Cabin selection

[ccos]

We are looking at Azamara Journey 14 Night Holy Land Cruise, October 11, 2oo9. Could use your help with the following questions.
#1. Advice on cabin selection for deck 4 Oceanview or Deck 6 Oceanview obstructed. Is there a noticeably difference in cabin size? Have read that the cabins are the same size (which is what Azamare claims).
#2. Is there an advantage to book this early? I have heard that the rates are going down due to the economy. I realize the deposits are returnable. Has anyone actually taken advantage of a reduced rate closer to the cruise time?
#3. I have received numerous bids for our trip. Are these companies 100% reliable. I've looked them up on the net - but that doesn't mean anything. Offers range from $300 to $600 on board credit. Is this for real?
Thanks, we have cruised a few times to the Carribean but this cruise is far more extensive.

[Jancruz]

We are looking at Azamara Journey 14 Night Holy Land Cruise, October 11, 2oo9. Could use your help with the following questions.
#1. Advice on cabin selection for deck 4 Oceanview or Deck 6 Oceanview obstructed. Is there a noticeably difference in cabin size? Have read that the cabins are the same size (which is what Azamare claims).
#2. Is there an advantage to book this early? I have heard that the rates are going down due to the economy. I realize the deposits are returnable. Has anyone actually taken advantage of a reduced rate closer to the cruise time?
#3. I have received numerous bids for our trip. Are these companies 100% reliable. I've looked them up on the net - but that doesn't mean anything. Offers range from $300 to $600 on board credit. Is this for real?
Thanks, we have cruised a few times to the Carribean but this cruise is far more extensive.

#1 Obstructed View cabins are smaller on deck 6 but if you must go there choose 6030 or 6033 they are less obstructed than the others..you are much better off on deck four..(dont book near the medical center)
#2 Booking early gives you a better choice of cabins and you are entitled to any drop in price if it happens.
#3 Your best bet is to use a travel agent that is familiar with Azamara ..discounting is great, but the knowledge a truly good agency (not just an order taker) is worth his/her weight in gold!
Word of mouth is the best way to find an agency!
Hope this helps,
Jancruz1

[Hlitner]

I believe that all the cabins (except for the suites) are similar in size. Booking early is almost like throwing the dice, but you are talking more than a year in advance which is not always the best move. Personally, we would not usually book more than a year in advance, and many times we find the best deals about 3 -6 months in advance. Check very carefully with the online travel agencies about their policy regarding re-booking and cancellation. Many of these agencies now charge additional fees, and you want to know about this stuff. If you do book this far in advance you need to keep the option open to rebook (or reprice) in the event a lower price or promotion happens after you book. You can almost always get the better deals as long as its prior to your final payment. With Azamara, we had to actually cancel a booked cruise and than re-book to get a much better deal (this was for a cruise this past March) because Azamara refused to reprice us at their new lower price. A few weeks later, they again reduced the price but this time our TA was able to simply get us the lower price without doing the cancellation. Its hard to know their current policy, but the company does seem to be getting its act together after a few rough months soon after they spun off as a seperate entitiy. As to the online TAs (besides what I said about cancellation and re-booking penalties) we have used more than 6 or these companies over the years with no problems. The key is to always make your payment with a major credit card, and those charges should be processed by the cruise line...not the TA (ask them about this when you book). We always check our reservations on the cruise line's web site a few days after booking to make sure the TA did truly carry out our instructions.

Hank

[Jancruz]

I believe that all the cabins (except for the suites) are similar in size. Booking early is almost like throwing the dice, but you are talking more than a year in advance which is not always the best move. Personally, we would not usually book more than a year in advance, and many times we find the best deals about 3 -6 months in advance. Check very carefully with the online travel agencies about their policy regarding re-booking and cancellation. Many of these agencies now charge additional fees, and you want to know about this stuff. If you do book this far in advance you need to keep the option open to rebook (or reprice) in the event a lower price or promotion happens after you book. You can almost always get the better deals as long as its prior to your final payment. With Azamara, we had to actually cancel a booked cruise and than re-book to get a much better deal (this was for a cruise this past March) because Azamara refused to reprice us at their new lower price. A few weeks later, they again reduced the price but this time our TA was able to simply get us the lower price without doing the cancellation. Its hard to know their current policy, but the company does seem to be getting its act together after a few rough months soon after they spun off as a seperate entitiy. As to the online TAs (besides what I said about cancellation and re-booking penalties) we have used more than 6 or these companies over the years with no problems. The key is to always make your payment with a major credit card, and those charges should be processed by the cruise line...not the TA (ask them about this when you book). We always check our reservations on the cruise line's web site a few days after booking to make sure the TA did truly carry out our instructions.

