federalexpress

15 hours ago, Cruiseworks said:

We are also boarding the Pursuit on that day. We boarded the onward in Miami December 1 and check in was on the pier and very efficient. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions on hotels in Buenos Aires?

Looks like your spoilt for choice with other posters' ideas, but I'm staying in the Palladio Hotel M Gallery. It seemed to have good expansive rooms and is recently built. That might be important because maintenance/redecoration is an issue because of the weakness of the peso. So far the concierge there, who is a Clef d'Or, has been extremely useful and helpful so I'm hoping for good service.

Incidentally, be aware of the new and very welcome developments on the exchange rate now applying to Visa and Mastercard. It pretty much halves the cost of my room from £290 per night to around £150.

On 1/7/2023 at 4:53 PM, Vineyard View said:

Thank you for the information on the cellar and Connoisseur Package. I have not seen any of these lists, nor examples with prices. I would be interested in knowing more about these offerings. 
 

We usually do bring some of our own wine on board, regardless of whom we sail on. We have not experienced Oceania, but on Viking their package ( which is going up from $19.99/pp/day to $23.99) has had a wide range of acceptable wines, that combines with spirits of good quality,  has made it attractive.  They also charge no corkage fee. 

I've not sailed on Viking but I did research them as an option for my forthcoming cruise, including wine choice. If I recall, the Silver Spirits included any wine with an additional $6 per glass charge (correct me if I'm mistaken). I quite like the idea of a large range of wines by the glass priced at a level that level that reflects inclusion of a basic wine in your cruise price for those who just want to buy by the glass. I don't believe AZ do this, you have to get the package or just buy by the bottle or get a bottle package. Here's the link to drinks packages:

https://www.azamara.co.uk/booked-guests/onboard-packages/beverage-packages

One of the challenges of the Ultimate package is it seems you never know what you are going to get. There is an example selection on the AZ website but I think it's miles out of date. For example, I'd be surprised if they served Matanzas Creek Merlot as listed, which is quite a decent wine and arguably better than anything on Viking's $6 list. On the other hand they do include champagne, which I think Viking don't. Their rose is far better than anything on Viking- Whispering Angel-assuming they serve it. Overall, the quality is probably roughly similar for the two packages however the AZ choice is quite a lot narrower than Viking.

There is a wine list also on the website for bottle prices and details of the packages by the bottle (I think there is one covering bottles between $50 and $75). The above link shows details and the ability to download the list. But again, that list looks totally out of date to me, the file name suggests around 2014! Which means it's not much use showing you the quality of bottle you might expect. Your best bet is probably to post on the 'Anyone onboard' thread and ask if someone would post the most recent list, if you need up to date details.

I think what Jazzbeau says is probably right. All cruise lines are in recovery mode post Covid, many with extreme levels of debt. Not a good recipe given monetary tightening. So they need to focus on margin which means revenue improvement, including onboard, and cost control. On largely inclusive ships like AZ, it has to be towards the latter, or raise your base cruise price.

Some of this can I think be accommodated without too much harm on the core offering. For example some lines are cutting the stateroom servicing from twice a day to once a day. Frankly that is something I'd barely notice.

For AZ, cutting from 12 wines to 8 implies the possibility of increasing order size by up to 50%, presumably with the expectation of bulk discounts. I don't believe they would have problems with supply, they are after all buying mass produced bulk wines. It might save a little, especially on labelling and bottle runs given the relatively small order quantities but I'd be surprised if it was more than 5-10%. Can't see it being possible to increase quality and margin at the same time.

The same will apply on the Ultimate package. Unless they put the price of that up(which I suspect they will do in the next 6 months or so), they have to cut the quality of the offering, which seems to be what they are doing at present. In the end, the Ultimate package might be the real base if you want to have even remotely palatable wines. Maybe that is what they actually want people to do.

Note to uktog, I would hope and assume they have bottle closures, if only a cheap vacuvin. That will keep even basic wines fresh enough overnight, especially chilled whites and rose. Sparkling wine- that's trickier. I'll bet that's where most of their wastage cost is...

