Bimmer 09 sails APEX to Iceland June 2023

[Bimmer09]

Our previous X cruise was 4 years ago, Silly to the Norwegian Fjords. Between then and now we have sailed Azamara and Princess. All 3 are in the mix when it comes to new bookings.

Once we got home on June 20 we started thinking about a future cruise. Istanbul is on our bucket list. We chose to search X first and found  a Beyond for October 2024 which fit the bill. Within a couple of days I found that X were yanking the Beyond from the Med to send her to the Caribbean!

People who had already booked the Beyond were left high and dry and not considered. That and the Beverage Package price deception on the Memorial Day sale has made me doubt the integrity of X. If you recall I was considering the bev pkg at "50% off" the $109 price. Then they extended that sale and the regular price now became $149 then 50% off -that would have cost us an extra $480 for two if we had bought on the Wednesday vs the Tuesday. So X cannot be trusted to do the right thing in my opinion.

So unless I want to sail on the Infinity or Constellation or Eclipse to Istanbul I am out of luck. I don't want to sail any of those. Ascent avoids Istanbul so not an option.

Azamara can do us a 13 day Med Icons cruise that starts with 2 days in Istanbul (negating a hotel on those days) and an overnight in Athens plus Santorini, Crete, Chania and so on. Disembarking in Venice (really the closest port to V). We haven't been in Venice since 2014 (Ocean Princess)

$12K for a small but cosy aft cabin. Not a spacious Sunset Verandah. (We'll never sail the misleadingly named "Infinite (ha!) Verandah which is "infinite" until you get to the end of your cabin.

 

X and Azamara are enough "luxury" for me. I don't look to Silversea or Regent or Seabourn. None are perfect anyway. Princess would currently be my 3rd choice for the ship experience, following disappointing food and service on our last in December but noting that the Diamond was just getting back to sea after 2 years off and with a pulled-together inexperienced crew, so I can cut them some slack. They go to Istanbul but only for 10 hours and then they are gone. We need at least an overnight

We usually cruise for the Itinerary but now that we have sailed Apex want to factor in the ship too. We can be happy sailing Azamara and a medium size ship like Apex or Ruby. Az has no bells or whistles and negligible entertainment but their intensive port stops don't leave a lot of time for the latter. Food and service are good. The Itinerary we are looking at can't be beat!

 

OK, thanks to everyone who has followed and special thanks to those who have commented and kept me on Page 1 for the past  3 plus weeks (even though I lost 5 days in hospital).

Not my longest GSJ but with Amsterdam, the Apex and the itinerary one of my most enjoyable.

Hope to see you all again on January 1 2024!

Best wishes,

Norris

 

[Silkroad]

Thanks for another wonderful GSJ, Norris. This one is helpful to us in the near term because we board Apex very soon for both the Norway and the Iceland itineraries. Many thanks to both you and Carol for your dining and layering tips. Based on your recommendation, we’ve booked Welcome Pickups. Your experiences departing Schipol have increased my concern about our flight departing from that airport. We’re flying UA, though not to ORD, and it looks like our gate will be near yours. I’m seeing some late arrivals and departures for our flight numbers. Thanks to you, we know we should allow more time for a passport check and the trek to the gate. 

Cheers!

Michelle

Edited July 16, 2023 by Silkroad

[Jasperdo]

As always, thanks for the extremely entertaining GSJ. I doubt if I'll ever get to Iceland, and your photos and commentary were the next best thing. And I'm glad that you're out of the hospital and feeling better. See you in January onboard the Ruby Princess, one of my favorite ships.

Edited July 16, 2023 by Jasperdo

[mchell810]

54 minutes ago, SeaHunt said:

 

The Three Degrees

When will I see you again?
When will we share precious moments?
Will I have to wait forever?
Will I have to suffer (suffer)
And cry the whole night through?

 

 

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ls6N_pmM9TY

 

So glad you're home and OK! 😁 We will be waiting for the next!

 

You beat me to it. 😃  I love that song!

[mchell810]

Norris,

Thanks again for an enjoyable read.  I have already marked my calendar to look for your next GSJ. 

 

I know you said the luxury lines are not on your radar for future travel but I encourage you to look at Silversea to get your overnight stay in Istanbul.  I was there with them a few months ago and it was wonderful!  A forward facing lounge and decks are available to all passengers; it was quite an experience (even on an overcast day).  I used the included tours to get to all the places I would have gone anyway -- most importantly Hagia Sophia; the overnight stay gave plenty of time to just explore the city on one's own. 