Hank


Hi Hank, You are incorrect about the size of the cabins on the R ships..there are several that are bigger and several that are smaller.
If you have a good agent, you dont have to cancel and rebook..your agent takes care of it..(thats what I meant about a good agent)..Obviosly you have never built a rapor with any agent over the years and that is not to your benefit..your advice about Credit Cards is excellent and all people should make sure they follow it!!
Have a great day!
Jancruz1

[Hlitner]

Hi Hank, You are incorrect about the size of the cabins on the R ships..there are several that are bigger and several that are smaller.
If you have a good agent, you dont have to cancel and rebook..your agent takes care of it..(thats what I meant about a good agent)..Obviosly you have never built a rapor with any agent over the years and that is not to your benefit..your advice about Credit Cards is excellent and all people should make sure they follow it!!
Have a great day!
Jancruz1


Ouch! I feel slapped down. Yes, there are some exceptions to the cabins on the R ships and I guess it should have occurred to me that since the OP had mentioned the obstructed view cabins I should have been more specific (please don't beat me with a cold noodle). Regarding the outside cabins, they are all the same size except Cat 7 and 8 (and of course the suites). As to good TAs, well, its a topic on many cruises. Personally, after having booked substantially more than 50 cruises, we have found many good TAs and have whittled our list down to about 5 agencies (all with a big internet presence). Our best local agency is AAA where they have a terrific cruise department with MCCs (Master Cruise Counselors), but unfortunately they cannot come close to the prices we find on the internet. As to the agencies we use, prices on specific cruises we book can often vary by thousands of dollars (we often book longer cruises). In the case I mentioned regarding rebooking Azamara, we used one of the best TAs I know (more than 20 years in the business) who was frustrated by Azamara's refusal to reduce our fare by more than $1000 to a promotional rate (this was about 6 months before our cruise). The TA and I had a decent discussion and I authorized her to cancel the cruise (there was no penalty). Once we canceled, than Azamara gracefully allowed us to rebook (for more than $1000 less) and even gave us the same cabin. Of course they insisted on refunding our deposit, processing a new deposit (less than the original deposit), and than I had to send another e-mail to stockholder relations to get are previously approved stockholder credit updated to the new booking number (since Azamara would absolutely not allow us to keep the same booking number on a rebooking). Of course this took valuable time for both my TA and I and I think that I might send that TA a Xmas present for a job well done. (Now, personally I find this entire post boring but your post seems to be critical of my lack of details. I guess we could also talk about the placement of the soapdishes, recepticles, the type latch used on our balcony door, etc. And of course we could also list the exact square footage of each cabin (readily available on Azamara's web site).

I guess we could get into a lengthy (and again boring) discussion about the different types of TAs, current cruise line price control policies, TA consortiums, etc etc. Over the years (and its more than 35 years of booking cruises) we have found that the larger (generally internet-bases) agencies seem to have the most clout with the cruise lines (this recently came in handy when we booked a "sold out" cabin category on a Princess cruise). As to rapport with my TAs, they love us (we hear this all the time) because when we call (or e-mail) we know exactly what we want, take up very little of their time, and they can get their commission with a minimum of "handholding."

[ccos]

Thank you so much for your information.

