Really disgusted with Azamara

While anyone would be disappointed with having a cruise cancelled, I think we need to keep this in perspective. All lines do this. It may be more of an event on AZ because they only have two ships. As long as I am given plenty of notice, while disappointed, I can live with this as a risk of cruising just like a missed port.

Charters are a very small % ... a few per year if we are lucky. I'd say the chances are far in your favor that the voyages you choose will not be chartered ~95% +/-. So go ahead and book the B2B! It's better to make plans than to not make plans because of fear something may change, IMHO.

You mean what you are saying is that about 5% of cruises will be chartered? That means around 1 in 20 cruises will be chartered - in my books, that's still quite a high risk that a cruise booked may be cancelled. Would anyone want to book for any holiday when he or she has a 1 in 20 chance that it may be cancelled???? Come on, that is a very BIG DEAL !

Cruise passengers go on cruises with the intention that their cruise schedule will happen and that they will have a great time . They will not wish to play RUSSIAN ROULETTE and end up being a "victim" of a cancelled cruise, which can be avoided.

I think Azamara management needs to be told that this is *NOT ACCEPTABLE* to their other customers.

The only way to do this is for customers to VOTE WITH THEIR WALLETS, especially those who have been regularly supporting this cruise line. CUSTOMERS should not COME SECOND, they should come FIRST - they paid good money for that priviledge and deservingly so!

Customers should also COMPLAIN directly to the CEO. The email address should be found online - or maybe Bonnie can provide it for us!

Talking about voting with our wallets, not long ago , a CEO of a cruise line

banned passengers from taking food from the buffet restaurant to their rooms to eat. This caused a "revolt" from customers and many decided to CANCEL their cruise bookings with this cruise line. In the end CEO had to make a U-TURN of this policy! I think some folks here may know which cruise line I am talking about!

Likewise, perhaps Azamara passengers, including the loyal ones, may have to make their stand to "make" Azamara management listen and to decide a U-turn on this ridiculous policy where charters come first and honest paying passengers come second.

Likewise, perhaps Azamara passengers, including the loyal ones, may have to make their stand to "make" Azamara management listen and to decide a U-turn on this ridiculous policy where charters come first and honest paying passengers come second.

I'd guess the organizations who charter cruise ships are quite "honest" and very much "paying" quite a good deal for their charter.

Do you shout often or just on the Azamara board on Cruise Critic? Your first three postings here are...umm...very loud. Maybe you should try Azamara before conplaining so much.

I'd guess the organizations who charter cruise ships are quite "honest" and very much "paying" quite a good deal for their charter.

 

Do you shout often or just on the Azamara board on Cruise Critic? Your first three postings here are...umm...very loud. Maybe you should try Azamara before conplaining so much.

It appears that there are some who cannot see it from the passengers point of view. They just blindly support a cruise line to no ends. For me, I like supporting a cruise line that puts customers first, not second. Is that too much to ask?

Yes, I have been on Azamara. I loved the cruise ship and the crew, also enjoyed their Azamazing evening, especially the one at the gardens of the Hilton in Sorrento. It is not the crew and the ship which is at fault. They did not cancel the cruise and chartered it out . It is management who did -or is doing- so.

By the way, Marinaro44, are you the unofficial assistant blog officer to Azamara or something like that? It appears you may have "combed" through every comment on the Azamara board!!! Does Azamara drop "agents" onto this board to try shoot down any comments they disagree with?

By the way, Marinaro44, are you the unofficial assistant blog officer to Azamara or something like that? It appears you may have "combed" through every comment on the Azamara board!!! Does Azamara drop "agents" onto this board to try shoot down any comments they disagree with?

I don't know Marinaro44, and I am not an Azamara "agent" (nor have I, yet, sailed on Azamara). But I have been reading this Board for quite a while and I am aware that there was widespread worry that Azamara would be dropped because it was a drag on RCL's bottom line. I agree that it is quite upsetting to have one's cruise cancelled for a charter, but perhaps you can understand that many of us see this in the broader context of keeping Azamara alive so that it can see the brighter future we all hope for.

