tango9

I have had several birthdays onboard Azamara.  I got the cake and a birthday song but never received a discount coupon for anything. .Just  got off birthday cruise on Journey last week.

8 hours ago, Bloodaxe said:

 

Would not be happy with that, been on full ships many times and always enjoyed our breakfast in Discoveries, seems like another step in the wrong direction.

Was just on Journey in Japan.  Also a full ship. People complained that Windows was a madhouse for breakfast as people wanted to get off for early shore excursions each day. No where to sit and service was slow. This is why they decided to  have buffet in Discoveries - to give people another choice for a quicker breakfast before shore excursion and not  have a problem in Windows where one could hardly move around. The buffet in Discoveries seemed to have less variety but was a more calm place to eat

Thank you, Uktog, for this wonderful blog of your adventures .  I am just off of Journey a few days and enjoying  your posts, remembering an equally great time on Journey.  And , yes, Ryzard  worked hard at making each day memorable.

I was on this sailing, as well.  Well done, Azamara Journey!!  We were welcomed by the locals in every port ( except Hiroshima) with music and dance, and colorful local garb on the locals.  They were all so kind  and helpful.  The shore excursions were all good , with some guides being great and a few others not so great and struggling a bit with English words.  I took the ship shuttle into a few port cities and had great experiences.  In Hiroshima I got off the shuttle and a local volunteer guide approached me and took me around for two hours to the Castle, grocery story  and Peace Park, giving me her family history of the aftermath of the WWII devestation.  I had booked the shore excursions prior to sailing and the prices went up allot by the time we sailed.

I also did back to back sailing  , having embarked in Hong Kong .  We sailed north to the southern Japanese islands,  ( Ishigaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa, Kochi, and Osaka which were all wonderful; more so than I had expected.

Richard the HD and Stephen CD did a wonderful job of bringing on local talent and food daily.

This was a fairly exhausting cruise as we only had one sea day first day.  I walked 5-10 miles daily .Often up slopes and high, ancient steps. The Japanese Ambassador, Tomoko, was very helpful with local information and I even bought an Haori ( Japanese robe) from a consignment vendor at the Amori port, on her suggestion to visit this  place, walkable from the ship.It was only 1000 yen, which is about 6 USD.

Wonderful sailings!

11 hours ago, AJCM said:

Thanks uktog - it’s very helpful to have an Azamara document on side. I’ve been back to guest relations. The young woman checked with someone responsible who confirmed that the price change was effected on Journey from 21 Jan but hasn’t yet been implemented across the fleet. I’m now waiting for someone in authority to speak to me to explain why it’s fair that we’re charged USD13 per day more than other Azamara guests. 

Please let us know what "someone in authority" tells you as to why guests on one ship are charged so much more than guests on Azamara's other ships . And why then are we misled by the price listed on Azamara's website for the Ultimate Beverage package  Thanks

14 minutes ago, AJCM said:

We’re on Journey; currently in Adelaide, on a very good cruise. It’s USD39.95 before loyalty discount. The price is printed in documents on board the ship and guest relations absolutely confirmed there has been a price change.

 

If you’ve been able to pre-book a package at the old rate, I would expect that will be honoured.  

 

If any Azamara rep stated to me that it’s $27.95, I’d request a confirmation email, so I had something tangible to argue with once I was onboard. The old price was actually $26.95, so I don’t think you can rely on what that rep told you; and I also doubt any confirmation email would help, given that obvious error.

Thanks, ACM.  I will be on the Journey next month, so will book the bev package beforehand, to get the price before it is increased.  It is too bad Azamara employees give conflicting information

19 minutes ago, AJCM said:

just to clarify, we received the 20% discover plus discount.

 

 

So to be even more clear (!), you are onboard ( not sure which ship) ,  and Guest Relations tells you that the Ultimate Beverage package is $39.95 per day before discount, and today the Azamara rep on the phone tells us that the price  is and will be  $27.95 before discount when we board  .     Azamara has conflicting information.  . So with all this, I am not sure if I should book prior to sailing next month with lower price reflected on my account but not loyalty discount or wait and book on board ( with two possible prices being given so far and risking  losing the lower price albeit with no discount

2 hours ago, uktog said:

Maybe. Whilst that may (or may not) be acceptable for restaurant packages I’m sorry but I do not agree re beverage packages because it makes a mockery of the loyalty benefit. 
“here is your special loyalty benefit but we need to charge you a higher price to benefit” 

More confusion!  My traveling companion called Azamara today and was told that the best thing to do is book Ultimate beverage package onboard for $27.95 and then the 20% loyalty benefit will be given towards it ( Discoverer Plus tier). I called today and the rep was totally clueless.  She knew nothing.  Not even the daily price .  

