Penthouse 7119 on Quest (5 Threads Merged)

[katiebeth]

We are booked on the Quest Greek Islands and Turkey sailing on June 21, 2008. We have reserved Penthouse 7119 for our family of four (myself, husband, and two teenage children). My parents are next door in Sunset Veranda 7121.

 

We have sailed Europe three time prior on Celebrity (twice on the Constellation and once on the Millennium). We love the June 21st, 2008 itinerary on the Quest and thought it would be nice to try a smaller and supposedly slightly more upscale cruise experience.

 

However, as I read thru the boards concerning Azamara, I am becoming increasing concerned about our choice. I have read that the Penthouse suites are very noisy and subject to much vibration. I have also read that you can't see the water from the balcony due to the solid metal railing (this would be a big disappointment if that is the case). In addition, I have read that the aft cabin balconies get covered with a thick black soot and have a strong smell of fuel.

 

We were really looking forward to this trip, but given the amount of money we will be paying, none of these issues seem acceptable. The vibration and not being able to see the water (as well as the fuel smell) are very concerning.

 

We are elite captain club members and have obviously sailed with Celebrity frequently. We were eager to try Azamara until reading these boards. I am wondering if we should wait to do the Med. again next summer (2009 ...on Solstice ....if that is where she is heading.)

 

We sailed the Med. (which we love) on the Millennium in 2005. While we loved the itinerary, the Millennium is our least favorite Celebrity ship. (our favorite is the Constellation).

 

Any information or comments would be greatly appreciated. I am especially interested in knowing whether the railing restricts the view of the water. (that would be such a shame).

 

Thank you and Happy Sailing,

 

Nancy

[Gadgetguru]

We are booked on the Quest Greek Islands and Turkey sailing on June 21, 2008. We have reserved Penthouse 7119 for our family of four (myself, husband, and two teenage children). My parents are next door in Sunset Veranda 7121.

 

We have sailed Europe three time prior on Celebrity (twice on the Constellation and once on the Millennium). We love the June 21st, 2008 itinerary on the Quest and thought it would be nice to try a smaller and supposedly slightly more upscale cruise experience.

 

However, as I read thru the boards concerning Azamara, I am becoming increasing concerned about our choice. I have read that the Penthouse suites are very noisy and subject to much vibration. I have also read that you can't see the water from the balcony due to the solid metal railing (this would be a big disappointment if that is the case). In addition, I have read that the aft cabin balconies get covered with a thick black soot and have a strong smell of fuel.

 

We were really looking forward to this trip, but given the amount of money we will be paying, none of these issues seem acceptable. The vibration and not being able to see the water (as well as the fuel smell) are very concerning.

 

We are elite captain club members and have obviously sailed with Celebrity frequently. We were eager to try Azamara until reading these boards. I am wondering if we should wait to do the Med. again next summer (2009 ...on Solstice ....if that is where she is heading.)

 

We sailed the Med. (which we love) on the Millennium in 2005. While we loved the itinerary, the Millennium is our least favorite Celebrity ship. (our favorite is the Constellation).

 

Any information or comments would be greatly appreciated. I am especially interested in knowing whether the railing restricts the view of the water. (that would be such a shame).

 

Thank you and Happy Sailing,

 

Nancy

 

Nancy,

 

I have read most of the posts, and it has not scared us off. We will let you know. We are in that very cabin and will get a opportunity to visit a SV. If you have any questions please let me know and I will try to find out for you. We sail on March 29th.

 

Bob

[katpt]

We are booked on the Quest Greek Islands and Turkey sailing on June 21, 2008. We have reserved Penthouse 7119 for our family of four (myself, husband, and two teenage children). My parents are next door in Sunset Veranda 7121.

 

We have sailed Europe three time prior on Celebrity (twice on the Constellation and once on the Millennium). We love the June 21st, 2008 itinerary on the Quest and thought it would be nice to try a smaller and supposedly slightly more upscale cruise experience.

