Le Club Voyage Thumbs up or down

[ikelmay]

My concern is more about the bigger picture than the physical loss of the internet access and the occasional bag of laundry with the revamping of the LCV program. I would hope that there are some reasonably smart people at RCCL Headquarters overseeing the Azamara brand identity and the development of a relatively young cruise line (albeit a subsidiary). The impression I got from our recent cruises was that a substantial percentage of Azamara cruisers were loyal repeat business

 

Given the recent increase in competition within the high premium sector (e.g. Oceania upgrades, Viking's new cruise vessels etc etc) it strikes me as a very odd way of protecting your loyal customer base to spend weeks and weeks promising dramatic changes to the loyalty scheme and overhyping the proposed benefits, only to release the initial revamp and then to spin yourself into a pretzel trying to sell what is essentially a degrading of benefits as an improvement.

 

In isolation it could be seen as just some ham-fisted clumsiness, but add it on to the woeful saga of the IT interface and the outsourcing of the customer service support team and it does suggest a rather alarming approach to supporting the operation.

 

The new management team at Azamara have specifically repositioned the branding into a more premium sector of the market, and not surprisingly, those customers expect more for the premium prices being paid. The current approach, it would seem, is in fact to degrade both the product and the support. As I said, an odd way to go about keeping hold of your loyal customers.

[excitedofharpenden]

Ok Azamara Joel, please help my maths

 

A future booking is 15 nights already in a suite. We would wish two bags of laundry on this trip, more importantly a minimum of 400 internet minutes. I could not follow your table so using this example please tell me how I might now be better off, I am discoverer plus, not yet around the Zenith/Platinum level

Ps the onboard spa is not of interest

 

Those of us who have been more loyal and now find ourselves as Discoverer Plus following last year's "upgrade" are actually at a disadvantage to others in the lower levels because the points spectrum for Plus is so much more than the other levels:

 

Adventurer (after 1st voyage) Up to 149

Explorer 150 – 299

Discoverer 300 – 749

Discoverer Plus. 750 - 2999

Discoverer Platinum 3000+

 

Bearing in mind the 50% rule I don't think I will ever achieve my free nights on Azamara.

 

Phil

[excitedofharpenden]

My concern is more about the bigger picture than the physical loss of the internet access and the occasional bag of laundry with the revamping of the LCV program. I would hope that there are some reasonably smart people at RCCL Headquarters overseeing the Azamara brand identity and the development of a relatively young cruise line (albeit a subsidiary). The impression I got from our recent cruises was that a substantial percentage of Azamara cruisers were loyal repeat business

 

Given the recent increase in competition within the high premium sector (e.g. Oceania upgrades, Viking's new cruise vessels etc etc) it strikes me as a very odd way of protecting your loyal customer base to spend weeks and weeks promising dramatic changes to the loyalty scheme and overhyping the proposed benefits, only to release the initial revamp and then to spin yourself into a pretzel trying to sell what is essentially a degrading of benefits as an improvement.

 

In isolation it could be seen as just some ham-fisted clumsiness, but add it on to the woeful saga of the IT interface and the outsourcing of the customer service support team and it does suggest a rather alarming approach to supporting the operation.

 

The new management team at Azamara have specifically repositioned the branding into a more premium sector of the market, and not surprisingly, those customers expect more for the premium prices being paid. The current approach, it would seem, is in fact to degrade both the product and the support. As I said, an odd way to go about keeping hold of your loyal customers.

Very nicely put. It's how I am feeling too.

 

Phil

[Wandering Words]

Joel, all of your examples under the new scheme assume that the guest spends money in order to achieve the savings. If I don't upgrade, book a future cruise or passages, spend money in the spa or shops or indeed book a cruise within 12 months of achieving a new level to get my free nights then I'm out of luck and that doesn't even take account of the terms and conditions under which I'm booked which may preclude me from offers anyway. Under the old scheme there truly was FREE stuff, but now it seems the only way you will give anything away is by me spending more money and increasing Azamara's revenue. I get it. I really do.

