AZAMARA'S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: More Amenities added for Up-Market Travelers

[pacheco18]

Hi, Dale, we are taking our first Azamara cruise in 10 days after four on Oceania, one each in each of the last four years. We felt that the new Marina really preserved the feeling of the R ships in terms of maintaining that small ship feeling with which we fell in love, but with wonderful new food options and nicer staterooms. We had booked a Regatta (R ship) cruise for the end of August 2012 but when our daughter set her wedding date for September 29 (yes, she got married last weekend!), I simply went online and looked only at what Oceania and Azamara were offering for October 2012 and fell in love with the amazing four ports in Sicily itinerary plus Malta and Salerno (for Paestum). I later found out this unique itinerary was due to a cancellation of Libyan port stops.

 

I still only have received two emails in one year from Azamara and one small brochure, no matter how many times I have requested emails and snail-mail brochures, but I look forward to the personal onboard experience promised and this fabulous itinerary.

 

Also, after catching up today on the Azamara posts in the 2-1/2 weeks I was absent from this board, I am glad I am taking this cruise now because I am one of those who has no interest in subsidizing the alcohol consumption of others and never was interested in having that part of my ship experience.

 

I have been driven in my short cruising life primarily by itineraries, the no-smoking policies and the smaller ship experience, and with the two lovely new Oceania ships, I suggest you check them out and see for yourself.

 

 

This is exactly what I was talking about -- many Oceania cruisers were moving over to Azamara, at least for some sailings. We are all going move right back to Oceania if these ridiculous changes go into effect.

[CintiPam]

Hello Azamara DRESS-CODE Commenter's -

 

I reconfirmed with our executive team that our dress-code remains unchanged in all of our dining rooms - RESORT CASUAL dress code, following "good taste and common sense."

 

It seems that the statement on our website: "We recommend that men bring a sport coat or suit; this attire comes in handy for evenings onshore as well," created the inference that the word "recommend" was a "directive" to our gentlemen customers to obey and follow "suit." With our exclusive included evening tours having a sport jacket might come in handy. We will be adding the phrase, "but not required" after the reference to sport coat or suite.

 

On our website we say:

Dining: What (And What Not) to Wear

In all of our dining rooms, we encourage guests to follow a “resort casual” dress code, following good taste and common sense.

§ Bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps, bathing suits, shorts, and jeans are not allowed in the main dining room or two specialty restaurants. (Khakis and other trousers are fine.)

§ When dining at Windows Café, guests must wear footwear and a cover-up or shirt.

§ In Prime C, Aqualina and Discoveries Restaurant, many guests enjoying dressing up. Formal evening wear (tuxedos and gowns) is not expected. We recommend that men bring a sport coat or suit [We'll add - BUT NOT REQUIRED]; this attire comes in handy for evenings onshore as well. For women, dining attire includes dresses, skirts, blouses with pants and capri's, and other appropriate attire.

 

It's understandable how this notion might have been perceived as a move for "phony pretentiousness" as "cruzluze" speculated, especially within the context of this entire thread's discussion about our evolutionary steps of adding bits and pieces to our product and the tariff increases.

 

"Resort casual" it is and so it will be.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

 

So glad you have clarified this point. Husband took his navy blue jacket on our first cruise in 2008 and was happy to never bring one again. With our first Azamara cruise in only 10 days, he will be happy not to feel he must act otherwise. He has enough of dress codes in his regular work life.

[dfishner]

So glad you have clarified this point. Husband took his navy blue jacket on our first cruise in 2008 and was happy to never bring one again. With our first Azamara cruise in only 10 days, he will be happy not to feel he must act otherwise. He has enough of dress codes in his regular work life.

 

Your going to have a great cruise, the service that Azamara delivers is wonderful and I have to say one of the best I ever have seen on any cruises we have ever taken

[CintiPam]

Your going to have a great cruise, the service that Azamara delivers is wonderful and I have to say one of the best I ever have seen on any cruises we have ever taken

 

Thanks, Dale. With spouse's only vacation since June 2011 either funerals (both my parents since March) or weddings, we are ready for a great trip. When I found this itinerary for an October departure, our "enormous fans of ruins" hearts were so happy!:)

[marinaro44]

The quote from the brochure says that "some people like to dress up", and while it's "not expected", they "recommend" that you might want to pack a suit or jacket. How this came to be interpreted as a requirement is beyond me.

