Cahpek

9 hours ago, MakingUpForLostTime said:

You raise 5 good points.

Yes for the most part we make decisions in our best interest.

Never said dim-witted and I do not care.

No. Azamara was one of my favorite cruise line and the staff on the ships were some of the best. I have given up expecting my refund weeks ago after reading the financial statements.

Oceania and Azamara are very similar in regards to value for money. They were started around the same time with the same sister ships.

Yes Mostly all cruise companies are having serious issues with refunds, the difference is that my experience with both were very different. One wanted me as customer when they were ready to sail and the other...... not so much.

 

 

If you are willing to "jump over" to Oceania from Azamara, why not also try Viking Ocean?  We have tried all three (Azamara, Oceania, and Viking) and we find we would be happy to sail with all of them as they are within our boundary of pretty good service standard. We found that Viking in some ways really  give Oceania a run for its money. The Viking cruise ships,  compared to those "R" ships which both Azamara and Oceania have, are newer with more facilities ! Oceania's "O" ships are good too with 4 speciality restaurants  .

Meanwhile,  for our cruise in mid-May on the Azamara Persuit which has just been cancelled, we aim to ask for a cash refund, and not the FCC. In these uncertain times, in our view, cash in hand is worth more than any credit, 125% or not.

To be frank, the resignation of the CEO of Azamara, that unfortunately,   does not instil much confidence in us for the future of the cruise line. Having said that, we do hope that Azamara will survive through this challenging period , if only for the reason that they still have some of the best and friendliest captains and crew of any cruise lines.

On 3/21/2020 at 3:59 AM, ano said:

Hmmm.. doesn't sound good. Looks like I can cross Costa off my list.

Costa

That was about the Costa Lumiosa.  But have you also read about the Costa Pacifica?

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/coronavirus-cruise-ship-brits-held-prisoner-italy-a4393436.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8137957/British-pensioners-trapped-cruise-ship-plead-Government-send-Royal-Navy-rescue-them.html

Has anyone read this report in the UK Daily Mail?

See: 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8135391/British-pensioners-scuffle-cruise-ship-crew-taken-coronavirus-struck-Italy.html

Was that really true? If there are passenger reading this, and  who were on board the Costa Pacific on this cruise, perhaps you could give us your take on this and provide us with more information?

19 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

It's a horrid scenario for Pursuit. Celebrity Eclipse which isn't far away is being denied at San Antonio and sailing around in circles. It was due to debark/embark guests yesterday. Captain Carl is going to have to do some very good sweet talking!

 

Best of luck to all of you. 

 

Phil 

 

Wish Captain Carl is the Prime Minister of the UK, instead of the PM which we have got at the moment. Captain Carl would at least instil confidence and leadership to the British public during this time of uncertainty. (By the way, if I recall, Captain Carl is English).

10 hours ago, btaylor1200 said:

I am currently on Pursuit headed toward Valparaíso. Captain Carl has said that we will be allowed to disembark in Valparaíso.  Fingers crossed. 

 

While this is a disappointing end to our voyage, I will say that the always hard working crew on board has worked harder on this cruise than I have ever seen them work. They stayed friendly and cheerful even though you could see the fatigue wearing on them. 

If you are disembarking in Valparaiso, please note that the distance from Valparaiso to Santiago/Santiago airport is about 120 km. If you are flying back from Santiago airport to your respective home cities, please make sure that Azamara has also arranged transfer from Valparaiso to Santiago airport. 

Correct me if I am mistaken but Valparaiso port, from what I remembered, it does not have a lot of transport facilities to transfer cruise passengers from the port to Santiago Airport. Any few taxis there are, the fares are sky high.

WARNING ON DISEMBARKING AND ENTERING CHILE

Plus, Chile is very STRICT on what it does not allow to be taken through customs, with heavy fines if you break their rule (law)? Their rule is probably one of the strictest in the whole world, no kidding. That includes prohibiting the entry of practically all foodstuffs and items made of wood. Before disembarking in Valparaiso, on the ship, I cleaned my suitcase three times. Some years before that, I might have a packet of crisps, a bar or chocolate , or  an  apple, or something , in the suite case, so the scent was still there (even though the "offending" item is long gone). At Valparaiso cruise terminal, the security Alsatian dogs smelt that scent , I was taken aside and my suit case was checked. Fortunately, they let me through when they found nothing, but I felt really uncomfortable.