[Jancruz]

Ouch! I feel slapped down. Yes, there are some exceptions to the cabins on the R ships and I guess it should have occurred to me that since the OP had mentioned the obstructed view cabins I should have been more specific (please don't beat me with a cold noodle). Regarding the outside cabins, they are all the same size except Cat 7 and 8 (and of course the suites). As to good TAs, well, its a topic on many cruises. Personally, after having booked substantially more than 50 cruises, we have found many good TAs and have whittled our list down to about 5 agencies (all with a big internet presence). Our best local agency is AAA where they have a terrific cruise department with MCCs (Master Cruise Counselors), but unfortunately they cannot come close to the prices we find on the internet. As to the agencies we use, prices on specific cruises we book can often vary by thousands of dollars (we often book longer cruises). In the case I mentioned regarding rebooking Azamara, we used one of the best TAs I know (more than 20 years in the business) who was frustrated by Azamara's refusal to reduce our fare by more than $1000 to a promotional rate (this was about 6 months before our cruise). The TA and I had a decent discussion and I authorized her to cancel the cruise (there was no penalty). Once we canceled, than Azamara gracefully allowed us to rebook (for more than $1000 less) and even gave us the same cabin. Of course they insisted on refunding our deposit, processing a new deposit (less than the original deposit), and than I had to send another e-mail to stockholder relations to get are previously approved stockholder credit updated to the new booking number (since Azamara would absolutely not allow us to keep the same booking number on a rebooking). Of course this took valuable time for both my TA and I and I think that I might send that TA a Xmas present for a job well done. (Now, personally I find this entire post boring but your post seems to be critical of my lack of details. I guess we could also talk about the placement of the soapdishes, recepticles, the type latch used on our balcony door, etc. And of course we could also list the exact square footage of each cabin (readily available on Azamara's web site).

I guess we could get into a lengthy (and again boring) discussion about the different types of TAs, current cruise line price control policies, TA consortiums, etc etc. Over the years (and its more than 35 years of booking cruises) we have found that the larger (generally internet-bases) agencies seem to have the most clout with the cruise lines (this recently came in handy when we booked a "sold out" cabin category on a Princess cruise). As to rapport with my TAs, they love us (we hear this all the time) because when we call (or e-mail) we know exactly what we want, take up very little of their time, and they can get their commission with a minimum of "handholding."

You are too funny..
Thanks for the info,
Jancruz1

[cruisePRN]

I always book directly with the line and keep control of my reservation. If the fare changes I can call directly and CSR will help me. A few days before final payment I will turn my booking over to a TA who gives me OBC. It's the best of both worlds this way :D

[Hlitner]

I always book directly with the line and keep control of my reservation. If the fare changes I can call directly and CSR will help me. A few days before final payment I will turn my booking over to a TA who gives me OBC. It's the best of both worlds this way :D

Now that is an interesting strategy. But, you are forgetting that the cruise lines will never match the group rate fares offered by some higher volume TAs and consortiums. Although we have never discussed this with Azamara, I have talked to both RCI and Princess and they acknowledged that they cannot (or I guess will not) match those discounted fares because they do not want to undercut most of the TA community. Azamara is still a mystery to me (only cruised with them once) because we cannot figure out if their home office was just incompetent or perhaps cagey. But we were ultimately able to reduce our booking costs by about 1200 per person plus we got $700 of on-board credits + pre-paid tips not to mention free air from Florida to Sao Paulo. What started out as a pretty expensive cruise turned out to be a great bargain, made even more so because our cruise was excellent in almost every category. We would go back with this line in a heartbeat if we could again find that kind of bargain.

[darrencantwait]

Our best local agency is AAA where they have a terrific cruise department with MCCs (Master Cruise Counselors), but unfortunately they cannot come close to the prices we find on the internet. As to the agencies we use, prices on specific cruises we book can often vary by thousands of dollars (we often book longer cruises).

Hi Hlitner --

I'd be very interested in learning which online agencies you have had such great service. I go back an forth booking my own and using one online agency that I've tried so far. I have used the online agency for quick/inexpensive cruises out of NYC. But for the more expensive and highly planned cruises, I've always booked direct and managaged myself. Would you mind emailing me?

kuhnau at aya dot yale dot edu

thanks in advance.

[gypsy lady]

My dh and I have just booked the May 1, 2009 15 night Holy Land Cruise with Azamara. After travelling with Celebrity and RCCL for years, we decided to do this ship because of the great itinerary. I have read lots of good things about this ship and can't wait to actually cruise on her. I realize it's 10 months away, but time passes quickly when you have something this great to look forward to. I am wondering if anyone can help me with a question regarding shore exc on the Quest in Egypt and Israel. I would like to know about the hotels they offer on the overnight trips in these two countries. Any way of finding out if they use a specific hotel and if so what would it be. Thanks for any info. Gypsylady

[travelbosslady]

Dear Gypsy Lady:

I am also going on this cruise. There are no hotels involved for Egypt or Israel, the ship is your hotel.

