JWayne60

36 minutes ago, uktog said:

Due to sea conditions Onward will not call at Virgin Gorda on Friday where tendering would be a challenge but fair play we are going to dock in Tortola a new island for us 

@uktogYour cruise is beginning to sound like the “Magical Mystery Tour” (Quest holiday cruise Dec 2021 - Jan 2022) that both @Mackdogmollyand I were on last year… but fortunately for different reasons… yours weather / sea conditions, whereas ours was totally COVID related.   Nevertheless, hope you continue to enjoy your cruise, just as we did last year 😎 🚢.

Jeff

19 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Hi Jeff! 
Just wanted to add information add the bottom of my messages ( like on yours!)

Looks like you succeeded, well done!!!

22 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

I can’t work out how to do this. Can someone help me with this?

Hi Betsey, not sure what you’re trying to do here… add signature to what?

Jeff

We always book a balcony room on Deck 7 midship, and there has always been plenty of room under the beds for our suitcases.  Not sure about the sunbathing options, will leave that to others. Enjoy your Azamara cruise! 🚢😎

On 1/15/2022 at 10:10 PM, Mackdogmolly said:

I got this too, but it didn’t mention an expiration date on the OBC. I have asked my TA to look into this.

Hey Betsey, just curious if you ever heard anything about an expiration date on that OBC we received from the Quest Holiday cruise? Don’t want to sidetrack current conversations here, so you may email me at jwfries1220@gmail.com, if you prefer.  Thanks!

Jeff

4 hours ago, combine said:

Does it change every night Anne ?  
we are not lobster lovers so its wasted on us. 

Just wondering, can you access the future Chef’s Specials menus on your stateroom TV, like you can all the other MDR and Specialty menus?

4 hours ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

Do they collect corking fee when you board or when you bring the bottle to the MDR?

They only collect the corkage fee if / when you bring the bottle to the MDR or specialty restaurant. If you consume it privately, no fee. 🍷🍷

Thanks @uktog, greatly appreciate your review / comparison. As you can see from my signature block, we love Azamara AND have our first Viking Ocean cruise scheduled for September (Montreal to Fort Lauderdale)… so very timely.  We’ve done one Viking River cruise (years ago) on the Douro in Portugal, and loved it.  Now eager to see how we like the Viking Ocean experience… while we appreciate some caution, sure hope they can relax some of their COVID protocols by September.  
 

Cheers

Jeff

My experience, as recently as the 2021-2022 Holiday cruise on Quest, is that there’s no specified limit; I think we put 6-8 bottles in one typical roll-aboard suitcase with no problem at check-in. Keep in mind, if you have any need / desire to keep your bottles cool / chilled, there is VERY limited room in the standard stateroom fridge… if you remove the shelves and all the soft drinks, you can fit 2 or 3 bottles. 🍷 🍷 

2 hours ago, fowlisbabe said:

Thanks for replies uktog/Grandma Cruising.  I was one of the many unhappy with Cutty Sark 🤢  😥. Was hoping they had changed it to Grouse as I thought it was mentioned in another thread some time ago as a possible alternative/addition to list.  Fingers crossed that they may have changed it for my next cruise. 

Indeed it was Famous Grouse on Quest for the holiday cruise in Dec / Jan, enjoyed it. 

4 hours ago, woodlander1 said:

We haven't cruised with Azamara (or any other line for that matter) since 2017.  We are looking at the first 3 legs of the 2024 world cruise as a means to get to New Zealand to visit our family and be part of a longer visit to NZ and Australia. It would make a nice change from the 24 hr flight!

Does any know when booking for individual sectors might open up?  

Last I heard, which was from the Future Cruise Sales Manager during the Quest Holiday cruise, the individual segments of the World Voyage are supposed to go on sale February 1st.  And I believe they are expecting pretty strong demand. Good luck 🚢😎. 

7 hours ago, Gardendog said:

We are considering going on the Quest since our Journey cruise was canceled. How and when are they testing now? When we were on the Journey in October we were tested three times; prior to boarding, a few days in and before disembarkation.

 

Is that how it is still done, specifically asking about the Quest Caribbean cruises this winter?

 

Look forward to being on an Azamara ship again . . .

I was on Quest Holiday cruise, and testing was similar to your experience on Journey, but of course the end of cruise test was done only if necessary for your travels home. For latest on Quest testing, see some recent posts in the thread “Anybody onboard currently?”, specifically post #s 527, 544 & 559 by @Leo_On_Geo .  Best wishes for your travel plans. 😎🚢

10 minutes ago, gbphipps said:

