Anybody onboard currently?

[takemewithyou]

32 minutes ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

I wonder how many were going to disembark in NYC?

According to a Reuters article I read , 1000 passengers out of a total of 1575, were expecting to disembark in NYC.  Now, they have to find flights for 1000 people home to NY!

[aliaschief]

We are going to be first time cruisers on Azamara as we booked the World Cruise in 2024 so have started lurking here on Azamara pages.

 

That being said we have cruised Hal for almost 500 days. Our recent two cruises Alaska and repositioning from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale this year Roll Calls we’re slow as most folks have been doing ship tours versus the usual private tours. Why! Hoping that the cruise line is requiring some protocols of safety. In past cruises most of our excursions have been privately planned. Half the fun!

 

With only 690 -700 guest capacity I’m not expecting the large Roll Calls of larger ships. However, with two years to go our 2024 WC Onward Roll Call is off to a good start with exchange of info. Lot’s of planning for this one.

 

Our experience, good Roll Calls need a leader to oversee welcome and direction but most of all activity. 
 

So looking forward to our new Azamara adventure.

 

Happy New Year!
 

 

Edited December 31, 2021 by aliaschief

[KevintheIrishDJ]

2 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

According to a Reuters article I read , 1000 passengers out of a total of 1575, were expecting to disembark in NYC.  Now, they have to find flights for 1000 people home to NY!

Something smells fishy about the story (pardon the pun).  Why wouldn't they fly the new crew to NYC instead of paying for that many flights to NYC.  How many other passengers will also disembark?

 

[KevintheIrishDJ]

1 hour ago, aliaschief said:

We are going to be first time cruisers on Azamara as we booked the World Cruise in 2024 so have started lurking here on Azamara pages.

 

That being said we have cruised Hal for almost 500 days. Our recent two cruises Alaska and repositioning from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale this year Roll Calls we’re slow as most folks have been doing ship tours versus the usual private tours. Why! Hoping that the cruise line is requiring some protocols of safety. In past cruises most of our excursions have been privately planned. Half the fun!

 

With only 690 -700 guest capacity I’m not expecting the large Roll Calls of larger ships. However, with two years to go our 2024 WC Onward Roll Call is off to a good start with exchange of info. Lot’s of planning for this one.

 

Our experience, good Roll Calls need a leader to oversee welcome and direction but most of all activity. 
 

So looking forward to our new Azamara adventure.

 

Happy New Year!
 

 

We moved our reservation to the 2023 Christmas cruise on the Onward (former Pacific Princess) several months ago.  There is still no Roll Call.

[suttonrunner]

35 minutes ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

Something smells fishy about the story (pardon the pun).  Why wouldn't they fly the new crew to NYC instead of paying for that many flights to NYC.  How many other passengers will also disembark?

 

The report says they need essential crew members - to me that  (and I may not be right)  probably  means they require replacement bridge/engineering crew to  be able to safely sail the ship, nothing fishy about it at all.

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by suttonrunner
additional word

[aliaschief]

30 minutes ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

We moved our reservation to the 2023 Christmas cruise on the Onward (former Pacific Princess) several months ago.  There is still no Roll Call.

Someone has to start it. Give it a try. Just follow the CC guidelines in starting one. Year away not surprised.

 

 

[Mackdogmolly]

1 hour ago, suttonrunner said:

The report says they need essential crew members - to me that  (and I may not be right)  probably  means they require replacement bridge/engineering crew to  be able to safely sail the ship, nothing fishy about it at all.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/12/29/queen-mary-2-cruise-covid-outbreak/%3Famp

[Mackdogmolly]

Tonight the captain reported more cases among passengers and especially crew. Didn’t catch the exact numbers, but we have been asked to adjust our service expectations due to reduced crew. At this point, I am not holding my breath for St. Kitts. Tomorrow is a sea day and we will learn more. Just going with the flow .

[JWayne60]

3 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Tonight the captain reported more cases among passengers and especially crew. Didn’t catch the exact numbers, but we have been asked to adjust our service expectations due to reduced crew. At this point, I am not holding my breath for St. Kitts. Tomorrow is a sea day and we will learn more. Just going with the flow .

From what I could hear of the Captain’s announcement during dinner last night (31-Dec), the positive case count is now in the mid-high teens for both guests and for crew. Additionally, something like 35 crew were determined to be close contacts of some positive crew cases, so per Captain, that’s approx 50 crew members now in isolation, as they try to get ahead of the curve. Also, more restrictive protocols being implemented for crew, especially ship operations crew, to minimize any unnecessary contact. 

 

Captain shared some statistics indicating how cruises are testing at higher rates and having lower rates of positive cases than in U.S. (I’m just the messenger here.)

 

Meanwhile, in typical Azamara style, all efforts continue to provide a good holiday cruise experience.  Danny Turner and the onboard talent, and the hotel staff, put on a helluva good NYE party on the pool deck. The music, from 4th Element to Tom Seals and the Quest Band was simply outstanding. Hors d’oeurves and drinks were plentiful. And Captain put the ship in a great position (just outside the port) to see a nice fireworks show on the coast of Barbados at midnight. 

 

As Betsey said, service levels (and maybe ports) will change and we’ll go with the flow… above all, hoping for good health for EVERYONE onboard… and Happy New Year to all. 

[Mackdogmolly]

Happy, healthy  New Year to all!

[uktog]

10 hours ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

Something smells fishy about the story (pardon the pun).  Why wouldn't they fly the new crew to NYC instead of paying for that many flights to NYC.  How many other passengers will also disembark?