I don't know Marinaro44, and I am not an Azamara "agent" (nor have I, yet, sailed on Azamara). But I have been reading this Board for quite a while and I am aware that there was widespread worry that Azamara would be dropped because it was a drag on RCL's bottom line. I agree that it is quite upsetting to have one's cruise cancelled for a charter, but perhaps you can understand that many of us see this in the broader context of keeping Azamara alive so that it can see the brighter future we all hope for.

Hi

Thanks for the comment....I think what you said is fair.

Believe it or not, I too like to see Azmara be kept alive and thrive as I think the ships offer an excellent product, especially with so many items included - drinks, grautities, etc, etc.- and the crew/ships are so nice.

I do not blame management for having to charter off their ships - at the end of the day, the cruise line company is a business after all and it has to make profits. But there has got to be a balance between chartering off ships and being considerate towards the holiday welfare of their fare-paying loyal customers. As I think some people may have suggested, it would be good if in future, Azamara were to block off certain periods/months for charters and NOT sell those cruises to individual cruisers. That way, no individual customers would be inconvenienced. And even if they have to cancel a cruise due to an important charter business at short notice, it is hoped that those customers who are inconvenienced will be fairly compensated. That will, in the long run, gain more customer loyalty and increase business as that will show that the cruise line actually cares for its customers. See? It's a WIN-WIN SITUATION!!!

I know Bonnie , the Azamara blog official would likely read this, and if she does, I hope she will present this suggestion to senior management.

Hi

 

Thanks for the comment....I think what you said is fair.

 

Believe it or not, I too like to see Azmara be kept alive and thrive as I think the ships offer an excellent product, especially with so many items included - drinks, grautities, etc, etc.- and the crew/ships are so nice.

 

I do not blame management for having to charter off their ships - at the end of the day, the cruise line company is a business after all and it has to make profits. But there has got to be a balance between chartering off ships and being considerate towards the holiday welfare of their fare-paying loyal customers. As I think some people may have suggested, it would be good if in future, Azamara were to block off certain periods/months for charters and NOT sell those cruises to individual cruisers. That way, no individual customers would be inconvenienced. And even if they have to cancel a cruise due to an important charter business at short notice, it is hoped that those customers who are inconvenienced will be fairly compensated. That will, in the long run, gain more customer loyalty and increase business as that will show that the cruise line actually cares for its customers. See? It's a WIN-WIN SITUATION!!!

 

I know Bonnie , the Azamara blog official would likely read this, and if she does, I hope she will present this suggestion to senior management.

Well said and I agree to a point. Yes, I realize this cruise was 330 days out, but it was an itinerary that was on our bucket list for some time. And, I have not been able to match it. We aren't spring chickens and while I'm sure it will be repeated, life and health aren't a given. We still want to be able to do things while we're able to and can enjoy it.

I guess I'll find out tomorrow what options are available for us. I'm not expecting any compensation. It was a huge disappointment and has left a very bitter taste in my mouth. :mad: :mad:

Well said and I agree to a point. Yes, I realize this cruise was 330 days out, but it was an itinerary that was on our bucket list for some time. And, I have not been able to match it. We aren't spring chickens and while I'm sure it will be repeated, life and health aren't a given. We still want to be able to do things while we're able to and can enjoy it.

I guess I'll find out tomorrow what options are available for us. I'm not expecting any compensation. It was a huge disappointment and has left a very bitter taste in my mouth. :mad: :mad:

Please try not to feel too bad, it's no fun and it's upsetting but it's still not the end of the world.

