Quest... Not what she used to be???

[33478]

I am getting emails from folks just finishing the asia voyage on the quest.. What a difference a couple of months and a new captain makes.

 

Apparently this cruise was not from heaven. The itinerary has been compromised a number of times. yes this is a boat and things happen. but 90 minutes to viisit Sole Korea?

 

Yes some folks have been sick on board but to be threatened with disembarkation at a port along the way (with it stated that you would get no assistance from the ship to get home) if you do not report you have the "cold/flu"?

 

perhaps the crossing from europe was hard on the staff

perhaps the changeover of staff in asia has caused some setteling in problems

perhaps the "replacement captain that got on in Greece has a different style.

 

Or perhaps the two ship entry into an upper level cruising is beyond celebrity and Royal Caribbean..

 

We were on the Quest on the voyage before the trans canal trip to asia. We had a good experience. We then went on a RC to south america and we will not make that mistake again. RC food was worse then college dormatory food. the main dinning room staff was so agressive (perhaps to assure tips) that after two days we reverted to the buffet. In the buffet area the staff from the kitchen would come out and "stand around with " plates of food from the service lines.

 

Nothing wrong with the staff eating lunch or dinner.. but when we approached the chef(s) one am.. having to interupt his "standing" breakfast to indicate that some of the food being served was ICE COLD.. and gave him a pancake from the line infront of where he was standing... He insisted this piece of food "that would not have melted soft butter" was not cold.... we asked for the pancake back and appogized for interupting his breakfast.

He was about as arrogant as could be.

 

RC is not a step above Norweegan when it comes to food service.

Azamara was a good experience but now I suspect that has deteriorated significantly from what I am seeing from folks just finishing this voyage

 

I cannot imagine what carnival is like...

 

ROYAL c start paying attention to the way the vessle serivce is being delivered. !!!!

 

Cruise service delivery is difficult.. but when done well it is great. when done not so well it ruins over a thousand customers experience.

 

I suspect we will hear more about this Quest cruise once folks get back from ASIA. Apparently mos twill hav emissed their flights as the ship has run into problems at the port and cannot disembark as scheduled. The staff is trying to help folks rebook.. but it sounds like the port representatives for AZAMARA are just not understanding the importance of arrival on the last day for folks to catch flights....

 

It would be interesting to hear the Lines explinations for this less then steller experience...

 

HAPPY PEOPLE TELL 2..UNHAPPY PEOPLE TELL THE WORLD.. General MOTORS IS JUST STARTING TO LEARN THIS..

 

YMMV

[nevernever]

I suggest that people reserve judgement on the recent performance of the Quest and its staff until we hear direct reports from people who have been on one of the north asian cruises, rather than offer second hand information that may or may not be representative of views held by the majority of passengers. Things can change, sometimes for reasons beyond the control of staff on a ship, although comments offered by people who travelled on several of the south asian Quest cruises, suggest that they had enjoyable experiences. The captain, who is presumably still on board the Quest, was highly regarded by passengers and revered by other members of the crew. I cannot imagine that his performance, or that of his senior officers, has altered significantly.

 

Nevernever

[fPetrarca]

Still another "first post" knocking Azamara.

[Project_gal]

I suggest that people reserve judgement on the recent performance of the Quest and its staff until we hear direct reports from people who have been on one of the north asian cruises, rather than offer second hand information that may or may not be representative of views held by the majority of passengers. Things can change, sometimes for reasons beyond the control of staff on a ship, although comments offered by people who travelled on several of the south asian Quest cruises, suggest that they had enjoyable experiences. The captain, who is presumably still on board the Quest, was highly regarded by passengers and revered by other members of the crew. I cannot imagine that his performance, or that of his senior officers, has altered significantly.

 

Nevernever

 

Yes, I agree with you. Captain Smith is so popular that we are really hoping that he will STILL be onboard for our cruise in April. I also cannot see that secondhand comments are helpful.

[33478]

a long time reader

a quest customer in november

a parent company customer in december

and even if a first time poster.. you imply that facts even second hand are not friendly.

 

I could give you lots of facts from november.. and the captain was great then.. but he got off in Greece and had a replacement.

 

Azamara clearly better IN MY FIRST HAND VIEW then NCL and clearly better then RAdiance of the sea.. but then again perhaps the radiance problem is the wife of the captain was a most senior food officer..

