ChucktownSteve
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Posts posted by ChucktownSteve
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Thank you for posting that Bonnie. However I'm not interested in the replacement itineraries.
I'm more interested in finding out what Azamara suggests I do with my cancelled reservation other than those two 7 days. My TA said she hadn't seen anything Thursday. I'm waiting on a call back with info.
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There really is no "Bad Side" when docking in Bermuda. In on direction you overlook the dockyard and on the other side you see across the water to the other end of Bermuda so both sides are great.
Yes but if you have an aft cabin you could overlook the stern of the Breakaway. And they into your cabin.
Sent from my iPhone using Forums
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I've noticed that different weeks the Breakaway and Summit dock bow to bow, stern to stern or sometimes stern to bow. Does anyone know for sure, without theorizing (because I can do that), what determines Dockyard docking direction?
I have a stern cabin and would obviously prefer the Summit's bow facing the Breakaway.
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Is the lobster on Celebrity good enough to warrant ordering more than one? Maybe it's just that I'm not that big a lobster fan, but I've cruised Disney, Carnival, and RCCL and have yet to be impressed with lobster on a cruise. I've gotten to the point where I don't even order it any more because it's usually too dry and kind of meh. I'll have to give the lobster a whirl next year on my first Celebrity cruise.
-- Kevin
In the MDR it's hit an miss but lately, mostly miss. If you like good lobster, you won't be impressed because the tails tend to be smaller and sometimes sit too long awaiting server pick up. Of course this could be cook, server or ship related. YMMV
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One more thing - If I hadn't been reading Cruise Critic, I wouldn't even know what Azamara did. To be clear, they didn't alert me or my travel agent of the cancellation of the itinerary. I wonder if there are people out there who booked this itinerary who have no clue what is going on.
My TA laughingly told me I'd find out before she did if anything was done on this cruise. She LOL'd when I called her Thursday to tell her about the cancellation, which she knew nothing about, and the new itinerary updated on her computer while we were talking.
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But the usual is they hold off your existing cabin for you during a transition like this (or even one of a higher grade :) )
That would be great if I wanted the new itinerary. I would however consider a two day shorter cruise in a different region on Azamara for my protected price. But I'm not holding my breath while they wait to contact my TA.
This cruise was the most expensive we've ever booked but felt it was worth the price we got based upon the original itinerary. Even more than our Oceania cruise where the cost of airfare was included in the package but not on Azamara.
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I looked at the two new itineraries and in comparison to the previous 14 night cruise in no way are they "average". Not sure what the special was. Offers come and go regularly on Azamara. You might want to keep an eye on it. Sounds to me like the price you got when you booked is an important driver.
Phil
The special was a two category upgrade. All Veranda categories were booked at inside rates. Even the current buy one, get one half price promotion isn't as good. Plus cabin rates have risen dramatically since hubofhockey and we've booked.
The new seven night cruise itinerary. which we've been to and don't wish to repeat before going to un-visited ports, costs 41% higher per person per night for the same cat than what we booked the original 14 night cruise. That includes the BOGO half price calculated in. Wouldn't that be an important driver for you?
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Have you heard from Azamara yet? You may find if your great deal was an Azamara one, there will be some protection provided you meet some change conditions. It's a year out so I'd take a chill pill until they have contacted you with the rebooking options
Yet the longer we wait, the further the more desirable cabins get booked before we have a shot at them. Azamara size ships aren't known for a plethora of available cabins. Most of the best ones are booked more than a year out. Aren't they?
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Yes Azamara moved this year's Istanbul six months earlier but left 2017 & 2018 intact until now. However when other cruise lines started dumping out of Istanbul they did it for multiple years forward. That's the difference.
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To a dispassionate watcher of this thread, it feels like Azamara can't win - if they stay with ports in Turkey they will upset some people, if they change the cruise to avoid a Turkey they'll upset other people!
The only port I had problems with was the Istanbul embarkation after the increasing terrorist attacks. But they threw the baby out with the bath water. Instead of moving it to Athens or another port, they made a 14 day into two seven day. What was a greek isle/Amalfi Italian coast became mostly ports I've been to.
Azamara probably couldn't get to Athens because all the other cruise lines jumped out of Turkey first and left AZ with no available alternative choice.
Celebrity moved the Equinox out of the Med I suspect due to weak bookings there. I suspect AZ will pay the price for dragging their heals. But I won't.
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Changes are up for July 2017 for the quest on the Azamara website :mad:
Does that indicate another unhappy customer?:cool:
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checked some travel websites which seem to be a little more updated and the site still had the original 7 day cruise leaving Athens July 5th. But also had another 9 day cruise , which is probably the new cruise, leaving July 5th out of Athens with the same ports except for Ephesus and adding in Dubrovnik and two more ports and ending in Venice.
The cruise after leaving July 12th showing the 1st 4 days in Venice? that cant be right? So this cruise goes around Italy and ports in Rome
What do you find for the Quest July 22, 2017?
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They wanted to be sure they were getting their monies worth.
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Yes especially since the size of the lobster tails are substantially smaller than they used to be.
