mdpa

I believe it will be removed very quickly, especially now that the US has dropped their requirements. 
 

The Azamara employee I spoke to on this cruise was excited about the mask restrictions starting to go away for employees. As of now, they only need to wear them indoors but doesn’t make much sense to treat them differently than everyone else. 
 

The good news for now is the proctored tests worked fine for us and didn’t cost us any money after other taxpayers helped fund our testing requirements. The bottom line is this testing is costing insurance companies and government entities a fortune and it will need to go away soon or we will all bear the cost.

All I know is my insurance company is reimbursing me for all testing expenses and then getting their money from someone to ensure the same margins. 

One other observation from today. This morning while in Barcelona staying at the Cotton House Hotel, we enjoyed a self-serve buffet. I don’t remember any of the servers wearing masks.

A light lunch was available after our boarding in Windows with employees serving the food. I noticed the ice cream station near the pool was self-serve and also had a self-serve topping station.

I have not had a need to wear a mask at all for the flight from Dulles, our 2 taxi rides, or boarding the ship. A very refreshing change. 

1 hour ago, terry&mike said:

Boarded Quest today with Negative test certificates from Proctored eMed tests we took yesterday afternoon. All fine. Took them in the hotel room in Madrid, using hotels Wi-Fi, through the app. 

Same here, used proctored test results and simply showed our email results. No issues.

Well, I am onboard and everyone is friendly and service is good. I would guess less than 3% of cruisers are wearing a mask.

One interesting thing I learned is that Azamara employees are not required to wear a mask outdoors. As a data point, the first employee I asked about his opinion on wearing a mask said he couldn’t wait to get rid of the mask requirement. Evidently views about masking are changing very quickly.

I can confirm as of today, this form is still required for arrival into Spain from the US (no test, but must prove you are vaccinated, and state you don’t have COVID). Not to bad, since you can fill it out for your entire family, and then add to your Apple wallet for easy retrieval.

We simply had to scan the QR code from the form prior to going to baggage claim. 

I’ll just update the thread and share I did bring my mask with me, but didn’t need it flying out of Dulles to Barcelona. We were OK at the airport, taxi in Barcelona, hotel in Barcelona, and sightseeing today.

Our family tested negative using the proctored self-test for our cruise after arrival. One other great bit of news is the US administration finally removed the testing requirement for return flights starting on Sunday.

11 minutes ago, roberts2005 said:

Test is over as of Sunday for all travelers to US

Great news…another step towards getting back to normal! I just read the article in the Wall Street Journal while in Barcelona getting ready to start our cruise.

Oh well, looks like I now have (3) extra tests…

27 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

I think the point people are making is that passengers on high-end cruise lines may prefer, or at least are accustomed to, sit-down dinners rather than traditional dinner buffets.  Covid may have been the primary reason for Azamara deciding to serve a plated dinner in Windows post-Covid, but other reasons (e.g., waste, health, passenger preference) may result in retaining the served dinner in the long run.  Fine by me, as long as it's served in the outdoor area.

Yes, I fully understand. My issue is if actual usage or interest dictates the change, I am OK. It it is a few people trying to get the cruise line to conform because of their safety concerns then I am not OK with it. Especially when there will remain many variations of a buffet on most cruise ships going forward. Anyone that truly has an issue has other dining options.

White Night- OK, Breakfast- OK, Brunch- OK, Dinner- No, this will ruin the planet, places everyone in danger from germs, the food is cold, plus I don't like it.

Are these generally buffet style or cooked to order?

41 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

This article has the La Terrazza venue on Silversea serving buffet at breakfast and lunch  but becoming a sit-down restaurant at dinner.

 

 https://cruisereport.com/dining-reviews/la-terrazza-restaurant-on-silversea-silver-muse

 

Regent also does this, as did Crystal before it folded.  Seabourn, too.

Exactly, people have been comfortable using buffets on all levels of cruises for years. No pushback because of going green, or food safety,  or better experience.. The recent change was primarily related to COVID. I didn't change the subject. I only said that I look forward to the traditional buffet again...when and where it is appropriate.

Not sure why this perspective is so controversial.

15 minutes ago, audobon_tx said:

 

Didn't say "never existed" but SS, Regent, and Seabourn currently convert their buffet spaces at night.  Italian specialty restaurants on SS and Regent and themed dinners (see Azamara) on Seabourn.  Haven't been on Europa 2 or Scenic so I admit ignorance on that.  I do have 30 Azamara cruises under my belt though and buffets at night were generally lightly attended.  The best things about Windows at night were/are peace and quiet, supper in less than an hour, eating outside when available, and a general relaxed atmosphere vs. Discoveries.

Completely understand and most of this wasn’t directed at you. I simply mentioned my interest in having access to buffets again, and got push back for all kinds of made up reasons. Personally, our family has generally chosen the nice dining experience of the main restaurant or specialties during the evening.

25 minutes ago, audobon_tx said:

I have never been on a 6 star line that had an evening buffet.  Azamara, admittedly not a 6 star, had one but I would be surprised if it returns except for special situations.  The day to day demand is not there in the evening on Azamara, and it wasn't there pre-pandemic either.  Breakfast and lunch, yes, and they will remain because that's what people prefer.