 

Phil

 

Well summed up Phil

 

Perhaps Azamarajoel or Larry Pimentel could respond to this post

[Haworth]

I have just picked up on this thread, before commenting I would like to give some background, we are regular cruisers and have settled on Celebrity, Azamara and Seabourn as our lines of choice, the decision being based on a combination of itinerary and price.

The Seabourn club has a shopping list of benefits and as you rise through the loyalty tiers you can select more benefits, this is simple, clear and rewards loyalty with a free 7 day cruise after 140 sailed days, two popular benefits are laundry and internet.

I fell the new AZ scheme is smoke and mirrors and not designed to reward the loyalty of the paying customer, I am sorry but allied to issues with future cruise credits we may be reducing our choice to two lines in the future

[G2G]

Absolutely DISGRACEFUL. Attention Celebrity, we are coming back home where the benefits roam and the internet and laundry come free.

 

I love the lyrics, I think a lot of people will be singing the same tune :)

[cruisingaussies]

Big thumbs down. As with the vast majority of posters, the loss of internet in particular – and laundry to a slightly lesser degree – is a huge disappointment. The internet ‘benefit’ gives us a 45% discount on their expensive packages (instead of having free minutes), which means Azamara gets 55%. Who receives the benefit here? Not their guests. They have left in the parties but guests can be eating and/or drinking anywhere on the ship at no cost, so averaging that out, parties probably cost them nothing.

We have only cruised Azamara once but were at Discover Plus level due to our Elite Plus status on Celebrity. We so enjoyed that cruise in April, we have booked another on Quest and had decided that whenever possible, we would cruise Azamara in the future. The loss of the benefits would not necessarily change our minds, providing the cruise experience remains as good. However, taking away these benefits leaves a bad taste and concern at what may happen next. As some posters have pointed out, are Azamara in financial trouble if they have to resort to this type of action. We are currently trying to decide whether we take that next cruise or cancel.

After the aggressive change in cancellation policy, demanding final payment 4 months in advance (our case with our Australian TA), dragging out the announcement for months and then coming up with this farcical range of ‘benefits’, we are sorely tempted to forget about Azamara now.

Phil, you put it perfectly in your post, copied hereunder. Absolutely agree, it's a win-win situation for them. I just hope that Azamara takes note of the remarks on this site, that some sense prevails and they reinstate the old benefits.

 

"Joel, all of your examples under the new scheme assume that the guest spends money in order to achieve the savings. If I don't upgrade, book a future cruise or passages, spend money in the spa or shops or indeed book a cruise within 12 months of achieving a new level to get my free nights then I'm out of luck and that doesn't even take account of the terms and conditions under which I'm booked which may preclude me from offers anyway. Under the old scheme there truly was FREE stuff, but now it seems the only way you will give anything away is by me spending more money and increasing Azamara's revenue. I get it. I really do."

[cruisingaussies]

Blady, love those lyrics also. Not sure now whether we'll get to meet on the April cruise after this fiasco!

Brenda

[Grandma Gilly]

I would imagine the folks at RCCL are rubbing their hands with glee at the number of people who are going to 'return' to Celebrity. Keep it in the family!

Edited September 2, 2014 by Grandma Gilly

[excitedofharpenden]

It really does make me wonder how tightly Larry Pimental's hands have been tied by the RCCL powers that be if this is the best they can come up with to "enhance" a loyalty programme. What are they doing wrong? As the most upmarket line of the brands why do I get the impression that they are the poor relation?

 

I'm pretty vocal here of my thoughts because I am very passionate about the cruise experience when I'm on the ship. It has long been said how far behind shoreside is to the onboard experience and then they come up with this. It really makes me worry even more about Azamara's future within the RCCL family.

