Penthouse 7119 on Quest (5 Threads Merged)

[Cruise Junky]

We're definitely looking at Azamara for 09 Europe, just love the 16 day Copenhagen to Barcelona. Hope it's very similiar in 09. Would love to give them a try.

[Susan-M]

Dear Susan M.

 

Do you remember how long it took for the custom air department to get back with you?

 

Hi Nancy,

I replied on another thread before I realized that this one had been moved over to this forum, so hope you've found the info.

 

Let us know how things work out with your request for custom air.

 

Thank you for the nice comments.:)

[lonestarsteve]

Hi Nancy

We have sailed the Quest twice and are booked again in March .Obviously we love the ship. We have sailed Celebrity numerous times and feel Azamara a step up.

Hope you enjoy your trip to Greece and Turkey.

Regards Steve

[Napi's Mom]

As far as "motion" both For & Aft has more motion than Midship, probably about the same as they are just at the opposite ends of the "seesaw" that a ship becomes in waves??? The middle moves the least. Friends had a Sunset cabin on rear of Quest and loved it.

[Sahaj]

We are planning to do the upcoming Miami-Barcelona Transatlantic on Journey. I have read much about Azamara and feel they have come a long way from their entrance into the cruise world earlier last year.

Has anyone been in their larger Suites for a European or South America cruise? We would love to hear about your impressions as they relate to the large suites. My understanding is that they have completed the refurbishing completely (Azamara told us this) on the Cat RS and the Penthouses.

 

Thanks for any information you may have!

[Always Cruising 2]

Oh, for crying out loud!! Cancel already! I really can't understand what made you consider Azamara in the first place! I mean, really, what do you expect from a 30,000 ton ship anyway. Book yourself on Celebrity with the other 2000 passengers and be done with it. I've sailed on Celebrity over 50 times and love the product, but I truly think Azamara is FAR BETTER. Maybe you're not ready for a more upscale and exclusive cruise line.

[katiebeth]

I am mostly posting just to vent, and hoping that headquarters reads these boards. I guess I should have expected that Azamara's customer service would be as bad as Celebrity's since it is all under RCCL, but I was hoping that since they are striving to be more upscale that that would be mirrored in their customer service ......boy, was I wrong!!

 

We are elite Captain Club members and have sailed Celebrity to Europe three times over the last serveral years, as well as twice to Alaska. We really do enjoy the Celebrity ships and have always received outstanding service while on board. However, we have had a couple of mix-ups prior to our actual crusie (in terms of stateroom assignments) and trying to deal with Celebrity's "customer service" as mostly been a total nightmare.

 

I was thinking that Azamara being a new product and trying to be a little more upscale would try to pull out all of the stops in terms of having a superior and highly responsive customer service department. However, based on my experience this morning, my assumption was totally wrong.

 

I wanted to get a quote on custom air for six of us sailing on the Quest June 21st sailing from Athens to Rome. I called this morning at 10:00 a.m. as soon as they opened up after closing for the President's Day observance. I was on hold for over 35 minutes from my home phone when I decided to give Captain's Club a call on my cell (while still holding on my home phone).

Captain's Club answered right away and transfered me to custom air. The representative from custom air answered as soon as I was transferred. I gave her the specific flight information I wanted for my parents and she asked me to hold. She didn't explain why she needed me to hold, but I assumed she was checking rates. I was on hold for another 30 minutes when my cell phone went dead. So ...........I called Captain's Club back from my home phone. I explained the situation (this is now around 11:15 a.m.) in terms of holding for 30 minutes initially for Azamara and then another 30 minutes for custom air. The Captain's Club rep. told me that there are only 2 representatives who secure custom air for Azamara and see if she could figure out who I had initially been in contact with. Apparently, she transferred me and I waited another 20 minutes (it is now 11:40 a.m.) for the custom air representative to answer. It was not the one I had originally spoken with and she had no record of the flights I had initially requested. After going over the flight information, she informed me that they do not offer business class fares from Atlanta!!!!!! So .....after an hour and forty minutes of this, I found that I had totally wasted my time.

 

I ended up confirming the reservation I was already holding thru Delta (a substantially discounted non-refundable business class fare.)

 

If I had never sailed with Celebrity (and know that they offer a nice onboard experience, despite their horrendous customer service) I would have cancelled this cruise altogether. However, I know that their onboard experience does not correlate to their terrible customer service.

