OBC workaround has been extended to all Azamara voyages!

November 14, 2017

We’re pleased to inform you that all guests sailing with Azamara (regardless of sail date) may use their Onboard Credit (OBC) by pre-booking our tours online, then simply cancelling and rebooking at the Shore Excursions desk.

This policy update applies to tours reserved through the call center, Voyage Planner or travel agents. All tours rebooked onboard will be charged the current onboard price at the time of rebooking. Make sure to reserve your space and book your excursions early as space is limited.

Why book your shore excursions with Azamara?

• Our tours have a maximum of 25 guests, so you enjoy a more personal connection with the destination and more individual interaction with your guides.*
  
• Every excursion is designed and delivered by locals who are committed to bringing you a uniquely immersive experience and authentic perspective.
  
• We work exclusively with trusted tour operators who are fully insured and committed to the highest standards of quality and service. There are never any hidden costs, and you can explore with confidence knowing the ship will wait if your tour is delayed for any reason.
  

*Some exclusions apply to maximum tour capacity. In the unlikely event that your tour is significantly delayed, we’ll make all the arrangements for you to return to the ship at the earliest opportunity at no expense to you.

We thank you for your loyalty and patience, and look forward to helping you create an authentic and immersive shore experience.

Terms and Conditions:

Guests may not use restricted OBCs (Casino OBC or Spa OBC) to rebook their Shore Excursions. Tours will be charged at the current onboard price at the time of booking/rebooking. If cancelling and rebooking alternative tours, some restrictions may reply. OBC is not redeemable for cash and expires on the final night of the cruise. Other restrictions apply.

Excellent.

Thank you for passing on the good news.

Thanks for the info. but who wants to waste valuable cruise time standing in line to get the charges refunded?! Argh! If Azamara would catch up with the majority of other cruise lines in this issue, I'd book more shore excursions with them.

I appreciate that you've made official what some of the phone representatives have been telling us. But the unanswered question is "when is the website going to have the functionality of being able to book excursions with OBC directly, so that we don't have to pre-pay, hassle with standing in line on-board, and end up likely paying more for the excursions?" It's too late for me...I have booked all private tours for my upcoming January cruise and I guess we'll just use our OBC for additional drinking/dining, spa, and shops. But I am very disappointed with Azamara for promising something (way back months ago) and not delivering. Sorry Bonnie...don't mean to take it out on you...you're just the messenger. It's just infuriating that something that is being offered on other, less premium lines, cannot be offered on Azamara.

Sorry to say I am still unhappy because as Canadian, we lose a lot on each transaction. To book a tour that cost $400us, I have to spend $533ca, it's very unfair! Azamara promotes early booking but they should give discount instead of OBC, it would be much more simple and equal for everyone. We are booked on B2B and I feel squeezed between loosing money or missing excursion, not a very good feeling :(

Sorry to say I am still unhappy because as Canadian, we lose a lot on each transaction. To book a tour that cost $400us, I have to spend $533ca, it's very unfair! Azamara promotes early booking but they should give discount instead of OBC, it would be much more simple and equal for everyone. We are booked on B2B and I feel squeezed between loosing money or missing excursion, not a very good feeling :(

Depends on which direction your money goes. If the Canadian dollar rises against the USD you could make money.

I don't expect it, at least for the next year, and there is also the 2.5% charge for transaction in foreign currency, a long way to go before of thinking to make money with it;)

Thank you for the update Bonnie. Like others I’m extremely disappointed to read that something that was hinted as being with us soon is now miles off. I appreciate you are only pasting what you’ve been given but it’s not really a fair option we are stuck with. Wastes valuable time onboard, ties up credit in advance and costs on refund.

Given how variable the quality of excursions have been of late this pushes guests back to private operators as has been noted above. The only saving grace where Azamara is concerned is that itinerary changes become irrelevant and with more and more of these happening - yes another big change for next April has just come in and some private arrangements for some have to be cancelled but I don’t think even the cheekiest marketer would use that line as a benefit.

At the very least the rebooking should be at the dollar price originally paid/converted and not the prevailing price on boarding. Many of us as Azamara well knows are taking an exchange rate hit. Why should we take another?

As others say not good news. It grates to have Facebook and twitter feeds pumping about wonderful new handheld technology coming onboard and yet we are still far behind even others in the corporate family when it comes to the basics.

Thanks, Bonnie, for all of your efforts. I greatly appreciate it and will use the workaround for my upcoming cruise. Is a permanent solution still being worked on? If so, is there an estimated deployment date?

Thank you Bonnie for your efforts in getting a response.

I am extremely disappointed as this workaround does not work at all for guests not paying in US dollars and those who booked in US dollars will have to pay in advance and wait to get credited onboard and rebook at a higher rate just to hold a spot on the excursion.

BBMacLaird

Posted May 2nd, 2017, 10:58 PM

We realize you are waiting for Azamara Club Cruises to offer the ability to pre-book tours online using your On-Board Credit (OBC.) We’re working on a solution that will be available this Fall 2017.