 

Phil

[little britain]

..especially as they can't now even be bothered to give us a bottle of cheap non-champagne.

 

As they say in Dragons Den - "I'm out".

Edited September 2, 2014 by little britain
that shoud be its not it's....

[Wacktle]

Having only done two Azamara cruises, we won't miss any perks, except maybe the free internet minutes which we partially used last time. I doubt we'd pay to use the internet, so won't "save" money under the new arrangements. We'd only use it in an emergency if there was a charge.

 

Prices seem to have shot up drastically. Current "special offers" for 7 night cruises, comparable to the ones we did in May 2014 and March 2013, are half as much again, and sometimes almost double. Did we get an exceptional bargain? Or are these the "real" prices? I really don't know.

 

Getting a real price is a hassle. There seems to be no way to get a quick quote for a flight-inclusive cruise from a UK (non-London) airport. In the end, it's easier to just give up and look for a holiday/cruise with another company.

 

With high prices, cancelled cruises and perk reductions, maybe the parent company is setting up Azamara for a fall, so it can be dispensed with. Just a thought.

[geocruiser]

I would imagine the folks at RCCL are rubbing their hands with glee at the number of people who are going to 'return' to Celebrity. Keep it in the family!

 

Not every one will keep all their cruises in the RCCL family. I have not kept all my cruise travel to RCCL brands. A lot of my money goes to Princess now. But I agree with you that Celebrity is happy!

[Xport]

Those of us who have been more loyal and now find ourselves as Discoverer Plus following last year's "upgrade" are actually at a disadvantage to others in the lower levels because the points spectrum for Plus is so much more than the other levels:

 

Adventurer (after 1st voyage) Up to 149

Explorer 150 – 299

Discoverer 300 – 749

Discoverer Plus. 750 - 2999

Discoverer Platinum 3000+

 

Bearing in mind the 50% rule I don't think I will ever achieve my free nights on Azamara.

 

I had double the Cruise Points necessary to make Discoverer+/Elite+ upon conversion last November but still needed to double those again to make the Discoverer Platinum/Zenith membership levels... I thought that move up to likely be unattainable but I've continued to cruise and--with Celebrity now doing a "double up" on Cruise Points for solos paying the 100% single supplement--now see it as a possibility...

 

With my current travel plans, by this time next year I'll be about 80 cruise days away from Zenith/Discover Plus--sailing in the AquaClass or Concierge Class cabins I choose on Celebrity--but about 160 days away from the move up if I sail Azamara in a balcony stateroom as I have--and will again next February; I'd cancel were it not for the compensatory discounts I got when Journey became disabled in Tokyo so as to cause one sailing to be shortened and one to be fully cancelled--with them...

 

Even if I were to foolishly choose to sail with Azamara exclusively for twice the time--most often at higher prices while giving up my generous Elite+ benefits on Celebrity--to achieve the next level of membership, it is at this point statistically impossible for me to meet the requirement that 50% of Cruise Points be earned with Azamara to qualify for so-called "Free Days"... The alleged benefit is specious for many but especially so for those who have already shown very substantive allegiance to and have the most significant cruise histories with Azamara and Celebrity; the requirements associated with moving to the highest tier are quantum...

 

The benefit costing numbers that Joel shared with us yesterday left me incredulous... Not only do they improperly combine episodic spend on "Free Days"--the highest priced component of the revised program--as if they'll actually incur the most significant ones anytime soon [if at all]--but they understate [not seriously as the benefits are so paltry] those, like internet subsidies, that are recurrent [it takes a whole lot more than one cruise to move from membership level to membership level but it may be okay as they take credit in their costing for a few things that most will never use]... The Financial Analyst who prepared this stuff--at least as it's been presented to us--should be fired! It would be laughable if not so tragically ill-conceived/poorly reasoned [and now it's memorialized on the web for all to see; I sure wouldn't point it out--as an example of my best work--if seeking a job]...

