mare s.

On 7/12/2024 at 4:50 AM, uktog said:

In warmer places the Patio is a great spot. We also love the back veranda on Windows if we want a simple casual dinner. I agree the MDR is not as it used to be - menu choices focus too much on spices cheap meats with the beautiful salads and pasta of the day no longer offered. 
I am sure though with some of the changes in Head office hotel side we will see adjustments in due course. 

I so agree with this.   The Patio is an excellent option for a simple, well prepared lunch or dinner.   There were patio heaters during our cruise and it was comfortable.   Much more to my liking than the rather overly fancy but, in the end, ordinary offerings in Discoveries.  

On 7/9/2024 at 5:06 PM, takemewithyou said:

Yes, I think they must have known from previous years and previous cruises that it would not be good so they were hiding!   I think they heard plenty of complaints last year.  I remember reading last year that the line for taxis stretched on and lasted for hours. 
I am glad you were able to make your flight! 

I am so glad we had pre booked the taxi.   When we left the port, the taxi line was huge and I saw only one taxi waiting to pick up passengers.  Dublin port was a disaster.

15 minutes ago, takemewithyou said:

Re disembarkation in Dublin:  I remember the same type of problems last year when passengers disembarked from Pursuit.  It seems nothing has changed……unfortunately.

I wanted to add…it seems to be problem with the port, not with Azamara.

yes, definitely with the port, but it didn't seem as if Azamara was doing anything to expedite matters or even be available to hear passengers' complaints.

I realize I made a mistake in my review.   The Red Hot Chili Pipers were the attraction at the Azamazing Evening in Edinburgh.    The Scottish pipers and singer came later in the cruise on White Night.   They were supposed to have been the attraction at the pool party but the weather forced them inside.    I stand by my review of both groups, however.  

2 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

The mid-cruise questionnaire is still available, but instead of being a paper questionnaire delivered to every cabin, there’s a notice in the Insider daily newsletter, along with a Q code you can use to access the questionnaire online. You can also as for a paper copy at guest relations.

hmm...it must have been well hidden. 

2 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Thanks for sharing your cruise experience. Maybe I’m missing something but what ship were you on?

Onward

We are Discoverer level members and have enjoyed many cruises with Azamara, our favorite cruise line.   We had the best of cruises right before Covid, in the Fall of 2019 when we were on board Quest for the Alaska to Japan cruise.  It was the final cruise for Captain Carl on Quest before he left for Onward.  After Covid we took very short, local cruises on a couple of other cruise lines; one awful and one quite good.   So we were anxious to get back on Azamara and once again travel overseas. 

Yes, there are noticeable changes on Azamara, but the overall experience was wonderful.   The biggest changes we found were in the main dining room.  We ate there just a couple of times because we had a suite and so dined in Aqualina and Prime twice each.   We also sampled Windows and the Patio and tried out Room Service too.  Plus, we signed up for Chef's Table Italian.   Food quality is so subjective that I hesitate to criticize, but we were a bit disappointed a couple of times in both the selections and the service in Discoveries.  The food was not bad; it just seemed to lack a "wow" factor that we'd experienced in the past.  Perhaps we were hyperaware, but it seemed that, as the cruise went on, lots of foods were recycled into different dishes.  I know that happens a lot and it avoids waste, but it seemed more obvious to us this time around.  Service, while friendly, seemed a little chaotic.  In the past there was always a pasta of the day and we loved getting this to share with our tablemates.   Not this time.  The Chef's table was wonderful but we missed having an officer join us (as had been the occasion on our prior cruises.)   Food and service in Aqualina and Prime were outstanding.   In fact, even better than we remembered from past cruises.

Another thing missing was a mid-cruise questionnaire.   In fact, we've been home nearly two weeks and we've received nothing from Azamara asking our comments on the cruise.   The cost of excursions was ridiculous, and so we relied on private operators and DIY.   We did take one Azamara excursion because we had OBC from Azamara to be used just for shore excursions and we didn't want it to be wasted.   Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate although the guide, a local lady from the Isle of Harris, was terrific.

The weather wasn't cooperative for the Azamazing evening and White Night, either.    It was just too darn cold to be outside, although the pool deck buffet was as good as any we've experienced.  Maybe it was the cold, or maybe we're getting old, but we didn't stay for dancing at White Night.  The Azamazing Evening was on board and had to be moved, at the last minute, to the Cabaret instead of the pool deck.   The Scottish dancers and singers and bagpipers were good but not great.   However, Azamara brought on board the Red Hot Chili Pipers earlier in the cruise and they were terrific!   Had everyone singing along and dancing in their seats!  I guess, by comparison, the Azamazing Evening troupe fell a bit flat. 

Our stateroom and "butler" Roy were outstanding.   Roy is the best as was our stateroom attendant Angga.  We loved the tea service at 2:30 and the extra goodies Roy brought  a bit later. 

