Management Decision On Quest's April 12 "Spice Route" Cruise

[anfri]

Hello Bill,

one of the components of the compensation program was:"Future cruise certificate for 30% of the cruise paid for the April 12, 2012 voyage. The certificate may be used for any future Azamara voyage." I received a future cruise certificate for only one year.The cruise must be taken by 4/30/2013.

This is certainly not what was promised!!!

I'm not happy about this because I've already booked a cruise with Celebrity this year and certainly will not book so fast one after the other!

I hope that RCCL will extend the validity of the certificate!

Anfri

[Bill Leiber]

Hello Bill,

one of the components of the compensation program was:"Future cruise certificate for 30% of the cruise paid for the April 12, 2012 voyage. The certificate may be used for any future Azamara voyage." I received a future cruise certificate for only one year.The cruise must be taken by 4/30/2013.

This is certainly not what was promised!!!

I'm not happy about this because I've already booked a cruise with Celebrity this year and certainly will not book so fast one after the other!

I hope that RCCL will extend the validity of the certificate!

Anfri

Hello Anfri -

 

I'm sorry that you were not able to vacation on the Azamara Quest's voyage departing April 12, 2012 from Singapore and I'm sure that your forthcoming Celebrity cruise later this year will be enjoyable.

 

In retrospect, when we communicated that Azamara would offer a 30% Future cruise certificate at the value of the cruise fare paid for the April 12th voyage, we neglected to include a statement that there would be a time-limit on the FCC. It seems in our haste to communicate the offer,that we might have comprised our review-process before releasing the information.

 

Nevertheless, I suggest when you decide you are ready to vacation again with Azamara, that you or your travel agent send an email to the UK's custserv.uk@rccl.com and/or speak to UK Customer Relations - their direct number is 01932 834330. They may be able to offer you flexibility by making an exception for the specific voyage that would be operating after April 30, 2013.

 

I'm sorry for our error but I'm hopeful that we'll be able to welcome you onboard later in 2013.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[Bluebury]

Thank you Bill for your response. We have now had the cost of the cruise reimbursed and our bank balance looks much better!

 

Can I please ask who do I need to contact about the cost reimbursement of the Indian Visa? You had given details earlier in this thread about what USA + Canadian guests needed to do but not for UK based travellers. Do I need to email or phone someone, if so can you please give their contact details? We did not pay by a credit card so do not have that sort of paper trail, in fact we needed to purchase, what is known as a "Postal Order" from a post office and paid for that in cash! We do have our visa stamped in our passports to prove that we did pay it though?

 

Thanks for your help, really missed the opportunity to sail on Azamara.

[Bill Leiber]

Thank you Bill for your response. We have now had the cost of the cruise reimbursed and our bank balance looks much better!

 

Can I please ask who do I need to contact about the cost reimbursement of the Indian Visa? You had given details earlier in this thread about what USA + Canadian guests needed to do but not for UK based travellers. Do I need to email or phone someone, if so can you please give their contact details? We did not pay by a credit card so do not have that sort of paper trail, in fact we needed to purchase, what is known as a "Postal Order" from a post office and paid for that in cash! We do have our visa stamped in our passports to prove that we did pay it though?

 

Thanks for your help, really missed the opportunity to sail on Azamara.

Hello Bluebury -

 

Thanks for the good news that you've received your refund!

 

To obtain your reimbursement for the fees for your Indian visa, please contact UK Customer Relations - their direct number is 01932 834330. At that time, you can discuss the best way to verify your expense with them.

 

Another way is for you or your travel agent can send an email to custserv.uk@rccl.com.

 

Also, here is a link to Azamara's UK website: http://www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk/

 

Hopefully you'll be onboard Azamara sometime very soon!

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[bombay12]

I sent my claim to the UK office for visas etc only to be told they had forwarded it to the Miami office. I have emailed Miami office 3days ago - No response to date. On a more positiive note, I have received a refund for shore excursions and have been informed cruise payment has been refunded today should be in our bank by Friday. Yippee!!