SO PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR SUITCASE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH VALPARAISO CRUISE TERMINAL.

2 hours ago, Maybelle mom said:

I have read about the only FCC policy, but we canceled about a week ago and it was 50/50. My question is really about documentation.  How is FCC documented and what records do we get and what does the cruise line get?

We might try that with our Azamara cruise booking too.

As for how FCC is documented, we have another cruise booked with Oceania later in the year through a travel agent. We called the travel agent and were informed that if we cancelled the cruise, whatever we had paid would be registered with the cruise line in the data system of the cruise line. And when it is time for us to book a new cruise with that cruise line, they will just take the amount of cruise credit off the total cost of the new cruise. You need to check this with Azamara, but the arrangement might be similar.

Of course, any cruise credit is only of value if the cruise line company survives. If it folds or closes down , any cruise credit offered to its customers would be worth nothing. In this climate of uncertainty, nothing can be guaranteed (or perhaps you might disagree with that view point?).

What is more, even if the cruise line survives long enough for you to use your cruise credit, next year, the cruise prices might be so much higher , that it means the value of your cruise credit would be diminished. Also, the cruise line might also not have the cruises visiting the ports you want to go to. FCCs may benefit the cruise companies because they can keep your money, but less so for the passengers. For passengers, full cash refund should be the desired option.

4 hours ago, Maybelle mom said:

Hi.  We cancelled an Azamara Quest reservation for May 2020 and are receiving 50 percent FCC and 50 percent refund.  Should we expect any kind of documentation for the FCC? So far, we just got a one-sentence explanation from our large, domestic travel agent. 

That's interesting that you received 50 percent FCC and 50 percent refund. I had thought Azamara only gives 100 percent FCC/credit and 0 percent refund. How did you managed that? Did you purchase the ticket directly through Azamara ? 

8 minutes ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

As I understand it, our insurers would consider the FCC as equivalent to a cash refund. I think all we would be able to claim is any costs not covered by Azamara, for example non refundable flights, transfers, car parking etc.

Thanks for answering me so promptly.

I also wonder if we take the FCC from Azamara, and supposing Azamara is forced to close down (hope it won't but nothing seems to be certain in this climate)  before we could use our FCC, I wonder what the insurance would do? I read somewhere that Insurance companies view is that if you book your cruise with FCC credits , and if you fail to get that cruise for whatever reason, they will not compensate you. It is unlike paying cash  to purchase a cruise which they may consider compensating you.  I wonder if you have asked your insurance company about that?

I will certainly be going to ask mine.

23 minutes ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

I checked with our (UK) travel insurer today. We were told that if we cancelled within 31 days of a booked holiday we would be covered for anything not refunded/compensated if we were following British Government advice, as recorded on the FCO website. At the moment the FCO website includes the advice that over 70s should not cruise. If that’s the same in September/October then we would be able to claim for our flights etc.

There is something I am not very clear about with regards to your insurance.

1) If you are British, andover 70 and if you decide to cancel your cruise within 31 days,  following the advice of the British Govt/FCO , what happens when Azamara would still hold on to your money and it only offersyou with a FCC but NOT really giving you back a full cash refund (which is what its policy is at the moment, am I correct)? Would your insurance pay you in cash as compensation?

2) If your husband (or wife) is under 70 but traveling with you, if both of you cancel the cruise (he cannot travel alone in a cabin booked for two!) , will your insurance compensation cover your partner as well? 

3 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

I stand corrected!

You may agree that in the cruise line market, Viking Cruises are a class act ! They are nimble and they think on their feet.

29 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

I highly doubt any cruise line is going to offer cash refunds. The are all cash poor. 

