2018 FIFA World Cup Russia - any soccer fans out there?

Azamara obviously also do not monitor the way others market their product.

Ever since Pursuits South American and Antarctica cruises where announced a large UK travel agent has been sending out emails claiming that this is the first time Azamara have sailed these waters.

Not true has both Journey and Quest have done it several times.

Advert for 50% off for 2nd passenger:

‘cheer on your country at the World Cup,‘

Both sailings are featured, does this mean that they are not selling well?

Our current promotion, BOGOHO+Internet, is available on 86* voyages spread over 2018 & 2019. It applies to Club Oceanview Stateroom or higher only. The offer ends 2/28/18.

(*in US/Canada markets)

Advert for 50% off for 2nd passenger:

‘cheer on your country at the World Cup,‘

Both sailings are featured, does this mean that they are not selling well?

Saw this thread and decided to read it because we have a Baltics cruise on Journey booked for August, and, since we are not soccer fans, sort of glad I didn't book one of the June cruises. But I am so sorry for what's happened to you.

In regards to this comment, it would seem that Azamara's Baltic cruises for this year are not selling quickly. I was cleaning out some files yesterday and noticed a printout on our August 8 sailing dated early December 2015, which is 2+ years ago. (Didn't book it then but changed to it in Sept 2016 from a 2017 booking). Yet, after all that time, this cruise still has almost half its staterooms available, despite all the promotions offered on it (Nights on Us, this new one, etc). It seems that these 2 "World Cup" cruises have lots of availability as well.

UKtog

Post 11 May have useful information for you:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2579200

Apologies if you have already accessed all the sites.

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UKtog

 

 

 

Post 11 May have useful information for you:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2579200

 

Apologies if you have already accessed all the sites.

 

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Thanks

We’ve already been through all the FIFA options, done all the registrations and applied for tickets for the game. They have until late March to offer us tickets but that is after we have to pay for the cruise. We’ve already got flights and pre/post hotels booked. So our investment may be too large to walk away. It’s going to be so painful for DH to be so near but so far. “Fan fun “ on the ship is absolutely no substitute and could be exactly the place he doesn’t want to be.

We are very very disappointed in Azamara’s handling of this. The fact that they can’t even give out the right visa information shows how inadequate their research was.

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Thanks

We’ve already been through all the FIFA options, done all the registrations and applied for tickets for the game. They have until late March to offer us tickets but that is after we have to pay for the cruise. We’ve already got flights and pre/post hotels booked. So our investment may be too large to walk away. It’s going to be so painful for DH to be so near but so far. “Fan fun “ on the ship is absolutely no substitute and could be exactly the place he doesn’t want to be.

 

We are very very disappointed in Azamara’s handling of this. The fact that they can’t even give out the right visa information shows how inadequate their research was.

I will keep fingers crossed that you get them! This whole thread reflects very badly on Azamara that promotes itself as a "destination immersion" cruiseline.

Phil

I thought I ought to just update everyone, this morning I have a “pensioner” bouncing round our bedroom like Tigger - we got an email that we were successful in the ballot so my three hours online during our Journey cruise at Christmas was truly worth it. Match 39 here we come and now having made absolutely no real plans for our World Cup cruise I have some research to get on with pronto.

Still feel this could have been handled better by Azamara at the outset but all’s well that ends well!

Now friends I will be watching Nigeria [emoji1184] vs Argentina [emoji1033]- what colours should I wear. I thought about taking this well travelled flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 to confuse everyone!

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Now friends I will be watching Nigeria [emoji1184] vs Argentina [emoji1033]- what colours should I wear. I thought about taking this well travelled flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 to confuse everyone!

How about the flag of the Falkland Islands? [emoji6]🤣

How about the flag of the Falkland Islands? [emoji6]

Don't think so, remember what happened to Top Gear.

Congratulations on a successful outcome.

Glad you got tickets! Enjoy it. Both are good teams, so I guess it will be a good match.

