Really disgusted with Azamara

Or a universal "Sticky" for the whole CC site!

There's an entire forum devoted to how to use Cruise Critic.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=163

[ETA this link is listed at the VERY TOP CENTER of the main boards]

Help is out there. Just need to look for it:D

I really wonder if it would be too difficult for cruise companies to give their itinerary out for charter first and have a cut off point when they can no longer charter and then release to the public.? In this way everyone would be served without the disappointment felt by it seems more and more people and cruise companies would still have their lucrative income , just a thought.

Hi Sunlover33,

While your thoughts are admirable, I doubt it will happen.

While it would be nice to have a cut off point, I just cant see a cruise line turning down an opportunity to charter an entire ship. There's simply too much revenue and profits at stake. As much as some may not approve of charters, I'm hoping for Azamara to be as profitable as possible, which will eventually lead to new ships, and being a greater force in the Cruise industry.

Hi Sunlover33,

 

While your thoughts are admirable, I doubt it will happen.

 

While it would be nice to have a cut off point, I just cant see a cruise line turning down an opportunity to charter an entire ship. There's simply too much revenue and profits at stake. As much as some may not approve of charters, I'm hoping for Azamara to be as profitable as possible, which will eventually lead to new ships, and being a greater force in the Cruise industry.

Hi Andy,

It's not that some of us don't approve of charters, more that after handing over a deposit a contract has been entered into and shouldn't be broken lightly.

If Azamara wants to charter then all that should be sorted before selling itineraries.

It hasn't happened to me, but if it did I would think very carefully about booking up so far in advance with that company.

Reading about someone else's experience also urges caution with regards to Azamara.

Hi Andy,

It's not that some of us don't approve of charters, more that after handing over a deposit a contract has been entered into and shouldn't be broken lightly.

If Azamara wants to charter then all that should be sorted before selling itineraries.

It hasn't happened to me, but if it did I would think very carefully about booking up so far in advance with that company.

Reading about someone else's experience also urges caution with regards to Azamara.

Suggest you read the contract, as it allows for cancelling the cruise, altering itinerary, etc. I'd bet that clause is in every cruise line's contract, but I don't intend to check. So your last sentence urging "caution" should be amended to include any cruise on any cruise line.

If Azamara wants to charter then all that should be sorted before selling itineraries.

 

 

...

 

Reading about someone else's experience also urges caution with regards to Azamara.

If for you it "urges caution", you should be cautious with every cruise line (and probably switch to land vacations) as this is NOT an Azamara practice, it's an industry wide practice.

With itineraries being released as far as 3 years out, it's simply impossible to sort charters beforehand as you suggest. This would only work if, going forward, itineraries are released much later, ~330 days out, when air becomes available. Personally I would rather have itineraries early and take a 1% risk of a charter or itinerary change than not being able to plan far ahead!

Floris

itineraries are released much later, ~330 days out, when air becomes available.

Floris

Point of clarification, the cut off would need to be earlier as our air is available one year out on the airline I use

Point of clarification, the cut off would need to be earlier as our air is available one year out on the airline I use

Perhaps "caution" would suggest you wait until 330 days out, because most cruise line policies seem based on the US situation.

Perhaps "caution" would suggest you wait until 330 days out, because most cruise line policies seem based on the US situation.

My point was that the poster was stating airline schedules and I was highlighting that schedules are available and bookings can be made at T-365 for several European airlines. Cruise lines like Azamara use these European carriers.

And no personally I will not wait until T-330 if I am using rewards points or if there is a sale on at that time.

Suggest you read the contract, as it allows for cancelling the cruise, altering itinerary, etc. I'd bet that clause is in every cruise line's contract, but I don't intend to check. So your last sentence urging "caution" should be amended to include any cruise on any cruise line.

I'm sure it is, the contracts are always going to be in the cruise lines favour.

In over 50 cruises I have never had a cruise cancelled from under me, but it does seem Azamara are beginning to make a habit of it.

If for you it "urges caution", you should be cautious with every cruise line (and probably switch to land vacations) as this is NOT an Azamara practice, it's an industry wide practice.

 

With itineraries being released as far as 3 years out, it's simply impossible to sort charters beforehand as you suggest. This would only work if, going forward, itineraries are released much later, ~330 days out, when air becomes available. Personally I would rather have itineraries early and take a 1% risk of a charter or itinerary change than not being able to plan far ahead!

 

Floris

Thank you for the advice, but I'm old enough to make my own informed decisions.

I've never had this happen to me in over 50 cruises.

It does seem as if Azamara are making a habit of it from reading these boards.

Upsetting loyal cruisers doesn't seem to me to be good policy.

People have also talked about other cruise lines cancelling due to charters - not just Azamara.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

It's not just cruise lines, UK tour operators can often pull last minute change of hotels as well, we have had this happen a few times and in India it happened mid tour leaving us no hotel at all. It was our first experience of a cruise being cancelled, and after the initial shock- horror Azamara handled it very well. Yes all the t&c's will be written to allow such changes/cancellation, they will always be written to the advantage of the vendor it's why in the UK there has been legislation to protect consumers in place for a long time.

