LT Hambone

23 minutes ago, L4605 said:

Seems to be held up just outside the Cromarty Firth just now. Was waiting to watch it go past but I think it could be quite late

Yup, medical emergency, and we just left heading towards Edinburgh. No word yet on if our ETA is changing - stay tuned!

21 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Our waiters always knew the numbers for the next sailing.  They were updated during their DR meetings.

Interesting.... I'll ask again tomorrow. 

@Coral - Guest Services does not have the numbers for the next cruise, sorry.

Currently enroute to Edinburgh, was just informed they will be running ship tenders AND local boats, so I'm crossing fingers that we'll have an amazing tendering experience tomorrow!

4 hours ago, Coral said:

Is there a Chef's Table or Winemaker's Table?

@Coral - I have seen neither on this cruise. @junglejane - Did you see either of these on your cruise? 

FYI - We ate at Sabatinis last night. Very good, and very empty.

@SomewhereGirl -

• Planks BBQ and Steamers Seafood are CLOSED for this cruise!
• Speaking of food, one main dining room is open for breakfast in the morning, one main dining room for lunch ONLY on sea days, and the buffet occassionaly alternates between both sides open and one side only. All other food is open and yummy!
• Laundry slip! Working on uploading the slip, waiting for the internet to cooperate. Stay tuned!

• Dublin Tendering - No, we were NOT on a Princess Excursion. We got our tender tickets at 8:00 AM, and were on the train to Dublin (which is very cheap and easy) by 8:45. In the afternoon, took us almost an hour and a half to get back on board - long line + rough seas.
• Edinburgh tendering experience - TDB !

@JandAVV - We spent three days in London Pre-Cruise, and went to DAM Health @ Kings Cross two days before embarkation. Took the two hour antigen test, had results that afternoon, and that evening had our hotel front desk print the results. Quick and easy!

Hope this helps!

Hi!

Currently on the Emerald Princess 1 to 13 August British Isles cruise, just wanted to post some thoughts and take any questions.

The Good!

• Embarkation was a breeze. We had our medallions, COVID tests, passports, etc. all ready to go, so we made it through in record time!
• The ship is in pretty good shape. Yes, it's showing it's age in places, but overall very clean with crew constantly wiping down and cleaning everything.
• Service is also really good considering they are operating with a reduced crew. Haven't had to wait more than a minute or two for a drink or food. Our cabin stweard is also amazing!
• The food is better than expected. Yes, this is subjective, and yes, we've had a few misses, but overall the quality has been pretty good!
• The Unlimited Beverage Package is a lot of fun!
• The Medallion App is also a great tool, once you get it too work properly. Please see below.

The Bad!

• Due to the reduced crew, live evening entertainment options are very limited. No fancy shows in the theater, just a few musical reviews.
• The internet is just ok - sufficient for checking emails, surfing the internet, and writing posts on Cruise Critic. But not fast/reliable enough for anything more taxing. For most people, this is ok, but if you're expecting to stream Netflix on your sea day, you'll be dissapointed.
• Tendering - yes, I know it's a neccessary evil! Guernsey was fine because Princess used local boats to help out, but Dublin was painful. Just six ship tenders, a long ride out to the boat, and a very rough/windy day made for a very long day of tendering. So long we left Dublin almost two hours late! Looking forward to Edinburgh tendering.....
• The Medallion app is garbage! Until you figure out how to use it, that is. If you log in with your Princess account, it's a hit or miss proposition, and most of the time nothing works properly. BUT - if you log in with your cabin number - BINGO - works perfectly!

The Ugly!

• The mask policy. Now - before anyone starts a reply, please hear me out!
• On Embarkation Day there was a huge sign saying masks required in the cruise terminal. We were also given a letter saying masks are required on board. Ok, that's fine with us - but the only place it was enforced was in the buffet!
• Setting aside the whole maks or no mask discussion, my problem is the lack of enforcement of any policy. Another example are the adult only pools full of kids, and the deck attendents look the other way. If Princess is going to require something, shouldn't they enforce it????

And in case anyone is wondering -

• There's about 2,600 folks on board, and I think 1,100 crew (please don't quote me)
• Masks - about 1/3 of the folks are wearing masks. Yes, they are required for tendering, and so far everyone is wearing one on the tenders.
• Deck 12 is the quarentine deck, I don't know if anyone is up there or not.
• Weather is cooperating so far, but looking ahead it's going to be cool and rainy in Kirkwall.

Overall a good cruise so far. Just happy to finally be here after 3+ years of booking and re-booking!

