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Tips for Azamara Newbies


Grandma Cruising
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We have just checked in and were surprised to be asked about our arrival time.  We will be in a hotel before we we embark so not totally sure when we may wish to get to the port.  We put an early time of 12.30pm - 1pm, but is that flexible to some extent?

 

Also is there a good/bad time to arrive, i.e. do queues build up at certain times and is there a priority order as to who can board first, even when turning up at the correct time or thereabouts?  We will be boarding in Barcelona. 

Edited by tring
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38 minutes ago, tring said:

I see room service is included and the menu looks very good.  What about tips for that?  Do people usually tip when it is delivered or could we just give something bigger towards the end of a cruise?

 

 

No tips required. You have paid gratuities in your cruise fare. If you really want to give something ask to put something in the Crew Welfare fund.

Edited by Host Grandma Cruising
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31 minutes ago, tring said:

We have just checked in and were surprised to be asked about our arrival time.  We will be in a hotel before we we embark so not totally sure when we may wish to get to the port.  We put an early time of 12.30pm - 1pm, but is that flexible to some extent?

 

Also is there a good/bad time to arrive, i.e. do queues build up at certain times and is there a priority order as to who can board first, even when turning up at the correct time or thereabouts?  We will be boarding in Barcelona. 

Asking for arrival time is a fairly new thing on Azamara. In practice you can get there when you want, no-one checks the time you were due. On our recent cruise we were due to check in at 1:00, but we were there just after 11:30 and had no problems.

We usually prefer to get there early, so we can have lunch before it gets too busy. We’ve rarely had to wait for long.

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Hello

 

We are soon to be popping out Azamara cherries, and were wondering what the cut-off time for boarding was when visiting a port?

 

If the ship leaves at 6pm, and we have a tour booked independantly that aims to get back at 4:45pm, how much of a buffer do we actually have to get back on board?

 

Thanks

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20 minutes ago, kr00t0n said:

Hello

 

We are soon to be popping out Azamara cherries, and were wondering what the cut-off time for boarding was when visiting a port?

 

If the ship leaves at 6pm, and we have a tour booked independantly that aims to get back at 4:45pm, how much of a buffer do we actually have to get back on board?

 

Thanks

If you leave at 6pm and assuming it's not a tender port then it will be all aboard by 5.45pm.  There will be a board as you exit the ship confirming the time to be back.

 

Phil

Edited by excitedofharpenden
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2 hours ago, Doh15 said:

What about the flip side— if the ship is scheduled to arrive at 8 am, how likely is it that we will be off the boat by, say, 8:10 (in a non-tender port)?

 

That might be more difficult to estimate, depending on the port and what local clearances need to be attended to -- more so for the ship, versus indivdual passengers.  An 08:10 departure might be cutting it close.  If the tour operator does a lot of business at that particular port, they may be better able to answer that part of the question.  I'd be somewhat hesitant to plan on that time table without assurance (in writing) from the operator about how workable that timing is.

 

NRayH

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Thanks.  It's not that we'd book a tour that leaves exactly at 8:10, but more that if we could get off at 8:10 we should have no problems, and if we get off at 8:30 our plans would be impossible, so was trying to get a sense of how reasonable it was to plan on being off within 10-15 minutes of scheduled arrival time, but our plans might change anyway.

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13 hours ago, kr00t0n said:

Hello

 

We are soon to be popping out Azamara cherries, and were wondering what the cut-off time for boarding was when visiting a port?

 

If the ship leaves at 6pm, and we have a tour booked independantly that aims to get back at 4:45pm, how much of a buffer do we actually have to get back on board?

 

Thanks

 

Hi kr00t0n, welcome to the Azamara family!

Per our Booking Confirmation, on page 2:

"Important Information: Due to new government regulations, Guests must be checked-in and onboard no later than 90 minutes prior to the sailing time or they will not be permitted to sail. To expedite boarding, check-in online at www.AzamaraClubCruises.com/onlinecheckin. This is available at 90 days prior to sailing and up to three (3) days prior to sailing, not including the day of sailing."

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32 minutes ago, BBMacLaird said:

 

Hi kr00t0n, welcome to the Azamara family!