 

 

 

 

 

And lunch onboard an our last day.

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by mchell810

[expattraveler]

Norris,

 

Thank you for another comprehensive and light hearted review! Always an enjoyable read when following you and Carol’s travels.
 

Sorry you unfortunately ended up with pneumonia and a hospital stay, but hopefully you’re getting stronger each day.

 

Agree with your comments regarding Celebrity’s “inventive” corporate pricing models, and pretty much abandoning many folks on the Beyond repositioning. Leaves somewhat of a bad taste.
 

Celebrity was out preferred line, but we started to explore other lines prior to COVID. We were pleasantly impressed with what was/is out there. Celebrity needs to careful with their pricing. There are many other options available. We’ve never sailed in a Celebrity suite; however, we have booked itineraries we wanted on Azamara, Seabourn and Viking with comparable pricing to Celebrity suite pricing, and IMO better food and service. Oh, did I forget to mention, you also have access to the entire ship without being charged and additional premium??

 

Look forward to your next adventure on Princess.
 

Until then, all the best and stay well!

 

 

 

[REEtired]

3 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Thanks for another wonderful GSJ, Norris. This one is helpful to us in the near term because we board Apex very soon for both the Norway and the Iceland itineraries. Many thanks to both you and Carol for your dining and layering tips. Based on your recommendation, we’ve booked Welcome Pickups. Your experiences departing Schipol have increased my concern about our flight departing from that airport. We’re flying UA, though not to ORD, and it looks like our gate will be near yours. I’m seeing some late arrivals and departures for our flight numbers. Thanks to you, we know we should allow more time for a passport check and the trek to the gate. 

Cheers!

Michelle

Regarding more time to get to your gate, I’ve read that you can now request a time slot for customs/immigration. They have a separate line but appts are only for 15 minutes. We share your same concern. 

[Walt fan]

Thank you for all of your time put in compiling your GSJ; it was wonderful to visit everywhere with you and Carol. I miss cruising! So sorry you got sick towards the end but glad to hear you are on the road to getting better; take care and keep us updated on how you are; looking forward to your cruise in January!

[MisterMet]

4 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

Our previous X cruise was 4 years ago, Silly to the Norwegian Fjords. Between then and now we have sailed Azamara and Princess. All 3 are in the mix when it comes to new bookings.

Once we got home on June 20 we started thinking about a future cruise. Istanbul is on our bucket list. We chose to search X first and found  a Beyond for October 2024 which fit the bill. Within a couple of days I found that X were yanking the Beyond from the Med to send her to the Caribbean!

People who had already booked the Beyond were left high and dry and not considered. That and the Beverage Package price deception on the Memorial Day sale has made me doubt the integrity of X. If you recall I was considering the bev pkg at "50% off" the $109 price. Then they extended that sale and the regular price now became $149 then 50% off -that would have cost us an extra $480 for two if we had bought on the Wednesday vs the Tuesday. So X cannot be trusted to do the right thing in my opinion.

So unless I want to sail on the Infinity or Constellation or Eclipse to Istanbul I am out of luck. I don't want to sail any of those. Ascent avoids Istanbul so not an option.

Azamara can do us a 13 day Med Icons cruise that starts with 2 days in Istanbul (negating a hotel on those days) and an overnight in Athens plus Santorini, Crete, Chania and so on. Disembarking in Venice (really the closest port to V). We haven't been in Venice since 2014 (Ocean Princess)

$12K for a small but cosy aft cabin. Not a spacious Sunset Verandah. (We'll never sail the misleadingly named "Infinite (ha!) Verandah which is "infinite" until you get to the end of your cabin.

 

X and Azamara are enough "luxury" for me. I don't look to Silversea or Regent or Seabourn. None are perfect anyway. Princess would currently be my 3rd choice for the ship experience, following disappointing food and service on our last in December but noting that the Diamond was just getting back to sea after 2 years off and with a pulled-together inexperienced crew, so I can cut them some slack. They go to Istanbul but only for 10 hours and then they are gone. We need at least an overnight

We usually cruise for the Itinerary but now that we have sailed Apex want to factor in the ship too. We can be happy sailing Azamara and a medium size ship like Apex or Ruby. Az has no bells or whistles and negligible entertainment but their intensive port stops don't leave a lot of time for the latter. Food and service are good. The Itinerary we are looking at can't be beat!

