Destination immersion experiences

[takemewithyou]

I have to admit….a lot of my posts have been negative lately!  I have been pretty upset with the CEO and her lack of communication.

I was just looking at another social media website.  It showed pictures from a recent cruise (to Greece, I think) with blocks of local honey being featured at a brunch onboard.  These are the things that make Azamara so special!  No other cruise line does this, that I have been on anyway, other than Azamara.  My DH and I were just talking about this the other night.  These are things that drew us to Azamara in the first place!  I fear that Azamara may be getting away from this but seeing these posts makes me have faith again that these core values that made Azamara what it is are still in effect……at least amongst the Captain and some of the Hotel Managers!  
 

We have all heard of Captain Johannes stopping on Norway cruises to pick up local strawberries, or in other places local pastries being brought onboard.  On one of our cruises we picked up local fish in Kotor to be grilled and served later that evening.   We watched the boat load them onboard from our veranda.  We didn’t have any local food brought onboard our Ireland cruise on Pursuit in June but we did have a local group brought onboard in Dublin to entertain us and another special thing was a slow sail by the Cliffs of Moher that was announced ahead of time by the Captain so that everyone could be prepared to see it.  
 

So I am reminded that these are things that Azamara does so well and I wanted to acknowledge that!   😀

Edited September 21, 2023 by takemewithyou
Spelling

[tyler6597]

10 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

I have to admit….a lot of my posts have been negative lately!  I have been pretty upset with the CEO and her lack of communication.

I was just looking at another social media website.  It showed pictures from a recent cruise (to Greece, I think) with blocks of local honey being featured at a brunch onboard.  These are the things that make Azamara so special!  No other cruise line does this, that I have been on anyway, other than Azamara.  My DH and I were just talking about this the other night.  These are things that drew us to Azamara in the first place!  I fear that Azamara may be getting away from this but seeing these posts makes me have faith again that these core values that made Azamara what it is are still in effect……at least amongst the Captain and some of the Hotel Managers!  
 

We have all heard of Captain Johannes stopping on Norway cruises to pick up local strawberries, or in other places local pastries being brought onboard.  On one of our cruises we picked up local fish in Kotor to be grilled and served later that evening.   We watched the boat load them onboard from our veranda.  We didn’t have any local food brought onboard our Ireland cruise on Pursuit in June but we did have a local group brought onboard in Dublin to entertain us and another special thing was a slow sail by the Cliffs of Moher that was announced ahead of time by the Captain so that everyone could be prepared to see it.  
 

So I am reminded that these are things that Azamara does so well and I wanted to acknowledge that!   😀

That statement was very decent of you and we Azamara believers appreciate this very much. 

Tyler

[Dr H]

Seriously, which is more fun to do, complain about how awful your experience was, or how great it was? I hate to say it, but bringing local honey on board is something I would have taken for granted on Azamara, and probably part of the reason I've found our two cruises with  Celebrity to be pretty unremarkable. We were waiting to board in Rome a year ago, the Hotel Director was coming off the ship walking away from us, spotted us out of the corner of his eye, turned around, and came running. He addressed my wife by name, and asked if the 4 month old grandchild was a boy or a girl? Delivery was supposed to be when we got home from the previous cruise, it was moved up, and he never found out which. You can't make this stuff up, the warmth and the caring is genuine! As is the fresh fish or the honey. So yes, there has been a lot of negative stuff, and a lot of it justified. But in the end, Azamara is going to have to mess up pretty badly in our book before we switch away from them. Enjoy your next cruise. We are currently counting down 47 days.

