Mr. Pimental. Are you being naive?

[Joecors]

In your thread dated 11th October you state:-

 

Looking ahead we are delighted that the forward bookings for 2013 are excellent. In terms of revenue build we are 46% ahead of where we were last year at the same time. This is a tremendous uptick in business. Following the 2013 enhancements announcement, we are seeing our booking activities increase even further. We have worked hard on evolving our product offering to ensure that our past guests will very best next week to outline and explain our forward direction.

In Bill Leiber's thread dated 1st October his message is as follows:-

Azamara Club Cruises' Fares to change on November 1, 2012

With the addition of the AzAmazing Evening events and expanded complimentary beverage options, the fares will be increasing on November 1, 2012.

§ During the month of October, you still will have the opportunity to take advantage of current pricing on 2013-14 voyages that already feature AzAmazing Evening events and more inclusive beverage amenities.

Have you not considered that the increase sales may be because people may be booking to avoid the proposed 1st November increases?

 

 

 

[Joecors]

.... in my original thread Mr. Pimentel.

As a rider to my original thread, I should advise that I have two cruises booked on ACC in 2013 and I will hopefully continue to travel with Azamara in 2014 but will leave booking until late so that I can take full advantage of your discounting of cruises; a situation that I am sure Azamara will experience.

Reason for doing so is the ambience provide by your (second-to-none) onboard crew!

[BillC]

The last thing I would call Larry is "naive". In my encounters with him he comes across as an astute business person who wants to continually improve the Azamara experience.

[Joecors]

[quote=BillC;35750873]The last thing I would call Larry is "naive". In my encounters with him he comes across as an astute business person who wants to continually improve the Azamara experience.

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... of Mr. Pimentel wanting "to continually improve the Azamara experience", you must also admit that as "an astute business person" he also wants to improve Azamara financial situation.

Naivity arises when he expects me and other simple folk to believe that free booze and a jolly to an evening show are responsible for the increased sales. Were future guests not considering, and hoping to avoid, the proposed increases from the 1st November?

In Bill Leibers original thread 90% of the text identified the giveaways and just 10%, and at the very end, almost as an afterthought, referred to price increases.

No! you are right he is astute! Maybe many of his guests are naive if they are taken in by such spin

[florisdekort]

He said that forward bookings for 2013 look excellent. Bookings for 2013 have been open for over a year. I think it's quite naive of you to assume that all 2013 bookings were made between October 1 and October 11 of this year.

 

I also think the title of this topic is borderline offensive given how personal it is in nature, so I suggest the moderators close or remove it.

 

Floris

[Joecors]

[quote=florisdekort;35778913]He said that forward bookings for 2013 look excellent. Bookings for 2013 have been open for over a year. I think it's quite naive of you to assume that all 2013 bookings were made between October 1 and October 11 of this year.

 

I also think the title of this topic is borderline offensive given how personal it is in nature, so I suggest the moderators close or remove it.

 

Floris

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You attribute "naivity" to me but when I do so to Mr.Parmentel I am being offensive????

You imply that the increase in bookings had occurred over the whole year. Great!! "If it aint broke, don't fix it". 40% increase sounds great to me. so why are prices being increased; surely that will have ,in the current economic climate, despite the "freebies", a detrimental effect on sales.

I did in fact describe him as astute (your description too) for the way the details on Bill Leiber's thread were presented: "good" news at top 90%, bad news at bottom 10%. Was I correct in doing this??

[Joecors]

The last thing I would call Larry is "naive". In my encounters with him he comes across as an astute business person who wants to continually improve the Azamara experience.

 

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How's that!

But I also must whole heartedly withdraw my description of him in my last message as "astute".

That was really, really bad.

 

The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meanig of "astute" as:-

1. shrewd: salacious

2 crafty

Latin astutus. based on astus "craft"

[palamoh]

Look, I can understand there are folks that are upset with Azamara and their new Marketing and almost completely "All Inclusive concept" If you don't wish to subsidise this concept, then there are other Cruise Lines out there that take the other road. We travel Silversea as often as Azamara and do like their approach, I know we will enjoy Azamara's concept as well.

 

My thoughts are, yes they will lose some loyal customers, but they will gain others as well who look forward to this new concept. I will look forward to the new approach.

 

One thing that needs to be said here, is Azamara is one of the few (if only one) that airs their marketing to the Criuise Critic members, to say their President is less than honorable is pretty crude. See if you can get this type of put and take from other Cruise lines on this Forum.

[pickypicky]

Look, I can understand there are folks that are upset with Azamara and their new Marketing and almost completely "All Inclusive concept" If you don't wish to subsidise this concept, then there are other Cruise Lines out there that take the other road. We travel Silversea as often as Azamara and do like their approach, I know we will enjoy Azamara's concept as well.

 

My thoughts are, yes they will lose some loyal customers, but they will gain others as well who look forward to this new concept. I will look forward to the new approach.

 

One thing that needs to be said here, is Azamara is one of the few (if only one) that airs their marketing to the Criuise Critic members, to say their President is less than honorable is pretty crude. See if you can get this type of put and take from other Cruise lines on this Forum.

 

Well said.

[Joecors]

Look, I can understand there are folks that are upset with Azamara and their new Marketing and almost completely "All Inclusive concept" If you don't wish to subsidise this concept, then there are other Cruise Lines out there that take the other road. We travel Silversea as often as Azamara and do like their approach, I know we will enjoy Azamara's concept as well.

 

My thoughts are, yes they will lose some loyal customers, but they will gain others as well who look forward to this new concept. I will look forward to the new approach.

 

One thing that needs to be said here, is Azamara is one of the few (if only one) that airs their marketing to the Criuise Critic members, to say their President is less than honorable is pretty crude. See if you can get this type of put and take from other Cruise lines on this Forum.

 

...

Great of the line to do so, but in doing so do you not accept that they not only invite, but perhaps welcome criticism: good or bad?? If they do not they should refrain from doing so.Mr. Pimentel has already made some changes as a result of criticism. I would too remind you of the title of this site "Cruise Critic"

 

I have NOT said that Mr. Pimentel is "less than honorable"!!!

 

My criticism was NOT the new policy, but the way it was sold with the price increases being shown almost as an after thought. It may not have been his intention to do it that way, but that is what it looked like to me. (only my opinion)

 

I "don't wish to subsidise this concept", and its increased charges, and had already begun to look around.

 

I

[palamoh]

Well good luck, I hope you find what you are looking for