If I book shore excursions now, will I???

Sit tight for another week or so. I'm expecting / hoping for a resolution soon. (yn)

We sail on the Feb. 20 Quest voyage and I would like to book our shore excursions sooner than later since the ship is almost sold out. I’m trying to get a definitive answer on the “work around” to use OBC and the problem some people are having on board getting their OBC amount recognized. I really don’t want to waste part of my vacation fighting with anyone. Thanks.

We sail on the Feb. 20 Quest voyage and I would like to book our shore excursions sooner than later since the ship is almost sold out. I’m trying to get a definitive answer on the “work around” to use OBC and the problem some people are having on board getting their OBC amount recognized. I really don’t want to waste part of my vacation fighting with anyone. Thanks.

FYI the message you quoted was posted a bit over 3 months ago, already 2 weeks into 2018 and still waiting for a resolution. Good luck getting a definitive answer.

We sail on the Feb. 20 Quest voyage and I would like to book our shore excursions sooner than later since the ship is almost sold out. I’m trying to get a definitive answer on the “work around” to use OBC and the problem some people are having on board getting their OBC amount recognized. I really don’t want to waste part of my vacation fighting with anyone. Thanks.

The work-around is that you pre-book shore excursions using your credit card, and once aboard go to our Land Discoveries desk and ask them to rebook your selected tours using your OBC. It is very easy and there will be no confrontation from the Land Discoveries staff. They are happy to make the switch for you.

John,

 

I can't see what it has got to do with my Credit Card company.

 

All a bit of a mess - but life must go on.

 

Tony

If the transaction is different than what I had agreed to, I will advise my CC company that there is a dispute. If the vendor does not resolve the problem then the CC company will investigate.

Usually the vendor wants to stay on the right side of the CC company and will resolve the problem, as they don't want their payment reversed.

The process might differ in other countries.

John

The work-around is that you pre-book shore excursions using your credit card, and once aboard go to our Land Discoveries desk and ask them to rebook your selected tours using your OBC. It is very easy and there will be no confrontation from the Land Discoveries staff. They are happy to make the switch for you.

The work around did not work as planned on our Dec 22nd cruise. They simply cancelled and rebooked the shore excursions which resulted in a credit/debit transaction pair with a net 0 result.

When I went down to the excursions desk to query, there was someone ahead of me that was explaining the problem to them. I did not wait around to pursue the problem, and I don't know what the solution was.

My better half wanted a ring with her birthstone which is ruby and that took care of the OBC issue.

I am pretty confident that some solution was reached as there were a number of guests with $2,500 of OBC that would have required shore excursions to consume about half of the credit.

By now, the onboard staff should be aware of what has to be done.

If the transaction is different than what I had agreed to, I will advise my CC company that there is a dispute. If the vendor does not resolve the problem then the CC company will investigate.

Usually the vendor wants to stay on the right side of the CC company and will resolve the problem, as they don't want their payment reversed.

I agreed to pay for my trips in GBP. I agreed to a cruise where the OB account operates in dollars.

A trip is cancelled so my OB account is refunded - in dollars because they can't refund it in GBP.

Can you honestly expect a Credit Card company to get involved - even less likely when two credit card companies (in my case) were involved? Which one takes up the argument?

It will never happen.

Tony

Azamara says shore excursions are small, limited to 25. But the buses uses in Cuba are the big buses, they said when I asked about bathrooms on the bus. So are the buses not filled?

The work around did not work as planned on our Dec 22nd cruise. They simply cancelled and rebooked the shore excursions which resulted in a credit/debit transaction pair with a net 0 result.

 

When I went down to the excursions desk to query, there was someone ahead of me that was explaining the problem to them. I did not wait around to pursue the problem, and I don't know what the solution was.

 

My better half wanted a ring with her birthstone which is ruby and that took care of the OBC issue.

 

I am pretty confident that some solution was reached as there were a number of guests with $2,500 of OBC that would have required shore excursions to consume about half of the credit.

 

By now, the onboard staff should be aware of what has to be done.

I'm not understanding? Are you saying you pre booked with a credit card, and, once onboard, our LD desk personnel cancelled but rebooked using your same credit card again, not your OBC? I've not heard of that happening before. Please accept my apology on behalf of our ship personnel.

I'm not understanding? Are you saying you pre booked with a credit card, and, once onboard, our LD desk personnel cancelled but rebooked using your same credit card again, not your OBC? I've not heard of that happening before. Please accept my apology on behalf of our ship personnel.

We were on the December 22 cruise and canceled and rebooked several excursions. They were all credited properly and we paid for those excursions with our nonrefundable OBC.

Both the credits and charges do appear on your onboard account, but the credits are effectively refundable to you and eventually are credited to your credit card in a lump sum along with any unspent refundable OBC. This sounds exactly like what NeverStopLearning described. It does show up as a zero balance but the credit is refunded to you as a positive balance at the end of the cruise and the charge goes against your OBC from Azamara.

A simple example: You have $100 in nonrefundable OBC. You pre-book a $100 excursion on your credit card. When you board you go to the excursion desk and cancel the excursion and rebook. Your account shows a credit for $100 and a charge for $100, a net of zero. But the $100 charge goes against your $100 of nonrefundable OBC, wiping out that nonrefundable OBC, and you are left with a $100 credit balsnce at cruise end. That $100 credit balance is then credited to your credit card, effectively a refund of your initial $100 charge for the excursion.

Sounds to me like it was handled properly for NeverStopLearning.

I just received written confirmation from Az Customer Service that the "work-around" for 2018 shore excursions will be honored.