 

OK, thanks to everyone who has followed and special thanks to those who have commented and kept me on Page 1 for the past  3 plus weeks (even though I lost 5 days in hospital).

Not my longest GSJ but with Amsterdam, the Apex and the itinerary one of my most enjoyable.

Hope to see you all again on January 1 2024!

Best wishes,

Norris

 

Excellent as always.  Glad you're back home.  Hi to Carol.

 

 

[montythecat]

Norris, we are Elite Plus on Celebrity (only mentioned to indicate 

that we have used them quite a lot) but we have gradually fallen

out of love with them. Our main alternatives are Azamara if

we want a smaller ship and Holland America who we like

very much indeed. Music is important to us and on the

Pinnacle Class ships HAL provide a rock band, a blues/

soul band and two pianos. There is also a classical

quartet although HAL seem to be thinking about not

continuing with them which would be a pity. You are a

musician (I will avoid the obvious drummer jokes as I am

sure they don’t apply to you !) so you might find HAL worth

a go if you can find the right itinerary. These ships also

have a forward facing lounge and The Dutch Cafe which

is difficult to describe and, therefore, needs to be

experienced. They do the most wonderful very, very

large circular choux pastry buns with a cream filling

and coated in chocolate (a sort of chocolate eclair

on steroids). They are almost the size of a small

cannonball.

[NMTraveller]

Thank you for a great and objective review.

[Sarah1974]

Norris, so pleased you're home from hospital and were able to finish off your fabulous blog; I hope you have a speedy recovery.  Thank you for such a great review and I look forward to reading about your next cruise adventure with Carol

[vickykay]

So glad to near you have recovered and are doing well.  Thank you so much for the additional photos of Amsterdam, our favorite city!  We were supposed to spend several days there last Sept between cruises but husband needed back surgery so cancelled.  
 

Spent two days in Istanbul a few years ago on a Celebrity cruise.  Used a 

private guide (small group arranged thru our roll call). Saw so much!  Will look for the name and post on this thread once I get home ( out of town, home tomorrow).
 

Looking forward to your next review.

[vagporto]

Glad to know you are ok and already planning future GSJs... Keep them coming.

 

Let me tell in advance that you will deeply regret planning only 2 days at Istanbul. It is a magical place. If time is tight, plan at least one more night in a hotel in the upper area of the old city, and choose an hotel with a rooftop bar. Eight years ago I stayed in a somehow dingy small hotel, and every night I was up there in the rooftop (no bar but you can make a cuppa and bring it with you) breathing in this 16th century view before turning in:

 

 

And checking if your "carriage" had promptly arrived in the morning:

 

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by vagporto

[vagporto]

typo alert: my last line should not have "16th century" but "6th century" or "1500 years old" !!!   By the 1600s Hagia Sophia was already 1000 years old and moved back and forth a couple of times between being the largest cathedral to the largest mosque in the world...

Edited July 17, 2023 by vagporto

[Bimmer09]

20 hours ago, mchell810 said:

Norris,

Thanks again for an enjoyable read.  I have already marked my calendar to look for your next GSJ. 

 

I know you said the luxury lines are not on your radar for future travel but I encourage you to look at Silversea to get your overnight stay in Istanbul.  I was there with them a few months ago and it was wonderful!  A forward facing lounge and decks are available to all passengers; it was quite an experience (even on an overcast day).  I used the included tours to get to all the places I would have gone anyway -- most importantly Hagia Sophia; the overnight stay gave plenty of time to just explore the city on one's own.

Thank you!

I did research Silversea and found an 11 day that gave us Istanbul overnight plus Athens. However at $16,000 it was too steep while Azamara (likely to be a major step down in food) gave us overnights in both major cities and an aft cabin for $12,000 for 13 nights. I've watched a lot of Silversea videos and read the few photo reviews there are and it sure looks great but is more than we need or want to pay.

We have booked Azamara as their itinerary was the best. I also looked at Seabourn but they were only 7 days but surprisingly affordable given the onboard experience but Carol wanted to stick with the line she knows. Seabourn would have required us to stay in Istanbul for a couple of days before sailing (no overnights) and Athens 2 nights after disembarkation.