[takemewithyou]

18 minutes ago, Dr H said:

Seriously, which is more fun to do, complain about how awful your experience was, or how great it was? I hate to say it, but bringing local honey on board is something I would have taken for granted on Azamara, and probably part of the reason I've found our two cruises with  Celebrity to be pretty unremarkable. We were waiting to board in Rome a year ago, the Hotel Director was coming off the ship walking away from us, spotted us out of the corner of his eye, turned around, and came running. He addressed my wife by name, and asked if the 4 month old grandchild was a boy or a girl? Delivery was supposed to be when we got home from the previous cruise, it was moved up, and he never found out which. You can't make this stuff up, the warmth and the caring is genuine! As is the fresh fish or the honey. So yes, there has been a lot of negative stuff, and a lot of it justified. But in the end, Azamara is going to have to mess up pretty badly in our book before we switch away from them. Enjoy your next cruise. We are currently counting down 47 days.

Dr H, just to clarify something….I have not complained about any of my Azamara cruises.  I have said I love Azamara.  I find fault with the CEO and her lack of communication.  I have a future booking on Azamara.

 

I would love to hear more about the subject I posted about….other peoples destination immersion experiences.

[Laganlady02]

13 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

I have to admit….a lot of my posts have been negative lately!  I have been pretty upset with the CEO and her lack of communication.

I was just looking at another social media website.  It showed pictures from a recent cruise (to Greece, I think) with blocks of local honey being featured at a brunch onboard.  These are the things that make Azamara so special!  No other cruise line does this, that I have been on anyway, other than Azamara.  My DH and I were just talking about this the other night.  These are things that drew us to Azamara in the first place!  I fear that Azamara may be getting away from this but seeing these posts makes me have faith again that these core values that made Azamara what it is are still in effect……at least amongst the Captain and some of the Hotel Managers!  
 

We have all heard of Captain Johannes stopping on Norway cruises to pick up local strawberries, or in other places local pastries being brought onboard.  On one of our cruises we picked up local fish in Kotor to be grilled and served later that evening.   We watched the boat load them onboard from our veranda.  We didn’t have any local food brought onboard our Ireland cruise on Pursuit in June but we did have a local group brought onboard in Dublin to entertain us and another special thing was a slow sail by the Cliffs of Moher that was announced ahead of time by the Captain so that everyone could be prepared to see it.  
 

So I am reminded that these are things that Azamara does so well and I wanted to acknowledge that!   😀

Last month on Onward in Greece they trialled a Destination Day (held in Corfu). This involved a Greek themed buffet served on deck one evening along with local entertainment that was brought onboard. The array of food and drink (kumquats galore) was spectacular and it was a terrific evening. Even the decorations on each table were tasteful and subtle.

I understand this was a trial for the World Cruise, and the intention with the Destination days is to do this on some of the segments.

 

Also in Prime C and Aqualina the specials (starters and mains) were themed. The different crockery used and the plating elevated each dish. Every dish I tried was new and every one was terrific. I hope this is something that will be implemented across all four ship's.

As an aside, I volunteer at the venue which hosted your Azamazing Evening,I do hope you enjoyed it.

 

[takemewithyou]

39 minutes ago, Laganlady02 said:

Last month on Onward in Greece they trialled a Destination Day (held in Corfu). This involved a Greek themed buffet served on deck one evening along with local entertainment that was brought onboard. The array of food and drink (kumquats galore) was spectacular and it was a terrific evening. Even the decorations on each table were tasteful and subtle.

I understand this was a trial for the World Cruise, and the intention with the Destination days is to do this on some of the segments.

 

Also in Prime C and Aqualina the specials (starters and mains) were themed. The different crockery used and the plating elevated each dish. Every dish I tried was new and every one was terrific. I hope this is something that will be implemented across all four ship's.

As an aside, I volunteer at the venue which hosted your Azamazing Evening,I do hope you enjoyed it.

 

Thanks for that description of the onward in Greece…..sounds wonderful.

 

So you volunteered at the Azamazing evening that my June Pursuit cruise went to at St Anne’s in Belfast?  That was a wonderful venue!  First we were greeted with either a Pint of Guiness or a Jamison Irish Whiskey cocktail 😀.  The Cathedral was gorgeous and the choir was great.  I didn’t see any food…there may have been some type of appetizers offered but we missed it.  We didn’t need more food anyway!  I commented on the warmth of the people in Belfast that we experienced around the city that day.  Very kind and hospitable to us!  We had a wonderful time there.

