federalexpress

1 hour ago, Mackdogmolly said:

That Woodbridge Cabernet goes for less than $7 a bottle in the supermarket 

Yep, depressing really. Flyer Talker's post isn't exactly uplifting either. I hope they get their act together for my cruise early next year.

15 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

They look too expensive to me too, but not out of line with spa treatments on other cruise lines.

I guess you pay a big premium for being at sea. Still, I'll have a $250 credit from my Indulgence package so I guess my better half can get herself an hour massage....

27 minutes ago, boxman52 said:

We went on our first Azamara cruise this summer and have two more booked so we are obviously fans

However I think you make good points. We noticed the lack of atmosphere around the pool, and the entertainment was sometimes really poor. It seemed to display a lack of imagination and quality 

We will go on Azamara when the deal is good and use it as a floating hotel for interesting port intensive routes

The issue the line has is it must have been losing money as part of RCI. That's clear from the details of the transaction. They are not going to turn it around by offering the same offer to the same people 

The market for people who want to go on holiday in silence around a pool is limited but of course it's there.

It's going to be a fine balance for Azamara to retain loyal customers while expanding the numbers & increasing revenue on board. They have competitors who are investing, so do they want to be Holland & America or Fred Olsen. Currently their price point is often taking all into account below those two lines.

I look at the deals I've had and to be frank once a factor in all I get for the price & the OBC it's not the price of a luxury line

I could live with the music if they banned speaker phones and chair hogs at the pool!

You raise an interesting question, who does Azamara compete with. I wouldn't have HAL or Fred Olsen as the most obvious and when I was looking for my current cruise, those two were not on my list. Celebrity were, in terms of pricing/positioning but not when I relaised the extent to which they have gravitated towards 'party on a boat'.

In my case, it was a choice between Viking, Oceania and Azamara. Of the 3, Viking was the priciest, but not by much of you took their normal veranda cabin which isn't much smaller than a Club Continent suite. I just didn't like how they structured their airfares. Oceania would be the more direct competitor, but I found their pricing structure a bit confusing and their itineraries not quite as interesting. Not sure I've made the right choice, it's my first time with AZ(and only my second ever cruise), but I'll know by February...

4 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

I agree choice is good and I am  enjoying my cruise. I meant some live music at the pool on occasion and piped music in the bars between entertainers.  The OP was giving his thoughts as a first time Azamara cruiser and these are mine. I expected Azamara to be up a level from Celebrity  and instead I feel it’s the opposite so therefore don’t feel it justifies the higher price tag and I wouldn’t book another. 

As others have said, it's horses for course and no rights or wrongs, just personal preferences.

I have very little cruise experience and none on Azamara, but I got alarmed reading about music being played at the pool and loudly in some of the bars. Not my bag at all and I'm glad they stopped that. I wouldn't go near Celebrity for example, I can see what they offer and it's not remotely for me. What you call boring is to me relaxing and peaceful, a chance to read a book, chat to fellow passengers or enjoy the scenery. It's probably partly an age thing, on your pic, you look rather younger than I am!.

How Boxman describes it is quite apt. I also regard this as a floating hotel to take me to interesting places, with good food and service along the way. Hopefully that is what I get. Not really looking for entertainment much, other than maybe a pianist or maybe a violinist in some of the bars. On my only other cruise, a much bigger ship on HAL, I popped in to see a couple of fairly big production shows but didn't sit through one. I wasn't there for that.

I think it is very much a positive that we have choice, moreover that the choice is clearly defined and not trying to appeal to everyone (that never works). To be fair to both Celebrity and Azamara, I think they both have very distinctive pitches. The question, as Boxman suggests, is whether there is a market in the niche. For sure I think Celebrity's is larger, cruise ship as a destination seems to be a big part of the market. I'd imagine there is business for Azamara, reasonably classy but informal and quiet/'boring with the emphasis on the destination. But it might not be too much bigger than 4 smallish ships...