As an interim solution, effective immediately guests sailing with Azamara between May and August may pre-book our tours online (using credit card payment) and once onboard cancel and rebook their tours using OBC. This change takes effect today, 5/2/17, and is a temporary policy until our online function is available. Also please note, all tours booked or rebooked onboard will be charged the current onboard price at the time of booking/rebooking.

Terms and Conditions:

Shorex Onboard Credit (“OBC”) Offer applies to sailings departing between May and August 2017. Guests may not use restricted OBCs (Casino OBC or Spa OBC) to rebook their Shore Excursions. Tours will be charged at the current onboard price at the time of booking/rebooking. Tours must be cancelled no later than 48 hours prior to tour departure. Shorex OBC Offer excludes tours involving flights, trains, special events, overnight stays, hotel stays, and private tours, which must be cancelled 30 days prior to sailing. OBC is not redeemable for cash and expires on the final night of the cruise. Other restrictions apply.

 

At the very least the rebooking should be at the dollar price originally paid/converted and not the prevailing price on boarding. Many of us as Azamara well knows are taking an exchange rate hit. Why should we take another?

 

I agree that Azamara should honor the pre-cruise price. What incentive do they have to fix the issue if they can collect a few more bucks from passengers?

As an aside, I took two Azamara excursions on our British Open cruise, and they each had more than 25 people. One group had a second guide, but the other didn't. I wasn't aware until this thread that excursions were billed as a maximum of 25 people--I'll continue to pay attention in the future.

I agree that Azamara should honor the pre-cruise price. What incentive do they have to fix the issue if they can collect a few more bucks from passengers?

 

As an aside, I took two Azamara excursions on our British Open cruise, and they each had more than 25 people. One group had a second guide, but the other didn't. I wasn't aware until this thread that excursions were billed as a maximum of 25 people--I'll continue to pay attention in the future.

If you look there is a tiny asterisk that allows them to exceed it. If you read it you might think it’s exceptionally but the exception was certainly the rule this September on most excursions on our cruise without a second guide or ships escort which seems to have been done away with.

Bonnie,

I would like to use the workaround for a one-day excursion that includes rail and bus rides. Do the terms and conditions preclude using the workaround for this type of excursion? Thanks for your help.

Thank you for the update, but please feed back that this is very disappointing.... It’s bad enough that we have to endure credit card foreign currency transaction fees and fluctuations in exchange rates for refunds etc, but it feels like a real slap in the face to be told that you will then be recharged for the tour at the prevailing price on board.

I suspect that the Land Discoveries officers on board are equally anxious for the new functionality to be introduced.

And Bonnie as well! :)

Thanks Bonnie for keeping us up to date.

Thank you for the follow up. Still quite disappointing. Since the functionality is already in place for the other RCCL brands, I just can’t understand why after all this time there is still a work around. We don’t have the international fee issue, but we still have to pay out of pocket before we get reimbursed and still pay a higher rate for what we already booked.

I do realize some of you, especially our non-USD guests, are disappointed I wasn't announcing the permanent fix yesterday. While others are simply happy that they can now book their 2018/2019 Land Discoveries and once aboard replace the bookings with their OBC.

Please know we want a permanent fix just as much as you want it. The reality is the investment decision to upgrade our brand's technology is not up to me. There are many factors, and many levels, involved...some beyond our brand. But the good news is I'm told the technology upgrade is moving from the back-burner to the front burner very soon. (yn) (yn)

So let's think of this extended work-around as a new temporary fix.

And I promise to continue to be your advocate on this matter.

Thank you Bonnie :)

Thank you Bonnie- if you could champion that our rebooking onboard was at the dollar price equivalent we booked at and not the onboard increased price I think it would make everyone a lot more accepting of the position.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of % increase is charged for booking tours on board, versus booking ahead prior to embarkation? Does that happen also if a tour is sold out in advance of embarkation? Does EVERY tour automatically increase in price if you book onboard? Just trying to get a feel for the possible impact... thanks

Just out of curiosity, what kind of % increase is charged for booking tours on board, versus booking ahead prior to embarkation? Does that happen also if a tour is sold out in advance of embarkation? Does EVERY tour automatically increase in price if you book onboard? Just trying to get a feel for the possible impact... thanks

Our experience was $10-20 pp. ours all did increase but that might have been coincidence

Just out of curiosity, what kind of % increase is charged for booking tours on board, versus booking ahead prior to embarkation? Does that happen also if a tour is sold out in advance of embarkation? Does EVERY tour automatically increase in price if you book onboard? Just trying to get a feel for the possible impact... thanks

I think we canceled and rebooked three excursions, shifting $350 to $400 per person from credit card to OBC. One excursion went up by $10. Workaround worked well for us, although requiring effort from shore excursion staff to implement.

Thank you Bonnie- if you could champion that our rebooking onboard was at the dollar price equivalent we booked at and not the onboard increased price I think it would make everyone a lot more accepting of the position.

Sorry for below

What I wanted to do was a great big like but my office ITers had other ideas, I was hoping that we would all do a like to show what we think Azamara should be doing.

uktog

Today 10:11 AM

Thank you Bonnie- if you could champion that our rebooking onboard was at the dollar price equivalent we booked at and not the onboard increased price I think it would make everyone a lot more accepting of the position.