 

However, as I read thru the boards concerning Azamara, I am becoming increasing concerned about our choice. I have read that the Penthouse suites are very noisy and subject to much vibration. I have also read that you can't see the water from the balcony due to the solid metal railing (this would be a big disappointment if that is the case). In addition, I have read that the aft cabin balconies get covered with a thick black soot and have a strong smell of fuel.

 

We were really looking forward to this trip, but given the amount of money we will be paying, none of these issues seem acceptable. The vibration and not being able to see the water (as well as the fuel smell) are very concerning.

 

We are elite captain club members and have obviously sailed with Celebrity frequently. We were eager to try Azamara until reading these boards. I am wondering if we should wait to do the Med. again next summer (2009 ...on Solstice ....if that is where she is heading.)

 

We sailed the Med. (which we love) on the Millennium in 2005. While we loved the itinerary, the Millennium is our least favorite Celebrity ship. (our favorite is the Constellation).

 

Any information or comments would be greatly appreciated. I am especially interested in knowing whether the railing restricts the view of the water. (that would be such a shame).

 

Thank you and Happy Sailing,

 

Nancy

 

Hi Nancy,

 

My husband and I were in 7119 for 14 days through the Panama Canal. Our review is probably the one you read regarding diesel smell and the soot. The diesel smell really was heavy just for the first 24 hours. We are both engineers and paid attention for the rest of the cruise, trying to find out what caused it. Near as we can tell, it was the extreme slow speed coming out of Miami and the wind. Though there was one other day that we have a faint smell, it was only for 1 hour then went away.

 

The soot really is more of an issue. If you are like us, and really use the balcony alot, then you need to be careful first thing in the morning (before they clean). I learned to take a facecloth out first thing and do a quick wipe of the two tables and the chairs. It took about 3 minutes. I wouldn't say it was a thick coating; more coin-sized drops here and there. However, I learned not to sit without looking.

 

As for my comment regarding the water, that was FROM THE BED! The bed faces the water an my husband could sit in bed and see the water - not me, I'm too short. The water is very (and beautifully) visible from the balcony, even when sitting - and I'm only 5'2". I'm used to balconies too high for me to see over when seated, but this one wasn't. We spent many hours seated on the balcony looking at the water. The solid metal wall is low enough not to be intrusive. We even saw dolphins jumping and playing while we were sitting on the balcony.

 

The balcony is very large. My husband said how nice it was to be able to walk around on your own balcony.

 

We had absolutely no noise. We had only very minimal vibration on a few occasions - I think. I'm not sure because we never noticed it. So I don't want to say there wasn't any, but if it was there, it was very unobtrusive. We spent MOST of our time in the cabin/balcony, so we would have noticed.

 

We enjoyed the cabin (and ship) so much that we have already booked the similar cabin on the port side (7114) for a 24 day cruise.

 

I took lots of pictures of the cabin and will be happy to email them to you if you want. I think you'll love the cruise.

 

Happy sailing,

Kathy

[Gadgetguru]

Hi Nancy,

 

My husband and I were in 7119 for 14 days through the Panama Canal. Our review is probably the one you read regarding diesel smell and the soot. The diesel smell really was heavy just for the first 24 hours. We are both engineers and paid attention for the rest of the cruise, trying to find out what caused it. Near as we can tell, it was the extreme slow speed coming out of Miami and the wind. Though there was one other day that we have a faint smell, it was only for 1 hour then went away.

 

The soot really is more of an issue. If you are like us, and really use the balcony alot, then you need to be careful first thing in the morning (before they clean). I learned to take a facecloth out first thing and do a quick wipe of the two tables and the chairs. It took about 3 minutes. I wouldn't say it was a thick coating; more coin-sized drops here and there. However, I learned not to sit without looking.

 

As for my comment regarding the water, that was FROM THE BED! The bed faces the water an my husband could sit in bed and see the water - not me, I'm too short. The water is very (and beautifully) visible from the balcony, even when sitting - and I'm only 5'2". I'm used to balconies too high for me to see over when seated, but this one wasn't. We spent many hours seated on the balcony looking at the water. The solid metal wall is low enough not to be intrusive. We even saw dolphins jumping and playing while we were sitting on the balcony.

