Back from May 24th Quest Med. Any questions??

[kimanjo]

Just got back from 14 night May 24th Quest Med.. I'm in the stages of organizing photos, and writing a review but thought I might try to answer any questions. It was myself (45) and DD (18)....

[CJcruzer]

We are on the Sept. 27 sailing - and waiting patiently for you all to return!!! Would love to read trip reports....

Did anyone go to Cinque Terre - either independently or with the ship's excursion....Also what reviews on the port of Sete and surrounding area - Montpellier, Carcassone, Nimes, etc... either independently toured or by ship excursion again - being docked on a Sunday - how did that impact on finding transportation, etc....

And of course, any tidbit you want to share would be appreciated!

[katiebeth]

Dear kimanjo,

Welcome home! I am hoping that you had a terrific time. I am particularly interested in hearing about your experience on the Quest since you and your daughter are younger than the "average" age of Azamara cruisers.

We are on the June 21st Quest sailing. We are a family of six and range in age from 12 to 78. My husband is 47, I am 46 and our children are 12 and 14. My parents, who will be traveling with us are 76 and 78. We have sailed Europe before on Celebrity "M" class ships and are eager to try a smaller more "upscale" line. Our children are wonderful travelers and love exploring the ports with us and coming back to the ship for a nice dinner with us and their grandparents. They do not need to be entertained and are perfectly fine without a youth program.

How did you enjoy the Azamara experience? Have you cruised on the larger ships, and if so, how does Azamara compare? Also, being younger, did you feel welcome and comfortable with your fellow passengers? Finally, how was the motion of the ship? I have done a tremendous amount of research and feel very comfortable with our choice of Azamara. The only area that I am a little apprehensive about is the size of the ship, in terms of movement and vibration.

Oh, one more question, did you take any ship-sponsored tours? If so, did you enjoy them? I will say that the excursions that are being offered are a little disappointing IMHO compared to the Celebrity excursions. Azamara's seem to be very limited and not all that "inspired". (based on the descriptions).

Anyway, we are looking forward to a terrific cruise. Welcome home and, again, I hope you and your daughter had a most memorable time!

Happy Sailings,
Nancy

[kimanjo]

We have previously only cruised Celebrity, Mercury and Galaxy specifically,which we thought were big at the time!

I (we) really enjoyed the smaller ship experience. We are not loud people, or people who have to be entertained by others to be having fun. DD and I would go to the library and get the Scrabble board and play a game or two. We went to trivia, and she was in a game of "what's my line" She is a reader, so any "downtime" she was either reading or napping (she did a lot of that, while eating and seeing the sights....

We only did one ship shore excursion. Tunis. The rest we did on our own. We like European public transportation, especially trains, so if we wanted to venture, we figured it out (even the self service ticket machines).

About the ages of the passengers... They were I would say half and half. Half would do the ships tours, and half did their own thing, and if I HAD to guess the average age, it would be 60. We really like the "older" passengers. The are fun, well travelled, and those who did touring on their own like us were embarrassingly fit!!!

As for the motion. I am a car sick kid of gal. Cant ride the teacups at Disney, have to take Bonine in order to ride the other rides. Cant read in the car. I would have to take Bonine on my brother in laws sail boat. We felt very little motion. We were in cabin 4038 (the cheap seats!). BTW we were right below the casino, heard nothing. Perfect middle of the ship, low down, so I assume that had something to do with the ammount of motion we felt. I would be interested in what someone Forward deck, up high felt. Everyday the info on the screen said "small wavelets". So it was pretty calm. I brought Bonine and Dramamine, and only used 1/2 a bonine for the plane take-off (that makes me queasy). Didnt take another the whole time on ship!

