Azamara vs Oceania

[ellbon]

46 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

That wasn't the point ellbon was making. It was an example in response to your post that most people don't go on Azamara to socialise with the crew as one of the reasons to return and I would agree with ellbon. If you go to one of the LCV functions THE biggest reason for returning guests coming back is the crew. You can't tell me that none interact with them. 

 

It is not what some people want to do. We are all different, but when you go on your first Azamara cruise then judge. The friendliness and social nature of the crew is (for me at least) a big part of the experience and why such a nice atmosphere pervades around the ship. 

 

Phil 

Thank you very much Phil.  When you sail a line such as Az you become friends with the crew. Your favorite waiter or bartender, if you have a suite you have your favorite on each  ship or lines.i got invited to dinners but I do I do in invite too. Met lots of nice officers that way.

[uktog]

This debate has run its course.

 

There is so much confusion here - friendship and class is getting wrongly confused, loyalty is being pilloried as buying privilege when “extras” happen for a number of reasons.

 

Changes to an upgrade scheme is being claimed to be about improving fairness when it’s all about increasing revenue, upgrades were always available to first timers through targeted marketing etc. 

 

Having been on many Azamara cruises I can say I have witnessed first hand how egalitarian it is, no one wears badges to try and differentiate themselves, we’ve watched officers engage with anyone and everyone, we’ve had dinners with officers and some cruises with no dinners, at these dinners we’ve met many people on first cruises and not in suites. 

 

If cruisers have a perception of being less worthy, it’s their perception, but sometimes in our own eyes we have to remember that to us we may believe as Orwell wrote “all animals are equal but some might be more equal than others”. So step back, is it reality? Or just how we are seeing things? 

 

And let’s move on and be grateful we can even enjoy cruising and travel when so many still cannot.  

[hamrag]

This thread started out as Azamara v Oceania. Now it has become some Azamara cruisers v other Azamara cruisers.

 

I like ukogs' plea to move on and be grateful....please? With our first upcoming Azamara cruise, I have been very impressed with the knowledge and experience shared across many threads by many Azamites but this thread has drifted dramatically for the worst!

 

And, no, despite both being from Edinburgh (or close by) we do not know one another and are not connected in any way!

[Salf777]

3 hours ago, uktog said:

This debate has run its course.

 

There is so much confusion here - friendship and class is getting wrongly confused, loyalty is being pilloried as buying privilege when “extras” happen for a number of reasons.

 

Changes to an upgrade scheme is being claimed to be about improving fairness when it’s all about increasing revenue, upgrades were always available to first timers through targeted marketing etc. 

 

Having been on many Azamara cruises I can say I have witnessed first hand how egalitarian it is, no one wears badges to try and differentiate themselves, we’ve watched officers engage with anyone and everyone, we’ve had dinners with officers and some cruises with no dinners, at these dinners we’ve met many people on first cruises and not in suites. 

 

If cruisers have a perception of being less worthy, it’s their perception, but sometimes in our own eyes we have to remember that to us we may believe as Orwell wrote “all animals are equal but some might be more equal than others”. So step back, is it reality? Or just how we are seeing things? 

 

And let’s move on and be grateful we can even enjoy cruising and travel when so many still cannot.  

 

I agree. As the starter of this discussion I wanted input as to the differences in each line while trying to make a decision on which to sail on a future voyage. 

Isnt life a class system? Aren’t we all guilty of paying more for something in our lives and expecting more? If you pay more for a child’s private education aren’t you doing it because you expect more? If you pay more for a car, even a brand of coffee don’t you usually do it because you expect more? 

So I don’t agree with posters calling people snobs or arrogant because they pay more for a product.  

In my opinion on Azamara weather your in an inside cabin or the biggest suite we are all on the same vacation. We go to the same places, eat in the same restaurants, have access to the same gym. So if people want to pay more for a larger space more power to them. We don’t know everyone’s situation as I mentioned in an earlier post I have friends who for medical reasons require a large room. They pay more and as a result have to travel less. 

Dont get me wrong there are arrogant people and snobs there too but I would guess those same people are arrogant snobs off the ship too. 

Its a business and if people want to pay more to maybe feel a little special I don’t begrudge the business. Heck in any business if it were ours I think we all would want those people willing to pay more. 

Again I didn’t mean to start this whole thing I was just curious as to the differences so I could try and make a decision on a future sailing. Wanted to know about the ships, food, entertainment, gym, spa etc. not a discussion where people are put down because of how they choose to sail wether it be in a large suite or small cabin

[marinaro44]

46 minutes ago, Salf777 said:

 

I agree. As the starter of this discussion I wanted input as to the differences in each line while trying to make a decision on which to sail on a future voyage. 

Isnt life a class system? Aren’t we all guilty of paying more for something in our lives and expecting more? If you pay more for a child’s private education aren’t you doing it because you expect more? If you pay more for a car, even a brand of coffee don’t you usually do it because you expect more? 

So I don’t agree with posters calling people snobs or arrogant because they pay more for a product.  

In my opinion on Azamara weather your in an inside cabin or the biggest suite we are all on the same vacation. We go to the same places, eat in the same restaurants, have access to the same gym. So if people want to pay more for a larger space more power to them. We don’t know everyone’s situation as I mentioned in an earlier post I have friends who for medical reasons require a large room. They pay more and as a result have to travel less. 

Dont get me wrong there are arrogant people and snobs there too but I would guess those same people are arrogant snobs off the ship too. 

