Upgrades

[Rus Tee]

I'm looking for some specific advice. We're booked into a Veranda Cabin on Journey in February. Final payment has been made and we originally booked through a TA. I've noticed cabin prices have come down and was wondering whether it was possible to upgrade our cabin to a CC Suite?

If so would we have to do this through the TA or could I contact Azamara directly to do this? Any and all advice gratefully received.

[uktog]

13 minutes ago, Rus Tee said:

I'm looking for some specific advice. We're booked into a Veranda Cabin on Journey in February. Final payment has been made and we originally booked through a TA. I've noticed cabin prices have come down and was wondering whether it was possible to upgrade our cabin to a CC Suite?

If so would we have to do this through the TA or could I contact Azamara directly to do this? Any and all advice gratefully received.

You need to go through your travel agent. Azamara will not discuss anything to do with pricing with you I’m afraid 

[Dr H]

Definitely call your TA! I've had many similar situations, and once Aza refers management to a travel agent, they won't handle the changes, your TA will. I've never had a problem with price changes, either a lowering of final price on a payment still due, or changing from a lower to a higher category. Call, and have a great time. OBTW: having made some changes myself last week, I had no problem getting through to my TA, and they had no problem getting in touch with Azamara. Have an even better trip than you had planned!

[Rus Tee]

Just now, uktog said:

You need to go through your travel agent. Azamara will not discuss anything to do with pricing with you I’m afraid

Thanks I was afraid of that as looking at the cruise on the TA's website the Suites look significantly more expensive than directly. I'll ask the question of them anyway but don't think I'll get the value I was hoping for.

[Grandma Cruising]

3 minutes ago, Rus Tee said:

Thanks I was afraid of that as looking at the cruise on the TA's website the Suites look significantly more expensive than directly. I'll ask the question of them anyway but don't think I'll get the value I was hoping for.

I’m sure posters here are right - but you’ve nothing to lose by giving Azamara a ring and asking them.

[ECCruise]

1 hour ago, Rus Tee said:

Thanks I was afraid of that as looking at the cruise on the TA's website the Suites look significantly more expensive than directly. I'll ask the question of them anyway but don't think I'll get the value I was hoping for.

Your TA should be able to secure the same pricing as is on Azamara's website. 

[Dr H]

Last week I booked the Rio to Lisbon cruise for next March and shock of shocks, was quoted a price LOWER than the Azamara web site. And my TA was quoting me the price Azamara was quoting her.  Since you can now actually get through to Azamara, make the call. Saving $5 isn't worth the effort. Saving over a grand is, at least in my book. Thank you TA who must not be named, and thank you Azamara!

[tgg]

I checked a major online travel agency's prices on this cruise.  There is a large number of unsold cabins.  This site (which of course cannot be named) is offering V2 balcony cabins for $2,848 per person including taxes and fees. For a 17 day cruise, the per diem is $167 per person. This is MUCH lower than the Azamara website.

 

If you can find a reasonable airfare to get to Rio and home from Lisbon, it's a great deal.

 

[Grandma Cruising]

We did this itinerary earlier this year and loved it. We did a great excursion in Salvador de Bahia - it was a drumming class. There were only 4 of us and we loved it.

[Werangels]

Our travel agent asked about upgrading us prior to final payment and got us a superb price for a suite so I would say ask your TA first.  

[Rus Tee]

Many thanks all I'm giving the TA a ring today and I'll try Azamara after if I get no joy. TA's advertised prices for the same package we have but with a  CC suite are not encouraging but we'll see.

[Dr H]

TGG, yep, I was cheep and opted for a v3, and it was lower than your quote. We are up front rather than between up front and middle, but hey, that was unreal, compared to prices I'm seeing for 2025! As for airfare, you can't go anywhere from Atlanta without remortgaging the house. Atlanta to Rio, ow, economy was about $450/head, and I was able to lop off $250 per ticket using my frequent flier miles. My only problem now is that I can't get home from Barcelona without selling one of the grandkids.

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 hours ago, Dr H said:

My only problem now is that I can't get home from Barcelona without selling one of the grandkids.

Would it be like The Ransom of Red Chief? – sell them, and then be begged to take them back...

[Dr H]

Not quite. Man, it must be close to 60 years since I read that one! No, "Red Chief" is kidnapped, not sold, and the kidnappers ultimately try to pay the parents to take the little monster back. It echoes a naivete of the age (1907), that wouldn't be altered until the Lindbergh kidnapping in the 1930s. Today of course, kidnapping is just a bit different. As for actually selling kids, we don't talk about it, but it is not at all uncommon here in the US. I waxed poetic about a very real, and very horrible situation that does indeed exist. I had no intentions of putting any sort of damper on anyone's cruise.  David

[crusinbanjo]

On 10/25/2023 at 3:30 PM, Werangels said:

Our travel agent asked about upgrading us prior to final payment and got us a superb price for a suite so I would say ask your TA first.  

I did the same but got just the advertised brochure price, no discount, so I did not jump at that.  We will stay with our current cabin.

[Werangels]

2 hours ago, crusinbanjo said:

I did the same but got just the advertised brochure price, no discount, so I did not jump at that.  We will stay with our current cabin.

Sorry to hear that. 

[Rus Tee]

Thanks to all who replied to my initial question, I meant to update this before now. I spoke to both Azamara and eventually my  TA. Azamara couldn’t help as we were booking through a TA. However they did provide me with booking confirmation showing the price we had paid for the cruise. As TA had put a package together they had not been able/willing previously to give me a breakdown of costs and we just had the overall bill for the holiday. Eventually the TA got back to me but the price of the upgraded cabin was too expensive. Needless to say I have learnt a few lessons from this experience.