Land Discoveries 72 Hour sale

Did anyone else receive this email? It hit my mailbox 8 a.m. today CST and is advertising 20% off select land Discoveries on my upcoming voyage. However the link to RCCL brings up an error message that website is down and they are working on it . . . SIGH. I’m wondering if there’s going to be any way to use OBC credit for this sale price (we were actually thinking of purchasing one of the add-on packages with beverages, spa credit, shore Discoveries credit etc.). This group is always so clever with the “workarounds” that seem so necessary with Azamara because they make everything pre-cruise so challenging!

Did you try logging in through the Voyage Planner? It works for me. For some reason that is the only way I can access my reservation as I can’t login through the main page.

Is this only for the USA :(

Would have been nice for the upcoming cruises where I do not have much OBC

well - darn! I can actually access the Voyage Planner, but don't see any sales prices.

I got the email and the "OOPS" not working, also looked at the shore excursions for my cruise--no bargains there. 20% off, I MIGHT book some trips where we planned to just walk around.

I think we have to go in via the email link to get the sale prices but link is still not working. I’ve tweeted to Azamara and Le Club Voyage to see if they can help. Stay tuned!

I'm having the same problem. Six hours of 'Oops'. I don't know if I'm sad or glad though. I've already booked and paid for four excursions that I plan to cancel and use OBC for once on board in Oct. I was dreading the idea of finding them discounted, canceling, rebooking for less, then canceling again to use the OBC. Don't know if the 20% would be worth it, except given the included drinks issue, I might use what I saved to do an upgrade!

Melissa

Melissa, I just got into the sale through the Voyage Planner. You are not missing much and probably got better prices booking earlier. Only one of the land Discoveries we were interested in was on sale, there seems to be just one on sale for each port. AND, what I found interesting is how the prices have been increased/or manipulated even for those not on sale. Two weeks ago I was sent the list and prices by Le Club because I couldn’t get into the Voyage Planner and the prices on the website are quite different now. For example - previous price $89 - 20% sale price $79 (not a 20% discount). Previous price $62, now $69, previous price $79, now $119!!!! Previous price $109 now $159!!!! Wow. I knew the prices increased as the date got closer but those are ridiculous increases. It’s put us off from booking any others.

Seems the same old story . . . raise the price before offering the "wonderful" discount.

As is the case with "price guarantee" only for those in USA.

There's a heck of a lot more world providing cruisers!

I did as Allison suggested and got to the sale through Voyage Planner. Three of the 4 tours I'd booked are now more expensive than I'd paid and weren't included in the sale. One was reduced enough that I would've canceled and rebooked, but when I tried to get beyond the description, I got a message saying that availability may have changed and to check on board. It had been canceled once, several months ago, then reinstated. Looks like now, it's probably filled up at the sale price. I'm sorry I paid more for that one, but over all, I paid less booking earlier, sale or no sale. How naive I am! I had no idea tour prices fluctuated!

Melissa

If you’re getting an error when clicking on the link, you can view shore excursions through our Voyage Planner.

The discount has already been applied to the price.

Link to voyage planner:

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/book-shore-excursions

1st time on Azamara doing b2b in Aug/Sept and again on Feb. Disappointed to see shore excursions we're interested in jump from $89 to $149pp and $149 to $179pp in a matter of days.....with a supposed discount. Sorry to see we should have booked and payed in advance, then cancelled once on board in order to use OBC. If we had played that game what rate would we be charged when cancelling/rebooking on noard?

Sent from my SM-J727T using Forums mobile app

Sorry to see we should have booked and payed in advance, then cancelled once on board in order to use OBC. If we had played that game what rate would we be charged when cancelling/rebooking on noard?

 

Sent from my SM-J727T using Forums mobile app

My question as well, though I'm afraid I know the answer. The long promised ability to book with OBC in advance has never happened and unless prices go down after the sale (highly unlikely!) this will amount to a surcharge for those of us who've used the work around. Really, really poor PR. The money's spent though, and it seemed like plenty at the time, so I think I'll just suck it up and have more massages and manicures instead of rebooking the excursions at additional cost.

-Melissa

Sorry to see we should have booked and payed in advance, then cancelled once on board in order to use OBC. If we had played that game what rate would we be charged when cancelling/rebooking on noard?