Per our Booking Confirmation, on page 2:

"Important Information: Due to new government regulations, Guests must be checked-in and onboard no later than 90 minutes prior to the sailing time or they will not be permitted to sail. To expedite boarding, check-in online at www.AzamaraClubCruises.com/onlinecheckin. This is available at 90 days prior to sailing and up to three (3) days prior to sailing, not including the day of sailing."

Bonnie is correct for embarkation but I think kr00t0n was talking about '

                   We are soon to be popping out Azamara cherries, and were wondering what the cut-off time for boarding was when                         visiting a port?

 

                   If the ship leaves at 6pm, and we have a tour booked independantly that aims to get back at 4:45pm, how much of   a                       buffer do we actually have to get back on board?

 

I'd be interested if there is any changes to ship reboarding when visiting a port - as it's usually Crew - 1/2 hour before departure time and guests 15 minutes before departure time.

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That’s what I understood too and it was certainly the case last week on Journey. My understanding is on embarkation day you have to be on the ship 90 minutes before sailing time, but in other ports during the cruise it’s usually onboard 15 minutes before sailing time. When the ship’s anchored and tendered the last tender is usually 30 minutes before sailing time. The last time to be onboard is always posted on the top of the front page the day’s ‘Insider’ daily programme/newsheet.

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20 hours ago, aussie travel bird said:

when visiting a port - as it's usually Crew - 1/2 hour before departure time and guests 15 minutes before departure time.

 

Oops I did think they were asking about embarkation day! 

You and HGC are correct, during the cruise the time to be aboard is much closer in to sailing time. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

We will be sailing with Azamara for the first time next month. I was looking at the dining packages on their website and in small print at the bottom it says that one of the dinners in the package has to be either the 1st or 2nd night of the cruise. I was going to buy the package because it’s my birthday and our anniversary while on the cruise so wanted to have special dinners those nights. Also, first night will be early night to get over jet lag so not interested in a special dinner. Can anyone comment or know anything about this? Thanks.

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6 hours ago, Sachasmom said:

We will be sailing with Azamara for the first time next month. I was looking at the dining packages on their website and in small print at the bottom it says that one of the dinners in the package has to be either the 1st or 2nd night of the cruise. I was going to buy the package because it’s my birthday and our anniversary while on the cruise so wanted to have special dinners those nights. Also, first night will be early night to get over jet lag so not interested in a special dinner. Can anyone comment or know anything about this? Thanks.

I never noticed that before - just found it on the bottom of the Dining Packages PDF. We have always bought the 3 dinner package and have never had one of the meals on the first or second night ( including our cruise on Journey last month). 

You can’t buy the package before you board anyway. There is a reservation desk just inside the entrance to Windows buffet, but there is usually another reservation table set up somewhere else - last month it was in Sprits Bar. That one often has a smaller queue. You can buy the package and make your bookings all at once.

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12 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

I never noticed that before - just found it on the bottom of the Dining Packages PDF. We have always bought the 3 dinner package and have never had one of the meals on the first or second night ( including our cruise on Journey last month). 

You can’t buy the package before you board anyway. There is a reservation desk just inside the entrance to Windows buffet, but there is usually another reservation table set up somewhere else - last month it was in Sprits Bar. That one often has a smaller queue. You can buy the package and make your bookings all at once.

 

Celebrity says the same thing for their packages and will always change it.  After all, they do want to sell them.  Their preference is to get people in there the first night because most people avoid specialty dining on the first night.  On Celebrity, they discount specialty dining on the first night as well.  

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17 minutes ago, salseros2003 said:

Hello,

I guess on laundry we will find an iron board as well, right?

 

thank you 

Massimo

The laundry room on Deck 7 has washing machines, driers and two ironing boards and irons. Washing detergent capsules are also provided for use in the washing machines.

Edited by Host Grandma Cruising
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In another topic cruisestitch asked about whether there is a ‘take a book, leave a book shelf. Bonnie answered ‘yes there’s a bookshelf in the Drawing Room (Library) for just this. It’s located inside the door on the starboard side...in front of Prime C on deck 10. That’s where you can also pickup the daily crossword and sudoku puzzles’

Edited by Host Grandma Cruising
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