 

The model as presented only really works--somewhat--for those affluent passengers who are just starting their cruise history now and who stay with them... They'll desperately need those guests to fill their ships as their veteran "fans" defect to greener/more appreciative pastures... And I suspect that Azamara will quickly lose their newly attracted audience as it will soon become apparent that there are far better, more realistic loyalty programs elsewhere...

 

Ironically, I turned to Azamara as my travel tastes matured and I was in search of more interesting itineraries and more immersive experiences [though the onboard experience--at least to date--has been impeccable, most of the inclusives (and particularly the high-priced alcohol) are lost on me]... I thought I was graduating... But I'm no dunce--my parents didn't raise a stupid son--and will now seek my experiences and my benefits elsewhere with cruise lines that better value my patronage...

 

If Azamara hopes to be a going concern, I can't imagine how they could so dramatically misread--and disrespect/insult--their "bread and butter"... So very sad; this latest action merely affirms my long-simmering suspicions on many dimensions...

[excitedofharpenden]

Getting a real price is a hassle. There seems to be no way to get a quick quote for a flight-inclusive cruise from a UK (non-London) airport. In the end, it's easier to just give up and look for a holiday/cruise with another company.

 

This has been an issue for me too and I have posted about it more than once before on this board. In addition, general communication with Azamara is terrible. I mean by that receiving any form of paper or electronic contact. I have never received a formal notification of the change of levels from last year and doubt I will get anything about this latest announcement.

 

There will be quarterly 10% savings offers for members as part of the new perks and I shouldn't think I will receive any personal advices of those either and I'm probably not the only one. I wonder if in putting these new benefits out there anyone has thought of that. They have had my email many times so I'm not sure what the problem is. Anyone else had the email about the changes that started going out at 10am EST yesterday?

 

Phil

Edited September 2, 2014 by excitedofharpenden

[Riocca]

Have to say we agree with all of the eloquently put reasons that this is one of the most ill conceived enhancements in the history of cruising, however it got us thinking. Cruise lines charge for internet time by the minute and of course we have become used to receiving free minutes as well but and it's a big but the cruise lines will be being charged for data and it makes no difference if that data takes 20 minutes or 20 seconds to download, we all know satellite data is slow, cruise lines must make plenty of profit from what is basically an inadequacy of the system so there is no inducement for them to speed up the internet onboard, also the free internet costs will be reduced if we are wasting minutes waiting.

 

If Azamara wanted to be innovative and different then they should have been looking at giving free data allowances instead of minutes.

 

We have tried not to lose the point that we enjoy the Azamara cruise experience and the loyalty benefits are a bonus, but if they are offering benefits they need to be both meaningful and achievable we are afraid Azamara's are now neither!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[G2G]

Don't forget to vote on the poll regarding the changes.

[SFL]

Given the recent increase in competition within the high premium sector (e.g. Oceania upgrades, Viking's new cruise vessels etc etc) it strikes me as a very odd way of protecting your loyal customer base to spend weeks and weeks promising dramatic changes to the loyalty scheme and overhyping the proposed benefits, only to release the initial revamp and then to spin yourself into a pretzel trying to sell what is essentially a degrading of benefits as an improvement.

 

My wife and I after shifting over 6 cruises ago to Celebrity(le Club discover level=Elite) were going to consider Azamara once again for a SE Asia cruise. We left after all the " bespoke" changes that we felt were not for us. However, after the current announcement, we will not do so, as it appears past loyalty and status is depreciated rather than rewarded. We are better off trying a small ship competitor and starting from scratch or doing a land tour.

 

Sadly, the above quote seems to summarize the current regime at Azamara, over promise and under deliver and extract more money or alienate existing or potential cruising customers. How can Azamara obliterate or discount dramatically, existing benefits and not expect a negative reaction. It just goes to the reality that now, it is all a revenue driven pricing model and a customer is a profit center to be sliced, diced and squeezed . This is the sad way of the world. Unfortunately, Azamara needs to be less obvious in their desire for more and more revenue.