Touring...A typical day would be, Portofino for example... Got of the ship (tendered) and walked around Portofino. Found the bus for the next town over Santa Margarhita (sp?) and took that 10 minute cliff hanger ride. Walked around there where DD managed to buy a pair of handmade brown suede cute little ballet flats. Little more touring, back on the bus back to Portofino, and climbed up to the "Castle" (quite a hike up stairs and paths) where we passed other pax from our ship. Took pix of the beautiful scenery. Hiked down. Back to the ship. I think it was past reg lunch times, so we had quick bites at the pool bar. I think DD went on deck ten for sunbathing (which I think she really napped. I took a quick nap too. We were up and about for sail-away, found some acitvity till we felt like eating dinner. That is one of the BEST parts. NO assigned time. Some days we felt like eating at 6:30, others 9:00.
How active are the oldest in your party? Would you ever send them off on a ships less active tour, while you and the kids did the more active ones? That might be something to consider...

There was a girl on our cruise, I did'nt ask her how old she was, but I talked to her and her mom while doing laundry one evening. I think about 12-13. She's been on a lot of cruises. She liked this one just fine. She seemed very well adjusted and well travelled. Shel liked the quietness to, and she had been on one of the giant Royal Carribean with the rock climbing and junk, and like that one too.

My opinion is if you do lots of touring and walking you, are very tired at the end of the day, and there were nights we were in bed at 9:15 (that's embarrassing for me, but DD was in bed at that time too!!!!) We were beat!

I had heard some "grumblings" about some of the ships excursions, but I dont know if that is the always to be found complainer, or wait for other trip reports of others that took the ships tours to find out what the grumblings were about.

The two Specialty resturants were fantastic. We ate at the regular Discoveries a couple of nights, but we LOVE outdoor dining, so quite honestly, we at mostly at the buffet. The weather was in the low 70's how could we not eat outside!

I would highly recomend Azamara, BUT only to those who really know themeslves. There are shows, actually the last night we went to one it was a 40's swing music show. DD really liked it. Also, if they have Battle of the Sexes trivia, do that (even the kids), it was really fun. I liked how easy it is to get around on the the small ship too. I think the size of the ship, the kind of travellers we are, the food and the staff, and the itinerary, make it great. We can't afford the Crystal and Seaborns, so I suppose this is as attentive and luxurious as I would get. Plus, I think the passengers, while I'm sure could well afford the Seaborns, did not seem stuffy AT ALL.


The smoking policy is GREAT.

There is a shuffleboard on deck 10 that DD and I used daily. We are very competitive, and ping pong table that we also used in the evenings for some heated battles.

I am almost done putting my photos on a pic hosting site, when I do that, I post that.

ANY more questions, ask away.

[kimanjo]

We are on the Sept. 27 sailing - and waiting patiently for you all to return!!! Would love to read trip reports....

Did anyone go to Cinque Terre - either independently or with the ship's excursion....Also what reviews on the port of Sete and surrounding area - Montpellier, Carcassone, Nimes, etc... either independently toured or by ship excursion again - being docked on a Sunday - how did that impact on finding transportation, etc....

And of course, any tidbit you want to share would be appreciated!

We did not go to Cinque Terre, but I hear other pax did... I went onshore to Sete (sunday) not much going on there, it was our only rainy day... DD stayed on ship and slept. Cute town, but I suspect its really for the surrounding areas.

[Ottawa_Guy]

Greetings kimanjo

Funny my wife and I are in Cabin 4038 on the Quest for there Best of Italy cruise May 16 2009 .
How did you find the cabin space and the cabin service ?
Food = 1 to 10
Love the idea of the size of this ship .

Cheers

[goody1]

Can you give a rough idea on price of alcohol on board eg. cocktails/draft beer etc. We are sailing on the Quest on 2nd Aug and have read lots of posts on dining/excursions/ cabins etc but virtually nothing on bar prices. Thanks in advance.

[katiebeth]

Dear Kimanjo,

Thank you so much for taking time to respond to my questions. I really appreicate. It sounds like you and your daughter had a terrific time.

