Fantastic cruise

[vival]

Hi

We found these boards so helpful when chosing our cruise so we felt it was only right to provide some feedback on our return that may help others in making their decisions.

 

We were on 12th July Northern Europe cruise on the Journey. We have only cruised once before on a larger RCL ship which was an ok experience!

We loved the Journey, there was such a relaxed atmosphere on board - nowhere was ever busy. The decor was pleasant and the ship was spotless. As has been previously stated the staff are fantastic from the room attendants to the senior officers nothing was too much bother and everyone always had a cheery greeting.

The food in all the restaurants was excellent- tasty and well presented.

We would only have two complains: the coffee - it really is awful and the problems experienced by those taking private tours in St Petersburg.

We would definitely cruise with Azamara again and would not hesitate to recommend them to friends.

 

Vivien

[westcoastcruiser]

Thank you for your feedback. We are looking to visit St Petersburg next year. What problems were encountered by those taking private tours? We plan to do a private tour when we visit.

[Kaktus]

We sailed on June 30, we took a private tour and we had no problems. My complaint was about a three bed cabin, but there was not enough space for the third (sofa)bed.

Just curious, did you dock in the middle of the city? We loved the beautiful view of the city, and I stood up in the middle of the night only to see the open bridges, but somewhere I heard that sometimes the Journey does not always dock there.

[Andy]

Hello Vival !

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I'm happy to hear you had a great Cruise. Welcome Home !

[2irisheyes]

Vival - I'd be interested to hear what the problems were with private tours in St Petersburg. We did a private tour with Anastasiaworld and it was very successful - no problems and very easy. Our daughter will be visiting St P's in September on a cruise so it would be useful to know of any problems before she decides whether to do ship or private tour. Thanks. Glad you enjoyed your cruise. We're doing our first Azamara cruise soon so reading as much as we can. Shame about the coffee.

[vival]

Hi - We were docked in the English Embankment. Everyone who had booked a private tour got two letters in their cabins saying that there was a new law passed by the Russian Authorities on July 5th stating that all ships tours were to go through immigration before anyone on private tours would be let through. The letter said that failure to comply with this could create problems for everyone disembarking. This was reinforced by announcements from the cruise director when we docked. We were told that we should be able to leave the ship shortly after 9am and this was indeed the case. However by this time another cruise ship's passengers were also going through immigration and we ended up waiting in line for one and a half hours. We were with SBP Tours who were excellent. They and other tour operators said that there was no new law and that this was just the cruise ship making life difficult for those taking private tours. We had no problems on the second or third days. It is hard to believe that Azamara would lie to us in this way! Obviously it would be very difficult for us to check what the situation really was so we just put it down to experience and didn't let it spoil an otherwise fabulous cruise.

Vivien

[Ulisses]

Ninety minutes in an immigration line? Good to know some things haven't changed in the "new" Russia!

[critterchick]

Hi - We were docked in the English Embankment. Everyone who had booked a private tour got two letters in their cabins saying that there was a new law passed by the Russian Authorities on July 5th stating that all ships tours were to go through immigration before anyone on private tours would be let through. The letter said that failure to comply with this could create problems for everyone disembarking. This was reinforced by announcements from the cruise director when we docked. We were told that we should be able to leave the ship shortly after 9am and this was indeed the case. However by this time another cruise ship's passengers were also going through immigration and we ended up waiting in line for one and a half hours. We were with SBP Tours who were excellent. They and other tour operators said that there was no new law and that this was just the cruise ship making life difficult for those taking private tours. We had no problems on the second or third days. It is hard to believe that Azamara would lie to us in this way! Obviously it would be very difficult for us to check what the situation really was so we just put it down to experience and didn't let it spoil an otherwise fabulous cruise.

Vivien

 

I'm glad you had a great cruise. It makes me so angry when the cruiselines lie like that - they all do it, and it's unconscionable. It's the only way they can delay the departure of the private tours - if they told the truth, which is that they're punishing people for not booking the overpriced ship's tours, then they'd have a riot onboard, or at least a significant number of complaints. So they take the cowardly way out. Shame.:mad:

 

Two years ago on the Jewel of the Seas the CD tried to convince the CCers at the Meet and Mingle that "sometimes" the Russian authorities won't let non-ship tours disembark early. We all laughed out loud, so he gave it up quickly - that was the wrong group to pull that scam on!

 

When we were on Quest, they never announced that the tenders were running until they had gotten all of the early tours off. Then the CD would announce that the rest of us could depart. But they never stopped anybody from boarding the tenders along with the tour groups. It just reinforced in many people's minds that they couldn't go ashore until after the announcement.

