OBC screw up

Just got off Quest and will write a longer review next week but I need to get this off my chest now. We had a $200 OBC and we upgraded to a CC suite. When we embarked, we received a letter from LCV informing us that we had $300 OBC. I thought, well how nice, we got an extra $100 for upgrading to the suite at a cost of $398. So, we changed one of our excursions and I booked a spa appointment to use the credits. On the second to the last day of the cruise, right before my spa treatment, I noticed the message light on our phone was blinking so I retrieved the message. It was the purser’s office apologizing for an error and that our OBC was only $200. I was not happy so I sent my husband down to the office to discuss. They said they left the message 3 days before and refused to credit us. My husband explained that we had already spent the $300 but they didn’t budge. Granted, I didn’t see the message but perhaps a letter under our door would have been more obvious? And, since it was the ship’s error, I really feel like they should have eaten the cost. We are loyal customers and never complain but this pissed me off. A bunch of travel agents on our cruise were shocked to hear this. Really bad business. Even though it was only $100, I still feel it was wrong.

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This is a perfect opportunity for a company to prove its loyalty to its customers. $100 is such a minor cost to the corporation, and for that amount they would have further cemented your loyalty to the brand.

It makes me wonder if the people that make such poor decisions have ever been a customer of any company themselves.

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I was not happy so I sent my husband down to the office to discuss.

That made me laugh [emoji846]

Since they sent the letter, they should indeed gift you the $100. Then again, it was pretty obvious it was a mistake and I’m one of those people who, receiving too much change at check-out, hands it back as opposed to makes a quick exit.

Just got off Quest and will write a longer review next week but I need to get this off my chest now. We had a $200 OBC and we upgraded to a CC suite. When we embarked, we received a letter from LCV informing us that we had $300 OBC. I thought, well how nice, we got an extra $100 for upgrading to the suite at a cost of $398. So, we changed one of our excursions and I booked a spa appointment to use the credits. On the second to the last day of the cruise, right before my spa treatment, I noticed the message light on our phone was blinking so I retrieved the message. It was the purser’s office apologizing for an error and that our OBC was only $200. I was not happy so I sent my husband down to the office to discuss. They said they left the message 3 days before and refused to credit us. My husband explained that we had already spent the $300 but they didn’t budge. Granted, I didn’t see the message but perhaps a letter under our door would have been more obvious? And, since it was the ship’s error, I really feel like they should have eaten the cost. We are loyal customers and never complain but this pissed me off. A bunch of travel agents on our cruise were shocked to hear this. Really bad business. Even though it was only $100, I still feel it was wrong.

 

 

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Parkslopegal, I feel for you. We too just got off Quest and had a wonderful time but like you had trouble sorting out our OBC. First there was the $90 missing. We never travel without a hard copy of our amenities so we were able to show that we were entitled to the OBC but nonetheless it irritated that we had to go down to Guest Services to haggle about it.

Then there was the matter of the Chef's Table. We also upgraded our category class at the same cost as you--though ocean view to balcony. We got a phone call the first night of the cruise letting us know of our Chef's Table reservation which totally surprised us because we hadn't reserved. I asked at Prime C what it was about it and they said it was part of our amenities and that it was complimentary. I then went down to Guest Services to find the source of this unexpected gift so we'd know who to thank. They said shoreside, most likely our travel agent. Fine. What they didn't say was that the cost of the Chef's Table ($190) was rolled into our OBC. So we didn't have $550 OBC plus $190 worth of dinner but rather $550 minus $190 worth of dinner. I thought, nice, I'm glad we paid to upgrade because this is a treat. Big surprise when we looked at our account and found out how it really worked. I don't know if I can blame our travel agent because there was nothing on the invoice (originally booked on Quest and later transferred to him) that broke down the benefits. I just wish Guest Services had explained it to me on my 1st trip down to get our bill straightened out rather than the 3rd time when I was pretty steamed. I had bought an expensive piece of jewelry for myself in the gift shop which I promptly returned because I didn't have the OBC I counted on to subsidize the purchase. I'm sorry your purchase wasn't so readily refundable.

Today's my first day back from vacation.

Let me see what I can find out for you.

Just got off Quest and will write a longer review next week but I need to get this off my chest now. We had a $200 OBC and we upgraded to a CC suite. When we embarked, we received a letter from LCV informing us that we had $300 OBC. I thought, well how nice, we got an extra $100 for upgrading to the suite at a cost of $398. So, we changed one of our excursions and I booked a spa appointment to use the credits. On the second to the last day of the cruise, right before my spa treatment, I noticed the message light on our phone was blinking so I retrieved the message. It was the purser’s office apologizing for an error and that our OBC was only $200. I was not happy so I sent my husband down to the office to discuss. They said they left the message 3 days before and refused to credit us. My husband explained that we had already spent the $300 but they didn’t budge. Granted, I didn’t see the message but perhaps a letter under our door would have been more obvious? And, since it was the ship’s error, I really feel like they should have eaten the cost. We are loyal customers and never complain but this pissed me off. A bunch of travel agents on our cruise were shocked to hear this. Really bad business. Even though it was only $100, I still feel it was wrong.

 

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This does seem it was a human error, since Club Continent suites do not receive complimentary OBC. Only the higher level suites (Club World Owners, Club Ocean and Club Spa suites) currently receive $300.

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/our-ships/suites

But that said I am so sorry that your happy surprise of receiving an upgrade was marred by an administrative bungle onboard.

Parkslopegal, I feel for you. We too just got off Quest and had a wonderful time but like you had trouble sorting out our OBC. First there was the $90 missing. We never travel without a hard copy of our amenities so we were able to show that we were entitled to the OBC but nonetheless it irritated that we had to go down to Guest Services to haggle about it.