 

This model initially created an internet firestorm that resulted in Azamara creating a Chief Blogging Officer to molify or blunt criticism of the initial marketing moves. It worked once, maybe it will work again. Now it seems that even the strongest of Azamara supporters/existing customers are disheartened by this latest marketing move. What is the point of trying to build loyalty and then apparentely devaluing same with this latest move.

 

Goodluck to all affected by these changes.

[TourDeCruise]

Phil, I received my email at 8:05pm EST last night. It went to the Junk/Spam folder on its own, which was a good place for it! One of my friends received a "Welcome back email" from Celebrity after our last cruise. The email offered an obc if booking a cruise by a specific date. We did not receive the email. Both Jack and I are supposed to be receiving Celebrity (and Azamara for me) emails, but Jack rarely receives his Celebrity emails although he has clicked the box over and over to get the emails. :confused:

 

I was anticipating enhancements at the Discoverer Plus level that we would actually value and use; I certainly didn't expect we would be losing two very useful benefits (email, laundry) we do use. Like many others, we will take this removal into consideration when considering an Azamara cruise - both the change itself that demonstrates their disrespect and lack of appreciation for repeat cruisers and that now we would need to pay for the benefits onboard. At least in our case, we primarily cruise with Celebrity. As disappointing as this is for us, I know it is much more so for those of you who primarily cruise with Azamara and for whom Azamara is your first preference.

 

Kathy

[Liz 130]

I received my e-mail with the wrong tier indicated - didn't bother to ask to have it corrected - doesn't matter anyway!

[pacheco18]

I received my e-mail with the wrong tier indicated - didn't bother to ask to have it corrected - doesn't matter anyway!

 

 

At least u got an email. Lol

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[excitedofharpenden]

Phil, I received my email at 8:05pm EST last night. It went to the Junk/Spam folder on its own, which was a good place for it! One of my friends received a "Welcome back email" from Celebrity after our last cruise. The email offered an obc if booking a cruise by a specific date. We did not receive the email. Both Jack and I are supposed to be receiving Celebrity (and Azamara for me) emails, but Jack rarely receives his Celebrity emails although he has clicked the box over and over to get the emails.

Thanks Kathy. Still nothing here and I don't expect to get anything, but in the conquest of fairness will be sure to post here if I do.

 

Hope you and Jack are both well!

 

Phil

[TERRIER1]

I know I will get slammed, but I will say it again: RCCL is not willing to invest in AZ, period. Did Larry give any detailed drydocks upgrade plans in his CC "talk"?

No, he talked in very generalities because he clearly does not have the RCL board support. I challenge anyone to tour O's three R ships and tell me AZ's compare. What we are experiencing is the slow, painfull demise of what could be a great cruise line. I really feel sorry for the staff which are fabulous. The loyalty changes and charters are just the beginning of a process that will end with a sale of the ships. Very sad.

 

This may be why they are chartering in 2016. I booked a B2B for September 2016 while on baord and they cancelled the voyages because they chartered the ship. They stated "itinerary changes" in the official communication even though we all knew it was that the charter offered a better economic business deal.

Edited September 2, 2014 by TERRIER1

[nuneham]

I kept my expectations low - and I'm still disappointed! I've never seen so much hype surrounding an announcement of diminished service provision. I won't miss the wine but the internet provision is useful because it's so slow and I would miss the laundry on a longer cruise - 12 days plus. Azamara, I think you're being optimistic if you expect a mixed response. I shall certainly spread the net wider when considering future cruises.

[brucedodge]

Finally even the on board experience can't make up for the ineptness of Azamara management.

 

We've now "backed up" our next year's Azamara B2B with a nice Ocean Princess B2B itinerary. :)Still hate the idea of having to pay Azamara to cancel our cruises because their rules have changed midstream. :mad:

 

Bruce