 

First time posters sometimes (not in my case) have a clearer cleaner perspective then some folks who have learned to compromise to be satisfied. Alternatives exist in the market. Alternatives for most client expectations...

you just have to find the brand and class that fits your needs. Some folks are not willing to spend Five star money for a 3.5 star experience.

 

And as we are learning just because the company wants it to be five stars and promotes it that way ...does not make it so..

 

Cadys were never equal to the high end german nor the high end Japaneese cars. Azamara was a great two ship small vessel company.. I am hearing that since my november experience at least one voyage was not up to 4 star let alone five star standards.

 

I have a better idea.. just pass by my posts in the future.

 

YMMV

[world~citizen]

a long time reader

a quest customer in november

a parent company customer in december

and even if a first time poster.. you imply that facts even second hand are not friendly.

 

I could give you lots of facts from november.. and the captain was great then.. but he got off in Greece and had a replacement.

 

Azamara clearly better IN MY FIRST HAND VIEW then NCL and clearly better then RAdiance of the sea.. but then again perhaps the radiance problem is the wife of the captain was a most senior food officer..

 

First time posters sometimes (not in my case) have a clearer cleaner perspective then some folks who have learned to compromise to be satisfied. Alternatives exist in the market. Alternatives for most client expectations...

you just have to find the brand and class that fits your needs. Some folks are not willing to spend Five star money for a 3.5 star experience.

 

And as we are learning just because the company wants it to be five stars and promotes it that way ...does not make it so..

 

Cadys were never equal to the high end german nor the high end Japaneese cars. Azamara was a great two ship small vessel company.. I am hearing that since my november experience at least one voyage was not up to 4 star let alone five star standards.

 

I have a better idea.. just pass by my posts in the future.

 

YMMV

 

I take your post seriously. I believe it is a fair representation of your experience.

 

There is a regular progression when unfavorable reviews are posted. Normally, there is initial sympathy, then the facts of the review are challenged, then the veracity of the op is challenged, followed by debate, followed by chaos.:eek:

 

I too would like to see other reviews of your cruise. I hope your experience was the exception. Certainly other recent reviews have been more encouraging.

 

I am truly sorry for your experience. I hope your next cruise truly exceeds expectations.

 

Smooth sailing to you...

[susiesan]

a long time reader

..

 

 

you just have to find the brand and class that fits your needs. Some folks are not willing to spend Five star money for a 3.5 star experience.

 

YMMV

 

With the pricing AZ has out now, no one is paying 5 star money except people who do not read Cruise Critic. All of the regulars know that prices on AZ have plunged. Most of us have taken advantage and re booked to save thousands of dollars and get substantial upgrades. In my case I went from a cat 12 inside to a 1A veranda for $1000 less pp for 2 weeks of cruising, saving me $2000 from what I was originally willing to pay for an inside.

[world~citizen]

With the pricing AZ has out now, no one is paying 5 star money except people who do not read Cruise Critic. All of the regulars know that prices on AZ have plunged. Most of us have taken advantage and re booked to save thousands of dollars and get substantial upgrades. In my case I went from a cat 12 inside to a 1A veranda for $1000 less pp for 2 weeks of cruising, saving me $2000 from what I was originally willing to pay for an inside.

 

Thats the truth, in fact just yesterday we received another adjustment for almost $700.

 

I never thought i would hear myself say this, but I am beginning to feel sorry for the cruise lines.

 

Well, with all the reductions, I can see a few more vodka martinis in our vacation I tell you.

 

Smooth sailing...

[DaveFr]

I take your post seriously. I believe it is a fair representation of your experience.

 

There is a regular progression when unfavorable reviews are posted. Normally, there is initial sympathy, then the facts of the review are challenged, then the veracity of the op is challenged, followed by debate, followed by chaos.:eek:

 

I too would like to see other reviews of your cruise. I hope your experience was the exception. Certainly other recent reviews have been more encouraging.

 

I am truly sorry for your experience. I hope your next cruise truly exceeds expectations.

 

Smooth sailing to you...

Please read the OP's post again. He/She is not on the cruise but is relaying second hand information based on emails received from others. He/She did not experience the cruise.

 

Dave

[world~citizen]

Please read the OP's post again. He/She is not on the cruise but is relaying second hand information based on emails received from others. He/She did not experience the cruise.

 

Dave

 

Well cut my legs off and call me shorty!

