john1970

I live near Heathrow and have family on the Isle of Wight so know the route very well. I would be happy to take a Celebrity transfer. Unless there is a total disaster you will have time to kill at Heathrow.

I booked the wifi upgrade voucher. I don't think it will be honoured for the whole cruise at 9.99 but will allow you to upgrade for that price per day. I also booked some casino slot vouchers as I have OBC and the excursions are not my cup of tea. I guess I will use the rest of the OBC when I am board. I am sure I can spend the difference on drinks over my classic package. I hope you all get some bargains as lord knows we need it at the moment!

I think it might be loaded incorrectly as it says 9.99 per person per day but when you add it, it shows on 9.99 in total.

I saw the wifi upgrade voucher. Do you know how it works?

I just checked the official Princess website and it is showing interior, balcony and mini suite so if you want you can still book or change to a better grade.

They are showing availability on the UK website for interior cabins. Not sure if you want that?

Hi There, Has anyone had any first hand experience using a US agent to book Azamara but being resident in the UK? I am looking at a 2025 cruise and the US agent is GBP1000 PP cheaper and offers an additional USD700+ OBC. It just seems to good to be true. I know you aren't allowed to mention any TA names but general feedback about whether this is wise would be welcome.

I always use the same UK based TA. I have found them to be very responsive and helpful especially during all the covid cancellations. They always give a small discount compared to booking direct with the cruise line which is welcome. You definitely get better consumer protection booking in the UK. You also don't have to worry about changes in currency conversions. The biggest incentive for me is that they will go to bat on my behalf with the cruise line if needed. I don't have the time or inclination to hold for hours on the phone to cruise lines. I think you need to look at some reviews of agents and consider building a relationship with one.

I've been travelling with Azamara since 2012. I have heard every excuse under the sun. Sorry, it really doesn't wash with me anymore. If your back office is so terrible then you have to plan and invest in your offline teams. Simply saying all travel companies/airlines are as bad is not going to be sustainable in the long run. Love Azamara but it's always jam tomorrow with them.

As a UK person I would like it made easier to reprice when you have status with them.

I did look but have been burnt before! As in the UK we can't keep repricing you have to be careful and make sure it is a good deal. I am going to OZ in February and my nine night cruise on Celebrity in Aqua was such good value. I looked at the comparison for 2024 and it has more than doubled. I am guessing the days of cheap cruising might be over unless you are very flexible and can go at the drop of a hat!

I had a quick look. I know the $ is very strong at the moment but they have to be careful that customers will look at the prices and think for a tiny bit more I could go on Silversea or Oceania. I am guessing they start off like this and then the usual sales will kick in.

If they have to go to the Canaries it would be better to pick one of the smaller less well known islands. I know changes are out of their control but it always seems to be after full balance is paid and very short notice.

I can't get into my account on chrome, edge or firefox. You would think that they might be interested in fixing it so people could spend money planning their cruise!!

I love being on Azamara and enjoy the at sea experience very much but I think they have always been poor in terms of back office and organisation. This was the same long before covid. I can understand that some events are beyond their control but if you are selling yourself as premium then it needs to include the whole customer experience from booking onwards. They need to concentrate on basic customer service such as answering emails and phone calls in a timely manner.

That would be very annoying especially as they always seem late to make difficult decisions and always after the final balance has been paid. For UK bookers remember that you are entitled to a full refund if their are 'significant changes' to your holiday. I would consider this a significant change for sure. You will find the the information on the website under key rights. I know it's not ideal but I wonder if you can cancel and book an alternative holiday which has a stop in Qatar. Azamara had to let me cancel and refund my Black Sea cruise once I quoted the relevant key rights and package travel regulations.

We went to Alexandria and booked a private tour with driver and guide for a day to Cairo. It was cheaper than the ship tour and we could customise exactly how we wanted. The ship got stuck in Alexandria due fog so we had no change of missing it!

Price it on the website and compare. Ask for a quote in writing with a breakdown.

If you are thinking of asking a question via Facebook don't bother. They never replied to my last two!

As someone who is flying from the UK for this cruise anything Princess can do to make it as successful as possible is much appreciated. I am assuming that nearer the time, the timetable of the eclipse day will become clearer. If the weather isn't kind then I will enjoy all the other ports and cruise experience. I am looking on the eclipse as an added bonus which we might be lucky enough to experience. I did the same when we visited the Falkland Islands and it worked out in our favour.

Same for me. We are in Aqua from Sydney in February. Glad I use a good travel agent as I can't be dealing with their rubbish IT.

Didn't the update email from the president of Azamara stress how they were going to improve their communication. Is it really that hard to release a coherent plan and statement?

Well this will be a good test to see how the new owners manage a project. I hope it all goes smoothly but I will be taking a copy of my cruise history and keeping it safe!

I can't see how you would be considered to be in transit. A transit visa is usually for air travel when you connect to a another country without leaving airside and not crossing the border. Have you emailed visa central who Azamara have a deal with in the UK? azamaracruises@visacentral.co.uk I don't know when your cruise is but hopefully the ship will either be able to get a group marine visa/dispensation or the Indian and UK government patch it up and again start the e visa access.

I have already booked for 2024 with a competitor. If they can get it together I'm not sure why Azamara is unique apart from the age of the ships and the environmental regulations. Still selling Black Sea cruises for next year is a joke.