DS

Have not gotten detailed email, but...AZ will conduct a COVId test on the pier in Lisbon before you are allowed to board.   Once on board, if a given port (country) requires another test, AZ will give it.   They  will also conduct test before disembarcation if required by the landing contry or if you need it to fly home ( which is, yes, for US... at least for now)

I just posted this on the World Voyage Roll call site (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2814654-azamara-onward-world-voyage-2024/page/8/

"We have booked segments 1-3 (Ft Lauderdale->Lima->Papette-> Auckland)   We are looking forward to this as it completes our "round the world" sailing -- we've done all longitudes except west coast America to New Zealand.   We are also on several ONWARD crurises before this, so will scout out the situation.   Its a long time ( and many cruises) away, but we are greatly looking forward to it!

        P.S.   My wife found the segment listings within a half an hour after they were posted... and no CC suites ( or other suites), nor any aft balconies available at that time.... guess all the early full-voyager booked them all!  We'll wait-list...'

Maybe they should consolide these two pages???

3 hours ago, silkismom said:

Thank you, different format than I had, but it should work.

That list seems to be incomplete.... for example, Quest on March 17 is not listed.

I use  http://www.whatsinport.com/index.htm   a good guide to any port... have to click each country/port  to get to cruise sked for that port, but interesting info on ports we have not been to...

We were also on the Dec 23 Holiday cruise and got the same email.   I want to again commend Capt Johannes and the crew on their communications with the passessengers ( us!) about the onboard situation ... I see on this CC board that that continues.   Once back home I read a lot of press reports about other cruise lines hemming and hawing about cases... denying the truth.   It was so comforting that Azamara was straight with us! Once again, our hearts go out to the crew who are infected or quartentined, as they serve us... since they can't leave the ship, we are the ones who infected them!

        We thouroughly enjoyed our time away and on the ship.   We went to be away, and to be cared for, not to visit a specific Carribean island ( Most of which we have been to before).   SO... we have no complaints about our trip, and are surprised and gratefull by the unexpected offer of OBC.   We already have about 9 cruises booked, but will surely book more! 

We got a refund on our onboard account for port fees for ports-not-stopped-at.   It was about $13 per person.   This is a REFRUNDABLE credit.    It CAN be donated to the crew welfare account... took less than 2 minutes at the desk on deck 4.    Not much, but something.    (Dang, we had worked hard to get our account to exactly zero, then these appeared.... what else can you buy for exactly $26.86??)

Slowed down and veered of to the north.... Nassau or some place in Bahamas on Thursday??

1 hour ago, Mackdogmolly said:

I meant 16 guests and 20 crew 

a 

8 minutes ago, sovilav01 said:

Only testing the people going on tour tomorrow 

Correct.... only the 90 people on tours are getting tested ( Tortola requirement);  the rest of us have to stay on board   

At least one Big Suite is quarantining in place.   They moved the (negative) couple next door to a different cabin for safety

On a more positive note…This evening the Azamara Orchestra / Band/ Jazz quartet presented, in their incarnation as the Azamara Baroque Quartet, in the Living Room an evening of Baroque music—essentially a JS Bach recital.   The band master has transposed several Bach pieces for the band – guitar vice double bass and cello, trumpet and clarinet/flute vice violins, electric keyboard for harpsicord.

              They first performed in early October in Greece; they did so again today.  ( I don’t know if they did so on intermediate cruises…)

              So, the important thing is that this was perhaps the most pleasant hour in our cruise!   No thoughts of virus’s, wonderful music, great musicians who are multi talented ( most had some classical training along the way).  The audience in the living room ( self selected, of course) was very appreciative.

              I’m posting this because this was a wonderful event, but also highlighted how the crew continues to provide for the guests.   As other posts have mentioned, the Captain has been very forthcoming on the situation, providing about twice daily updates.   But in other hours it’s the crew, the waiters, the room stewards, the entertainment staff…indeed the deck hands, the below-deck staff, and even people we don’t know, that make this a wonderful cruise.

              Do I have bad dreams at night?   Of course!   But for one hour tonight all that was forgotten, and the best of mankind was experienced for an appreciative audience.

Just to provide some balance... We are avid Azamara cruisers and love the line ( granted, the ships are better than Miami or the "online experience")  Having said that, we have had 3 cruises cancelled:  one in April, one in July and one in November. 

       Since we like the line, we opted for the 125% FCC.  We received the credit in a reasonably timely manner.   Did we get it the day they promised?   No.  Did we complain 5 minutes later?  No.  We understand this situation is unique --life and death for the company-- and the money I already paid was not going to make or break me in the next week if I did not get an immediate refund.  Within a few days of the expected time we did get the FCCs ( by email directly and thru our TA) as well as a direct refund to the credit card of taxes and fees ( more than we expected). 

      We have received at least the 125% promised, probably more.  (We have already applied the vouchers to cruises later in 2021.)

       Azamara is not the only line we cruise..  We had an Oceania cruise sked for March 2021.  Our TA rebooked us to 2022 just a week ago, since she and we were concerned that Mar 2021 would be a no-go-- at least for us.   Today Oceania cancelled the Mar 2021 sailing...  glad our TA was on the ball!

       Tonight was the first time I've signed on to this board in many months, and I was sorry to see all the negative comments.   Clearly our experience does not match that of some of the posters...

David

Fort Myers, Fl