Azamara Journey – March 3 Sailing - Cancelled

[DrCarl]

Dear Raul,

 

No representive of Azamara has contacted me yet (as of 0600 hours March 3, 2014).

 

Perhaps one of your Azamara associates on the ground in Shanghai wasn't clear (or honest) in what information was relayed to you!

 

Carlos M. Talbott, D.Sc.

[Wandering Words]

Dear Raul,

 

No representive of Azamara has contacted me yet (as of 0600 hours March 3, 2014).

 

Perhaps one of your Azamara associates on the ground in Shanghai wasn't clear (or honest) in what information was relayed to you!

 

Carlos M. Talbott, D.Sc.

 

These guys don't appear to be receiving the assistance they need

[DrCarl]

Dear Raul,

 

I called the Hyatt on the Bund this morning at 0840 & asked to speak to an Azamara rep. The front desk said they were in the Hospitality Suite (no pun intended) but there was a problem with receiving a phone call there because the phone line had been disconnected.

 

So, Azamara's Go Team has set up their command center where they are unable to receive incoming phone calls. I asked the front desk to pass on a message that I was in room 2503 at Hotel Indego. After forty-five minutes with no response, I called the Hyatt again and was able to speak to Andy, on Azamara's ground crew, who told me Eric Anderson was Go Team lead but Eric wasn't 'available' ... in fact, Andy admitted none of the Go Team were in the Hyatt at the moment, didn't know where they had gone, and he was sitting in the lobby in case any passengers for the cancelled cruise showed up. I asked that Eric or any one else from the Go Team call me at Hotel Indigo.

 

These are the facts, Raul. What a poor reflection on Azamara's crisis management.

Edited March 3, 2014 by DrCarl
more info

[sandyss]

Dear Raul,

 

I called the Hyatt on the Bund this morning at 0840 & asked to speak to an Azamara rep. The front desk said they were in the Hospitality Suite (no pun intended) but there was a problem with receiving a phone call there because the phone line had been disconnected.

 

So, Azamara's Go Team has set up their command center where they are unable to receive incoming phone calls. I asked the front desk to pass on a message that I was in room 2503 at Hotel Indego. After forty-five minutes with no response, I called the Hyatt again and was able to speak to Andy, on Azamara's ground crew, who told me Eric Anderson was Go Team lead but Eric wasn't 'available' ... in fact, Andy admitted none of the Go Team were in the Hyatt at the moment, didn't know where they had gone, and he was sitting in the lobby in case any passengers for the cancelled cruise showed up. I asked that Eric or any one else from the Go Team call me at Hotel Indigo.

 

These are the facts, Raul. What a poor reflection on Azamara's crisis management.

 

It sounds like the Azamara command center doesn't have their act together yet.

 

How far are you from the Hyatt? It might be worthwhile to just go over there so that you don't sit around in your room all day anxiously waiting for a phone call.

[florisdekort]

Dear Raul,

 

No representive of Azamara has contacted me yet (as of 0600 hours March 3, 2014).

 

Perhaps one of your Azamara associates on the ground in Shanghai wasn't clear (or honest) in what information was relayed to you!

 

Carlos M. Talbott, D.Sc.

 

Out of curiosity (and having been in the exact same situation as you are myself, when a Celebrity cruise was cancelled very last minute) - what precisely do you want Azamara to do for you that is so urgent that you need to speak to them on site in China right now?

 

- You know the cruise is cancelled.

- You clearly arranged your own flights, so changing them is up to you or your travel agent.

- Refunds and reimbursements aren't handled on site; you'll need to pick that up upon your return anyway.

 

In situations like these, just walk away as quickly as you can, make and arrange your own plans, enjoy your holiday time as much as you can (there is so much to do in Shanghai that beats calling the Hyatt!) and deal with the admin later.

 

Just my opinion and experience...