Actually, which Azamara cruise have you booked on to go , what dates and whereabouts does it sail to? Not unusually, you may be able to find another cruise which may not offer identical stops but follow a similar routing - sometimes at around the same time as your Azamara cruise. Just ask your travel agent. I know it is frustrating not to be able to get on the cruise of your choice, but sometimes, it is quite interesting to try other cruise lines too. I see you seem to just take Celebrity and Azamara. Why not "branch out" and try Princess, or Oceania? Or Viking or Crystal or Regent? For me, every cruise line has its strengths and weaknesses, and it can be quite enjoyable to sample what each cruise line has to offer, instead of being "stuck" to just one or two cruise line companies . Travelling is sampling new things , so travelling on different cruise lines, you sample new things and new experiences too. Of course, the cruise ships has to be of a standard almost comparable to the high standards offered by Azamara. Hope you will get your cruise arrangements sorted out tomorrow at your travel agent. Cheers.

I looked and looked at other cruise lines when I found out it was chartered. I could not find any cruises that compared to it. I booked a b2b because it would allow us to visit some Croatian ports more than just once. I prefer the smaller ships for Med cruises.

We did have a cruise booked on Princess that I just swapped out for an itinerary we liked better on X. I look at other cruise lines often....I think RCCL ships are too large for our comfort. I've also looked at Oceania...I'm not pleased with their pricing.

I looked and looked at other cruise lines when I found out it was chartered. I could not find any cruises that compared to it. I booked a b2b because it would allow us to visit some Croatian ports more than just once. I prefer the smaller ships for Med cruises.

We did have a cruise booked on Princess that I just swapped out for an itinerary we liked better on X. I look at other cruise lines often....I think RCCL ships are too large for our comfort. I've also looked at Oceania...I'm not pleased with their pricing.

I am surprised you are not pleased with Oceania's pricing. As you seem like a savvy cruiser, unless you are a billionaire and money is no object, you would know that you would NEVER pay the rack rate on any cruise, you'd always wait for special offers or free upgrades to come into your email in-box or check online.

As far as special offers are concerned, Oceania seems to have more offers and DISCOUNTS than Azamara- it's probably because they have more ships (6) compared to Azamara's (2).

ADRIATIC PORTS CRUISE

If it is Adriatic ports you are after around in September/October 2016, Oceania is making several offers and huge discounts around that period (think up to around 60percent discount!). For example, travel agents in the UK are offering, including flights from London, about USD$2900 (Balcony) for a 12-night cruise from Venice to Athens , stopping with 10 stops en-route including 3 Dalmatian ports (Koper, Dubrovnik , Kotor). It starts August 31st, it's called the "Sun-Drench Adriatic" cruise. For that price , there is a on-board spend of up to USD$1000 per cabin and free wifi. Now, that's quite hard to beat, isn't it?

Now the "down" side. That ship for the above cruise is the Riviera - and since their Nov/Dec cruise, the ship has experienced 3 Norovirus incidences, the last one I think was on the Mar/Apr(?) cruise. If you can get over that and believe that Norovirus hazards can happen to any ship on any cruise line, then, perhaps that cruise ship might be a thought.

We also love Celebrity - you'd probably know Celebrity better than me as you cruise with them so often. I think you may find that Celebrity's Constellation ("Connie") ply around those part of the Med as well. I do not know their prices are or if there are any offers and discounts, but as you probably realise, that ship is somewhat larger in capacity compared to Azamara's "R" class ships.

COMPARING OCEANIA AND AZAMARA

Oceania's service quality is generally very similar to Azamara's - but their (Oceania) wine prices (not included in the fare) are pretty steep while Azamara's good quality wines are included with meals. However, you do not pay extra to go to speciality restaurants on Oceania ships which you have to on Azamara. In my opinion, Oceania's captains, hotel directors and their senior staff, tend to keep a distance or did not show they enjoy meeting passengers as much as Azamara- Azamara's captains tend to show their presence more with passengers and are very approachable, something which I appreciated very much. The tea-time cakes and pastry selection on Oceania in the Horizon lounge is heads and shoulders above the tea-time sandwiches/cakes offered in the buffet restaurant on Azmara; other meals, both cruise lines are comparable to each other in standard and quality, maybe Oceania just a tad better but not that much -besides, for meals, it's all very subjective.

