Azamara's Big Announcement

[cruiseyguy]

I think "meow" is on the right track. This is clearly an effort to create something different than before, not simply a "mini-me" of Celebrity. And I'm sure they've considered the probability that it won't be a good fit for some current clients. If Azamara is priced within the range of Oceania but offers more amenities, wouldn't all but die-hard Oceania loyalists at least consider it? Of course they will and they will bring higher net margins than does the current passenger profile.

[California Native]

So, I would like to pose this question, since they do need to find passengers to fill the inside cabins.

This is based on what we are currently booked

24 days in category 10 in Oct and Nov 2010

for a cost of about 4800.00 PER PERSON for both cruises

If we booked a suite for just 1 cruise it would be about 4800.00 per person

So, economically speaking what is better for Azamara?

I would think 24 days....

As mentioned in other postings we are a bit young and poor to be sailing on AZ according to Larry and Edie's intended demographic.

doesnt make sense to me...

[cpgrneyes]

Well, it's done. The new prices are posted, and my 14 day cruise in August 2010 shows a 12.5% increase from the price this morning, and a whopping 28% increase over the price we paid when booked just 60 days ago. I decided to splurge on a Sky Suite, and the cheapest veranda cabin is actually more than what we will be paying in the SS factoring in the OBC we got from Azamara.

 

Wowzer.

[cpgrneyes]

BTW, even with the increase, Azamara is still substantially less expensive than Oceania. For a very similar itinerary leaving in the same month, O is about 35% higher than A without any of the new included items.

[uktog]

Wow they have gone up - our Jan 2011 cruise would now cost £2300 more ($3700) and the increase since we booked is 38%

 

One thing on the Azamara UK booking site, it is still including a sum for gratuities though I presume you would uncheck that box when booking. It is a shame that they have not managed to get a new website up and running to reflect their new offering

[DaveFr]

BTW, even with the increase, Azamara is still substantially less expensive than Oceania. For a very similar itinerary leaving in the same month, O is about 35% higher than A without any of the new included items.

Maybe I'm missing something but I don't see how you arrive at a 35% higher fare for Oceania. My guess is that the fare you are using for Oceania contains things such as air fare and taxes that are not included in the Azamara fare. Am I wrong?

 

I calculated the fare for a S2 Club Continental Suite (Sky Suite) on your 8/2910 14-night Azamara cruise without air. The per person fare, including taxes, is now $6751.26.

 

The per person fare for the Oceania cruise I believe you used (8/10/10 14-night Copenhagen to Lisbon) in a Penthouse 3 suite is now $6394.00 without air. Adding $231 for gratuities brings the total to $6625.00.

 

So by my calculations, an apples-to-apples comparison between the two cruises shows that the Oceania cruise is $125.26 less expensive than the Azamara cruise, not 35% more expensive.

 

Please let me know if I've missed something or made a mistake.

 

Dave

[pratzert]

BTW, even with the increase, Azamara is still substantially less expensive than Oceania. For a very similar itinerary leaving in the same month, O is about 35% higher than A without any of the new included items.

 

I don't think you are comparing apples to apples. Nearly every sailing I see on "A" is now as expensive as on "O", or actually more.

 

Are you comparing cruises with the same number of days ? Included airfare ?

 

Even before "A" increased their rates 32%, the sailing I looked at and compared were more expensive than "O", especially since I got a nice OBC and PPD Grats from "O".

[cpgrneyes]

Sorry, I checked through an online TA, not through Oceania, and assumed since the prices for Azamara were correct they would be for O as well. However, the fare on Oceania for the P3 suite is $7,653 PP without taxes, so probably $7,850 (the $2,000 per stateroom discount is already applied to the fares they show on their site). I've booked my airfare using miles, so that's not a benefit to me, but even if it was figured at $1,000, O is a couple of hundred dollars more without the gratuities, wine, sodas, etc.

 

To my mind, if I was booking again, I'd compare the two for itineraries knowing there was not a big price difference. When I booked, it was thousands of dollars versus the current hundreds. I would, however, factor in Azamara's included wine, sodas, coffees...And I also received a nice OBC package from my TA in addition to A's OBC offered in October - just not sure how I'll use it all up now!

[susiesan]

BTW, even with the increase, Azamara is still substantially less expensive than Oceania. For a very similar itinerary leaving in the same month, O is about 35% higher than A without any of the new included items.

 

Not the case for a cruise I may book:

 

Jan. 22, 2011 Regatta 12 day Caribbean Cat G cabin 4038 $1579 ppd grats

Feb. 15, 2011 Journey 12 day Caribbean Cat 12 cabin 4038 $2507

 

That's $928 more on AZ. That would be a heck of a lot of wine and water, and loads and loads of laundry.

[hondorner]

...O is a couple of hundred dollars more without the gratuities, wine, sodas, etc...

Oceania announced months ago that they would be including unlimited sodas and bottled water in all locations aboard ship beginning with the 2010 Summer season, starting in April, 2010. This includes all bars, all dining rooms and the mini bar in cabins, and is not fountain sodas. Oceania has always included multiple days in many key ports including Dubrovnik, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Venice, St. Petersburg (3 days), Rio and several others I can't recall from memory.

 

While Oceania offers "free" air, it is really included in the quoted price, and a credit is obtained if you book your own air, reducing the total price.

 

Many travel agents include gratuities on Oceania as part of the incentives for booking with them.

 

Both specialty restaurants are available free of charge (and no tipping) to all passengers. Both specialty restaurants are open every night, not alternating. Guests are guaranteed at least one reservation in each specialty restaurant, but additional reservations are easily obtained and remain free to all guests (some guests report difficulty in getting an additional reservation, but that is rare, and may be due to an inflexible request). The grand dining room is open for every meal whether in port or not.

 

What this "big" announcement amounts to is a few glasses of house wine. Oceania offers 2 for 1 drinks, including glasses of wine, during happy hour.

 

I don't know why I'm posting this, however -- most Oceania cruises sail full, and it's best to book as much as 18 months in advance to get the stateroom you want. The more people that sail on Azamara, the easier it will be for me to get the cabin I want on Oceania if I book a little later...

[cpgrneyes]

I'm just thrilled that we are getting a great deal, I did not intend to enter into a competition, and apologize that I posted incorrect quotes! Our cruise is a nice, large cabin (SS), 14 days, including wine, gratuities, sodas, etc., over $1,000 in OBC, at under $10K. Booking early apparently pays well, and right now, I couldn't come close to the deal we have on either O or A.