 

Floris

[Keystonetraveler]

Out of curiosity (and having been in the exact same situation as you are myself, when a Celebrity cruise was cancelled very last minute) - what precisely do you want Azamara to do for you that is so urgent that you need to speak to them on site in China right now?

 

- You know the cruise is cancelled.

- You clearly arranged your own flights, so changing them is up to you or your travel agent.

- Refunds and reimbursements aren't handled on site; you'll need to pick that up upon your return anyway.

 

In situations like these, just walk away as quickly as you can, make and arrange your own plans, enjoy your holiday time as much as you can (there is so much to do in Shanghai that beats calling the Hyatt!) and deal with the admin later.

 

Just my opinion and experience...

 

Floris

 

I find your reply to DrCarl rather strange. What is wrong with contacting Azamara in the way they say people in his situation should contact them? There seems to be a disconnect between what Azamara is saying and how they are delivering.

 

My guess is that DrCarl's situation may be different then the one you were in. First, he is on back-to-back cruises and needs to plan what to do between now and the second cruise that leaves Hong Kong on the 17th. Some immediate communication with Azamara would certainly help.

 

Second, you state that he clearly made his own air arrangements. Did I miss somewhere where he stated that? I also had booked the same back-to-back cruises. There was a good deal in the sense that if you used ChoiceAir, the cost was deducted from the cruise fare. In effect: free air. So, there was a significant financial advantage not to book your own air. Therefore, any changes would need to be made through the ChoiceAir department of Azamara.

 

I think I may have been luckier than DrCarl in the sense that I learned of the cancelation the day before I was to leave for Shanghai. My travel agent indicated we needed to change the reservation so that my return trip at the end of the cruise (which I had upgraded to business class) would not be canceled if I were a noshow the following day. That has turned out to be a mess. First, Azamara requested a letter from her as to why the change was being made so they could waive the change fee. Huh? Don't they know why the change is necessary? Second, on Friday, she was informed that my account had a $1,500 balance. It had been paid in full a while back. The person she spoke to could not explain the reason why this extra charge had suddenly appeared.

 

So, I am with DrCarl and others who have shared frustrations over this canceled cruise. Azamara needs to get their act together. Is that too much for us to expect?

[kathy9]

I find your reply to DrCarl rather strange. What is wrong with contacting Azamara in the way they say people in his situation should contact them? There seems to be a disconnect between what Azamara is saying and how they are delivering.

 

My guess is that DrCarl's situation may be different then the one you were in. First, he is on back-to-back cruises and needs to plan what to do between now and the second cruise that leaves Hong Kong on the 17th. Some immediate communication with Azamara would certainly help.

 

Second, you state that he clearly made his own air arrangements. Did I miss somewhere where he stated that? I also had booked the same back-to-back cruises. There was a good deal in the sense that if you used ChoiceAir, the cost was deducted from the cruise fare. In effect: free air. So, there was a significant financial advantage not to book your own air. Therefore, any changes would need to be made through the ChoiceAir department of Azamara.

Well said! I believe It AZ should help Dr. Carl make some arrangements either with flights or land tours till he can get to Hong Kong for the next part of his B2B.

 

Keystone safe travels to Hong Kong.

Edited March 3, 2014 by kathy9

[marinaro44]

indigo on the bundveler;41893854]I find your reply to DrCarl rather strange. What is wrong with contacting Azamara in the way they say people in his situation should contact them? There seems to be a disconnect between what Azamara is saying and how they are delivering.

 

My guess is that DrCarl's situation may be different then the one you were in. First, he is on back-to-back cruises and needs to plan what to do between now and the second cruise that leaves Hong Kong on the 17th. Some immediate communication with Azamara would certainly help.

 

Second, you state that he clearly made his own air arrangements. Did I miss somewhere where he stated that? I also had booked the same back-to-back cruises. There was a good deal in the sense that if you used ChoiceAir, the cost was deducted from the cruise fare. In effect: free air. So, there was a significant financial advantage not to book your own air. Therefore, any changes would need to be made through the ChoiceAir department of Azamara.

