New website.

[PSULionLV]

33 minutes ago, K2IE said:

 

They don't hire people to run a website.  They hired a CEO.  She is failing to deliver and they need to know.  Then maybe they'll hire another CEO who can actually fix things.

Well I meant they hire the CEO who is supposed to hire someone to update a website. Yes, the Azamara management team is failing miserably. 

[Mrs Miggins]

Just had an email from Azamara telling me my correct OBC and a way to book shore excursions online despite my online account not showing any OBC.  Not sure if it will work.

 

It also says if I choose not to use OBC prior t sailing then this email is the written confirmation of the original value of the OBC.

 

They apologise for the inconvenience and say they are working to resolve.

 

 

[JM0115]

20 minutes ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Just had an email from Azamara telling me my correct OBC and a way to book shore excursions online despite my online account not showing any OBC.  Not sure if it will work.

 

It also says if I choose not to use OBC prior t sailing then this email is the written confirmation of the original value of the OBC.

 

They apologise for the inconvenience and say they are working to resolve.

 

 

Got the same email even though it shows no OBC and I am not able to book any shore excursions. I’m resigned to not being able to do anything until I board and don’t need or want emails telling me things that are not accurate.

[JYDCruise]

1 hour ago, maggie777 said:

When calling Sycamore ( 212-796-8500 ) no one answers ....

Ah, now we see where Azamara is getting their support model. 😄

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 minutes ago, JYDCruise said:

Ah, now we see where Azamara is getting their support model. 😄

Why would you expect Sycamore to have live customer service?  They are a hedge fund, not an operating company.

[jjikids]

First Azamara cruise and as I wrote before will be the last one.

 We did not pay good money to be stressed out. Four emails with three email responses from them (took two  weeks each time  to get them) that all is fixed. It is not. Spent time on hold four days in a row. Finally after ninety minutes someone answered. I explained my main issue is a big balance showing . They said you didn’t pay for your excursion. I said it was paid four months ago way before the website change. We have the confirmation email from Azamara and our credit card statement showing the charge. The representative kept saying you owe the money. He then blamed the website change. I said this was months before. I kept saying no we do not. I told him DH and I dont need this stress. No apologies. Nothing. Wasn’t rude but didn’t seem to care. Finally said he would escalate to a supervisor. Expect to have to call again next week. I do not want to spend hours online when we board arguing with the excursion people.

So this special cruise is not so special. Azamara won’t give us anything for their mistakes. At this point we just want they promised and what we paid for.

[takemewithyou]

We cruise in around 30 days.  We did receive an e mail confirmation from Azamara Re our cruise yesterday.  That confirmation does not mention the OBC we should have for this cruise.  Everything else was accurate.  
 

This afternoon  we received another email from Azamara that says how much OBC we are due and does outline a way to book shore excursions with the OBC, should we choose to book any.  Otherwise, it says this email is proof that we can bring onboard with us to validate the OBC we should be receiving.

 

Finally, a step forward in the right direction! 

Edited May 11, 2023 by takemewithyou
Spelling

[terry&mike]

30 minutes ago, takemewithyou said:

We cruise in around 30 days.  We did receive an e mail confirmation from Azamara Re our cruise yesterday.  That confirmation does not mention the OBC we should have for this cruise.  Everything else was accurate.  
 

This afternoon  we received another email from Azamara that says how much OBC we are due and does outline a way to book shore excursions with the OBC, should we choose to book any.  Otherwise, it says this email is proof that we can bring onboard with us to validate the OBC we should be receiving.

 

Finally, a step forward in the right direction! 

This sounds like some positive movement. Here's hoping....

 

[nonrev1]

What were the instructions they gave for booking excursions using your OBC?

Edited May 12, 2023 by nonrev1

[JM0115]

3 minutes ago, nonrev1 said:

What were the instructions they gave for booking excursions?  

 

[nonrev1]

Thanks! 

[Carnevale]

7 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Just had an email from Azamara telling me my correct OBC and a way to book shore excursions online despite my online account not showing any OBC.  Not sure if it will work.

 

It also says if I choose not to use OBC prior t sailing then this email is the written confirmation of the original value of the OBC.

 

They apologise for the inconvenience and say they are working to resolve.

 

 

Did this come in response to something you did or did it just arrive?  I ask as we sail in under 60 days and it would be nice to have something like this from Az. Thanks!

[Mrs Miggins]

 

1 hour ago, Carnevale said:

Did this come in response to something you did or did it just arrive?  I ask as we sail in under 60 days and it would be nice to have something like this from Az. Thanks!

I first emailed UK Customer Services in April - no reply - then resent it on May 9th.  On May 10th I received a regular email

 

Thank you for contacting Azamara. We apologize for the delay in our response.

 

Azamara is currently in transition, breaking away from Royal Caribbean Group. During this time, we are implementing our own programs and software. During this period, we know that some guests aren’t seeing their onboard credit and others are showing a balance due in error.

 

We have sent the balance due issue to our IT Department for correction. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

 

Our records show that Pamela started with xxxxx and has xxxxx remaining. Michael tarted with xxxx obc and has xxxx  remaining. While you may not be able to see or use this on the website, we do show this on your booking. We also have the ability to book shore excursions using your onboard credit. If you would like us to assist, please call us at 03444934016.

 

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Following that yesterday  I received the same generic email that was posted by JMO115 above.

 

[terry&mike]

I received an email from Azamara late yesterday, it was a bit of a mixed bag, but I'm happy that I was contacted. I'm not sure if it was in response to my posts on their Facebook page where they asked me to DM them, or to one of my forms, or to my emails, so can't be of help there except to say try all the avenues.  

 

The email stated that they had tried to call me earlier that day (although I didn't have a missed call), and would try to make contact again on Monday. An issue in one of my bookings was briefly addressed, but the information was incorrect.

 

They attached a pdf of the full list of Shore Excursions for a sailing where I have 3 cabins booked. It's 29 pages with details and prices, for the sailing September 3-10, 2023, on the Onward. I may try to post it over on the Roll Call for that sailing, in case people are interested in making plans. Something to note, is that the pricing for some of the excursions has increased. For example, Capri & Positano On Your Own was priced at $169 pp before the migration, and one of the cabins has this excursion booked at $338 total. This excursion is now priced at $199 pp, or $398 total for 2. Doesn't matter too much for some who have huge OBC's that they are just trying to burn up, but makes a big difference for those paying actual money. 

 

I am hopeful that I may be making some progress and headway. I'll know more on Monday when/if we are able to make contact. 

[DS]

Received this email minutes ago...

Dear Azamara Guest,

 

We deeply value your trust and loyalty to Azamara. As many of you are aware, we’ve completed the final steps of becoming an independent company. As part of this process, we implemented new technology to support all aspects of our business.   The most critical and complex component of transitioning our reservation system was to transfer bookings for future cruises from our former parent company’s system into our new system. We underestimated the complexity of moving over these bookings and as a result, trip components and prices may appear inaccurate in some guests’ accounts. We deeply regret the inconvenience or frustration this process has caused you and your travel companions. I can assure you that we are working diligently to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.   We want to assure you that all your booking information remains secure, and you’ll be able to sail with us as planned at the same rates you reserved. In the most concerning cases, customers may see a “balance due” that is not accurate. No additional payment outside of the original balances on the original booking is required, even if one appears in the account.   We understand that many of you and your travel advisors have questions, which has led to a drastic increase in our call center volume. Wait times have been unacceptably high, which has made servicing existing bookings and making new reservations very difficult. We recognize that the current pre-cruise process does not meet the Azamara standard. To address this issue, we have: Increased call center staff by 60% and plan to double this number in the coming weeks to answer phone calls and respond to request forms. Added a dedicated call center option for sailings within 30 days. Added IT resources to repair bookings and account accuracy to fix any incorrect information before you board so you can have a stress-free experience. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition period. We remain committed to providing the exceptional service and experiences that have made Azamara one of the most respected and beloved brands in the travel industry.   Thanks,

 

[K2IE]

15 minutes ago, DS said:

Received this email minutes ago...

 

 

Same form email here...  I'll believe they have a handle on this when our fellow customers start reporting that their issues have been satisfactorily fixed.  Otherwise we're in the land of unfulfilled promises.

[cruisemom42]

Hello -- please pardon my enquiry as I spent most of the last month plus onboard a ship around Japan and only now am starting to look at my upcoming cruises, including BTB on Onward in October. I was surprised to find all this hubbub going on!

 

I don't have the patience to work through 45 pages of posts about the IT issues, just wondering if someone can give a brief summary or some direction to me?  It's strange because I can view both of my cruises in the system, but I can only see (and book) the shore excursions for the second one, not the first one -- for that one I just get gobbledy-gook, clearly an IT issue.

 

I don't want to bother Azamara unneccessarily as I know there are months to go and many sailings before mine that should be prioritized. But at the same time, I do need to make plans for these ports and decide how to use a significant chunk of OBC (which I also am not sure how to find?) -- preferably at least some of it on excursions.

 

Can anyone help?

[Travels with Lisa]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

Hello -- please pardon my enquiry as I spent most of the last month plus onboard a ship around Japan and only now am starting to look at my upcoming cruises, including BTB on Onward in October. I was surprised to find all this hubbub going on!

 

I don't have the patience to work through 45 pages of posts about the IT issues, just wondering if someone can give a brief summary or some direction to me?  It's strange because I can view both of my cruises in the system, but I can only see (and book) the shore excursions for the second one, not the first one -- for that one I just get gobbledy-gook, clearly an IT issue.

 

I don't want to bother Azamara unneccessarily as I know there are months to go and many sailings before mine that should be prioritized. But at the same time, I do need to make plans for these ports and decide how to use a significant chunk of OBC (which I also am not sure how to find?) -- preferably at least some of it on excursions.

 

Can anyone help?

The website is a mess, my TA strongly suggested not to do anything involving money online.  They are supposed to be prioritizing those guests sailing within 30 days, so unfortunately you may not be able to do anything for a bit.  There is no reason to call as they are swamped and often turn off the phone lines.

[JYDCruise]

2 hours ago, DS said:

Received this email minutes ago...

Dear Azamara Guest,

 

We deeply value your trust and loyalty to Azamara. As many of you are aware, we’ve completed the final steps of becoming an independent company. As part of this process, we implemented new technology to support all aspects of our business.   The most critical and complex component of transitioning our reservation system was to transfer bookings for future cruises from our former parent company’s system into our new system. We underestimated the complexity of moving over these bookings and as a result, trip components and prices may appear inaccurate in some guests’ accounts. We deeply regret the inconvenience or frustration this process has caused you and your travel companions. I can assure you that we are working diligently to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.   We want to assure you that all your booking information remains secure, and you’ll be able to sail with us as planned at the same rates you reserved. In the most concerning cases, customers may see a “balance due” that is not accurate. No additional payment outside of the original balances on the original booking is required, even if one appears in the account.   We understand that many of you and your travel advisors have questions, which has led to a drastic increase in our call center volume. Wait times have been unacceptably high, which has made servicing existing bookings and making new reservations very difficult. We recognize that the current pre-cruise process does not meet the Azamara standard. To address this issue, we have: Increased call center staff by 60% and plan to double this number in the coming weeks to answer phone calls and respond to request forms. Added a dedicated call center option for sailings within 30 days. Added IT resources to repair bookings and account accuracy to fix any incorrect information before you board so you can have a stress-free experience. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition period. We remain committed to providing the exceptional service and experiences that have made Azamara one of the most respected and beloved brands in the travel industry.   Thanks,

 

We also got this. It's well written and acknowledges the problem, outlines what they're doing to fix it. Nice job, even if this should have all taken place a couple of months back.

 

Carol, do you know the coolest part of your email? It's where you say that you have added a dedicated call center option for sailings within 30 days! Hey, that's us!!

 

Carol, do you know what would make this even better? IF YOU TOLD US HOW TO CONTACT THIS AWESOME DEDICATED CALL CENTER! FYI, I called the normal support line and there was no specific option for sailings in the next 30 days.

 

(sorry, just getting very frustrated . . . )

[nonrev1]

11 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

 

I first emailed UK Customer Services in April - no reply - then resent it on May 9th.  On May 10th I received a regular email

 

Thank you for contacting Azamara. We apologize for the delay in our response.

 

Azamara is currently in transition, breaking away from Royal Caribbean Group. During this time, we are implementing our own programs and software. During this period, we know that some guests aren’t seeing their onboard credit and others are showing a balance due in error.

 

We have sent the balance due issue to our IT Department for correction. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

 

Our records show that Pamela started with xxxxx and has xxxxx remaining. Michael tarted with xxxx obc and has xxxx  remaining. While you may not be able to see or use this on the website, we do show this on your booking. We also have the ability to book shore excursions using your onboard credit. If you would like us to assist, please call us at 03444934016.

 

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Following that yesterday  I received the same generic email that was posted by JMO115 above.

 

Sounds like your support in the UK is much better than ours.  Can we call that number, too?  

[Travelingwithstyle]

4 hours ago, K2IE said:

 

Same form email here...  I'll believe they have a handle on this when our fellow customers start reporting that their issues have been satisfactorily fixed.  Otherwise we're in the land of unfulfilled promises.

  Just called the USA Azamara Customer Service and there is no prompt/option for what President Cabezas stated in her letter "Added a dedicated call center option for sailings within 30 days".   Did I miss understand her....maybe there is a separate phone number I need to call if I am 30 days from sailing but that phone number was not in the letter.

 

Am I going crazy or did I misunderstand what she stated in her letter "Added a dedicated call center option for sailings within 30 days"?  

 

 

[takemewithyou]

Just now, Travelingwithstyle said:

  Just called the USA Azamara Customer Service and there is no prompt/option for what President Cabezas stated in her letter "Added a dedicated call center option for sailings within 30 days".   Did I miss understand her....maybe there is a separate phone number I need to call if I am 30 days from sailing but that phone number was not in the letter.

 

Am I going crazy or did I misunderstand what she stated in her letter "Added a dedicated call center option for sailings within 30 days"?  

 

 

Maybe just for travel agents?

[Travelingwithstyle]

1 hour ago, JYDCruise said:

We also got this. It's well written and acknowledges the problem, outlines what they're doing to fix it. Nice job, even if this should have all taken place a couple of months back.

 

Carol, do you know the coolest part of your email? It's where you say that you have added a dedicated call center option for sailings within 30 days! Hey, that's us!!

 

Carol, do you know what would make this even better? IF YOU TOLD US HOW TO CONTACT THIS AWESOME DEDICATED CALL CENTER! FYI, I called the normal support line and there was no specific option for sailings in the next 30 days.

 

(sorry, just getting very frustrated . . . )

I didn't see your post before I posted.  I guess I'm not going crazy....there is no dedicated call center option for those sailing within 30 days.  We sail in 35 days and have several issues but no one returns are written queries and I can not get through on the phone. 

[Grandma Cruising]

Interesting that I put a comment on Azamara’s FB page and got a very quick response asking me to DM them with key details of my issues (loyalty wrong, no upcoming cruise showing). I did so and got an immediate response saying someone was looking into it & would get back to me asap. I’ll report back as to if & when I get any further response/resolution.

[Mackdogmolly]

4 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Interesting that I put a comment on Azamara’s FB page and got a very quick response asking me to DM them with key details of my issues (loyalty wrong, no upcoming cruise showing). I did so and got an immediate response saying someone was looking into it & would get back to me asap. I’ll report back as to if & when I get any further response/resolution.

I did that over a week ago with the same response and since then have had no further response 🙁