16 hours ago, combine said:

 

Wow, quite aggressive prices! But then it may not look so bad in dollars to our American cousins, compared to our rather meagre exchange rate...

6 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

Fearful of commenting further on Pinot Noir Aza-Drama because I believe management on board are reading along.  Ordered Meiomi last night at dinner in Discoveries and I was bruskly informed by the the young sommelier that the previous night’s serving of Meiomi was “a mistake.”  Totally awkward and embarrassing in the presence of new friends at the start of dinner.  I did not make a fuss and settled for the Estancia which I was informed was the Ultimate Package Pinot Noir.  A little training in customer service would go a long way here.

I'd be happy if they are reading along, that way they can better understand feedback. Mine is that the wines on the Ultimate package are sub standard for what you are asked to pay extra for. The reds are especially disappointing given what they still put up on their website. If they can find a decent Italian wine to go on the included list from a producer as respected as Cotarella, they can surely do better than Mondavi Woodbridge or a sub $10 Italian Merlot for the Ultimate list.

6 hours ago, norn iron said:

Yes, its on the included list.

Well things seem to be looking up for the included wines. You won't go too far wrong drinking that one. What I find bizarre is that it is a better wine, and quite a bit more expensive, than the Merlot on the Ultimate list that was recently posted. They know not what they do....

1 hour ago, gsmt47471015 said:

We have just returned from our first cruise with Azamara on the Quest (world cup voyage) and here is a quick review of the experience.

Firstly, the ship was well turned out and all areas were tidy and well kept, our cabin was very nice, but the shower was one of the smallest we have had (not a complaint just an observation), for a day or so it took some getting used to the size of the ship having never sailed on anything less than 1800 pax, but the ability to move around without congestion was wonderful , although we tend to keep to ourselves everybody was very friendly ,allowing for the fact there were 27 different nationalities on board , service at all the bars was really good with very little wait time and staff calling back to check if another drink was required, food choices were plentiful and we never had one bad meal and again service was top drawer. We never got the chance to use the two specialty restaurants so unable to comment on them. We decided against the azamazing evening trip and from comments from those who went we made the correct decision; however, the white night was brilliant, the staff worked so hard to set it up and then keep it flowing and deserve all the credit for a fabulous night.

Only two negatives to mention and not sure if one of them is just "a one off" checking in/embarkation was so long winded, for such a small ship it took forever for check in to be completed even though we had done all the precheck in prior to flying out, there were plenty of staff, but nothing seemed to be happening, the other small downside was the timing of the evening show , 9pm was virtually impossible to get to without having to eat rather early , 9.30 would be a better time but again that is a personal view.

So, our first time with Azamara and we loved it!! ALL the staff were so, so friendly and helpful and gave us a wonderful impression of the company, will we be back? Yes, but it will have to wait as we have cruises booked right through to 2025 as well as land-based holidays with very little gaps to work with, the worry is that some of the future cruises will, without doubt struggle to match what we have experienced on the Quest        

Nice review, glad you enjoyed your trip.

2 hours ago, norn iron said:

These are three screenshots from Vivino of the Shiraz currently being served onboard Quest.

Well sourced and of good quality. I wont post the price in case it offends those who believe house wines should be expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is that one of the included wines? I'd be OK with that on the Ultimate list, it's better than some showing on the most recent menu for those. It's the entry level wine of Cotarella, a very respected Italian winemaker.

8 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Correct.  You could look it up [history of Napoleon; final exile]

Napoleon I am very familiar with, minor academic interest at school, but also did Napoleonic war gaming (don't laugh). I guess Elba just wasn't far enough..

As it happened, I did look up St Helena winery and there is one, small scale and very expensive reds not likely to be sighted any time soon on the Ultimate list.

5 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Rather than an expensive wine celebrating Nappy's victories, we're more likely to get Château St. Helena...

It sounds like you are being ironic but I must admit I've never heard of that winery.

