Itinerary Changes 2012

[shoesonfire]

If itinerary changes for 2012 occur, when do they become available and/or advertised? We are primarily interested in new itineraries in and around North America. With so much unrest in the world, we feel more comfortable planning future cruises closer to home (USA). After 2 cruises, Azamara spoiled us and it's hard to consider other cruise lines. Looking for answers -- hopefully from Bill as well as frequent cruisers.

[California Native]

Our Oct 16, 2012 cruise on the Quest was changed, this past March. We had booked and were under deposit for several months

The itinerary included several stops in Libya and Tunisia.

We had booked direct with AZ and we were not notified by reservation or anyone in the company of this change. It was just done.

Nor were anyone notifications posted on their website.

We found out when we were traveling overseas by Jade13 who saw the changes on the AZ website. She knew we had booked this cruise and was kind enough to post the

information on Cruise Critic to my attention.

The ports were replaced with others in the Med. region

I would not expect them to fully pull ships out of Europe or Asia region and move them back to North America unless a massive full blown war breaks out affecting the entire EU or Asia region.

OR the repostioning cruises from Asia to Europe have issues with HOSTILITY through the Suez Canal which would deem it to be a safety and security issue...which means instead of going west through

the Suez Canal they will have to head East towards California...

All highly unlikely, but you never know.

Your best bet is to see what is being offered in 2013.

Currently South America itineraries are available online for 2013 for AZ for the beginning of the year.

[shoesonfire]

Thanks for the info Where2next! Have always enjoyed reading your posts and your web site is so informative for those like me who haven't traveled much. I certainly don't want Europe and Asia to break out in massive unrest, but would really like to see more AZ cruises leaving from the USA. I prefer to not look as far ahead as 2013, for the same reason I don't buy green bananas and because I'm anxious to get back on an Azamara ship!! Will keep my fingers crossed that maybe something will change closer to home.

[Jade13]

Thanks for the info Where2next! Have always enjoyed reading your posts and your web site is so informative for those like me who haven't traveled much. I certainly don't want Europe and Asia to break out in massive unrest, but would really like to see more AZ cruises leaving from the USA. I prefer to not look as far ahead as 2013, for the same reason I don't buy green bananas and because I'm anxious to get back on an Azamara ship!! Will keep my fingers crossed that maybe something will change closer to home.

 

Bill stated they were moving away from the US because it was not profitable. The Caribbean sailings were heavily discounted.

 

This was posted by Bill last October regarding the 2012 itineraries.

 

"Will Azamara offer cruises departing from Florida in the future?

During our itinerary planning strategy sessions for the current 2012 published voyages, a key objective was to create voyages that could increase the profit potential from each operation while remaining true to our destination immersion objective and to offer worldwide cruise coverage for both vessels. We concluded that it did not make sense to compete in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale market – unhealthy distressed-type pricing and an overwhelming number of competitive offerings. We know that no one, regardless of their net worth is immune from finding a good deal. But it’s all about the “discount” and not “what counts” which for Azamara is the experience which it delivers. We decided, therefore, to remove ourselves from that market and to use San Juan which offered a better opportunity to achieve our objectives."

[shoesonfire]

Quoting Bill on 2012 voyages and leaving Miami: "We decided, therefore, to remove ourselves from that market and to use San Juan which offered a better opportunity to achieve our objectives."

 

As I personally recall the cruises from Miami sailed to full capacity. However, I guess it wasn't profitable for AZ sailing from the continental USA into the Caribbean in 2011 and for winter/spring 2012 the Journey's 7 embarkations out of South America and 1 from Puerto Rico will attract more cruisers and earn more profit. I doubt Azamara cruisers only look for discounts or a good deal - they are generally very discriminating. Oh well!!!

[Andy]

If itinerary changes for 2012 occur, when do they become available and/or advertised? We are primarily interested in new itineraries in and around North America. With so much unrest in the world, we feel more comfortable planning future cruises closer to home (USA). After 2 cruises, Azamara spoiled us and it's hard to consider other cruise lines. Looking for answers -- hopefully from Bill as well as frequent cruisers.

 

Hi Shoesonfire !

 

There's no definitive answer to your question. Itinerary & Deployment changes can happen at any time. As you mentioned, much of it will depend on various conditions in each region. Also, supply and demand will drive where Azamara (or any Cruise line) places their ships.

 

I feel that Azamara should have at least a small presence in the Caribbean & North American itineraries in 2012 and beyond. While I agree with the majority of regions Azamara is sailing... even if they prefer not to offer an entire season in the Caribbean, they should offer a handful of Caribbean sailings each season. In addition to the Caribbean, I believe there are opportunities for Azamara in destinations such as the Panama Canal, Bermuda, and perhaps New England/Canada. I'm sure many of Azamara's US Guests would love to sail closer to Home.