 

All the more reason to look for the reviews of this cruise.

 

People will grind their axes.:eek:

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

I agree that I would much rather hear the news from passengers who have actually been on the sailing, as opposed to someone who is not on the sailing. With that said, I always take reviews for what they are.... someone's opinion. I'd rather go on the sailing, and make my own judgements.

 

What I do know, is that the bulk of the reviews over the past several months, have been wonderful. That's good enough for me. I hope to sail Azamara again in the future.

[uktog]

Capt Smith is certainly still the captain on board at this moment in time. I know there were some "bugs" on our cruise (finished 2 weeks ago) that caused them to move to tight procedures. Some of the problems were caused by passengers being selfish and not reporting situations so maybe that "drove" some of the messages given out.

Certainly there were issues on our trip relating to currents which caused them to have to run flat out from Singapore to Bangkok - maybe there were current issues again that impacted on timings. One thing we have to remember, this is Azamara's first season in Asia and I believe when we went the lower pricing recoginsed that.

I know there were issues with passengers who had not done their homework, some were completely unaware that the weather was not going to be subtropical all the way to Beijing which is a shame for them and for those who have to help them find warmer clothes!!

Will be very interested to hear from those on board, particularly those who were b2b with us as they will have had the experience of 4 weeks on board

[susiesan]

the crew in my opinion delivers 5 star service, they are friendly ,courteous,& professional,however the product they delivered to my table in the restaurants was definitely not 5 star.i understood that entertainment would be low key ,but in my opinion the performers on board were not very good.we all want to remember our cruise experience as a great time ,but we should also let azamara know in which areas they need to improve before they claim to be a 5 star line.

 

I have never seen anywhere that AZ claims to be a 5 star line, whatever that is. I'd like to know what camano's definition of 5 star. What organization rates cruise lines by stars and where is the list of ratings? Star ratings on any travel product, be it hotels, airlines, or resorts iss highly subjective anyway.

[Guest superradiationboy]

I am getting emails from folks just finishing the asia voyage on the quest.. What a difference a couple of months and a new captain makes.

 

Apparently this cruise was not from heaven. The itinerary has been compromised a number of times. yes this is a boat and things happen. but 90 minutes to viisit Sole Korea?

 

Yes some folks have been sick on board but to be threatened with disembarkation at a port along the way (with it stated that you would get no assistance from the ship to get home) if you do not report you have the "cold/flu"?

 

I have been following this board for a while, but mostly just stayed in the background reading the posts. I think this time I would throw in my 2 cents...

 

Almost every cruise lines' boards on this site, there are people talking about itinerary changes once in a while. It is understandably disappointing. Especially when the passengers have been traveled from afar, possibly taking weeks off from their work, spending significant amount of money... and ended up did not get to go where they wanted to.

 

I have personally experienced an itinerary change, and my change was not just skipping one port or 2, but rather a completely different itinerary with new ports. Reason? Expected bad weather.

 

I personally trust the Captain and the cruise line to make any decision that would be the safest for me and my fellow passengers. Over the years, I have heard people complaining about a missing port due to bad weather while they observed sunny skies, calm seas... in my opinion, I believe there are more factors in weather than just the sky and the swells.

 

In my experience, I have seen some rather challenging tender operations, while it was sunny and the sea was calm when observed from the ship. One time we had some really strong current. Even though the Captain approved us to tender ashore, getting on and off it proves to be quite challenging for even a perfectly mobile person (when that cute little boat moves away and out by more than 2 feet then slams back on the platform in a matter of a second). Honestly, I think it was nice that the Captain avoided our disappointment by letting us going ashore, but at the same time I could see how easily that someone falls or gets hurt then blames on the Captain as well.

 

I also remember that one time our port time was cut short, in seemingly perfect weather, due to high winds - the ship was being blown away from the dock and they had to temporarily use the bow and stern thrusters to keep the ship docked.

 

Not sure why Quest was only able to visit Korea for 90mins. Maybe it was weather? Maybe it was mechanical difficulties of the ship (If that's the case, I believe the cruise line should compensate much like the airlines do)? Maybe there was some problem with the port itself?

 

I think many here would love to know the real cause. I do agree that the whole cruise experience is somewhat affected when there's a port change... But it might not be the cruise line's fault.

