Work around for OBC for early 2018 cruises?

[marinaro44]

I'm not returning the excursions as your analogy is based I'm still taking the excursions I'm having to use a work around and it costs me, it doesn't cost you to use it so it is discriminatory against non US guests.

 

 

So you are expecting Azamara to take on the currency exchange risk? That makes no sense to me. They implemented the work-around in an attempt to give passengers some flexibility in using OBC. It isn't perfect. It can't be perfect in that ship-board accounts are in dollars only. Lastly, you don't "have" to use the work-around. You have a choice. Until the work-around, there was no choice,

The Harrod's analogy I made is spot on. It's the way refunds work with foreign currencies. If it is "discriminatory" it is the nature of the beast when dealing with a company that works in a foreign currency,

 

Azamara bill me in Sterling they know exactly how much so I should have the option to have the refund in dollars onboard or in the sterling I paid back to my card.

 

On-board accounts are in dollars, not Sterling, kuna, kroner, yen, rimbinyi, or any other currency. If Azamara had to give work-around refunds in every foreign currency, there would be no work-around.

I agree fully with your comment elsewhere about spending OBC in the shops, for drinks, for spa treatments, etc. What did you do before the work-around for the first eight or nine years of Azamara's existence? If the work-around is objectionable, continue doing what you did before and wait for the real fix. My sense is it would be unworkable for Azamara to do as you ask, so there would be no work-around at all.

[uktog]

I agree fully with your comment elsewhere about spending OBC in the shops, for drinks, for spa treatments, etc. What did you do before the work-around for the first eight or nine years of Azamara's existence? If the work-around is objectionable, continue doing what you did before and wait for the real fix. My sense is it would be unworkable for Azamara to do as you ask, so there would be no work-around at all.

 

The difference was for the first 8 years we got genuine reductions e.g. For b2b or early booking perks not OBC. Last year was a disaster got onboard all excursions we wanted pre booked out or cancelled due to lack of demand before folks had even boarded.

What we did before is no longer an option we have to take OBC. Waiting until we board is too big a risk unless Azamara offers everything until 24 hours after boarding.

I can see you can't accept the work around doesn't work for non US guests- the simple fix from the customer service perspective is refund exactly what we paid in our home currency

[rabin1]

The difference was for the first 8 years we got genuine reductions e.g. For b2b or early booking perks not OBC. Last year was a disaster got onboard all excursions we wanted pre booked out or cancelled due to lack of demand before folks had even boarded.

What we did before is no longer an option we have to take OBC. Waiting until we board is too big a risk unless Azamara offers everything until 24 hours after boarding.

I can see you can't accept the work around doesn't work for non US guests- the simple fix from the customer service perspective is refund exactly what we paid in our home currency

 

Still think bottom line is Azamara should NEVER have offered guests such high OBC until the guests had the ability to use them as they wanted...................then everything else would be a moot point..............period.

 

Kathy

[Grandma Cruising]

The other answer is for Azamara to charge all excursions in dollars, then at least we can get a pretty good exchange rate using an appropriate card, but as I said earlier their exchange rate when charging us in pounds sterling is about 8% poorer than I can get using my credit card.

We don’t get the option to buy in dollars, as we often do with other US companies.

 

 

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[uktog]

The other answer is for Azamara to charge all excursions in dollars, then at least we can get a pretty good exchange rate using an appropriate card, but as I said earlier their exchange rate when charging us in pounds sterling is about 8% poorer than I can get using my credit card.

We don’t get the option to buy in dollars, as we often do with other US companies.

 

 

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Indeed for us the difference was over 10%. Allow me to buy in dollars that would be a good move forward, I'd cash out my refunds in cash for additional tips and future dollar based holidays so no losses

[Baynanno1]

I agree - especially the "for all".

 

Me too!!

[marinaro44]

I can see you can't accept the work around doesn't work for non US guests- the simple fix from the customer service perspective is refund exactly what we paid in our home currency

I just don't see how they can reasonably implement what you are asking for. I do understand your complaint, but to make it work as a work-around is too complex. And it makes no sense for them to return "exactly what you paid in your home currency" when they do business in a different currency.

 

The work-around was instituted by Azamara as an interim fix in response to our concerns expressed here. It is unreasonable to expect Azamara to assume a currency exchange risk while trying to accommodate us with the work-around. I see you can't accept that. So I'm just wasting keystrokes. Enjoy your cruises.

[Grandma Cruising]

The alternative would be to sell us excursions in dollars (the currency they do business in) and then refund in dollars. Yes we would lose on the exchange rate, but very little if we use the right credit card. The big loss is having to buy the excursion in pounds sterling when Azamara use a very poor exchange rate.