 

I feel that 2012 will continue to present difficult economic conditions. I hope Azamara takes this into consideration should they be looking at itinerary changes for 2012. We have 1 Cruise booked in 2012 - Celebrity Reflection's Inaugural Sailing, as we are keeping our options open, should Azamara return to Miami. I'm not counting on it, but I remain hopeful.

 

BTW, I'm meeting with Azamara's Deployment Manager later this week. I plan to share the highlights with you. Stay Tuned !

[Andy]

As I personally recall the cruises from Miami sailed to full capacity.

Hi Shoesonfire !

 

That's that part which is hard to understand. Most every Journey itinerary (including ours) was sailing at or near capacity. No question, the demand was there... what matters is profitability. The question is, will they fare better in San Juan ? Time will tell.

 

I feel that if Azamara gave it 1 more season, they would have had strong demand, due to the many Guests who sailed this past season, and were pleased with the Azamara product. I have to believe many of those Guests would have booked again. Hopefully, they've opted to sail on other Azamara itineraries.

[California Native]

Thanks for the info Where2next! Have always enjoyed reading your posts and your web site is so informative for those like me who haven't traveled much. I certainly don't want Europe and Asia to break out in massive unrest, but would really like to see more AZ cruises leaving from the USA. I prefer to not look as far ahead as 2013, for the same reason I don't buy green bananas and because I'm anxious to get back on an Azamara ship!! Will keep my fingers crossed that maybe something will change closer to home.

 

 

Thanks for your compliments...its a labor of love..(though it is in desperate need of more attention)

Sorry for all the mistakes in my post...been really sick all week and I think the cold medicine is making

me REALLY out of it!

K.

[California Native]

Hi Shoesonfire !

 

I'm sure many of Azamara's US Guests would love to sail closer to Home.

 

 

BTW, I'm meeting with Azamara's Deployment Manager later this week. I plan to share the highlights with you. Stay Tuned !

 

 

Well, leave it to us to NOT be one of those many US Guests you refer to... :) :) :)

We want exotic,

We want off the beaten shipping lanes...

we want extended port stays...

We want to go places that AZ Captains haven't been.

For example Capt Jason said he hasn't done the South Pacific YET....

Well, I think we need to turn the ships right around and head there..maybe time it to have the ulitmate destination experience and witness the World famous Havaiki Nui..(what a sight that was)...

Capt. Jason is missing out and an AZ ship is the perfect ship for him to have this incredible experience!!!

...When we were there a couple of years ago, it all made sense why Captain Cook stayed in that region for YEARS!!!

For us North America cruising is anti climatic...been there, done that A LOT and we did many of these ports way back before you would ever see another cruise ship there, so we experienced authenticity.

If AZ begins to focus on North America, our cruises with them will be far and few between....unfortunately!

K.

[shoesonfire]

Thanks Andy, nice to read your similar thoughts and questions on future sailings. My husband and I were on the 3/23/11 Caribbean cruise, and prior to our trip I read carefully and with anticipation the CC rolls calls, reviews and boards about the same itineraries prior to ours. Surprisingly, there were several people who were repeating this same cruise they had sailed on Journey in 2010. We in fact met one of the couples on our cruise who did just that. Of course, I have to agree that there are many more adventuresome cruisers and more exotic ports to explore in this world, however, many travelers are content to enjoy the amenities of the ship and make it their destination. As they say, different strokes for different folks.

[California Native]

Surprisingly, there were several people who were repeating this same cruise they had sailed on Journey in 2010. We in fact met one of the couples on our cruise who did just that. Of course, I have to agree that there are many more adventuresome cruisers and more exotic ports to explore in this world, however, many travelers are content to enjoy the amenities of the ship and make it their destination. As they say, different strokes for different folks.

 

 

Totally understand and agree...

when traveling with my mom we do the exotic BUT there has been many many more times that we we have used the ship as the destination in the last 39 years that we have been cruising together

We use it as a girls spa getaway....

when traveling with DH, that's were consistent international travel comes in!!!

[Bill Leiber]

Quoting Bill on 2012 voyages and leaving Miami: "We decided, therefore, to remove ourselves from that market and to use San Juan which offered a better opportunity to achieve our objectives."

 

As I personally recall the cruises from Miami sailed to full capacity. However, I guess it wasn't profitable for AZ sailing from the continental USA into the Caribbean in 2011 and for winter/spring 2012 the Journey's 7 embarkations out of South America and 1 from Puerto Rico will attract more cruisers and earn more profit. I doubt Azamara cruisers only look for discounts or a good deal - they are generally very discriminating. Oh well!!!

Hello Shoesonfire,

 

It’s easy to understand the popularity of “close-to-home” cruising and the peace of mind it offers in these unsettled political times. Thanks to Jade13’s amazing memory recall, she has already shared our corporate thinking about operating cruises from Florida. We’ve come to the same conclusions about deployments to Alaska and Canada & New England. I’ve seen discounts in Alaska for this summer as high as 75%. For our upmarket product, operating in those markets represents some of our most distressed rates. Also, we’re focused on developing unique itineraries that will deliver on our promise of “destination immersion” and we welcome your suggestions.