We love dining outside, so we may try the casual buffet for dinner, too! Our son really enjoys pasta, and is looking forward to the pasta bar. He was glad to see that they offer this on Azamara, too!

We do have a reservation for Prime C the first night onboard. As Captain Club members we are able to make one Speciality dining reservation prior to sailing. Another poster on these boards said that Discoveries can be a little hectic the first night, so we decided to try the Speciality dining. We love the idea of open seating in Discoveries and the country club casual attire. This will making packing much easier. While we enjoyed the formal nights on our other cruises. we are really looking forward to the more casual attire on the Quest.

Glad to know there is shuffleboard ...our children love to play it!

Don't be embarassed about the early bed time!! I am not a night owl to begin with, so after a long day of touring, I can't imagine staying up late, especially knowing we need to get an early start the next morning.

Thanks again for all the great information.

Nancy

[goody1]

Dear Kimanjo,

Thank you so much for taking time to respond to my questions. I really appreicate. It sounds like you and your daughter had a terrific time.

We love dining outside, so we may try the casual buffet for dinner, too! Our son really enjoys pasta, and is looking forward to the pasta bar. He was glad to see that they offer this on Azamara, too!

We do have a reservation for Prime C the first night onboard. As Captain Club members we are able to make one Speciality dining reservation prior to sailing. Another poster on these boards said that Discoveries can be a little hectic the first night, so we decided to try the Speciality dining. We love the idea of open seating in Discoveries and the country club casual attire. This will making packing much easier. While we enjoyed the formal nights on our other cruises. we are really looking forward to the more casual attire on the Quest.

Glad to know there is shuffleboard ...our children love to play it!

Don't be embarassed about the early bed time!! I am not a night owl to begin with, so after a long day of touring, I can't imagine staying up late, especially knowing we need to get an early start the next morning.

Thanks again for all the great information.

Nancy

Hi Nancy,

My wife and I are also Captains Club members and I was wondering, what's the earliest you can phone and reserve Speciality Restaurant for night of sailing and coming from Scotland I take it I have to phone a U.S no.
Thanks,
John.

[katiebeth]

Dear Goody1,

You may make reservations beginning 60 days out from your sailing. I checked the Captains Club website and for passengers from the UK you can e-mail your request to infouk@rccl.com.

You may also call 0800 018 2525.

Hope this helps, and have a wonderful cruise!!

Nancy

[susiesan]

Greetings kimanjo

Funny my wife and I are in Cabin 4038 on the Quest for there Best of Italy cruise May 16 2009 .
How did you find the cabin space and the cabin service ?
Food = 1 to 10
Love the idea of the size of this ship .

Cheers

We are in cabin 4038 on Journey next year, back to back April 25 and May 2. Must be the inside they sell first, the cheapest cabin on the ship!

[goody1]

Dear Goody1,

You may make reservations beginning 60 days out from your sailing. I checked the Captains Club website and for passengers from the UK you can e-mail your request to infouk@rccl.com.

You may also call 0800 018 2525.

Hope this helps, and have a wonderful cruise!!

Nancy

Thanks very much for that. 53 days to go (who's counting) so I'll give them a call today.

[kekoa3uk]

Hi kimanjo,

Since you are from FL too, how was the temperature in the dining areas of the ship? Was it kept very cold? Some of the cruise ships think it needs to be freezing for comfort, so just wanted to know if a pashima or jacket is needed for sleeveless clothes.

We spent a few days in Santa Margherita last year and loved its proximity to other towns. In fact, a friend and I took the ferry to Portofino and walked around the town to see how the posh people lived and found out too late how much a glass of wine and bottled water cost us.

Welcome back to hurricane season!!

[kimanjo]

Greetings kimanjo

Funny my wife and I are in Cabin 4038 on the Quest for there Best of Italy cruise May 16 2009 .
How did you find the cabin space and the cabin service ?
Food = 1 to 10
Love the idea of the size of this ship .