[rubinstein2r]

We just returned from a Quest sailing that included Egypt. We did a privately arranged tour for us and a couple we met on this board. The cost was roughly similar (or less) than the ship's excursions. We paid $110 per person including : transport, guided tour or Egyptian museum, lunch and a tour of the Giza Pyramids. The whole thing lasted about 12 hours (it's a long ride to Cairo).

We used DeCastro tours and were very happy. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and eager to present her country and culture. We also had a driver and a third person who was presented as a representative but I suggest he was some kind of security. We also considered Blue Nile and I've herd good things about them.

Glad to help you further if you need.

--My_AZ

[usavvy2]

Hi Hank, You are incorrect about the size of the cabins on the R ships..there are several that are bigger and several that are smaller. Jancruz1

thanks for the correction Jan; I was getting totally confused by Hilter's remarks re cabin size being the same as I thought I had read that the obstructed views were 143 sq. ft. vs. 170 sq. ft. regular outsides! I've never booked with Azamara (although a few Celebrity sailings under my belt as well as other lines) so it's critical that I have specifics.

looks like this thread was hijacked awhile back - let's see if I can get it back on track as I desperately need some help in the topic of "cabin selection"!

I'm currently in need of advice regarding cabin selection. I am a LIGHT sleeper. For example - I didn't enjoy a sojourn on the Millie under the casino one bit! Didn't enjoy the pool chairs scraping my ceiling on the Enchantment one iota either! Didn't enjoy the music bellowing up the atrium to my deck 2 floors above on a Princess cruise at all. Didn't enjoy the pole banging around on the promenade deck outside our cabin on the Royal Princess when the captain picked up speed at night.

Ear plugs would be a good solution EXCEPT for the fact that I'd never hear the alarm - or worse - a fire siren! DH has a severe hearing impairment so when he takes out his aids, FORGET his hearing the alarm or a siren. We'd be feeling the heat before we'd know anything was happening.

Price IS a factor; I want the best quiet room for the least amount of money. I don't care if it's inside or outside; I just want to sleep all through the night! :cool: The other factor is that I do tend toward seasickness in rough seas so I'd want as stable a cabin as I can find.

So that's a long way of asking - what cabin do we pick? (Right now I'm holding a Cat 8 cabin on Deck 3 and I understand the engines are 3 decks below this one.)

[travelbosslady]

To usavvy2:

I would suggest a cat. 4 oceanview deck four mid ship. I stayed in cabin 4054. It is only 2 cabins in from the reception desk and you would think that you would hear the music upstairs on deck 5 with all the open space, but as soon as your door closes you hear nothing. It is mid ship so no movement and I really thought it was one of the most quiet cabins I have ever sailed in. My only complaint was that it didn't have a balcony, I really need to have one of those, but didn't have a choice on this particular cruise. I have been on Azamara 3 times and have booked my 4th cruise for May 1/09 on the Quest. Enjoy whatever you do, it is a wonderful cruiseline.

[cruisePRN]

Now that is an interesting strategy. But, you are forgetting that the cruise lines will never match the group rate fares offered by some higher volume TAs and consortiums. Although we have never discussed this with Azamara, I have talked to both RCI and Princess and they acknowledged that they cannot (or I guess will not) match those discounted fares because they do not want to undercut most of the TA community. Azamara is still a mystery to me

RCL does not allow TA's to discount anyway. RCL owns X and Azamara so they don't discount. What I have found is TA's are willing to give me prepaid gratuities and some OBC. Depending on the price of the cruise about 10% in perks is about what you can expect.

[Jancruz]

To usavvy2:

I would suggest a cat. 4 oceanview deck four mid ship. I stayed in cabin 4054. It is only 2 cabins in from the reception desk and you would think that you would hear the music upstairs on deck 5 with all the open space, but as soon as your door closes you hear nothing. It is mid ship so no movement and I really thought it was one of the most quiet cabins I have ever sailed in. My only complaint was that it didn't have a balcony, I really need to have one of those, but didn't have a choice on this particular cruise. I have been on Azamara 3 times and have booked my 4th cruise for May 1/09 on the Quest. Enjoy whatever you do, it is a wonderful cruiseline.

