Le Club Voyage Thumbs up or down

[oddjob16]

Thumbs down:(. More nickel & diming. Just a proof of Azamara's downwards spiral- :cool:

[Jade13]

Thumbs way down.

 

They have taken away the two benefits that we actually like and use, free internet and laundry.

 

They did this to increase revenues as they know most people will pay for the internet and laundry.

 

Since this is Azamara "Miami", I am actually not surprised.

Edited September 1, 2014 by Jade13

[munch1]

Not so "Azamazing"anymore. A big Thumbs Down . 👎 Disappointed at the loss of internet minutes and laundry !!

For an Up Market cruise line we seem to be given Down Market Benefits!!

Next step will probably be an increase in price for internet packages to make up for the % 's off !!!

Having done 4 previous Azamara cruises and committed to our 5 th in early 2015 will now seriously consider returning to Celebrity !!

A real disappointment , but I suppose the increase in price over the last few years and the $'s saved in the new benifits now goes towards the ships being built for RCCL and Celebrity , while the Azamara loyal guests get a kick in the butt

[3418ahl]

We have cruised our last with Azamara...loss of laundry and internet, cheaper per diem pricing on Seabourn with far more benefits! Poor shore side service. No sense going on with this, we are moving onward.

[gymfreak]

I agree with everything that Phil and others have said. I loved the free laundry and internet minutes. I never drank my wine, I tried someone else's and didn't care for it, I wish I'd realised I could change it.

 

Due to various irritations I've had over the past year and also reading problems others have had, I've decided to try Crystal I sail in less than 3 weeks time. The pre-cruise experience so far has been excellent I still have another cruise with Az this year, one next and 2 in 2016, but if my despondency continues, I may be changing my 2016 booking over to Celebrity.

 

Sayonara may well be what I will be saying soon.

 

G :(

 

Hi Gil and Phil

I totally agree with all your comments . Having "earned " our way to Discoverer level the benefits such as internet and laundry were attractive and certainly influenced our decision making when booking future cruises. This announcement comes at a time when other companies appear to be expanding overall benefits .

Sorry to say that after the 2 cruises we already have booked with Azamara we may " jump ship". 😢

Gill hope you enjoy your Crystal cruise , please let us know you verdict.

Vicki

[cruisemuse13]

In the past, I have wondered if cruise critic members considering Azamara might be discouraged by the often negative threads on this forum. And here is yet another thread expressing disappointment from paying customers.

 

Other cruise line forums seem to be a bit more positive as I am researching other options. Azamara should be more concerned about their current customers.

[G2G]

Hi Gil and Phil

I totally agree with all your comments . Having "earned " our way to Discoverer level the benefits such as internet and laundry were attractive and certainly influenced our decision making when booking future cruises. This announcement comes at a time when other companies appear to be expanding overall benefits .

Sorry to say that after the 2 cruises we already have booked with Azamara we may " jump ship".

Gill hope you enjoy your Crystal cruise , please let us know you verdict.

Vicki

 

Hi Vicki, I'll definitely let you know :)

[Merriem]

In the past, I have wondered if cruise critic members considering Azamara might be discouraged by the often negative threads on this forum. And here is yet another thread expressing disappointment from paying customers.

 

Other cruise line forums seem to be a bit more positive as I am researching other options. Azamara should be more concerned about their current customers.

 

I have been following the threads here, and I can see why there is a lot of negative comments. We have cruised all the lines, and just book Azamara for New Zealand in Jan 2016. It was a hard decision because of all the perks with celebrity. We book suites, and everything was included with a royal suite. Internet, drinks, tips, private dining, but we did not care for the big ship and less time in New Zealand. I hope we did not make a mistake, as we have enjoyed the perks we received!

[Texed]

As a lot of you know, I am usually a very positive person. We have waited a long time for this announcement. I can find NOTHING positive to say about these changes.

[excitedofharpenden]

As a lot of you know, I am usually a very positive person. We have waited a long time for this announcement. I can find NOTHING positive to say about these changes.

 

From you Ed, that says it all.

 

Phil

[Riocca]

Big thumbs down from us, we don't cruise to get rewards but the little extras like internet and laundry can make the choice of cruise line for longer and fly cruises easier. These useful "perks" have been removed and replaced with nothing but froth, the terms and conditions will make it very difficult for most to get anything. We will go from Discoverer to Discoverer plus next year but as only 48% of our point s come from Azamara so nothing in this for us.