2 hours ago, Benthayer Gonbak said:

yes I understand that it’s difficult to tell what the rules are for other places, hence my mention that I’d only seen the US caveat as I was VPNed to the US most of the time.  For some reason  I haven’t figured out completely I often end up on the Australia website in my url.  I’m in neither place atm, and it’s been over 3 years since I was last actively coordinating a tour with an Aussie.  
 

Having just been through a lot of disinformation from Azamara, complete with some letters that seemed to add more confusion when they appologized for a recent confusing email, I’m not sure what is accurate on Azamara’s site and which is an oversight that missed an update.  As we all know, the devil is often in the details! 

This is a fair point. I got my ticket for my cruise in January out of Buenos Aires and the ticket says I need a Covid test before embarking, yet the website and others on the roll call say you don't. For now, I go with the latter. The attention to detail pre cruising is pretty poor to not alter ticket info for something as important as that. Hope it's a bit more together on the actual ship.

Too many cruises are leaving Buenos Aires in the coming months to raise this on a roll call but it appears the Argentine government has decided that as of now, all currency transactions using foreign Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards will enjoy the much more advantageous 'blue rate' for the peso rather than the previous official government rate. Since the latter is roughly half the blue rate, many were using Western Union to get dollars to convert to pesos at the blue rate. Now it seems this is no longer necessary.

For those who have booked hotels quoted in dollars or other western currencies, it is worth checking the position. All (or the vast majority) should also have a peso rate and that could well mean your hotel (and other costs in restaurants etc) may be around half of what you would otherwise have paid, if paying by card. I have queried this with the hotel I reserved via booking.com. The booking site says you pay in the local currency (pesos) but presumably their dollar/sterling price guide was based on the old official rate, not the new much more generous blue rate.

It raises an interesting question as to what would be the case with excursions which are usually quoted in dollars. In theory they should now be a lot cheaper. The exception might be where you pay in dollars cash for a local guide in which case their price may already be reflecting the blue rate.

I believe this applies across the whole country so to any other Argentine posts to visit, where you pay by card. Your holiday may just be a little cheaper....

2 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

And the cost to fly anything above coach is just out of sight! 😳

Same when trying to use miles! 

Yes that is becoming a barrier. When I looked at my S America cruise, Viking's upgrade costs from economy were monumental running into well over £3000 each for not ideal flights.

In the end I went with a cruise only with AZ and managed to get a couple of business class returns to Buenos Aires for £2500 each. Struck me as a lot at the time but maybe that will be as good as it ever gets for a 14 hour plus flight.

16 minutes ago, govanguy said:

I`m currently dipping my toes in the water .

There's a cruise I may be interested in. Currently the offer is $300 O.B.C.

However, when I click through for final pricing, the O.B.C. shows as $500

Any clues? 

None to your specific issue other than to say I have found the website to be less than reliable and up to date.

One suggestion I would make is to try a travel agent. I am used myself to booking direct, generally assuming this is how to get the best deal, but when I tried this with Azamara, they pushed me in the direction of a travel agent, even gave me a suggested contact. I can't do that here, against forum rules so you'll have to google a cruise specialist, ideally one that focusses on the higher end lines like Azamara. Not only did I get a slightly better price from the travel agent than I was being quoted direct, I also got a nice wedge of On board credit.

Worth a try, if only to compare.

3 minutes ago, uktog said:

However if you are viewing quotes from the UK, Vikings fare includes gratuities and air fare whereas Azamara only includes gratuity.  You have to go to a further menu to see air fares.  You can do your own air in the UK, but Viking only reduces the total cost by a very small amount so its not really worth it.  

Yep, the latter was the deal breaker for me. Their upgrade costs for business class were crazy and while I could find a competitive business class fare, the cost reduction for cruise only was minimal and still made it way too expensive overall. I'd really only now consider Viking for short haul European cruises where I'm not bothered about business class.

