Live From Azamara Quest: A Tender Topic

Tendering. A word which strikes fear in the hearts of most cruisers, evoking visions of early mornings, long lines, crowded, hot life boats, and trying to finagle priority passes. But on Azamara and other small ships in the Deluxe and Luxury categories, like the rest of life onboard, it's no problem at all.



We have 4 tender ports this cruise - Sorrento, Taormina, Dubrovnik and La Spezia, for a total of 5 days out of 14. On a large ship, that would be a pain in the neck unless you were entitled to priority passes through elite repeat passenger benefits or being in a suite. But here, there are no passes, no lines, and I've not waited more than 10 minutes for a tender, either ashore or onboard. They don't even wait until the tender is full to send it. They run them continuously so no need to get every last passenger crammed aboard.



Making it even easier is due to the small size of the ship, even in ports where all ships must tender, they can anchor closer to shore than the larger ships, making for shorter (and often smoother) tender rides.



With less than 700 passengers onboard, short rides and constant tenders, not to mention chilled towels, water, lemonade and fruit juice waiting for you at the tender dock, there's just nothing to worry about with tendering anymore. It's virtually as easy as being docked. Tendering is no longer a sore, tender subject.





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Live from Azamara Quest: The Magic of Venice and Birthdays

Venice is a magical place. I'm not the first to say so, nor will I be the last, but it's not less true for the repetition. And that truth is why I chose to skip Aida in the most amazing venue, Verona's Roman Coliseum, and rejoin the ship in Venice to celebrate my birthday.

It seems many people choose their cruise dates around events, such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc. While this cruise date wasn't in my control, I was none-the-less excited when I saw I'd be in one of my favorite cities for my birthday. What better place to celebrate!

After arriving back to the ship following my adventures in Siena and Verona, and finding my cabin decorated by my cabin butler, Danny, I headed back out to spend the afternoon and evening in Venice.

Purchasing a 24-hour vaporetto pass, I made the traditional trek down to St. Mark's Square. Had to. I think it's the law somewhere that all tourists must start there. I'm not a fan of the square during the day, preferring to avoid the crowds when possible, but I was on a mission: for my birthday, I wanted to start out by sitting on the steps surrounding the square, eating a wonderful gelato from Cafe Aurora.

That mission accomplished, I then started my wanderings out from the square. A bit of shopping at stores remembered from previous visits, a bit of browsing, and lots of aimless wandering to see what I'd come across; the very best way to experience Venice.

A few hours later, it was time to meet friends from the ship for the first of the official birthday activities. I'd arranged with Alessandro Schezzini (venische@libero.it) a Rick Steves' recommended guide, to do a "pub crawl tour" in the evening. While it was Sunday, not a good night for it as most locals' pubs are closed, I still wanted to see what we could do.

In Venice, locals traditionally go to local pubs after work for wine and chicetti, heavy appetizers such as fried cheese and anchovies, calamari and assorted other goodies Venetians sometimes use as a light dinner.

Alessandro met us at the Rialto Bridge, and the 13 of us set out. We didn't have to go far from the heavily touristed Rialto to be in the "real" neighborhoods with nary a tourist in sight, but with lots of free-flowing wine and chicetti. The wine was local, organic, without sulfates, and delicious.

After enjoying nearly an hour here, regaled by information from Alessandro on Venice, history, living conditions and general tidbits, along with much joviality from the group, we were off to the second pub. Much smaller, but also busier with locals, we repeated the experience shoulder-to-shoulder with Venetians coming in for a bite and some wine. Traditionally, Venetians enjoy the pubs standing up, eat-drink-and-run, but Alessandro had arranged for us to have a table so we could take a slower pace.

A final pub was traditional style, standing outside at the bar, and once again was delicious, entertaining and informative.

It was with regret at 8P that we bade goodbye to Alessandro. I highly recommend his services for the pub crawl, but would also suggest him for daytime tours as well. His knowledge of Venice is excellent, and if you're looking for a walking tour, something a bit out of the ordinary, email him to see what he can create for you. Just know he doesn't stroll along - his stride is long and purposeful. But he does slow it down a bit for short-legged birthday girls.

My dream in planning the evening in Venice was to ring in my birthday at midnight in St. Mark's. In the evening, after the day-trippers have left, it's a much different place altogether. There are dueling orchestras playing across the square from in front of the classic cafes, and tourists at night take on a different pace and style.

