October 2016 Cruise "No Longer Available"

[Andy]

Maybe it has something to do with the fact they can command much higher per diem pricing most places outside of Florida as the market is soft out of Miami. Will people pay $5,000 to $6,000 USD PER PERSON for a 14 night cruise on Azamara out of Miami in the cheapest balcony cabin?

 

I think they were 12 night sailings, and IIRC, they were nowhere near 5-6k per person. I think they were in the 3k - 3.5k range. Besides, they usually bring 1 ship on a westbound TA, so they might as well offer a Caribbean sailing before they send the ship to South America, or elsewhere.

 

You've said they can get more $$$ elsewhere. Maybe so... but why does Oceania have their newest ship in Miami for an entire season ? They've even added a few additional sailings, with an R Class ship this season. If they weren't making money, there's absolutely no way they would keep doing this, year after year.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Host Andy

[BBMacLaird]

Dear Cruise Critic members,

We just wanted to clarify a couple of things. When using the term unfounded, it was referencing the speculations and assumptions on this thread about why these sailings are closed, e.g. a precursor to the sale of the ships.

Such comments are untrue and thus “unfounded”. But perhaps that word was ill-chosen and I apologize for that.

The second, more salient point to make, is yes, the 2016 voyages from August 26 through December 19 are currently being redeployed due to a private charter.

The rearranging of the surrounding itineraries will take a few weeks to complete before we can publish them. Some of you may recall my blog “The Art of Itinerary Planning” and all of the steps that Claudius Docekal has to go through in order to plan and deploy an itinerary? Not least of all is the confirming of docking berths in the various ports. Here it is again in case you missed it: http://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/connect-share/blog/art-itinerary-planning-interview-claudius-docekal/.

The third point is we are sorry if we have affected any of guests, but we are giving everyone 2+ years notice about this change. Even though some of the sailings you have settled on are now not available, we hope that you can find other voyages that will be equally of interest to you.

In the meantime, we ask for your patience until this process is done. We will let you know the new itineraries as soon as they are published. We expect this by the end of July.

[ellbon]

i feel the words redeployed makes me think ARMY!!!! It a good thing i was looking at August not Sept..

 

This is an excellant way to lose past loyal guests.. RCI keeps selling our second hom to strangers not us! clsoe to 4 months! No where did yuo say which ship or both ships.

 

There are other cruiselines out there that we can look at for 2016 adn amybe like them even more.

 

find this all very sad... for the 3d year in a row they want money over their loyal guests.

[shedridt]

THAT's what it will take for me to believe in Azamara again.

 

Azamara accepted my booking in a contract that involved an offer (for a cruise itinerary) & my acceptance of that offer. Azamara accepted my booking & issued a Confirmation Number in response.

 

Azamara's representative now asks for my patience even as there is a lame attempt to explain away the fact that they got a better offer than mine in the form of a charter - & so the contract they made with me is void.

 

Why would anyone ever book with this line again?

[mare s.]

3 1/2 consecutive months of charters???? And at a very prime time of year. This is extremely disappointing and certainly indicates the direction in which Azamara is going. Sorry, Bonnie, but while concerns about a possible sale of Azamara are perhaps unfounded, one can certainly speculate that more and more charters are possible. Why would anyone want to place a hefty deposit on a future cruise only to have it cancelled? I suspect that many people will be looking at other cruiselines. If 2+ years is so far out that we should not be bothered by cancelled cruises, why publish a brochure so far in advance?

[Spursgirl]

I never make bookings so far in advance so do not have the disappointment of having my cruise cancelled but am totally sympathetic to those who thought they had confirmed plans.

 

But for a two ship operation to remove one vessel for virtually four months is lunacy. We hear you when you say this is not a precursor to a sale but the company is certainly pursuing a different business model.

 

Do you think we will not cruise during your lengthy charter periods in 2015 and 2016? Perhaps we will decide to give our business to another company which is more available to us as Elbon says.

 

It's likely that Seabourn and Oceania will be benefitting in my case.

 

This is very disappointing

[shedridt]

But my disappointment in Azamara is sort of (don't take this too seriously!) like getting over a bad boyfriend. I simply cannot believe that a business that intends to be a 'going concern' would be so incredibly careless about public relations that it would just dismiss a client base without much thought in favor of some amorphous 'chartering opportunity.'

 

Well, I'm going to look for a cruise line that doesn't disappoint me with crummy communications & that honors its bookings.

Edited July 17, 2014 by shedridt
change of mind.....