9 hours ago, dcl999 said:

We’re first time AZ in 2024 for the Japan extensive. We’ve done quite a few Viking cruises but are tired of their itineraries. I’ve read this whole thread trying to figure out the differences. I need to get on CC from a computer instead of my phone so I can open Grandma Cruising’s spreadsheet.

A couple of questions I have missed the answers to - are shuttles to town centers provided in ports that aren’t walking distance? What’s the best way to keep in touch, keep track of minutes and keep up with online plans and bookings without unlimited WiFi? 
A lot of the comments I read are from people going from big ships and dealing with status, not as much across similar sized ships. Viking doesn’t give anything but a $200 booking credit and a cocktail party for past guests.

Dress code seems similar-we don’t book trips that require dressing up. We really enjoy their sauna and ice room on Viking so we’re disappointed that it’s an extra charge on AZ, even for the club continental suites. 

• Complimentary access to the Thalassotherapy pool and spa deck (Club World Owner's, Club Ocean, and Club Spa Suites categories only)
•  

While I haven't been on my first cruise with AZ, that's next month, I can maybe add a little insight because my options were between Viking(which I've also never sailed on) and AZ. My impression was that Viking is probably a bit more upscale than AZ, especially given the ships are so new but that is reflected by what I found were rather higher prices for Viking.

My approach was to equalise that by a) booking a Club Continent Suite (which it appears you have done?), thus giving a cabin size that compares well to Viking's balcony cabins, and secondly I got a fair amount of On Board credit, $1000 to be precise. Apparently this is quite common to be offered with AZ- did you get it?

If so, you might consider using it towards an Indulgence package. This costs $1500, so for me is an extra $500- that is for two people. This essentially brings the cruise broadly up to the standard of a Viking cruise in various ways. It gives you an upgraded drinks package that equates in quality to what you get included on Viking(the included drinks on AZ are not, it seems, all that great). You get unlimited wifi for both of you. You get $700 shore excursion credit. AZ excursions are pricey so I'm mostly doing my own thing but I liked what they offered in 2 ports and this covers those. You get a $250 spa credit which is more than enough to cover 2 spa passes to get access to the thalo pool for your trip. You also get 5 bags of free laundry plus a chef's table for two, which is apparently a nice experience. I should add this deal works out best if you are on a long cruise- mine is 17 days- because the price is fixed and so the per day value becomes exceptional. All this largely addresses the aspects that maybe Viking do better than AZ.

On the wifi, I think this has historically been lousy, as is true with most ships. But I've very recently read posts indicating AZ have signed up to a new satellite system called Starlink and people have been reporting radically higher speeds, one person said over 200mbs which would be a very good land link, let alone on a ship. I'd be thrilled with a tenth of that speed. If you are not going till 2024, that should be on all ships by then. Hope this helps and enjoy your cruise.

5 hours ago, luv2travel90266 said:

Try LaCava Wine Store which is close to the harbor. Pick up a bottle of Malbec too. Rodríguez Peña 1515, C1021 CABA, Argentina  

Useful suggestion, I'm staying nearby before my cruise. Do you have any specific recommendations and do you happen to know if they sell dessert wines?

9 minutes ago, deberoons said:

Thank you.  When I want to ask for info  i.e. ideas for places to stay near cruise port-in Buenos Aires.  I don't know if that is a new post.  How would I find if that question has been asked.  Is that a fair question please.?  Thank you

I'm sailing from BA next year and I think one best place to find answers to that would be in the roll call for your cruise (or other cruises starting from BA)

Do you know where to find the roll calls for each itinerary?

4 hours ago, dabear said:

Wow, I am surprised that some of these posters are suggesting that I try another line with a casino if it's a deal breaker. Where did I ever say that !. We happen to like small ships with good itineraries & have taken a number of cruises with A, Oceania, Regent, etc. All I said was that we would prefer a casino as opposed to the replacement  den. On our last A cruise to SE Asia in November, 2019 the den was quiet & almost empty. In other words boring. There are other places on the ship for piano bar music or just a quiet space. Again, imho we prefer a casino,  Okay!.

