Black Sea July2022

[ak1004]

9 minutes ago, blag said:

I am not sure where you get your figures from, but we are, as usual, in a Club Continent Suite and we have not paid as much as you have stated!

https://www.azamara.com/en-ca/voyage/jr11u068/11-night-black-sea-voyage

 

Just one example.

 

Veranda:

 

That's $8,050 CAD = $6,400 USD or $533 USD per night

 

 

That's around $11,400 CAD = $9,000 USD = $750 USD per night

[blag]

5 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

https://groovyhistory.com/jonestown-jim-jones-kool-aid-suicide

OK, so now I get the origin of the quote. But, I still don't understand what you mean by this. Maybe there is a nuance that is lost on us non-Americans. 

[blag]

Just now, ak1004 said:

https://www.azamara.com/en-ca/voyage/jr11u068/11-night-black-sea-voyage

 

Just one example.

 

Veranda:

 

That's $8,050 CAD = $6,400 USD or $533 USD per night

 

 

That's around $11,400 CAD = $9,000 USD = $750 USD per night

I can only assume that prices must have risen since we booked (and paid) in July last year.

We have paid substantially less than that. 

[ak1004]

14 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Having sailed on both Crystal and Azamara, I am willing to pay more for Azamara than for Crystal.  Crystal was ok, but their service left much to be desired and their ships show their age at least as much as Azamara's (which were revolutionary when they were built) – and they never had itineraries as interesting as Azamara's country-intensive cruises.  IMHO it's the Crystal diehards who have drunk the Kool Aid.

 To each their own.

 

Service on Crystal was comparable to Azamara in my opinion. Food better on Crystal. Entertainment on Crystal one of the best of all lines, on Azamara it's a joke. Ships are old but well maintained on both lines, but entry level cabins are really small on Azamara. On Crystal you could book OV cabin and still be very comfortable. Azamara was the only ship out of 16 cruises that we did that the cabin felt really small, and the shower is ridiculous.  

 

But I agree about itineraries.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just now, blag said:

OK, so now I get the origin of the quote. But, I still don't understand what you mean by this. Maybe there is a nuance that is lost on us non-Americans. 

I take it as meaning you are so blinded by a belief that you won't let go even when its delusionality is obvious to everyone else.

 

So you made me do some more research.  Here's a blurb from the Urban Dictionary:

 

"Kool-Aid" is what one drinks metaphorically, in the context of a political campaign, when faced with an eminent loss. The term was popularly referenced in the 1993 film, "The War Room" by George Stephonopolous when he states, "I'm afraid we're all going to have to drink Kool-Aid."

The term references the Jonestown massacre in 1978 when all of its inhabitants were directed to ingest cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.

 

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kool aid

 

Usage has gone beyond this precise definition and it is now applied in the more metaphorical way I stated above.

[ak1004]

1 minute ago, blag said:

I can only assume that prices must have risen since we booked (and paid) in July last year.

We have paid substantially less than that. 

Are you referring to 2022 or 2023 cruise? Does it go to Sochi and East Black Sea or just Odessa?

[blag]

1 minute ago, ak1004 said:

 To each their own.

 

Service on Crystal was comparable to Azamara in my opinion. Food better on Crystal. Entertainment on Crystal one of the best of all lines, on Azamara it's a joke. Ships are old but well maintained on both lines, but entry level cabins are really small on Azamara. On Crystal you could book OV cabin and still be very comfortable. Azamara was the only ship out of 16 cruises that we did that the cabin felt really small, and the shower is ridiculous.  

 

But I agree about itineraries.  

Never been on a Crystal cruise, but I agree that having seen an occupied standard stateroom on Azamara, they seem VERY small. 

[blag]

5 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

Are you referring to 2022 or 2023 cruise? Does it go to Sochi and East Black Sea or just Odessa?

We are booked on the cruise embarking on 30 July 2022.

 

Ports (in no particular order):

 

Sochi, Varna, Burgas, Constanta, Odessa, Istanbul, Batumi.

Edited February 5, 2022 by blag
Clarification

[blag]

4 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I take it as meaning you are so blinded by a belief that you won't let go even when its delusionality is obvious to everyone else.