About the colors, what does your heart tells you?

Ivi

I thought I ought to just update everyone, this morning I have a “pensioner” bouncing round our bedroom like Tigger - we got an email that we were successful in the ballot so my three hours online during our Journey cruise at Christmas was truly worth it. Match 39 here we come and now having made absolutely no real plans for our World Cup cruise I have some research to get on with pronto.

 

Still feel this could have been handled better by Azamara at the outset but all’s well that ends well!

 

Now friends I will be watching Nigeria [emoji1184] vs Argentina [emoji1033]- what colours should I wear. I thought about taking this well travelled flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 to confuse everyone!

 

 

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As a huge football fan I have been following this thread and am so glad that your DH will get to see a World Cup game.

And you can both enjoy it without any stress as you have no real vested interest in either side.

Guess this means you won't be transferring to our June Quest cruise?😃

As a huge football fan I have been following this thread and am so glad that your DH will get to see a World Cup game.

 

And you can both enjoy it without any stress as you have no real vested interest in either side.

 

Guess this means you won't be transferring to our June Quest cruise?😃

Indeed, I asked DH who he would support and having worked on and off in Nigeria he was emphatic - Argentina hmmm. Yes we were about to make the final decision whether to transfer to Quest, that was on this weekends to do list so we will leave you all in peace until another time - but then its over to you to keep a certain person in order!

Indeed, I asked DH who he would support and having worked on and off in Nigeria he was emphatic - Argentina hmmm. Yes we were about to make the final decision whether to transfer to Quest, that was on this weekends to do list so we will leave you all in peace until another time - but then its over to you to keep a certain person in order!

Well, we can but try Ann! 😄

So glad C will get to see a World Cup game though.

I would imagine that you feel more sympathetic towards Nigeria. After all it was a former Colony from Britain, am I right? There must be something in common. While with Argentina...that is another subject.

Anyhow, main thing you enjoy it. I am so glad that things have worked out for you and your husband.

Ivi

Very happy for both you and your husband. I hope the day at the game will be awesome & memorable for you.

Kathy

Very happy for both you and your husband. I hope the day at the game will be awesome & memorable for you.

 

Kathy

Totally agree.

For those on this itinerary there may be more tickets available than usual. BBC 4 reported this weekend that the number of British fans is expected to be about one-half that of the previous World Cup.

Will be interesting if the same trend occurs in other nations.

Lucky for us, Crystal has said nothing about the fact that they are docked in St. Petersburg during a World Cup match, leaving us to diligently secure our own tickets during the first FIFA lottery.

On the other hand, I expect there will be some passengers on the ship who will wish that they had known about the soccer match, since they would have done the legwork to get tickets.

Then again, I think tickets will continue to be available, and one can probably still get them on the ground in SPB if needed (assuming they make time to get the FAN ID).

We booked this cruise nearly two years ago purely on the basis that we could go to a world cup game in St Petersburg. We received a letter from Azamara only 2 weeks ago telling us that despite them advertising the cruise as Baltic and World Cup cruise, tickets were not included !

We have been in contact with an Azamara agent (Reuben) regarding tickets. He has either been trained extremely poorly by Azamara or has little or no understanding of what he is talking about. He has told us that the hospitality tickets are $850 dollars - this isn't the case. For the game that we are in St Petersburg for they are $1,100. (For the three of therefore it would be $3,300 + the Azamara cost ($99p/p) - for ONE football game). His answer to that was that the cheaper prices must be sold out. That isn't the case - as the world cup progresses, the price increases. He then said that we could buy ordinary tickets but as many on this site have found out - we are FAR TOO LATE to go down this route. His attitude and knowledge is, to put it politely, is extremely poor. The consequences of all of this is we will have no choice other than cancel the cruise and I will have a very disappointed husband who had promised our son that he would take him to a world cup game and a son who is trying to be as grown up as he can be but ultimately is extremely disappointed.

I am angry and extremely disappointed at Azamara US. This is no way to run a supposedly customer facing business.