 

The balcony is very large. My husband said how nice it was to be able to walk around on your own balcony.

 

We had absolutely no noise. We had only very minimal vibration on a few occasions - I think. I'm not sure because we never noticed it. So I don't want to say there wasn't any, but if it was there, it was very unobtrusive. We spent MOST of our time in the cabin/balcony, so we would have noticed.

 

We enjoyed the cabin (and ship) so much that we have already booked the similar cabin on the port side (7114) for a 24 day cruise.

 

I took lots of pictures of the cabin and will be happy to email them to you if you want. I think you'll love the cruise.

Happy sailing,

Kathy

 

Kathy, We would love to see your pictures:)

 

You can email me at gadgetguru.mr.martini (at) hotmail (dot) com

 

 

Thank you in advance

 

Bob

[katiebeth]

Dear Bob and Kathy,

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to post. I really appreciate it. I am about to book airfare for this cruise, and want to make sure that the balcony problem will not be a huge issue. It sounds like from what Kathy says, it is manageable. Hopefully, Celebrity/Azamara will try and address the soot issue. It does sound like it can be a problem.

 

I am glad to know that you can see the water while sitting on the balcony. We do use the balcony a lot and we love looking at the water, particularly from the aft of the ship. I am short, as well, 5 feet 3 inches and I too sometimes have a hard time seeing over the rail from a seated position.

 

Bob, I hope you have a wonderful wonderful cruise. We will look forward to reading your comments once you return.

 

Kathy, do you know if the balcony divider is retractable? The customer service representative from Azamara told me that the butler could unlock the divider between 7119 and 7121 and open it up. I have not experienced this before, as usually they appear bolted down. Since the staterooms do not connect, it would be a nice feature with my parents being in 7121.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences.

 

Happy Sailings,

Nancy

[katiebeth]

Greetings,

 

After several European cruises on Celebrity's "M" class ships, we have decided to book the Azamara Quest June 21st sailing to the Greek Islands and Turkey.

The itinerary looks terrific and we thought it would be nice to try a smaller and supposedly a little more "upscale" cruise line.

 

We booked just recently as they were offering generous OBC if you book by the end of this month. ($800.00 for suites, $500.00 veranda, etc.) We were actually leaning toward cruising somewhere other than Europe or Alaska this summer, but really could not find anything of interest. All of the cruise lines, with the exception of a few, either do Europe or Alaska in the summer. Otherwise, it seems to be Carnival or Royal Carribbean in the Caribbean for 7 night or less cruises.

 

We do love the Med. and the itinerary visits a lot of ports we have never been, too. We also love cruising and can't seem to find a land vacation that we enjoy as much.

 

Anyway, my concern is that I have read that Azamara has had to cancel some cruises due to a lack of interest (not enough passengers). It looks like there is plenty of availability in all categories for our particular sailing and others throughout the summer. This seems really unusual compared to other European sailings we have been on in the past on Celebrity when almost every category is sold out months in advance.

 

The reason I am posting here is the Azamara boards are not very active at all and we are suppose to finalize our flight reservations today (there are six of us). We like to book our flights independently because some of us use award points, and we like to fly in a few days pre-cruise and stay a few days post-cruise.

 

However, I am concerned that if Azamara is offering large incentives and there is plenty of availability for summer sailings that they could cancel some sailings. I am interested to get others opinions. We do buy trip insurance, but I am wondering if I should maybe look into booking airfare thru Azamara. However, our situation is a little more complicated with the six of us flying in from different parts of the county and meeting up in Atlanta (it seems easier to arrange on our own).

 

I know that cancellation is always somewhat of a risk (especially with the mechanical problems on the M class ships), but it does seem that Azamara is having a hard time with bookings for this summer.

 

Any opinions or information would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Nancy

[lord of the seas]

What a shame that Azamara is not the upscale line that Celebrity hoped it would be.It is not as good a product as the regular Celebrity line.I do not see any cancellations but I do see better deals and incentives if the cruises do not start to fill up.