Cheers

I think they quote the sq footage as 158 ish. It was fine. Sure I would love to have a larger, balcony cabin, but this was affordable. Everyone complains how small the bathrooms are. Both my DD and myself are 5'8" and she's a svelte 18 year old, and I'm a mom (wont tell you my size) and we thought it was fine. Cabin service GREAT. Food- The specialty resturants best I've had on land or ship (ok, I think one resturant might compare, its in London, years ago, called Mr. Chow's I think.. Discoveries, I liked it a lot, a little too exotic for DD, . OK, we like buffets, they serve their purpose. Everything was fresh. Lots of fruit.
I have'nt been on a regular Celebrity ship in a few years, but this definately surpasses what I remember.

It's hard to give numbers to the food. 10 for the Specialty, 9 for Discoveries, and the buffet, perfectly fine. Freshly made waffles and pancakes, sushi, mad to order stir fry and pasta, and the staff was great.

Hope this helps.

[kimanjo]

Hi kimanjo,

Since you are from FL too, how was the temperature in the dining areas of the ship? Was it kept very cold? Some of the cruise ships think it needs to be freezing for comfort, so just wanted to know if a pashima or jacket is needed for sleeveless clothes.

We spent a few days in Santa Margherita last year and loved its proximity to other towns. In fact, a friend and I took the ferry to Portofino and walked around the town to see how the posh people lived and found out too late how much a glass of wine and bottled water cost us.

Welcome back to hurricane season!!


I think DD and I wore tanks, with cardigans and skirts to dinner every night. And that was perfect. I don't ever remember saying I was cold, so it must not have been. I tend to wear/bring sweaters whenever I go out to eat, so it was a no brainer for me. For example, DD would wear a black "slinky knit" knee length dress with a royal blue cropped cardigan, and that was perfect.
I brought 2 different black slinky knit skirts, one brown and one brown linen all skirts. Colorful tanks, with white, aqua, coral and mint sweaters. 2 Pair of capris, and 2 shorts (kneel length bermuda type), and few tees. There is laundry, so you can pack lighter, and country club casual really is nice.

Hope this helps---

[Ottawa_Guy]

Much thanks for your help .
I was worried about the cabin being under the casino so glad to see you found it OK ( Maybe I can drill a hole above and help myself Ha Ha )

Some other ?
How much extra was the speciality Restaurants $$$$

You pay USA $ for anything on the ship right ?

Also tipping is it automatic on your bill and how much per day ?

Laundry room How much $ per load ?

[kimanjo]

Much thanks for your help .
I was worried about the cabin being under the casino so glad to see you found it OK ( Maybe I can drill a hole above and help myself Ha Ha )

Some other ?
How much extra was the speciality Restaurants $$$$

You pay USA $ for anything on the ship right ?

Also tipping is it automatic on your bill and how much per day ?

Laundry room How much $ per load ?

1. Specialty resturants, no charge, but a suggestion of a 5.00 pp gratutity.
2. Yes, US dollars.
3. We had pre-paid gratuities, so they were paid for.
4. Laundry 2.00 per load.

[Ottawa_Guy]

Great
Thanks for the info I look forward to seeing Italy once again and being on the Quest will be a highlight.

[luvpug]

My daughter (20) and I (48) were on the May 10 sailing of the quest. Because we came from the east coast (PA), the time difference really took a toll on both of us. Never made it to dinner the first night as we were both in bed by 6:00pm! The cruise itself was great. The "more experienced" travellers were a big help to us as well as a treasure trove of knowledge. We tried to hook up as many times as possible since we were both new to Europe. The fact that the average age of the pax was about 55+ was a blessing to us. A younger crowd would not have allowed us the type of interaction we had. Both my daughter and I would love to go on the Quest again ---as soon as the dollar is stronger!

[Cyric]

I'm new to this site. How do I find posts on excursions for Quest?
Thanks for your reply.