excitedofharpenden

I've given up on Celebrity. It's a shame, but they are no longer a product that appeals to me. Too loud all around the ship and they did the dirty on us with Zenith Retreat Lounge access which was a nice escape from that noise. It's fine. I prefer Azamara and whilst they remain true and honest I'll continue to sail with them. As far as the cutout goes, it's noticeable, but then I've only been in the CC suites on deck 8 that have them and it really wasn't bad. A bit of shelter. The balcony was the same size, but if course no divider to one side. In a standard verandah it might be more oppressive with a smaller balcony. Perhaps someone with experience of it in one of these cabins can chime in. Take care and enjoy your next Azamara. Phil

Hey Kathy! I've stayed aft deck six a few times. There is no noise from the dining room below except the only time I noticed anything was if they had a jazz brunch and I could hear the band below. That was it. I really like the location. Just a heads up that the very last side cabins on each deck have a balcony cut out because of the shape of the hull. Best demonstrated with a photo. 6089 and the corresponding cabin on the other side will be like that. I hope you and Jack are both well. Phil

Nordkapp and Honingsvag are both beautiful as is Svolvær (photo below). It's a brief visit and not one you can avoid as you sail in and out, but Trjollfjord is lovely. The situation with the limitations that Grandma Cruising mentions looks to be an evolving one. Norway seem to be tightening up ecologically and it's hard to know where this will go. Azamara are older ships using propulsion and fuel systems that are not state of the art. Phil

I was on Journey in September. I agree. What a lovely GR team they were. Always smiling and helpful and a friendly wave as I passed by. I hope you have a lovely cruise once you get going. Phil

I've booked through a US travel agent before and had no problems giving them my UK address. Just made sure they would work with me here. Phil

Or pay half of it. Hedge your bets. Phil

I always do as that can make a difference in the price and it can be quite a bit. I've just done a dummy booking putting in my Azamara Circle number and it looks just the same as it did before and I can see all available cabins within the category. Phil

It's a bit difficult to explain, but the set ups Quest/Journey vs Pursuit are quite different. First off there is no door through to the second toilet and sink area. The wall space that has created is where the large shower and a separate toilet are located, so they face you as you walk into the bathroom from the bedroom. To the left or right depending on which side of the ship you are on the same wall as the entry door is a double sink contained within a large cabinet area. The second toilet has a larger sink because the sliding door has been "bricked up". It's a much better set up, but you do forego the tub. Phil

Totally agree. He was a wonderful presence here. Very knowledgeable and always polite and respectful. Phil

Above all else, don't stress. That's part of the appeal of Azamara for me. The dress code for White Night is most definitely optional. They won't disembark you if you wear another colour! I've seen lots of people in blacks and blues etc. Nobody worries. Just enjoy the relaxed dress and if you do want to go smart for an evening or two you won't be stared at. Phil

That's correct. Guarantee cabins are not eligible. I have a big issue with the upgrade bid system. You have no idea which of the category cabins you bid for you'll be assigned if successful and by the time you know you've paid for it. There are definitely areas of the ship I avoid because of noise. For the first time in ages I made a bid on my last cruise. From a verandah to a Club Continent suite. I did this because I checked and checked and there was only one available CC suite and on deck 6 which I'd be fine with and I thought I would probably get that. Lo and behold when my bid was accepted I had been assigned 8070, right under the bus station for the Windows Cafe. This was what was above my cabin. Lots of noise. Never again will I make a bid, even after close reference to the cabins left. Phil

Yes, that would have been a nice touch although for me getting up early at 5.45am and seeing them all join up was very memorable. I got the impression that the focus was more on general marketing of the event like sending up drones to take the photos. And we were blessed with the most stunning sunrise. Phil

Paying for your cruise is basic stuff. No excuse. They just need to sort it out because as can be seen from this thread, it creates a terrible impression, both new and existing guests. Phil

Apparently, if you could get the server into ludicrous mode it's very fast. Phil

The biggest Azamara cruiser by far in terms of $$$ spent will not cruise to certain areas of the world (eg Norway for its high latitude) because of the spotty Internet service. They are a day trader by profession and it doesn't work for him. I'm not sure what he'd have made of Journey and Quest around Greece and Croatia either! But you are correct. It's a huge expense to sort it out. Phil

John, at the end of the day it's totally ridiculous that guests are struggling so much to get through and pay for their cruise. Unacceptable that you spend so long. Maybe in two or three years we'll look back and laugh it the situation, but for those of us who have to endlessly listen to the Azamara hold spiel for well over an hour it is not so funny. OK if I was phoning up ask about the mechanics of booking a drinks package, but it's to pay for a cruise. For goodness sake Azamara, automate it so we can pay with our credit card online. Phil

The way that it's always been explained to me when I've asked the question is that the laundry departments don't have the capacity to do two bags of free laundry for every cabin on the ship. I have no idea if this is the case, but it sounds feasible. Same with the wifi. The system as it stands can't cope with everyone having unlimited access. I know on my two most recent cruises the internet had the worst performance that I can remember. And this was two different ships. Slow and kept cutting out. Maybe there were lots of free unlimited wifi deal guests on the ships? Phil

I disagree with the last part of your post. I watched the video this morning of Emma (it came up as a recommendation on my YouTube channel). I've watched her videos before and they are always good value just like this one. However it is very clear she is a bargain cruiser. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I feel if you choose to take a packaged flight on the day of the cruise to keep the costs to a minimum then you have to be prepared for some compromises. Hanging around to board the ship might be one, depending upon when that packaged flight arrives. Phil

There is a big gap between the two in terms of loyalty points required, but if you drill down, the benefits really aren't that different. Overall I can't think of anything major to improve the program. The benefits are nice to have, but I think it's the atmosphere onboard and the friendliness of the crew that have the guests coming back. Phil

Ask for a late check out? Wait in the hotel lobby? Leave your cases and do a quick shop and go back? No hotel is going to kick you out on the street no matter what time you have to vacate the room. As Betsey says, don't stress. I have no issue at all giving the staff a couple of hours extra to clean. Phil

Sadly this took a hit when the entertainment was revamped a little while ago and they got rid of the ballroom dancers from the cast. Sometimes they have them back as guest entertainers who may stay for two cruises (end of one and beginning of the next) and they might do lessons, but it's limited. Phil

Just wondering for those of you who are Zenith and not staying in a suite and now without access to the Retreat Lounge, what has been your experience of being able to use the Retreat Host to help out with admin stuff like say booking a car at the end of the cruise, issues you might have onboard? Also, have we lost the priorities we had like escort to the tender, debarkation at the end of the cruise etc? These were useful benefits. Phil

I did look at the Africa itineraries. The elephant in the room is that West Africa, there really isn't much down that side to see and that's why they find it difficult to substitute. It's a bit like West coast of South America. You can travel for miles with no really exciting ports. East Africa is far more attractive to me. JMHO of course. Phil

I think the main issue is that there is nobody near the top of the tree making decisions on drink provisions who understands how much the mixers influence the taste. If they came here and read the (many) comments they might just do something, but for now the Royal saga continues. Premium it's not. Phil

Yes, you are right there in Bordeaux. View from the ship. Phil