MrMojoRisin

We have always enjoyed this area and would prefer another speciality restaurant, if it is needed, to be situated elsewhere. For us, losing its free use would diminish our cruise experience.

That is an interesting angle. In effect, placing the new speciality restaurant in the aft open area means that area is no longer free, both in the sense that that it is no longer freely available and that it is no longer free in monetary terms.

the harp and the duet people in looking glass. taking away the real coffee bar on deck 5 and what made it great at night. .by moving the piano it changed everything. turned it into an art mess with shop tables and a puzzle. .we had shop tables but never like this. I thought about hiding in discovers bar to read but more and more it is use for lectures instead of in he spa or a corner of Looking Glass. I only sail for 4 years and i seen lots of changes.

Precisely!

Yes, I like the Sunset Bar, and have enjoyed great times there. With that said, there's so many other wonderful things about Azamara, their onboard experience, and what's ahead, for this one item to make me very upset.

Yes, but what is of concern is that the wonderful things are starting to be gradually whittled away

I have voted to leave the Sunset Bar as it is - although it will make not a blind bit of difference as Pimental and co have already made the decision and do not listen to views expressed on this board. The fact is that this board is a place for us to express views but we are only a small proportion of total customers and therefore carry no weight whatsoever.

We should, however, be grateful that Azamara host meet & mingle, which is a recognition of loyalty.

I have to add my voice to those expressing concern about the loss of the Windows Café outdoor area. Whilst we have only occasionally dined there in the evenings we have enjoyed popping down for a drink and maybe getting a little nibble (titter ye not!!) before going to MDR for dinner. The outdoor area is, on cruises we have been on, a popular area for dinner with many people.

I do not see the need for another speciality restaurant and really doubt that we will ever use the new one.

Of much more concern, for us, is if the outdoor space is not available, or reduced in size, for breakfast and lunch. We enjoy lazy lunches outside (and after embarkation we always head straight up there) as well al fresco breakfasts. It is never easy getting an outdoor table, requiring luck or persistence, so reduced space will make that task much harder. Reduced or no outside space will put the indoor space under more pressure and I can foresee a lot congestion.

I am afraid that, unlike others, I see very little likelihood of Mr Pimental taking any notice of the concerns that have been raised - he certainly appeared to take no notice of concerns raised about the changes proposed and made two years ago and seemed to make a point about saying he would not take any notice.

We are still looking forward to our two Azamara cruises next year (both after the refurbs) but do so now with a little trepidation.

I have NEVER felt pressured to tip extra. That being said, a $20 at your favorite bar/bartender at the beginning of the cruise goes a long way to having your favorite cocktail ready before you even get seated at a bar stool!

 

JS

That is not a tip - it is an attempted bribe; and I bet (because I know) the service will be exactly the same as if this wasn't done.

If they are tendering to the Old Town then that is a much, much better option than docking at the main port and bussing in. It is a great way to approach Dubrovnik.

It may seem strange to some, but I really do have praise for Guest Relations.

Because of a serious operation I had to cancel our cruise on Quest earlier this year. For that cruise we had used a Future Cruise Certificate bought on board an earlier cruise and also a couple of certificates which we were given in compensation for some issues which arose on another cruise.

I had thought that we would lose the value of those certificates.

However, now we have booked some further Azamara cruises I thought I would contact Guest Relations to see if there was any way that we might get some credit for those certificates.

I have very recently heard that they have reinstated the certificates (those by way of compensation) in full and the Future Cruise certificates pro rata to the time before sailing that we had to cancel.

This is a most satisfactory outcome. Thank you Azamara.

My take on this is that Azamara cruise prices are no longer as competitive when compared to lines such as Regent and Silversea. Seabourn still seem more expensive, but perhaps there are some good deals.

Last summer we opted for a Regent cruise rather than a similar itinerary with Azamara. For approximately £400 per person more we got a much larger cabin with a larger bathroom (with separate shower and bath), a far better range of included drinks (including alcohol preferences mini bar in room), no extra charge for speciality restaurants and a wide selection of included excursions. The staff were as excellent as they are on Azamara. The officers on Regent were not as visible or as forthcoming as on Azamara, although the captain did nod at me one day when he sat at the next table for lunch! Not only that, I could book the speciality restaurant reservations on-line as well as the shore excursions - and when there was a glitch in booking the restaurant reservations a phone call sorted the problem out very quickly.