[Dr H]

2 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

Dr H, just to clarify something….I have not complained about any of my Azamara cruises.  I have said I love Azamara.  I find fault with the CEO and her lack of communication.  I have a future booking on Azamara.

 

I would love to hear more about the subject I posted about….other peoples destination immersion experiences.

Of course I realize that! That's why I phrased it the way I did. It's more fun to complain than to point out the good things, and for better or worse, I/we've come to expect those incredible, small, very meaningful touches, like the local honey. Things would not be in this current state if  Larry Pimentel was still the CEO, but sadly, he isn't. Still in my book, Azamara is a fantastic product. I can only hope they shoot the IT team, and start from scratch. That said, I find Azamara to be so terrible that I just booked another cruise with them, departing April 1. And I've been on the itinerary already, I want the ambiance of the ship!

Edited September 21, 2023 by Dr H
good grammar had went

[mtnesterz]

Regarding this topic of destination immersion experiences. We are seriously looking at our first Azamara cruise, a TA stopping at Bermuda and Azores before with Ft. Lauderdale and Lisbon at either end. Point is, what kind of immersion experiences would be offered? I mean, for a cruise that is country intensive, Greece for example, then yes, I get that would be about Greek history amd culture, but a TA? Would like to hear from any AZ cruiser who has done repositioning.

I think we're to the point we're willing to take a risk on booking despite some relating Az's "growing pains." TIA!

[ECCruise]

6 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

Regarding this topic of destination immersion experiences. We are seriously looking at our first Azamara cruise, a TA stopping at Bermuda and Azores before with Ft. Lauderdale and Lisbon at either end. Point is, what kind of immersion experiences would be offered? I mean, for a cruise that is country intensive, Greece for example, then yes, I get that would be about Greek history amd culture, but a TA? Would like to hear from any AZ cruiser who has done repositioning.

I think we're to the point we're willing to take a risk on booking despite some relating Az's "growing pains." TIA!

We've done several crossings on Azamara and unless there were a number of ports prior to the crossing (which they largely no longer do) there likely would not be too much "immersion" focused.  Can't really say it made a difference on the overall experience, especially since crossings are generally considerably less $$$ than an equal number of days in a port intensive sailing. 

[Dr H]

RE The Transatlantic. Our favorites. Usually we get to the port city a few days before departure and play tourist. Once on board, the immersion is the ship, subdued luxury at every corner, figuring out the best time to go for coffee, do we want to go into the pool or hang out under a blanket and watch the world, or maybe a flying fish go by. There are no Azamazing Evenings on the transatlantics. I'm pretty certain there is a White Night - extensive buffet on the pool deck served by the crew and officers. Very nice party. It's just pure relaxation, almost no running around like a chicken without a head, worrying about getting back on time, if there's enough time to shower, get dinner, and the show. There are always lectures, some better than others. But for the most part, you get on board, and reset your adrenaline dial. Hope this helps. Oh, ultimate tip: East to West beats out West to East hands down. For your money, they give you back time zone hours rather than stealing them. It makes a difference!

 

And since I'm babbling again, your fears about the "growing pains" Yes, it would sound ominous to a newbie, however there have been multiple postings since the insanity began regarding the quality of the cruises themselves. Apparently there is none of the  on the ground grief on board the actual cruises. Service apparently is fine, the ships are beautiful, perhaps a bit scuffed here and there on some, the food is great. If you want an elegant, relaxed cruise on a small, intimate ship, don't hesitate to join us. Several of us here will be on the Nov 7 Lisbon to Ft Lauderdale if you care to join us. If you do, let us know, I've got a great little port wine shop right near the dock in Lisbon. No restrictions on bringing alcohol on board...