[katiebeth]

Dear Lord of the Seas,

 

Have you sailed on Azamara or are you basing your statement that Azamara is not as good as Celebrity based on what you have read? I really haven't been keeping up with the boards over the past few months, but the little I have read indicates that many have been disappointed with their experience on Azamara.

 

However, most of the poor experiences were during the first few months of operation. I am hoping that Azamara will work out the kinks prior to this summer. Many posted that they think Azamara has a lot of potential, but there are issues that need to be worked out.

 

I do like the country club casual aspect and the ships do look very beautiful. The itineraries look interesting and I have read the staff are very eager to please (although, I have found this to be the case on all Celebrity ships, as well).

 

Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

[katiebeth]

Greetings,

 

We have just booked the Azamara Quest for the June 21st sailing to the Greek Isles and Turkey. The OBC incentives were very generous and we love to cruise, particularly Europe. We have sailed with Celebrity on the "M" class ships 3 times in Europe and were eager to try a little smaller and more intimate ship. The itinerary is great and we visit many ports we have not been to before. We were originally looking to do something other than Alaska or Europe, but from a cruising perspective there isn't much else offered during the summer. (unless, you cruise with Carnival or RCCL to the Caribbean for 7 or less nights). The smaller ship and different ports with the nice OBC incentive lured us back to Europe this summer.

 

We are trying to finalize our flights today (there are six of us) and we normally book that independently. We like to fly in a few days pre-cruise and stay a few days post-cruise. I do have a little bit of concern, in that Azamara seems to be having a hard time filling their ships this summer. I noticed that on our sailing there are many cabins in each category still available. Based on prior European sailings on Celebrity, this seems highly unusual. Normally, most European sailings seem to sell-out (or almost) months in advance.

 

I have read that Azamara has cancelled sailings in the past due to lack of interest. Is this true? If so, do you think there is a risk that some of the European sailings could be cancelled this summer.

 

I am not sure if the market is rather "soft" in Europe this summer, or if Azamara is just having a hard time due to some not so great publicity early on.

 

Any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Nancy

[cruise47]

The new reviews on the lines are getting better.

[Charles4515]

Dear Lord of the Seas,

 

Have you sailed on Azamara or are you basing your statement that Azamara is not as good as Celebrity based on what you have read? I really haven't been keeping up with the boards over the past few months, but the little I have read indicates that many have been disappointed with their experience on Azamara.

 

However, most of the poor experiences were during the first few months of operation. I am hoping that Azamara will work out the kinks prior to this summer. Many posted that they think Azamara has a lot of potential, but there are issues that need to be worked out.

 

I do like the country club casual aspect and the ships do look very beautiful. The itineraries look interesting and I have read the staff are very eager to please (although, I have found this to be the case on all Celebrity ships, as well).

 

Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

 

I have sailed on Azamara and it is better than Celebrity. Just not as much better as it should be for the prices they are asking.

 

As far as the possibility of them canceling sailings. What would they do with the ship if they canceled any at this late date? They can't just sail anywhere. I think the possibility is very remote that they would cancel June sailings. Any changes would be for 2009.

[Susan-M]

Hi Nancy,

 

I would suggest looking into air with Azamara.

 

We included air through Azamara (October/08 Ancient Empires cruise) ... I then determined which flights would be best for us as we want to do 3 days pre and post cruise. I called Azamara's custom air and asked for prices for the deviation ... and Azamara's prices turned out to be a lot lower than what I would have gotten on my own. (We did get low air as an incentive when booking, which is probably why the custom air rates came in lower as well.)

 

By booking air with the cruise line, you have your air confirmed, but can cancel everything at no cost up until final payment date. If the cruise gets cancelled after final payment, then a full refund would be in order as well (but I haven't heard of any cruises being cancelled that close to sailing....I thought that what they changed was S.A. itineraries for next year? Have you heard of changes with short notice?)