In fact, DAK, not a soul on this board interpreted this as a "requirement," so you might want to read more carefully.

 

There are two issues. The first is that the word "suit" has never before appeared in Azamara's dress code, and there is no reason for it ever to have been introduced if the dress code is resort casual. The second is the change in discussion of jackets from "if desired" (meaning feel free to if that's what you'd like) to "we recommend" (which strongly implies that this is what the cruise line would like you to do), in particular when done at the same time that the cruise line is proudly announcing that it is chasing more "up-market travelers."

 

If the dress code hasn't changed, there was no reason to change the wording on the web site. I hope you have seen, DAK, that there are many of us here who have found Azamara's casual dress code a big selling point, especially when contrasted to the overblown dress codes on mass-market lines who are trying to be something they're not.

[paremata2]

First, thanks to geocruiser (post 356) for link to BeyondCruises article. Interesting article, but somewhat saddened after reading it. what Mr. Pimintel outlined as his 4 ‘pillars’ are exactly what I believe the true AZ customer wants. what's really 'sad' is that AZ does not seem to know who that is!

 

To the AZ powers-that-be (AZPTB): it may not be too late to undo the totally unnecessary ill-will created by the over-hyped BIG announcement (read: blunder), IF, you will take a step back, re-analyze and re-think. you have not lost everyone...yet. you should be using us, the truly loyal customer (those not ‘jumping ship’ without having all the facts) for growth. You must know that it’s far easier to expand your base with the help of repeat happy customers, who return from a great onboard experience, tell others, then return for another cruise, with friends/family, incl. (in our specific case, and I'm sure others..) your next generation of customer, i.e., our adult offspring, intelligent, well-educated, many, already well-traveled in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s. (you get the idea: just like us, your current customers, who recognize and appreciate value, regardless of income-level. we want what LP set out to provide, as outlined in that article.

 

AZPTB: work with what you do have on ALL fronts: a very loyal customer base, 2 very nice ships, outstandingly staffed & serviced. (nothing to change with onboard staff & service, so please don’t go messing w/things there..!) after upcoming refurbishments, ships themselves will be even nicer. but, as has been said, probably not enough to attract the true "luxury" customer that you seem to think is your customer. We, your current customers, speaking out on this forum, do not need or want "luxury" as defined by over-indulgence, glaring opulence, stiff and stuffiness (formal nights), etc etc...

 

Beyond the refurbishments, pls. stop with the 'enhancements' - take a step back, and re-analyze. The proposed new ‘enhancements & amenities’ is where you’re heading off-course. (may not be a bad idea to take a look at and re-analyze your marketing and shore-side depts, too..)

 

BOTTOM LINE : await the news, re: cruise price increases. That’s really all we need to know…then we’ll see… perhaps, Mr. Pimintel was right on-target w/his stated income-level needed to sail w/AZ!

Exactly my thoughts too. It sums up perfectly the way most repeat Azamara customers see it, at least in my opinion. Darryl

[Bill Leiber]

Hello Azamara Commenter's -

 

I've been advised the 2014 tariffs that are shown on our website are final and will not be adjusted on November 1, 2012. The only pricing to be changed on November 1 are the 2013 tariffs as of March 27, 2013 on the Azamara Quest and May 15, 2013 on the Azamara Journey. My initial post should not have included "2014" and I'm sorry for that confusion.

 

Therefore, during the remainder of October, you have the opportunity to take advantage of current 2013 tariffs, that already feature AzAmazing Evenings events and more inclusive beverage amenities.

 

Currently, we are one of the few brands that have published their 2014 tariffs and soon other lines will be doing so and then you can assess whether their year-over-year increases make sense to your preconceived ideas of "acceptable" prices. I believe that you do not judge prices individually, but rather compare a set of prices to find your range of what's acceptable.

 

I've often mentioned that our mission is to "exceed our guest's expectations profitably" which guides our pricing decisions. We face the delicate balance of managing your pricing expectations with that of meeting the profitability expectations of our Board of Directors and our shareholders, which some of you already are.