 

I am wondering how many potential new customers they are losing as a result of their highly unacceptable customer service. If I were new to Celebrity and/or Azamara and this was my first contact with them, I would not even consider sailing with them.

 

I have always believed that Celebrity offers a very nice product and we have not had a great onboard experience. However, it has always been in the back of my mind that if something goes wrong and you have to deal with customer service of headquarters, you are in for a long and painful ordeal.

 

Thank you for letting me vent.

 

P.S. I am still very much looking forward to our June 21st sailing ....despite this morning's fiasco.

 

Nancy

[Susan-M]

Nancy,

 

Sorry to hear about the problems that you encountered. As mentioned on another thread, my experience of obtaining a custom air quote last week was just the opposite...a quick and painless process. Maybe there were too many people phoning them this morning after the long w/e ... or perhaps I was extremely lucky.:confused:

[Cruise Junky]

 

If I had never sailed with Celebrity (and know that they offer a nice onboard experience, despite their horrendous customer service) I would have cancelled this cruise altogether. However, I know that their onboard experience does not correlate to their terrible customer service.

 

I'm not trying to minimize your experience, because I'd be pissed....but honestly, if I ever based how good a cruise would be on their customer service, I'd never have cruised. They all suck. It's like Bank's with Tellers..don't they realize that they pay these people peanuts yet they're the customer's first contact with the product.

[katiebeth]

Dear Susan,

 

I am glad that you had a good experience. I am also pleased that you posted because it will let others know that not all experiences are as bad as mine.

 

It may have been due to the long Holiday weekend, but the hold times seemed unacceptably long. I just think that if you are marketing yourself as an upscale cruise line, that your customer service department really needs to offer a superior experience.

 

Hopefully, my experience was the exception and not the norm. However, I am afraid that if Azamara customer service is lumped in with RCCL and Celebrity then we should expect more of the same (which isn't very good).

 

I almost feel like I am dealing with a government agency in terms of the bureaucracy. In addition, many times it seems that the representatives are more interested in finding reasons as to why they can't accomodate your request rather than finding ways to make things happen.

 

Nancy

[katiebeth]

Dear Always Cruising 2,

 

First of all, I think your post is very condescending and highly uncalled for. We are Elite Members of Captain's Club and have sailed with Celebrity many many times.

 

Our current sailing is for the Quest June 21st, 2008. We have a deposit down for a Penthouse Suite and the Sunset Veranda next door. We always take my parents with us when they cruise. They are in their late 70's and my mother is battling cancer. She is currently in remission and we really would like to do something very special while she is still feeling well.

 

The fare for both cabins is very expensive and I think I would be foolish not to take notice of both favorable and unfavorable comments made about Azamara and the Quest specifically.

 

Cruising Diva was very passionate about her experience and I think I should take her at her word. I am balancing her comments with those who have said they have had a terrific experience.

 

We are very much looking forward to our cruise and love these boards as most people are very helpful and have a wonderful and kind spirit about them.

 

These boards are called "cruise critic" for a reason. The purpose is to be able to exchange information in a non-threatening and gracious manner (both good and bad) about our cruising experiences.

 

The reason we considered Azamara in the first place (since you asked) is because we thought it would be great to try a smaller more upscale ship as well as visit some different and unique ports.

 

I wish you Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

[cruiseyguy]

KatieBeth-I'm somewhat sympathetic to Always Cruising 2's comment. You have multiple threads going on essentially the same topic-your personal angst about an upcoming cruise. And your treads keep coming. And many tolerant CC members have attempted to answer your questions. The decision is now up to you.

[Andy]

Hi Nancy !

 

Please take this as very friendly advice. If I may offer my .02 cents, perhaps you might want to consider not judging a specific post, and then comment that you are disturbed etc. It is only 1 person's opinion.

 

You should use this board as a sampling of information. Some of the comments on a ship/cruiseline will be very positive, some neutral, and some negative. While I enjoy reading every post on Cruise Critic, I would NEVER make a cruise or no cruise decision based on ANY individual comments, with the exception of an overwhelming negative situation. I prefer making my OWN judgements when deciding what Cruise to pick. As much as I respect and appreciate everyone's comments, ultimately, the decision to sail or not, can only be yours.

 

If you want a more upscale experience from the mainstream lines, Azamara is an excellent choice. If you are looking for something more mainstream like Royal Caribbean or Carnival, you may not be happy with Azamara. Basically, it is all about what type of Cruise experience you are looking for.