Since I think I'm the poster you're referring to, I should reply. I apologise if you are offended, that wasn't my intention. The forum is one to exchange opinions and of course they can differ. I actively dislike casinos for reasons I won't bore you with here but of course many must like them since as I said, they are on most cruise lines, and I presume that is for a good reason. I wasn't suggesting you try another cruise line in quite the way you position it. Only if you wanted to because this was very important to you, which it might have been. Clearly you don't which is fine and maybe we come across each other in future. In which case, I can offer you a game of bridge instead of the machines and roulette wheels? 

52 minutes ago, dabear said:

We agree to disagree. How come evening entertainment shows and later dancing have good crowds. On the other very tight slot machines, one to one odds in craps & 6 to5 for black jack will make any player  not be too interested in playing in the casino. We've been on A ships before & after the casinos have been removed and the replacement bar wasn't very busy & somewhat boring.

Everyone to their own. I would avoid a ship with a casino. That might partly be because as a Brit, we just don't have that culture. Luckily for you, there is a pretty big selection of cruise ships that do, the vast majority of them, if that is a deal breaker for you.

1 hour ago, Riocca said:

No we’ve not been on Pursuit lately but I was going on Facebook reports from someone on the cruise before the Trans Atlantic crossing when it was being installed. Here’s a picture of the speed test after installation.

 

 

Upload speed apparently did improve later in the cruise, unfortunately I’ve not seen anything from those currently on Pursuit in South America it would be interesting to see how it’s performing there.

 

 

Wow. That's impressive. That download is faster than my fibre optic (which is real, to the door fibre optic)

A tenth of that in S America (where I'll be on Pursuit next month) would be just fine...

12 minutes ago, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

In general many people never say a word about positive experiences ... the norm are the complainers. Go look up the complainers last 20 post from their profile  ... many times you will notice that the majority of their comments are negative. 

 

In all fairness it often depends on how you look at things ... do you look at the glass as being half empty or half full 😉

Not sure about that. I think it depends on the site. For example, I find Tripadvisor generally has mostly positive posts (assuming the place in question is any good). Some other sites, like Trustpilot, tend towards the negative. But that site is often about humdrum products and services, whereas holidays, days out etc are nice things that people are more inclined to be positive about. And even the negative reviews can be positive for me. Sometimes it's from people who have clearly made the wrong choice and that can positively affirm it is a good choice for me.

I think this forum is fairly balanced overall.

21 hours ago, Riocca said:

Already installed and running on Pursuit and from the previous post due on Journey on the 15th January. It would be nice to know when it’s planned for the other ships.

Did you use it? If so what did you think? I looked up a review from a test on another cruise line and it suggested it was markedly quicker than existing systems, even that you could quite easily stream.

40 minutes ago, KY Deb said:

I have to say, we have our first AZ cruise booked for October and I’m not getting the warm fuzzies reading this forum.   Old ships, CD unapproachable, poor wine, cold food, no music.   I’m being to wonder if we made a mistake by deciding to try AZ.   So far the only positive I’m reading is the port intensive itinerary with the small ship.   It’s not too late to cancel and book elsewhere.  Please tell me why I shouldn’t.   

I can't really answer you because my first cruise with them is only next month, but I can say I am not hugely put off. It's the nature of forums to be critical and you see the same on other cruise line threads. There are also plenty of people saying positive things on here too, especially about the crew and ambiance. The reviews are also generally positive on Cruise Critic, except maybe some early ones for the new ship which seemed to be having teething troubles. I am one of the people who has criticised the wine and especially what they offer in the higher grade packages, but it won't spoil my cruise, there is drinkable stuff, just not as good as it should be or could be.