 

So you made me do some more research.  Here's a blurb from the Urban Dictionary:

 

"Kool-Aid" is what one drinks metaphorically, in the context of a political campaign, when faced with an eminent loss. The term was popularly referenced in the 1993 film, "The War Room" by George Stephonopolous when he states, "I'm afraid we're all going to have to drink Kool-Aid."

The term references the Jonestown massacre in 1978 when all of its inhabitants were directed to ingest cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.

 

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kool aid

 

Usage has gone beyond this precise definition and it is now applied in the more metaphorical way I stated above.

Thanks - much appreciated. That has saved me from having to do the research! 

Edited February 5, 2022 by blag
Typo

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, blag said:

Never been on a Crystal cruise, but I agree that having seen an occupied standard stateroom on Azamara, they seem VERY small. 

The standard cabins are small, but not VERY small.  The showers in those cabins, however are indeed VERY small [but not as bad as on Oceania's R-ships, where they replaced the shower curtain with a glass door that really reinforces how small it is when your funny bone makes contact!]  Club Continent suites are the way to go on Azamara [called PH on Oceania]

[ak1004]

1 minute ago, blag said:

We are booked on the cruise embarking on 30 July 2022.

Sorry, I see you mentioned before that it is July 2022.

 

It seems like prices for Continent Suite are significantly less on your cruise compared to 2023, and slightly less for veranda. But it's also 1 night less (11 nights). So for veranda, it's still around $460/night.

 

Just for comparison, we are now booked on Silversea cruise for December, 12 nights from Dubai, $4,400 USD or $366/night. This price is for OV that is over 300 sqft, and includes EVERYTHING, even excursions.

 

 

[ak1004]

1 minute ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

The standard cabins are small, but not VERY small.  The showers in those cabins, however are indeed VERY small.  Club Continent suites are the way to go on Azamara.

 

Agree. We could tolerate the cabin itself, but the shower was really uncomfortable.

 

Club Continent is a good size cabin, but it's similar size to OV or veranda on Oceania, and smaller than most other luxury lines like Silversea, while costing significantly more.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just now, ak1004 said:

 

Agree. We could tolerate the cabin itself, but the shower was really uncomfortable.

 

Club Continent is a good size cabin, but it's similar size to OV or veranda on Oceania, and smaller than most other luxury lines like Silversea, while costing significantly more.

I assume you are referring to Oceania's two newer ships, not their 4 R-ships which are almost identical to Azamara's fleet.

[blag]

Just now, Host Jazzbeau said:

The standard cabins are small, but not VERY small.  The showers in those cabins, however are indeed VERY small.  Club Continent suites are the way to go on Azamara.

When we saw a standard stateroom (albeit with a verandah) the occupants had stuff everywhere. It was as if a dozen teenagers had been in there and had failed to tidy their room. As a consequence the room looked claustrophobic. Hence 'very small' 

My wife and I both agreed that if our very first cruise with Azamara had not been in a suite, we would have never cruised with Azamara again. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 minutes ago, blag said:

When we saw a standard stateroom (albeit with a verandah) the occupants had stuff everywhere. It was as if a dozen teenagers had been in there and had failed to tidy their room. As a consequence the room looked claustrophobic. Hence 'very small' 

My wife and I both agreed that if our very first cruise with Azamara had not been in a suite, we would have never cruised with Azamara again. 

I think that says more about those occupants than about Azamara. 

 

Our first cruise on Azamara was in a standard veranda and while I don't claim to be the neatest person in the world, it did NOT look like that.  And that cruise is what led us to keep cruising on Azamara and keep checking their itineraries first when we start making plans for the next season.

[blag]

8 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

Sorry, I see you mentioned before that it is July 2022.

 

It seems like prices for Continent Suite are significantly less on your cruise compared to 2023, and slightly less for veranda. But it's also 1 night less (11 nights). So for veranda, it's still around $460/night.

 

Just for comparison, we are now booked on Silversea cruise for December, 12 nights from Dubai, $4,400 USD or $366/night. This price is for OV that is over 300 sqft, and includes EVERYTHING, even excursions.

 

 

As we brits say 'You pays your money and you takes your choice'

 

[blag]

1 minute ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I think that says more about those occupants than about Azamara. 

Agreed. But, nevertheless, what we saw altered our perception. 

