"BOOKING REQUEST ENGINE" to REPLACE CURRENT BOOKING ENGINE

Hello Azamara Followers:

By Monday morning, October 28, 2013 our current Booking Engine will be replaced with a Booking Request Engine (BRE) which will have the same look, feel and information capabilities of the current booking engine.

Through the live system, you will be able to check stateroom availability and pricing to make your voyage selection. The only difference will be that your actual selection information will be forwarded to our reservations department, who will handle the bookings.

Please keep in mind that this Booking Request Engine (BRE) is an interim process that will be replaced with a full booking engine in April of 2014.

Process Overview:

When the link is opening, use "Find a Voyage" and choose "Any Month and Year", click any month and submit. Then choose itinerary & booking for any voyage.

When you click in to a day-by-day itinerary, click on "Book this Voyage Now", and it will take you to the Booking Request Engine (BRE). (You may have to log in again).

You will see a four-step search engine come up. Here is how the flow of the (BRE) will be:

§ Step 1 will ask for information on who is part of the booking. We will ask for club member number, and a promo code if they have it. For now, this is for the purposes of our res team to know who the customers are when they get this information. We are asking if they are interested in CruiseCare, travel preferences (accessible needs) and air preference.

Notice: In the right hand column there is a voyage summary column, and this will be updated with information as consumers make selections.

§ In Step 2 we are asking guests to select their stateroom. If they have a stateroom preference, there is a field where they can add that stateroom #. As long as the category shows in this section, there is availability. If the category doesn't show, that category is sold out. All stateroom categories are listed.

§ Step 3 will ask for the guest information.

§ In Step 4, there will be a summary of the booking, as well as a request asking when it is best to contact them, and on what number.

- After consumers have completed Step 4, the final page is simply a confirmation page, with some copy, photos and links to start planning the voyage.

- This information will be forwarded to our reservations department, who will handle the bookings.

- Booking requests from outside of North America will be forwarded to the appropriate local office, i.e. bookings from anyone in the UK will be forwarded to our UK office, etc.

Once again, remember that this Booking Request Engine (BRE) will be replaced with a full booking engine scheduled for sometime in April of 2014.

During this weekend, the Azamara Club Cruises reservation system is temporarily unavailable while we make system enhancements. We will be unable to take reservations or make changes to existing reservations until Monday, October 28. We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope you'll return when our system is restored to continue planning your vacation.

Best regards,

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

Bill, I just tried the My Azamara site and cannot "Manage My Reservation". It shows the reservation number but the drop down box that allowed one to view and manage the reservation is gone. Will this be remedied soon? I am on the 11/26 Quest trip and need to get cracking. :confused:

Same here. I tried adding the reservation number again but there is no drop down to "manage my reservation". Bearing in mind the mess Azamara UK have made with our June booking then I want to check that they have taken off our discount for using our Open Passage Certificate.

It was supposed to be ready by today......but again......this IS Azamara UK we are talking about, so why am I surprised that it isn't?

Is this yet another website "improvement" that is not so much of one........and the answer would be.....probably Yes! :rolleyes:

The Celebrity and RCCL websites were upgraded also and they are still wonky today as well.

unable to check linked bookings/preferences etc.... well known british term - "cats backside" springs to mind !!!!!

Hello Azamara Followers:

I am posting revised information about our Booking Request Engine at the request of our website and reservation team members. There is one important clarification - the Booking Request Engine (BRE) will show stateroom category availability - not individual stateroom availability.

Also, if you are encountering problems with the system and your voyage is departing within the next few weeks, I recommend that you or your travel agent contact our call center for assistance.

REVISED INFORMATION:

By Monday morning, October 28, 2013 our current Booking Engine will be replaced with a Booking Request Engine (BRE) which will have for the most part the same information and search capabilities of the current booking engine.

Through the live system, you will be able to check stateroom category availability and pricing to make your voyage selection. The only difference will be that your actual selection information will be forwarded to our reservations department, who will handle the bookings.

Please keep in mind that this Booking Request Engine (BRE) is an interim process that will be replaced with a full booking engine in April of 2014.

Process Overview:

When you click on “Book this voyage now” in the itinerary day-by-day pages, you will see a four-step search engine come up. Here is how the flow of the BRE will be:

Step 1 will ask for information on who is part of the booking. We will ask for club member number, and a promo code if you have it. We are asking if you are interested in CruiseCare, travel preferences (accessible needs) and air preference.

Notice: In the right hand column there is a voyage summary column, and this will be updated with information as consumers make selections.

In Step 2 we are asking guests to select their stateroom category. If you have a stateroom preference, there is a field where you can add that stateroom #. As long as the category shows in this section, there is availability. If the category doesn't show, that category is sold out. All stateroom categories are listed. The BRE will not show you the actual stateroom availability – only stateroom category.

Step 3 will ask for the guest information.

In Step 4, there will be a summary of the booking, as well as a request asking when it is best to contact you, and on what number.

- After you have completed Step 4, the final page is simply a confirmation page, with a message that we will be in touch shortly to confirm the booking.

- This information will be forwarded to our reservations department, who will handle the bookings.

- Booking requests from outside of North America will be forwarded to the appropriate local office, i.e. bookings from anyone in the UK will be forwarded to our UK office, etc.

Once again, remember that this Booking Request Engine (BRE) will be replaced with a full booking engine scheduled for sometime in April of 2014.

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

Bill, I hope that the Booking Engine will work in the UK.....but please forgive me if past experience has told me to put on my cynical hat. :rolleyes:

However.....why can't we access our "already booked" cruises? There is no longer a drop down to "manage your reservation". Hoping you can help with this.