 

At the same time, please remember that we will continue to offer tactical promotional programs as a means to react to unexpected events. It's a dynamic convergence of events that determine our tactical moves vis. a vis. the level of our published tariffs. This year our tactical programs were driven by the unexpected costly fire in March; the cruise ship disaster in Italy that negatively decreased demand from "first-time" cruise considerers; the evolution of the Arab Spring; and the worldwide economic meltdown.

 

It is within this context that our revenue management team monitors our forecasted "customer" demand curves and when we detect possible shortfalls, we might implement promotional programs to stimulate more demand.

 

On a separate comment I'll be addressing the topic of how we'll amend your booking if you're already reserved on a voyage that is included in a later promotion.

 

In the meantime, the 2014 tariffs are correct.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[paremata2]

I am not sure of the date it was written. Part of first line says "In July 2009, Larry Pimintel became the President of Azamara Cruises" That line says the date he became President not when it was written. Can you please tell me where the date it was written is. I would like to know.

As far as I know the $300,000 statement has not been retracted.

Hi Maria, The date that the article was written was December 2009, six months after Larry Piminel came on-board. When you have the web site article open you will see where it says; click here for a PDF version. It is at the top and the bottom of the PDF version were I found the date.

For the record we sailed the first time with Azamara eight months later [August 2010] and loved it so much that we booked back to back cruises for Aug/Sept 2012, from which we have just returned.

The experience was everything the first cruise was, hence when on board we re-booked an 'open passage' hoping to use it in 2014. The 2014 itineraries were not then but of course they are now along with the 'big announcement'.

Now we are not so sure going forward simply because of the cost, but we haven't given up yet!

[Bill Leiber]

In fact, DAK, not a soul on this board interpreted this as a "requirement," so you might want to read more carefully.

 

There are two issues. The first is that the word "suit" has never before appeared in Azamara's dress code, and there is no reason for it ever to have been introduced if the dress code is resort casual. The second is the change in discussion of jackets from "if desired" (meaning feel free to if that's what you'd like) to "we recommend" (which strongly implies that this is what the cruise line would like you to do), in particular when done at the same time that the cruise line is proudly announcing that it is chasing more "up-market travelers."

 

If the dress code hasn't changed, there was no reason to change the wording on the web site. I hope you have seen, DAK, that there are many of us here who have found Azamara's casual dress code a big selling point, especially when contrasted to the overblown dress codes on mass-market lines who are trying to be something they're not.

 

Hello Marinaro44 -

 

Thank you for sharing your issues with our revised language about our dress code, e.g., the addition of the word "suit" and the change from "if desired" to "recommend," and its impact on our "resort casual" policy. I'm so impressed by your, and the other reader's level of focus on detail and nuance that I'm presenting this post to our marketing department so that our contracted copywriters are mindful about choosing their words carefully when reworking the website.

 

Frankly, I saw this recommendation for a sport jacket/suit for men, as a suggestion to have control over the cooler night air during the outdoor Classical Concert at the Roman Shoni Fortress in Israel, for example.

 

Thank you for your time and effort.

 

Regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[dfishner]

Hello Azamara Commenter's -

 

I've been advised the 2014 tariffs that are shown on our website are final and will not be adjusted on November 1, 2012. The only pricing to be changed on November 1 are the 2013 tariffs as of March 27, 2013 on the Azamara Quest and May 15, 2013 on the Azamara Journey. My initial post should not have included "2014" and I'm sorry for that confusion.

 

Therefore, during the remainder of October, you have the opportunity to take advantage of current 2013 tariffs, that already feature AzAmazing Evenings events and more inclusive beverage amenities.

 

Currently, we are one of the few brands that have published their 2014 tariffs and soon other lines will be doing so and then you can assess whether their year-over-year increases make sense to your preconceived ideas of "acceptable" prices. I believe that you do not judge prices individually, but rather compare a set of prices to find your range of what's acceptable.

 

I've often mentioned that our mission is to "exceed our guest's expectations profitably" which guides our pricing decisions. We face the delicate balance of managing your pricing expectations with that of meeting the profitability expectations of our Board of Directors and our shareholders, which some of you already are.