In any case, check with your travel agent and see what he/she can suggest and advice you.

Please note: I am certainly NOT an Oceania "Fan-boy" and am certainly NOT employed by them; if pricing between Azamara and Oceania is similar and if both offer similar routes, I would much prefer Azamara simply for their "extra" friendliness. For me, on Azamara, you get to feel you are on a "Cruise Journey" in a boutique setting; on Oceania, you are in a "Floating Hotel", professional but more impersonal and not quite as warm and friendly. I enjoy both cruise lines.

... But there has got to be a balance between chartering off ships and being considerate towards the holiday welfare of their fare-paying loyal customers. As I think some people may have suggested, it would be good if in future, Azamara were to block off certain periods/months for charters and NOT sell those cruises to individual cruisers. ... I know Bonnie , the Azamara blog official would likely read this, and if she does, I hope she will present this suggestion to senior management.

Nobody who wants to charter a whole ship and pay for it is going to let Azamara tell them "it has to be in this month". They're not even going to let Azamara tell them the region (which is why we now suddenly have a transatlantic crossing to Montreal). Senior management will dismiss this idea in 2 seconds - as they should given their fiduciary duty to shareholders.

The balance between chartering and being considerate you refer to is in my opinion the 330 day "rule". Nobody is out any money/expense, only time, if they charter out a ship before air is bookable.

Floris

The balance between chartering and being considerate you refer to is in my opinion the 330 day "rule". Nobody is out any money/expense, only time, if they charter out a ship before air is bookable.

Disagree with this, these days with many premium cruise lines early bookers get the best deals, cancellation at this point can make it very difficult to find a comparable cruise at the same price. If you have to pay more or take a lesser cruise you are out of pocket.

Disagree with this, these days with many premium cruise lines early bookers get the best deals, cancellation at this point can make it very difficult to find a comparable cruise at the same price. If you have to pay more or take a lesser cruise you are out of pocket.

That's exactly right. The cost now is more than what we paid and we were able to book an aft VX for the same price as a regular V1, 2 or 3. We had the same stateroom on both legs of the cruise.

They're not even going to let Azamara tell them the region (which is why we now suddenly have a transatlantic crossing to Montreal)

See post 54.

I am surprised you are not pleased with Oceania's pricing. As you seem like a savvy cruiser, unless you are a billionaire and money is no object, you would know that you would NEVER pay the rack rate on any cruise, you'd always wait for special offers or free upgrades to come into your email in-box or check online.

As far as special offers are concerned, Oceania seems to have more offers and DISCOUNTS than Azamara- it's probably because they have more ships (6) compared to Azamara's (2).

 

ADRIATIC PORTS CRUISE

 

If it is Adriatic ports you are after around in September/October 2016, Oceania is making several offers and huge discounts around that period (think up.

 

COMPARING OCEANIA AND AZAMARA

 

Oceania's service quality is generally very similar to Azamara's - but their (Oceania) wine prices (not included in the fare) are pretty steep while Azamara's good quality wines are included with meals. However, you do not pay extra to go to speciality restaurants on Oceania ships which you have to on Azamara. In my opinion, Oceania's captains, hotel directors and their senior staff, tend to keep a distance or did not show they enjoy meeting passengers as much as Azamara- Azamara's captains tend to show their presence more with passengers and are very approachable, something which I appreciated very much. The tea-time cakes and pastry selection on Oceania in the Horizon lounge is heads and shoulders above the tea-time sandwiches/cakes offered in the buffet restaurant on Azmara; other meals, both cruise lines are comparable to each other in standard and quality, maybe Oceania just a tad better but not that much -besides, for meals, it's all very subjective.

