hamrag

The culinary experience on Oceania is much better than Azamara (can be mitigated by Az specialties at sensible pricing). The standard drinks package on Azamara is better than Oceania (wine with lunch & dinner only). Overall, everything else is much of a muchness. Generally we choose for itinerary, and both Oceania and Azamara are usually considerations for a suitable itinerary. We have Az booked November, and Oceania summer 2024.

When I cannot easily find a Q&A for any business, they are often found at the bottom of any home page. So, in Az website at home page, scrolling to bottom of page, I see this: TALK TO AN EXPERT 44 344 4934016 or read our FAQs International Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights Learn about our commitment to our passenger's safety, comfort and care Then I Click on the 'or read our FAQs' link and see this (appropriate section I have bolded the font) : Frequently Asked Questions Can't find what you are looking for? Contact Us My Account Online Check-in Azamara Circle - Loyalty Program Azamara Trip Protection Explore well at sea Accessibility Cruise Safety Cruising Curiosities Dining & Beverages What if I have dietary restrictions? Do I need to make a reservation? What is the dress code? In all of our dining rooms we encourage guests to follow a “resort casual” dress code, following good taste and common sense. Bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps, bathing suits, shorts, and jeans are not allowed in the main dining room or two specialty restaurants. When dining at Windows Café guests must wear footwear and a cover-up or shirt. In Prime C, Aqualina, and Discoveries Restaurant, many guests enjoy dressing up. Formal evening wear (ball gowns and tuxedos) is not expected. We recommend that men bring a sport coat or suit; for women, dresses, skirts, blouses with pants and capris are all appropriate attire. Is every restaurant and dining area included in the price of my voyage? Is there assigned seating? How did you choose the inclusive liquor brands? Why are selections of inclusive liquor brands so limited? Can I make substitutions from one beverage package to another? Does every beverage package include all the liquor brands from the lower tier packages? Will I be able to purchase beverage packages once onboard? Is there a time limit? If I purchase a beverage package a few days into my voyage, can I purchase for the entire voyage and get my previous beverage charges removed? Am I able to downgrade my beverage package throughout the voyage? Is champagne included in the wine packages? Where can I find the full spirits listed for all beverage packages? How about the wine and beer listings? Why can I only order one drink at a time? When I purchase my beverage package, are the drinks unlimited? Why don’t you offer a Super Premium beverage package? If I purchase a beverage package can I have drinks delivered to my stateroom? Are all selections available at all ship bars? What beverages are included in my cruise fare? Shore Excursions Cruise Documents & Luggage Tags Lost & Found

So, there is a contradiction by Az on the same website as what I quoted was listed under Q&A in the Dining & Beverage section. The use of the term torn/distressed jeans makes much more sense! Thanks.

OK, thanks and interesting you say that. All I did was lift it straight from the Az UK website Q&A for dining an hour ago! Surely they can at least get that part of the website correct, perhaps not!

The Az dress code for dining is clear as follows: In all of our dining rooms we encourage guests to follow a “resort casual” dress code, following good taste and common sense. Bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps, bathing suits, shorts, and jeans are not allowed in the main dining room or two specialty restaurants. When dining at Windows Café guests must wear footwear and a cover-up or shirt. So, it matters not how you and your husband, nor my wife and I think 'resort casual dress code' ought to be played out onboard. The problem Az, and most cruiselines have is that the dress code to be followed is not really defined....other than the obvious! Regarding the 3 women photographed in robes and slippers, they might argue that they are wearing the required 'cover-up' at Windows Cafe! Resort casual means different things to different people, hence the reason some are offended by how others dress especially in MDR. Our view is similar to that expressed by UKtog above, we barely notice and rarely care what others are wearing....but do understand why this topic generates much angst.

No surprises there, Regent are in the luxury segment whilst Oceania are premium i.e. broadly mid-point between mass and luxury cruiselines! 🤔

Sound advice, as always, from GC.

It's very good on the whole! Important note....I am NOT an Az cheerleader, but simply write my experiences as honestly as I can.

It is not OK to wander outside your cabin with wine (or any other alcohol) you brought on board! 😉

Perhaps their strategy was bait & switch!

There are no words..... board2 ●●○ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive] formal to get on a bus, plane, train etc in order to travel somewhere

Indeed, UKtog has moved rapidly to the opposite end of the Az spectrum!

From the discussion I heard moving in the lift from deck 9 to deck 5 the travel time seems to have taken a ridiculous amount of time and it just wasn't worth the time invested. Part of the time it rained heavily! That said, I have no idea the profile of those folks e.g. had they been to Venice on a previous occasion, first time, do they easily complain etc. etc. 😉

They do, but the onboard experience remains for the most part pretty good!

To answer the topic question....we boarded the lift as a handful of folks returned from said tour....the answer from them, to a man and woman, was a resounding no, never again. We spent the afternoon exploring Chioggia, thoroughly enjoyable.

Your concern is valid, I wouldn't sail around the British mainland at that time of year!

You need to change mindset, decide that YOU will 'redeem the mess' and enjoy every minute onboard! Honestly, it's that simple. 😉

The thing which has surprised us most, on three 7 night sailings is the MDR food is not particularly great! Not even close to e.g. Oceania dining, which is much better. With Az we mitigate this problem by booking the 3 night specialty package. White night is very good, so we enjoy that and alternate the other 6 nights between MDR and the specialties. That works very well for us, YMMV. I have read what we consider unfair criticism re entertainment. It's very average, sometimes poor, but no worse than we'd expect on a smallish ship with restricted show space. We have another one booked so, within the cruiseline mix we use, Az definitely has a place.

Most cruiselines do that through the PC transit, including NCL.

That surely is good, it's utterly selfish to do that!

Aaaaargh, totally unaware of such, thanks for the heads up.

I checked your profile, to see if the 'message' function is on....it's disabled, so couldn't go any further! Please go ahead and message mi, if you wish, I have something to share.

Even as one of the older demographic, I absolutely get it.....you, and we, will cease to be their demographic possibly sooner than we would hope so they need to develop the brand to encourage younger cruisers. That's not to say I think what they propose is the way to attract such, far from it! We don't like it any more than most, but this is 'the circle' of life and all of us have an expiry date!

I have 3 previous sailings on Az, only 1 on Oceania and we found the O culinary experience to be consistently superior to that on Az. That said, we have 1 future cruise booked on each as it's itinerary that is the main lure for us.

Oceania Insignia, an identical 'R' ship to the Azamara fleet refurbed with shower doors. IMHO, that makes the shower more restrictive with arm banging against the door....wasn't a huge issue but the curtains provide flexibility, in a tight space, which doors do not afford!