The work-around is that you pre-book shore excursions using your credit card, and once aboard go to our Land Discoveries desk and ask them to rebook your selected tours using your OBC. It is very easy and there will be no confrontation from the Land Discoveries staff. They are happy to make the switch for you.

Thank you for responding. I didn’t think the ships staff would be anything but accommodating based on how well we were treated before.

I'm not understanding? Are you saying you pre booked with a credit card, and, once onboard, our LD desk personnel cancelled but rebooked using your same credit card again, not your OBC? I've not heard of that happening before. Please accept my apology on behalf of our ship personnel.

My apologies for my tardiness. I started the cruise with an onboard credit of $2,500. The shore excursions desk cancelled my bookings which credited my OBC account by $1,200 (approx) and then rebooked my excursions which debited the account by $1,200 which left me with my original $2,500 balance.

The excursions were originally booked two months prior on my credit card.

There was no re-imbursement to the credit card.

However, it all worked out in the end. My dear wife was happy with the excursions and the ring. If she is happy then I am happy. Life is simple.

We were on the December 22 cruise and canceled and rebooked several excursions. They were all credited properly and we paid for those excursions with our nonrefundable OBC.

 

Both the credits and charges do appear on your onboard account, but the credits are effectively refundable to you and eventually are credited to your credit card in a lump sum along with any unspent refundable OBC. This sounds exactly like what NeverStopLearning described. It does show up as a zero balance but the credit is refunded to you as a positive balance at the end of the cruise and the charge goes against your OBC from Azamara.

 

A simple example: You have $100 in nonrefundable OBC. You pre-book a $100 excursion on your credit card. When you board you go to the excursion desk and cancel the excursion and rebook. Your account shows a credit for $100 and a charge for $100, a net of zero. But the $100 charge goes against your $100 of nonrefundable OBC, wiping out that nonrefundable OBC, and you are left with a $100 credit balsnce at cruise end. That $100 credit balance is then credited to your credit card, effectively a refund of your initial $100 charge for the excursion.

 

Sounds to me like it was handled properly for NeverStopLearning.

It may have been, but it was never explained to me in the manner that you described. However, I really didn't push the matter as it was at the start of the cruise.

The problem that I see is that the shipboard accounting system does not have the detail needed to show the credit to the refundable obc and the debit to the-non-refundable obc. All you see are the credit/debit pairs. If you are used to looking at a ledger, you make the simple assumption that the two items are cancelling each other out.

If Lindsay, had not wanted her ring, I would have gone back after Christmas on a sea day and would have had the situation explained to me.

Regardless, it all worked out in the end.

It may have been, but it was never explained to me in the manner that you described. However, I really didn't push the matter as it was at the start of the cruise.

 

The problem that I see is that the shipboard accounting system does not have the detail needed to show the credit to the refundable obc and the debit to the-non-refundable obc. All you see are the credit/debit pairs. If you are used to looking at a ledger, you make the simple assumption that the two items are cancelling each other out.

 

If Lindsay, had not wanted her ring, I would have gone back after Christmas on a sea day and would have had the situation explained to me.

 

Regardless, it all worked out in the end.

The excursion desk would have explained this for you but you chose not to "wait around" for an explanation. The good news is: your wife has a nice ring as a result and is very happy.:):)

We are booked on the March 19th Cuba & Grand Cayman voyage. If I book our shore excursions now, will I be able to change the payment from my credit card to OBC prior to the sailing or when we are onboard? I would like to book the excursions in the next few weeks as I'm a bit concerned that the shore excursions for Cuba are rather limited. Is it possible that Azamara will be adding excursions? It appears from Bonnie's posts on CC, that we should be able to change our FOP to our OBC. Is this correct? I'm sorry if this subject has been addressed in the past. However, I could not find an answer to the question for March 2018 cruises.

Anyone having issues booking excursions on Azamara's site? I select an excursion and I place it in my cart , select number of guests and there is no drop down for date, time, etc. and then errors out.

Booked 5 tours on my I pad last weekend great until I tried to pay by debit card. It refused so in the end phoned up on the Monday. No problem lovely girl booked them wished I had done this before.

Anyone having issues booking excursions on Azamara's site? I select an excursion and I place it in my cart , select number of guests and there is no drop down for date, time, etc. and then errors out.

Yes I cannot get into the Voyage Planner at all today. Phoning could be an option but having just had my phone bill and found how much my call to pay for the cruise cost I think I will give it a few days to see if the bug goes away.

It’s currently saying my cruise details are incorrect and I 100% know they are not. I also tried the Pre Planner link in the email I got last week, that takes me to the old booking engine which has the incorrect excursions on it. Not sure what would happen if I tried to book them!

I also had trouble booking a shore excursion and Amazing Evening on line. My TA called for me and booked with no problem. The TA reported that the Azamara call center person was friendly and very helpful. Five months to our 1st Azamara cruise, excited!

Oh dear I hope I spoke to someone in England. It did say 7p a minute. Last night I booked the Azamara evening without any problems on my Samsung ipad.

Yes I cannot get into the Voyage Planner at all today. Phoning could be an option but having just had my phone bill and found how much my call to pay for the cruise cost I think I will give it a few days to see if the bug goes away.

It’s currently saying my cruise details are incorrect and I 100% know they are not. I also tried the Pre Planner link in the email I got last week, that takes me to the old booking engine which has the incorrect excursions on it. Not sure what would happen if I tried to book them!

I've sent this post to our webgurus. Thanks for letting us know!

Hopefully the problem(s) have been corrected! Here's the response I received:

"There was a migration last night to address the web issues you mention. Please let us know if guests are still having trouble."

P.s. If you still have our page open from yesterday, refresh your browser, then check.