4 hours ago, Pizzasteve said:

A friend used to be Education VP at C St M.  If lucky you folks may see their Joint venture reisling made with Dr Loosen called Eroica.  Their Washington State Reisling and Cabs can be very nice. If you happen to be in Wash State, Google Joel Butler and visit his wine shop.  Among Americas most distinguished MWs.

 

Maybe Azamara’s team will read this and consult with him. Would be happy to make an intro. Easy flight from So Cal for a VC team junket trip.

I'd be pleasantly surprised to see Eroica on the Ultimate list but I have a hunch that isn't going to happen anytime soon, looking at what they currently put on the list.

1 hour ago, Stem to Stern said:

When asking about Ultimate Package  inclusions in Discoveries last night on board Onward  I was presented with this menu….

(Hopefully photo loads.)

Any recommendations for the reds?

Mmmm. Tough to actually recommend anything on there. If you like Pinot, the Estancia is probably the best of a pretty 'meh' bunch.

That new group sommelier can't arrive soon enough.

1 hour ago, Stem to Stern said:

When asking about Ultimate Package  inclusions in Discoveries last night on board Onward  I was presented with this menu….

(Hopefully photo loads.)

Any recommendations for the reds?

Mmmm. Tough to actually recommend anything on there. If you like Pinot, the Estancia is probably the best of a pretty 'meh' bunch.

That new group sommelier can't arrive soon enough.

2 hours ago, MartiniBarhooked said:

Sorry in advance but would like to ask this question without doing a lengthy search on here.

Thinking about booking a cruise as our first Azamara cruise. 17 days Onward.  Which level of cabin should we book?

Regular Veranda?  Club Continent Suite or Spa Suite?

As others have said, it really is an individual choice depending on your budget, how you wish to deploy it and to some extent, how much time you spend in your cabin. For me, I like a larger cabin and definitely want a veranda. I chose a Club Continent suite for my first trip on Azamara, because I felt the veranda cabins were a bit smaller than usual, the bathroom especially.

However if you are OK with a small bathroom, one suggestion would be to book a veranda cabin, then see if you can bid for an upgrade. From that I've seen, those can be very cost effective going from veranda to Club Continent. In contrast they are very expensive to go from Club Continent to Spa suite or higher, presumably because there are very few high grade suites. And given Onward has many more Club Continent suites than the other ships, I reckon your chances of a cost effective upgrade from veranda are probably quite good. You might want to look at the thread on Cabin upgrades, there's a handy spreadsheet on it that summarises all the bids and which were successful. Gives a fair idea of the likely costs and thus what you'd be likely to pay on top of a veranda. I suspect it would save a fair bit of money compared to buying a CC suite from the outset but of course it isn't guaranteed.

5 hours ago, tgg said:

 

I should have been more clear.  I was suggesting that people not talk about their upgrade once they're on the ship. For people who want to bid on an upgrade, this thread gives them valuable information.

Ah I see what you mean.

5 minutes ago, tgg said:

 

It would be better for everyone if people who bid on and get an upgrade keep quiet about it. Nobody needs to know how brilliant your bid was. 😇

 

And let's not forget:  when your bid is accepted, you are assigned a stateroom. It may not be one that you would have chosen because of noise, vibration, or other annoyances. When you book a CC suite, you choose the stateroom you want. For many people, that's worth paying for.

 True but I guess this whole thread is about the thrill of the chase, people wanting to know what others have paid for what.

Fair point on the cabin choice and of course with AZ, that can be significant since the least popular CC's, thus the ones more likely to be available, seem to be the ones with a bath, no shower, and I much, much prefer the latter. Looking at it from CC upwards, I was not greatly attracted by my upgrade offers because the spa and Club Ocean suites are at the front of the ship and we are sailing in potentially rough waters but also the cost was eye wateringly high.