 

In any case, check with your travel agent and see what he/she can suggest and advice you.

 

Please note: I am certainly NOT an Oceania "Fan-boy" and am certainly NOT employed by them; if pricing between Azamara and Oceania is similar and if both offer similar routes, I would much prefer Azamara simply for their "extra" friendliness. For me, on Azamara, you get to feel you are on a "Cruise Journey" in a boutique setting; on Oceania, you are in a "Floating Hotel", professional but more impersonal and not quite as warm and friendly. I enjoy both cruise lines.

Thanks for this interesting comparison. How did you find their dining room dress requirements? We ruled out quite a few lines because we were looking for a casual environment. We found Windstar and Azamara and now, Viking ocean to be of similar types- port focused, casual, and small passenger load.

Thanks for this interesting comparison. How did you find their dining room dress requirements? We ruled out quite a few lines because we were looking for a casual environment. We found Windstar and Azamara and now, Viking ocean to be of similar types- port focused, casual, and small passenger load.

The dining room dress requirements are similar to Azamara - that there is no formal dress night. So you may be pleased with that.

For dress codes on board different cruise liners, Cruise Critic has quite a helpful article on that. Please go to:

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=545

Thanks for this interesting comparison. How did you find their dining room dress requirements? We ruled out quite a few lines because we were looking for a casual environment. We found Windstar and Azamara and now, Viking ocean to be of similar types- port focused, casual, and small passenger load.

I replied to your question about the dress code above.

However, I have to say something which is a "thumbs down" for me about Oceania. Generally, one gets the impression that they think "management is always right, and they know better than customers". So, on Oceania if you have some comments or some constructive criticism about the ship and you approach the staff, don't be taken aback when they give you the kind of "Well, nobody has complained about that before, so how dare you approach us" attitude. Also, things seem so set in stone on Oceania (almost everything has to come from the top!) , even if staff wishes to change anything, they felt they could not do so. Perhaps I was being too sensitive, I don't know.

I could be wrong, but I also sense that Azamara is a "happier" ship, at least when I was on-board. The captain loved his job and he loved being with his passengers . That effect trickled down onto the rest of the crew. He was proud of his ship and you were "his" guest. It felt good. Did you feel that as well when you were on board? That effect felt missing on Oceania (not on just one cruise, but several/all of their cruises I have been on). I think I h ave already mentioned on Oceania, the captain and hotel manager seem less to be with the passengers and they seem to keep a distance from them. That is something Oceania could learn from Azamara. Hope they are not too proud to do so.

Sent this message by mistake, so deleted it.

For me, on Azamara, you get to feel you are on a "Cruise Journey" in a boutique setting; on Oceania, you are in a "Floating Hotel", professional but more impersonal and not quite as warm and friendly.

Very well said. Looks like a real difference in the cruise experience. We had a hotel director and a cruise director from Oceania on our last (and I mean never again) Regent cruise and neither was close to a Heike, Philip, Ryszard, Russ, Eric, or Tony.

But there appears to be little real difference when it comes to charters. Just call Katina Athanasiou (formerly of "Royal Caribbean where she led the Charter Sales team and was solely responsible for full-ship charters sold through North American clientele), now VP, Incentive and Charter Sales, at Oceania.

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/charters-and-incentives/

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/charters-and-incentives/our-team/

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/charters-and-incentives/our-services/

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/charters-and-incentives/why-cruise/

The dining room dress requirements are similar to Azamara - that there is no formal dress night. So you may be pleased with that.

 

For dress codes on board different cruise liners, Cruise Critic has quite a helpful article on that. Please go to:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=545

Thanks or taking time to post the other Oceania information. They have some specials now but I'm looking at 2017 and didn't see anything that came close or matched the itinerary we want. Oceania was one of my TA's first suggestion.

Thanks or taking time to post the other Oceania information. They have some specials now but I'm looking at 2017 and didn't see anything that came close or matched the itinerary we want. Oceania was one of my TA's first suggestion.