 

Doing custom air is free if you are a Captain's Club member, and $50./pp I believe, it you aren't.

 

Also, there seems to be a lot more accolades from recent cruisers re Azamara than from those who did some of the first sailings. It's worth having a closer look at comments from those who have cruised recently.:)

[katiebeth]

Dear Susan M.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I agree that the reviews seem to be getting better.

 

Do you remember how long it took for the custom air department to get back with you? Our airfare is being held until midnight on Feb. 19th and then it will be cancelled. I tried calling Azamara this morning to get a quote on custom air and they are closed in observance of President's Day.

 

I am wondering if I call tomorrow if they can get back with me on the same day?

 

We are elite members of captain's club so it is good to know that there will be no additional charge. I have specific flights in mind. Can I give them the airline and flight number that we would like? (same as we are currently holding thru American Express). We use Delta as we are from Tallahassee Florida and they are basically the "only game in town."

 

Thanks for your input. I know you post frequently and are always so helpful.

 

Happy Sailings,

Nancy

[katiebeth]

Greetings,

 

We are booked (there are six of us) on the June 21st Greek Isles and Turkey cruise out of Athens on the Quest.

 

Currently, we are holding tickets thru Delta until tomorrow at midnight. We live in Tallahassee, Florida and are rather limited as far as carriers. Delta is pretty much the only game in town.

 

I tried to call Azamara today to get a quote on custom air, but their offices are closed in observance of President's Day. I will call back tomorrow and am hoping they can give me a quote by the end of the day.

 

For those of you who have used custom air, how long does it take for Azamara to get back with you? We would like to price out both coach and business. Can I give them the exact time and flight numbers that we would like to use? We are elite with captain's club so I think there is no charge for custom.

 

I would be interested to hear from those who have priced out independently and also thru Azamara. Was there a big difference in price either way?

 

Any comments would be appreciated.

 

Happy Sailings,

Nancy

[relayforlife]

I used custom air for our April 26 cruise. I gave the travel agent the flights we wanted and we got all flights and times as requested. Not sure how long it took for the process since an agent was involved.

Hope this helps some. Azarmara's price was better than what I could get.

We are going a week early and staying one night at the end as the return flight leaves at 6:45am.

Marilynn

[MacRae]

Nancy,

I haven't heard any chatter about canceling sailings for this summer at this point. But I am not as savey at cruising these boards as some. We are also booked for this cruise. There is a roll call started for this sailing, please join us:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=670108

 

We booked last fall. We were able to get the OBC and a reduction in our cabin price in January. We also are excited about the itinerary and welcome any suggestions from anyone who has sailed here before.

 

Sue

[Andy]

Anyway, my concern is that I have read that Azamara has had to cancel some cruises due to a lack of interest (not enough passengers). It looks like there is plenty of availability in all categories for our particular sailing and others throughout the summer. This seems really unusual compared to other European sailings we have been on in the past on Celebrity when almost every category is sold out months in advance.

 

 

Hi Nancy !

 

As your question did not pertain to Celebrity, I moved it here. I am sorry, but we ask that you not post on another board because you need a fast answer. Besides, if you want info on Azamara, this is the best place to ask your questions :).

 

As for Azamara canceling cruises, that's only partially correct. Azamara did not cancel European sailings. They canceled a South America season of Journey, and redeployed Journey to the Caribbean and I believe a few Panama Canal sailings instead.

 

From what I can tell, it seems that Azamara is selling well in Europe, and should have a good season, but as we cannot see all available cabins, I cannot be certain of this. The only reason I feel there are good deals out there, is just about EVERY Cruiseline is putting much of their fleet in Europe this season. Add to this, a massive and fast downturn in the economy, and I am willing to bet most Cruislines are getting a fair amount of cancellations right now, as final payments are coming up. What this means, is a lot of good deals on many Cruiselines, including Azamara. If the economy stays weak, it is going to be a huge buyers market out there, especially in Europe, as you are going to get very little bang for the American Dollar there right now.