Edited September 21, 2023 by Dr H
I'm shamelessly hawking Azamara's brand

[mtnesterz]

1 hour ago, Dr H said:

RE The Transatlantic... But for the most part, you get on board, and reset your adrenaline dial...Oh, ultimate tip: East to West beats out West to East hands down. For your money, they give you back time zone hours rather than stealing them. It makes a difference!

... Several of us here will be on the Nov 7 Lisbon to Ft Lauderdale if you care to join us.

Thank you both for taking the time to respond. Adrenaline is not an issue. We are both retired. We have also done TAs both ways (Princess) and you are right, east to west is worth some extra money. Same goes for doing a land tour in Alaska before the cruise portion.

Cutting it too close, as far as cruising this year, but thanks! 

[Dr H]

1 hour ago, mtnesterz said:

 

Cutting it too close, as far as cruising this year, but thanks! 

NO!!! You are retired for a REASON! Scrunch your eyes shut, pull out the credit card, and JUST DO IT!!!  The food goes in the freezer, the kids can figure it out for themselves. The dog wants you to go. And there are NO guarantees in life, which just happens to turn on a dime. Tomorrow is never promised. 

[mtnesterz]

Will be in Japan (with Princess) during the time you mention. You'll see my posts in that Roll Call. Daughter house-sits. Excluding the two Covid years, we averaged 2 cruises a year while still working, so we're not shy about getting out there. Thanks for the encouragement and good laugh. 

[donaldsc]

The problem is that all these responses are from people who have cruised Azamara so they are preaching to the converted.  Also most cruisers do not go onto CC to read the good thing about Azamara.  If the Azamara front office is as bad as everyone says it is potential new customers will say "why bother" and book on another line so Azamara will not get the new customers they need to stay in business.

 

It seems like we get a "wonderful" Azamara offer in our e-mail box every day so they must be having difficulties filling cabins.  

 

DON

[Mackdogmolly]

22 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

The problem is that all these responses are from people who have cruised Azamara so they are preaching to the converted.  Also most cruisers do not go onto CC to read the good thing about Azamara.  If the Azamara front office is as bad as everyone says it is potential new customers will say "why bother" and book on another line so Azamara will not get the new customers they need to stay in business.

 

It seems like we get a "wonderful" Azamara offer in our e-mail box every day so they must be having difficulties filling cabins.  

 

DON

I get a “wonderful” offer in my email box from several cruise lines every day! Doesn’t necessarily mean they are having problems 

[hamrag]

14 hours ago, Dr H said:

..... Oh, ultimate tip: East to West beats out West to East hands down. For your money, they give you back time zone hours rather than stealing them. It makes a difference!.....

 

 

🤑 🤑

[GlobalMethod]

On 9/21/2023 at 8:51 PM, Dr H said:

I want the ambiance of the ship!

It is the ambiance of the ships plus the Azamara crews which bring us back. We have been fortunate enough to know quite a few of them for many years. They tell us they are well treated by Azamara and that is what brings them with their great customer care experience back to the ships, year after year.

[excitedofharpenden]

On 9/21/2023 at 8:23 PM, Dr H said:

 Oh, ultimate tip: East to West beats out West to East hands down. For your money, they give you back time zone hours rather than stealing them. It makes a difference!

 

 

The other thing is, the crew are getting tired toward the end of a West to East transatlantic.  It does make a difference for them.

 

Phil

[miss-heli]

On 9/21/2023 at 3:14 AM, takemewithyou said:

I have to admit….a lot of my posts have been negative lately!  I have been pretty upset with the CEO and her lack of communication.

I was just looking at another social media website.  It showed pictures from a recent cruise (to Greece, I think) with blocks of local honey being featured at a brunch onboard.  These are the things that make Azamara so special!  No other cruise line does this, that I have been on anyway, other than Azamara.  My DH and I were just talking about this the other night.  These are things that drew us to Azamara in the first place!  I fear that Azamara may be getting away from this but seeing these posts makes me have faith again that these core values that made Azamara what it is are still in effect……at least amongst the Captain and some of the Hotel Managers!  
 