Maybe your only concern would be how it might compare to other cruise lines you have been on. If you are coming down from a Silversea, Regent or Seabourn and are expecting more of the same, you may be disappointed (and certainly so if you expect formal dressing). Or if you are coming from the bigger resort ships, it is going to be quieter, even 'boring' in comparison and of course as you say, the ships are old (although seemingly well maintained) so maybe you don't get the wow factor of some of the brand new ships like the new Oceania ones or Viking.

I think it depends on where 'elsewhere' is for you and why...

8 hours ago, luv2travel90266 said:

There have been various comments on this board about the corkage policy. Just took this screenshot from azamara.com. Again this inconsistency doesn’t speak well for the BRAND. 

I think the truth is, the website is not remotely up to date.For example, I think I share with you a keen interest in wine so in researching who to take this cruise with I checked out the wine list provided on the website. Since booking, I checked it again and the file name suggests it is from 2014!!

I am reliant on others onboard reporting that corkage is now $15. I'm not 100% sure, but my money is on the forum's posters being correct.You are right, online information should be a lot more accurate.

13 hours ago, Port Power said:

As the available wine is well below par for many of us, perhaps we should insist that corkage not be charged.  We are bringing our own wine as included wines are not drinkable, hence saving the company money as well.

I heard on this forum a month or two ago that AZ were recruiting an onshore head sommelier to sort out the wine offering. Can't come soon enough- probably not in time for my cruise in Jan 23. At least it suggests, if true, that they know they have a problem- and perhaps an opportunity- and need to fix it.

On corkage, I agree it would be reasonable to drop it entirely given there are included drinks which they not only pay for themselves, but also have to serve, dispose of, wash up glasses etc. For sure it should be free if you pay for Ultimate, but I think even there, they charge what might now be $15 (used to be $10). That looks like gouging. I intend to buy some wine to have available in my room, not least because I gather you'd have to fetch your drinks otherwise. At least that is not subject to corkage.

1 hour ago, mchell810 said:

 

Azamara does advertise things as included which they are not providing, not just tote bags.  They sell ultimate drink packages showing included items and then afterwards passengers find out many of the items are not actually onboard.  I agree with you, Azamara is not providing the experience I expect based on what they have advertised as included; thus, I have 65 days of cruising booked for 2023 -- every single day is on Silversea.

I'm off on my first AZ cruise next month and intend to buy an Ultimate drinks package. I can live without a beach bag but if I shell out big money for better drinks, then I expect them onboard. If they run out of what they list, I can accept that and be flexible but  I expect a replacement of equal or better quality. Certainly not something inferior or just the included drinks. There is a contractual aspect to this.

5 hours ago, mugggs said:

😉 all these comments are making me very apprehensive about about my upcoming voyage to Antarctica in early January. Will there be any beverages to enjoy. 😎

I'm on the cruise after you. Don't drink all the best vino!

I'd also be interested to hear from others about your other question, on testing....

5 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

The Constellation was due a total refit in March 2020 which was obviously cancelled  due to Covid. In November 2021 all public areas were refurbished and all carpets and soft furnishings were replaced. When we were onboard in April 2022 the ship looked great. The cabins were not refurbished however. We were in Aqua class the first cruise and a suite for  the second which were in good condition. Maybe the complaints were about the regular cabins which I can’t comment on.  

The first review there currently says

"I personally have no interest in the glitzy Edge class.But I suspect that Celebrity may have other plans for the millenniums. The Connie was very tired and in absolute need of a retro fit. Ship shape did not apply as varnish was sadly lacking, as was paint and black mold on most windows in the pool area (really?)"

and another that followed

"The ship is in disrepair. Paint is peeling and it needs some care."

These observations are absolute not comparative. They may have thought Quest was even worse had they sailed on her instead. And of course, people do see things differently through their own eyes especially if, as these reviewers were, they are also experiencing other problems with service, food etc. Without those, maybe they would not have noticed what might have been minor decor issues to others.