[lindentree]

I too posted my claim on the 6th April for out of pocket expenses. I rang the UK HO to be told that they had gone to Miami! I was also directed to my TA who will have the money sent to them? I have my 30% but no sign of the 7K refund needed to pay for the next cruise booked for December. Could they make it any more complicated?:(

[bombay12]

I too posted my claim on the 6th April for out of pocket expenses. I rang the UK HO to be told that they had gone to Miami! I was also directed to my TA who will have the money sent to them? I have my 30% but no sign of the 7K refund needed to pay for the next cruise booked for December. Could they make it any more complicated?:(

Just to make it more complicated I received our 30% vouchers went back to our TA who will accept them towards payment of a pre booked Dec sailing but they would deduct £200+ of of their already agreed customer discount. I have to date not received any notification of our out of pocket expenses. To me this is just adding up as more losses and the 30% is getting evaporated if TA's are going to cut back on their loyalty discounts when you try to use these vouchers their value is far less.

[spw1947]

We have not yet received our refund, and the future cruise 'benefit' of 30% of what was paid is $861AUD pp, nowhere near what I calculate as 30% of $3049pp.

 

As Bill finally admitted it is time limited, and thus we are unlikely to be able to use it, but the way communications have been handled over the whole issue, I shouldn't be surprised by these further issues.

 

It is increasingly hard to have any faith in Azamara.

 

From a very disappointed

 

Sue

[Jade13]

We have not yet received our refund, and the future cruise 'benefit' of 30% of what was paid is $861AUD pp, nowhere near what I calculate as 30% of $3049pp.

 

As Bill finally admitted it is time limited, and thus we are unlikely to be able to use it, but the way communications have been handled over the whole issue, I shouldn't be surprised by these further issues.

 

It is increasingly hard to have any faith in Azamara.

 

From a very disappointed

 

Sue[/quote)

 

It seems Azamara is making this way too complicated. Regarding the 30% of what was paid (before taxes and port fees) towards a future cruise, we once had a 25% discount of what was paid on a future cruise with HAL. What HAL did was have the amount attached to our Mariner number (past passenger account). So, it showed a credit to be used for any future cruise - no time limit either, and this was for 3 missed ports. It had nothing to do with travel agent discounts either as one could pick any travel agent they wanted for a future cruise and negotiate the discount based on what they would be paying for the next cruise.

[Jade13]

Just to make it more complicated I received our 30% vouchers went back to our TA who will accept them towards payment of a pre booked Dec sailing but they would deduct £200+ of of their already agreed customer discount.

 

Why can't the voucher go directly to you so you can use any TA that you wish?

 

The travel agents discount should be a percentage of what you are paying for the new cruise. Just make sure the old and new percentage off (with discounted cruise price) matches. It only matter if they are still giving you a 5%, 6%, 8% etc discount (or OBC in the same percentage amount) on the new cruise.

[anfri]

We haven't got yet the cost of the cruise! I spoke to our TA to be told he has communicated with Azamara and they will send the money to them - but it will take about 8 weeks!!!!!!! I can't believe it's more difficult to make a bank transfer to Germany than to UK or US???

I'm going from being disappointed to being angry!

Anfri

[Bill Leiber]

We haven't got yet the cost of the cruise! I spoke to our TA to be told he has communicated with Azamara and they will send the money to them - but it will take about 8 weeks!!!!!!! I can't believe it's more difficult to make a bank transfer to Germany than to UK or US???

I'm going from being disappointed to being angry!

Anfri

Hello Anfri -

 

First, how about some positive information? I've just learned that the expiration date for the future cruise credit issued for the April 12, 2012 cancelled voyage, has been extended for two years from the date of issuance.

 

Next, a suggestion that I trust will serve as an "anger-blocker" since it offers you or your Frankfurt travel agent an opportunity to communicate in unison with Azamara's customer service team in Miami about the possibility of reducing your 8-week refund through an electronic means. You or your travel agent can phone:1-877-999-9553, or send a very detailed email, as well, to AzamaraCustomerService@AzamaraClubCruises.com.