You can caste off your doubts now as Viking is offering cash refunds ! 

http://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/TH_CXL-Operations-Letter_PDF-for-Email.pdf

18 hours ago, Rob the Cruiser said:

Changing preferences didn't work for us.

This is how I managed to stop the IRRITATING, UNWELCOME and ENVIROMENTALLY UNFRIENDLY marketing garbage which Oceania sent to me .

I called Oceania and spoke to one of their reps. They have my details on their computer. I told the Oceania rep. that I did not want their marketing brochures, etc., and if they insist on sending them to me, I would make sure I will NEVER cruise with Oceania again.  I think I also asked to raised it as an Official Complaint. That suggestion of their not getting any future business from me if they continued to annoy me , and also making an official complaint, that seemed to work! 

I haven''t got their marketing trash for ages now. 

My feeling is, like any business, they do not like:

1) The idea of losing business

2) Logging on official complaints.

You might like to try that and see.  However, if it does not happen the first time, do not give up. I would suggest call them again and make another official complaint but this time, ask to speak to a supervisor.

4 hours ago, uktog said:

Or  even minutes (based on what’s happened to Constellation in Mumbai) - see post on the other thread

Where did you read this? I went to the Celebrity discussion board and could not find news on the Constellation with regards to Mumbai.

I could not find that information anywhere related to that matter on the rest of the internet either.

Could you direct me to those online site which gave out this news?  Thanks.

9 hours ago, Cahpek said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Azamara may have changed their policy to make it easier for passengers to cancel their cruises for FCC, but it does not appear they are giving any news of their decision what to do with cruise ships stopping at Italian ports ( The ships in question, include Azamara Quest, and Azamara Persuit visiting Italy in May).

Hope Azamara management will make some decision about these affected  schedules soon. If the cruise ships stop at Italian ports, that may  also affect decisions for passengers on the next cruises after they come from Italy, whether they would want to risk taking the following cruise(s), or cancel them altogether. An example is for the Azamara Persuit. After it has done its cruise from Civitavecchia-Lisbon (May 4th-May 14th, 2020), it will start their next cruise from Lisbon-Southampton (May 14th-23rd, 2020). At the moment,  please correct me if I am mistaken,  their cruises visiting Italy has still not yet been changed.

1 hour ago, Kozimoto1209 said:

Hello,

We are booked with Azamara, does the credit apply to any cruise line in the RCC group of companies or only the cruise line you originally booked with?

Thanks

You might like to visit this page regarding the new cancellation policy:

https://www.azamara.com/int/cruise-with-confidence?icid=aza_brnd_b_int_vb_oth_aza_confidence_hp_hero_3062020_

If you have any other questions here are some useful telephone numbers:

1-833-292-2292 (US/Canada)
0333 242 5970 (UK/Ireland)
1-800-754-500 (Australia/New Zealand)

1 hour ago, skoretsky said:

Can they (Azamara) with respect to Coronavirus guarantee safe passage on cruise out of Rome (Italy) departing May 4? 

 

I think not so they should cancel this cruise! The United States State Department had advised against travel to Italy, and is considering a ban on cruise ship travel for United States residence.

 

I hope Azamara executive are monitoring this thread. I am planning to consult with a personal injury attorney to determine what my recourse is should Azamara not cancel this cruise.

 

We are currently booked on Azamara Pursuit 10 day Mediterranean cruise departing Rome, Italy on May 4.

You might be glad to check this new cancellation policy which just came out today:

https://www.azamara.com/int/cruise-with-confidence?icid=aza_brnd_b_int_vb_oth_aza_confidence_hp_hero_3062020_

OR

 https://www.azamara.co.uk/cruise-with-confidence?icid=aza_brnd_b_int_vb_oth_aza_confidence_hp_hero_3062020_

.

At the moment, the Coronavirus outbreak situation in Italy is getting worse by the day. The country has the largest coronavirus infection and death rate anywhere in Europe (On March 4^th, 2020, the figure according to the ECDC https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/geographical-distribution-2019-ncov-cases   , there are 2,502 infections and 70 deaths ).  All schools in Italy are closed . Italian Prime Minister has even said  his country’s Health Service risk being overwhelmed. That means, the situation is getting extremely serious.