 

The 6 stars convert the buffet space to table service specialty restaurants in the evening.

 

I think Azamara has come up with an attractive evening alternative to Discoveries.

I am OK if people don’t like buffets…heck, most of the time I prefer to order exactly what I want.

However, some people are acting like buffets were eliminated due to green considerations, or demand, and this post is making the argument they never existed. I’ve eaten buffets on Silverseas and they were fantastic, and as far as I know is considered an upper tier brand.

https://www.shermanstravel.com/advice/10-best-cruise-ship-buffets#

Maybe this will help jog someone’s memory. I have not seen any scientific evidence that a breakfast or lunch buffet is safer or greener than a dinner buffet.

1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

From our perspective many of us do not want the “normality “ of wasting food in buffets or buffets at all and additionally people touching foods and serving spoons with their hands. 
No one says that buffets are a “normal “ service from smaller and premium cruise lines like Azamara. I am sure other cruise lines like Royal Caribbean will offer the buffets you wish. 
 

Ivi

A pretty high level of intolerance from some people on this thread. Yes, Azamara was part of RC just like Silversea which also had nice buffets. I also enjoyed some very nice seafood buffets in Singapore at the St. Regis back in early 2020.

Seems like an elitist bent, and no I don’t prefer someone else “serving” my food at the buffet either. 

Getting portions myself is the best way for me to personally eliminate waste and better than having someone serve portion sizes I didn’t request.

14 hours ago, yogagal47 said:

Apparently she fell around 2 AM and others either passenger or crew saw it happen and threw a life ring to her to no avail-just awful.

This is sad. Are there any statistics showing if these “overboard” situations are mostly accidents, suicides, or extreme intoxication?

On 6/6/2022 at 7:49 PM, marinaro44 said:

I don't think it was removed prior to Covid.  When we disembarked in Capetown on January 21, 2020, there were still evening buffets.  Shortly after that, cruising stopped.

Thanks, and I think this is my main point. Unlike the narrative that some people are pushing in this thread, the buffet wasn’t removed due to lack of customer interest. It was strictly a COVID related measure.

So from my perspective, let’s get back to normal and bring back the buffet. If passengers ultimately push for a different format based on most preferences then that will be OK with me.

5 hours ago, suewheldon said:

I asked at reception yesterday and was told next week will be 411 passengers (June 11). 

Thanks for checking, seems like a perfect amount of passengers for me. I asked a person who was on Facebook on this past weeks cruise and she was told it was 600+ (but her number could have included crew).

48 minutes ago, mauimary said:

Geez😬How bad do you want to test positive before you even get on your ship?  

I haven’t wore a mask for months, why would my level of risk go up at the airport vs a grocery store, home improvement store, etc….

51 minutes ago, uktog said:

Covid was not the only reason they moved away from the buffet, it was to manage waste and give a better customer experience in a more casual non dressed up environment.  Many people who have experienced this new way prefer it to the old buffet, food is nicely plated and always at the right temperature.  You can order as little or as much as you want.  I think the jury is out on whether the buffet is coming back every night.

OK, I didn’t realize the buffet was removed prior to COVID. In that case, it probably isn’t coming back.

4 hours ago, audobon_tx said:

Regular buffet at breakfast and lunch.

I suspect the buffet will be coming back to dinner soon, no reason not to if they have the buffet for other times. I’m told the current cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon had over 600 passengers this week.

Does anyone know how many people are onboard the current cruise out of Barcelona?

My understanding is our June 11th cruise is almost completely full. It seems like cruise lines are ramping back to normal quickly.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=6963

Interesting news from Flyertalk that may have a positive impact on return trips to the US…

https://www.flyertalk.com/articles/airlines-turn-up-pressure-to-drop-pre-arrival-testing.html

3 minutes ago, beatnix said:

Windows Cafe is open for dinner, but no buffet. They offer dishes from different countries.

Thanks, hope the buffet returns soon!

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

How much would it be worth to bid for a CC from a P1?   Apart from a butler and larger cabin, the only other benefit would be speciality dining.  

I think you need to access personal value, plus contrast how much it would normally cost locking it in by paying the difference.

For us the difference at purchase for an 8-day trip was $2,000. Not worth it.

I’m not sure it is worth much for just 2 people…however, we have a 17 year old daughter with us and it can make a big difference. I chose an Ocean View room on a previous cruise which was technically the same size as a Veranda when we did a trip with Oceania and it felt crowded. I realized that I needed to have some breathing room when both my wife and daughter are getting ready for dinner. We are currently booked on a Veranda and have a bid for CC. If we don’t get it I’ll be OK.

I keep waffling back and forth, but I believe $1,000 - $1,400 is a good deal, when I factor in the larger room, better service, specialty dining, and internet discount for 3 people.

My wife and I by ourselves? $800 - $1,000?

1 minute ago, Beamafar said:

I’ve just received an email from Azamara advising me that my bid has been cancelled due to a change in my reservation.   I haven’t made any changes to my reservation. 

That’s weird, which cruise are you on?