[Andy]

Hi Everyone,

 

First, I'd like to say Thank you to Bonnie & Azamara for the update. While it certainly clears up things, and the speculation mercifully comes to an end, I suspect the Azamara faithful will be displeased with this development. From a business perspective, I fully understand Azamara's decision. However, when you only have 2 ships, and Quest is unavailable to your guests for nearly 4 months ? I'm fairly certain this will not sit well with them. I believe this would have been received in a better light, if you had more ships to help replace the lost sailing dates... but it is what it is.

 

On the bright side, the affected sailings are 2 years away, so there's plenty of time for guests to make other plans. For me, the big questions are - will they choose to sail with other brands, and, what if they enjoy the other cruise experience ? It's entirely possible they may not return to Azamara. In my business, I'd never be ok with losing a single client. It takes years to build loyalty & trust, and seconds to lose it. I often wonder if that mindset applies in the cruise industry.

 

I must also agree with our other members, in that it doesn't look great, when only 2 months ago, Azamara releases their 2016 schedule, accepts bookings & deposits, and then says "sorry, we're going to make major changes to our deployment". With some quick calculations, 114 days is nearly 16% of Azamara's 2016 schedule, factoring in both ships. That's a big number. IMHO, if Azamara knew this big of a change was brewing, then Azamara should have at least considered delaying the release of the 2016 schedule, while being forthright with guests by disclosing the possibility of charters, at that time. Frankly, I would have been much happier, if Azamara released their 2016 schedule today, and avoided all the drama. I'm sure there were many factors involved, and tough decisions were made by management, but it's upsetting when loyal guests are unhappy.

 

Please don't get me wrong. I'm very pleased that Azamara has a huge amount of business coming your way, and I'd like to offer my congratulations to your charter sales manager for landing a tremendous sale. I sincerely hope this helps Azamara obtain their newbuild order. I've been eagerly awaiting that day for quite some time, and I hope this development makes that day closer to reality !

 

At any rate, I sincerely hope things work out perfectly for both Azamara, and those who are currrently booked, or hoped to sail with Azamara in 2016. Hopefully, your guests will find another Azamara sailing to choose from.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Host Andy

[Lottie A]

Well put Andy. I am happy if these charters ensure an ongoing and profitable Azamara but very sad at having such restricted opportunities to sail on Quest in 2015 and 2016.

 

However it may now be time to branch out to other cruiselines in a big way. I have sailed Oceania and still much prefer Azamara, but it may be time to give O another try and recently I was impressed with a Crystal cruise. Viking is looking interesting and so is Seabourn. Silversea is always an option for me too.

Saying all that, I know Quest will always be my first choice but it may be time to consider a different cruiseline for 2015/16.

[shedridt]

The answer to your question is --- that we will sail away to other lines.

 

How cocky of Azamara to think that they could go up against other lines that actually produce what they advertise & win, when they fail to produce!

 

Through their representative they've actually TOLD us that it's more profitable for them to look beyond US as individual passengers with some level of loyalty to their brand to charter groups. In doing this, Azamara distances themselves from the nitty gritty of actually engaging with its customer base - & when they are so foolish as to TELL us that this is what they intend to do how could they blame us for wanting to look elsewhere for a cruise line that places a higher value on its individual passengers?

 

Tsk tsk tsk.......what silly reasoning & with what potentially awful outcomes!

[Literary Lynne]

Wonder if it's anything to do with the new link with Saga widely reported in May this year:

 

 

 

 

Azamara Club Cruises is to become a partner for Saga Holidays through the over-50s company’s new third party cruising programme.

The two-ship premium line will also be joining Titan Travel’s existing portfolio of cruise partners as part of the brand’s new partnership with parent company Acromas Group.

Azamara Club Cruises’ voyages will be available with Saga Holidays and Titan Travel from the end of July.

Azamara UK and Ireland managing director Richard Twynam (pictured) said: “We’re delighted by this exciting opportunity to become one of Saga Holidays’ cruise partners and to announce our alliance with Acromas Group.

“Azamara’s ethos of destination immersive travel brilliantly suits the customer base of both Saga Holidays and Titan Travel; we’re honoured that Acromas has recognised this by partnering with us.“

Saga Cruises chief executive Robin Shaw, former boss of Azamara sister company Royal Caribbean International in the UK, said: “This is an exciting time for Saga cruising and this venture allows us to reach out to more people.

“We will now be able to offer even greater choice to today’s over 50s - whether that’s a classic cruise departing from the UK or a fly-cruise on some of the largest ships on the seas.

“By booking any cruise with Saga, customers will get all the added extras that those who book with us directly enjoy – and the security that we will offer a great experience at excellent value.”

 

 

 

Lynne

[cruisemuse13]

September to November is our preferred time for a Mediterranean cruise, and for 10 to 11 days. In 2016, Azamara has such a limited offering that we will definitely be looking at a different cruise line, and may well find a new "home".