 

At any rate, if you are able to take your Cruise.... we have been on Azamara and had a great Cruise. We plan on going back again next year on Journey. As others have said, Azamara did off to a slow start, but I think it is fair to say that recent reviews have shown tremendous improvement.

 

Please let us know what you decide. I hope your air arrangements work out fine. If we can be of any further assistance, please dont hesitate to ask for our help.

[katiebeth]

Dear Andy,

 

I apologize for posting on the Celebrity boards. I have not been very active on the boards lately and should have reviewed the guidelines/rules more closely.

 

I guess I was a little overly eager to get some feedback, and know how active the Celebrity boards are in general. Things are a little slower over here obviously, since there are only two Azamara ships sailing. We also had not planned on sailing Europe this summer and am such a planner, I am feeling way behind with the airfare situation. Normally, I book airfare 10 months out when we do a European cruise. American Express is holding airfare for us until tomorrow. I was hoping to get in touch with Azamara today about custom air for comparison, but they are closed in observance of President's day. Hopefully, I can get a quote from the tomorrow, prior to my other airfare (held independently) expires. It may be less risky booking thru the cruise line in terms of having it grouped with the cruise and covered under the trip insurance.

 

We love cruising and were hoping to find something other than Alaska and Europe (since we have done both) but that is where the majority of the ships are this summer. We would love to do Tahiti sometime, but with the Paul Gaugin being the only ship in the summer, there is not any competition.

 

The June 21st itinerary on the Quest is great and visits many ports we have not been to on prior sailings. The smaller and somewhat more upscale ships were very appealing along with the generous OBC. (as well as going back to the Med. which we love!!!)

 

I posted a similar thread here regarding the seemingly "lighter" bookings on Azamara vs. Celebrity. I checked the Summit (in the Med. this summer) and seems like the ship is full in almost all categories (June 16th).

 

Thank you for clarifying the prior cancellation question I had regarding the Journey.

 

I certainly don't want to alarm anyone and lead anyone to think that Azamara is cancelling cruises.

 

Glad to here you enjoyed Azamara.

 

I apologize to other posters if this thread seems to duplicate my other one regarding bookings being lighter than expected on Azamara for this summer.

 

Andy ---I also didn't want to alarm anyone on these boards with my thread entitled Azamara any chance of cancellations?? Hopefully your post on this thread clarifies that issue.

 

Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

[Susan-M]

 

For those of you who have used custom air, how long does it take for Azamara to get back with you?

Our booking is directly with Azamara and they were able to check prices during my initial phone converstion with the custom air rep. All in all, about 20 minutes.

Can I give them the exact time and flight numbers that we would like to use?

Yes.

 

I would be interested to hear from those who have priced out independently and also thru Azamara. Was there a big difference in price either way?

For us, approximately $250. savings/pp, i.e. $1250 on our own, vs. $1000. from AZ. When we booked the cruise, there was a special price on air and I think the savings were passed along in the custom air prices. On previous cruises, custom air quotes haven't worked out to be much different in price, so it was a nice surprise this time to have the savings.

 

I like the fact that you can have your air confirmed, without payment or commitment until the final payment date of your cruise.

[cruising diva]

This was my experience in 7119. There was extreme noise and vibrations on our sailing and we tried to stay out of our cabin as much as possible. Yes, our balcony had dirt on it and it really wasn't cleaned that well since the steward/butler had 19 cabins to keep clean and service. The smells that we had each night were cooking odors. I am 5'5" and could not see the water when I was seated in the living room.If you love the water like I do this cabin isn't for you.A Sky Suite mid ship would give you better water views and you wouldn't hear the engine. After this cruise we cancelled our Europe cruise. I would rather have a Royal Suite on an M class ship.

[katiebeth]

Dear Cruising Diva,

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to post. The fact that you cancelled your European cruise on this ship is definitely concerning.

 

The noise and vibration issue is something that I would not like to deal with, especially after paying the fare for a 14 night European cruise in a Penthouse suite. 19 cabins to keep clean ?????? that is crazy!!!