From a commercial perspective, the upgrade model is basic yield optimisation. Same that airlines use. The price is low if low demand, high if high demand and the pricing is dynamic. Some long haul airlines even do their own upgrade offers, from Economy to Business.

The one drawback is that it can result in bad feeling, where someone is paying a lot less than you are, if for example you booked yourself in business class to begin with. Or in this case, someone getting the same CC suite as you but paying much less by a lowish upgrade bid from a Verandah.

I can see therefore how some may not like it, but for better or worse, I think dynamic pricing and yield management are not going to go away. To the extent I need to console myself where someone gets and upgrade at a basically lower price than I've paid, I could argue that the fare I paid gave me a guarantee, not a possibility, and that carries a value in itself. Certainly when it comes to late cruise deals when they are long haul, the money you might save on the cruise will almost certainly be more than counterbalanced by the higher flight costs you'll face with a last minute booking. The only truly attractive late fare deals would be ones in my case that left from my home port, in the UK, or somewhere almost as cheap to get to. I suspect Azamara don't do many of those, in fact the few ex UK cruises they do seem prohibitively priced.

6 hours ago, JM0115 said:

I think there are enough things to buy with my OBC on board other than Excursions which are bought and paid for. Beverage Package, Speciatly Dining, Chefs Table, Wine bottle packages, etc.  I tend to overthink things too much :).  Happy to have the extra $500 bonus and need to change my thinking to it being a bonus.

Yep that is true and if you do a mix of those, it should be a fun trip. Have a good time.

51 minutes ago, JM0115 said:

Good points. I have not sailed with Azamara yet. We are looking forward to doing so. I have $500 in OBC that I could use for excursions now but I purchased all my excursions before I got the extra OBC on their Black Friday sale. I could cancel the excursions I purchased and then repurchase them with OBC to use up the OBC which may be what I do but would hate to cancel them and then see that they are sold out. If I hold onto the OBC I will probably use it for the Ultimate Beverage Package on board. I am sure others have pondered the same. 

I gather there is a finesse you could try. You can cancel excursions without charge a set time in advance- I think 48 hours but you'd need to check. You could then in theory cancel any which are happening 2 plus days after you board, then immediately re-book those with the OBC you have. Your card should then be refunded. It is at the minimum worth asking once you get onboard.

The only reason I did not do this is the excursion I most wanted to reserve was one of the few that are non cancellable, a private driver in one of the ports. The annoying thing is I would have re-booked it onboard straight after cancelling it, but no, that didn't work for them, rules are rules. It's a bit over complicated really, there ought to be an easier way.....

1 hour ago, JM0115 said:

We probably will wait until onboard to check what is available before we purchase a beverage package. Can we use our OBC onboard to do so? I assume yes because it is OBC but things seem to defy logic sometimes.

Although I've not yet cruised on Azamara (that comes in January) I've explored this topic extensively.

I believe you are correct, that you can use OBC to buy a beverage package (or other packages/services) when you are onboard but not before. I looked into buying an Indulgence package ahead of the cruise which among other things, included a drinks package and an excursion allowance. I wanted to use the latter to book an excursion before it ran out. I wanted to pay with OBC plus cash. No go, I was told it could only be done onboard.

From what I can see you can only use OBC pre cruise to book excursions. This made me question why. I concluded it is probably because by making you wait till you get onboard, they can change their pricing in the meantime to enhance their margins and/or deal with inflation pressures, especially given some people book a long way in advance. Hence the value of that OBC might decline over time. Excursions are accepted probably because they have already contracted these rates.

Otherwise they insist you buy anything else pre cruise with cash. While that restricts the margin/inflation opportunity referred to above, I guess they trade that off against the fact they have more upfront money, so it's good for cashflow, whereas OBC is not cashflow positive.

1 hour ago, bcruiser said:

I do not see the list attached, Hate to ask but can you add it ? 

Be aware those lists are very likely out of date, even though only from a few months ago. I'd be very content with the red wines shown on the Ultimate package on that pdf but I've discovered on a different thread more recently, they are not offered, which would be fine if the replacements were equally good, but they aren't.