[JennAngel9]

I realize this may be an unpopular opinion around here, but I think the cruise lines do have the right to allow priority disembarkation for their own tours. FWIW, DH and I went to St. Petersberg on the Constellation last year and had to wait after some of the ship tours to get through immigration and our private tour guides. We would have liked to have that extra 30-45 minutes, but ultimately we could have chosen to cruise with another line that did not penalize independent tour taking. Also, I think it IS much slower for individuals not taking tours to go through immigration because they have to have all their paperwork in order-- the line moved incredibly slowly a few people ahead of us because there were people who didn't realize they needed visa's, didn't have proper documentation.. etc. etc. My understanding is that using a ship guide omits the individual visa or other document checking for each person in the group so theoretically they should be able to get all those people off quickly...

 

Anyway, I do agree with the consensus that it was 100% unacceptable that Azamara would lie about a Russian law instead of clearly stating their policy (and sticking with it). We are set to sail Az for the first time in a few weeks and I know that feeling like the cruise line is dishonest would really throw a wrench in my vacation.

[tgg]

Evidently, Oceania sent out the same kind of letter, annoying their passengers booked on independent tours.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1029198

[2irisheyes]

Thanks for explanation vival. I don't find it incredible that a cruiseline would blatantly lie but I do find it incredible that they lie to the extent of saying that there is a new law and stating the date when the fictitious law came into effect. They are obviously a law unto themselves or think they can tell their passengers anything. It's a shame they have to spoil things in this stupid way. It can make people even more determined not to take their tours.

 

We were in SPB on P&O and they had tried the scare tactics, like many other cruiselines, saying you'll have to get your own visa etc which is completely untrue. As long as the private tour company you plan to use is officially registered with the correct authorities in Russia they are able to do it for you. They just needed copies of the information pages on passports. I can't remember if P&O instructed us to wait until the ship's tours had disembarked. If they did we must have ignored it as we walked off amongst the ship tour passengers. The Russian immigration officials had actually set up tables on the ship just before approaching the gangplank. I tried to show them the copy of the visa obtained by Anastasia but they weren't interested. They just did the usual with passports and we were off (early as we'd expected it to take longer after all the warnings).

[2irisheyes]

Did others have the band playing on the quayside with a carpet laid down. The band wasn't great but it was a good welcome which we appreciated. We were docked at the industrial port which wasn't pretty but it was a great day.

[avidtrav]

Hi - We were docked in the English Embankment. Everyone who had booked a private tour got two letters in their cabins saying that there was a new law passed by the Russian Authorities on July 5th stating that all ships tours were to go through immigration before anyone on private tours would be let through. The letter said that failure to comply with this could create problems for everyone disembarking. This was reinforced by announcements from the cruise director when we docked. We were told that we should be able to leave the ship shortly after 9am and this was indeed the case. However by this time another cruise ship's passengers were also going through immigration and we ended up waiting in line for one and a half hours. We were with SBP Tours who were excellent. They and other tour operators said that there was no new law and that this was just the cruise ship making life difficult for those taking private tours. We had no problems on the second or third days. It is hard to believe that Azamara would lie to us in this way! Obviously it would be very difficult for us to check what the situation really was so we just put it down to experience and didn't let it spoil an otherwise fabulous cruise.

Vivien

 

Some 60 years ago, when I was a little boy of 5 or 6, my mother would teach my brother and I “that everything eventually comes out in the wash”. That was in reference to teaching us that “honesty is the best policy”, an adage that has stuck with us and served me well, all these years. To a boy of 5 or 6, the visual analogy was wrenching as washing machines weren’t what they are today. Imagine a little boy thinking that the truth would eventually come out by putting you through the slow hand cranked “wringer”. Well, today, the wash can be come out as quickly as the internet can inform us of news, and the notion or “news ” that a cruiseline could lie in order to sell its shore excursions is most disturbing. Eventually it comes out, in this instance, quickly, and it is most disturbing. But the practice is not new. I was told the very same story in 2001 on a Celebrity cruise to the Baltic Sea which included an overnight stop in St. Petersburg. My wife and I did get visas prior to our departure in anticipation of seeking an independent tour in St. Petersburg, but in order to leave on a timely basis, did sign up for an early morning half day tour to the Hermitage and then left on our own for the remainder of the time. Now that I reflect on it, with the news that is told to us by Vival, and much appreciated, I resent Celebrity’s “lie”, obviously constructed so as to get us to buy at least one of their shore excursions in St. Petersburg. In this instance, the wash was a little late but “it eventually does come out in the wash”, and certainly leaves me somewhat dubious as to what one is told by this corporation. We are leaving on the 23rd of this month on Azamara Quest and while we believe the Azamara experience to be as good as has been suggested, we are more likely to be somewhat more questioning.