 

As an individual, I do not feel valued as a customer when so many months of inventory are handed over to a charter and not availabe . It makes me feel second rate.

[ellbon]

my August 2016 cruises on Journey are still there to book.. I spent a few minutes last night looking for a Black Sea cruise on another line.. They do not have one. .they have the Med but not Black Sea. i am going to look at Silversea and Seaborn for both winter and summer and see what is out there.

I do have to agree withh other loyal guests about the unfairness. sorry in the cruise worlld 2016 is not that far away if yuo want a certain cruise or a cerain cabin.

 

So time to look else where and earn free laundry and internet. .

[Jade13]

 

find this all very sad... for the 3d year in a row they want money over their loyal guests.

 

Of course. They are a for profit company.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Jade13

[themoon]

Personally, I would never book a cruise that far in advance, but I can understand the disappointment of someone who has.

On the other hand, I don't think the magnitude of the disappointment being shown is realistic. The cruise was a long way off, it was just booked, and now you will get your deposit back and can make other plans.

I'm sure there are also many people that book a cruise a long way out and then cancel before the final payment. Azamara is a business, and as such had an opportunity to make a guaranteed four month booking and took it.

They are not the first cruise line to book charters, and they won't be the last.

[Jade13]

Personally, I would never book a cruise that far in advance, but I can understand the disappointment of someone who has.

On the other hand, I don't think the magnitude of the disappointment being shown is realistic. The cruise was a long way off, it was just booked, and now you will get your deposit back and can make other plans.

I'm sure there are also many people that book a cruise a long way out and then cancel before the final payment. Azamara is a business, and as such had an opportunity to make a guaranteed four month booking and took it.

They are not the first cruise line to book charters, and they won't be the last.

 

I agree. Nothing like the situation when non-refundable airline tickets have already been paid, and/or the cruise is 12 months out.

 

People don't like the way these situations are handled. It is usually the same story. One books a cruise and suddenly it disappears from inventory. The cruise line is silent for a long time on what is going on. The communication is poor. The day they pull the inventory is the day they should be contacting the passengers or their travel agents.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Jade13

[kiawahdon]

They are not the first cruise line to book charters, and they won't be the last.

 

I would like to hear of another "major" line that charters for 3 months. A week or 2, ok, a number of lines do that. This isn't necessarily about more revenue as it is guaranteed revenue. You take the risk of soft bookings out of the equation in exchange for lower, but guaranteed, revenue. If charters were more profitable than normal bookings, many lines would do this all year.

[bob278]

I am among those who is disappointed because we thought we saw a wonderful B2B opportunity with Aug 11 and Aug 26 North Cape and Amsterdam-Barcelona cruises on the Quest.

 

But let's put this in perspective: loyalty is a two-way street. Each side has a reasonable position as far as goals are concerned.

 

We as cruisers have the goal of enjoying cruises on ships we love to places we want to go.

 

Azamara has a goal of making a profit.

 

Azamara has chosen to take the risk that guaranteeing an effective 100% occupancy rate for a long stretch of time over the loss of a relatively few number of people who actually will never sail with them again.

 

Their loyalty to current customers is impacted by their primary goal of making a profit. I would think very few people will have any financial impact from this given the early notification.

 

Anyone who says they will no longer sail with Azamara is showing no loyalty at all. We all make our decisions based on what we perceive is best for us - Azamara to ensure an improved financial position and we as customers to choose to give them another chance or leave them altogether.

 

In my case, they will lose out on one cabin for two cruises in favor of selling out the ship for a long time. The question is: how many people will actually never cruise with them again? I am confident that a team of people weighed the cost/benefit before making the decision.

 

Both viewpoints are valid but loyalty is not really the correct basis for either one.

[workingtocruise-59]

I was just thinking the same thing.

A long charter by Saga seems a possibility.The last cruise before "re-deployment" ends in Amsterdam and the final "re-deployed" cruise ends in Miami.

And, if a success, could mean that one ship would be "re-deployed" every year from August to December.

We normally cruise Spring & Autumn so this would, naturally, limit our choices.

Obviously we want Azamara to thrive and prosper but would be saddened to lose one of our beloved ships for four months a year.

[BBMacLaird]

I am among those who is disappointed because we thought we saw a wonderful B2B opportunity with Aug 11 and Aug 26 North Cape and Amsterdam-Barcelona cruises on the Quest.

 

But let's put this in perspective: loyalty is a two-way street. Each side has a reasonable position as far as goals are concerned.

 

We as cruisers have the goal of enjoying cruises on ships we love to places we want to go.

 

Azamara has a goal of making a profit.

 

Azamara has chosen to take the risk that guaranteeing an effective 100% occupancy rate for a long stretch of time over the loss of a relatively few number of people who actually will never sail with them again.

