travelberlin

Oh! I am sorry I will miss Heike 😔 but I wish her a wonderful vacation. Ivi

Pre Covid and pre new owners, we did not have any issues with the customer service. We had an Azamara Club representative who always answered mails and we had Bonnie, some one appointed from Azamara for this boards, who was very helpful clarifying issues. My experience pre COVID and pre new owners on board was such that made me book one cruise after the other with Azamara. I would not leave the ship without at least one booked cruised for the future. This was so until my last cruise with Azamara at the end of 2019. It was on the Pursuit. I have found many problems on that cruise which made me not book onboard a next cruise. The problems were the onboard experience. Cheaper wines were offered for the included package and they were trying hard to sell you premium beverage packages. It appeared that the reason for the cheaper included beverages was to get you to buy new packages in order to have a regular quality in the beverages. The hotel director was imho opinion not very approachable and did not fit well in my experiences with other hotel directors. Crew made an unhappy impression. The loyalty club representative onboard was still facing the challenge of trying to communicate with long time cruisers. In one week, I am boarding the Pursuit again. Many issues pre cruise, which I have never experienced before with Azamara, being the most important the change of terms and conditions short before our cruise. I am looking forward to my onboard experience this time with the Pursuit. I hope Heike is the Hotel Director. Heike is one of the best hotel directors I have met in my 60+ cruises. I will miss others for example the wonderful cruise director Russ that first went to the now bankrupted Crystal Cruises and now I do not know where he is. I hope he returns to Azamara. To answer your question if the onboard experience at Azamara is better than the pre cruise experience, I say honestly I do not know that now. In a couple of weeks, I will be able to answer your question after I return from my cruise. Ivi

From the Azamara webpage: Testing & Screening In the interest of welcoming you onboard and starting your voyage as quickly as possible, guests will no longer be required to undergo a COVID-19 antigen test while checking in at the terminal. However, to strive for a COVID-19 free environment, guests will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test upon embarkation. At-home and/or self-testing kits are not accepted. The test results must be from a testing laboratory or a licensed testing site. The COVID-19 test can either be: PCR: Test date no older than 3 days prior to embarkation; OR Antigen: Test date must be within one day of embarkation Antigen COVID-19 testing is available for $59 USD in the terminal or on the boarding deck. Boarding will be denied to those guests who cannot provide a negative COVID-19 test. • Proof of negative COVID-19 test required for boarding. . At-home and/or self-testing kits are not accepted. • Testing (anitgen or PCR) for all crew and guests • Symptoms reporting • Medical evaluation onboard

My travel agent got the answer that it is 3 days. In my case, my embarkation day is a Tuesday. Embarkation time between 14.00 to 14.30. I could make a PCR test starting on Saturday any time of the day or an Antigen test starting on Monday. Ivi

By the way you could still drink on the plane with a drinking straw. In that way you can still keep hydrated. This is what I am planning to do. Ivi

My hotel informed me that it is made at the pharmacy. You need your passport with you. Ivi

I am in a similar position. I am trying to get a PCR test before my flight. Several reliable companies are not operating anymore in Germany. For example the one I used many times Centogen has closed. They are a couple of private test companies who do not have good reviews. For example, despite promises of results being delivered on the same day, in many cases they do not deliver the results. Since in their adds they mention that results will be delivered on time in 95% of the cases, I guess that those writing the reviews are the 5% who did not get their results 😁 So here is my strategy: First I will test myself before my flight just to make sure I am negative. Second I will take one of those sameday PCR tests hoping to get the results on time to meet the requirement for Azamara. Third, in case I do not get the results on time, I will take an antigen test the day before boarding in Athens. Apparently tests available in pharmacies for Euro 10 and results are there after 20 minutes. Since my selftest will be negative (otherwise I will not travel), it is unlikely I will test positive in Athens. No champagne for me on the plane 😉 Gosh 🥹 Ivi