What concerns me is Azamara’s policy:

“Regardless of nationality, boarding will be denied to any passenger who has traveled from, to or through mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, South Korea, and the Italian regions of Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Veneto in the past 15 days; as well as any guest who has come in contact (within six feet) with anyone with 15-day prior travel to these regions.”

The above policy seems to indicate concern only from those who have visited/lived in or have been in contact with anyone from THREE Italian regions, but it does NOT cover the whole of Italy. Shouldn’t the WHOLE of Italy  be included instead of just  theTHREE regions? Why not?  After all, the CDC has put travel to Italy on Level 3, the same as China.

Also, shouldn’t Azamara reschedule their cruises and avoid visiting Italian ports altogether?

If Azamara sticks just with the above policy and continue to visit Italian ports, it means passengers can still visit Italian ports and cities outside the three regions, mingle with the locals and come back on board the ship. Also, passengers/crew can also end and start cruises in Civitavecchia -including those who have been in Italy other then the three Italian regions. Isn't that too much of a risk to take?

In April/May 2020,  the Azamara Persuit will be having cruises which will be visiting Italian ports with the Mediterranean Jewel Voyage April 26th-May 4th (Barcelona->Cote d'Azur ports->Portofino->Livorno->Civitavecchia) and the Mediterranean Discovery Voyage May 4th - May 14th (Civitavecchia->Sorrento->visiting Spanish ports –>Lisbon) .

I hope for the sake of the passengers and the crew, that Azamara management would review these two cruises on the Azamara Persuit and see whether it is advisable for the ship to  avoid ITALY altogether until the Coronavirus situation improves in that country.

I know this may upset quite a number of passengers but these are exceptional and urgent times, and it takes exceptional and urgent decisions.

There are times when the health and safety of passengers and crews come first than just enjoying a cruise (or making money). 

The last thing, I am sure, that Azamara management would not like to see is that any of its ships end up in the news like Holland America’s Westerdam, the Grand Princess, or even worse, the Diamond Princess. 

Azamara management should see the above cruise lines' experience for them to try have some "foresight" to try avoid any potential dangers that could affect the reputation of its company, or avoid potential problems for the company to deal with.

1 minute ago, baytraller said:

Have been to Lisbon with Azamara many times and it has always been Cruise Terminal Santa Apolonia

 

The link below is from the Azamara web site - Directions for Embarkation

 

https://www.azamara.com/en-au/lisbon-portugal-cruises#boarding-directions

 

Cheers, Peter

Thanks for your help.

We know we should ask this in the RollCall page but there appears to be NO-ONE listed on that page to ask!

We were wondering if Bonnie MacLaird, or anyone else, might know (or know who to find out from),  for the 10-night Azamara "Wine & Romance Voyage", which starts from Lisbon, which cruise terminal will the Azamara Persuit be docking at on May 14th?

We could not seem to be able to find that information on the Azamara website, nor on any other sites on the internet.

The Port of Lisbon has several terminals,  including  the Lisbon Cruise Terminal, Santa Apolonia Cruise Terminal, and Gares Maritimas de Rocha. From what we know, they are quite a distance from each other. It would be helpful to know exactly which terminal to ask the taxi or shuttle to take us  to from the airport.

Thank you.

16 hours ago, wowzz said:

I guess I know the answer. I suppose my question is, do you consider a cruise with Silversea to be twice as good as a cruise on Aurora?   In my younger days,  when still earning, I would have opted for the more luxurious option. Now, with a limited budget, and limited remaining years, I look for ways to spend as much time away, in reasonable comfort, at reasonable cost, and therefore tend to still stick with the better mass market lines.

 

Actually, you do not have to move from P&O and go so far up and pay so-oooh much extra and cruise with Silversea. You could just upgrade yourself just "part-of-the-way" and go for cruise lines like Viking Ocean.