 

I think I may have been luckier than DrCarl in the sense that I learned of the cancelation the day before I was to leave for Shanghai. My travel agent indicated we needed to change the reservation so that my return trip at the end of the cruise (which I had upgraded to business class) would not be canceled if I were a noshow the following day. That has turned out to be a mess. First, Azamara requested a letter from her as to why the change was being made so they could waive the change fee. Huh? Don't they know why the change is necessary? Second, on Friday, she was informed that my account had a $1,500 balance. It had been paid in full a while back. The person she spoke to could not explain the reason why this extra charge had suddenly appeared.

 

So, I am with DrCarl and others who have shared frustrations over this canceled cruise. Azamara needs to get their act together. Is that too much for us to expect?

 

As a passenger on both the shortened February 17 and the cancelled March 3 cruises, I would say Azamara is "delivering" exactly as promised and deserves high praise for their handling of a very difficult situation that could not have been foreseen or avoided.

[kathy9]

As a passenger on both the shortened February 17 and the canceled March 3 cruises, I would say Azamara is "delivering" exactly as promised and deserves high praise for their handling of a very difficult situation that could not have been foreseen or avoided.

The AZ Go Team met your cruise in Japan and helped you all make arrangements, I think the people that are Shanghai for the 03MAR cruise also deserve some help from the Go team. I feel very fortunate that I was not yet left for Shanghai when I learned of this difficult situation. I like Dr. Carl would expect AZ to reach out to help me......

[Lottie A]

I am so sorry for the people affected by the cancellation of the Journey cruise. This happened to me in 2012 after the fire on Quest. I well remember the angst of not knowing what was happening and the difficulty of rebooking a holiday so quickly, in order that we did not waste our precious annual leave. We ended up going to Lake Como and had a good time but it wasn't the same as a Spice Route cruise!

 

I hope everyone can get something sorted out to replace their cruise..and of course, Azamara should be processing refunds for the people affected immediately.

[AzamaraJoel]

Azamara Journey - Incident Update

 

All guests that were onboard for 17 Feb voyage disembarked the ship on 2nd March in Osaka, Japan and flew to Shanghai, China for a 1 night stay. On 3rd March guests will resume their normal scheduled travel plans.

 

Journey is sailing safely towards Busan, Korea with crew onboard, to repair the damaged starboard propeller. Once the propeller has been repaired, the ship will sail towards Hong Kong, China to resume its normal Asia schedule starting with the 17 March Explorer's Asia voyage.

 

Unfortunately there were guests who traveled to Asia or were in transit prior to Azamara being able to contact their travel agent or them directly to advise of the cancelled voyage. We have incident response team members in Shanghai at the Hyatt Regency on the Bund working our command center to locate and contact all Azamara guests who were schedule to travel on 3rd March and are currently in China.

 

We are working with these guests to facilitate their travel arrangements as needed. There are a number of guests who were booked on back to back voyages, 3rd and 17th March. We are working with those guests individually to address their unique situations.

 

Thank you for your continued support during this difficult time.

Azamara Club Cruises.

Raul Parquet

[cat616]

I can see that some of those on the ground in Shainghai are upset abut the cruise cancellation and subsequent lack of communication from Azamara.

 

It seems to me that you know or should know

1) The cruise is cancelled,

2) March 17th cruise wil go-ahead as scheduled,

3) You will receive a 100% refund on the money paid out to Azamara already.

4) You will receive a cruise credit in the amount of 75% of what you paid for the cancelled cruise. Said credit to be used by the end of 2015.

5) Azamara will pay up to $500 each for any change or cancellation fees you will occur.

 

It is unfortunate and unacceptable that you have not received direct communication from Azamara as many of us in the western world did. The fact does remain that you do know the facts from Cruise Critic reports by Azamara staff on these boards.