We were on the Quest for B2B cruises from December 10th through January 7th.  We had a great first cruise (Dec 7th-23rd) but after Christmas I tested positive for covid without symptoms, despite being triple vaccinated, extremely careful and only having left the ship once in both cruises.  I was isolated for 10 days in a tiny ocean view cabin and my husband as a close contact was quarantined for 10 days in our suite even though he tested negative throughout. They never retested me after they verified my first initial antigen test with a PCR.  We were promised that we would hear from Azamara within a week following disembarkation regarding an FCC for the 2/3 of our $15,000 holiday cruise that we missed but so far we only received an email sent to all guests onboard offering $300-$500 onboard credit for a new booking for the ports missed due to covid onboard.  When will we hear from Azamara?  When will their promises be fulfilled?  We have several future cruises already booked in suites and are contemplating canceling since we have not been made whole from this whole covid fiasco onboard.  Isolation and quarantine alone with food in cardboard boxes is no way to spend New Year’s Eve.  I am sure all would agree.  It was depressing to the max and I am still experiencing PTSD from that claustrophobic solitary confinement experience.  The man in the next tiny solitary cell beat the walls and the windows until they let him out.  I was compliant to all they asked, despite feeling like a leper in my small cell.  I am frankly afraid to take another cruise anytime soon as I dont know if I could survive mentally a repeat of this experience.

So sorry to hear about your experience. I sure hope they provided a phone number to contact them. If not, here’s the phone numbers from their website… I hope you are able to get some feedback very quickly. 

On 1/6/2022 at 5:41 PM, JWayne60 said:

@uktog as usual you are spot on. Two of your points were important for us, no flights since we live in Florida, and it was time to get away for a change. Although weather wasn’t drastically different than Tampa, I must say it was fantastic weather throughout.  It was definitely a “different” cruise for us, but we enjoyed it and are glad we did it. Of course, we had the added “insurance” of knowing that Captain Johannes would be at the helm, and that he and Azamara would make the best of things… job done. No refund necessary.

 

Regarding the Quest Caribbean Holiday Cruise (23-Dec to 7-Jan), in true Azamara style, my wife and I have both received the attached email from Azamara, offering us a “gift” of On Board Credit ($300 - $500 p/p) towards a new future booking, as a result of the Covid complications that were experienced. Wow. I assume we are not alone. Totally unexpected, truly Azamazing. 

1 hour ago, Ag cruiser said:

Anyone on the Quest currently? We are scheduled for the next Caribbean cruise leaving on the 23rd. Wondering about Covid cases on board and how it is going in general. We have cruised on both Azamara and Windstar previously.  Just got an email from Windstar stating they have canceled all of their cruises except Tahiti (but including Caribbean) until Jan 28th because of Covid and port uncertainty. Hard to know what to do.

Understand your concern. We did the Holiday cruise on Quest and had a good time despite the Covid related challenges.  I believe @mihusker and @Leo_On_Geo are onboard Quest and provided some good updates on this thread a few days ago. They must be having a good time 😎🚢.  (Or maybe internet connection is sub-optimal.)
 

Also @Leo_On_Geo posted an update earlier today on the regular Roll Call thread named “Azamara Quest - January 7, 2022” (I can’t get the URL to paste here)… see their post #169 there.  Happy travels and best of luck, whatever you decide to do. 

11 minutes ago, PAtravelbug said:

I'll copy and paste from an earlier discussion:   On Quest on the Dec 10 to 23rd cruise  out of  MIami - ALL passengers have to test negative at the pier to board the ship.  Azamara provides the testing.    Then there is a mid cruise test - in our case it was on day 4 since negative tests were needed to visit Barbados which was 3 days away.   Then , toward the end of the trip, anyone who needed a test for a flight to re-renter their country, either a PCR or rapid test - which ever was required - was provided free of charge.   
The cruise after us was the same.     Someone on board now can tell you what is happening now.  

 

 

Actually, just one difference on the Quest Dec 23 - Jan 7 cruise (also in a previous post), because Tortola, a last minute port change, required a negative test result to participate in the bubble tours there (only Azamara excursions allowed onshore).  So the test was optional (and free) and only needed if you purchased one of those excursions. 

2 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Thanks Jeffrey, I will check it out! Sad to be home!

Yeh, the day after the cruise, I woke up, put my mask on, and headed for Mosaic Coffee Bar at 7:30am sharp, for my first cup of coffee, only to realize I was in my own kitchen!!!  UGH, hate when that happens! 🤣🤣🤣😎🚢

By the way, if you have the time to scroll back through the postings (on that other thread) for the previous Quest cruise (Dec 23  - Jan 7… 516 pax), you will see updates on both the positive COVID cases that occurred onboard, as well as the stellar service and communication by Captain Johannes and ALL the staff, despite the circumstances.  We were glad we took the cruise, and hope all the postings on the other thread give you a better sense of what’s happening onboard.  We are still VERY PLEASED with Azamara 😎🚢

19 minutes ago, Mrs Miggins said:

I paid the balance last week for our B2B cruise on Quest 16th and and 23rd April.  The roll calls are practically non existent and when I do a trial booking on Azamara there seem to be loads of empty cabins.