Viking Ocean cruises fares are generally quite a bit lower priced than Silversea fares , and in our view, much better value. Others may disagree . You may find quite a big difference between their (Viking) cruises and with that P&O from improved catering and more luxurious rooms.  All Viking cruises (especially those booked from the UK) include gratuities, drinks, excursions, spa rooms/indoor swimming pool, specialty restaurants, all free room service menu,  free internet (and they also have free computers to use)  and all cabins have varandahs/balconies! All Viking Ocean cruises are for adults-only (over 18 yo). After the first cruise, on further future cruises with them, you would usually qualify for  discounts .

In spite of its "luxurious" feel, on Viking ships, they do not have a formal night. Passengers are just encouraged to dress "Country Casual". 

This cruise line (Viking) has been voted the best cruise line by various magazine/media for quite a few years now. It is not difficult to see why. They seem to have the best balance between quality and price.

The other thing to look out for , whatever cruise line you wish to go with, is to look out for special offers. Sometimes, you could be saving  huge amounts. Never just pay for the initial published price - shop around!!!

One thing that we find quite hard to beat on P&O is their entertainment and on-board activities. Those so-called "luxury" class cruises, somehow, their entertainment never seem to be as good as the "mass-market" cruise lines. Of course, that is a subjective observation.

4 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I have never said that. They’re not terrible, but they’re not remotely as good as they, and some customers, claim they are.

Harry, you are totally correct in what you did,  and we support you. 

You have good intentions and it is right that we should have the right to express our views, and not just expected to keep quiet if something is not right.

Like most of us, any criticisms are meant to be constructive and it is hoped that the cruise managers will pick them up, and try to improve on them.

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

From memory, didn't Holland America come second from bottom? Surprised you're slumming it with them!

I'd happily "slum" with HAL than on the Ventura, thank you very much. I did eat well on their ship. (Of course, I "slum" with other cruises as well, including Viking and Oceania.) Their buffet was on another level compared to the buffet on the Ventura. Having said that, perhaps other P&O ships may have better cooking, and maybe , the level of cooking on the Ventura depends on who the head chef was on that cruise. 

Like some folks here, I make my decisions mainly due to my past experience with those lines.  I am not so much influenced by surveys. Surveys make interesting reading, but as I said before, I take them with a pinch of salt.

25 minutes ago, wowzz said:

How does a sample of 60 or so people constitute a scientific piece of research. There is no "panel" in this instance, just members of Which being asked for feedback.

Perhaps if the satisfaction figures had been weighted to take into account actual cruise costs,  the findings might have been worth reading. 

All the survey tells us is that Viking, an expensive cruise line, is very good, and that P&O, a not very expensive cruise line, is not as good . Who'd have thought it!

Whether the survey is fair or not, if you look at the bright side (there's always a "silver lining" for everything, well, almost!), when/if P&O management reads who has been written about their cruise line in the newspapers, hopefully that would make them sit up and listen, and do something about it.

That may even  make them begin to look at the weak parts of the cruise line,  address them , and change for the better. No one is above improvement.

For example, maybe , just maybe, they may even  start improving the standard of food and cooking on board (hooray!). At the moment, each time I look at a P&O brochure, and wanted to cruise with them again, the thought of the last Ventura cruise where food for me was the WORST of any cruise I have been on, that really put me off. Perhaps, that's not fair. Perhaps I should give P&O another chance. If P&O senior management seriously look into improving their catering again, I will be one of the first to come back to their cruise line, pronto. (The thing is, P&O has a lot of good things, including of course, the friendly staff).

Meanwhile, it is with Viking, Holland America, Oceania, Princess, and others for me . That does no stop me from visiting the P&O discussion board on Cruisecritic, and I think everyone has the right to do that, not just present P&O cruisers and their supporters. I do not expect P&O to be of the same "luxury" standard as some  of some of the other more expensive lines, but lower fares is no excuse to have poor cooking . Not such expensive and exotic ingredients perhaps, but even simple cooking, if well prepared, can be delicious!!! 

17 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Despite all the inevitable attempts at rubbishing this review of cruise companies by Which?, it's still about the only independent review there is, and there's no reason why it shouldn't be reflecting the situation fairly for all the companies reviewed.