[vival]

I knew that this would be an emotive topic and thought long and hard before mentioning it. I don't have an axe to grind and would not want to damage Azamara's reputation - as I have said before we had a great cruise and would sail again in a heartbeat. It is a shame and hard to believe that they would actually lie to their customers, but it appears they have done so. I don't disagree with Jennangel that they perhaps should have the right to disembark their own tours first - but they should be open about it. There is no question of ships tours having to be first off in any other port.

The letter we received put sufficient doubt in our minds to stop us trying to leave the ship before we were called. We didn't want to be responsible for everyone being held up - however unlikely that seemed!

I just don't understand why a cruise line with such good customer sevice in all other areas would risk upsetting their reputation in this way.

[critterchick]

I realize this may be an unpopular opinion around here, but I think the cruise lines do have the right to allow priority disembarkation for their own tours. FWIW, DH and I went to St. Petersberg on the Constellation last year and had to wait after some of the ship tours to get through immigration and our private tour guides. We would have liked to have that extra 30-45 minutes, but ultimately we could have chosen to cruise with another line that did not penalize independent tour taking. Also, I think it IS much slower for individuals not taking tours to go through immigration because they have to have all their paperwork in order-- the line moved incredibly slowly a few people ahead of us because there were people who didn't realize they needed visa's, didn't have proper documentation.. etc. etc. My understanding is that using a ship guide omits the individual visa or other document checking for each person in the group so theoretically they should be able to get all those people off quickly...

 

Anyway, I do agree with the consensus that it was 100% unacceptable that Azamara would lie about a Russian law instead of clearly stating their policy (and sticking with it). We are set to sail Az for the first time in a few weeks and I know that feeling like the cruise line is dishonest would really throw a wrench in my vacation.

 

If you book a private excursion with one of the companies often mentioned on CC - Denrus, Red October, Alla, for example - then they take care for the visa requirement, and they are very good at telling you what you need in order to get through immigration. They even told us not to be fooled when the ship's personnel said that we had to wait, just to go. We were through the immigration window just as quickly as the people on a ship's tour once we got there. There was one line for us and three lines for them, but we were through as quickly as the other people who were 10th in line or so.

 

I have no real beef with the cruiselines wanting to punish us for not booking with them. But as you said, lying about it to take the heat of themselves is cowardly, childish and just plain wrong. OK, my words, not yours, but we agree on that, LOL.

 

Did others have the band playing on the quayside with a carpet laid down. The band wasn't great but it was a good welcome which we appreciated. We were docked at the industrial port which wasn't pretty but it was a great day.

 

We were met at every site by a small band - they would burst into an American song every time we got out of our van. When they discovered we had a couple of Brits in our group, one band even played "God Save the Queen.":)

[JennAngel9]

I have no real beef with the cruiselines wanting to punish us for not booking with them. But as you said, lying about it to take the heat of themselves is cowardly, childish and just plain wrong. OK, my words, not yours, but we agree on that, LOL.

 

I think its a pretty good choice of words, but I would also add dastardly.

 

Also, I think I forgot to mention it in my earlier post, but I think if the line wants to adopt a policy of favoring their own tours they should have to publish it for guests BEFORE final payment.

[cruisecountess]

I agree with JennAngel9 that if this is, indeed, a cruise line policy, then they should have the strength of their convictions, advertise the policy from the start:confused, and enforce it with no excuses. However, since both Oceania and Azamara sent out the same letters, it leaves me wondering...could it be the local tour guides who may be lying so that they don't lose business. Just a thought. :confused:

[cruisecountess]

I agree with JennAngel9 that if this is, indeed, a cruise line policy, then they should have the strength of their convictions, advertise the policy from the start, and then enforce it with NO excuses. However, since Oceania sent out the same letters, it leaves me wondering...could it be the local tour guides who may be lying so that they don't lose business. Just a thought. :confused:

[Salonica]

We were on the same cruise as Vival and spent an hour and a half to get through passport control to meet our private guide. Strangely enough, when we got back to the ship that evening, I had a phone call from guest relations asking how our cruise was going (I asked other passengers if they had had the same call and they hadn´t). Anyway, I took advantage of the opportunity and told the woman how we hadn´t liked the lie about the "new law". She brushed over my complaint quickly and wished us a pleasant cruise. We also mentioned this incident on the final opinion poll we handed in at the end of the cruise. But I have serious doubts they will change the system. It was the only fault I could really find with Azamara. Otherwise, a fantastic cruise.

[DougYWG]

We were on the 'Journey' docked at Lt. Schmidt and therefore the only ship there. We had no difficulty getting off when we wanted with maybe a five minute wait to get through the Russian bureaucracy. And that was on the first day, no wait at all on the second and third. (Not bad, for those of you who have experienced the lineup for customs in Toronto or Miami airports.) Our Alla tour guide was waiting for us right there. Sounds like not everybody has been as lucky. And yes, it was a fantastic cruise.