 

In this day and age of ever shrinking luggage allowances on airlines and the everyday need to communicate the removal of those two rewards will make us think twice about choosing Azamara over Celebrity who have improved those perks.

 

Please Azamara think this through and maybe find out what your loyal customers want and would appreciate.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[TommyD3]

As a lot of you know, I am usually a very positive person. We have waited a long time for this announcement. I can find NOTHING positive to say about these changes.

 

I agree.

 

We are Zenith and LOVE the benefits on Celebrity.

Azamara management is absolutely CRAZY.

I get 1620 minutes of free internet on Celebrity - ZERO on Azamara.

I get UNLIMITED free laundry on Celebrity - ZERO on Azamara.

I get a free Premium beverage package on Celebrity - nothing more than the first time cruiser on Azamara.

 

Obviously Azamara does not feel that they NEED repeat cruisers.

To eliminate the existing benefits is CRAZY:mad:

 

I sailed on Azamara 3 times when there prices were comparable to Celebrity.

Now with highly inflated prices and NO benefit for my loyalty I refuse.

[ikelmay]

I'm just flabbergasted at the Marketing department's approach to the benefit revamping - this smacks of RCCL's Diamond Class revision a few years ago. We enjoyed both the laundry and internet perks, but I suspect the reasoning behind the removal of the comp. benefits has to do with overloading the very limited laundry and internet facilities on board.

 

The free benefits for LCV weren't deal breakers for us at all, but gave us a great 'warm and fuzzy' and welcoming feel whenever we sailed. It just makes it a lot easier to trade the wonderful onboard Azamara experience for another line such as Celebrity or Oceania.

 

A huge thumbs down, mainly for how this has been presented - if the program was going to be realigned, get the bad news out the way separately. I don't think anyone who has experienced Azamara will see this new package as an 'enhancement'.

[iata]

Big thumb down. I was supposed to book b2b for january 2016 while onboard Azamara next week. Now i will have to reconsidered everything. I don,t criuise for the benefits but if i can have the same cruise for the same price or even less and loss and the benefits i will switch. So we are back to the planning board. So so sad. They will loose loyal custommers. I hope they will reconsider as everybody are on the thumb down. Please Azamara listen to your clients. All the wait for that. Very very disapointed.

 

What are the conditions for the upgrades, very vague

What are the conditions for the free nights. I just turned discover and my next cruise is next week so does it means if i book another cruise onboard i will get free nights on the 2016 cruise. It is written weird.

[iata]

Where can we read terms and conditions for upgrade, free night and the 3 to 10% discount

[ellbon]

As a lot of you know, I am usually a very positive person. We have waited a long time for this announcement. I can find NOTHING positive to say about these changes.

 

ed, this really sucks asi like the smaller ship for the ports. i wil ldo this winter on Azamara but will look at 2016 again.. losing laundry and internet mintes really sucks.. both were reason to stay on Azamamra over celebrity. at least now on Celebrity i get some laundry and internet. it use to be i got more internet on A than C but now the other way around.

They really want to lose their loyal guests???we who have stayed could be leaving...

 

 

[kiawahdon]

The upgrade opportunity to a Club Continent suite is pure fiction as they sell out fairly quickly on most cruises. You might move to a veranda on deck 6, but I really doubt much else.

 

The reason for no free internet is that AZ ships have not upgraded their internet; hence limited band width. They have to control usage somehow. Interesting that many of the RCCL ships have upgraded to the point you can now video Skype or do streaming.

After the Guatemala fiasco, are you really surprised? Larry and his on-shore management team could not manage a 3 car funeral in my opinion.

[G2G]

ed, this really sucks asi like the smaller ship for the ports. i wil ldo this winter on Azamara but will look at 2016 again.. losing laundry and internet mintes really sucks.. both were reason to stay on Azamamra over celebrity. at least now on Celebrity i get some laundry and internet. it use to be i got more internet on A than C but now the other way around.

They really want to lose their loyal guests???we who have stayed could be leaving...

 

 

 

Hi Robin,

 

If they lose your custom, then their share value will plummet for sure.

 

Hope you're well, we shared a snorkelling trip in January of this year in Mexico.

