Late Boarding - chefs table

[Xcelsior]

What are the odds of me being able to buy the chefs table tour if I can’t board the ship until 3:30?  Seems a bit unfair if you can only book onboard and they assign you a late boarding slot. 

[luv2travel90266]

No one can answer but if the time you wish has already been booked there are cancellations that occur. The recommendation is to book the chefs table and specialty restaurants as soon as you board. 

[marinaro44]

Sometimes they are able to schedule additional Tables, depending on length of cruise and size of demand.

[Mackdogmolly]

10 hours ago, Xcelsior said:

What are the odds of me being able to buy the chefs table tour if I can’t board the ship until 3:30?  Seems a bit unfair if you can only book onboard and they assign you a late boarding slot. 

Since no one can board earlier than about 2:30, I believe, 3:30 is really not all that late. Just go right to the reservation desk at Windows as soon as you can 

[laurieb]

There have been additional Chef’s Tables added on every cruise we’ve been on for the last several years.  If there are no seats left, your name will be taken for a waitlist.  

[Xcelsior]

57 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Since no one can board earlier than about 2:30, I believe, 3:30 is really not all that late. Just go right to the reservation desk at Windows as soon as you can 

Thank you.  I thought boarding started at noon. 

[Rosroz]

Well I hope you can board from 12 as in my travel documents I am being collected from overnight  hotel at 11, travel arrangements made through Azamara via my TA

[uktog]

10 minutes ago, Rosroz said:

Well I hope you can board from 12 as in my travel documents I am being collected from overnight  hotel at 11, travel arrangements made through Azamara via my TA

Unfortunately boarding still is not happening before 1400 due to the enhanced cleaning and inspections that happen.  In addition, Border Force (or equivalent) are not coming on duty until later these days in most countries, I think due to staffing.  You will find if you arrive early you will be sitting around for a while.  You might like to recheck with your travel agent if the timings are correct and if they are what will happen between arriving at port and boarding

[Rosroz]

Now in hands of T/A , getting to ship later  will give me some precious shopping time 😆

Edited January 4, 2023 by Rosroz

[marcc]

On the Quest Intensive Croatia cruise last October, our boarding time was between 4:30  and  5:00.

The first thing we did was to head to the specialty restaurant desk to make our reservations. There was nobody there, just a sign with their opening hours which ended at four. Gosh did that ever burn my britches. You'd have thought they'd leave it open while passengers are still embarking.  

 

[Xcelsior]

On 1/7/2023 at 12:18 PM, marcc said:

On the Quest Intensive Croatia cruise last October, our boarding time was between 4:30  and  5:00.

The first thing we did was to head to the specialty restaurant desk to make our reservations. There was nobody there, just a sign with their opening hours which ended at four. Gosh did that ever burn my britches. You'd have thought they'd leave it open while passengers are still embarking.  

 

I showed up at my boarding time of 3:30pm.   Apparently I was the only person who did as everybody else was already on board.  I then got into a HUGE line for specialty reservations they had set up next to the pool with a lot of unhappy passengers.  After waiting half an hour, I was told that they were closing and I couldn't make my reservation even though I was already in line.  Told to come back at 6pm.  Did so...no table, no staff there.   Went up to Aqualina where I found the same person.  She neglected to tell me that I was supposed to go there instead.  Could no longer get what I wanted for all 3 tables.  Got two instead, therefore couldn't get the special pricing for 3.  Was told that they would have cancellations and contact me later (they didn't).  Instead they signed me up for a different package including Aqualina and PrimeC which I didn't want.  I was then told later in the cruise when I tried to cancel my Prime C reservation that they could find me a seat at the 3rd Chef's table if I kept my PrimeC reservation.  If not, they couldn't.  Huh??  Nuts.  I cancelled my reservation regardless.  This was not good customer service.

[uktog]

13 minutes ago, Xcelsior said:

I showed up at my boarding time of 3:30pm.   Apparently I was the only person who did as everybody else was already on board.  I then got into a HUGE line for specialty reservations they had set up next to the pool with a lot of unhappy passengers.  After waiting half an hour, I was told that they were closing and I couldn't make my reservation even though I was already in line.  Told to come back at 6pm.  Did so...no table, no staff there.   Went up to Aqualina where I found the same person.  She neglected to tell me that I was supposed to go there instead.  Could no longer get what I wanted for all 3 tables.  Got two instead, therefore couldn't get the special pricing for 3.  Was told that they would have cancellations and contact me later (they didn't).  Instead they signed me up for a different package including Aqualina and PrimeC which I didn't want.  I was then told later in the cruise when I tried to cancel my Prime C reservation that they could find me a seat at the 3rd Chef's table if I kept my PrimeC reservation.  If not, they couldn't.  Huh??  Nuts.  I cancelled my reservation regardless.  This was not good customer service.

Which ship?  I would have asked to speak to the hotel director on Day 2 to feedback or at the very least have given feedback on the now quite hidden mid cruise form (well its hidden as a QR code only on at least one ship)

[Xcelsior]

6 minutes ago, uktog said:

Which ship?  I would have asked to speak to the hotel director on Day 2 to feedback or at the very least have given feedback on the now quite hidden mid cruise form (well its hidden as a QR code only on at least one ship)

Onward. I did give feedback on the mid cruise form (which I believe came out on day 3 of a 12 day cruise).  This was one of the issues I mentioned.  I actually asked the Guest Relations manager to meet with the Hotel Director on Day 1 regarding this and some other issues in my stateroom....he told me that was not possible.  On Day 4 another supervisor came to my room to address an issue.  I finally saw the Hotel Director about the ship around Day 8.  Perhaps was in quarantine...I have no idea.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Xcelsior

[uktog]

Thanks, it was hard to give feedback on Onward where they make no mention or encouragement to use the forms and no paper copies were issued, so if you did not see the QR code in December you missed the opportunity.  Agree in December that would have been our experience as well if we were looking out for the hotel director to casually highlight things.  I believe there was a change in personnel in January so you maybe got caught in the transition, but saying it is not possible to have a meeting with a senior manager when there are issues is not on, OK maybe not right then but something should be set up.  Someone should meet with you by Day 2 at the latest if you raise the issue on Day 1.