I agree..the deck 4 staterooms are very nice and quiet ordinarily..do try to stay near the lobby as the doctor is toward the back and that tends to get busy at 8am with people milling in the hallway talking..
Jancruz1

[stefie67]

we were on the journey in october, and had a cat 4 cabin. the room was plenty big and very comfy. i heard no noise at night and slept very well. i envy anyone who has a cruise coming up on these ships, i truly enjoyed every minute. i couldn't sit on the lounge chairs without falling to sleep, they are so big and comfy. enjoy your cuise

[usavvy2]

we were on the journey in october, and had a cat 4 cabin. the room was plenty big and very comfy. i heard no noise at night and slept very well. i envy anyone who has a cruise coming up on these ships, i truly enjoyed every minute. i couldn't sit on the lounge chairs without falling to sleep, they are so big and comfy. enjoy your cuise

just to clarify... do you mean deck 4 or cat 4?

[NorthernLite]

To usavvy2:

I would suggest a cat. 4 oceanview deck four mid ship. I stayed in cabin 4054. It is only 2 cabins in from the reception desk and you would think that you would hear the music upstairs on deck 5 with all the open space, but as soon as your door closes you hear nothing. It is mid ship so no movement and I really thought it was one of the most quiet cabins I have ever sailed in. My only complaint was that it didn't have a balcony, I really need to have one of those, but didn't have a choice on this particular cruise. I have been on Azamara 3 times and have booked my 4th cruise for May 1/09 on the Quest. Enjoy whatever you do, it is a wonderful cruiseline.

We had a handicapped accessible balcony cabin on deck 6 near the center ship stairs and elevators. Not a sound from above, below, next cabins or the hall the entire trip. Big noise on our overnight docking in Hamilton, Bermuda. We were directly across the street from the second floor of the Cairo Cafe. In other words, their disco and it went on until 3 am. Yes, the balcony door was tightly closed and drapes pulled. Next trip through if we wind up there we're just going over to join the party. I can't believe the locals put up with it as this was off season during the Journey's repo.

If you do get hit by the noise again on any ship ask if you can get a deaf alert package. Most include a vibrator for your pillow that alerts you to the phone and door bell and a bright strobe fire alert light if you want to use your ear plugs. If these are only hard wired to certain cabins then talk to the special needs department when booking and ask for these for your husband in case you want to stay out late while he heads in early. This would also alert him to the phone if he naps during the day and you're thinking of going ashore and want to check in.

I also saw the 143 sf cabins and thought that might be tight for 2 people. Maybe call Azamara and ask for a few digital pics taken during the next switch day. And we were either in front of or following Storm/Hurricane Noel most the time south of Bermuda and the ship was very smooth. We're both good sailors but this surprised both of us.

[usavvy2]

We had a handicapped accessible balcony cabin on deck 6 near the center ship stairs and elevators. Not a sound from above, below, next cabins or the hall the entire trip. Big noise on our overnight docking in Hamilton, Bermuda. We were directly across the street from the second floor of the Cairo Cafe. In other words, their disco and it went on until 3 am. Yes, the balcony door was tightly closed and drapes pulled. Next trip through if we wind up there we're just going over to join the party. I can't believe the locals put up with it as this was off season during the Journey's repo.

If you do get hit by the noise again on any ship ask if you can get a deaf alert package. Most include a vibrator for your pillow that alerts you to the phone and door bell and a bright strobe fire alert light if you want to use your ear plugs. If these are only hard wired to certain cabins then talk to the special needs department when booking and ask for these for your husband in case you want to stay out late while he heads in early. This would also alert him to the phone if he naps during the day and you're thinking of going ashore and want to check in.

I also saw the 143 sf cabins and thought that might be tight for 2 people. Maybe call Azamara and ask for a few digital pics taken during the next switch day. And we were either in front of or following Storm/Hurricane Noel most the time south of Bermuda and the ship was very smooth. We're both good sailors but this surprised both of us.

thx. 4 all your wonderful advice! I am staying away from those obstructed view 143sf cabins for sure! Will give the hearing impaired eqpt. a try... just in case I want to take a sleeping pill and DH wants to get up and out early.