Back awhile ago when I hit a royal flush on a Vegas video poker machine at 4am on my birthday, that night I ordered a 5# lobster at $21.95/#. It was GREAT! :D
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I wonder if they'll honor the double upgrade deal on the 10-day cruise on 7/12/17
Here's something even funnier. At present, that 7-day cruise is the same price as the 14-day cruise.
I doubt they'll honor the double upgrade based upon my observations. The promotion no longer exists, you're SOL.
Yeah I was on the phone with my TA, who while we were talking, she pulled up the new cruise on her computer. She laughed about the 7 day costing the same as the previous 14 day. She doubted it would remain that high.
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When I questioned Larry Pimentel about my July 2017 Azamara Quest cruise out of Istanbul, his response was, "We fully understand. You'll hear from us at the end of month or early next month on 2017 voyages. No worries!"
No worries meant we won't be be leaving out if Istanbul. And we WON"T have a cruise at all!
Our 14 night cruise to the Greek Isles and Amalfi Coast no longer exists and has been changed to a 7 day out of Rome.
I just got off the phone with an Azamara representative who checked and said one hour ago they released the change which had not been sent to our TA's yet.
According to him the SEVEN DAY cruise will now embark Rome, then go to Florence, Portafino, Monte Carlo, Saint Tropes, Marseille & Barcelona.
He said my TA will be notified of our options. SINCE I DID THIS ITINERARY TWO YEARS AGO ON OCEANIA MARINA, MY OPTION WILL BE CANCEL AZAMARA!!!!!!
Guess problem solved about embarking Istanbul and sailing Azamara.
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Nobody is expected to pay anything additional. I understand the European culture is different and tipping is not expected there. I'm looking forward to going to Europe next year and not having to tip. :-)
Just because some of us feel like tipping extra, why are people getting their panties in a wad because they don't want to tip extra? We never said they had to. People who don't tip or don't tip extra, won't tip no matter what anyone else says.
If we get larger pours, smiles from the staff or faster service than those that don't tip, what difference does it make? Everyone has the right to tip or NOT as they see fit. And the servers have a right to react as they wish as long as it's professional, right?
I use tips as a reward, not a bribe that maybe the bartender will also shine my shoes.:rolleyes:
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Something is going on with respect to the 2017 cruises since the July 2017 Med cruises on the Quest are now not available to be booked. I'm assuming that they are reworking the itineraries to be Turkey free (Vegan ;)).
Yeah I got faked out one week ago when the cruise didn't show on their site one morning but it came back later. It will be interesting to see what happens this time.
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This past weekend I was looking to replace our 14 night 2017 Azarama Istanbul embarking cruise with an Oceania 18 night from Tahiti to Hawaii and L.A. I would have booked it had it been on the Marina. Fortunately for Azamara this time it was on an old Princess ship they just acquired and their refurbishment wasn't a complete one. Only public areas. Didn't want to pay that price to have an old closet cabin. But I was so close to dumping out.
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From what I read, the regular tipping wasn't even mentioned, just the extra tipping. .
Perhaps you should read his comment again. He referred to an 18% gratuity as "extortionate."
Actually the more common freely given gratuity in the U.S., is 20%. It has been for a couple of decades at least that I recall.
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Steve, you don't sound convinced. In any case, as we've discussed about our cruise that is scheduled to begin next July in Istanbul, if it's not changed by Labor Day, we'll be cancelling. If I were on a ship that docked in Kusadasi, I'd stay on the ship.
Oh, I'm convinced they'll monitor the situation. It just reminds me of the first 22 seconds of a Lifelock TV commercial. :D
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Don't worry. I'm sure Azamara will continue to closely monitor the changing situation.
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I still would love to hear examples of this 'extra service' that justifies tipping more than the already extortionate 18%. If it's just "skipping the line", I feel it's unethical to pay for that.
What else are they doing for you? Shoe shines? Like, I legitimately cannot imagine what 'extra' 'above and beyond' service a bartender can provide that would justify any additional tips.
I have the feeling that no matter what anyone says, it would not be good enough for you. BTW nobody suggested "skipping the line" Just admit that you don't like to tip.
If you frequent a restaurant without tipping, I wonder what they do to your food before serving it to you. :eek:
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I'm waiting for the first report of someone "falling" off a ship because they were chasing one.
As opposed to falling off the ship because of chasing one too many alcoholic beverages?
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On my last cruise I had a favorite Head bartender at the sunset bar. I palmed him a tip a few days in for his friendly and efficient service. He made my vaca much more enjoyable. When I walked up he knew what I wanted without questioning but he always served people in order of walk up. If it was a tie, I won. :D I palmed him a second $10 towards the end of the 14 day cruise. I didn't have to. I wanted to.
He said they get to keep whatever tip is handed to them so it doesn't get pooled.
Credible Threats to Public Squares and Docks in Istanbul and Antalya
in Azamara
Posted · Edited by ChucktownSteve
I believe Host Andy had posted on another thread that cruise was chartered.
I found this online: Organized by Luxury Lifestyle Vacations, and also sold by various other agencies, this eight-day, clothing-optional, full-ship swinger cruise embarks Rome (Civitavecchia) on August 5, 2017. The ship is the Azamara Quest, cruising to Barcelona with port calls in Livorno (for Florence), Monte Carlo (overnight), St. Tropez, Sete (France) and Ibiza (overnight).
Have Fun! ;)