 

A common expression in the travel industry is “subject to change” and so it will apply also for our itinerary planning as we monitor our sales and the world’s political situation. In the meantime, I’ll keep you updated with our itinerary developments.

 

Thank you for your loyalty to Azamara Club Cruises.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

_______________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

[Jade13]

 

 

We want exotic,

 

We want off the beaten shipping lanes...

 

we want extended port stays...

 

We want to go places that AZ Captains haven't been.

 

For example Capt Jason said he hasn't done the South Pacific YET....

 

Well, I think we need to turn the ships right around and head there..maybe time it to have the ulitmate destination experience and witness the World famous Havaiki Nui..(what a sight that was)...

 

 

K.

 

Ditto, and btw, even though we have been to all 7 continents, we have not been to the South Pacific.

 

We are still waiting for the right Amazon River cruise.

 

I am looking for a cruise close to home to bring one of my stepchildren who have never been on a ship, but Azamara would not be a good fit anyway if she wishes to bring her small children.

[Jade13]

Thanks to Jade13’s amazing memory recall, she has already shared our corporate thinking about operating cruises from Florida. We’ve come to the same conclusions about deployments to Alaska and Canada & New England. I’ve seen discounts in Alaska for this summer as high as 75%.

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

_______________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

 

Hi Bill,

 

Thank you for the compliment. I remembered your post, but still had to look it up.

 

I am surprised that Azamara came to the same conclusion regarding Canada/New England not being a profitable location, at least based on the current market. Perhaps the port fees are part of the issue?

 

I know one of Holland America Line's highest per diems are on their cruises out of Boston. Those prices never go down, and the ship is always oversold. The prices on their "S" class ship (Maasdam) has Veranda's on the 7 night cruises at about $2,500.00 per person. The btb is almost double. We know a couple who does the btb (14 night) every year in a Suite and I believe they pay about 14K.

 

HAL is a mass market line. Their Canada/New England cruises sell out and they are always making offers for people to move to some other sailing. Perhaps Azamara is comparing prices on NCL or Princess? One thing about those ships is that they are too large to go all the way up to Montreal. HAL does the same cruise/ports back and forth year after year. There is room for another smaller ship in the area, especially if they add some more unique ports, including the possibility to go to Newfoundland.

 

HAL did pull Noordam out of NYC because of the distressed market, but now has Veendam going to Bermuda. They are a public company and there is no way they would leave Maasdam from Boston if they were not turning a profit.

[shoesonfire]

I enjoyed hearing and appreciate Bill's comments, where2next, Host Andy, and in particular Jade13. I think Jade13 stroke a good and strong note when she wrote about the HAL's Canadian cruises. There are so many wonderful and interesting nooks and corners up and down the coasts of North America that Azamara could fit into and perhaps have a leg up on competition. Also, many people that make up a large part of Azamara's clientele don't want to travel by air a whole day (or night) to reach the port of embarkation. Surely, Azamara can find it profitable to accommodate and please these folks.

 

Thank you all again, and I'll stay tuned.

[brucedodge]

We want exotic,

We want off the beaten shipping lanes...

we want extended port stays...

We want to go places that AZ Captains haven't been.

 

Hear! Hear!

 

We were booked on the Libyan cruise with you, and now won't be taking it. We are still on the following cruise from Civitavecchia, which still includes Tunisia, and the following transatlantic.

 

One of our best cruises was the Quest from Athens to Singapore, but our favorite so far was Ocean Princess from Cape Town to Dover along the West African coast.

 

Bruce

[Andy]

I enjoyed hearing and appreciate Bill's comments, where2next, Host Andy, and in particular Jade13. I think Jade13 stroke a good and strong note when she wrote about the HAL's Canadian cruises. There are so many wonderful and interesting nooks and corners up and down the coasts of North America that Azamara could fit into and perhaps have a leg up on competition. Also, many people that make up a large part of Azamara's clientele don't want to travel by air a whole day (or night) to reach the port of embarkation. Surely, Azamara can find it profitable to accommodate and please these folks.

 

Thank you all again, and I'll stay tuned.

 

Hi Shoesonfire !

 

Thanks for your kind comments. I'd never suggest that Azamara change their strategy (as another post alluded to), as Azamara is destination oriented. I'm all for that, and it's what makes Azamara a wonderful product. They are fortunate to have one of the best destination experts in the industry.

 

My point was, in the Winter season of 2011 & 2012, (Journey in 2011 & Quest in 2012) Azamara is going to be in this vicinity - so they might as well maximize on it. I wish I could understand how Azamara feels that San Juan will fare better than Miami, but I hope it's successful for them.

 

Jade : I also feel that Azamara should be able to be profitable by offering a couple of Canada / New England sailings per season. We can only hope Azamara is considering it.