Azamara disclosing personal information

[Jade13]

 

I have been sharing your feedback to our marketing team and they are monitoring to determine if any changes need to be made as we move forward. Interestingly, I have learned that our test program will be focused only in the US and Canada and not in other global markets, thanks to "GrumpyOldWesty."

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

___________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

 

 

But, the marketing department IS the problem. They don't see anything wrong with this (I am taking what people are saying at face value regarding having their personal information given out).

 

Test Market? They are testing whether to have outside agents contact those who request brochures and other information direct from Azamara to see how much more business they can gain?

 

I am sorry if this offends anyone but I said the same thing over a year ago regarding the Choice Air promo fiasco we endured. Larry needs to clean house if he wants Azamara to prosper. He is running a for profit business but lets this group continue to make mistake after mistake.

[takemewithyou]

But, the marketing department IS the problem. They don't see anything wrong with this (I am taking what people are saying at face value regarding having their personal information given out).

 

Test Market? They are testing whether to have outside agents contact those who request brochures and other information direct from Azamara to see how much more business they can gain?

 

I am sorry if this offends anyone but I said the same thing over a year ago regarding the Choice Air promo fiasco we endured. Larry needs to clean house if he wants Azamara to prosper. He is running a for profit business but lets this group continue to make mistake after mistake.

 

I totally agree with this post and the previous one.....Am I the only one who finds this policy offensive?

 

To generate leads? The company needs to give its customers more credit than that! The type of consumers who book with Azamara are not first time cruisers and do not need aggressive marketing procedures used on them to make a decision to book!

 

It is NOT right and very misleading to take names and e-mails from people who thought they were subscribing to receive e-mails DIRECT from Azamara cruises and to give (possibly sell?) those names to an outside travel agency "to generate leads". PERIOD!

 

Not to mention somehow releasing a personal phone number!

[takemewithyou]

This scheme thought up by the Marketing Dept. to generate leads for Azamara forgot one thing.....to get consent from the consumer!

 

This could have all been fixed by putting a disclaimer that a thrid party, Azamara's selected travel agency, would be receiving your personal information and contacting you. I never would have entered my info in that case!

 

Perhaps this idea was implemented without input from Azamara's legal department?

[cadcruiser]

This scheme thought up by the Marketing Dept. to generate leads for Azamara forgot one thing.....to get consent from the consumer!

 

This could have all been fixed by putting a disclaimer that a thrid party, Azamara's selected travel agency, would be receiving your personal information and contacting you. I never would have entered my info in that case!

 

Perhaps this idea was implemented without input from Azamara's legal department?

This is exactly what I mentioned to the rep from corporate guest relations, but she didn't seem to care.

I'd like to know what happened to the link that was advertised by Azamara that is included with all email correspondence to " unsubscribe at any time" ? This is very misleading on Azamara's part. I signed up knowing I could unsubscribe at any time and now I am being contacted by two travel agents from a company that won' t leave me alone even after I replied by email to stop contacting me! There are no such links on the emails I received.

[LOP]

you can always file a complaint with the FCC.

I'm not because I trust AZ will fix/address this issue SOON....

[cadcruiser]

you can always file a complaint with the FCC.

I'm not because I trust AZ will fix/address this issue SOON....

My complaint is not with the travel company.... it' s with Azamara and so far they have done nothing to remedy the situation.

[Cruise Junky]

This is ridiculous in this day and age of Privacy Laws. Hope you get your act together AZ before Canada imposes its $1 million fines next year for one unsolicited e:mail. I'd be making a formal complaint under our privacy act.

[cadcruiser]

Last night I received two more emails.

One was from the second TA indicating she knew I was waiting for my brochures to come.

The other email was for a survey that had nothing to do with Azamara.

 

Mr. Leiber, I understand you haven't received a final response from the marketing team, however I need my information erased from this travel company immediately after receiving two phone calls, four emails and possibly brochures in the mail even though I didn't disclose my address. Please let me know who I can contact as Azamara head office won't respond. The longer this goes unresolved, the more difficult it will be to remove my information from this travel company.

[takemewithyou]

Last night I received two more emails.

One was from the second TA indicating she knew I was waiting for my brochures to come.

The other email was for a survey that had nothing to do with Azamara.

 

Mr. Leiber, I understand you haven't received a final response from the marketing team, however I need my information erased from this travel company immediately after receiving two phone calls, four emails and possibly brochures in the mail even though I didn't disclose my address. Please let me know who I can contact as Azamara head office won't respond. The longer this goes unresolved, the more difficult it will be to remove my information from this travel company.