 

 

As for Flu. I think it's imperative for the cruise line to contain those affected before the disease spreads like wild fire. Much like the Norwalk, it is important that the Dr. on the ship knows who and how many are affected. Reporting of the disease is just a simple measure to ensure the welfare of everyone onboard and, as always, there should be a penalty for failure to do so. (Remember China used to cover up their Avian Flu cases and not reporting those to the UN?)

 

 

Every trip provides different experiences, be they good or bad, that's what traveling is all about and what a seasoned traveler is accustomed to and enjoy...

[douganswerphone]

Not sure why Quest was only able to visit Korea for 90mins. Maybe it was weather? Maybe it was mechanical difficulties of the ship (If that's the case, I believe the cruise line should compensate much like the airlines do)? Maybe there was some problem with the port itself?

 

I think many here would love to know the real cause. I do agree that the whole cruise experience is somewhat affected when there's a port change... But it might not be the cruise line's fault.

 

The visit to Incheon on these itineraries has been shortened to 5 1/2 hours. With travel time, that leave about 90 minutes in Seoul if you wish to visit there. The people on the Jan 31 cruise may not have been notified of this before they sailed.

 

We'll be on Quest in 2 weeks, and frankly will spend every minute aboard comparing it to Oceania, which Azamara has obviously attempted to copy. By comparison, is A as good, better or worse than O? We'll certainly have a first-hand opinion on that in a month, but meanwhile we're paying 1/3 of what O charges for a comparable itinerary. I can live with some disappointment for that kind of difference.

 

I agree that posting a review with STRONG opinions based on second-hand info is jumping the gun. And I've seen plenty of cruises where 3 or 4 complainers made it sound like some kind of a Death Cruise. We were once on a cruise described in those terms, and had to wonder if the posters were really on board the same cruise.

 

I also think it's unfair to rant about A, based on an experience aboard RCCL. RCCL is a BUDGET cruise line! Yes they have the same parent company, but that's like saying Seabourne must stink because you had a cruise you didn't like on Carnival [2 brands also owned by the same parent company].

 

I gather there was a problem at disembarkation, but that was likely the port authority's fault. Maybe they'll get it straightened out in 4 weeks. All the same, I'm glad we're not planning on tight flight connections at Beijing.

[cabo de hornos]

We've sailed with Cap'n Carl on Journey.

 

If there is an issue with weather or currents, etc. we found that he is most informative about why changes were necessary. We had an issue with currents or tides while moored off Isla Neuvo Providencia in the Caribbean, and Cap'n Carl explained why it was necessary for the longer than expected tender ride, and the need to run the thrusters to hold position for tender recovery, just in case there would be a situation that required an expedited offloading.

 

Now that's what I call looking out for the pax best interests, even though it was more costly to run the thrusters once in a while.

 

Cabo

[nevernever]

I'm reluctant to make a second entry to this thread, but feel that I must support cabo in his praise for Captain Carl. My experience on an earlier cruise was that, for those who bothered to listen, Carl used his mid-day and other announcements to clearly explain what had and was likely to happen regarding movement of the ship. Anything not addressed by Captain Carl was covered by the Cruise Director (at that time Tony Markey). I find it impossible to accept that people such as these would not have given passengers a full explanation for any departures from the advertised itinerary, or indicated why it was necessary to implement stringent health regulations. As so many people have suggested, let's just wait until we get first-hand information from passengers who were actually on the cruise in question.

 

Nevernever

[sinova]

The recent postings about Quest service concerns me. I'm going onboard in one month for two weeks Northern Asia cruise. I do hope Quest understands the importance of customer service is priority #1. However, I've requested port information for two months now and Azamara doesn't even bother to acknowledge my question. I only know where I board the ship but have no ideas where we get out?????????

[daljewels]

I was on this cruise. I'm in the airport Lounge waiting for my flight home. The cruise was better than what my husband and I expected. We knew it was going to be cold we had read about the ports we were going to visit. I talked to other passengers that didn't know it was going to be cold or had read anything about the ports. The food overall was excellent (one night it was bad) and the staff really tried to make the passengers happy. The captain kept us informed better than other cruises that we have been on. When we boarded the captain told us that some passengers had been sick on the previous segment and we needed to wash our hands often and not shake hands. Has the cruise progressed more passengers got sick. They had the staff cleaning everything. They even cleaned the casino chips. In Incheon Korea we has a lot of fog and they kept closing the port and reopening it. We also had to go thru a lock to get into the port because of the currents the captain wasn't sure if we would even make that port. What the captain told us was that we had a 30 min time frame they would allow us in. In Beijing they kept asking for more information before letting us off the ship. Azamara could not control this. The cruise director told me that he had never seen that much paper work before. We had a driver and tour guide that took us into Beijing she told us the last couple she picked they didn't let anyone leave the ship till 2:30pm.