 

 

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[Mrs Miggins]

Of course the best thing would be just fix the system so no "work round" is required. I hope this happens before June - when for the first time ever , despite cruising on many previous occasions with Azamara, we actually do have some OBC to spend. The fact that our US friends are luckier in that respect adds to the feeling of frustration in those needing to use the 'work around"

 

Remember that for us the in the UK, we pay for our cruise in GBP not in Dollars and the prices for the various shore excursions are also shown in GBP and can be paid for in pound sterling.

[cruiservirginia]

Bonnie,

I'm sailing with Azamara in early February 2018 and would appreciate it if you would please confirm the workaround is available. When I spoke to a phone representative, I was told I could book and pay for my shore excursion now and, when on board, cancel, receive a refund and rebook using OBC. I asked about the old policy of going to the bottom of any wait-list, but was told this was not the case. I am uncomfortable doing this without having the policy in writing. Thanks for your assistance.

[uktog]

The alternative would be to sell us excursions in dollars (the currency they do business in) and then refund in dollars. Yes we would lose on the exchange rate, but very little if we use the right credit card. The big loss is having to buy the excursion in pounds sterling when Azamara use a very poor exchange rate.

 

 

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Exactly!!!

Azamara depends on non US guests a lot these days to fill their ships and therefore need to implement solutions that work for more than 50% of their passengers

I also agree the solution is a revised system- we met two shoreside gentlemen on our recent cruise who did not share our optimism for an early 2018 fix. They did not say it would not be coming rather it was a can't be sure response Let's hope they were wrong but maybe IT capacity will be pointing to Pursuits must haves rather than other needs elsewhere

 

 

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[Baynanno1]

The alternative would be to sell us excursions in dollars (the currency they do business in) and then refund in dollars. Yes we would lose on the exchange rate, but very little if we use the right credit card. The big loss is having to buy the excursion in pounds sterling when Azamara use a very poor exchange rate.

 

 

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Likewise Australian and Canadian dollars.

[midwestchick]

Celebrity has recently opened up using OBC for excursions, pre-cruise. Is there a way to find out if Azamara would be doing this in the near future.

Some us us who book onboard get a pretty good amount of OBC and it's sometimes difficult to use up. I did have a difficult time using allmof mine on our last cruise.

[Grandma Cruising]

As far as I understand it, this is intended for Azamara, but hasn’t yet been implemented. There is a work round for those on cruises for the rest of 2017. This is that you book and pay for your excursion now, then once on-board you can cancel, get a refund and rebook using your OBC.

 

 

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[LuAnn]

As far as I understand it, this is intended for Azamara, but hasn’t yet been implemented. There is a work round for those on cruises for the rest of 2017. This is that you book and pay for your excursion now, then once on-board you can cancel, get a refund and rebook using your OBC.

 

 

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Yes Grandma...but don't forget to mention that the price may not be the same as what was booked pre cruise. The "current" rate will be charged against the OBC. LuAnn

[Bloodaxe]

Yes Grandma...but don't forget to mention that the price may not be the same as what was booked pre cruise. The "current" rate will be charged against the OBC. LuAnn

 

And your loss will be even more if it is in any currency other than the U.S. Dollar.

This has be discussed on another thread.

[Grandma Cruising]

Yes Grandma...but don't forget to mention that the price may not be the same as what was booked pre cruise. The "current" rate will be charged against the OBC. LuAnn

 

 

 

I agree, but if you want to make sure you get on an excursion it’s your only option at present, but it will includes extra costs, especially if you are not from the US ( due to rates of exchange).

 

 

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[uktog]

Why have we another thread on this

Can we not combine it with the very current existing thread so Bonnie only has to keep an eye on one thread.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2541390

[Bloodaxe]

As far as I understand it, this is intended for Azamara, but hasn’t yet been implemented. There is a work round for those on cruises for the rest of 2017. This is that you book and pay for your excursion now, then once on-board you can cancel, get a refund and rebook using your OBC.

 

 

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I do wonder have long this would have taken to implement if it was costing Azamara and not the customers.

[BBMacLaird]

I will see if there's any news for you on the permanent fix.

[Grandma Cruising]

Why have we another thread on this

 

Can we not combine it with the very current existing thread so Bonnie only has to keep an eye on one thread.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2541390

 

 

 

Merged, as requested.

 

 

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[midwestchick]

Merged, as requested.

 

 

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I must have missed the first thread. Didn't mean to start a new thread on an old topic.

[Grandma Cruising]

I must have missed the first thread. Didn't mean to start a new thread on an old topic.

 

 

 

They were not exactly the same, but covered similar ground, so it made sense to merge them.

 

 

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[midwestchick]

They were not exactly the same, but covered similar ground, so it made sense to merge them.

 

 

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Agreed.

[cruiservirginia]

I will see if there's any news for you on the permanent fix.

 

Thanks, Bonnie, for checking on the permanent fix. Depending upon the implementation timing, please also ask about extending the workaround to at least February 2018.