I agree with uktog about early booking of flights, we booked our flights to Abu Dhabi for January within days of going on sale and got Business for the price of Premium economy and saved £1000 from the price just a week later!

I'm sure it is, the contracts are always going to be in the cruise lines favour.

In over 50 cruises I have never had a cruise cancelled from under me, but it does seem Azamara are beginning to make a habit of it.

My point was that no contract was "broken" by Azamara, as you incorrectly alleged.

I've never had a cruise canceled in over 50 cruises for a charter, either, and I don't intend to start using "caution" now...for Azamara or any other cruise line, as they all do it.

Lastly, the two charters this year by the Aussie cruise company are unique itineraries that we would probably never see from Azamara itself. I suspect some of us are taking advantage by booking one or both of them. Not all charters are restricted to some kind of membership group, as these are not.

Thank you for the advice, but I'm old enough to make my own informed decisions.

Decisions yes. Informed decisions, if you persist that this is an Azamara problem as opposed to an industry problem, perhaps less so.

Saturday, our Travel Agent e-mailed us that Azamara cancelled our September 2017 cruise because they booked the entire ship for a charter. They have given us one week to choose another cruise "in like accommodations, at the protected/lowest prevailing rate" or receive a full refund. We have found the same cruise in 2017, one day less but at a higher price and expect Azamara to charge us extra for their cancelling our trip, holding our dollars for over a year and projected out for another year. We did not cancel; why should we have to accept less and pay more???? Given other comments on this roll call, it appears Azamara is hurting loyal customers (8 cruises) to cover their bottom line. HELP!!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad:

Ask your travel agent to work on this.

And that's a huge part of the problem. Azamara publishes its itineraries very early. On the one hand many of us like that, on the other hand it leads to situations like these. The itineraries all the way through December 2018 have been out for quite a while already. On the other hand, Seabourn, my other line of choice, only has itineraries available through October 2017 - 15 months less. That makes early planing difficult but the chance of unexpected charters much smaller... Not sure what I prefer!

 

Floris

This is a big problem for many people... no matter how far out they book. Seabourn are worse than Azamara. I was booked on a b2b and tgey chartered the second one onky about 10 mths out. They offered us absolutely no compensation. We were told we should just be happy to have our deposit back! However, due to currency fluctuations we came out behind for a cruise ee didnt get to take.

There needs to be a better way than cancelling cruisesbthat people are already booked on...

Saturday, our Travel Agent e-mailed us that Azamara cancelled our September 2017 cruise because they booked the entire ship for a charter. They have given us one week to choose another cruise "in like accommodations, at the protected/lowest prevailing rate" or receive a full refund. We have found the same cruise in 2017, one day less but at a higher price and expect Azamara to charge us extra for their cancelling our trip, holding our dollars for over a year and projected out for another year. We did not cancel; why should we have to accept less and pay more???? Given other comments on this roll call, it appears Azamara is hurting loyal customers (8 cruises) to cover their bottom line. HELP!!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:[/font]

If they only cancel cruises for charter opportunities far out into the future, I think that's fair. Once they get into flight-booking territory, then people are going to start being out-of-pocket--non-refundable fares, penalties for cancelling reward flights, not to mention non-refundable hotel bookings.

Does Azamara ever cancel a cruise that's less than a year out?

This is a big problem for many people... no matter how far out they book. Seabourn are worse than Azamara. I was booked on a b2b and tgey chartered the second one onky about 10 mths out. They offered us absolutely no compensation. We were told we should just be happy to have our deposit back! However, due to currency fluctuations we came out behind for a cruise ee didnt get to take.

 

There needs to be a better way than cancelling cruisesbthat people are already booked on...

Hi Bluegum,

as the CBO for Azamara it's not my place to call-out other lines, but I can say from personal experience (I was the director of marketing & revenue management of SCL back when the line had only 3 small ships) that in 'the olden days' those ships were chartered ALL THE TIME. The smaller the ship the easier it is to charter since they become 'affordable' alternatives for large private events, e.g., Oprah's birthday. But that said, we always would protect the booking and move guests to another voyage at no extra charge. I wish you well with them.

Hi Bluegum,

as the CBO for Azamara it's not my place to call-out other lines, but I can say from personal experience (I was the director of marketing & revenue management of SCL back when the line had only 3 small ships) that in 'the olden days' those ships were chartered ALL THE TIME. The smaller the ship the easier it is to charter since they become 'affordable' alternatives for large private events, e.g., Oprah's birthday. But that said, we always would protect the booking and move guests to another voyage at no extra charge. I wish you well with them.

The last week trying to work with the "back office" of Azamara to "book and move...at no extra charge" has been a painful and disappointing experience. Azamara should think about customer feelings and reach out to those of us trying to stay loyal to a Company whose workers are charged (obviously) to saving Azamara every penny no matter what the effect on the relationship with the customer. Nickel and dime is the attitude and when it gets "tough" we will elevate it to the next highest level. We are "separated" by $57 on a problem Azamara caused. And we haven't even considered transportation issues! By all means Azamara, don't reach out to the customer to make things right! (Note my thread hasn't been addressed yet).

Just curious as to what the issues are on a cruise that was 16 months from now.