I have not noticed negative people lately. Negativity would mean people are complaining with no reason, just because they are or want to be negative. What I have notice are people being critical about changes of policies on a short notice, about confusing information in relation to upcoming cruises, about Azamara not clarifying and posting contradictory information on its web page that changes every time you log in. I have noticed stressed people, especially those flying from far away to take their first cruise with Azamara and being disappointed with the pre cruise experience. What I have also noticed are some posters, who are not really affected by any of the changes and the confusing information but instead of contributing with positive answers are trying to defend whatever is going wrong with the current information or changes of policies from Azamara as if they were acting on Azamaras behalf. 🧐 Much of this confusion would have been avoided /clarified by Bonnie, which was such a great asset to Azamara. Unfortunately she is not there anymore. Azamara maybe is reading this boards and I hope they will be able to identify who is really contributing on their behalf to a good image from Azamara and who, by trying to do the former, is just achieving the opposite creating resistance by not accepting that there are real issues which cruisers are complaining about. As a long time cruiser with Azamara, I am surprised that this cruiseline has confronted cruisers with a stressful situation pre cruise. I have never experienced this situation pre cruise before with Azamara. Only Management from Azamara knows the reason but I hope they are listening. Azamara, it is not the cruisers or guests the problem because they are negative or want to be negative. It is that you Azamara are having problems communicating adequately and are taking decisions which affect people on a very short notice. Despite this, I am very much looking forward to my cruise and to meet again those wonderful english speaking guests, crew and officers who make the Azamara experience on board worthwhile. Ivi

Glad to hear you had a great cruise on the Quest. Thanks for sharing your impressions. I believe the ship that had an Azamazing evening and not the entertainers coming on board was the Onward. I hope the Pursuit also does it for our next cruise in about one week from now. We will also stop in Livorno. Ivi

I am glad you are enjoying your first cruise with Azamara. We really like the Azamazing evenings and it sounds like yours was very nice. In a fortress with the Italian Opera La Traviata. I would have loved to be there… Ivi

Thanks, I love the Patio also and specially during COVID times is a good place to eat al fresco with less risk of being infected. Disappointed to hear it is still not open. Next time before I book a cruise I will try to find out if the venues are all open independently if the cruise is fully booked or not. No wishes to pay high cruising prices for part of the regular services. We are expecting a certain product and apparently Azamara is having difficulties to deliver. A pity 😔. Ivi

Thanks Uktog. Sometimes I get the feeling that some members (Trolls? Azamara defenders? Travel agents?) are posting without really contributing. Empty answers like “we have to live with Covid” or “Azamara is not a health clinic” make me wonder what is the intention behind 🧐. As a cruiser who really like the Azamara product (at least before the new owners), I am surprised about some posts. If the intention is to defend or justify the obvious mistakes from Azamara right now, I am afraid the purpose is not being achieved. On the contrary some of us, who are really looking for help and answers on this boards are rather annoyed with empty answers. Ivi

Is this Emed test an antigen test? Did they make that test within one day of embarkation? Ivi

It is a Spain intensive cruise and you are embarking in Lisbon or is it a mistake on their web page? Ivi

I agree with you. Azamara informed my travel agent that we have to bring our own test results and that no test is being done complimentary from their side. Cruisers boarding on Sunday please let us know how it goes. Ivi

My travel agent contacted Azamara and they told her that we have to bring our own tests results. They have also given her a contact for testing in Piraeus. AKTI MOTSOPOLOU 58 Pireus - Athens 18536 www.doctornearyou.gr Maybe that helps😔 I agree that pre-cruising with Azamara has become absurdly stressful. I have cruised 3 times last year under Covid with mein Schiff and the instructions were very clear and the company did everything possible to allow us for a pleasant experience pre cruise, onboard and after cruise. Ivi

The covid test is not s requirement of Greece. It is a requirement of Azamara. Ivi

You are right. It is very confusing. I have not heard of tests at Piraeus rather than those offered by Azamara at US 59 per person. My hotel told me that at a pharmacy nearby the hotel (Plaka neighborhood in Athens) the antigen test can be done for Euro 10. Maybe there is a pharmacy in Piraeus doing those tests? or in Mykonos? Ivi

When does boarding start? Hotels have check out time at 12.00. Can you board at around 12.30? Ivi

By now some cruisers have already embarked on an Azamara ship under the policy that guests should bring their own test results. Can you please share your experiences made at embarkation? Ivi

Thanks. It would have been great if they could have left the library during the day and maybe do something like a coffee place. I know nice places with that concept. Ivi

The tests which cost Euro 10 are apparently tests made with qualified staff not self tests you can buy and do it yourself. They come with a certificate. Ivi

I have contacted my Hotel in Greece and they informed me that there are testing possibilities near the Hotel. The price Euro 10 for an antigen test. I wonder who is making the profit at the antigen tests offered for US 59 at the terminal 🧐 Ivi

I guess they are served like tapas when you buy a drink (tapas were originally served at no costs with drinks in restaurants). These finger food offerings are common in Celebrity ships or Royal Caribbean in their daily cocktail offers to high tier members. Do not appeal to me either. Ivi

Me too. They are lovely 😊 Ivi