All in all, I thought the extra £800 was well spent.

Just a few days ago I noticed that a TA I use has available Regent cruises similar to Azamara cruises at a similar small premium.

Now, I am not saying that Regent and other similar lines will always be as reasonably competitively priced, but whereas previously I would unhesitatingly book Azamara I now look around at what offers there are for these other cruise lines.

All things being equal, I would always choose Azamara as I just love the warmth of the staff and the whole on-board experience. But it seems that customer loyalty to Azamara is not reciprocated by top management and that is such a shame.

Interesting that they don't show your stateroom for your booked cruise....at least not where I've found it. I'm not expecting it to change so no big deal.

It is there. Go to documents and then travel journal where the cabin number is shown.

Another thing to add to this is that Azamara cruise prices are no longer as competitive when compared to lines such as Regent and Silversea.

Last summer we opted for a Regent cruise rather than a similar itinerary with Azamara. For approximately £400 per person more we got a much larger cabin with a larger bathroom (with separate shower and bath), a far better range of included drinks (including alcohol preferences mini bar in room), no extra charge for speciality restaurants and a wide selection of included excursions. The staff were as excellent as they are on Azamara. The officers on Regent were not as visible or as forthcoming as on Azamara, although the captain did nod at me one day when he sat at the next table for lunch! Not only that, I could book the speciality restaurant reservations on-line as well as the shore excursions - and when there was a glitch in booking the restaurant reservations a phone call sorted the problem out very quickly.

All in all, I thought the extra £800 was well spent.

Even today, I notice that a TA I use has available Regent cruises similar to Azamara cruises at a similar small premium.

Now, I am not saying that Regent and other similar lines will always be as reasonably competitively priced, but whereas previously I would unhesitatingly book Azamara I now look around at what offers there are for these other cruise lines.

All things being equal, I would always choose Azamara as I just love the warmth of the staff and the whole on-board experience. But it seems that customer loyalty to Azamara is not reciprocated by top management and that is such a shame.

Andy, I do hope that your optimism is correct but with the dismissive disdain expressed to the (then) existing Azamara faithful expressed by Mr Pimentel in his Q&A last year, I am not so optimistic.

Like you, I sadly miss Bill - he would have got an answer for us on this and other issues, but it was a shame that so much of his time was taken up by trying to find out what was truly happening and not being communicated and in sorting out the mess that Head Office create.

 

It is a real shame to the memory of what Bill was doing for us that the Head Office cock ups and misinformation continue, which so much in contrast to what the wonderful staff on Quest and Journey do for us.

So my lack of optimism was not unfounded.

No email here - agree with Uktog, feeling very marginalised.

I'm looking forward to our July cruise on Quest but becoming more and more disenchanted (if I ever was enchanted) by the very top management of Azamara - they are relying on the great onboard experience to win people over but if they keep p*****g people off.....

Daily mail - definitely more in the gutter that the Daily Mirror.

Bob Crow - a Marxist? That's a joke, he is just another fat cat on the gravy train milking it for all he is worth. (Apologies for very mixed metaphor)

I feel your frustration Uktog, and most of us feel the same way. I'm unable to get over the fact that Azamara will be roughly 4 months behind Celebrity in their rollout - that is... if you believe that April 1 will be the rollout date. I suspect they had plenty of time to prepare for the loyalty program updates. This whole affair feels as if someone had an assignment due on Monday morning, and didn't get started on it until the night before.

 

As most are aware, the website suggests there is no difference in benefits between Discoverer, Plus and Platinum. I simply cannot buy the possibility of such a decision. If that were the case, then I must ask - what's the point of the 2 new levels, and the fanfare... all to offer nothing more ????. If what is currently stated on the website turns out to be accurate, I'd be highly disappointed in management. With that said, I'm not accepting this as a "done deal", at least not yet !

