary pushing by certain guests. 

 

That really is very disappointing! But that unfortunately is the nature of some who feel they are above the rules put in place for the safety of everyone. Some of those similarly careless rule-breaking people have been responsible for outbreaks of the unmentionable in Australia.

 

You are quite right as far as not being trained in "enforcement" and it should not be necessary for them to be trained for something that is well outside their "job descriptions" . . . shop assistant or beautician to name a couple.

Some years ago I did overhear a male musician (not a permanent crew member) on hand sanitiser duty in Windows say to a belligerent male cruiser who was refusing to clean his hands during an outbreak of gastro brought back from an overnight at Luxor  "don't make me call security." The cruiser did not have a valid reason for not using the sanitiser as some do, he simply wouldn't or couldn't be bothered prior to the musician's words. No way a diminutive beautician could have the same effect as that musician.

Heightened sanitation was in place until the end of the cruise and the ship was deep cleaned between cruises.

 

As for the large groups . . . I wonder why nobody thought to go to Guest Relations to have Security check on the area?

 

On a happier note . . . hopefully . . . I'm sure those of you who do meet up in Lanzarote will have a wonderful time. Enjoy! ☺️

[Ithikan]

21 hours ago, uktog said:

it’s hard for the crew they’re not as skilled at “enforcement”. We hear there are people onboard moving signs in the Den later in the evening and creating large groups to sit and drink together.  It’s not fair this boundary pushing by certain guests. 

I am so sorry to read this.  We were actively considering adding another segment to create a B2B next summer, however, this sounds unappetizing.  Having a second think, and we may revert to extra land time.  I don't want to flee my favorite spots on the ship if health-driven protocols cannot be enforced!  

Again, I'm sorry to hear about this.

[upwarduk]

The most recent Silhouette cruise which left Cadiz today was allowing independent tours in mainland Spain, but not in the Canary Islands. This was a change form the previous cruise, where independent tours were allowed everywhere.