Sent from my SM-J727T using Forums mobile app

The only bonus as far as early booking then cancel and re-book with OBC is locking in a place on an excursion you really want to do and you worry it may sell out.

Re-booking . . . mostly, but not always, prices are higher than they were before boarding.

Anyone outside USA is at a disadvantage having to pre-book in their local currency (that with which they booked the cruise). The currency on board and therefore the refund is in $US (hello exchange rates and currency conversion fees, although I believe at least one regular cruiser had the refund made to her account and was able to use it on board, avoiding the extra charges).

As I understand it the refund is always made to your onboard account initially, then refunded to your credit card if not spent onboard, so you will always have the choice of spending it. However, if you were going to do that, you might as well have left the pre-booking in place and just spent your OBC on other things anyway.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

As I understand it the refund is always made to your onboard account initially, then refunded to your credit card if not spent onboard, so you will always have the choice of spending it. However, if you were going to do that, you might as well have left the pre-booking in place and just spent your OBC on other things anyway.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

That may be the case now, or the person I dealt with made a mistake, as I was not given any choice other than refund to credit card the only time so far I have pre-booked.

As I understand it the refund is always made to your onboard account initially, then refunded to your credit card if not spent onboard, so you will always have the choice of spending it. However, if you were going to do that, you might as well have left the pre-booking in place and just spent your OBC on other things anyway.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Absolutely correct, the information from the other poster was out of date, there were issues a few years ago, but if you remember after pushing on these boards, Bonnie kindly championed that the net dollar effect of reversing transactions would be zero (let’s avoid exchange rate debates!) Maybe the operator didn’t explain its an indirect route to your card. Also it’s to the card you use onboard it’s not necessarily the card you paid to book the excursion

As evidence In March and April I did this with 16 excursions across two cruises. They call up something on their system that knows the dollar equivalent of what you paid - that is the price being charged in dollars the day you bought the excursion- and that is what you are refunded.

The initial refund is as refundable OBC so it is also an additional kitty for onboard funds if you want. The other thing, you can alternatively withdraw you balance in dollar cash the last evening if you want, useful in some circumstances

Sent from my iPad using Forums

"the information from the other poster was out of date"

I posted my experience.

I am pleased to know that what I experienced no longer applies!

When we cancelled onboard and rebooked using our OBC last year, we had to pay the higher onboard price for the excursions...

I didn't realize the excursion prices were dynamic and would increase over time. Thanks for making me aware of it. I was oblivious to it.

When we cancelled onboard and rebooked using our OBC last year, we had to pay the higher onboard price for the excursions...

Thanks for the clarification. Sounds like the only advantage to pre-booking and then cancelling onboard to use OBC is to secure a spot on the excursion.

Do that many sell out and/or are not available to book once onboard?

When we cancelled onboard and rebooked using our OBC last year, we had to pay the higher onboard price for the excursions...

I have printed out the post from Bonnie which confirms that tours re booked with OBC will be refunded at the US ticket price at time of pre booking and it is safely in my folder for day one of the cruise. (OCD travel planner)

it is post 60 of the thread last added to Dec 18, 2017 if any one else needs it.

I have printed out the post from Bonnie which confirms that tours re booked with OBC will be refunded at the US ticket price at time of pre booking and it is safely in my folder for day one of the cruise. (OCD travel planner)

 

it is post 60 of the thread last added to Dec 18, 2017 if any one else needs it.

When we cancelled onboard and rebooked using our OBC last year, we had to pay the higher onboard price for the excursions...

Understand about the refund being the price that you paid when pre-booking. I think laurieb's post confirmed what Bonnie has said. My questions have been about re-booking once onboard. I pre-booked at $89pp for an excursion. Refund onboard will be $89pp but the price of the excursion is now $159pp. Using OBC I'm not charged the going rate of $159pp. Only thing I've gained is a spot on the excursion from what I've read on this thread.

Understand about the refund being the price that you paid when pre-booking. I think laurieb's post confirmed what Bonnie has said. My questions have been about re-booking once onboard. I pre-booked at $89pp for an excursion. Refund onboard will be $89pp but the price of the excursion is now $159pp. Using OBC I'm not charged the going rate of $159pp. Only thing I've gained is a spot on the excursion from what I've read on this thread.

Your rebooking would be processed at $89

Your rebooking would be processed at $89

Thanks for the clarification. It was exactly what I wanted to know.

- Melissa