Sailing from Villefranche Sur Mer

[clanger]

Has anyone embarked an Azamara ship in Villefranche Sur Mer?

If you have, we would very much much appreciate both positive and negative comments you may have.

It just seems to be to small a port to embark from.

[excitedofharpenden]

3 hours ago, clanger said:

Has anyone embarked an Azamara ship in Villefranche Sur Mer?

If you have, we would very much much appreciate both positive and negative comments you may have.

It just seems to be to small a port to embark from.

Despite what you have on your itinerary I'm pretty sure you'll embark from Nice port. Villefranche is a tender port and it's not possible to embark from there. I've seen this mistake in embarkation before. Is it on your cruise documents?  

 

Phil 

[Mrs Miggins]

I think you are unlikely to embark at Villefranche.  It's a really lovely small town - we often get the bus there from Monaco.  However it is a tender port.https://www.whatsinport.com/Villefranche-Nice.htm#google_vignette

What sailing are you on ?  

[Marmaduke]

I had a similar problem some years ago.  The transfer voucher from my travel agent said I was disembarking at Villefranche and even mentioned that it would be by tender. I phoned and emailed  the travel agent explaining why I thought the voucher should read Nice Port. The travel agent contacted Azamara who insisted that it was Villefranche.

 

I then phoned Azamara and spoke to someone who also insisted it would be Villefranche.  I asked if they normally disembarked 500+ passengers and their luggage by tender at the end of a cruise.  Answer - No I don't think so.

I then asked where the following cruise started from and was told Nice.

 

 So you are going to disembark all passengers and luggage using tenders by 09:00  and then up anchor and move round the bay to Nice started embarking for the new cruise at 12:00.? I think not.

 

Unfortunately  the person I was talking to could not see the problem and use their initiative  to refer to someone higher up. When I mentioned this to the crew on board they almost laughed.

In the end we were docked in Nice Port and fortunately my transfer was waiting for me there

[Boycey]

It's definitely Nice (Port Lympia). We just disembarked Quest on Saturday but there is still some residual confusion in the system.  Our private transfer was under the impression the collection point was elsewhere and I had to correct it the day before, and we overheard another group on the quai who were trying to redirect their transfers from Monaco!

[excitedofharpenden]

1 hour ago, Boycey said:

It's definitely Nice (Port Lympia). We just disembarked Quest on Saturday but there is still some residual confusion in the system.  

This has been going on for years. Let's hope the new system gets it right. Celebrity Cruises when it owned Azamara never used Nice port, only Villefranche and I think that's where the confusion lay. To be docked at Nice port is a big advantage over Villefranche. 

 

Phil 

[clanger]

Thank you everyone for their comments. 
We will be sailing on the Quest end of September 2024.