 

At the same time, please remember that we will continue to offer tactical promotional programs as a means to react to unexpected events. It's a dynamic convergence of events that determine our tactical moves vis. a vis. the level of our published tariffs. This year our tactical programs were driven by the unexpected costly fire in March; the cruise ship disaster in Italy that negatively decreased demand from "first-time" cruise considerers; the evolution of the Arab Spring; and the worldwide economic meltdown.

 

It is within this context that our revenue management team monitors our forecasted "customer" demand curves and when we detect possible shortfalls, we might implement promotional programs to stimulate more demand.

 

On a separate comment I'll be addressing the topic of how we'll amend your booking if you're already reserved on a voyage that is included in a later promotion.

 

In the meantime, the 2014 tariffs are correct.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

 

Bill, can you please clearify the 50% off when I spoke to Le club voyage on Friday I was informed that the rest of the 2013 shorex would be out on October 15 and we could still book the 50% off prior to the March sail date of the Quest and the May date for the Journey. I did ask Erica did that mean I could use the 50% off on my April cruise on the Quest and she said yes. I ask her to bring up the page that stated the last cruise to use the 50% was March on the Quest and she told me that was not correct that what it is saying is that you cannot booked the 50% past that date.. Is what she told me correct?

[geocruiser]

Hello Azamara Commenter's -

This year our tactical programs were driven by the unexpected costly fire in March; the cruise ship disaster in Italy that negatively decreased demand from "first-time" cruise considerers; the evolution of the Arab Spring; and the worldwide economic meltdown. [/size][/font]

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Hi Bill,

 

Did Azamara not have insurance for the fire? With a economic melt down is it good to raise prices up?

[geocruiser]

Hi Maria, The date that the article was written was December 2009, six months after Larry Piminel came on-board. When you have the web site article open you will see where it says; click here for a PDF version. It is at the top and the bottom of the PDF version were I found the date.

For the record we sailed the first time with Azamara eight months later [August 2010] and loved it so much that we booked back to back cruises for Aug/Sept 2012, from which we have just returned.

The experience was everything the first cruise was, hence when on board we re-booked an 'open passage' hoping to use it in 2014. The 2014 itineraries were not then but of course they are now along with the 'big announcement'.

Now we are not so sure going forward simply because of the cost, but we haven't given up yet!

 

Thank you I will now read the PDF version.

[Dick in Falls Church]

Have been on 5 or 6 Azamara cruises, and have enjoyed them. Definitely our favorite line. Have also done a couple of Oceania, as well as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

 

Dug deep for the last Azamara, and may not be able to dig deeper for another. But then I don't drive a Ferrari or own a yacht either. We enjoyed it while we could.

 

I did find it somewhati interesting to follow this thread and noted that over 10% of the messages were posted by an individual who has yet to cruise on Azamara.

 

Ain't this a great country?

 

.

[marinaro44]

Frankly, I saw this recommendation for a sport jacket/suit for men, as a suggestion to have control over the cooler night air during the outdoor Classical Concert at the Roman Shoni Fortress in Israel, for example.

My suggestion then is to put a sentence in whatever section addresses night touring mentioning that evenings can be cool so consider taking an additional clothing layer for the Azamazing evening events. Why put it in the section addressing dress code for dining if the so-called "recommendation" is intended as a suggestion for night excursions?

[Bill Leiber]

Bill, can you please clearify the 50% off when I spoke to Le club voyage on Friday I was informed that the rest of the 2013 shorex would be out on October 15 and we could still book the 50% off prior to the March sail date of the Quest and the May date for the Journey. I did ask Erica did that mean I could use the 50% off on my April cruise on the Quest and she said yes. I ask her to bring up the page that stated the last cruise to use the 50% was March on the Quest and she told me that was not correct that what it is saying is that you cannot booked the 50% past that date.. Is what she told me correct?

 

Hello Dale -

 

I think this information now on website, shown below, will clarify any confusion that you may encountered on Friday:

 

50% Savings On Land Discoveries

§ With the introduction of the AzAmazing Evening events, our 50% savings on Land Discoveries will be discontinued.

§ However, if you pre-book your Land Discoveries online prior to the sailing date, you can still save 50% on most Land Discoveries through March 14, 2013 (on the Azamara Quest), and May 1, 2013 (on the Azamara Journey), as noted below under “Details for Land Discoveries Savings Program.”

