Boycey

Half the Azamara fleet in Santorini, Greece early last week. The mist was odd as it was already 30 degrees (86F) by mid morning!

Thanks @PurpleTraveller for the excellent and very enjoyable review. We board Infinity next weekend for a b2b with one of the weeks having the same itinerary you’ve enjoyed, so it’s been really useful reading for us. Hope we enjoy it as much as you clearly have.

We came to Celebrity via Azamara (when under the same ownership). We have a couple of Celebrity cruises upcoming which were booked when pricing and ‘AI’ content combined to make a reasonable offer, but that’s since suffered a disconnect, with more demanded for less. For the moment, there is markedly better value elsewhere.

Thank you all for the very quick replies. The fact you’re all in agreement means I am now too. I’m relieved and grateful!

Cannot find an answer to my query via the search option, so please forgive the slight diversion of the thread, but does anyone know if the elite (or other level) status expires after a period of absence from Princess? I seem to recall one had to cruise with Pincess at least every 3 years to maintain status but can’t find this written.

It's definitely Nice (Port Lympia). We just disembarked Quest on Saturday but there is still some residual confusion in the system. Our private transfer was under the impression the collection point was elsewhere and I had to correct it the day before, and we overheard another group on the quai who were trying to redirect their transfers from Monaco!

According to AZ UK (eventually...)it is possible but depends on local rules etc. They won't commit ahead of time but advise to ask on board. As others have said, it's a great perk and really doesn't disrupt the boarding process, so I hope they continue to see it as one of the measures that differentiate a premium product from a mainstream one.

We have previously made good use of late departure from AZ but not since the change of ownership. Does anyone know if this is still available? Flight schedule means this could be a good option if still possible.

Not sure why you’re quoting me only to rebuke me? My question was to another who’d already answered it in detail and with some clarity, but thanks for clearing up your exalted status. I’m much relieved…

The coaches bringing people back to the airport arrive from around 9h30-10h00 and then there is a steady flow. These then fill up with guests on their way out to the ship and when we did it last year there was a very steady rhythm.. This year, watching from the ship (we were back to back so avoided the Venice/Ravenna schlepp) the arrivals flowed steadily until late afternoon. I don’t think you’ll be waiting long if at all, and anyway as you booked it all as a package you’re their problem so you can relax! Hope you enjoy. I’m sure you will.

Interestingly, the very same point is often made on the Royal Caribbean board when people ask whether to take the step ‘up’ to Celebrity, and of course it’s not until they actually try it for themselves that they realise how wrong the assumption is. Virgin could suit? More in line with the demographic you describe and in my experience more lively than Celebrity.

I get that wifi may not matter to you, and even drinks at a push, but OBC not having value? Other than that I happen to agree with most of your methodology and though I might come to a slightly different conclusion on the value threshold, I admire your resolve.

Good points all. All cruise lines are trying to recover their balance sheets helped by pent up demand but in the case of Celebrity, the price point is nearing the realm of the genuine 5 star lines but the offer, though good, is someway short. The risk is stalwarts of X who figure why not try the alternatives may not be in a hurry to come back, and the price will have to be the thing that eventually tempts them back.

Hope the following helpful. The ship was alongside by 4.30 am, and by 6.30am had permission for crew and passengers to disembark. A couple of Covid cases being transferred to local hotels caused a slight delay, but by 6h45 people were off and in taxis. Just an observation for future in Piraeus, cruise port taxis are not anyway allowed through the main gates until 6am, so that’s the very earliest available in any normal circumstances. Hope you enjoy!

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Pleasure. We’re doing the same thing tomorrow morning off Infinity as we have an early flight, so I’ll update you with how things go. 👍

Well we’re on a cruise forum, so i feel entitled to start from the assumption that cruising and cruise ports are central to the discussion, an assumption buttressed by the 45-odd posts that preceded yours, which discuss the suitability of Ravenna as a turnaround port. Not a generalisation at all, but a very specific reference.

Bit of a straw man argument as I can’t see who blamed Celebrity? The solution isn’t to abandon Venice as it’s unique and wonderful, but to find a way to get the mainstream ships into the area without causing damage. @JeanieC,Aston demonstrates above that its already possible so no need to ‘forget about cruises (from) Venice.’

I’ll ignore the ad hominem bit and simply ask how many cruises called in Ravenna before Venice closed its doors? Assuming you’re out a lot, as you imply, how many cruises did you personally take there?

Agree wholeheartedly with the OP. Ravenna is unsuitable as a turnaround port. The main attraction in the North Adriatic is Venice, and Ravenna is 3 hours away at best, and a horrible 3 hours at that. The Bologna mitigation is a bit of a sleight of hand as it may well be nearer to Ravenna, but no-one wants to go to Ravenna as a destination in the first place. It was never included in any serious itinerary before Venice closed its doors to larger ships, so we must always remember the end game has to be a sustainable facility in Venice, entered and exited other than through the ancient city. Any development in Ravenna is short term and the shorter the better.

7am latest according to guest services on board, but last year we were in a taxi at 6h30.

Just to close the topic, according to the captain’s briefing we will make Dubrovnik mid afternoon, so incredible catch back really, though we were seated at the back glass wall of Trellis for breakfast, and judging by the wake we’re going at quite a lick. According to a crew member, so can’t be verified but probably more useful than the theories being shared between us guests, the damage/concern was to the bow thrusters which threatened ability to manoeuvre. If there’s an official statement I’ll share it. in answer to @drowelfthere were 6 tugs pushing the ship at the height of the storm (hale stones literally the size of golf balls) which lasted maybe 45 minutes, then 3 tugs remained for the next couple of hours. So yes, I imagine quite a bill. Full respect to the tug crews as they raced to help and had they not arrived when they did, we would surely have hit the parallel harbour wall. So good for them. Back to my kindle and a sunbed…

Hi all and thanks to the well wishers. We got underway in the small hours after an inspection late evening. We all got a note under the door stating the captain will announce at 10 what effect it all has on the itinerary but so long as we’re somewhere what’s not to love?

Captain has just been on to say (a bit defensively) that the storm wasn’t forecast and rightly praising the crew for the way they reacted. He says there is potential damage below the waterline and we’re currently moving within the port to another berth where an inspection can be made. Departure should have been an hour ago but now obviously delayed. Let’s see what tonight brings👍

We’re on first day of the second half of a Med back to back on Infinity, and the day has just been enlivened by a 70mph storm coming seemingly from nowhere, which caused the ship to slip its moorings and lean over alarmingly. It took a fleet of 5 or 6 tugboats from Ravenna port to get alongside and push back against the wind to stop us slipping still further. Embarkation has been suspended with reportedly 90 people still to board. As I write there are still 3 tugs pushing us back towards the dockside as the lines were snapped and they’re trying to figure out how to keep us alongside and get the rest of the people aboard.