[JennAngel9]

As someone who has followed Russian politics for most of this decade, it would not surprise me if the cruise line provided tour guides paid extra to port authorities to get preferential treatment (some sort "pronouncement" of regulation or protocol) or if they have enough money/the right connections, could get such a law passed at a local or national level.

Note: I don't think this is the case, but (I repeat) it would not surprise me.

[Jb-lhr]

Hello everyone, On the 9th of July we were on the Emerald Princess in St. Petersburg. We were also subjected to the same 'rhetoric' (even though the RCI ship (Jewel of the Seas) next to us was not). We were also told that the Russian authorites had dictated that Princess Cruises tours must disembark first and 'non Princess tour' passengers should meet in the lounge and be given a 'disembarkation' number. From everything we had read on CC, we knew this was 'malarky' and just lined up at one of the two gangways. When the guard at the gangway realised we were not wearing our Princess Tours stickers, he prevented us (physically) from disembarking. There were about 130 people in line. A ship's officer came over with a fax purporting to be from the Russian authorities (we learned the next day it had actually come from the organisers of Princess Cruises tours in Russia and NOT from the authorities). Eventually the guard threatened us with his weapon to prevent us from disembarking. We escaped that line, went to the gangays on the other deck (this was, as usual pure mayhem ... something we got used to on the Emerald). We felt physically threatened and it was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. As a result of this incident alone, there will be 130 passengers who never set foot on a Princess ship again. I would call that 'short sighted' on the part of Princess management. Sounds like 'much of a sameness' on your cruise. Unfortunately we did not have the other compensating factors like good food, great service, a well designed ship and caring officers you obviously experienced. On Princess we felt like 'revenue opportunities' as opposed to like the 'valued guests' on Azamara!

[P&C]

We were there 4,5,6th July no such problems. The first day our group of 6 had to show passports and be stamped, plus the once/look/over and then show our Alla Tour Doc's and off we went all of max 5mim. Next two days no line , show passport, show Alla Doc's get red card and off. No letters, no waiting, we arranged to meet at 8.45am each day at the Journey place where they zap your card and off we went. Smooth as :D

[critterchick]

As someone who has followed Russian politics for most of this decade, it would not surprise me if the cruise line provided tour guides paid extra to port authorities to get preferential treatment (some sort "pronouncement" of regulation or protocol) or if they have enough money/the right connections, could get such a law passed at a local or national level.

Note: I don't think this is the case, but (I repeat) it would not surprise me.

 

Hello everyone, On the 9th of July we were on the Emerald Princess in St. Petersburg. We were also subjected to the same 'rhetoric' (even though the RCI ship (Jewel of the Seas) next to us was not). We were also told that the Russian authorites had dictated that Princess Cruises tours must disembark first and 'non Princess tour' passengers should meet in the lounge and be given a 'disembarkation' number. From everything we had read on CC, we knew this was 'malarky' and just lined up at one of the two gangways. When the guard at the gangway realised we were not wearing our Princess Tours stickers, he prevented us (physically) from disembarking. There were about 130 people in line. A ship's officer came over with a fax purporting to be from the Russian authorities (we learned the next day it had actually come from the organisers of Princess Cruises tours in Russia and NOT from the authorities). Eventually the guard threatened us with his weapon to prevent us from disembarking. We escaped that line, went to the gangays on the other deck (this was, as usual pure mayhem ... something we got used to on the Emerald). We felt physically threatened and it was a thoroughly unpleasant experience. As a result of this incident alone, there will be 130 passengers who never set foot on a Princess ship again. I would call that 'short sighted' on the part of Princess management. Sounds like 'much of a sameness' on your cruise. Unfortunately we did not have the other compensating factors like good food, great service, a well designed ship and caring officers you obviously experienced. On Princess we felt like 'revenue opportunities' as opposed to like the 'valued guests' on Azamara!

 

I'll bet the cruiselines make some kind of deal with the tour operators to try to get priority for their customers so they'll be first in line at the big attractions. I really don't have a problem with it, but the lying part really makes me angry (have I mentioned that yet?) And I do like "dastardly" as another adjective!

 

We've been to St. Petersburg once and, if we ever return, will likely try to arrange to see the "second tier" attractions that, with any luck, won't draw the same hordes of cruisers.

[cruiseyguy]

Russia is still run by a very corrupt & authoritarian-minded bureaucracy. We don't have all the facts concerning the arrangements, "deals" and whatnot a cruise line must agree to in order to dock and allow passengers ashore. This is the price they must "pay" in order to offer cruises to Russia. Most of the ships tours are operated by the large state-controlled travel agency (was called Intourist under the Soviets, not sure about the current name) which certainly does not like competition from independent guides. If the cruise line "lied" it was, at worst a "white lie" meant to account for the hoops they must jump through to even have tours for their passengers. It certainly wasn't their intent to "punish" passengers for taking their own tours.