We have all heard of Captain Johannes stopping on Norway cruises to pick up local strawberries, or in other places local pastries being brought onboard.  On one of our cruises we picked up local fish in Kotor to be grilled and served later that evening.   We watched the boat load them onboard from our veranda.  We didn’t have any local food brought onboard our Ireland cruise on Pursuit in June but we did have a local group brought onboard in Dublin to entertain us and another special thing was a slow sail by the Cliffs of Moher that was announced ahead of time by the Captain so that everyone could be prepared to see it.  
 

So I am reminded that these are things that Azamara does so well and I wanted to acknowledge that!   😀

We have just got back from a 10 night Greek Intensive trip on Quest.

Of all the delicious food served for the Sea day brunch the highlight for me was indeed the greek honeycomb served with fresh figs and local greek yoghurt all sourced on shore the previous day

[pickypicky]

We've just returned from Spain Intensive Bordeaux to Barcelona on Pursuit. Not sure where they were sourced, but lunch the first day (we overnighted in Bordeaux) was fresh tempura battered soft shell crabs, cooked a la minute. Delicious and soooo special!

[DreadPirateRobert]

On 9/21/2023 at 10:45 AM, takemewithyou said:

Dr H, just to clarify something….I have not complained about any of my Azamara cruises.  I have said I love Azamara.  I find fault with the CEO and her lack of communication.  I have a future booking on Azamara.

 

I would love to hear more about the subject I posted about….other peoples destination immersion experiences.

 We were on the Ireland intensive in June as well. While it might have been nice to have had a sea day mid point I wouldn’t trade any of the port stops for the experiences we had. There was so much to see and do. We loved the overnights and the longer times in ports. Loved Azamara so much we’re doing B2B Scotland intensive and a repeat of Ireland in 24.

[takemewithyou]

3 hours ago, DreadPirateRobert said:

 We were on the Ireland intensive in June as well. While it might have been nice to have had a sea day mid point I wouldn’t trade any of the port stops for the experiences we had. There was so much to see and do. We loved the overnights and the longer times in ports. Loved Azamara so much we’re doing B2B Scotland intensive and a repeat of Ireland in 24.

Hi DPRobert!  Great to hear from you!  It was nice meeting you and it was a great cruise!  I would recommend the Ireland Intensive cruise to anyone.  I think Scotland would be great to see, too!
 

Another part of the Destination Immersion that I enjoyed on this trip was the local food dish that was featured each day in Windows.  There were some authentic Irish dishes offered that passengers might not have had a chance to try onshore.  They were offered at both breakfast and dinner.

[Heartfelttraveler]

On 9/21/2023 at 7:42 PM, donaldsc said:

 

It seems like we get a "wonderful" Azamara offer in our e-mail box every day so they must be having difficulties filling cabins.  

 

DON

We get material from Celebrity, Regent, Viking, Princess, Atlas, etc. as well as Rocky Mountaineer, Linblad, and. Host of others.  Something every day.

 

We are new to Azamara and booked through an on-line agency with an agent.  So far no problems with bookings or using Azamara OBC for excursions by calling by calling Azamara.

 

For reference, our April cruise is about 95% booked (can look at on-line booking site for cabin availability).  Our January cruise is about 60% booked.

 

So far my  pre cruise experience has been great.  On par with Oceania.

[DreadPirateRobert]

7 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

Hi DPRobert!  Great to hear from you!  It was nice meeting you and it was a great cruise!  I would recommend the Ireland Intensive cruise to anyone.  I think Scotland would be great to see, too!
 

Another part of the Destination Immersion that I enjoyed on this trip was the local food dish that was featured each day in Windows.  There were some authentic Irish dishes offered that passengers might not have had a chance to try onshore.  They were offered at both breakfast and dinner.

I guess we missed those by just grabbing something for breakfast on our way off the ship and not eating dinner in windows. I’ll have to look for them on our repeat next year.