When I stayed in Venice previously my hotel, the Locanda Orseolo, was located off the square but close enough that at night I could hear the deep bells of St. Mark's tolling the hours. It is my favorite memory and sound of Venice, along with the sounds of the morning deliveries of supplies from boats in the canals. So of course what better way to celebrate the official beginning of my birthday?

After convincing a couple of companions from the cruise and pub crawl group to join me, we headed to the classic and most famous Venice cafe, Cafe Florian. Ridiculously expensive, though with excellent quality and decent service, it has long been the "to be seen" place in Venice, even for locals. Of course, when the locals strive to impress, they entertain guests inside the Cafe, while the tourists mostly remain outside, but never mind those small details. I wanted the outside atmosphere, listening to the Florian's orchestra, and hearing the music from across the square as well, all the while being gawked at by the tourists standing just beyond the tables seeking a free concert (as I've done many times).

The Prosecco was luscious, and more than one bottle graced our table. Bar snacks of peanuts and olives kept our noshies at bay, and sparkling water refreshed us. Finishing off the evening with some Sambuca was the perfect compliment. Tipped off by my friends, the orchestra even played Happy Birthday for me.

Starting a few minutes prior to midnight, the Campanile bells sounded, followed by other church bells farther off (Italian time, after all, isn't as exact as in other parts of the world). But the main event for me, the Bells of St. Mark's, started right on time, deep and sonorous, tolling in the start of yet another amazing year to come. I closed my eyes and let the sound wash over me, feeling the reverberations not just in my ears but also my soul. I do so love Italy.
It was time to close up shop and head back to the ship. Taking the #2 vaporetto back to Piazzale Roma at night is a very different ride than mid-day, much quicker, but also in some ways seeing a different Venice lit up at night. A quick cab to the ship and we were back by... 1:30AM. Walking along the dock to the embarkation ramp, we saw a crew party in full swing in the crew quarters and were glad we weren't the only ones enjoying life at the wee hours.

The next morning dawned hot and humid, and after an alarm-less awakening (alarms and birthdays just shouldn't go together), and leisurely shower, decided to enjoy the ship for the day, writing the Siena and Verona blogs while they were somewhat fresh in my mind and while the mood struck. It was a short day in Venice anyway, departing at 1P, and there was nothing further I really wanted to explore this trip, so more will have to wait until the inevitable future visit.

Sailaway from Venice is just as beautiful and magical as arrival by ship, though seeing St. Mark's completely jammed with tourists did make me cringe a bit. I'll just treasure my evening memories and know that for me they represent the real St. Mark's and always will.

Another positive aspect of cruising solo revealed itself that evening, as new found friends invited me to Prime C, one of the two specialty restaurants onboard. There had been several options to celebrate my birthday night, but how could I turn down Prime C?

I find cruising to be one of the best ways to travel solo. Socializing is easy if you want, you can have as much private time as you wish, and other passengers are eager to include you if you reach out at all.

I think you'd have to agree, a pretty terrific birthday. And the cruise is not yet over!


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Live from Azamara Quest: Palio, Tosca and Musings From an Independent Cruiser, Part 2

The drive to Verona was simple simple simple and for the most part very fast, except for a bit of holiday traffic slow-down outside Florence. Speed limits up to 130km/hr made for a nice drive, again going through mountains as I went from region to region. It's easy to see from the geography how the major regional powers were created, as there are very distinct geographical boundaries and differences.

Arriving in Verona, it's so clear that this is a Roman town. From the several Roman gates and structures still remaining, to the most prominent feature of the Coliseum, and even archaeological remnants beneath the town, this town breathes ancient Rome. It's often called the most Roman city outside Rome. But yet as you walk around, you see the later direct influence of Venice in the winged lions and more recent architectural style.

One of the nice things about these historic city centers is their size. It's very easy to get around, and if you plan your hotel strategically, not more than a 10-15 minute slow stroll almost anywhere in the historic center. I stayed at the modern Hotel Victoria Verona, a mere 5 minute stroll from the Arena. While it has a modern interior, and is large by historic center standards, it was still warm and comfortable. I'd tried for smaller hotels, but all were full for this holiday weekend. But the Victoria Verona was a lovely choice. Comfortable room, a fabulous shower (I want a larger version at home - it had both a regular shower head, a seat with waterfall heads above it and even foot jets), and down in one breakfast room, a plexiglass floor looking down into Roman ruins they discovered during excavations for their garage. Preserved in their basement, and viewable through the breakfast room floor, are beautiful inlayed marble mosaic flooring and the foundations of the original Roman structure.