I am so sorry about your disappointment I know how you must be feeling. Are there no ordinary tickets left - if you haven’t cancelled yet how about trying yourself through FIFA.com the official route. That’s what we did. It was relatively easy to do.

I suspect you’re on 29 June sailing so it’s a following round match? The irony is tickets may come up for that late on as fans go home if their team is knocked out. I’d also search fan websites for ticket resales.

I knew that tickets were extra but do agree this was a situation Azamara did not handle well at all.

I hope maybe you can get something and save your dream.

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I am so sorry about your disappointment I know how you must be feeling. Are there no ordinary tickets left - if you haven’t cancelled yet how about trying yourself through FIFA.com the official route. That’s what we did. It was relatively easy to do.

I suspect you’re on 29 June sailing so it’s a following round match? The irony is tickets may come up for that late on as fans go home if their team is knocked out. I’d also search fan websites for ticket resales.

 

I knew that tickets were extra but do agree this was a situation Azamara did not handle well at all.

 

I hope maybe you can get something and save your dream.

 

 

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Thanks for the support.

I have tried the "ordinary" route with no success. It is made worse buy the fact that when registering you have to declare your country which for us is Scotland, and we didn't qualify so my understanding is that that also affects your chances. However we might have had a better chance if Azamara had told us earlier and made sure that despite the cruise being called "Baltic & World Cup Voyage" - we were on our own re tickets.

I am SO angry but I am going to try and stop the rant. My hope about all these posts is that other folk in a similar situation may find out earlier.

Thanks for the support.

 

I have tried the "ordinary" route with no success. It is made worse buy the fact that when registering you have to declare your country which for us is Scotland, and we didn't qualify so my understanding is that that also affects your chances. However we might have had a better chance if Azamara had told us earlier and made sure that despite the cruise being called "Baltic & World Cup Voyage" - we were on our own re tickets.

 

I am SO angry but I am going to try and stop the rant. My hope about all these posts is that other folk in a similar situation may find out earlier.

I too am from Scotland but and you will appreciate how hard it was, I booked us down as being supporters of England. In any event the game we will see is Argentina v Nigeria so it is academic. I totally understand why you are so angry and why you feel earlier notification would have helped. We were very very lucky and despite things, managed to get two tickets.

Congrats to uktog - and really sorry it didn't work out for cruiselover40.

Again, the blame rests squarely with Azamara - I think it was totally mishandled by them from start to finish.

I get updates a couple times a month from Ticketmaster with local venues and events. Sometimes for New York etc. I got a free standing one today for the World Cup in Russia. Why I have no clue. I get offers for Free tickets for soccer games in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium all the time. Probably because I am a Dolphins season ticket holder. I never take them as I am not a soccer fan. For those of you who were looking for tickets you might want to try Ticketmaster because they clearly have some for sale. I didn;t open the part where it said what games and prices but hey might be worth a try.

Kathy

Ticketmaster currently have no tickets on sale for the World Cup grounds - well certainly in the UK where the poster is based. FIFA are also taking steps with other resellers to remove their ability to sell tickets. You have to have FanID which you can only get through FIFA to go.

I suspect it was the FIFA restrictions that stopped Azamara getting tickets for guests, the problem was they weren’t quick or proactive in telling guests this.

Now of course as a UK based fan, we might still have other hurdles to overcome- hope we don’t!

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Ticketmaster currently have no tickets on sale for the World Cup grounds - well certainly in the UK where the poster is based. FIFA are also taking steps with other resellers to remove their ability to sell tickets. You have to have FanID which you can only get through FIFA to go.

 

I suspect it was the FIFA restrictions that stopped Azamara getting tickets for guests, the problem was they weren’t quick or proactive in telling guests this.

 

Now of course as a UK based fan, we might still have other hurdles to overcome- hope we don’t!

 

 

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Bearing in mind the current situation Ann I am pleased that the match you and your DH have selected doesn't involve England.