Now, I must describe the disembarkation process in Dublin.   It really left a sour taste after what had been a very enjoyable cruise.  I don't think Azamara is to blame (although it was their choice to employ Intercruises) but none of the officers or staff were to be seen on disembarkation day and so there was no assistance from Azamara.   We had to go through passport control in Cabaret with Irish officials...a perfunctory look at and stamp on our passports.   Then we were guided to the gangway to leave the ship.   We were off the ship by 7:30 and went to collect our luggage, only to find that just a few bags had been brought down.   (Mind you, we docked at least an hour prior)  We waited until 9:30 to get our bags!   There was one poor soul operating a forklift with a cage which had to be maneuvered to line up with the baggage hold and then opened and then loaded by a couple of people at the baggage hold entrance) then the forklift had to back up and maneuver to the dock and then one man unloaded!   There were several other employees whose main job, it seemed, was to stand around or maybe move a bag or two into the tent.  This process was unbearably slow.   The buses arranged by Azamara to take folks to the airport were very late leaving.   We had arranged a private cab service because Azamara transfers were so expensive, but we ended up having to pay extra for the cab to hang around.   Thank heavens the taxi driver was kind and understanding (and also a fast driver!)   He got us to the airport with 10 minutes to spare to check in our bags and get to our flight.  (As an aside, the British Airways counter at Dublin airport is hard to find and there are only 3 agents...that process too was slow and frustrating) I won't even mention the horrid experience at Heathrow, where we had to make a connecting flight, as that is another topic altogether.   Suffice it to say we will never fly through Heathrow again unless completely forced to make those arrangements. 

We still love Azamara....we have another cruise booked for 2025.  But we also have a cruise booked for next year on another cruise line (the one we tried post Covid and enjoyed) 

I find it more interesting that Azamara is offering OBC for paying the entire cruise amount early.  I know Viking does this kind of thing, but it is new to Azamara.  However, the amount of OBC offered (5% of the cruise cost) doesn't seem to be very persuasive (at least to me)

I too forgot to tune in, but I am happy with what I am hearing here.   At least there is an attempt to address some issues and the statement about 2027 and the eclipse looks quite interesting. A couple of my submitted questions were answered....an IT upgrade to allow direct booking of excursions with OBC, and the possibility of some West Coast cruises again.  

My TA told me it would show up about a week before sailing and happily is refundable.   But I am going to take a copy of my invoice along just in case.   I plan on trying a lot of stuff in the Atlas Bar!  

I have one from the early days....large and with a zip top (which I love because keeps stuff in!) It doesn't have a big Azamara logo...just a discreet little tag on the handle.  I love it and will be taking it on our next Azamara cruise.

22 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Presumably you have logged into your account, clicked Manage my Reservation & clicked on the paper & pencil icon & then on the available tab. If so & you can’t see the prices, try through a different browser such as Chrome

Managed to find them again.  Thanks!    The website is certainly not terribly user friendly.

I have a cruise coming up in six weeks and wanted to compare Azamara's excursion prices to some independent tours.   But now, although I can see the excursions, I cannot see any prices!   I have tried a couple of ways to try to access the excursions, but I still see just a description and no price.    Any suggestions??  (btw, I did manage to see prices some weeks ago, when I purchased one as part of the OBC shore excursions credit.)

Anyone know if there are taxis (or other easy public transport) from Kirkwall port to Skara Brae?   We have a walking tour of the city in the morning but have a long day in port and were hoping to go to Skara Brae in the afternoon.

Underwhelmed by the "big" reveal.    A couple of new ports in the Caribbean and one in Japan?  Plus the Caribbean cruises are in October....good luck with hurricane season!  I am excited about the Canada cruises (and have already booked) for Fall 2025, but the rest seem meh.  But I will wait and watch.  (and see what the service, food, etc. are like on our upcoming Azamara cruise in June)

25 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

A few more details would help.....day of week?  month?  School holidays start in June until September and traffic is much lighter during these months.  Obviously Saturday and Sunday traffic will be light too.  But a minimum of 20/30 minutes to the airport.  Where are you flying to?  USA flights have recommended 3 hours prior to departure for check in (because of the Pre Clearance carried out at Dublin airport for flights to USA).

Roughly cost far taxi about €40/50.

Regarding availability, I am unsure as the port area is a restricted and taxis are usually not permitted to enter.  A shuttle bus takes people from the ship to an area where they can safely walk from the port and where taxis should be waiting.

Well, I goofed.   We disembark at Alexandra Quay, not Dun Laoghaire.   We arrive on a Monday, July 1.  From what I've read, this terminal is not restricted and we can walk right off.   We are flying to Heathrow and connecting there to the U.S. so I don't think we go through pre-clearance. 

any idea of the cost and availability of a taxi from the cruise ship terminal to the airport?   We debark at 7:30 am and need to go straight to the airport for a 10:50 flight.