 

Gillian

[sandyss]

What are you thinking Azamara?

 

Normally when benefits are "enhanced", the prior benefits remain. Like others have stated, the two benefits that had value for us were the free internet and laundry.

 

Since Azamara knows that people will use internet and laundry, this change is obviously to "enhance" revenue for Azamara.

 

This change is a total turn-off for us.

 

A big thumbs down!

[ellbon]

Thumbs way down.

 

They have taken away the two benefits that we actually like and use, free internet and laundry.

 

They did this to increase revenues as they know most people will pay for the internet and laundry.

 

Since this is Azamara "Miami", I am actually not surprised.

 

i hate to say it this is why i just booked Dec 2016 for the islands to snorkel. free laundry!!! i have other 2016 cruises booekd and now will look at celebrity for same cruises or close to it. ihave been booking for ports, laundry and internet in that order. but even Princess gave me something years ago. bakc to washing by home an drying by free air.

[iata]

Found it, but more mixed up than ever.

:(

If someone can help me cause i have give numbers to my husband

 

This is my case:

I have just turned discover

I will sail Azamara next week but not my husband

Want to book onboard b2b for 2016 great barrier reef and New Zealand with the bogoho promotion.

Will i get the b2b discount

Will i get the the obc for booking onboard

We earn our discover status january 2014

Will we be illiegible to the free nights ( 1 will have cruise Azamara but not my husband)

 

Please help

[almostnewtocruise]

Quite depressing - as we all seem to agree that the only perks that really have mattered are free internet and laundry..

 

Curious,,, can anyone explain how do "complimentary nights" work?

(As in

Earn complimentary nights* when you advance to a new member tier, ranging from two nights (Explorer) to ten nights (Discoverer Platinum).)

Let's say - you moved from Discoverer to D. + and therefore "earned" 6 days.. So if you now book a 10 days cruise - does it mean that you pay only 40% of the price?

 

(I'll still take the internet and the laundry :o)

 

Miriam

[2fromTO]

We can find a few positive things to say about the new program...

 

First, AZ has increased the number of points earned for a veranda from 3 to 5. Second, the discount for booking on board has increased and a OBC added if you reserve a specific voyage. Third, receiving "free nights" upon reaching a new threshold could translate into a significant cost saving on a future cruise. Fourth, the potential to upgrade from a veranda to a suite for $199 is enticing. These new benefits may work out to be more valuable than free laundry and internet.

 

However, in reality....

 

We are at Discoverer Level with just over 300 points. Even with the increased earning power of 5 points per day for a veranda, we would have to cruise for 90 more days before reaching the next threshold at 749 points. No "Free Nights" for us anytime soon.

 

The price for a veranda on the Jan 2015 Antarctic cruise turned out to be significantly less with the current BOGOHO promotion than the price we booked under on board last February. We are not convinced that booking early and booking on board represents the best value even with the new benefits.

 

The stateroom upgrade is subject to availability with priority going to members with the greatest number of points. With just over 300 points, we are thinking that getting an upgrade may be akin to winning the Lottery - possible but not likely.

 

For us, the new program represents a net loss of benefits. On our 17 day cruise in January we will being doing our own laundry and will be paying for internet. Even with a 40% discount, the cost could be significant as we are at sea for 12 of 17 days and have no choice but to use the ship's internet. We will earn 85 points, but that has no actual value as the next level is way out of our reach.

 

Bottom line....

 

Taking away tangible benefits, like free internet and laundry, and replacing them with benefits that have lots of fine print and restrictions, ones which may or may not be realizable, does not earn our loyalty.

 

Our vote: THUMBS DOWN.

[ellbon]

Hi Robin,

 

If they lose your custom, then their share value will plummet for sure.

 

Hope you're well, we shared a snorkelling trip in January of this year in Mexico.

 

Gillian

 

That was a fun day- getting in and out of the boat was interesting. i have 20 plus cruises now. .but i know people who can beat me.

 

but if loyal guest leave then Azamara will go all charter for sure.. i have saield on full ships but not all.

[ilove2crews]

I have to say, I am shocked at these changes. While other cruiselines appear to be offering loyalty members more benefits, Azamara is taking our benefits away. We have barely had a chance to get used to the higher pricing, loss of 50% off shore excursions, loss of harpists. I am very unhappy with these new changes.