 

Again, these two positioning voyages are the FINAL voyages on which the 50% Land Discoveries Savings program will be offered:

§ Azamara Quest - March 14, 2013, 13-night "Florida & Seville" Voyage

§ Azamara Journey - May 1, 2013, 14-night "The Highway from India" Voyage

 

Then the first AzAmazing Evening events will START on these following European voyages:

§ Azamara Quest - March 27, 2013, 7-noght "Semana Santa in Seville Voyage

§ Azamara Journey - May 15, 2013, 10-night Holy Land and Greek Isles Voyage

 

Our target is to have the Land Discoveries for the remainder of 2013 on both vessels, available in the system sometime during the last half of October so that this important element in your overall cruise experience can be reviewed at the time of your information gathering and/or booking.

 

If you're assuming that the final Land Discoveries pricing will be at its 100% level, that will not be the case. I know that the per person cost will be greater than the 50% level but not as high as our previous 100% level. I will be addressing the Land Discoveries program on a separate post once I have more information to share with you and the community.

 

I'll be sure to mention to our Call Center team to clarify the transition details of our current 50% Land Discoveries Savings program to the new included AzAmazing Evening events. In the meantime, thank you for your patience.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[avw]

Several years ago, when Azamara raised prices and included gratuities and wine/water/soft drinks, there was a huge outcry. I, too, was dismayed at the increase at that time, but eventually got over it. Will I eventually get over a pricing/product change again? I am not sure. I don't think I will like traveling with people who are attracted to an all you can drink policy.

 

One thing I am sure of is that, if Azamara wants to increase profits, they should increase and improve their communications with their loyal following. Although I have cruised with Azamara seven times, I had to learn of this change from an internet agency. Not a word from Azamara! I have signed up repeatedly on their web site to receive e-mail communications. Never received one e-mail from them...ever.

 

Today, I signed up again, and purposefully did NOT check the box to hear from their travel partner (i.e. Avoyo), but I heard from Avoyo within minutes. An e-mail from Azamara welcoming me to their mail list would have been welcome. More advertising from another agency is not what I had in mind, especially when the fares they advertise are higher than Azamara's!! I hope that Azamara sends me some e-mail soon! Imagine...a repeat customer begging for e-mail from a company... which costs NOTHING..and not being able to get it!

 

I have always kept two future cruise deposits at Azamara, but this all-inclusive product is not what they were offering when I paid for those deposits.

 

I am sad, as I fear that I may be losing a friend in Azamara.

[shedridt]

Upcoming changes to the Azamara product are not to our household's liking, & the message coming out of corporate HQ through poor Bill Lieber makes no sense to me.

 

It's hard for me to believe that getting 50% off shore excursions was not popular with Azamara cruisers. In our first Az cruise this spring we LEAPT on these early booking opportunities to save loads of money & we cannot imagine that other Az cruisers sort of rolled over & ignored this incredible benefit. We'd cruised with Oceania & felt that their shore excursion prices were terribly high --- what incredible good luck to find an identical ship that offered more for less.

 

Going out en masse with everybody on board to a 'special event' does absolutely NOTHING for us. A mob event that marks every single one of us as tourists. We shudder over the possibilities.

 

AND - my husband doesn't drink at all & I drink only wine. If you look around on an Az cruise, you are not going to find people sitting at the bar from morning to night sopping up the suds, so there are few who are likely to find open bar all that attractive. While I will try my level best to make up for his regrettable lapse, it's unlikely that I could (or SHOULD) drink enough to (hicckkkk!) make a profit for our team.

 

All things considered, as Don Imus would say, I wish that you wouldn't try to run this jive by us. These changes do not really benefit Az cruisers in any way that I can see.

 

And that said, we are seriously considering booking a cruise to SE Asia January 2014........

[taxjam]

Bill,

 

Am I reading your post correctly? Are you saying Azamara is withdrawing the 50% off Land Discoveries programs for 2013 cruises after March 14, 2013 (Quest) and May 1, 2013 (Journey). I am sure you are aware that Azamara advertised this program which customers relied on when booking their cruises. As someone with two 2013 Azamara cruises beginning in July, if Azamara is reneging on its publicized offer, I would consider myself a victim of a corporate "bait and switch" aw would many other similarly situated customers.