 

I e-mailed them back and told them to stop e-mailing me! So far they have stopped. I told them I don't want their assistance and never would have signed up for this if I understood my info would be "given" to them. Tell them it is an invasion of your privacy!

[cadcruiser]

I think you should be able to post the name of the harassing travel agency so others can boycott them. I know the moderators will delete. Is this a big name agency that advertises on CC? Two phone calls, four emails and possibly brochures in the mail? How did they even call you back the second time.

 

This also sounds like Azamara no longer wants to work directly with any clients.

 

This is a big name agency that advertises on CC. Without knowing what kind of agreement Azamara has made with this agency, I can't say that they are fully to blame. Azamara has allowed this to happen and won' t correct the problem even though they have been notified several times.

 

I still want to know what happened to the link that Azamara claims you can click on to stop receiving emails.

 

I wasn't home when they made the phone calls. I received two voice mail messages from the same TA that were about 30 minutes apart.

[cadcruiser]

I e-mailed them back and told them to stop e-mailing me! So far they have stopped. I told them I don't want their assistance and never would have signed up for this if I understood my info would be "given" to them. Tell them it is an invasion of your privacy!

I also emailed them back after the first email. This was followed by another email indicating they were escalating my vacation request to another agent which was followed by an email from the new agent stating I was waiting for my brochures to arrive. Shortly after, I received another email with a survey that had nothing to do with Azamara.

 

I also called this agency after the two phone calls and first email and requested to delete my information and stop calling me.

 

I am still waiting to hear back from Azamara regarding what information was given out and how it was done in order to find out the best method to stop this.

It seems every contact I have with this company results in more emails.

 

Azamara has created this problem. This has been very time consuming and frustrating and I find it hard to believe that Azamara doesn't care about making things right.

[florisdekort]

It's probably because I grew up in the age of Internet, Facebook, etc. that I completely fail to see the problem. I get lots of spam email; I simply hit delete. And when I occasionally receive a phone call, I politely say 'no, thanks'. Annoying maybe, but not worth my time and energy to get fired up about...

[Bill Leiber]

I also emailed them back after the first email. This was followed by another email indicating they were escalating my vacation request to another agent which was followed by an email from the new agent stating I was waiting for my brochures to arrive. Shortly after, I received another email with a survey that had nothing to do with Azamara.

 

I also called this agency after the two phone calls and first email and requested to delete my information and stop calling me.

 

I am still waiting to hear back from Azamara regarding what information was given out and how it was done in order to find out the best method to stop this.

It seems every contact I have with this company results in more emails.

 

Azamara has created this problem. This has been very time consuming and frustrating and I find it hard to believe that Azamara doesn't care about making things right.

Hello Cadcruiser and other followers -

 

Please consider me the point-person for resolving the issues connected with our newly launched website lead follow-up program. I assure you that Azamara's sales and marketing management; Royal Caribbean's corporate legal group; and the travel company's management have begun to remedy the situation. In the week ahead, the process will be modified so that it fully discloses to you that a travel company will follow-up by email and/or telephone and most importantly, obtain your permission before initiating the process. It will be fixed, but it might take until near the end of next week, because of the U.S. Memorial Day Weekend and Monday holiday when the Azamara office will be closed.

 

In the meantime, to ensure that your contact information is pulled from the travel company, please email Azamara's Le Club Voyage at LeClubVoyage@AzamaraClubCruises.com with your request, Cruise Critic name of "Cadcruiser" and contact information so that our marketing staff can inform the travel company to cease contacting you by email and/or telephone and to delete your contact information. Simultaneously, I will communicate with them to expect to receive your message.

 

Also, the program will be audited to ensure that the proper contact information (email address and/or telephone number) is delivered to the travel company as a function of the particular consumer information request. For example, the option to enroll to receive "Email Specials" requires only the "requestor's" email address; however, the option to "Request a Brochure" asks for both the email address and telephone number. "Cadcruiser," I've made the inference that when this review is completed, it will explain how your telephone number was incorrectly forwarded as a result of not being coded correctly for the "Email Specials" in which only the email address was to be sent.

 

I thank you and the other followers for freely expressing your candid opinions about the lead follow-up program itself and I offer our apologies for the inadequate way in which it was implemented with respect to your privacy issues. I ask for your continued patience as we work through the process in the shortened week ahead.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

___________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[cadcruiser]

Thank you Mr. Leiber!

I didn't expect a resolution from yourself as I know you are the messenger.

Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

[Jade13]

Bill,

 

You might want to let people know if there is still a way to request brochures directly from Azamara? Note that we are getting them so would not need this link, but others have expressed an interest in receiving them.

 

Thanks.

[cadcruiser]

It's probably because I grew up in the age of Internet, Facebook, etc. that I completely fail to see the problem. I get lots of spam email; I simply hit delete. And when I occasionally receive a phone call, I politely say 'no, thanks'. Annoying maybe, but not worth my time and energy to get fired up about...

 

Thanks to Mr. Leiber, the problem will be resolved for those who understand it.

[takemewithyou]

HA! I thought I has gotten rid of this annoying TA that Azamara sent my e-mail to BUT apparently he chose to ignore my nasty e-mail telling him to stop bothering me!

 

He just sent another e-mail. HELP! This agency is so persistent and we can't unsubscribe Azamara! :(

[Susan-M]

HA! I thought I has gotten rid of this annoying TA that Azamara sent my e-mail to BUT apparently he chose to ignore my nasty e-mail telling him to stop bothering me!

 

He just sent another e-mail. HELP! This agency is so persistent and we can't unsubscribe Azamara! :(

 

Can you block mail from the sender, or create a filter so that it goes directly to trash rather than your inbox? If you're not sure how to do this, google "block email + name of your email provider (gmail, hotmail, or ...). It will be worth the effort of learning how to do this to avoid seeing those persistent emails!

[takemewithyou]

Can you block mail from the sender, or create a filter so that it goes directly to trash rather than your inbox? If you're not sure how to do this, google "block email + name of your email provider (gmail, hotmail, or ...). It will be worth the effort of learning how to do this to avoid seeing those persistent emails!

 

Yes, I just investigated and found a way to block this sender's e-mail. They certainly are persistent....I almost wonder if their responses are automated because I just can't believe that my e-mail response could have been read.

 

Mr Leiber: This is really ridiculous that this company that Azamara has contracted with is able to harass your customers like this. I would appreciate if you could communicate to Mr Pimentel exactly what their tactics are and how annoying this is.

 

Here I am a customer with two previous cruises on Azamara who hasn't cruised with you since 2010 and now I am trying to be apprised of new offers and this is what's happening? I wouldn't think that Azamara's intent would be to annoy its customers to this point! It seems the marketing scheme that some one authorized is really backfiring!

[Bill Leiber]

Hello Azamara Cruise Followers -

 

I've learned that Azamara's sales and marketing management team has made progress in their discussions with the travel company and our legal department to modify the content within our website lead follow-up program and another meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.

 

For the sake of good order, here is an opportunity for all of you on this thread who wish to have your email address pulled and no longer wish to be contacted by our partner travel company, here is the easy process to do so:

 

Just as I had recommended to "cadcruises," please email Azamara's Le Club Voyage at LeClubVoyage@AzamaraClubCruises.com with the "Subject - No More Contact," your Cruise Critic name, and email address so that our marketing staff can inform the travel company to cease contacting you by email and/or telephone and to delete your contact information.

 

I will let you know where we are in the process this coming Friday afternoon (Pacific) and appreciate your patience.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

___________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[takemewithyou]

Done! E-mail sent. Thank you.

[Local17]

Just signed the bride and I up for Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle via the little blue Azamara box above the threads. A back to back, so I did it twice. I clicked the little box that said "Azamara Club Cruise E-mails". Added my e-mail addy once and then the brides. . .

 

I wonder if this is all it takes. . . We'll see. . .

 

.

[cadcruiser]

I have already sent 3 emails to Le Club Voyage and nothing was done. After numerous calls to the travel company, I was able to erase my contact information.

[takemewithyou]

Just signed the bride and I up for Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle via the little blue Azamara box above the threads. A back to back, so I did it twice. I clicked the little box that said "Azamara Club Cruise E-mails". Added my e-mail addy once and then the brides. . .

 

I wonder if this is all it takes. . . We'll see. . .

 

.

 

All it took for me was to go to the web site and sign up to receive Azamara e-mails. Good Luck!

[Bill Leiber]

I have already sent 3 emails to Le Club Voyage and nothing was done. After numerous calls to the travel company, I was able to erase my contact information.

Hello Cadcruiser -

 

I'm sorry that you had no success with the Le Club Voyage solution and I apologize for your disappointment in finding more frustration rather than a solution and that you were required to spend more of your own time on a situation that you did not create.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

___________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

 

NOTE:

For other readers, I have reconfirmed with both Le Club Voyage and our travel company that the email process has been established and that email addresses are being removed as they are received.