john1970

I am booked on the Australian wine cruise in February 23. I paid about £1650 PP for Aqua class All inclusive. The 2024 and 2025 cruises are around £3000 PP for the same cabin grade. I understand that the other cruises are on the Edge and I am on the Eclipse and I know inflation is high. I still don't know if this pricing is realistic. I guess only time will tell if people are willing to pay these prices. In the UK we don't have refundable deposits and the ability to re price isn't the same as the US. I will be waiting to see how prices settle in the future.

Does that mean they will change the TV system so you can look up your bill online and order food etc.

 I just think this cutting it too fine. It would be too stressful for me. Why don't you get a direct to Madrid or Barcelona and overnight there and get a nice early flight to Las Palmas. 

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.

8 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

And the confusion continues:  the email at the top of this thread says clearly that you will no longer earn points or have reciprocity after February 1, 2023.  

 

But the August Loyalty Newsletter, which I received today, sends you to a webpage that says "In 2021, we announced that we would be separating from Royal Caribbean Group, but would continue to honor reciprocity benefits. Please note that this will come to an end in March 2023.  After March 2023, you will be an exclusive Azamara Circle Member, which means we will no longer have reciprocity benefits with Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean."

https://www.azamara.com/loyalty-newsletter-august-2022?ecid=em_23926480&rid=171054905&emsc=USA_PG_DISC_HH_YESBKFUTURE&emct=E&lnkid=https%3a%2f%2fazamara.com%2floyalty-newsletter-august-2022

 

That page then links back a website page with the Feb. 1 date.  So ... Feb. 1, Mar. 1, sometime in March, or the end of March???  You pays yer money and takes yer cherce...

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?