[CTLeeA]

All I can say is WOW...such bold, bold statements :eek:.....and they didn't even spell Oceania correctly :rolleyes:...this is a release that said Oceana.........which cruise line is that :rolleyes:.....obviously we are not in "their intended market"...we're both retired. I feel very let down after returning from a very wonderful cruise that we felt was almost perfect in every way, to read statements like this. I feel sad, but more so for all of the very loyal customers that raved about Azamara...I hope the Captain and crew don't "jump ship" like the passengers are doing. Sadly, poor management is a sign of the times :rolleyes:...but sometimes...and many times...those decisions come back to haunt them. :mad:

They better hope those "affluent" people will think it's a value...and choose to purchase a cruise with a much smaller cabin and less speciality restaurants than they are accustomed to. I wonder if next they'll change their smoking policy...Crystal Cruise passengers are allowed to smoke in their cabins and have several areas where smoking is allowed. I don't think they'll be drawing them over. Pppfffffttttttttttt!

“We do not think raising prices will harm us.” Each of the Azamara

ships has a capacity of 694 guests - - less than the capacity of two of the

lifeboats on Oasis of the Seas, Thus, the line only needs to sell about

45,000 tickets a year. Azamara’s target market is people with annual

incomes of $300,000 or more. Even in harsh economic times, there will be

a sufficient number of affluent people worldwide who will not be deterred

by a price increase from purchasing a product if they feel it is valuable.

“We don’t need everybody to purchase it, we just need enough people.”

 

So what Mi--I mean Larry is saying is that he doesn't need us riff raff who earns less than $300,000 per year....I guess I really am in the 47%....and here I thought I was a valued customer.

[dfishner]

Hello Dale -

 

I think this information now on website, shown below, will clarify any confusion that you may encountered on Friday:

 

50% Savings On Land Discoveries

§ With the introduction of the AzAmazing Evening events, our 50% savings on Land Discoveries will be discontinued.

§ However, if you pre-book your Land Discoveries online prior to the sailing date, you can still save 50% on most Land Discoveries through March 14, 2013 (on the Azamara Quest), and May 1, 2013 (on the Azamara Journey), as noted below under “Details for Land Discoveries Savings Program.”

 

Again, these two positioning voyages are the FINAL voyages on which the 50% Land Discoveries Savings program will be offered:

§ Azamara Quest - March 14, 2013, 13-night "Florida & Seville" Voyage

§ Azamara Journey - May 1, 2013, 14-night "The Highway from India" Voyage

 

Then the first AzAmazing Evening events will START on these following European voyages:

§ Azamara Quest - March 27, 2013, 7-noght "Semana Santa in Seville Voyage

§ Azamara Journey - May 15, 2013, 10-night Holy Land and Greek Isles Voyage

 

Our target is to have the Land Discoveries for the remainder of 2013 on both vessels, available in the system sometime during the last half of October so that this important element in your overall cruise experience can be reviewed at the time of your information gathering and/or booking.

 

If you're assuming that the final Land Discoveries pricing will be at its 100% level, that will not be the case. I know that the per person cost will be greater than the 50% level but not as high as our previous 100% level. I will be addressing the Land Discoveries program on a separate post once I have more information to share with you and the community.

 

I'll be sure to mention to our Call Center team to clarify the transition details of our current 50% Land Discoveries Savings program to the new included AzAmazing Evening events. In the meantime, thank you for your patience.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

 

Bill, thank you for taking the time of explaining this and will be looking forward to seeing the shore ex when it is released for our review.

[dfishner]

So what Mi--I mean Larry is saying is that he doesn't need us riff raff who earns less than $300,000 per year....I guess I really am in the 47%....and here I thought I was a valued customer.

 

 

Mr P you need to wake up and smell the roses if you think you will fill your ships with all these people who make $300,000 on two ships that are 12 years old that have small cabins and the smallest bathrooms I ever seen sorry it is not going to happen. You need to retain the customers you have and bring on new ones not to make you profitable.

 

If that what he honestly believes then I guess I do not fit into his grand plan and might as well spend my money on a cruise line who will welcome me and make me feel that they want me to cruise on their ships.