As an inexperienced cruiser, I flew out on the day of departure from Copenhagen for my only previous cruise. Think we landed about midday with a departure of 5pm. Never occurred to me that was a problem and we did indeed make the ship.

I think you do indeed know the answer. You will almost certainly make it OK assuming it is a non stop but March from Scotland might make weather delays more a possibility. I went in June from London. At the least, it might be wise to consider a back up plan, for example if there are flights available to the next port of call.

9 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

I sailed on the Celebrity Beyond  on a B2B in June, which is the sister ship of the The Edge,  and agree with some of the comments in the two reviews you posted. Whilst they are stunning ships with the wow factor our preference are the Celebrity Millennium class ships. We sailed on the Constellation in April and whilst an old ship we found it very well maintained,  unlike the Quest, plenty going on round the ship and a great atmosphere.  These ships are the smallest in Celebritys fleet. We will  try other lines but unlikely we’ll sail Azamara again. Just not for us and certainly not worth the price they charge. 

Interesting. I should say I have minimal cruise experience, I've only sailed with Holland America if you discount a work trip on Costa (which was awful). I'm not and probably never will be a cruise enthusiast, I go on them only because they are going to multiple places I'd like to visit, that would otherwise be impossible on one trip. I've had to rely on research not experience, my trip with AZ isn't until January. 

To be fair, I enjoyed being on HAL a bit more than I thought, but that was from a low expectation. The only thing that really impaired the experience was the constant nickel and diming and the casino, which was positioned to encourage traffic through it. I find casinos tacky, to say the least. My impression is it might be a bit more like the Millennium class ships in size and appeal? (although I imagine Celebrity would be somewhat more upmarket)  I did have Celebrity as one of my options, because they do some S America itineraries that are similar to AZ. I guess I just preferred a smaller ship for a change. I'm on Pursuit which was re-fitted more recently than Quest so hopefully is in somewhat better shape. To be honest, it would take a very bad ship to spoil what looks like a fascinating trip to some unusual out of the way places. Certainly a quiet ship won't do that. And the seemingly more informal ambiance also was a big appeal. I'm not big on dressing up, jackets and ties- did that my whole working life.

Out of curiosity, I checked out the Cruise Critic reviews on Constellation. The first three were complaining about the tired decor/condition of the ship! So either beauty is in the eye of the beholder or more recently, the ship has begun to show wear and tear. I guess there will be a point before a planned re-fit when that happens to any ship. Maybe that is where both Constellation and Quest are. Others more knowledgeable than me might know if a re-fit is on the cards for Quest.

Anyway I wish you many more happy holidays.

This has been an interesting exchange. To be fair to Edinburgh Girl, I think she is clear that she was on the wrong ship for her tastes, even if some of the offering was to her satisfaction. She wants atmosphere and a vibe around the ship and clearly has her own interpretation of what that means. It's a bit disappointing to pick the wrong cruise brand as seems to have happened here but I guess it does happen.As I said before, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Here's a couple of recent reviews on Celebrity Edge (where most of the reviews are otherwise very positive:

"If you wanted to lie outside in the sun/shade there were no quiet spots as everywhere was in earshot of the main pool. It was so rowdy. Blaring music or entertainment staff screaming into microphones most of the day."   

and

"Most irritating for us, however, was the noise level in the specialty restaurants. While the food and service in both Eden and the Fine Cut Steakhouse were excellent, the experience is almost ruined by the noise of the live entertainment bleeding into the restaurants. It was difficult to have a conversation."

I have a hunch that if Edinburgh Girl swapped places with the two cruisers above, all might be happier. Different folks for different strokes and it's good we have choice.

I've not been on AZ yet, but if anything it sounds too noisy, what with Grandma Cruising's post about 90 plus decibels. I just hope they keep the pool largely clear of pop music and have at least some quieter bars and spaces. If I'm in the mood for pop music and dancing, I can always go and find it in the places other posters have referenced. But I know I'd be unhappy on Celebrity Edge. What some see as a vibe, others will see as an intrusion.