Bill, the new information with the added comment to call Azamara if your cruise leaves within the next few weeks is frankly terrifying. I called and they said everything was just fine in Miami and maybe their systems guys were making minor changes "out there", wherever that is (the real world?), and not to worry but it was obvious the person I spoke with had no clue what was going on. And if Azamara's response to a non-functioning website is don't worry be happy it is reminiscent of the denial campaign coming from the White House. Will Azamara fix their malfunctioning My Azamara site or not? If the answer is yes, when?:mad:

What a mess! The new site is user unfriendly. I cannot access my reservations. Only the name of the cruise and the money shows up. No cabin, no excursions, no transportation, etc. Who redesigned your website? It reminds me of trying to navigate through a maze. It favors using travel agents. The old website did have some problems. The new site is a disaster. Fix it.

i was on it this morning looking at tours on future cruises.. did it go nuts later on?

i was on it this morning looking at tours on future cruises.. did it go nuts later on?

go to "my azamara" then click on "my reservations". at that point you used to be able to select a reservation and "manage my reservation", see details, co travellers, stuff you have bought such as tours and transfers, etc. but not anymore. no drop down box even though that page says to use the drop down box. or at least that is the way it is behaving in Texas.:(

And also in the UK fortworther. :mad::(:rolleyes:

Hello -

I'm passing on your feedback and difficulties that you are experiencing with accessing your reservation information.

I will follow-up with you when I have information to share.

I'm sorry for the frustration that you are experiencing.

Sincerely,

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

Bill

Please tell us this revision is incomplete or has gone wrong

In the UK we have no drop down menu nothing - some of us are trying to finalise things for a cruise that departs in ten days.

In the UK, we cannot even see an excursions tab or access to the online check in section (although I completed the process I was not able to print the form due to printer issues here and wanted to return to do so today)

Hello -

 

I'm passing on your feedback and difficulties that you are experiencing with accessing your reservation information.

 

I will follow-up with you when I have information to share.

 

I'm sorry for the frustration that you are experiencing.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

Bill, I don't think ACC thinks they have a problem, but they do, big time. I will be watching diligently to see if ACC take this seriously, but my initial take is as posted earlier - White House denials followed by oh well use the call center, the product is still good.....not.

Hi Everyone,

I'm not sure if this helps, but several members have reported various website issues today, on the Celebrity forum.

As this weekend's upgrade involved Royal Carribbean, Celebrity & Azamara, I must believe the problems are related, and the IT folks are working to resolve the issues.

I got on twice today after reading here. sonetimes there was no place to click "manage my rez" but i retried and it worked.just trying to figure out if i need to book tours for summer of 2014.

I got on twice today after reading here. sonetimes there was no place to click "manage my rez" but i retried and it worked.just trying to figure out if i need to book tours for summer of 2014.

There is still absolutely no way in to manage a reservation on the UK site, there is only a list of future cruises booked, no functionality to select one of these cruises and no manage my reservation button.

There should be a message on the site advising guests that there is an issue, as it is just now it appears to guests that they are doing something wrong and for those who know they are not, there is the frustration that the company appears to be in denial that there is an issue.

I hope Bill comes back with good news soon and if it continues any longer that they make exceptions to the four day rule for guests wanting to book shore excursions on the cruises that are leaving shortly - ours are booked but I know others were about to finalise theirs at the weekend and with no advance warning of the shut down are panicking now

There does not appear to be an option to include airfare in booking. Please advise how to this.

There does not appear to be an option to include airfare in booking. Please advise how to this.

This is a common problem and although we cruise with Azamara a lot, we usually end up phoning them because we can't find a way to get the airfare included!

This is a common problem and although we cruise with Azamara a lot, we usually end up phoning them because we can't find a way to get the airfare included!

Will you still do that when the interaction has to be with Guatemala? I fear if this is a longer term "solution" Azamara will loose a lot of potential bookings in the UK as guests will want a one stop website and UK based agents where there are issues to be discussed - time will of course tell if this prediction is right or - like my attempts to fund cruising through the selection of the right six numbers - totally flawed and incorrect

I thought I'd just test this out this morning and was able to login to My Azamara and Manage My Reservation with no problems at all.

However I then thought I'd check on the shore excursion we were considering and there seems to be a number of these no longer available.

Hopefully this is just a temporary problem whilst the tours are being reloaded as with 5 months to go I don't believe they've all sold out.

Unfortunately I cannot get to any of my bookings though I wonder if Azamara will honour the price they have them all showing for (£1050). All I have is a list of bookings, no functionality to access any of them. They have removed the maintenance message from the front page so I assume they believe that its a job well done and complete

There is still absolutely no way in to manage a reservation on the UK site, there is only a list of future cruises booked, no functionality to select one of these cruises and no manage my reservation button.

Still doesn't work in Texas either. Identical malfunction.:(

Will you still do that when the interaction has to be with Guatemala? I fear if this is a longer term "solution" Azamara will loose a lot of potential bookings in the UK as guests will want a one stop website and UK based agents where there are issues to be discussed - time will of course tell if this prediction is right or - like my attempts to fund cruising through the selection of the right six numbers - totally flawed and incorrect

Well even Guatemala has got to be better than the UK shoreside we have at the moment. You are right, Azamara will lose customers. So frustrating to go through the booking process and then you can't get a price to include flights - I thought it was just me being stupid! We love Azamara but oh dear, they are not covering themselves in glory at the moment. Once on the ship it is so different - you couldn't wish for better.