 

Please keep in mind, there are MANY cruiselines out there. If you arent happy, I am sure you can find another line that will make you happy. Please let us know what you decide. If I can be of any assistance, please let me know.

[Andy]

Hi Nancy !

 

One more thing, I am going to consolidate all of your threads into this thread. If you can try to keep everything on this thread, I would sincerely appreciate it.

 

We do want to help you, so please try to keep it all in 1 thread. Thank you !

[Susan-M]

 

It may have been due to the long Holiday weekend, but the hold times seemed unacceptably long.

 

Hi Nancy,

I discovered today that I was very lucky last week to have such quick service from the Custom Air Dept. (last week I called for a quote, today I called back to confirm.) Today when I phoned they were backed up with calls, so I received a call back within half an hour (not bad)...but it was then a 45 minute call with a rep, who put me on hold twice for 15 & 20 minutes....leaving me wondering if I had been forgotten. The rep advised that they have been having trouble with their booking system the past 2 days. The good news was that there was no additional air fare for the deviation. Had I booked the air independently, it would have been $330. more pp, so the headache that I got listening to the advertising while on hold was relieved by the news re the fare.

[susiesan]

Katiebeth-

Your solution: book on Oceania. No need to explain to those on this board who have sailed both O and AZ. I haven't even sailed yet on AZ (1 1/2 weeks from now) and I already expect O to be better. But I knew this when I booked. AZ price's were just too good to pass up.

[drpad]

The ONLY positives we found on Azamara's Quest were small ship experience, the limited smoking areas and the great service. However, in the future, no Azamara for us- Celebrity is better, even though Azamara is supposed to be Celebrity's upscale line.

Needless to say we were disappointed BIG TIME with the Azamara experience as a whole.

[blterman]

Re: aft suites. Have sailed on sister ship, Oceania Regatta, in the Sunset Veranda room next door to your suite number. LOVED it. The veranda space, room space, view, were terrific, in our opinion. We cruise a lot, and this location was one of our best liked. The vibrations occur in any ship, and didn't seem any better or worse in the location. We have also cruised in the very front (Journey, cabin 7000). Same price. Much smaller veranda space, and more pounding, than in aftmost cabins.

 

Also, between Oceania Regatta and Azamara Journey, BOTH staffs trying hard to please. Azamara impressed us with both execution, and corrections. Oceania has had more time to work out wrinkles. Azamara is working overtime to do same. The smaller size make either our preference over larger ships of Celebrity, etc. Have fun!!

[Gadgetguru]

Wow! When we booked we had no idea that this cabin would be so famous 5 threads. We will try to take good care of the cabin:D

[Napi's Mom]

Katie beth-

Your solution: book on Oceania. No need to explain to those on this board who have sailed both O and AZ. I haven't even sailed yet on AZ (1 1/2 weeks from now) and I already expect O to be better. But I knew this when I booked. AZ price's were just too good to pass up.

Susisan...Don't make the mistake of "expecting" things to be worse, it can be a self fulfilling type of thing, seeing more problems than are there. We were on both Nautica and Quest...it really isn't that much difference even now...in fact the crew etc. were in most cases more willing to please on Quest, it was a drive with them, where in Concierge on Nautica...it was just a job for them,our room attendants on Quest, and waiters too, even if they were a bit less experienced in some cases. Food is good, it wasn't always perfect on Nautica either!:)

[susiesan]

Napi's Mom:

Before I booked this cruise I looked at almost the same itinerary on Oceania. AZ came out to $1000 less for the same cabin. For that kind of a price difference, I'm sure the food will be fine, especially because there is unlimited sushi every night. I'm actually going for the ports more than the ship experience. I've sailed on these ships 3 times before and like he size of the ships. Unlike katiebeth, I did do my homework and know what to expect. This will be my 35th cruise and I don't expect much from any of them. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised, like on Oceania. Most of the time I'm content with the product I receive for my money.

 

It seems the people who book the most expensive penthouse cabin are the ones who gripe the most when they don't get super luxury service from a cruiseline that is not super luxury. You get what you pay for. If I had that kind of money to spend on a cruise, I'd just go for the luxury all inclusive lines to begin with. There are only 10 penthouse cabins on an AZ ship and those people will be eating the same food and partaking of the same services as the rest of us do. The cruiseline is not doing anything special for just 20 people. if you want to be treated as "special" then go on a cruiseline that promises that experience. The only ship in the celebrity fleet where that will happen is Xpedition.