Its a business and if people want to pay more to maybe feel a little special I don’t begrudge the business. Heck in any business if it were ours I think we all would want those people willing to pay more. 

Again I didn’t mean to start this whole thing I was just curious as to the differences so I could try and make a decision on a future sailing. Wanted to know about the ships, food, entertainment, gym, spa etc. not a discussion where people are put down because of how they choose to sail wether it be in a large suite or small cabin

Strange that some here can't seem to understand the difference between paying more to get more space or liquor or whatever and a ship having segregated areas where only certain people are allowed to go while others are forbidden from going.  Seems simple to me..and uktog, and Phil, maybe others.  Has nothing to do with putting someone down for how they choose to sail.  Sigh.

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, Salf777 said:

 

I agree. As the starter of this discussion I wanted input as to the differences in each line while trying to make a decision on which to sail on a future voyage. 

Isnt life a class system? Aren’t we all guilty of paying more for something in our lives and expecting more? If you pay more for a child’s private education aren’t you doing it because you expect more? If you pay more for a car, even a brand of coffee don’t you usually do it because you expect more? 

So I don’t agree with posters calling people snobs or arrogant because they pay more for a product.  

In my opinion on Azamara weather your in an inside cabin or the biggest suite we are all on the same vacation. We go to the same places, eat in the same restaurants, have access to the same gym. So if people want to pay more for a larger space more power to them. We don’t know everyone’s situation as I mentioned in an earlier post I have friends who for medical reasons require a large room. They pay more and as a result have to travel less. 

Dont get me wrong there are arrogant people and snobs there too but I would guess those same people are arrogant snobs off the ship too. 

Its a business and if people want to pay more to maybe feel a little special I don’t begrudge the business. Heck in any business if it were ours I think we all would want those people willing to pay more. 

Again I didn’t mean to start this whole thing I was just curious as to the differences so I could try and make a decision on a future sailing. Wanted to know about the ships, food, entertainment, gym, spa etc. not a discussion where people are put down because of how they choose to sail wether it be in a large suite or small cabin

I hope that you got the information you needed to help you make your decision. If so, maybe I should lock the topic.

[Salf777]

6 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

Strange that some here can't seem to understand the difference between paying more to get more space or liquor or whatever and a ship having segregated areas where only certain people are allowed to go while others are forbidden from going.  Seems simple to me..and uktog, and Phil, maybe others.  Has nothing to do with putting someone down for how they choose to sail.  Sigh.

Exactly my point. If you dont like a ship that has segregated areas dont sail on it. However, if you look at the posts in this thread there are people who called others who choose to sail in these segregated areas snobs and arrogant. To me thats being a snob by classifying a whole group of people who choose to vacation one way as a snob or arrogant. Dont get me wrong there are people like that there, but I have seen people act like that in non-segregated areas as well. Look its life, wether we like it or not its a business and if you dont like the way a company runs that business dont patronize that business.  If I go to a concert or a sporting event and pay for the least expensive ticket do I have the right to complain that I cant go into the front row, heck were all in the same stadium. Strange that some people here cant seem to understand that difference. SIGH

[Salf777]

9 minutes ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

I hope that you got the information you needed to help you make your decision. If so, maybe I should lock the topic.

I did get a lot of useful information from some very fine people here on this board. Unfortunately it turned into a social issues topic rather than people trying to be helpful.

I guess some people will never be happy. While these boards are very helpful there are always a handful of people who feel they know more than everyone else and other opinions dont matter because they differ from theirs Theres a difference between someone being experienced and sharing their experiences than people voicing their views and commenting negatively on others. These boards are not a place to put people down but to gather information and share experiences. 

[hiccups]

42 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

Strange that some here can't seem to understand the difference between paying more to get more space or liquor or whatever and a ship having segregated areas where only certain people are allowed to go while others are forbidden from going.  Seems simple to me..and uktog, and Phil, maybe others.  Has nothing to do with putting someone down for how they choose to sail.  Sigh.

Sigh, indeed.  It's too bad you and others aren't willing to consider that other people can view things through a different lens, and it doesn't make them wrong.  I can understand you view mass market lines as having a class system, even though that isn't my feeling on the matter.  It would be nice to have the same courtesy extended.

 

HGC, I think you are correct that it's time to lock the thread.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

15 hours ago, florisdekort said:

...

I remember going to a Zenith (Discoverer Plus - can’t remember) lunch in Aqualina once. The couple in line in front of me was denied access in the politest possible way but still walked away loudly commenting “clearly we’re not important enough”. ...

 

Okay, I give.  What the heck is a Zenith Discoverer Plus lunch?

 

I agree this thread should be locked.  So little to argue about.

[uktog]

There isn't anything called Zenith Discoverer Plus - you are either Zenith on Celebrity or Platinum on Azamara i.e. the top tier or you are Discoverer Plus which is the equivalent of Elite Plus.

Sometimes if they have a few top Platinums onboard to save individual dining with the Captain they have a separate lunch.  The advantage of this is that then frees up the Captain to dine with other guests at another point in the evening.

 

As Aqualina is not open at lunch time (thats why they do the lunch there) the guest who did not feel important enough obviously had issues with anything they were not part of.

 

Yes lets lock this thread, its going nowhere and old arguments will just be rehashed, some cannot accept others might have  a different experience.

Edited August 23, 2019 by uktog

[Grandma Cruising]

This topic is now locked as the member who started it says they have the information that they need, so the topic has served its purpose.

Edited August 24, 2019 by Host Grandma Cruising