 

Nothing fishy, in our press it’s explained as it’s linked to the time delay to quarantine the crew before they become operational and they have to get the ship back to Southampton for 11th so can do that empty.  I suspect Cunard had cut find some timings to get crew on and off, maybe also were on bear bones staffing numbers and it’s bit them. If there was a big outbreak onboard we’d have heard a lot in the UK given how many Brits were onboard.  Many bought a package to disembark in NY spend time there then fly home, so flying from Barbados is logistically the next best thing.

Yes, there’s virus around but compared to how much is in our community just now, the ships rates are very low - and will be based on 100% testing whereas in the community it’s 5%.  If I may explain, in our local community our case rate is coming back at 20% test positivity and that’s typical round here.  Quest is nowhere near this.  

Edited January 1, 2022 by uktog

[uktog]

3 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Happy, healthy  New Year to all!

And to you Betsey

[Mackdogmolly]

To all of my Yorkshire friends: we have been meeting a lot of wonderful folks from your part of the world! Two couples and a mother and her very chatty adult son (so far)! We are beginning to recognize the regional accent! 🥰

[excitedofharpenden]

14 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Happy, healthy  New Year to all!

Same to you Betsey and maybe we will be on that same ship in the not too distant future!

 

Phil 

[Mackdogmolly]

5 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Same to you Betsey and maybe we will be on that same ship in the not too distant future!

 

Phil 

 

5 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Same to you Betsey and maybe we will be on that same ship in the not too distant future!

 

Phil 

I would love to meet you Phil!

[Mackdogmolly]

COVID update from the captain. 16 guests and 15 crew so still a really low rate. Certainly better than my state right now. Also, still waiting to hear if we can land in St. Kitts. They are working on Antigua as a backup. We spent our honeymoon there, so would be ok with us. I can’t even imagine the logistics as things constantly change.

Sailing off the coast of Martinique at the moment 

[Roel94]

16 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Tonight the captain reported more cases among passengers and especially crew. Didn’t catch the exact numbers, but we have been asked to adjust our service expectations due to reduced crew. At this point, I am not holding my breath for St. Kitts. Tomorrow is a sea day and we will learn more. Just going with the flow .

I missed some of his info as I was outside my cabin door as he did not speak in cabin as always this cruise. To much noise outside cabin.

 

double masking unless dancing outside.no living room . Lots of outside events that help comfort level.

 

Danny's show was very good last night with video clips from the movies.

 

I missed seeing Johaness last night but other officers pop on deck so they were around .

 

 

[JWayne60]

Hope I’m not breaking any rules here, but in the spirit of helping future cruisers appreciate what life on board is like, I’m posting two pics from today’s Quest Insider program, which highlight some of the changes being put in place for the moment. Still LOTS of good stuff happening, just have to adjust expectations, abide by protocols, help out wherever possible, and “go with the float”.  Azamara continues to impress  🚢😎

 

 

[uktog]

I am sure you have not broken any rules here.  This is very helpful to see that with some flexibility you could still enjoy a cruise experience that is not too far removed from the usual.  Well done Team Quest in sorting this out so fast to try and keep everyone safe

 

Can you confirm, is the requirement double masking JWayne60 as it is not mentioned on the Insider.

 

Not surprised the Captain is lying low, they need to keep the Bridge team as safe as they can

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, uktog said:

Not surprised the Captain is lying low, they need to keep the Bridge team as safe as they can

And there's only one Captain!

[Mackdogmolly]

5 minutes ago, uktog said:

I am sure you have not broken any rules here.  This is very helpful to see that with some flexibility you could still enjoy a cruise experience that is not too far removed from the usual.  Well done Team Quest in sorting this out so fast to try and keep everyone safe

 

Can you confirm, is the requirement double masking JWayne60 as it is not mentioned on the Insider.

 

Not surprised the Captain is lying low, they need to keep the Bridge team as safe as they can

I can report that double masking is not required for passengers, but most of the crew I have seen today are double masked. This just in: St Kitts won’t take us, but Antigua will. Can go off independently, but there will be temperature checks and we must be masked at ALL times 

[Mackdogmolly]

Oh, and one more passenger tested positive for a total of 17. Crew still at 15, but many of their close contacts isolating.

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

This just in: St Kitts won’t take us, but Antigua will. Can go off independently, but there will be temperature checks and we must be masked at ALL times 

Interesting.  My Oceania Jan. 14-28 cruise dropped Antigua in favor of St Maarten.  Caribbean Islands are getting to be like 'whack-a-mole' !

[uktog]

14 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

And there's only one Captain!

But the Staff Captain always has a masters ticket and the Safety Officer also is a fully qualified master.  Regardless, the bridge and engineering teams are crucial

[DS]

On a more positive note…This evening the Azamara Orchestra / Band/ Jazz quartet presented, in their incarnation as the Azamara Baroque Quartet, in the Living Room an evening of Baroque music—essentially a JS Bach recital.   The band master has transposed several Bach pieces for the band – guitar vice double bass and cello, trumpet and clarinet/flute vice violins, electric keyboard for harpsicord.

              They first performed in early October in Greece; they did so again today.  ( I don’t know if they did so on intermediate cruises…)

              So, the important thing is that this was perhaps the most pleasant hour in our cruise!   No thoughts of virus’s, wonderful music, great musicians who are multi talented ( most had some classical training along the way).  The audience in the living room ( self selected, of course) was very appreciative.

              I’m posting this because this was a wonderful event, but also highlighted how the crew continues to provide for the guests.   As other posts have mentioned, the Captain has been very forthcoming on the situation, providing about twice daily updates.   But in other hours it’s the crew, the waiters, the room stewards, the entertainment staff…indeed the deck hands, the below-deck staff, and even people we don’t know, that make this a wonderful cruise.

              Do I have bad dreams at night?   Of course!   But for one hour tonight all that was forgotten, and the best of mankind was experienced for an appreciative audience.