I am thinking of pre purchasing the Experience More package but I have already booked all my shore excursions and do not want to cancel them in order to use the $350 excursion credit onboard, as the excursions I want could be sold out.  Has anyone had any problem getting the Experience More excursion credit credited to one's already paid for shore excursions? 

the three tour says one dinner at Aquilina, one dinner at Prime C and third dinner at either one, your choice. Although I did purchase this package pre cruise for my last sailing and I was able to go to Prime C only with last minute change of plans

For my upcoming sailing, I received an email offer for dining packages.  Three table tour for $85 which now sounds like a deal.  I guess it is only for pre sailing and there is a cancellation fee if you change your mind

Thanks!

Can anyone tell me the current cost of going to one of the specialty restaurants?  It had been $30 pp but I am not sure if it increased and I can't seem to find the info on Azamara website.  Thanks!

Thank you. That would explain it. They told us it was an equal exchange but they were not quite correct in saying that

Disembarked Explora Journeys last week to find my credit card charged ten percent higher than my final bill. Does Explora add a final tax on things? No one ever mentioned that the bill would be higher

I was on Ocean Cay same day as safari girl. Tenders were rocky and some people chose not to go. We were first tender and got there about 1:00.It was a sunny , windy day. We went to North beach and were only ones there. No bar or food there. South beach had a few people and I think a bar open. Water was chilly. Never saw any food truck. Did get some ice cream and a drink near the tender . Workers told us it is often windy there until April. 

 Not because of the storm. We returned because a guest had a medical need . We returned to Miami in a terrible storm and will lose a port st Kitts. Third port cancelled since my original booking. But beautiful ship , hosts and food

Hmm ,,,,I have been told several times that they no longer allow you to use the pool when you have a spa service. Maybe it is different with different spa managers or how many guests are on the ship

1 hour ago, Mackdogmolly said:

When I filled out the form, it asked for the  booking numbers for the two cruises, which seems pretty straightforward.

Yes, I gave that.   Maybe the form has changed.  The form is now called "Back to Back Cruises Interest Form".  I have had this credit in the past and filled out a form but it was not called that.  Again, their answer to my form was to give me prices for  two sailings.  Odd.   And the two sailings they gave me prices for were not even back to back sailings. They ignored my reservation numbers. I don't see any other form for back to back.  Sometimes I feel that I am in Twilight Zone with the onshore office.

On 11/27/2023 at 3:30 PM, Mackdogmolly said:

That may be why the credit was not automatically applied. But filling out the B2B form should have done the trick.

I filled out the form on Azamara website but it seems to be only for BOOKING  two back to back cruises.  They emailed me back and gave me prices for sailing. Odd. This is for sailings next year.  Not last minute rates.  My TA tells me that she requested the OBC for back to back, but it does not show up anywhere ( invoice or my online account).  Also odd, is that my other Azamara sailing,( next month) which I booked in 2022 , does not  have the promised promotion of Wifi, Prem Bev package and $300 OBC .  Azamara says it does not exist.  It disappeared?  It was on my initial invoice.  More onshore IT issues....

This will be my fourth Azamara cruise this year and all of them have had incorrect OBC issues.  Tired of arguing and detailing the figures for them.  

I am having issues as well.  I booked a sailing over one year ago with the promotion of WiFI , Prem Bev Package and $300 OBC.  I sail next month and Azamara tells me that they do not see it on my account.  Why not?  They gave us the promotion!  Well, my online account shows more OBC than  the promised $300. I have to wonder if they have substituted general OBC for the actual promotional promise of bev package and WIFi.   It is not apples to apples though.

I called Azamara today as well about the incorrect OBC amount now listed on my sailing.  They could not help me.  They also could not see the promotion of the WiFI and Prem beverage package on my account.  I asked my TA to look into this. Hope it is straigtened out.  Would like to book shore excursions prior to my sailing next month but  would not like to pay by cc and try to get it reversed.

I think that it depends on the sailing. I have had free Pilates classes on some sailings and no Pilates on others 

Try Shasa Catamarans, run by Jason.  It is a small outfit but wonderful, relaxing, personal . I have sailed with him twice