I think at least for that package, it's going to be a bit of a lucky dip, depending on which ship and when you go.

10 hours ago, DS said:

An extract of what I posted on "anyone onboard currently" about wines..

...Comp wines are a mix of Azamara labeled and others (a very nice other Syrah last night…).  Tony had a Q&A today and wines were discussed:  head office has hired a sommelier to revamp the entire wine (and other liquor packages) program;...

    .... They did have a second container full of wine, which they found in Sydney.  After it had sat for a year or more in heat and cold and heat and… they ended up throwing most of it away… tested one bottle per case, then if needed dumped the rest.   (Now there’s a job that we passengers could have helped with if they had asked!)

 

One of the things "Jonathan"  ... the guy hired to look at the wine program... is specifically looking at is a country intensive wine program for those cruises that are "country intensive"   Not sure yet if it will be the comp wines or the "revenue wines" or maybe a stand alone package.

 

Tony also noted that Azamara has entered into an agreement with Chateau St Michelle ( which is also owned by Sycamore Partners) to provide more wines... again, not sure if house wines or "revenue wines"   -- Tony's words...

Interesting insight. It's encouraging to hear that Azamara have acknowledged shortfalls in this area and are starting to address them. Sadly it will probably not happen in time for my cruise in January. Just hope there is something decent on the Ultimate package or I can persuade the onboard sommelier to go 'off piste' and find something reasonable.

The Chateau Ste Michelle link up makes sense. While they are not stellar in quality, I imagine they would be rather too costly for the included wines, but could provide a decent foundation for the Ultimate package.

56 minutes ago, Riocca said:

What time you have to get up depends on how close you are to the departure airport, there are two Saturday departures to Barcelona from Gatwick one arriving at 9.55am the other 12.30pm. I assume any cruise line would choose the earlier flight on a “just in case basis “ as most people would if booking their own flight. She would have done her own online check in for the ship as we did and would have known her boarding time, therefore should have known about the time gap.

The terminal opened at 12.30pm for physical check in and there was plenty of seating and refreshments available.

Yep, I'm guessing she was on that early flight. Even if she didn't check in online- and she likes her apps and tech so presumably did- most if not all people would surely seek information on when they could board. Same as they do for hotel rooms.

Personally I'd have been on the 12.30pm flight, after all there is still plenty of wiggle room before the ship goes, armed of course with appropriate travel insurance for delays.

4 hours ago, Kelownadon said:

What do you mean lack of research? She booked the cheapest inside cabin on Azamara for a ridiculously low price and lead us through honestly what she encountered during her cruise. I am just about to take my first Azamara cruise in January and I have watched her video about 3 times now to try and get a feel for what to expect. I think she has done a fantastic job compared to the majority of utube bloggers that take 15 minutes to tell you something that should take one minute and then spend another 2 minutes to try and get you to subscribe to their website. 

 I'd agree that Emma is a good cruise blogger, one of the better ones. However one does need to understand- as she makes clear herself- she is a mass/budget cruiser and was only on Azamara because she happened to access an amazing deal. So I think it is inevitable she would be impressed compared to what she is used to and I think that makes it a very useful insight for those looking to trade up from e.c NCL, MSC, P and O etc, to understand what's different on a premium line like Azamara, less so if people are trying to choose between Oceania, Azamara and other premium lines. Even so, I also enjoyed her video.

I think the point about research re boarding is fair enough however. Presumably for budget reasons, she appears to have got one of the very early Easyjet flights. She said on the video that she had been up at 4am so presumably that flight got into Barcelona maybe around 9-10am. Go straight to the port after such an early flight and you are going to wait, on Azamara even more so because they don't board till c 2pm (rightly or wrongly). Actually it's feasible she knew this full well, but it adds a bit of 'con' into what might have otherwise been a maybe too effusive list of 'pros'.