From the looks at it, it seems like these days, cruise lines tend to drop their price 3-4 months before the cruise.

Correct me if I am wrong, but from what you wrote, I gather you may be retired , so your time may be more flexible than if you are working. You might like to use that to your advantage.

If you wish to go in Sept/Oct 2017, I just wonder if you might get some good deals if you wait till next Apr/May to see if there will be some great deals coming up? However, there is always a risk that there may not be any deals, or it may not be the cruise of your choice, that's the gamble one has to take! From the looks of things, there seems to be always some deals somewhere - have you ever notice any single year over the last 10 years, when there has not been a special fare deal offer? See what I mean?

As for booking very early, unless a cruise deal is so very good , I would try to "resist temptation" to book too early - and then find a few months down the line, I find that I had paid hundreds , if not thousands , more than my fellow cruisers for the same cabin! It happened to me once on another cruise (not Azamara), and I have "learnt" my lesson!!!

I can understand some folks might like to book early because they like to be sure that they get the cruise they want, and the cabin they want. I guess for me, I find it quite nice to get deals but not knowing what will come up until it is only 3-6 months before the cruise begins.

Discuss that with your travel agent and see what he/she says.

Different lines have different strategies but in the last few years with Azamara & Celebrity early booking offers have worked out best and even in the UK if a later deal is better you can swap to it. For example we booked Journey for April 2017 on launch day in November 2014 today the same cruise is 60% more expensive!

We understand the risk of cancellations, charters and itinerary changes, all we expect is fair and considerate treatment from the cruise line when it happens. To date Azamara have always done this, however we are still awaiting the outcome of how the Quest's September 2017 charter will be resolved.

I replied to your question about the dress code above.

 

However, I have to say something which is a "thumbs down" for me about Oceania. Generally, one gets the impression that they think "management is always right, and they know better than customers". So, on Oceania if you have some comments or some constructive criticism about the ship and you approach the staff, don't be taken aback when they give you the kind of "Well, nobody has complained about that before, so how dare you approach us" attitude. Also, things seem so set in stone on Oceania (almost everything has to come from the top!) , even if staff wishes to change anything, they felt they could not do so. Perhaps I was being too sensitive, I don't know.

 

I could be wrong, but I also sense that Azamara is a "happier" ship, at least when I was on-board. The captain loved his job and he loved being with his passengers . That effect trickled down onto the rest of the crew. He was proud of his ship and you were "his" guest. It felt good. Did you feel that as well when you were on board? That effect felt missing on Oceania (not on just one cruise, but several/all of their cruises I have been on). I think I h ave already mentioned on Oceania, the captain and hotel manager seem less to be with the passengers and they seem to keep a distance from them. That is something Oceania could learn from Azamara. Hope they are not too proud to do so.

Amen to what you said about Oceania. It's part of the reason why we stopped sailing with them after 8 cruises.:(

Different lines have different strategies but in the last few years with Azamara & Celebrity early booking offers have worked out best and even in the UK if a later deal is better you can swap to it. For example we booked Journey for April 2017 on launch day in November 2014 today the same cruise is 60% more expensive!

We understand the risk of cancellations, charters and itinerary changes, all we expect is fair and considerate treatment from the cruise line when it happens. To date Azamara have always done this, however we are still awaiting the outcome of how the Quest's September 2017 charter will be resolved.

Our situation has been resolved...took care of it yesterday. For those that are wondering....no, we were not compensated any $$$$$$ and didn't expect to be.

As far as waiting for a later deal on Azamara, it hasn't worked out that way. It seems the "early booking gets the worm". ;). It is true you can get a better price IF it happens to come down.

Good news is that we are all sorted and retain our b2b by booking the earlier 6th September cruise in place of the chartered cruise. Thanks to Richard Twynam and the Azamara UK team it was all resolved quickly.