On Pursuit right now - very disappointed!

[Wickets]

Not sure where cruises without outside intertainment sailed.  We had steel drum player on stop in Bermuda on Journey TA last fall, and something every sea day.  We were never on board during afternoons on recent Greek Island on Pursuit so don’t have comments on that cruise.  I can understand not doing much if everyone is ashore.  On two long Panama Canal Cruises, afternoon sea days had something unless rough weather. If we were in port late, they brought in local groups on outside stage in evening.

[marinaro44]

3 hours ago, Lottie A said:

Azamara has thankfully never had music by the pool. I hate it on Celebrity. If you want to listen to music by the pool then please bring a device and headphones. Then you can enjoy your music without tormenting those of us who just want some peace and quiet to read or relax. 

+1  Please, no music by the pool.  Ever.  It's been the ALWAYS "normal" on Azamara.

[Grandma Cruising]

As far as I can remember there has been some sort of live music performance every sea day on the stage by the pool - maybe a guitarist or keyboard player. This usually lasts for an hour or two. But there is never canned music round the pool, thank goodness.

[uktog]

44 minutes ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

As far as I can remember there has been some sort of live music performance every sea day on the stage by the pool - maybe a guitarist or keyboard player. This usually lasts for an hour or two. But there is never canned music round the pool, thank goodness.

They do not however ask performers to operate when the temperature is expected to be below a certain level which is why no poolside music was scheduled when we were in South America even when days turned out to be warmer than expected.  

[Lottie A]

It's canned Muzak around the pool we are talking about. There is occasional live music on a sea day which is just fine but that loud canned Musak a la Celebrity constantly blasting out around the pool area, and which they refuse to turn down, is not what the Azamara client wants. Well that's my opinion anyway! 

I love music and dancing and on White Night am up dancing for hours...I just don't want it when I'm relaxing in the day....and I don't think I'm alone here. 

[excitedofharpenden]

9 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

Then why do they bother having a stage?

They use the stage for occasional local talent performances they bring on if the weather is ok and the band play there sometimes if there is a deck bbq on a sea day (always way too loud in my view). Other than White Night that is probably most of what you see it used for. Thankfully!  Oh and the movies under the stars and I've complained about the excessive volume there too, like half a dozen people watching the movie at the front with it blasting out around the pool deck. They were very good at sorting that out though. 

 

Phil 

Edited February 25, 2019 by excitedofharpenden

[gymfreak]

Got to say I don’t mind the odd hour round about lunchtime on a sunny sea day of live music but a definite no to continuos canned music by the pool which would drive me nuts!

[Werangels]

5 hours ago, Lottie A said:

It's canned Muzak around the pool we are talking about. There is occasional live music on a sea day which is just fine but that loud canned Musak a la Celebrity constantly blasting out around the pool area, and which they refuse to turn down, is not what the Azamara client wants. Well that's my opinion anyway! 

I love music and dancing and on White Night am up dancing for hours...I just don't want it when I'm relaxing in the day....and I don't think I'm alone here. 

Just the thought of canned music makes me shudder.

[marinaro44]

Here's another take on the Ushuaia situation from a friend who was on board:

 

"But when we got to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world we encountered severe winds.  We did get the ship secured to the dock but for 7 hours the port closed to other ships and the captain had to run the thrusters the whole time to keep the ship  from pulling away from the dock.  The only reason they could use the thrusters so long was that the cold water cooled the engines.  The winds were hurricane force...over 70 MPH so we had a "sea day" in port.  In the later afternoon the captain let us go off the ship to the tourist part of town for a couple of hours but all of the really neat tours to national parks etc were canceled."

 

I've never had reason to question Captain Carl's judgment.  Canceling all the shore excursions cost Azamara a bundle and surely wasn't done without good reason.

[aussie travel bird]

13 hours ago, marinaro44 said:

Here's another take on the Ushuaia situation from a friend who was on board:

 

"But when we got to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world we encountered severe winds.  We did get the ship secured to the dock but for 7 hours the port closed to other ships and the captain had to run the thrusters the whole time to keep the ship  from pulling away from the dock.  The only reason they could use the thrusters so long was that the cold water cooled the engines.  The winds were hurricane force...over 70 MPH so we had a "sea day" in port.  In the later afternoon the captain let us go off the ship to the tourist part of town for a couple of hours but all of the really neat tours to national parks etc were canceled."

 

I've never had reason to question Captain Carl's judgment.  Canceling all the shore excursions cost Azamara a bundle and surely wasn't done without good reason.

LOL, we must have the same Azamara friend, we got this in an email overnight from her, it would have been an interesting experience.....😊

[ellbon]

On 3/2/2019 at 8:43 PM, marinaro44 said:

Here's another take on the Ushuaia situation from a friend who was on board:

 

"But when we got to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world we encountered severe winds.  We did get the ship secured to the dock but for 7 hours the port closed to other ships and the captain had to run the thrusters the whole time to keep the ship  from pulling away from the dock.  The only reason they could use the thrusters so long was that the cold water cooled the engines.  The winds were hurricane force...over 70 MPH so we had a "sea day" in port.  In the later afternoon the captain let us go off the ship to the tourist part of town for a couple of hours but all of the really neat tours to national parks etc were canceled."