 

Which? is a well respected consumer magazine, it knows what it's doing with statistics and reports by members, and there's no reason why members would report on P&O any differently from the way they'd report on any other company.

 

When you see comments that:

 

'several customers complained that standards have slipped, that it has become a ‘downmarket company, priced accordingly’ and akin to ‘Butlin’s on sea’

 

or that

 

'one passenger told us about ‘rowdy scenes’ of ‘pushing, shouting, and not letting people out of a lift before trying to get in and passengers generally not behaving in a civilised manner’

 

you do realise that those of us in these forums who dare (and I use that word advisedly) to criticise P&O are just a small part of a growing number who feel that P&O have gone too far downmarket in their constant search for customers, and that some of those customers are actually damaging the 'brand'.  This is not good publicity for P&O, whether it's in the Mail or the Telegraph, or wherever else it's reported, but it's an inevitable consequence of what Carnival have done to a fine British company.

 

Yes, it's cheap (though Which? don't even agree that it's cheerful!) but words like 'luxury' still used by P&O to pull in customers don't help when they're plainly untrue.

 

It's a low-priced downmarket product now, as the report states, and if you accept that you won't be disappointed.  The problem is, though, that expectations are higher than that because of the history, the name, and the rather misleading advertising - that's when the problems start.
 

Agree with a lot of things you say.

7 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

Interesting story in today's Telegraph:

 

One of Britain's largest cruise operators has been likened by passengers to "Butlins on sea" amid claims the company has gone "downmarket", according to a new survey.

Customers who have repeatedly travelled with P&O Cruises told Which? that its "unrivaled" standards had slipped in its annual survey published on Monday.

 

The company received a two-star rating for "social atmosphere", the joint lowest score out of 20 liners surveyed, with passengers describing the ship's pool areas as "overrun" and "a nightmare".

 

In the most damning criticism, travellers said the liner had become a "downmarket company, priced accordingly" and was akin to "Butlins on sea". A P&O Cruises spokesman said the company was "relentless" in its efforts to improve the experience for guests.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/27/britains-biggest-cruise-operator-becoming-butlins-sea-survey/

 

I wonder how far Carnival plan to take this, but when you get comments like this from Which? it does explain the changing nature of P&O Cruises:

 

Should I book with P&O Cruises?

No. It may be cheap but it’s not cheerful. Swap the familiar mediocrity of P&O for better-rated, lesser-known alternatives.

 

 

I find the survey interesting but like anything, one has to take it with a pinch of salt.

The size of the survey in question may be relatively small, so how truly representative or reliable is that of the views of the majority of the cruise traveling market, you may ask.

From my two cruises with P&O, I have to say that the first cruise, on the Aurora (from Rio de Janeiro to Valparaiso), it was good and the standard of food on board was so much better than on the Ventura, a cruise which I took (about a year or so?) later to the Canaries. 

The food experience for me on the Ventura was so poor that out of 12 cruises I have been on, that was the ONLY CRUISE when I had LOST WEIGHT after taking the cruise! I tried to look on the bright side, and said to myself, that at least, I did not have to go on a diet after taking that cruise!!! But seriously, now, I would avoid Ventura like anything, even if the cruise price is low.

While on the Ventura, I met the Maitre D' who whom I'd known on the previous cruise with me on the Aurora. I asked her why the quality of catering  has became so poor? She mumbled something about cost cutting and a lot of food was pre cooked in factories on land and brought on board. Whether how much of that was true or not, I do not know.

Is that representative of the experience you will get on the entire fleet of ships? I do not know. I think you will have to cruise on board all their liners to know that.

As some cruisers have indicated, their fares are still quite competitive. So, I guess you get what you pay for. If you know what to expect, at least, you will probably not be so disappointed.

However, if you are a "foodie" and expect "luxury" and fine cuisine on P&O, please find out more before you book. Don't just get influenced by their adverts, especially on TV!

Give the cruise line credit where it is due, P&O cruises fares now include gratuities, and I found their prices, both for drinks and excursions are very reasonable compared to some of the other cruise lines.

There you are, I have said my ten cents' worth.