The town and opera were all I expected and more. It was opening night for Tosca this season, and they did a wonderful job. The principals all had marvelous voices, and the acoustics in the Arena were so good that I could hear the orchestra turning the pages of their scores. There is no use of microphone or amplification, and absolutely no need.

The stage is simply enormous, and the set design, while appropriately simple for this production, were still on a grand scale. Typically, Tosca is performed with a minimal chorus, but they made use of the space and facilities and had a cast of hundreds where appropriate (probably the same ones who would be the necessary cast the next night for the more elaborate Aida).

There is a show within the show in this Arena, with the patrons almost as interesting as the opera itself. From glitter to grunge, people were dressed in everything from sequined floor-length and cocktail gowns to tee shirts and similar. Of course, the higher priced seats attracted more sequins and Italian glamor, but even in the "cheap seats" there were those who dressed for the event.

I was very glad I put a bit of attention into my attire and finishing as afterwards, I went to Cafe Tre Corone on the Piazza Bra, right next to the Arena. My hotel had made the reservations for me, as I'd asked for a festive environment, suitable for a woman alone for apres opera dining. Once there and seated at a prime table right on the Piazza, I surprised by the applause coming down from the Arena. Next thing I knew, the Maestro and Tosca herself and their party were seated at the next tables for their Opening Night celebratory dinner. Very nice!

Next morning and it's off to Venice. Again, easy drive, straight in and out to the ship to drop my luggage then return the car at Piazzale Roma just 5 minutes away. While the rental car agency was closed by the time I arrived on Sunday, my rental was actually three days (the minimum to do a one-way drop with this company), so I could just park the car, drop the keys and contract in their drop box and was all set.

As special as all these travels were, I have to admit it was nice to be greeted back aboard the ship by security with a "welcome home did you have a good time?" Not to mention the decorations on my cabin door. But the final touch which made my homecoming perfect was just a couple minutes after arriving in my cabin, I opened my door to my cabin steward welcoming me back aboard and bringing me much-needed fresh water and ice. He hadn't wanted the ice to have melted, and knew I used it frequently, so he must have had security notify him when I returned, as he was right there to greet me. So nice to come home to that! Another advantage to independent travel combined with a cruise of this quality.

This has gotten quite long, so I'll write about Venice, the traditional cicchetti pub crawl tour with another Rick Steves' guide, and my birthday celebration at midnight in St. Mark's square next time. However, I wanted to put Siena and Verona together, as they really needed to be examined as a whole.

Using the ship as a stepping board to so much more really opened up this trip to be what I wanted it to be. It's a very different trip than what others are enjoying, but each of us is creating the right travel scenario for our desires. I did spend a bit more to travel away from the ship, but far less than if I were doing all my travel by land. The combination affords value and flexibility, something many don't realize is accessible through cruising, yet is at the core of modern cruise itineraries such as this one, and Deluxe and Luxury lines.

The ship made it very easy for me to do this, just asking that I register in advance with them, and provide my passport so that port officials in Ravenna could allow my departure from the ship. While we hadn't left Italy, there are still formalities in port, and the ship does need to know where you are. I have no problem with that, and as a solo woman traveler, it's quite comforting.

At every step along the way, I made sure the hotels knew when I made reservations I was a woman traveling alone, and felt very cared for. I have always found that to be the case, and find that people are eager to help solo travelers, and especially women. Never did I encounter a disparaging "you're alone" remark, but rather the more approving "you're alone!" The planning was much more challenging than the actual activity logistics to do, and it was far less tiring than I'd feared. The memories created will stay with me forever, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

If you have any desire to travel like this, do it! Create your own vacation, using a cruise as a platform and transportation. Go beyond checking things off your "bucket list" to creating memories of things you truly want to experience, not just attend. It's possible and easy from a cruise.

As I write this, we've been sailing out of the Venice lagoon and are on our way to the lovely Dubrovnik. I cannot wait for a special day tomorrow with a new friend who lives there. Another memory to be made.


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Live From Azamara Quest: Private Tours

There are ports which absolutely lend themselves to utilizing private tours; the Amalfi Coast is one of those destinations. While there are legions of reviews out there speaking about traffic issues and why one might only want to use a ship's excursion here, and there's no doubt a ship's excursion is "safer"; logistically, especially if docked in Naples, on an itinerary such as this on the Azamara Quest where we're overnighting in Sorrento, take anything but a private tour and you're missing some of the best of the Amalfi.