Really looking forward to being back on a cruise ship, especially since we had to shift our Viking New Year cruise to September 2022 due to the uncertainty of any shore excursions at all in France for UK cruisers.  In fact they were allowed in the end.

On the other site there have been a few less than favourable reviews of recent Azamara cruises. ie performance of the CD, slow service etc.  

We have always had wonderful Azamara cruises so I hope that we will enjoy their usual great service in April.

 

 

Try this Azamara thread: “Anybody onboard currently?”   That’s where most live updates are being posted for Quest and Journey. 
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2812089-anybody-onboard-currently/page/21/

15 hours ago, WB57 said:

Thanks for the info.  Quick follow-up...if one chooses to 'not get off' at a port that requires negative test, can you opt-out of the test?  Or does 'everyone' have to do the mid-cruise regardless if you plan to get off at a given port (e.g. Barbados)?  Thank you.

Clarification on my previous response to this… as @Roel94 pointed out, when Tortola agreed to allow us to dock there (in place of San Juan, Puerto Rico), they would only allow “bubble” tours and only for passengers who tested negative for COVID 19 within a certain timeframe, therefore anyone who wanted to do one of the ship’s excursions was required to test the night before arrival in Tortola. So, I suppose it’s true that you could opt out of that test, by opting out of the excursions.  Fortunately, according to Captain, all ~90 passengers who took that test (and the excursions) tested negative.  Hope this makes sense. 

37 minutes ago, WB57 said:

Thanks for the info.  Quick follow-up...if one chooses to 'not get off' at a port that requires negative test, can you opt-out of the test?  Or does 'everyone' have to do the mid-cruise regardless if you plan to get off at a given port (e.g. Barbados)?  Thank you.

As far as I know, the mid cruise test was mandatory for all guests and crew, not optional… we were never asked whether we planned to get off the ship or not at a certain port. 

1 hour ago, PAtravelbug said:

On Quest on the Dec 10 to 23rd cruise  out of  MIami - ALL passengers have to test negative at the pier to board the ship.  Azamara provides the testing.    Then there is a mid cruise test - in our case it was on day 4 since negative tests were needed to visit Barbados which was 3 days away.   Then , toward the end of the trip, anyone who needed a test for a flight to re-renter their country, either a PCR or rapid test - which ever was required - was provided free of charge.  

Exact same approach taken on the Quest 23-Dec to 7-Jan cruise. 

12 hours ago, uktog said:

I’d be a winner on that cruise, we’ve missed port insurance in our travel policy.  
Maybe the reactions to the experience depends on 

a.  Do you normally live in a warm place or are you subject to painfully freezing weather at this time of year?

b.  Are you someone who has to be in control or can you go with the flow?

c. How restricted has your day to day life been and for how long in the last two years?

d. How extensive are restrictions back home for you right now?

e.  Are you able to manage expectations/focus on glass full rather than empty?

 

I’m sure there’s a behavioural research project somewhere in this. 
 

For what it’s worth, I’d still get on a cruise to nowhere today, it’s the flights that make me more nervous.  And hopefully asymptomatic becomes acceptable to the authorities soon - after all we all have bad germs in our gut but have cruised with precautions on that score for years. 

@uktog as usual you are spot on. Two of your points were important for us, no flights since we live in Florida, and it was time to get away for a change. Although weather wasn’t drastically different than Tampa, I must say it was fantastic weather throughout.  It was definitely a “different” cruise for us, but we enjoyed it and are glad we did it. Of course, we had the added “insurance” of knowing that Captain Johannes would be at the helm, and that he and Azamara would make the best of things… job done. No refund necessary.
 

Best quote from Captain Johannes at Azamara Circle event… “Let’s kick Covid in the ass!”

Best wishes to everyone on your upcoming cruises, whether you’re jumping on board soon or deferring until later. 🚢😎

3 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

New positive cases…..? Passengers or crew?  How many total now?

Captains announcement this evening indicated 21 pax and 35 crew have tested positive, keeping in mind that most of the newer crew positives were already in quarantine as “close contacts”,  therefore their continued isolation doesn’t increase the number of staff who are “offline”. It’s not clear to me how many crew remain in quarantine as negative “close contacts”… I’m thinking 15-30 based on previous updates, but just a guess.  Captain also repeated that all cases continue to be very mild symptoms.  Hoping for the best for all affected pax and crew 🙏. 
 

Meantime, all remaining crew have done a tremendous job delivering excellent service, even under these circumstances.   We are so grateful for their efforts, and hope the situation improves dramatically in the coming days and weeks. 

3 hours ago, Realaleforme said:

Anything interesting to share from the Q & A with the Captain on the current state of COVID onboard? Updated numbers? Plan for the next cruise? Anything?  Thank you

No new update yet (that I’m aware of) on the exact number of crew still offline (due to positive test or close contact), however, I can say that service has still been excellent. 
 

For whatever it’s worth, Captain said this current cruise was at 586 pax about a week prior to departure, but final number onboard was 517, nationality breakdown from front desk attached.