 

Their loyalty to current customers is impacted by their primary goal of making a profit. I would think very few people will have any financial impact from this given the early notification.

 

Anyone who says they will no longer sail with Azamara is showing no loyalty at all. We all make our decisions based on what we perceive is best for us - Azamara to ensure an improved financial position and we as customers to choose to give them another chance or leave them altogether.

 

In my case, they will lose out on one cabin for two cruises in favor of selling out the ship for a long time. The question is: how many people will actually never cruise with them again? I am confident that a team of people weighed the cost/benefit before making the decision.

 

Both viewpoints are valid but loyalty is not really the correct basis for either one.

 

Hi Bob278,

Just a short note to say thank you for supporting our position. Cost/Benefit analyses are of course made, overlaid by the variable of timing (always best the more time in advance we have) and overlaid by the number of guests who would be displaced and disappointed. That latter variable does bring in our consideration of loyalty. Our % of repeat pax is a metric that is extremely important since we're in a service business. It tells us we are doing something right..and year-over-year our repeat pax metric is growing AzAmazingly :)

For this we are grateful. We are truly grateful for every person who chooses Azamara for the first time, and multiply that gratitude exponentially for those who return to us faithfully. We are indeed sorry if those displaced never return to us. We don't take that lightly. Deposits are returned immediately or applied to another voyage, hopefully the latter scenario since we have so many fabulous itineraries to choose from.

But as you so rationally point out, a 100% full ship @ 2+ years in advance can benefit our brand both financially & in ways beyond the annual P&L, e.g., it might subsidize the service improvements we need such as a new online booking engine (I hear about that nearly daily), and/or even convince investors it is time for new _ _ _ _ _ (that other thing I hear about regularly on CC!)

All said and done, Azamara is more successful, with more guests and more accolades than ever before. We look forward to the future!

[TERRIER1]

Hi Bob278,

Just a short note to say thank you for supporting our position. Cost/Benefit analyses are of course made, overlaid by the variable of timing (always best the more time in advance we have) and overlaid by the number of guests who would be displaced and disappointed. That latter variable does bring in our consideration of loyalty. Our % of repeat pax is a metric that is extremely important since we're in a service business. It tells us we are doing something right..and year-over-year our repeat pax metric is growing AzAmazingly :)

For this we are grateful. We are truly grateful for every person who chooses Azamara for the first time, and multiply that gratitude exponentially for those who return to us faithfully. We are indeed sorry if those displaced never return to us. We don't take that lightly. Deposits are returned immediately or applied to another voyage, hopefully the latter scenario since we have so many fabulous itineraries to choose from.

But as you so rationally point out, a 100% full ship @ 2+ years in advance can benefit our brand both financially & in ways beyond the annual P&L, e.g., it might subsidize the service improvements we need such as a new online booking engine (I hear about that nearly daily), and/or even convince investors it is time for new _ _ _ _ _ (that other thing I hear about regularly on CC!)

All said and done, Azamara is more successful, with more guests and more accolades than ever before. We look forward to the future!

 

Hi Bonnie. I booked a B2B on Quest for September 2016 while on board the Quest two weeks ago. My TA agent has not been informed of the removal/cancellation of these voyage. When will we be formally notified?

[BBMacLaird]

Hi Bonnie. I booked a B2B on Quest for September 2016 while on board the Quest two weeks ago. My TA agent has not been informed of the removal/cancellation of these voyage. When will we be formally notified?

 

Yes, absolutely, your Travel Agent will be contacted very soon. Our Customer Service agents are in the process as we speak.

We apologize to you, and to your TA, that you learned about this change on social media. Not sure how it hit the airwaves so quickly ... I guess the first person contacted put it out there.

[marinaro44]

Not sure how it hit the airwaves so quickly ... I guess the first person contacted put it out there.

See shedridt's posting #1 for the answer.

[BBMacLaird]

See shedridt's posting #1 for the answer.

 

Hi Marinaro44, I didn't mean literally "who"...I was musing in general terms about the error of telling someone who 'wants to book' prior to those 'already booked'. This goes against protocol and again, we apologize.

And with the prevalence of social media, there's the logistical challenge of telling everyone at the same time so no one learns important information from 2nd or 3rd parties.

[TERRIER1]

Yes, absolutely, your Travel Agent will be contacted very soon. Our Customer Service agents are in the process as we speak.

We apologize to you, and to your TA, that you learned about this change on social media. Not sure how it hit the airwaves so quickly ... I guess the first person contacted put it out there.

 

Thanks. Unfortunately there aren't any Azamara cruises available in the May/June or September time slot that interests us. We enjoyed our cruise immensely but it looks like we will not be back anytime soon given the lack of available itineraries on Azamara in those time periods.