For example, and quite notably, Positano. This little jewel of a town on the coast (it's the coastal town featured in "Under the Tuscan Sun") doesn't allow large buses to travel within the town itself. Not because they don't want the tourists, but literally the big tour buses can't traverse the one road through town. Yes, you heard me, one road. Because it's built into a steep hillside, the rest of the town is traversed via steep lanes and stairs. So if you take a ship's tour, you either have to walk down (and more importantly back up again) from the top of the town, or you only get to see it panoramically from vistas as you approach. No thank you. While you can access Positano through ferries or local buses, even independent travel advocates such as Rick Steves don't feel they're the best option here.

Secondly there are towns farther down the coast such as Amalfi itself and Ravello. Again, in Ravello, no big bushes. And amazing views of the coast and wonderful restaurants (see my tweet pictures from this afternoon at www.twitter.com/cruiseresource). Take a ship's tour and miss much of these.

But most importantly, while you might have a good local guide, someone communicating to 40 passengers at a time can't convey their personal sense of pride and love of their home the same way a driver escorting a group of 7 can. Especially if the driver is someone like Carmello Monetti, who owns, runs and still drives (along with his sons) a local taxi company offering tours.

Carmello is one of the guides recommended by the Rick Steves' series of books (which are particularly good for Italian travel). This grandfatherly, in love with life joy of a man is everything you want in a driver on these most challenging of narrow roads (600 turns in 30 miles worth of road, with widths built for horse-and-carriage, not cars + parking + pedestrians. He cares about his passengers' comfort over speed, and while his English is heavily accented and sometimes challenging, you still will have a more joy-filled and fulfilling day than in a more scripted tour.

While Carmello is a stand-out, I've found the huge majority of private drivers to be similarly more involved and personal than typical large tour guides. The good reputable ones all pay attention to the time, know how to get around problem areas if they occur, and absolutely know their reputation and livelihood depend on getting you back to the ship on time. While that wasn't an issue here as we are overnighting in Sorrento, he still made sure we were all good with the timing and we got what we wanted out of the tour.

So how do you find a private tour, and people with whom to share it? Resources like Rick Steves, Frommers and Fodors (online and print) are all good, but I also believe in sites such as TripAdvisor and Cruise Critic, especially the latter for cruisers. There, you are getting recommendations from other cruisers (and the Ports of Call boards are heavily moderated to ensure vendors aren't soliciting or having shills promote for them), and you're dealing with companies who cater to cruisers and our unique logistical needs.

Okay, you've found a private guide who sounds good...but you don't want to pay the several hundred dollar/euro price yourself and you think more is merrier. How do you find others with whom to share? Head right on over to the Cruise Critic Roll Call thread for your sailing, of course! There are threads for almost every ship and sailing date, and especially in more exotic locations such as Europe, South America and Australia, often others similarly seeking tour companions. Get involved with the thread (simply introducing yourself is all you need to do) and ask if others are looking to share. Often you can also join in with tours others have set up and which still have room.

Getting involved in the roll call gives you a jump start on socializing onboard by meeting up with people for sailaway at a prearranged location and time, sharing tours, ask questions of others doing research for the cruise just as you are, and for solos, feel more connected onboard if you wish to be. With very few exceptions (there are always some people who don't observe good internet protocol), these roll calls are win-win situations.

More for solo cruisers: Have you cruised solo but hesitated to dine in the specialty restaurants because you'd be alone? Roll calls can help you to find people in advance with whom you'd like to share an evening (in addition to a tour) and you can go ahead and pre-reserve the restaurant of your choice onboard. Cruisers by and large are a social bunch, especially those on message boards and forums, and my experience has been that when they learn you're traveling alone, they reach out to include you as much as you want to be, though you do need to take the first step. It's one of the reasons cruising is such a solo-friendly way to travel.

But back to private tours and Azamara. Because of the nature of Azamara's priimary customer base - generally more well traveled, looking for more extensive experiences in a destination even if they're new to traveling, and desiring something just a bit better, private tours are a perfect fit. Add to that the extra time in ports, and you have the formula for some pretty fantastic explorations!

Deluxe and luxury lines are particularly sensitive to their passengers' desire for more personal explorations. Azamara brings on local port officials to answer questions when you arrive. These aren't the typical port lecturers you might have experienced who are only looking to tell you the recommended shopping vendors, but local officials, often with the tourist bureau, who are there to help you do what you want to do in their town on your own.