[Xcelsior]

12 minutes ago, uktog said:

Thanks, it was hard to give feedback on Onward where they make no mention or encouragement to use the forms and no paper copies were issued, so if you did not see the QR code in December you missed the opportunity.  Agree in December that would have been our experience as well if we were looking out for the hotel director to casually highlight things.  I believe there was a change in personnel in January so you maybe got caught in the transition, but saying it is not possible to have a meeting with a senior manager when there are issues is not on, OK maybe not right then but something should be set up.  Someone should meet with you by Day 2 at the latest if you raise the issue on Day 1.

When I was on the Journey last Summer, there was not mid cruise survey at all, which really suprised me.  So the fact that they even had a QR code in the daily to give feedback on the Onward was an improvement.  I think I was probably the only person who completed it though.  I think this ship is a bit of a mess overall, I noticed a lot of things that were just not up to Azamara standard - used towels piling up all day around the pool, lounge chair fights, lounge chairs scattered haphazardly everywhere after passengers had moved them and left.  There were public areas that needed to be cleaned that obviously never were, missing tiles already missing around the thalossotherapy pool (only one jet in the t-pool even worked, the rest were broken and I was told it was not possible to fix them), banged up cabinetry in the staterooms, doors falling off hinges etc. etc. etc.  Don't even get me started on the cleanliness of the area directly above the bar in the Living Room.  Don't think that area had been cleaned since it was the Pacific Princess.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Xcelsior

[laurieb]

We were on Journey and Quest last summer and had the QR code all three cruises.  I returned them all and had responses from several different managers regarding my comments within minutes to hours of completing them.  
I truly believe that if issues arise and are brought to management in a civil fashion you are in turn responded to civilly.  If you act like a jerk towards the crew and officers, yelling and acting out, I don’t blame any of them for being defensive and perhaps not warm and accommodating. We had someone on one of our Quest cruises in August who was called out (not by name obviously) by the captain shipwide for their behavior towards crew, and told in no uncertain terms that if they did it again they would be escorted off the ship.  

[Mackdogmolly]

2 minutes ago, laurieb said:

We were on Journey and Quest last summer and had the QR code all three cruises.  I returned them all and had responses from several different managers regarding my comments within minutes to hours of completing them.  
I truly believe that if issues arise and are brought to management in a civil fashion you are in turn responded to civilly.  If you act like a jerk towards the crew and officers, yelling and acting out, I don’t blame any of them for being defensive and perhaps not warm and accommodating. We had someone on one of our Quest cruises in August who was called out (not by name obviously) by the captain shipwide for their behavior towards crew, and told in no uncertain terms that if they did it again they would be escorted off the ship.  

I too got an immediate response to my QR code mid cruise survey on the Quest last summer. But it was a positive review 😏

[takemewithyou]

I was on Onward in mid DEC and put in a mid cruise comment card and never received a response, although there was not much “to fix” with my comments.  Or not much that they were going to be able to fix right away.  I still expected an acknowledgement to my comments.  It’s the first time I have never had any response.

[uktog]

I recognise exactly the description Xcesior is painting of Onward as that was our experience in December unfortunately especially around the pool area.  I got no response to our mid cruise survey.  I did not see anyone acting like a jerk, to be honest the officer visibility was not that high so it was not possible to highlight matters as one could do on previous cruises.  I also felt this lack of visibility spilled down to a lack of supervision and as a result some crew let their standards slip and others may not have fully grasped the Azamara standard.  This was not all crew.  

I have heard things are better on Onward now - it seems to overmuch depend who is in charge of particular sections how good or bad the experience is.

[lisiamc]

3 hours ago, uktog said:

I recognise exactly the description Xcesior is painting of Onward as that was our experience in December unfortunately especially around the pool area.  I got no response to our mid cruise survey.  I did not see anyone acting like a jerk, to be honest the officer visibility was not that high so it was not possible to highlight matters as one could do on previous cruises.  I also felt this lack of visibility spilled down to a lack of supervision and as a result some crew let their standards slip and others may not have fully grasped the Azamara standard.  This was not all crew.  

I have heard things are better on Onward now - it seems to overmuch depend who is in charge of particular sections how good or bad the experience is.

On our three Onward cruises in November and December, we had several spontaneous chats with various officers, including the Hotel Director, the Captain, the Staff Captain, the Loyalty Ambassador, etc. Not because of any complaint or issue that we had, but just because they were making themselves available for conversation. It was a plus point in our opinion.

[asnaleah]

Should we ask our Butler to make the specialty restaurant reservations or do you recommend we do it ourselves upon boarding?

[uktog]

12 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

Should we ask our Butler to make the specialty restaurant reservations or do you recommend we do it ourselves upon boarding?

Do it yourself 

[lisiamc]

12 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

Should we ask our Butler to make the specialty restaurant reservations or do you recommend we do it ourselves upon boarding?

I would do it myself if I were particular about time and day. If you have a suite, you should be on board a bit before other cabins, and you can use that chance to secure the times, days and restaurants you would like.

[Host Jazzbeau]

The earlier the better, which means do it yourself – immediately on embarkation.  Ask your Butler if you want to add more or make changes as the cruise goes along.

[asnaleah]

Thanks all for the advice. I’ll be the one racing to the specialty table!