 

Being fully informed you have many choices to choose form. I urge you to make a choice that will make you happy and not one that will waste your time with grumbling and groaning in this very interesting part of the world.

 

Here are several possibilities. Feel free to come up with your own possibilities too.

 

1) If you are fortunate enough to have enough credit still left on your credit card you can make arrangements for a different Holiday that will get you to Hong Kong for March 17th to realign your selves with plans already made and intact for that day. The cost of getting to Hong kong should be covered by either the credit coming from Azamara for the cancelled cruise, or the $500 per person allowance for cancellation/change fees. Azamara should and may still agree to cover the costs of transportatin from Shanghai to Hong Kong as a separate consideration. There are many things for Azamara to think about and consider and I am thinking that they will get to this one in due course. I do trust that Azamara will do what is right as long as we do not demand excessively for costs we would incur no matter where we were. I do not understand why some feel that Azamara should make alternate plans for you. They have plenty on their plates at the moment and acting as your travel agent is not one of those things.

 

As we already have a 30 day One entry Visa for China, We have chosen to do a land tour of China hitting all of the important sites like the Great Wall, Terra Cotta soldiers, and little boat rides on the major rivers. There is an Acrobat show and a Kung Fu show. We will see some rice paddies and stay in interesting 4* accommodations and they are not all conventional American style hotels. We can rock climb, cook locally and learn some calligraphy and Thai Chi. We can walk the river banks and explore the towns and cities that we will be visiting. Our multilingual tour guide will ensure our comfort for communication. He/She will be available to point out good restaurants and to help with menu choices when we are unsure, Honestly most of these things are outside of our comfort zone but we understand that traveling is about more than dash in get a few pictures and then dash out to head to the next stop, We are looking forward to being stretched some. That can only do us good in the long run. How much fun will it be to bicycle on the Great wall? Not something I would have asked to do but I do see it's merits in a bucket full of laughs as I attempt not to fall off and hurt myself too badly. And then there is the rock climbing……

 

2) If your Credit Card cannot take much more use until the credit from Azamara comes through then you can concentrate your sightseeing for an Asian experiences a little closer to Shanghai and then exploring Hong Kong and it's environs as you must go there anyway. There must be fascinating things to do and see in and relatively close to Shanghai and Hong Kong. Please note Hong Kong is pricier than Shanghai especially in the Hotel division. Please consider that when deciding when to move on to Hong Kong. Again, I do not understand why some feel that Azamara should make alternate plans for you. They have plenty on their plates at the moment and acting as your travel agent is not one of those things.

 

3) Japan is expensive but if the Credit Card can handle it and you are eligible for any might be needed Visas and if they can be obtained

quickly then that is a great choice for using up a portion of the time available. Do it yourself or have a TA do it for you as Azamara is not a TA.

 

4) You can languor in Shanghai wringing your hands with your compatriots and accomplish nothing toward experiencing the beautiful arrears that are at your doorstep. You can sit in Shanghai getting frustrated and angry that Azamara are not attending to you in the manner you believe you so richly deserve.

 

5) You can get yourself on the next flight home and spend the next years trying to fight with Azamara as in you perception, they have ruined your holiday and thus your life and for that you will make them pay the big bucks. I do not wish you any luck with that route.

 

Your choices - you choose!

 

My purpose of writing this is not to make you angry with me even though I am positive some of you will be. My purpose is to wake you up and get you on with your Holiday before it is too late to do anything. Do not miss the opportunities and choices you do have to end up with a good holiday.

 

For the flamers out there you could give it your best shot but know this, my life is too short to worry about anything nasty you can throw at me. I am very busy at the moment touring China. I may not have internet connection in many areas that I will be in. Flame away if it helps with your frustrations but know this - All Flaming twill be summarily ignored so it might be best just not to bother with it in the first place.