 

To be clear, my position hasn't changed. I remain *hopeful* the website is inaccurate, as Azamara has had a history of not proofreading before items are published on their site. Maybe it's Miami's fault, maybe it's an advertising, website, or social media agency. No matter whom is responsible, it must be corrected immediately.

 

Silence can be a scary thing. When you do not hear from trusted sources such as Bill (boy, do I miss him more and more each day... especially at times like this), folks tend to assume the worst case scenario. I'm not blaming any of our dear community members - just making an observation.

 

So, here we are. The website might be incomplete or inaccurate, Azamara's faithful are unhappy, and in many cases - assuming the worst. Am I wrong for being optimistic, and anticipating it's all a big misunderstanding ? We'll see if my observations prove to be accurate.

 

Memo to Azamara : Why not visit with us, and advise us of your plans. For better or worse, Please keep us informed, and put an end to the concerns & speculation. I expect far more, from a brand that provides such an outstanding cruise experience.

Andy, I do hope that your optimism is correct but with the dismissive disdain expressed to the (then) existing Azamara faithful expressed by Mr Pimentel in his Q&A last year, I am not so optimistic.

Like you, I sadly miss Bill - he would have got an answer for us on this and other issues, but it was a shame that so much of his time was taken up by trying to find out what was truly happening and not being communicated and in sorting out the mess that Head Office create.

It is a real shame to the memory of what Bill was doing for us that the Head Office cock ups and misinformation continue, which so much in contrast to what the wonderful staff on Quest and Journey do for us.

That's great! Where exactly is that comment section at? I can't locate it on the dining reservation booking page.

Click on the green box for the reservation and then click on update. A dialogue box will open.

Also, for any tours booked, click on that box and then details to get the full description.

I think this is working well.

I discovered this today. Works well for me. No problem registering. All our booked excursions are shown and (for our 27th Feb Silver Wind sailing) the speciality restaurants can be booked, subject to confirmation.

Having sailed on Regent Voyager and Azamara Quest and Journey I have to say I enjoy both lines. The smaller cabins on bathrooms on Azamara do not bother me, although I do enjoy the extra space on Regent.

Staff on both are fantastic but the officers on Azamara are much more engaging.

The Azamara itinerary is --

Sat Jul 12 Venice, Italy 6:00pm

Sun Jul 13 Korcula, Croatia 1:00pm 10:00pm

Mon Jul 14 Dubrovnik, Croatia 7:00am 2:30pm

Mon Jul 14 Kotor, Montenegro 8:00pm

Tue Jul 15 Kotor, Montenegro 3:00pm

Wed Jul 16 Parga, Greece 9:00am 6:00pm

Thu Jul 17 Taormina (Giardini Naxos), Sicily, Italy Noon 7:00pm

Fri Jul 18 Amalfi, Italy 9:00am

Sat Jul 19 Amalfi, Italy 5:00am

Sat Jul 19 Capri, Italy 8:00am 6:00pm

Sun Jul 20 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

 

the Princess Regal Itinerary is

 

Tue Jul 1 Barcelona, Spain 7:00pm

Wed Jul 2 Toulon, France 7:00am 6:00pm

Thu Jul 3 Florence / Pisa (Livorno), Italy 7:00am 7:00pm

Fri Jul 4 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy 7:00am 7:00pm

Sat Jul 5 Naples / Capri (Sorrento), Italy 7:00am 7:00pm

Sun Jul 6 At Sea

Mon Jul 7 Mykonos, Greece 7:00am 2:00pm

Tue Jul 8 Istanbul, Turkey 8:00am 6:00pm

Wed Jul 9 Ephesus / Kusadasi, Turkey Noon 7:00pm

Thu Jul 10 Athens (Piraeus), Greece 9:00am 5:45pm

Fri Jul 11 At Sea

Sat Jul 12 Venice, Italy 1:00pm

Sun Jul 13 Venice, Italy Disembark

I cannot comment about the two lines as we have never been on Princess but really enjoy Azamara.

Looking at the itineraries, however and having visited all the ports on both itineraries, I would make a tentative suggestion that the Azamara itinerary is the better of the two.