 

Then there was the matter of the Chef's Table. We also upgraded our category class at the same cost as you--though ocean view to balcony. We got a phone call the first night of the cruise letting us know of our Chef's Table reservation which totally surprised us because we hadn't reserved. I asked at Prime C what it was about it and they said it was part of our amenities and that it was complimentary. I then went down to Guest Services to find the source of this unexpected gift so we'd know who to thank. They said shoreside, most likely our travel agent. Fine. What they didn't say was that the cost of the Chef's Table ($190) was rolled into our OBC. So we didn't have $550 OBC plus $190 worth of dinner but rather $550 minus $190 worth of dinner. I thought, nice, I'm glad we paid to upgrade because this is a treat. Big surprise when we looked at our account and found out how it really worked. I don't know if I can blame our travel agent because there was nothing on the invoice (originally booked on Quest and later transferred to him) that broke down the benefits. I just wish Guest Services had explained it to me on my 1st trip down to get our bill straightened out rather than the 3rd time when I was pretty steamed. I had bought an expensive piece of jewelry for myself in the gift shop which I promptly returned because I didn't have the OBC I counted on to subsidize the purchase. I'm sorry your purchase wasn't so readily refundable.

I'm confused how you had a reservation at the Chefs Table without your knowledge? It doesn't sound like you purchased one of our Specialty Dining packages that include a Chefs Table.

Now that you're home have you asked your travel agent if they had designated that the OBC they'd given you was specifically intended for you to experience the Chefs Table? That would be my guess since you mention having an odd amount of OBC (a sum ending in $90 rather than rounded to $100.)

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/booked-guests/onboard-packages/specialty-dining-packages

I'm confused how you had a reservation at the Chefs Table without your knowledge? It doesn't sound like you purchased one of our Specialty Dining packages that include a Chefs Table.

Now that you're home have you asked your travel agent if they had designated that the OBC they'd given you was specifically intended for you to experience the Chefs Table? That would be my guess since you mention having an odd amount of OBC (a sum ending in $90 rather than rounded to $100.)

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/booked-guests/onboard-packages/specialty-dining-packages

Hi Bonnie, yes I have it figured out now. We booked our Quest December cruise while on board the Quest in March of this year and now that we're home I looked at the original booking form and there were indeed two line items from Azamara--$190 OBC and $200 OBC. When we transferred the booking to our travel agent, he added another bit to bring it up to the $550 total. The funny thing is that neither the Azamara person who booked us or our travel agent told us how the OBC was distributed and that the odd amount of $190 earmarked for the Chef's Table. I'd have remembered it had I been told because in the five previous Azamara cruises we've taken, we've never once booked Chef's Table. Rob and I were surprised and delighted to get the phone call telling us we were booked for the French themed dinner. I was frustrated only because I didn't understand how all the OBC was configured. In any event, a small snafu in an otherwise fabulous cruise. And we did enjoy the Chef's Dinner very much, to the point that even if we didn't have OBC on a future Quest cruise, we'd still book one. ;)

It happens. We thought we had $600 OBC on a cruise. Upon embarkation, we asked if we could upgrade to a better cabin. We also asked if we could use the OBC toward the upgrade. The answer was yes. However, guest relations told us that we only had $100 OBC. I showed them my confirmation thst showed the $600 OBC. They still insisted that my OBC was only $100. Contacted my TA who resolved the problem by sending me a check for the missing $500. Not sure who made the mistake. It all worked out.

It happens. We thought we had $600 OBC on a cruise. Upon embarkation, we asked if we could upgrade to a better cabin. We also asked if we could use the OBC toward the upgrade. The answer was yes. However, guest relations told us that we only had $100 OBC. I showed them my confirmation thst showed the $600 OBC. They still insisted that my OBC was only $100. Contacted my TA who resolved the problem by sending me a check for the missing $500. Not sure who made the mistake. It all worked out.

You’re making me nervous! We sail Feb. 20 on Quest and have $600 OBC. I have the guest copy of the confirmation and plan to have it with me but don’t want to have to fight for what is on our invoice. Also, because of how we booked, we are also entitled to unlimited internet. That is not spelled out on the invoice but my TA confirmed we have this with a call to Azamara. How do I prevent problems from happening? I’m also concerned about booking our shore excursions, planning on using the OBC with the “work-around”, then getting hassled about our OBC. I can book less expensive excursions on my own but planned on using the $600 on these.

You’re making me nervous! We sail Feb. 20 on Quest and have $600 OBC. I have the guest copy of the confirmation and plan to have it with me but don’t want to have to fight for what is on our invoice. Also, because of how we booked, we are also entitled to unlimited internet. That is not spelled out on the invoice but my TA confirmed we have this with a call to Azamara. How do I prevent problems from happening? I’m also concerned about booking our shore excursions, planning on using the OBC with the “work-around”, then getting hassled about our OBC. I can book less expensive excursions on my own but planned on using the $600 on these.

Here is what I asked my TA to do with the two problems I have. Although they are not major issues I like you do not want to hassle and fight about anything. I am on vacation and do not want to spend it a guest services begging for what is rightly mine. One is Azamara charged the TA too much taxes which I paid the other is the unlimited internet. I asked him to please get both of these in writing on Azamara stationary from his go to person at Azamara which he already has in his possession and he is going to have them email the ship the week before we sail with the same info. If we email them too early it will get forgotten. So I therefore will have it in writing from Azamara and emailed to ship. If these two things do not work then Kathy's temper will most probably kick in because myself and the TA will have done all humanly possible to ensure the ship knows.

Kathy