[kathy9]

I don't think AZ should pay for people's travels , we all are getting a full refund (although they could pick up the cost of our Windstar cruise). I think they could help the people in Shanghai put some travel plans in place or reschedule flights AZ has the resourses for that.

Cat you had two days and a TA to help you set up your trip in China, admittedly not much time but better than being in Shanghai with the time difference.

You also don't know the mobility of these travelers and their travel experience. I am sure it will all work out and be a great tale to tell on future cruises.......

Kathy

[Jade13]

If we had ended up in Shanghai for the canceled March 3 cruise we would have already made arrangements for a land vacation, but, no one should have to be running around trying to contact Azamara, or having to post personal email addresses on a public website.

 

In this day and age Azamara should be contacting these passengers immediately by email and if they are already in Shanghai should be contacting them at their hotel immediately.

[marinaro44]

If we had ended up in Shanghai for the canceled March 3 cruise we would have already made arrangements for a land vacation, but, no one should have to be running around trying to contact Azamara, or having to post personal email addresses on a public website.

 

In this day and age Azamara should be contacting these passengers immediately by email and if they are already in Shanghai should be contacting them at their hotel immediately.

 

If the passenger booked his or her hotel independently, how would Azamara know which hotel to contact? If the passenger booked air arrangements independently, how would Azamara know when that passenger would arrive at the embarkation city? Handling a last-minute cancellation like this one is not as straightforward an undertaking as you make it out to be.

[English Tim]

If the passenger booked his or her hotel independently, how would Azamara know which hotel to contact? If the passenger booked air arrangements independently, how would Azamara know when that passenger would arrive at the embarkation city? Handling a last-minute cancellation like this one is not as straightforward an undertaking as you make it out to be.

 

Surely most of us put contact details on our booking, at least an email, so Azamara could send an email with a Shanghai contact number, etc.

 

It can be quite frightening being stuck far away from home, without the usual technological aids.

[marinaro44]

Surely most of us put contact details on our booking, at least an email, so Azamara could send an email with a Shanghai contact number, etc.

 

It can be quite frightening being stuck far away from home, without the usual technological aids.

Maybe you do, Tim, but I'll bet many don't list all the hotel numbers in Beijing, Xian, cruise ships on other cruise lines, etc., where they are staying en route to the embarkation port. To say Azamara should contact everyone at their pre-cruise hotel, as Jade13 did, is a gross oversimplification. It's just not that simple for 600+ passengers, some of whom have complex pre-cruise itineraries booked independently.

 

Azamara sent emails at 8:45am EST on February 26 re the shortened Feb 17 cruise and at 3:36 am on the 27th re the cancelled March 3 cruise.

[2fromTO]

I agree with the comments made by Marinaro44 and offer a few of my own.

 

We were on the March 17th cruise and stayed at the Hyatt on the Bund on March 2nd. The Ground Team was set up in the lobby, not in a hospitality suite. They were quite aware, and very concerned, about passengers that may have already arrived in shanghai expecting to board on March 3rd. I do not know if they had a telephone line at the desk, but I do know that someone was at the desk every time we walked through the lobby.

 

My travel agent received an email from Azamara on February 27th which she promptly forwarded to us. This incident re-enforces the value added of using a good TA.

 

It also was a good reminder that, when you make private arrangements (flights, hotels, shore x), you are also implicitly accepting responsibility for those arrangements. It is unfortunate that the March 3rd cruise was cancelled and I feel for those who travelled to shanghai only to find their cruise cancelled. However, it is unrealistic to expect Azamara to take on rescheduling individual travel plans. They are not a travel agent.

 

As to English Tim's comments about being stranded far from home without technological aids, shanghai is a very sophisticated city and I would probably not be wrong in assuming that internet and international telephone service would be available at most hotels.

[English Tim]

My point is that all Azamara need to do is send an email with cancellation details. I check my emails frequently, especially away from home, as this is the only sure fire way of reaching me.

