First time Azamara cruiser, advice please.

Hi all

We booked our first Azamara cruise on Pursuit. June 9, 2019 from Venice to Athens.

We have cruised on Celebrity, Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean before.

I am not clear on a few things and would appreciate some help.

Venice: Our itinerary says we embark on 10/10, but the ship doesn't leave Venice until 10 PM on 10/11. I guess the idea is to give a chance to see Venice as part of the cruise. If we plan to reach Venice on 10/10 morning, do we get to embark early in the day and see Venice for 10/10 and 10/11 with Cruise ship as our hotel base? I was wondering if I need to book a hotel for 10/10.

Athens: We are supposed to disembark on 10/19 in Athens at 6 AM. The description says a lot about what to do in Athens similar to the description of other ports of call. Is that part of cruise or is it something we have to do on our own and just a suggestion? If the cruise ends at 6 AM, we have to find a hotel to stay and that would be difficult given the early arrival. If we are on our own after 6 AM, is there a City extension we can buy for Athens? I can't find it on Azamara web site. If there is, then I was hoping that the transfer from the cruise is seamless and early arrival wouldn't be a problem.

Thank you all in advance.

Ravi

First, take a deep breath.

Get on your Roll Call for your particular cruise, and join in ongoing conversations with the people who are going on your exact same cruise. I'm almost certain there would be a city excursion or something. What we do in cases like yours is enjoy a leisurely breakfast and then get off the ship at the absolute last moment possible. Contact your hotel beforehand and note you are coming in early. Hotels in port cities are used to people coming in before check-in time. They will be able to hold your luggage safely while you go out and enjoy the city until you want to check in. It's easy, people all over the world do it every single day. Sometimes......even after you have checked out.....they'll hold your luggage for a time. We had that occur this summer on the cruise I mention below. We were in Edinburgh pre-cruise and the second to last day there we took a train to visit a relative on the other far side of Scotland. We didn't want to drag our big cases around on the train so we just checked out of the hotel and they held our big bags. Went to Gairloch Scotland overnight with the cousin, took the train back to Edinburgh, and asked a taxi driver at the train station to take us to the port via our hotel to pick up our bags. Easy easy.

We are longtime Celebrity cruisers who took our first AZ cruise this past summer. We embarked from Edinburgh Scotland but didn't leave that day, as yours appears to. You get on the ship like you normally do, and then you are free to do whatever you want. You can stay out late into the evening and enjoy the city as you want. No, you don't need to get a hotel. Your ship is the hotel. Azamara often does itineraries where there is a two day stay at the beginning. We loved Edinburgh and were there 4 days ahead of the cruise in a hotel and continued to enjoy the area both days the ship was in port. The day we embarked we didn't get to the ship until about 6 p.m. It's no problem, they're there overnight. What we did miss was muster drill. However, it's normal for people to miss the drill when the ship has two days in port at the beginning. There was a make-up drill at 9 pm or something like that. It was about 5 minutes - best muster drill ever: "Here's your life vest. This is your muster station." You hear the whistle/bells, come here with your jacket on and we'll tell you what to do. The end." :D

I think you're going to love AZ. Only one AZ cruise in and we're already cheerleaders ha ha. We booked a back to back in a suite :hearteyes: for 2020 we liked it so much. Two years to save up for that!

If you’re going to be in Venice on the morning of 10th, you will probably be able to embark that lunchtime. You may be able to leave your luggage in the terminal building if you’re there earlier. Azamara usually, though not always, docks at the San Basilio terminal. From there it’s really easy to walk into Venice, or to get a Vaporretto (water bus). These 2 sites have useful information about getting around in Venice https://www.theveniceinsider.com/how-to-guide-transportation-venice/

https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/vi-transport.htm

Regarding disembarkation, I just had a look at your cruise itinerary on Azamara’s website. The Pursuit is due to arrive in Athens at 6am. That not the time you will have to disembark. It’s unlikely disembarkation will start until 7am and you may be able to stay until 9:30am. Sometimes you can pay a small fee and stay onboard later, so long as you are out of your cabin, usually by 9 at the latest. You put your luggage out the night before and it’ll be in the terminal waiting for you when you disembark.

You may find it helpful to read the sticky thread above ‘Tips for Azamara Newbies’.

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Thank you, that was very helpful. When we arrive in Venice, we'll try to find a place to hold the luggage (if Terminal doesn't allow them soon enough).

I guess, we are on our own in Athens. This is what I would have thought, but the web site description of what to do in Athens on the last day threw me off into thinking if they would arrange something. We can just leave the luggage at the hotel and roam around until check-in time, easy enough.

Thanks again.