 

I've never had reason to question Captain Carl's judgment.  Canceling all the shore excursions cost Azamara a bundle and surely wasn't done without good reason.

I got there once. My first trip was so windy we sat off shore for hours. The tours are one thing but we had food and supplies waiting for us. Plus some entertainers were to switch out. That never happen. That is the big money.  Second time I get there but not Falklands. Will see if I get to go back one day,

[Grandma Cruising]

We were very lucky on our HAL Santiago to Rio Cruise a few years ago. We got into Punta Arenas, Ushuaia and the Falklands - and a very calm sea around Cape Horn.

Edited March 3, 2019 by Host Grandma Cruising

[wmdky]

On 2/24/2019 at 7:36 PM, Lottie A said:

Azamara has thankfully never had music by the pool. I hate it on Celebrity. If you want to listen to music by the pool then please bring a device and headphones. Then you can enjoy your music without tormenting those of us who just want some peace and quiet to read or relax. 

We are now on the Pursuit in Rio for Carnevale,( BA TO BA 13 day itinerary began 2-24-19) and they had a trio playing at the pool on the one day it was not raining. I am confident they would have played on more days had it not rained so much. 

[Lottie A]

I

5 minutes ago, wmdky said:

We are now on the Pursuit in Rio for Carnevale,( BA TO BA 13 day itinerary began 2-24-19) and they had a trio playing at the pool on the one day it was not raining. I am confident they would have played on more days had it not rained so much. 

 

If you read the thread you will see that what we are actually commenting on is constant loud "canned Musak" through speakers by the pool. That is what Azamara thankfully does NOT do. 

 

Most people like the live music played on the deck by the band onboard, which can be very enjoyable. They only tend to play this on sea days of course, as most people are off the ship on a port day. 

 

Hope the weather improves in the latter part of your cruise. 

 

 

[excitedofharpenden]

The Aces Trio are fab!

 

Phil

[Baynanno1]

3 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

The Aces Trio are fab!

 

Phil

 

Glad to hear that  after recently having had our eardrums blasted by another group!

[iata]

3 hours ago, Lottie A said:

I

 

If you read the thread you will see that what we are actually commenting on is constant loud "canned Musak" through speakers by the pool. That is what Azamara thankfully does NOT do. 

 

Most people like the live music played on the deck by the band onboard, which can be very enjoyable. They only tend to play this on sea days of course, as most people are off the ship on a port day. 

 

Hope the weather improves in the latter part of your cruise. 

 

 

We are leaving for the cruise just after you, maybe you can answer my question when or where will be the white night

thank you

i am packing a raincoat it seem we will have some rain too :)

[rallydave]

25 minutes ago, iata said:

We are leaving for the cruise just after you, maybe you can answer my question when or where will be the white night

thank you

i am packing a raincoat it seem we will have some rain too 🙂

Sorry but, the nite time of the White Night is not available until you board as it is scheduled by the ship just before embarkation so not available until that time.  When you go to schedule any specialities which also cannot be scheduled until boarding, they will have the full schedule available so you can schedule at theat time.

[excitedofharpenden]

10 hours ago, iata said:

We are leaving for the cruise just after you, maybe you can answer my question when or where will be the white night

thank you

i am packing a raincoat it seem we will have some rain too 🙂

I’m guessing your Azamazing Evening is in Montevideo?  Carnivale and worth seeing.  I’d say they’d schedule White Night for Santos where you leave at 10pm.  There really isn’t another day you could do it whilst the shipis in dock.  Hopefully the rain will keep off for you.  It’s so much better on deck than the buffet/Cabaret Lounge.

 

Phil

[iata]

11 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

I’m guessing your Azamazing Evening is in Montevideo?  Carnivale and worth seeing.  I’d say they’d schedule White Night for Santos where you leave at 10pm.  There really isn’t another day you could do it whilst the shipis in dock.  Hopefully the rain will keep off for you.  It’s so much better on deck than the buffet/Cabaret Lounge.

 

Phil

Yes Montevideo is azamazing evening.  That what i think Santos.  I know it's confirmed while onboard, but i was curious about the cruise before us what they did, sometimes it gives us a clue.

thank you Phil

[iata]

20 hours ago, rallydave said:

Sorry but, the nite time of the White Night is not available until you board as it is scheduled by the ship just before embarkation so not available until that time.  When you go to schedule any specialities which also cannot be scheduled until boarding, they will have the full schedule available so you can schedule at theat time.

I know that, i was curious what the cruise before us did and sometimes it's a clue. I know about specialties restaurants. This is not my first Azamara cruise :)

[Minch Veteran]

Windy Ushaia and missed Falklands are regular events on this cruise it seems from all the posts. It was the same for us in February this year. Maybe Azamara could publish the 'failure' rate for visits to Falklands to forewarn us - the Falklands call can be high on the priority list and perhaps some months have a better record than others?. On our trip our contact in Port Stanley reported fine weather on the day - perhaps travellers to this region would be prepared to risk some seasick weather en route if it turns out that the tenders can operate in Port Stanley. It is still a wonderful cruise through amazing country. Azamara service, lectures and evening shows were excellent as usual - with some slight slippage on service which has been noted in one of the other posts.