Feel free to ask any questions, I will try to reply internet willing!

@Bimmer09 - You forgot to mention that the smoking area is mere FEET from the bar!

Just my two cents -

Our cruise in August has been in the works for over 3 years. Multiple cancellations, four different itineraries, three different ships. Booked, re-booked, two cabin changes, lost some perks, gained some perks, now we have shipboard credit. Spent countless hours on the phone with the airline to book, re-book, find missing credits, and flight changes. Worked with two different hotels, multiple tour companies, and transfers to arrange and rearrange. Rinse, lather, repeat.

So if after three plus years of going through all of that and the only thing standing between me and a cold beer at the Tradewinds Bar is a vaccine card, a negative test, and wearing a mask on the ship, then (in my opinion) that is a small price to pay to be finally able to enjoy our trip.

Please note - your opinion may vary!

@kiwimum - Thank you for the quick, put a smile on my face! How early was the testing? We have a 9 AM tour, hoping there will be enough time to test and make the tour.

Woot!

My apologies if this has already been asked!

We are on the Emerald in August, reading through the requirements, we need a negative test to board (got that covered!), and we need a negative test to fly back to the US. Looking at the Princess FAQ it says,

"If a negative COVID-19 test is required for re-entry into your home country, Princess will cover the costs of tests, provided guests can show proof that their flight arrangements are the same day as they disembark the ship."

Questions!

• Assuming the testing is being done on-board?
• A previous post from someone who was on the Emerald last month said the on-board testing was a mess - did I read that correctly?
• We are flying out same day as disembarkation - if we don't get tested on the ship, does Heathrow offer testing?

I do agree with multiple posters - this is incredibly stressful to have to figure out and execute. And if you miss one step, one test, one piece of documentation, the trip could be a ruined mess!

Thanks!

Awesome - thanks - NOW I can properly look forward to my Greek Isles cruise next summer!

You know what would make the Atlas Bar even better? A frozen yogurt machine with toppings!

Are there any photos of the Swirl and Top posted on the Azamara Reminiscing Facebook page ?!?!?!?!

32 minutes ago, andrcan said:

On the positive side, they are not asking to bring the toilet paper...

Or not asking to bring your own frozen yogurt (with booked up cookie toppings).....

17 minutes ago, lisiamc said:

What is the Swirl and Top?

It's the frozen yogurt self-serve, and in the original deck plans it was not showing up. If I'm going to survive a summer Greek Isles cruise next year, I NEED to have frozen yogurt!

3 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Everywhere. Total refit.

Including the Swirl and Top?

Please tell me they refitted the Swirl and Top, please ?!?!?!?!?!

My theory, and my theory only, is that the Drawing Room was a vastly underused space. I noticed on our cruise everyone was hanging out at either the Den or the Living Room, and the Drawing Room was empty. Combined with the fact there isn't a Sunset Bar (our favorite spot to unwind with a drink after a long day of sightseeing), Azamara is just looking to re-use a space with something that is lacking (Onward had ne less bar). Just my opinion, your will vary!

As long as they keep the Swirl and Top, I'm good! Are you listening Azamara? Keep the Swirl and Top!

Found it!

Been looking all morning for a suitable photo to show where the USB Type A port is located on the light fixture, and here's one from Cruise Deck Plans -

2 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

And for LT Hambone - there is no such thing as a "standard USB charger".  Port, yes - charger no.

@FlyerTalker - My apologies for the confusion, the correct technical term is a standard USB Type A port, as @Riocca just pointed out. I also believe these ports are the lower 1.5 A, and not the higher amps for rapid charging.

Being a proud member of the IT field, I should have caught my gaffe above. 

Yup!

There is a standard USB charger in the base of the reading lights next to bed. They are in the bottom edge of the light, not the front. They work great!

@Riocca - Thank you so much for posting these updates! I'm not on Facebook, so I would have never known (or seen) this group. Appreciate your posts!  👍

And...... now Swirl & Top is showing on Azamara.com !!!!

1 hour ago, PirateWife said:

By November, Quest had the Swirl and Top operational. And it was self-serve. You were a month early.

28 minutes ago, PirateWife said:

But I must have the Swirl and Top.

The Swirl and Top was closed on our October Quest cruise, so it had better be on the Onward for our cruise next summer! From the photo above, looks like there's more than enough room for the frozen yogurt machine.

Azamara - if you're reading these posts - please, PLEASE put Swirl and Top on the Onward !!!!!