If you’re going to be in Venice on the morning of 10th, you will probably be able to embark that lunchtime. You may be able to leave your luggage in the terminal building if you’re there earlier. Azamara usually, though not always, docks at the San Basilio terminal. From there it’s really easy to walk into Venice, or to get a Vaporretto (water bus). These 2 sites have useful information about getting around in Venice https://www.theveniceinsider.com/how-to-guide-transportation-venice/

https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/vi-transport.htm

Regarding disembarkation, I just had a look at your cruise itinerary on Azamara’s website. The Pursuit is due to arrive in Athens at 6am. That not the time you will have to disembark. It’s unlikely disembarkation will start until 7am and you may be able to stay until 9:30am. Sometimes you can pay a small fee and stay onboard later, so long as you are out of your cabin, usually by 9 at the latest. You put your luggage out the night before and it’ll be in the terminal waiting for you when you disembark.

 

You may find it helpful to read the sticky thread above ‘Tips for Azamara Newbies’.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thank you, I did start a thread on roll call.

It looks like I sounded anxious and I do thank you for trying to calm me down. But luckily, I am not anxious at all, just confused due the way the cruise was designed. We've done a bunch of cruises before, but never one that docks for two day at the beginning.

I am looking forward to the cruise!

First, take a deep breath.

Get on your Roll Call for your particular cruise, and join in ongoing conversations with the people who are going on your exact same cruise. I'm almost certain there would be a city excursion or something. What we do in cases like yours is enjoy a leisurely breakfast and then get off the ship at the absolute last moment possible. Contact your hotel beforehand and note you are coming in early. Hotels in port cities are used to people coming in before check-in time. They will be able to hold your luggage safely while you go out and enjoy the city until you want to check in. It's easy, people all over the world do it every single day. Sometimes......even after you have checked out.....they'll hold your luggage for a time. We had that occur this summer on the cruise I mention below. We were in Edinburgh pre-cruise and the second to last day there we took a train to visit a relative on the other far side of Scotland. We didn't want to drag our big cases around on the train so we just checked out of the hotel and they held our big bags. Went to Gairloch Scotland overnight with the cousin, took the train back to Edinburgh, and asked a taxi driver at the train station to take us to the port via our hotel to pick up our bags. Easy easy.

 

We are longtime Celebrity cruisers who took our first AZ cruise this past summer. We embarked from Edinburgh Scotland but didn't leave that day, as yours appears to. You get on the ship like you normally do, and then you are free to do whatever you want. You can stay out late into the evening and enjoy the city as you want. No, you don't need to get a hotel. Your ship is the hotel. Azamara often does itineraries where there is a two day stay at the beginning. We loved Edinburgh and were there 4 days ahead of the cruise in a hotel and continued to enjoy the area both days the ship was in port. The day we embarked we didn't get to the ship until about 6 p.m. It's no problem, they're there overnight. What we did miss was muster drill. However, it's normal for people to miss the drill when the ship has two days in port at the beginning. There was a make-up drill at 9 pm or something like that. It was about 5 minutes - best muster drill ever: "Here's your life vest. This is your muster station." You hear the whistle/bells, come here with your jacket on and we'll tell you what to do. The end." :D

 

I think you're going to love AZ. Only one AZ cruise in and we're already cheerleaders ha ha. We booked a back to back in a suite :hearteyes: for 2020 we liked it so much. Two years to save up for that!

If no one minds, can I ask a further question on this thread re: embarkation in Venice on 10 June 2019.

If the ship doesn't depart until 11 Jun at 10pm, what is the latest time I could check in 10 June?

I can get a flight on frequent flier miles on 10 June that arrives into Venice at 2325.  Can I still check in on 10 June in the early hours?

If that is not possible, can I check in at lunchtime the following day (11 June) as there is an alternative flight early the next morning, arriving at 1205.  I appreciate it means missing 1 night on board, but having done Venice many times, I don't mind missing a ship night or even roaming around VCE for the day.

The issues is, are the check in staff available at all times?

On 10/8/2018 at 8:34 PM, ravisudhir said:

Thank you, that was very helpful. When we arrive in Venice, we'll try to find a place to hold the luggage (if Terminal doesn't allow them soon enough).

 

I guess, we are on our own in Athens. This is what I would have thought, but the web site description of what to do in Athens on the last day threw me off into thinking if they would arrange something. We can just leave the luggage at the hotel and roam around until check-in time, easy enough.

 

Thanks again.

 

 

Azamara typically offers a city/parthenon tour with hotel drop off on debark mornings in Athens (as well as another similar tour with airport transfer) at additional cost.  The tour drops off at three different hotels, typically, and if yours isn't one of them you can take a cab from the drop off hotel.  The tour includes baggage handling from the ship to the bus and typically is 3-4 hours duration.  Check Voyage Planner when you get closer to your embarkation date if interested.

Regarding embarkation in Venice, you need to ask Azamara. Try an email to Richard Twynam, UK MD at RTwynam@azamaraclubcruises.com