[ak1004]

12 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I assume you are referring to Oceania's two newer ships, not their 4 R-ships which are almost identical to Azamara's fleet.

Correct.

 

We don’t really care about the cabin size as we hardly spend any time in the cabin. In fact, we sailed on Azamara in the inside cabin, and it was fine, except for the shower. Let’s say that this is not a break dealer for us, and we will gladly sail on Azamara again, but we won’t pay $500/person, given other options like Oceania are significantly cheaper, and cabins on Oceania newer ships are much more comfortable.

 

That said, Azamara does have some amazing itineraries, including this one.

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

we won’t pay $500/person, given other options like Oceania are significantly cheaper, and cabins on Oceania newer ships are much more comfortable.

 

That said, Azamara does have some amazing itineraries, including this one.

I guess that's the difference between us.  I decide where I want to go and what I want to see there – and then find the cruise that ticks the greatest number of those boxes.  Cabin size and per night cost are secondary.  [I didn't mention quality because none of the mass market cruise lines ever have itineraries that meet my needs so I'm always deciding between premium and luxury, which are 'close enough for Jazz...']

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I guess that's the difference between us.  I decide where I want to go and what I want to see there – and then find the cruise that ticks the greatest number of those boxes.  Cabin size and per night cost are secondary.  [I didn't mention quality because none of the mass market cruise lines ever have itineraries that meet my needs so I'm always deciding between premium and luxury, which are 'close enough for Jazz...']

 

Actually, we are not that different. To me, the difference between "premium" and luxury is also not important, and yes, itinerary is the most important, the cabin size is the least important, and I'm willing to pay more for a good itinerary - the only question is how much more? So yes, the cost is secondary, but to some degree. Especially if there are alternatives. 

 

For this specific itinerary, Crystal was a better alternative for me when you account for all factors, but Crystal is probably not in the game anymore. I could not find another line that offers a similar itinerary, so if we really want to visit those ports, Azamara is probably the only option.

[G2G]

3 hours ago, ak1004 said:

Sorry, I see you mentioned before that it is July 2022.

 

It seems like prices for Continent Suite are significantly less on your cruise compared to 2023, and slightly less for veranda. But it's also 1 night less (11 nights). So for veranda, it's still around $460/night.

 

Just for comparison, we are now booked on Silversea cruise for December, 12 nights from Dubai, $4,400 USD or $366/night. This price is for OV that is over 300 sqft, and includes EVERYTHING, even excursions.

 

 

But it’s not comparable as it’s not the black sea

[uktog]

4 hours ago, blag said:

When we saw a standard stateroom (albeit with a verandah) the occupants had stuff everywhere. It was as if a dozen teenagers had been in there and had failed to tidy their room. As a consequence the room looked claustrophobic. Hence 'very small' 

My wife and I both agreed that if our very first cruise with Azamara had not been in a suite, we would have never cruised with Azamara again. 

I have to disagree about the space in a standard Verandah cabin. We do not travel light but have never ever had an issue storing everything into drawers etc. Sometimes you have to give some thought to where you place things and it might not be where you immediately prefer but it’s totally achievable. Cluttering up surfaces or worse the floors is disrespectful to the cabin staff imho. 
Each to their own though. I had to laugh I saw a post here recently where someone was desperate to be moved to a large suite because the storage space in the club continental was inadequate. I shudder to think how many cases they came onboard with. 😂😂 

Although I like the club continental I’d rather have a longer cruise in a verandah or dare I say two cruises in an ocean view for the price of the club continental on most cruises

As regards pricing any itinerary that’s considered unique not offered regularly eg Black Sea, Japan etc carries a much higher tariff- it’s all about supply and demand. You’re best to book these ones as early as you can. 
 

[nordski]

7 hours ago, blag said:

Thanks - much appreciated. That has saved me from having to do the research! 

 

Loyalists on the Crystal forum seem to prefer the phrase that they have been "Crystalized".

 

Perhaps that's a more positive term.

[ak1004]

7 hours ago, G2G said:

But it’s not comparable as it’s not the black sea

 

True. But this was just an example to show how absurd those prices are.

[blag]

32 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

True. But this was just an example to show how absurd those prices are.

I am not sure that the prices are absurd, because it seems that there are people prepared to pay them.

But, absurdity is in the eye of the beholder.