 

I have been in a Royal Suite on the M class ships and we have enjoyed them very much. We looked at the Royal Suite on the Quest but was a little concerned about motion because it is Forward. However, I would rather deal with motion than smells, vibration, and noise. (in addition to dirt). I thought this was suppose to be more "upscale."?

 

Now, I am rather concerned. I think I should do a little more research. Not being able to see the water from the living is disheartening as well.

 

Any other comments would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Nancy

[katiebeth]

Greetings,

 

I feel has if I have been monopolizing these boards over the last day or so.

We are regular Celebrity cruisers and are new to Azamara and these boards.

I have not been very active on the boards over the past few months and have missed out on a lot of the threads regarding Azamara.

 

I do understand, however, that Celebrity has had a "rough go" so to speak in launching Azamara.

 

I recently booked the June 21st itinerary on the Quest a Greek Isles and Turkey cruise. The itinerary looks terrific and we are eager to try a smaller ship with a little more "upscale" experience. We have only sailed on M class ships of Celebrity.

 

However, since booking a few days ago, a Penthouse Suite for my family (husband and two teenage children) and a Sunset Veranda (7021) for my parents. I understand that Azamara is not really geared toward children and that is fine. Our children are very well traveled and enjoy exploring the ports with us. The last two cruises we were on (Med. and Baltics) they did not even go to the kids programs. They enjoy exploring during the day, eating dinner with us and then hanging out in the cabin in the evening.

 

Anyway, I have read very mixed reviews about the Penthouse Suites on Quest (particularly 7019) Some of the comments concern the noise, vibration, diesel and food smells, not being able to see the water due to the metal railing, and black soot/particles on the balcony and chairs. Given all of this, I am wondering if we are better off moving to a Royal Suite forward and having my parents next door in a Sunset Veranda forward?

 

Initially, I booked the Penthouse Aft because we like the aft view and the extra 1/2 bath. I was also concerned about the movement in a forward cabin on a smaller ship. HOWEVER, if the aft cabins have as many issues as I have read about, we may be better off giving up the 1/2 bath, larger balcony, and aft view. I would rather put up with a little motion, than noise, vibrations, smells, soot, and not being able to see the water.

 

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

We are looking forward to the cruise, but have become somewhat concerned based on some postings on these boards.

 

Thank you and Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

[Always Cruising 2]

Didn't you already post these questions?

 

I've sailed on the Quest twice now, both times in a PS. I never saw soot, felt vibration nor smell diesel. The RS is nice, but smaller. There's no "dressing room" area and the RS's on deck six connect to the outside stateroom next door. My best friend had one of these rooms and complained that he can hear EVERYTHING (and I mean everything) that was going on in the adjoining room. He also mentioned you can hear the shows in progress one deck below.

 

Book the PS. They're lovely and you cannot get any better on this ship!

[katiebeth]

Dear Always Cruising 2,

 

Thank you for taking the time to post. I really appreciate your comments.

 

I HAVE posted earlier regarding the PH suite on Quest, but this thread is the result of a recent posting by Cruising Diva. She seemed very down on the Penthouse suite and so I was thinking that maybe we would be better off forward in a Royal Suite. I really just wanted to get opinions as to whether forward or aft would be better on Quest. We have only sailed on the M class ships and motion, vibration, and noise have never been a problem as they are larger ships.

 

I just want to be sure about our cabin selection given the amount of money we are spending. In addition, I need to make any changes to our cabin selection by the end of this month in order to retain our OBC.

 

I apologize if this thread seems to be a duplicate of an earlier posting, but it really does have a different angle (Forward vs. Aft and Penthouse vs. Royal Suite).

 

Thanks again,

 

Nancy

[Andy]

Hi Nancy !

 

No need for an apology at all. I was simply trying to help you get your questions posted in the right place, so you can get answers. It looks like many of your questions are being answered by our Azamara posters on here, and I am happy to see that !

 

If I can be of any further assistance, feel free to post here, or email me at the link below. Enjoy your Cruise !