The Princess itinerary includes Rome and Istanbul and I think a brief day stop in each of those will be disappointing because there is so much to see and you will only have time to get a taster.

I like the Azamara itinerary - in fact, we are booked on this cruise! Although we have done this itinerary before I think the big draw is Kotor. Bigger ships do not visit and the sail in through the "fjord" is amazing. The ship will dock - literally - just across the road from the Old Town. Historically, this itinerary is more focused with the Adriatic part - which used to be under Venetian rule - leading into the Italian section. The Azamara trip also includes an overnight stay in Venice before the cruise.

I just called Azamara to ask which ports would have shuttle service on my October 2 Mediterranean cruise on Quest. I was told I cannot get that information until I am onboard. However, I was given similar information for my cruise last year well in advance. I still have the notes.

 

This would be helpful in deciding which, if any, tours I want to take at specific ports, which I must decide by Jan 3 (for the 25% discount). So, did I get a misinformed rep, or is this the way it is?

 

I did post this on my roll call, but thought I would try here as well.

Which ports will you be visiting? Collective experience on this board should be able to help.

We had no problem getting Diet Tonic water placed in our mini-bar on the Quest last February - we just asked our steward and it was provided.

Thank you for the replies, which have been most helpful.

So "I'M ON THE PLANE" will replace "I'M ON THE TRAIN" as the dreaded sound. Ugh!!

Before reading this thread I had assumed that Silverea would obtain visas for countries visited in transit (as has happened on other lines). This thread has opened concerns and I have been reading with interest to see if it answers the visa query I now have. Unfortunately, no replies yet have covered exactly what I would like to know.

We will be on the Silver Wind from late February 2014, from Cape Town to Accra. I have researched which countries require visas, namely Angola, Sao Tome, Benin, Togo and Cameroon. Ghana, our country of departure from the cruise, seems a bit more complicated as the High Commission website says Commonwealth nationals need an entry permit, which seems to be distinct from a visa, but there is no information on this. The cumulative cost of these visas is quite hefty, considering the amount of time we spend in each country.

Before going ahead and making these visa applications to individual embassies, I decided to contact Silversea for advice - I have had no reply. I therefore asked my TA to do this. A response was obtained fairly quickly from Silversea, but this was not particularly helpful.

I therefore turn to the collective wisdom of this board for help.

Specifically, I would like to know:

1. if Silversea will sort out the visas for those countries which are visited during the course of the cruise;

2. is the cost of such visas included in the cruise fare or Silversea shore excursions (as it is with other cruise lines, such as Regent);

3. will they obtain the visa for the departure country i.e Ghana.

I realise that this is an unusual itinerary and there may not be direct experience but I am sure some CC members will have been on Silversea cruises where a similar situation obtains.

Before I commit the potential mistake of either getting and paying for these visas unnecessarily or the fatal mistake of not getting the visas in advance and being booted off I would greatly appreciate any information.

Thanks for this excellent comparison. Have been searching the websites for an early summer 2014 cruise and was shocked by the very high Azamara prices, which would be my first choice. Oceania seem to have better deals at the moment. However I do not know if the additional cost of wine, cocktails etc would account for the difference. DH loves his wine! I could manage on a couple of glasses per day plus one or two cocktails. Did you buy a package?

I have considered trying Oceania but , even allowing for the Azamara price hikes, have never found the prices on Oceania - when you include all the additional costs - to be better than Azamara. In fact, doing price comparisons on a like for like basis, Oceania is often more expensive than Regent.

I suppose if you don't drink and never take shore excursions and don't mind having to show your sea pass in bars and restaurants then Oceania might make sense.

I would most definitely recommend Azamara to a friend, simply because they are such welcoming and friendly ships with fantastic staff, excellent food etc.

However, whereas prior to the price hikes, both overt and covert, I would have said that Azamara was fantastic value for money and a no.1 choice I would now advise friends to consider Azamara as one of a number of alternatives. Find an itinerary you like and then do a price comparison with other lines carrying a similar number of passengers.

If the pricing works out, then go for Azamara.