 

I just want to mention again to you and other readers, that I'm unable to solve specific customer service issues - I have no access to our global reservation system. Also, as CBO my role is to monitor Cruise Critic and other online message boards for misinformation about our operating philosophy and marketing programs as well as to listen and analyze your feedback so that I can communicate it to our executives. Your input will improve our ability to better understand your expectations and to shape our operation so that we can hopefully continue to exceed them. However, because of the recent surge of customer service issues resulting from the unexpected Quest voyage cancellations, I've deviated from that policy so that I could direct guests to their local customer service teams.

 

Further, I've made a commitment to Cruise Critic's Community Manager to ensure that my input would educate and benefit the broadest range of members and refrain from compromising the forum content with specific customer service issues.

 

I'm hopeful that your issue will be resolved and that we'll be able to welcome you onboard later in 2013.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[jebo]

Hi Bill,

 

To date still no refund of our cruise fare but have received the refund for our shore tours. We have received the FCC in the mail but states only valid for one year. Will we receive another certificate to replace this one for a 2 year validity? We are booked on the Celebrity Infinity mid May as a hastily arranged replacement holiday and are concerned that the refund for our cancelled cruise is taking so long. Meanwhile we are paying interest on our credit card! Are you able to give us a time frame for our refund?

[spw1947]

Thank you, Bill, for the good news about the extension of time for using the cruise credit. Will we be officially notified of this? We are still trying to get an eplanation of the shortfall in the amount of the credit.

 

Like Jebo, we have not yet received our refund.

 

It is hard to stay committed to the wonderful Azamara experience with these on-going issues compounding all the stress of waiting to find out whether the Spice Route cruise would be cancelled.

 

Sue

[SMNYCruise]

We also got a partial refund. Will call today to find out why.

[Bill Leiber]

Hello Jebo and Spw1947 -

 

I'm sorry for the delay that both of you have experienced in receiving your refunds from the cancelled Azamara Quest April 12, 2012 voyage.

 

As I've already mentioned on this thread, I'm unable to solve specific customer service issues and have no access to our global reservation system and I can appreciate the extra workload that the disruption of two voyages of the Azamara Quest has created for our worldwide customer relations network.

 

I suggest that each of you contact the Sydney office for assistance:

 Telephone: Reservations number - 1300 754 500 - or our Sydney switchboard number - 02 4331 5400 - and request Customer Relations

 Email: Customerservices.au@rcclapac.com

 

At the same time, I will copy my post on Cruise Critic and send it to customer relations in both the Sydney and Miami.

 

I will follow-up with clarification about the two-year expiration of the future cruise certificate.

 

I apologize for your disappointment.

 

Regards,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[spw1947]

Thank you for your reply, Bill. I certainly wasn't expecting you to intervene in any way, I was just expressing my frustration to the Cruise Critic Azamara family.

 

My travel agent expects to get our refund later in the week, which will then be refunded to our credit card.

 

I think it would be helpful generally if when the refunds and Future Cruise Benefits are issued, that they be accompanied by an explanation of how the figures are calculated.

 

Where do port charges fit in, and, as we didn't visit any ports are they refunded? Are they included or excluded from the future cruise benefit? None of the figures we have add up.

 

I have asked my travel agent to follow up with Azamara in Sydney, but surely this is a broader matter of company policy, rather than a local matter.

 

I'm sure it has been a big job calculating refunds and future cruise benefits for perhaps 1400 passengers, but we are living in the age of computers, not doing manual calculations, and it should have been possible to issue the information, and refunds at much the same time for all passengers.

 

Cheers,

 

Sue

[Bill Leiber]

Hello again -

 

I've had the opportunity to learn more information about guiding you and other Cruise Critic Azamara followers about the most efficient way to navigate our customer relations function and that is to deal directly with your market of origin. Customer service is "locally sourced, locally supported" while the Miami unit is there to assist, guide, support, wherever we are asked.

 

Nevertheless, because of the high volume of refund transactions resulting from the Mar 26 and Apr 12 Quest incidents and the recognition of the magnitude of the operation, the decision was made to centralize the refunds for consistency for the insurance claims and to process them in Miami through Post Cruise Guest Relations. I've learned that refunds are being processed as they arrive. The intention is to refund to the credit card the guest used onboard or the credit card used on the booking, if neither option is possible, then we are working with the international office to issue a check or wire transfer in the guest's local currency.