TIY

We had maybe a 20 minute wait once on the Koningsdam and one morning decided to go to the MDR because we were very hungry lol.    But there is a nice seating area outside and you can grab a drink and look at people or the ocean and the very nice hostess (at least on Koningsdam last cruise) came to get us when a table was available.  By the end of the cruise we figured out when the best time was to appear for dinner.

On 3/3/2024 at 1:16 AM, manc said:

We always stay on Deck 8. 17 cruises and more booked. The small amount of noise in the morning is negligible. CC is much better than P which we have done when no alternative. We don't drink the spirits in the cabin but we prefer the specialist restaurants as with a husband with hearing loss the noise in MDR is a problem for him. 

We normally choose 7 and have been quite satisfied.  One year we were upgraded to an accessible CC on 6 and loved it (the extra space especially in the bathroom was appreciated as I had a broken ankle and was in a full boot at the time).   Our upcoming cruise we purposely decided on a CC on 8, just to pamper ourselves with the extra room and specialties but tried to choose a cabin that was not directly under the pool deck area.  We are early risers and ours is a very port intensive cruise, so I am hoping there won't be too much noise.  (Plus we got a very good price from our TA)   But the following cruise we are back to our usual V2 aft on 7.  Personally, I don't think Veranda Plus is worth the extra cost.

We did a Japan intensive in 2019.   Absolutely wonderful cruise (and our last Azamara until this coming June, because of the pandemic)    So I cannot speak for current Azamara (it was before the sale of Azamara).   We also stopped in Russia, which isn't an option now.   However, we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, which started in Anchorage.   The port times in Japan were generous and that is something we always look at when choosing a cruise.  We've been on Oceania too and one cruise was good and one horrible (surprisingly bad food and questionable changes to our itinerary) but not to Japan. 

Well, I just booked excursions (including the Azamazing Evening) directly with Azamara by phone since the workaround didn't seem to work for me.  I went ahead and "booked" on line but instead of going to "payment" I saved the info and called Azamara.   I got through instantly and the very nice operator asked for my booking #, pulled up the reservations I had made and confirmed them and applied our OBC.   Easy peasy.   I will wait a few days and then go back on line and make sure the reservations still appear, but it seemed to work.  I just don't understand why Azamara's website is so difficult.   I booked excursions on a recent HAL cruise on line using OBC and it was so very easy.   This will be our first Azamara cruise since 2019 (right before the Covid pandemic) and I am hoping the on board experience is as wonderful as it used to be. 

we didn't get one on our Jan 2024 Koningsdam cruise...we did get two small regular HAL bags.

We had the earliest embarkation time (10:20) on our cruise in January and we were Club Orange.   We saw the sign and also saw a sign for 10:20 so we weren't sure what line to get into.   And when we asked personnel milling around, they didn't seem to know either.   Somebody finally told us to get out of the 10:20 line and into the Club Orange line which we did.  At 10:20 we were ushered into the holding area...a very quick and easy check in and then we were directed to seats.   We sat there until after 11 as more and more people entered.   There was a lot of noise and people moving around and we could barely hear the loudspeakers and the personnel directing everyone seemed to be lost.   It was not chaotic but very uncomfortable.   Once Club Orange was called we had an easy walk to the gangway and onto the ship and our cabin was ready shortly after noon.  I don't understand why we could not get right on the ship at 10:30...if the ship wasn't ready to receive us, they shouldn't have given such early embarkation times.  I would have much rather sat up on the pool deck for 40 minutes than in a crowded, noisy hangar like building.  The other negative thing I have to say about our cruise (which was otherwise excellent) is HAL's procedure to have your room cards in an envelope on your cabin door.  I suppose it does save a bit of time at check in, but an elderly friend, who was on the cruise with us entered the wrong room by mistake!    He didn't look carefully at the name on the card and just went in and made himself comfortable.   Imagine the surprise when the real occupants walked in!

I rather liked the duo on Koningsdam at the beginning of January, although their patter was forced at times.   But we really enjoyed the Rolling Stones band...made it a point to get there early for seats because by the time they started their sets, it was standing room only.    Even saw a couple of the ship's officers bopping along.   I would love it if some classical music returned...just for a nice change.  I also enjoyed a bit of playing in the casino (their machines did seem a bit "looser" than on other cruise lines) but, boy oh boy, you needed to get there early on sea days to find a seat!   Wasn't bothered too much by the smoke, but don't understand why people are allowed to smoke in there at all. 

36 minutes ago, Mercruiser said:

Will be booking Sept 2025 Montreal to NYC during our Azamara cruise next week. We are looking forward to this itinerary.

will have to start a roll call....glad you are joining us!