I also looked at Viking and didn't like their website and lack of info- didn't show cruise dates, just day 1, 2 etc. I dislike Scandinavian furniture and would never shop at Ikea, LOL.

I looked at Queen Victoria Princess Grills but really don't like the dressing for dinner aspect.

I even (wait for it) looked at MSC Yacht Club but luckily my psychiatrist called just at that moment. YC looks good but the rest of the ship is a crowded mess (Splendida)

Our hotel of choice is Hilton's Curio brand-Hagia Sofia Mansions...some pics on this link

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hagia+Sofia+Mansions+Istanbul,+Curio+Collection+by+Hilton/@41.0067094,28.9790159,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPvjvtQfFFMRxMFzoiO-c_ooIqg27Xkuwm8W_jm!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPvjvtQfFFMRxMFzoiO-c_ooIqg27Xkuwm8W_jm%3Dw203-h135-k-no!7i6720!8i4480!4m10!3m9!1s0x14cab995d0da543d:0xcfc5cee3b02786ea!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d41.0066433!4d28.9791323!10e5!16s%2Fm%2F051_l1g?entry=ttu

 (hotel suggested by Singinalot).

Hotel is about 200 yards from Hagia Sofia.

Norris

 

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by Bimmer09
spelling

[mchell810]

Clearly, you have looked at just about every cruise line! 😃   I'm glad you found a cruise that works for you.  The location of that hotel is wonderful; your early morning walks will really special!

[Silkroad]

1 hour ago, Bimmer09 said:

Hotel is about 200 yards from Hagia Sofia.

Please ignore any wailing you may hear from the east. It’s only me having an acute attack of envy😂

[vagporto]

The hotel looks really good (although too ornate for me... But when in Constantinopla...).

Take your time and don't rush the sights: you can easily spend an entire day at Topkaki. There is a cafe with a view to die for, bring a book, sit in a shade ovelooking the Bosphorus in the palace gardens. Take long walks in the city. I only had 2 days, rushed through everything and regret it immensely. Have to return...

My other 2 cents: stay with azamara. Avoid MSC like the plague (even YC). I enjoyed Cunard more than HAL (in a sense, both passengers and crew in Cunard make an extra effort, and I appreciate that) and there are some benefits to a larger ship (for example, better medical team and its onboard equipment, which is handy (pun) when you happen to break a wrist in Santorini. "Need a cast? Right away... And will send the xrays to our medical specialists in Southampton"). And I don't think you need the Grills experience. Lots of relaxing spaces throughout the ship without having the grills. But 2-top tables may be impossible, and that may be a deal breaker. 

[Bimmer09]

5 hours ago, vagporto said:

Glad to know you are ok and already planning future GSJs... Keep them coming.

 

Let me tell in advance that you will deeply regret planning only 2 days at Istanbul. It is a magical place. If time is tight, plan at least one more night in a hotel in the upper area of the old city, and choose an hotel with a rooftop bar. Eight years ago I stayed in a somehow dingy small hotel, and every night I was up there in the rooftop (no bar but you can make a cuppa and bring it with you) breathing in this 16th century view before turning in:

Thanks vagporto.

If you've seen my later post you'll see we've already taken care of the rooftop bar/eats and proximity to Hagia Sofia by staying 200 yards from it. Very exciting. 

Is the the QV or QE in your shot? I looked at the QV for our cruise but the Azamara itinerary won out. Ending in Venice also gets us back there for the first time in 10 years (by the time we arrive)

Staying at our favorite hotel on the Grand Canal.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

1 hour ago, mchell810 said:

Clearly, you have looked at just about every cruise line! 😃   I'm glad you found a cruise that works for you.  The location of that hotel is wonderful; your early morning walks will really special!

Indeed but it's made easier by my preference for a relaxing ship without a fairground on the top deck and a lot of waterslide plumbing, so I avoid Carnival, NCL, Royal, Costa, MSC as I would a rabid dog. Not for me. 600-3,000 pax is our speed. Azamara, Princess and X with possible HAL and Cunard some day. No Virgin. No bellyflops, hairy chests, Miami DJs, forced partying, kids running down the corridors after midnight, no loud "bros," no pier runners, fist fights.

We need polite service but no butlers, hot tasty food, outdoor buffet seating , wake views, cool people to talk to over a drink, friendly Officers who don't wear Groucho disguises to avoid detection. 