 

 

You or your travel agent can use the email on our US/Canada website under the Contact Us section, since there is has a template that guides the guest to include all of the information needed and allows for attachments. http://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/contact-us

 

Note: When the overall "Contact Us" section opens, use the top, right-hand box "Have a Post Cruise Question or Comment" and then click-on the sentence "Please E-mail us with any questions or comments you may have." A template appears.

 

I'm confident that this update will accelerate your refund process.

 

Regards,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[maxsales]

Why can't the voucher go directly to you so you can use any TA that you wish?

 

The travel agents discount should be a percentage of what you are paying for the new cruise. Just make sure the old and new percentage off (with discounted cruise price) matches. It only matter if they are still giving you a 5%, 6%, 8% etc discount (or OBC in the same percentage amount) on the new cruise.

 

Not exactly, the travel agents commission will most likely be reduced by the discount amount so this will limit the amount they will be able to rebate to the customer.

[spw1947]

Great celebration: refund has finally arrived!

[MightyQuinn]

... I've learned that refunds are being processed as they arrive. The intention is to refund to the credit card the guest used onboard or the credit card used on the booking, if neither option is possible, then we are working with the international office to issue a check or wire transfer in the guest's local currency ...

Hi Bill - quick clarification if I may.

 

We received the refund for our cancelled Quest March 26 voyage very promptly. In fact, it had already been credited to our cc before we arrived back home from Singapore. To date, however, we've not received the $150 pp per diem that was offered to all displaced passengers on our sailing. The letter we received on-board clearly specified that the per diem amount would be sent by check/cheque (their words!) to our home address. There was no indication that we needed to do anything to receive it.

 

So ... does the process you describe also apply to the per diem? Should we be using the template on the Azamara website to request it? Many thanks!

[Bill Leiber]

Hi Bill - quick clarification if I may.

 

We received the refund for our cancelled Quest March 26 voyage very promptly. In fact, it had already been credited to our cc before we arrived back home from Singapore. To date, however, we've not received the $150 pp per diem that was offered to all displaced passengers on our sailing. The letter we received on-board clearly specified that the per diem amount would be sent by check/cheque (their words!) to our home address. There was no indication that we needed to do anything to receive it.

 

So ... does the process you describe also apply to the per diem? Should we be using the template on the Azamara website to request it? Many thanks!

Hello Mighty Quinn -

 

I'm sorry for your delay in receiving the per diem of $150 per person. By all means please use the template that you'll find on our website under the Contact Us section, which allows for attachments. http://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/contact-us

 

Note: When the overall "Contact Us" section opens, use the top, right-hand box "Have a Post Cruise Question or Comment" and then click-on the sentence "Please E-mail us with any questions or comments you may have." A template appears.

 

My best wishes,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[cardiffmatch]

Hi Bill,

 

We are in the same situation as MightyQuinn and have not yet received our per diem although we sent in our claim the day we returned from the cruise.

 

It would appear that none of our Cruise Critic friends who were on the 26th March sailing have received per diem or other expenses yet. This is understandable as Miami have had a lot to deal with and I assume they have been concentrating on the refunds and FCCs for the variously displaced / cancelled cruises that resulted from the fire.

 

Would you be able to find out on behalf of the Cruise Critic community when Miami expect to start issuing the per diem, hotels, flights refunds for the passengers on the 26th March sailing? This would help us greatly as I, for one, am looking at a few thousand dollars credit card bill for all those hotels and other expenses incurred. I'm hoping to avoid paying any interest on it if at all possible!

 

With best wishes

 

Thom

[SMNYCruise]

Yesterday received full refund from April 12th Spice Route (minus trip insurance payment). Took a few phone calls, so I would suggest you keep calling.

[lindentree]

Here in the UK we still wait. Yes we had a credit card refund for the pre booked shore excursions then the email saying they had done this. TA has had communication saying the FCC vouchers we posted had been received. But we are still awaiting the refund due of about 2K, that's after we have paid in full for the replacement cruise in December. I know the interest rates are poor but the money should be in my bank especially as I had to pay £450 to deposit the new cruise! This is not what we would expect don't even mention the cost of the phone calls. This is with a small ship with a small number of accounts :mad: