New website.

[travelberlin]

8 minutes ago, babykay said:

Exactly my point.  The idea that we just board without having everything confirmed is unsettling to me. The idea that I would have to spend any time onboard cleaning this up is unpleasant for me.  And the message that their outright dismal customer service just speaks volumes to me about how they look upon me as a customer.  I can't get answers, I can't get reassurance on shore excursion that have doubled in prices since we booked, that it will be adjusted.  I think that Azamara should seriously be meeting to come up with some form of compensation.  For the last week I have called numerous times during the day and get the recording that they are not taking calls - call back tomorrow.  What happened to the new team on the phones that Carol sent a letter about?  It clearly was not true.  I have lost complete trust in this company.  

Unfortunately there is no other way than to expect to get it corrected once onboard. You can stress yourself now but is not going to fix anything. I am afraid it is out of Azamaras control. How did it happen ? Who knows…

In my case I am taking it easy now. I am looking forward to cruising again 😊

Ivi
 

[Grandma Cruising]

15 minutes ago, crzrr said:

I get that if I try and log into Seaware on Safari.  It's entirely possible that the site is not being supported on Safari.  I have no problem going in on Chrome.

I have no problem with safari - I just do a cruise search, click on Book Now on any old cruise, then click to say it’s 2 passengers. Once I get the page where you choose your cabin, I can see Sign In at the top right. Signing in there shows me my upcoming cruise (even though it doesn’t show on my Account page on Azamara.com).

[islandwoman]

50 minutes ago, uktog said:

I am struggling to see why any compensation is needed - compensation would only be relevant if people had lost money or were unable to go on an excursion they had previously paid for.

 

We missed an excursion that we wanted to go on, but did not receive a refund of OBC that we were owed in time to pay for it onboard.  Yes, we might have paid with credit card and then hoped that Azamara would apply the OBC to that payment when/if it finally came through.  But by that time, I had lost trust in promises by Azamara.

[babykay]

57 minutes ago, crzrr said:

When and where are you trying to call?  Last week I had no problem.  Called in twice and got through immediately when the call center opened and had about a 10 minute wait later on in the morning.

I have tried every day 3 times a day all throughout the day.  I get the recording every single time. 

[kml246]

3 hours ago, JaneStarr said:

Thanks for the reassurance. Did you happen to have any ShorEx booked via CC that was reimbursed to the card? I’m concerned about not being able to use the Essentials OBC that is limited to excursions if we pay in advance with our CC for our last tour.

 

You're welcome, Jane. I did not book any Excursions with CC as I had a lot of OBC, and haven't done the Essentials package. In speaking with Guest Relations, they confirmed any Excursions paid with a CC will have the OBC applied first once on board and credit card overpayment will be refunded after the cruise. This is pretty much how it worked on all the cruises we've taken. 

[kml246]

Lovely evening on Onward sailing out of Zadar, Croatia. 

 

We did not stress a lot before the trip, had to fly here (booked on our own), spent ten minutes straightening out loyalty once on board, and have enjoying a wonderful cruise. 

 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by kml246

[islandwoman]

2 hours ago, JaneStarr said:

Were your flights books through Azamara (pre-web turnover) with Celebrity air?

Actually being able to arrive at the ship is my main concern right now

No, we arranged our own flights, transfers and hotel. 

[JaneStarr]

1 minute ago, islandwoman said:

No, we arranged our own flights, transfers and hotel. 

Really wish we hadn’t gone with cruise-line air. I’m unlikely to do that again.

[ECCruise]

6 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

It was a wonderful cruise except for ongoing issues caused by Azamara's IT system.  For example, OBC, Loyalty status, visa. 

Obviously there are internal issues that vary for guest to guest.

 

We were on the same sailing as your first one, and as I have said, although we had to wait a few days for our TA OBC on the previous sailing, on this one it showed up immediately.  Loyalty status, points, etc. all were correct.  Visas were secured prior to boarding for places that required them (India and Sri Lanka) and handled onboard by Azamara for those places that VOA or blanket visas were required (Jordan and Egypt).

 

 

[KY Deb]

16 minutes ago, JaneStarr said:

Really wish we hadn’t gone with cruise-line air. I’m unlikely to do that again.

Is it too late to cancel the air?  We made air reservations through Choice Air before the IT disaster.  After all the issues, I was able to cancel the air and rebooked directly with American because I didn’t want to worry about it for 6 months.  It ended up being about $60 less expensive booking direct.  Tried to cancel through Azamara since I booked the air directly through them (at the time, they were still with RCCL), but due to IT issues, I needed up cancelling through the TA (who I booked the cruise with, but not the air).  TA was able to do this, no issues. 

[JaneStarr]

10 minutes ago, KY Deb said:

Is it too late to cancel the air?  We made air reservations through Choice Air before the IT disaster.  After all the issues, I was able to cancel the air and rebooked directly with American because I didn’t want to worry about it for 6 months.  It ended up being about $60 less expensive booking direct.  Tried to cancel through Azamara since I booked the air directly through them (at the time, they were still with RCCL), but due to IT issues, I needed up cancelling through the TA (who I booked the cruise with, but not the air).  TA was able to do this, no issues. 

Unfortunately, we’re past final payment and the flights had gone up in price the last time I checked.

 

My TA/friend is actually flying & cruising with us on this trip. She’s been staying on top of Azamara as much as possible to try to get us ticketed so we can stop worrying about our flights and seats disappearing. We need to get to the ship before allowing them straighten out most of the remaining issues onboard.

[travelberlin]

18 minutes ago, JaneStarr said:

Unfortunately, we’re past final payment and the flights had gone up in price the last time I checked.

 

My TA/friend is actually flying & cruising with us on this trip. She’s been staying on top of Azamara as much as possible to try to get us ticketed so we can stop worrying about our flights and seats disappearing. We need to get to the ship before allowing them straighten out most of the remaining issues onboard.

You do not have an airline confirmation code? When is your flight?

Ivi

[JaneStarr]

1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

You do not have an airline confirmation code? When is your flight?

Ivi

I do have a working confirmation code which shows reserved United seats BUT the reservations will disappear if Azamara fails to pay for and ticket the flights on a timely basis.

 

Others have reported serious issues with flights being canceled by the airlines for nonpayment by Azamara. Seats have been lost when Azamara finally got the flights belatedly ticketed up to the day before travel!

 

We’ve been told by Azamara that the former Celebrity/Choice Air reservations have not been brought over in the conversion. The last I heard, they were manually adding the air back into reservations and were up to June.  

 

I am not comfortable with their stated plan to wait to ticket flights 30 days out when they’ve had our final payment since 4 months out.

 

GMT is now handling air for Azamara, but the travel agents have to go through an intermediary to have any contact with them. It’s an extremely inefficient process and is causing much undue stress

Edited June 12, 2023 by JaneStarr
To fix typos

[travelberlin]

9 minutes ago, JaneStarr said:

I do have a working confirmation code which shows reserved United seats BUT the reservations will disappear if Azamara fails to pay for and ticket the flights on a timely basis.

 

Others have reported serious issues with flights being canceled by the airlines for nonpayment by Azamara. Seats have been lost when Azamara finally got the flights belatedly ticketed up to the day before travel!

 

We’ve been told by Azamara that the former Celebrity/Choice Air reservations have not been brought over in the conversion. The last I heard, they were manually adding the air back into reservations and were up to June.  

 

I am not comfortable with their stated plan to wait to ticket flights 30 days out when they’ve had our final payment since 4 months out.

 

GMT is now handling air for Azamara, but the travel agents have to go through an intermediary to have any contact with them. It’s an extremely inefficient process and is causing much undue stress

If you are able to see your flights using that confirmation code directly with the airline, then your flight has probably been paid. I was told that airlines only reserve for some days. 
In any case, I understand your stress and I wish you that this gets solved.

Ivi

[KY Deb]

JaneStarr,  So sorry you have to deal with this.  I’m now so happy we were able to cancel our flights made through Choice Air, and now have flights made directly with the airline.  I was afraid we would be in your situation.  I’m glad for you that your TA has a vested interest to be on top of this! 

[JaneStarr]

15 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

If you are able to see your flights using that confirmation code directly with the airline, then your flight has probably been paid. I was told that airlines only reserve for some days. 
In any case, I understand your stress and I wish you that this gets solved.

Ivi

Sadly, that’s not been my experience nor that of several others who have reported on the board.

I really do appreciate your empathy.

 

We actually have another United booking for this summer which I booked directly with the airline. That reservation states “Ticketed” directly below the confirmation code when I am signed in.  

In contrast, the reservation for our Azamara trip does not show as “ticketed”, It gives me a warning — if I try to add bags — that you can’t  add extras to the flight until ticketed.

Edited June 12, 2023 by JaneStarr

[Travels with Lisa]

3 minutes ago, JaneStarr said:

Sadly, that’s not been my experience nor that of several others who have reported on the board.

I really do appreciate your empathy.

 

We actually have another United booking for this summer which I booked directly with the airline. That reservation states “Ticketed” directly below the confirmation code when I am signed in.  

In contrast, the reservation for our Azamara trip does not show as “ticketed”, It gives me a warning — if I try to add bags — that you can’t allow add extras to the flight until ticketed.

I am so sorry, I know how stressful this is as we went through it as well.  All I can suggest is keep checking your flights/seats and class of service daily.  I hope your TA can get this sorted before 30 days. 

[barbjspecial]

Jane Starr, I had dollars they said I owed for airfare, more than what I had in fact paid for travel to a cruise in April.  I did have a confirmation number and seats chosen, and even though it was asking for payment for this already paid ticket, my flight remained booked.  The dollars they said I owed fell off when I boarded the first leg of my flight and I traveled without any problem or further requests for money.

[kml246]

6 hours ago, travelberlin said:

If you are able to see your flights using that confirmation code directly with the airline, then your flight has probably been paid. I was told that airlines only reserve for some days. 
In any case, I understand your stress and I wish you that this gets solved.

Ivi

 

That hasn't been my experience booking air with cruise lines (sometimes Choice Air with Celebrity, but usually EZ-Air with Princess). Once I made the booking it generated a PNR. With that you can see your reservation on the airline website. If you have or create an account with the airline, you can manage some aspects of the flight. American doesn't allow you to reserve seats until ticketed, though United does. I have been successful in calling American in the past and sweet-talk the agent into reserving our desired seats. 

 

Now that you can change or cancel and rebook flights without penalty (at least for US customers), we always book our flights directly with the airline. We never use a TA to book flights as that adds an unnecessary layer to your booking. 

 

While I feel most of the angst, worry, and frustration with Azamara is unnecessary regarding loyalty and OBC, it's understandable with flights and feel for those affected. 

 

Kevin 

[terry&mike]

10 hours ago, JaneStarr said:

Sadly, that’s not been my experience nor that of several others who have reported on the board.

I really do appreciate your empathy.

 

We actually have another United booking for this summer which I booked directly with the airline. That reservation states “Ticketed” directly below the confirmation code when I am signed in.  

In contrast, the reservation for our Azamara trip does not show as “ticketed”, It gives me a warning — if I try to add bags — that you can’t  add extras to the flight until ticketed.

JaneStarr is correct. Cruise lines operate under different terms with the airlines for contracted "cruise air", often giving them healthy discounts, and the ability to book and hold flights for passengers and not pay for them until close to travel. This is not Azamara specific, but applicable to cruise lines in general who offer air as a trip component. 

 

They often offer several tiers of air, such as non-refundable air which is booked and paid for immediately by the client, and ticketed at that time, and is more restrictive; or refundable air which is booked, and not paid for by the client until they pay their final payment, and not ticketed by the cruise line until generally 30-60 days out (with appr 45 days out seeming to be the sweet spot), and is more flexible in that it can be cancelled or changed up until final payment. You can best see this in practice if you book a cruise with Princess, either direct or through a TA, then access your booking online and select the option to add air, once you put in your parameters of dates and places, it gives you itinerary options to select from with a choice of Flexible or Restricted air, and the prices for each. 

 

In all cases you receive a record locator for the air booking, and can see your booking on the airline's web site, whether ticketed or not. Depending on the airline, and the class of ticket that was booked, you can sometimes select seats in advance for free, sometimes select seats in advance for a fee, and sometimes you must wait until check in for seats. Often times cruise air is a heavily discounted rate that can not be upgraded to a higher cabin class, but that is not always the case. 

 

Some clients like to use cruise air as they generally get a cheaper price, and do not have to pay for their air until final payment; some clients hate cruise air because it can add an extra layer of people to navigate when things go astray.

[uktog]

Excellent summary @terry&mike  And to add some classes allow you, using the locator, to tap in a connection to your airline loyalty status and some do not. For example on Viking I’ve been able to reserve seats on BA free of charge 11 months out because my loyalty status allows that, once on Celebrity I couldn’t even get Avios and tier points after flying. 

[babykay]

Since I have been very vocal on this page about my experience, I need to come back and tell you that my husband was able to get through to a very delightful agent after about a 15 minute hold.  She was able to see our loyalty information and our OBC.  She was also able to assure us that our shore excursions would be at the original price. NOW I am ready to sail with assurance that all is OK. 

[Grandma Cruising]

2 hours ago, babykay said:

Since I have been very vocal on this page about my experience, I need to come back and tell you that my husband was able to get through to a very delightful agent after about a 15 minute hold.  She was able to see our loyalty information and our OBC.  She was also able to assure us that our shore excursions would be at the original price. NOW I am ready to sail with assurance that all is OK. 

Thanks for coming back & telling us. 😊

[Hula Girl67]

12 hours ago, terry&mike said:

JaneStarr is correct. Cruise lines operate under different terms with the airlines for contracted "cruise air", often giving them healthy discounts, and the ability to book and hold flights for passengers and not pay for them until close to travel. This is not Azamara specific, but applicable to cruise lines in general who offer air as a trip component. 

 

They often offer several tiers of air, such as non-refundable air which is booked and paid for immediately by the client, and ticketed at that time, and is more restrictive; or refundable air which is booked, and not paid for by the client until they pay their final payment, and not ticketed by the cruise line until generally 30-60 days out (with appr 45 days out seeming to be the sweet spot), and is more flexible in that it can be cancelled or changed up until final payment. You can best see this in practice if you book a cruise with Princess, either direct or through a TA, then access your booking online and select the option to add air, once you put in your parameters of dates and places, it gives you itinerary options to select from with a choice of Flexible or Restricted air, and the prices for each. 

 

In all cases you receive a record locator for the air booking, and can see your booking on the airline's web site, whether ticketed or not. Depending on the airline, and the class of ticket that was booked, you can sometimes select seats in advance for free, sometimes select seats in advance for a fee, and sometimes you must wait until check in for seats. Often times cruise air is a heavily discounted rate that can not be upgraded to a higher cabin class, but that is not always the case. 

 

Some clients like to use cruise air as they generally get a cheaper price, and do not have to pay for their air until final payment; some clients hate cruise air because it can add an extra layer of people to navigate when things go astray.

I have most always booked air through the cruise lines. Mostly with Princess EZ Air, which is easy. The flight prices are always lower than the airlines, there are lots of choices and the flexible air prices have been less expensive that the non-refundable. That's a no brainer! Always chose flexible. 

This August 7, Iceland Intensive is our first cruise with Azamara. We decided to fly business class. I have the British Airways locator # and so far all is ok with our reservation. I have even changed seats and it all is correct. Now if Azamara pays them before we leave that will be great!

The cruise line air office is supposed to help you if your flights are cancelled or delayed, another reason to book with them and they know when you are arriving. 

I was on a summer cruise to Alaska many years ago flying out of San Francisco (big mistake, as I live closer to San Jose airport but was meeting our son/family in SFO so we would arrive together) We were traveling up the west coast so saw no need to arrive the day before as we were leaving early morning. Fog delayed our flight for 2 hours. It was a nail biter to see if we would arrive before the ship left. There were 2 other couples on our flight going on out cruise and we all told the crew about the cruise departure time, there was also a family from Germany that had a connecting flight that they might miss. The pilots flew that plane faster than usual and we just made it. I was in contact with Princess Air as soon as we were told of the delay, let them know when we were getting on the plane, and again soon as we arrived, They paid for the taxis to get us all to the dock and called us in route to see where we were. Taxi driver knew the situation and got us there in about half the normal time, weaving in and out of traffic.After we were all on board they pulled up the gangway. Talk about stress!!! Alcohol was needed!

[rickip]

On 6/12/2023 at 2:04 PM, JaneStarr said:

Really wish we hadn’t gone with cruise-line air. I’m unlikely to do that again.

Ditto.  It is very dubious whether or not my husband and/or I will actually even get to the port...