Re early morning walks -you'll know from my CC videos that I loved those 5 a.m walks in Rome and Venice, despite how creepy they were and so I will wander the streets of Sultanahmet if I know the sun is coming up soon.

Norris

[Solar Yellow]

1 hour ago, Bimmer09 said:

 

Norris, Von from Iowa here.  I was on Azamara Quest in 2021 with you and Carol.  Have you looked at Oceania for Istanbul?  It appears Marina, Riviera, and Vista visit Istanbul in 2024.  Vista is their brand new ship and probably the most expensive option.  Riviera has been recently refurbished very nicely and Marina will be refurbished in April 2024 or thereabouts. They're lovely mid-size ships with 1200ish passengers and good food.  Even standard veranda cabins are a good size with nice bathrooms.  Entertainment is not their strength but sometimes the shows are remarkably good for a smaller ship. Their new Simply More package includes internet, drinks, and some tours.  No extra cost for premium dining restaurants, always country club casual, and no photographers or art sales.  Gratuities are extra but if you find the right travel agency, you'll often get more OBC and gratuities covered.

 

Istanbul is top two or three for me of the cities I've been to.  I agree with the poster above that says at least one or two nights in a hotel before embarkation even if the cruise starts with an overnight.  Be forewarned that the Galataport is a hot mess.  You'll see the ship 40 feet way from you but will have to walk a mile to get to it and probably get a little turned around on the way there.

[Bimmer09]

6 hours ago, vagporto said:

The hotel looks really good (although too ornate for me... But when in Constantinopla...).

Take your time and don't rush the sights: you can easily spend an entire day at Topkaki. There is a cafe with a view to die for, bring a book, sit in a shade ovelooking the Bosphorus in the palace gardens. Take long walks in the city. I only had 2 days, rushed through everything and regret it immensely. Have to return...

My other 2 cents: stay with azamara. Avoid MSC like the plague (even YC). I enjoyed Cunard more than HAL (in a sense, both passengers and crew in Cunard make an extra effort, and I appreciate that) and there are some benefits to a larger ship. And I don't think you need the Grills experience. Lots of relaxing spaces throughout the ship without having the grills. But 2-top tables may be impossible, and that may be a deal breaker. 

Stay with Azamara you say. We paid our deposit today and I called them to book our favorite aft cabin this morning as the Website has issues (a known Az problem after they got hacked and had to go back to the drawing board). No one else could give us such an itinerary for $500 pp per day and include some sea days (2) which are Carol's favorites. The $500 includes our trip insurance.I know in at least one port I won't be doing an excursion (no interest in Olympia ) but as often as I can I will be ashore at a harbor side cafe eating fresh fish from the Aegean and drinking the local beer/wine. Neither of us have been to this part of the world before but Singinalot has done some great photo /drone reports from the Greek islands which whet my appetite (literally). We both love Mediterranean food.

 

As for the ornate hotel-we have most often stayed in American style concrete tower and glass hotels where all the walls are the same color so I am looking for Turkey-in-your-face decor and am currently on Amazon shopping for a pair of those slippers that curl up at the toes.  Even Mexico can't outshine Turkey when it comes to color! 

 

I have been watching 4K walking videos in Sultanahmet where we will be staying and by gum I'll be treading those streets and petting every cat I see!

It's likely our Cunard experience will come on a TA on the QM2 as Sea Day Carol wants to do that. I am Mr Port Excursion.  We'll see in time if it happens.

 

Thanks for your input, enthusiasm and suggestions!

Norris

 

[PurpleTraveller]

2 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

Stay with Azamara you say. We paid our deposit today and I called them to book our favorite aft cabin this morning as the Website has issues (a known Az problem after they got hacked and had to go back to the drawing board). 

Norris

 

What time of year will you be going? I will be spending four nights in Istanbul in June 2024 before going on a 7 day Celebrity Infinity cruise to the Greek Islands out of Athens and then a 10 day Celebrity Constellation cruise of Italy and Croatia out of Rome (Civitavecchia). We will also be staying in the Sultanahmet area.

Allison

[Justpackingmybags]

Hi Norris, 

I’ve only just discovered your GSJs and have been hooked! Glad to hear your pneumonia is receding and that more holidays are on the horizon. 
if your port for Olympia is Katakolon, you’ll be able to spend a few pleasant hours at the tavernas near the ship, indulging in Greek food and maybe an ouzo or two. Or stick with Mythos beer. 
Looking forward to your next journey