[ceba]

Our Black Sea cruise next May is now £1000pp more than we paid...I dread to think what the price will be when it goes up next month. :rolleyes:

So we now get more drink thrown in for 'free'; which for us is good as we usually budget $100 pd for extras. :)

We never take ships shore excursions - even at 50% they were stupidly overpriced in our opinion, so this removal will not effect us.

I doubt if we will go on the 'school trip' with 600 other people so we will use that time to enjoy the ship by ourselves and raise a glass of 'free' drink to our shipmates ashore:)

 

However to book a cruise now it is waaaay out of our budget so I suspect that the Black Sea cruise will be our last with ACC. Will ACC be able to sustain this level of costing? I doubt it. They ain't no Seabourn or Silverseas. But that was always their charm. Will there be price drops, free air, and OBC deals to come to tempt people back? I think so. Let's see.

 

Hehe,;) this comment:"I doubt if we will go on the 'school trip' with 600 other people so we will use that time to enjoy the ship by oursleves and raise a grass of 'free' drink to our shipmates ashore", is one of the most descriptive and funniest posts of the whole thread. Thanks for finding a way to put my thoughts on 'paper' and bring a smile to my frustrated face! Well done!!

[CTLeeA]

Bill,

 

Am I reading your post correctly? Are you saying Azamara is withdrawing the 50% off Land Discoveries programs for 2013 cruises after March 14, 2013 (Quest) and May 1, 2013 (Journey). I am sure you are aware that Azamara advertised this program which customers relied on when booking their cruises. As someone with two 2013 Azamara cruises beginning in July, if Azamara is reneging on its publicized offer, I would consider myself a victim of a corporate "bait and switch" aw would many other similarly situated customers.

 

I'm interpreting Bill's statement the same as you are....it would appear that Erica from AZ, misinformed the poster by telling him that as long as he booked his Land Discoveries tours prior to the March, 2013 date for the Quest, and May 1, 2013, for the Journey, he would be able to save 50% for any AZ cruise for the entire 2013 year as long as he booked at least 4 days prior to the sail date. I'm not sure if it's bait and switch but I am sure that the states Attorney General's office as well as numerous consumer advocates would be glad to to see if it violates respective consumer protection laws....We were enticed to buy a cruise for 2013 and were informed, vis-a-vis printed material that we would get up to 50% off ship's tours. After Azamara accepts our deposits, it appears that it is withdraws the benefit it enticed us with. I use the term 'appears' because I have not been informed by Azamara of any change to my Sept. 2013, cruise booked month ago. If Azamara does not 'grandfather' in those of us who have booked a 2013 cruise prior to Oct. 1, 2012, the date upon which the withdrawal of the 50% discount on tours was announced, they will have a public relations nightmare on their hands...I cannot believe their legal department is in agreement with this decision. I have contacted Azamara via email after the announcement on Cruise Critic was published and am awaiting a response from them.

I urge those similarly situated passengers to do what they need to do to assure their right to fair treatment is not violated by Azamara in the event our understanding of this situation is correct. I hope AZ realizes that what they may have done is morally, ethically, and possibly legally forbidden and takes steps to correct what appears to be a very, very, very bad business decision.

[shedridt]

There are loads of capital letters shouting out loud that obscure the seriousness of earlier postings to this line of thought, & this takes away from a serious message from loyal Az cruisers to Azamara. The changes Azamara has suggested are not at all popular with the vast range of Az cruisers & I for one hope that Bill will communicate that to Azamara.

 

It's one thing to raise prices - we can all understand that - but it's another thing to tell Az cruisers that these prices increases will be good for us, & reflect our market. Az cruisers are NOT big drinkers, but they value shore excursions. To offer free drinks & sacrifice the highly valued shore excursions is not a good marketing move.

 

I've contacted my TA & asked him to let Az know our thoughts. I hope that Andy & Bill will do the same. Thanks for considering our point of view.

[uktog]

Thank you for your update Bill, most helpful

I await news on the shore excursions with interest, certainly Azamara is highly likely to breech UK Consumer legislation if they withdraw the excursion offer to those already booked without some recompense or recognition, but I am sure your marketing/ legal people have now identified that risk.