Oh, did I mention that private tours when shared with even a couple other people, usually cost far less than a ship's tour, too? Silly me. They are much more affordable, offer many things a ship's tour cannot (though there are some times the ship is the only option for a particular event or site) and just plain great. Even if you think you're someone who likes to go off on your own and not a "tour" person, try a shared private tour sometime. You might be surprised.

Tomorrow is our second day in Sorrento. While I could re-visit Pompeii or head over to Capri, the plan is a later morning tendering ashore, exploring Sorrento itself, a bit of lunch at a trattoria, and tasting many samples from small, local lemoncello varieties :::hic::: It's all in the name of research so I can improve my own lemoncello recipe. Likely no pictures tomorrow, but another essential experience for the region.

It’s Time for Another “Live From” Series!

It's been awhile since I've done a "Live From" series for you, but the wait is now over!

I'm heading out today to sail on Azamara Quest's Best of Italy 14-night itinerary. If you've been following this blog for awhile, you've seen my "live from" reports from exotic destinations such as Antarctica and Galapagos. (They can be found on my Past Feature Article page.) Europe, especially Italy, is far less exotic, but I'm hoping to bring it to you in a way you've not seen before.

Instead of focusing as much on the well-known ports, traveled in the traditional ways, to familiar sites and museums, I'm instead planning on taking a look at how Deluxe and Luxury lines, such as Azamara, allow for using cruise travel in ways you may not have envisioned.

Because of itineraries which allow for several overnights in ports, along with late night departures, and a ship size which allows docking in areas the larger ships can't access, touring options open up and you can see far more, spending more time in a region than on a traditional large ship.

I'm also going to look at the solo and independent traveler aspect of this type of travel. Regardless of whether you travel alone, or with a partner or spouse, this may help you in planning how you want to travel in the future.

Are you seeking to cross things off your "bucket list", or are you seeking life experiences? This series will, I hope, show you how to achieve both with this type of cruising.

I will be both blogging and tweeting my reports. Don't worry - you don't have to sign up with Twitter and figure all that out in order to follow me. Simply follow the link below to catch up on my activities:

Live From the Azamara Quest on Twitter

The Tweets from Twitter will contain links back to blog posts I make here, but there will be comments on Twitter not made on the blog, so the very best site to watch is Twitter.

If you do sign up for a free account on Twitter, or are already a member, you will have the advantage of being able to ask me questions, which I'll do my best to answer in real time (taking into consideration the time difference). You can follow me directly at @CruiseResource.

If you're looking to book a cruise while I'm gone, my associates, Mike and Darlene Jordan, will be happy to assist you until my return. They can be reached at 719-379-3133, toll-free at 800-267-7613, and by email at mjordan@cruisesinc.com. Their contact information can also be gotten by calling my voice mail or emailing me as my auto-responders will have all their information, as well as what to do if you're already booked and need assistance.

I will have email access while I'm gone, so feel free to email me, just know it may take a day or two for me to respond. This is quite an ambitious itinerary I'm undertaking. If you are wanting to wait for me, rather than contacting the Jordans, please indicate so in your email so I know you're waiting.

Unfortunately, I will be unable to post the Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Happy Hour specials while I'm away, but if you're looking for something along those lines, the Jordans can help you with those - just give them a call or email them!

First blog will be about using miles to upgrade, and how to save on upgradeable fares! I'll probably talk about my adventures with a foreign SIM card and using my Blackberry in Italy. Then we'll hit the ground running with an overnight in Sorrento, Italy, and one of my favorite places on earth, the Amalfi Coast.

From there, I'll visit Taormina, Ravenna, head off the ship for a couple nights to visit the Palio activities in Siena and see Tosca at the Opera Festival held annually in a 1st Century Roman Coliseum in Verona, before rejoining the ship for an overnight and birthday celebration in Venice. From there, we have a day in Dubrovnik, Croatia, head to Olbia, Sardinia, then up to La Spezia and the Cinque Terre before ending in Livorno and a drive down to Volterra on my own.

Expect to hear a lot about how smaller ship cruising of this type is different from the large ship experience. How to set up independent travel from a cruise, and hopefully information for those considering cruising for the first time (I know there are some of you among my subscribers) on aspects of cruising you never knew were options.

Please feel free to pass these links to friends who might also be interested. The more the merrier! There's a reason they call Blogging and Tweeting "social" networking. Join in!