Susie

[Napi's Mom]

Susisan, I agree that some people always want treatment like Royalty and if they don't get it scream about it. I'd say that on every Renn class ship we've been on, we had superior service to the few others (2 Hal ships & a Rccl before the merger, and Celeb but only very early in their existence). We love the ships, and the style of cruising. I feel that people should realize the Cause & effect basis of the great service lays in the open dining, casual dress and the set tips. They are the happiest crews and the least pushy of the bartenders, You needn't tip extra to get great sevice, across the board -all the Renn. class ships run like this always have raves about the happy, eager to serve crew!

[katiebeth]

Dear Susiean,

 

I just want to clarify your reference regarding me not doing my homework. I think you need to know that I am an extensive almost compulsive planner and have sailed Europe three times in the past 4 years on Celebrity. I have massive accordian files on every port we have visited with port information, dining options, shore excursions, port maps, shopping, and shore excursion options (both private and ship sponsored), The reference to Azamara and not doing my homework had to do specifically with what they were offering as far as shore excursions. We are loyal Celebrity cruisers and have always always been pleased with everything they have to offer. When cruising Europe we mostly do excursions offered thru the cruise line, but on a number of occasions (St. Petersburg, Paris, Santorini, Copenhagen, and Florence booked independent tours). However, my parents who are in their late seventies and travel with us, like the security of the tours offered thru the cruise line.

 

As far as booking a suite, the reason we do so is because we travel with our two teenage children and it actually ends up being not much more than booking two veranda cabins. We do not book suites because we expect any type of special treatment whatsoever. In fact, we rarely ever have any interaction with the butler and make no special requests whatsoever. In addition, there was virtually little difference in price between the Royal Suite and Penthouse on the Azamara. The reason we ended up with the Penthouse is because it offers an additional 1/2 bath and with the four of us that is a great benefit. In addition, my parents are next door in the Sunset Veranda and the balcony divider is retractable between the two cabins. Our teenage children adore their grandparents and love to go between the two cabins. So I think it is important to know the facts before judging others.

 

We booked Azamara because we love Celebrity and thought it would be nice to try a little more upscale version and we absolutely love the itinerary. Our two children are well traveled, well behaved and have not been interested in going to the onboard kid's programs during our past couple of cruises. We like to cruise once a year during the summer and the kids love exploring the ports with us, coming back to the ship and having a nice dinner and then heading to the cabin to chill.

 

I did by the way have a wonderful experience with customer service today about the shore excursions that will be offered in Europe this summer. The complete brochure of options should be downloaded on the website by the end of this month.

 

Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

[susiesan]

Why didn't you book with Oceania? or the Royal Princess? Same ships, same itineraries. Did you not read the O boards where almost everyone over there is mesmerized by O and cheerleads for them nonstop. If you had been researching you would have known that AZ is not Celebrity, just like Celebrity is not RCCI. It started out that way last summer but switched over to an independent brand. If the shore excursions were so important O has already got them figured out. If you have read the boards from the other cruise lines you would know that every time a new ship/product comes on line there is almost a year of bumps and adjustments. So they tend to have better pricing during the shakedown time which is why I went with AZ and not O for my cruise.

 

The comments about expectations from penthouse suite passengers was directed at the poster whining about seeing the ocean while seated in the living room of the cabin and dirt on the balcony furniture. Sheesh. If you want to see the ocean why sit in your cabin and not on deck? If you've ever had a balcony cabin you would know that there is always particulate matter from the air that settles on the furniture and it has to be wiped off daily. If you had been reading these boards you would have known that just because AZ calls themselves upscale doesn't mean they are. High thread count sheets do not make a cruise line upscale.

 

How much more does O charge for the same cabin on the same itinerary you booked? Just curious.

[Always Cruising 2]

Quote: "The reason we ended up with the Penthouse is because it offers an additional 1/2 bath and with the four of us that is a great benefit. In addition, my parents are next door in the Sunset Veranda and the balcony divider is retractable between the two cabins."

 

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but A; the royal AND penthouse both have 1 1/2 baths, and B; there is a steel bulkhead that separates the PS from the SV on all decks, not a retractable screen.