[Project_gal]

daljewels

 

Many thanks for making the effort to answer the questions people have on this thread from the airport.

 

Sue

[uktog]

Thans daljewels.

I gather Capt Smiths wife and little Joe missed their flight home because of the delays but there is nothing you can do when the authorities dig their heels in. John Howell is a very experienced cruise director not known for over exaggeration so it must have been bad for him to say that.

Yes the 3rd and 17th Jan had people sick on it, it was thought in both cases problems picked up before people boarded or from eating ashore. They did no handshaking on our trip and were cleaning all the time. I have read reports on other Asia trips and sickness does seem to be much more prevalent on cruises in these areas so this does not seem to be an Azamara Quest issue - we had friends on a Princess trip in November and there were huge delays getting into Beijing on that ship as for a while despite all the paperwork being in order the authorities would not allow the ship to disembark because of the level of sickness which although not high seemed to give the authorities issues

Look forward to hearing all your reports - sounds like the food hit the same level of standard as on our cruise

A

[chris1950]

just returned from the trip today.will let put down more later in the week. but things were not not right on the trip and hope things do improve. one thing even thou the chinese officails took there time leting us disembark due to the virus issue .never have i seen such a disorganised mess at any cruise ive been on at the point of picking your luggae up.now of to bed for a rest after 20 hours of traveling

[Andy]

Host Andy,

Am I allowed to mention an online site that might be of benefit to us in booking a cruise?

I prefer to stay within the guidelines.

 

Hi Njccpa !

 

As you are already aware, discussion about TA's is against our guidelines. I took a look at the post you mentioned, and the posts have been deleted.

[douganswerphone]

I was on this cruise. I'm in the airport Lounge waiting for my flight home. The cruise was better than what my husband and I expected. We knew it was going to be cold we had read about the ports we were going to visit. I talked to other passengers that didn't know it was going to be cold or had read anything about the ports. The food overall was excellent (one night it was bad) and the staff really tried to make the passengers happy. The captain kept us informed better than other cruises that we have been on. When we boarded the captain told us that some passengers had been sick on the previous segment and we needed to wash our hands often and not shake hands. Has the cruise progressed more passengers got sick. They had the staff cleaning everything. They even cleaned the casino chips. In Incheon Korea we has a lot of fog and they kept closing the port and reopening it. We also had to go thru a lock to get into the port because of the currents the captain wasn't sure if we would even make that port. What the captain told us was that we had a 30 min time frame they would allow us in. In Beijing they kept asking for more information before letting us off the ship. Azamara could not control this. The cruise director told me that he had never seen that much paper work before. We had a driver and tour guide that took us into Beijing she told us the last couple she picked they didn't let anyone leave the ship till 2:30pm.

 

Can you tell us what time the ship actually docked? When did the authorities let you off? We'll doing the same thing on March 14, and I'm trying to make realistic plans for that day.

[Guest superradiationboy]

It is indeed very nice to know that the cruise exceeded expectations. :)

 

For me, I got sick every time when I traveled in Asia, no exceptions. :( Though symptoms were rather minor, mostly just sore throat. My Dr. told me that they have a different spectrum of bugs there, while my immune system is used to the types in N. America. I guess that also applies to others...

 

In my experience, China's airport/ports were some of the most disorganized places in the world (With the exception of Hongkong and Macau). Though they already have improved by a lot recently.

 

I went to Nanjing 17 or so years ago, when their airport was merely a small house with a landing stripe. After getting off the plane, you have to walk a distance to get to the so-called terminal, then there are 2 desks set up for immigration. Everything is manual, no computer. After that, there is no sign pointing you to the luggage claim, and nobody there for you to ask. Soon, I saw a group of people walking towards the other side of the building. There I found a little barn like area with all the luggage of the plane stacked up on 2 muddy dirty carriages and 2 cows were still attached to them! :eek: All in a sudden, there were 100 people fighting to get their bags off the carriages... total chaos.

 

Well, it's a very interesting experience.