[uktog]

My point is that all Azamara need to do is send an email with cancellation details. I check my emails frequently, especially away from home, as this is the only sure fire way of reaching me.

 

They did and it requested you acknowledged receipt - I always ensure they have my latest contact details

[cv8007]

Having travelled with Royal Caribbean many times, we were excited to board the upcoming March 3rd trip from Shanghai onboard the Azamara Journey. However, lack of information to us in Australia, after the initial cancellation email, from the company has left a bad taste regarding very poor customer service & updates, contrary to their stated online mantra.

We still have not received any follow up info from the cruise line....as of today, 6/3/14.....we even had to inform our travel agent of the cancellation on 28/2/14. Phoning the cruise line here still did not provide any written information for compensation or updates. Oceania is now looking very enticing...

[AZ-Bs]

My point is that all Azamara need to do is send an email with cancellation details. I check my emails frequently, especially away from home, as this is the only sure fire way of reaching me.

 

I just wanted to add my 2 cents to this thread. I have already told the story to a couple of people on this roll call, but anyways.....here goes.

 

I am generally a laid back person and really will not start stomping my feet and holding my breath until we finish the Hong Kong - Singapore cruise (is it a go, since Azamara seems to have lost my email address).

 

I had already arrived in Shanghai and was surprised when I received the first cancellation notice from Azamara, and then absolutely nothing after that. I first contacted their Miami office and after two days of calls, all I got was (and I quote) we will not pay for your flight to Hong, but if you want to cancel the B2B we will fly you home. I said no.

 

I then got contact information from a fellow traveller who also was stranded in Shanghai. The number turned out to be a Florida phone number, and that individual gave me the same story (see above). I have names and times of the phone calls to relay to Azamara.

 

I proceeded to book an alternate vacation to take up the time until the second cruise (am I to assume that it is a go, since I have heard nothing from Azamara).

 

I intend to document all of my inconveniences and when I get back to the U.S. will pursue the recovering of what I consider justifiable expenses. I am sure those affected will share their ordeals and what success they have with Azamara.

 

I can't believe a company in the hospitality/tourism industry can be this disorganized. In this day of electronic social media everything is instant, and this kind of fiasco cannot be hidden from the public. They have a lot of goodwill rebuilding to accomplish before the public will trust them.

[DrCarl]

Having arrived in Shanghai on Feb 28 with no subsequent phone or e-mail contact by Azamara regarding cruise cancellation, my wife & I took a taxi to Shanghai Hyatt March 3rd and spoke to Robert who said we were on our own financially if we wanted to remain in China & join the Journey in Hong Kong. A young Chinese lady on the Go Team then helped my wife plan (via a Chinese TA) a river cruise starting in western China with a flight to Hong Kong. Late that afternoon, we have an e-mail travel proposal of US$2,000 per person. In our reply, we ask if the TA accepts VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. Early morning of March 4th, we have a reply from the Chinese TA saying they only accept a certain Chinese credit card.

 

Later that morning of the 4th, we get our very first Azamara phone call at our hotel from an RCCL lady who had flew in the night before to help Azamara's Go Team. With no immediate means of paying for further travel in China, she asked if we would like to fly home and return to Hong Kong for the March 17 cruise at Azamara's expense. Within 20 minutes, she had made arrangements for us to fly home the next day and return to Hong Kong on March 16, then stay overnight at a Hong Kong hotel with transport there and to the Journey on the 17th.

 

So, after an unnecessary slow start, Azarama's Go Team rep (on loan from RCCL) resolved our issues to our satisfaction.

[nordski]

 

So, after an unnecessary slow start, Azarama's Go Team rep (on loan from RCCL) resolved our issues to our satisfaction.

 

Thanks for the update.

 

Hope your new plans provide an excellent experience.

[geocruiser]

Just wondering if Azamara had to contact all 694 PAX (I think that is what the ship holds) or did they only have to contact one person per cabin? By cabin (397 cabins) would be a lot less phone calls.