Important update about azamara's uk operation

[Mrs Miggins]

Our friends have invited us to join them on a Azamara Cruise in September - and we are now all booked. Really looking forward to the experience after travelling previously with Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity.

 

However I must add my thoughts on the website - when googled you are directed to the Azamara.com website. On looking at the Contact Us page I then telephoned the given telephone number only to be told that this number was Celebrity and that it had been changed to another number - this was answered as Celebrity Cruises again. I then found a UK website - and eventually spoke to someone after pressing several different options. I only wanted to order a brochure ! I had previously done this online several weeks ago - but nothing received.

 

As I had found what I thought was the UK website I thought I would investigate other cruises possibly early summer - but on searching for a cruise I am immediately again shown offers in US dollars.

 

Surely it is not difficult to fix this - why is there not a proper UK site.

and I see from the previous post there may be benefits that we are not aware of. eg I am Platinum Royal Caribbean - does this have any benefit on Azamara - who would know ?

 

Our friends had a fabulous time last year and we feel the Azamara experience may well be for us now that our 18 year old is independent and doesnt want to travel with a load of old people !

[Bill Leiber]

Hello Parent -

 

I appreciate your taking your valuable time to report your experience with using the Azamara Ambassadors' programme and for your suggestion to add the three new email addresses to the UK Azamara website.

 

I have passed on your comments to the Ambassador's programme leader about your impression that you were not dealing with a member of the dedicated Azamara trained team located within the London office. Once I have something to report, I will do so.

 

I hope that we'll have the opportunity to welcome you aboard again sometime later this year.

 

Regards,

 

Bill Leiber

________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

Hello Cornishe Traveller -

 

We're pleased to learn that your Azamara experience to the Antarctica was fantastic and that you've decided to vacation with us again!

 

I'm sorry for the frustration that you experienced with your flight arrangements. I have sent your dilemma to the dedicated UK Air Planning team of 4 who manages all of the Azamara flight sourcing and inventory to provide them with feedback about your specific incident. We realize that improvements will not occur like the flip of a light-switch but your details will ensure that their overall operation will become more proficient. FYI: the air team has a dedicated email address: Azamaraflights.uk@rccl.com.

 

Thank you for your time in bringing this to my attention.

 

Have another "fantastic" time on your forthcoming Azamara holiday!

 

Regards,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[Bill Leiber]

Our friends have invited us to join them on a Azamara Cruise in September - and we are now all booked. Really looking forward to the experience after travelling previously with Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity.

 

However I must add my thoughts on the website - when googled you are directed to the Azamara.com website. On looking at the Contact Us page I then telephoned the given telephone number only to be told that this number was Celebrity and that it had been changed to another number - this was answered as Celebrity Cruises again. I then found a UK website - and eventually spoke to someone after pressing several different options. I only wanted to order a brochure ! I had previously done this online several weeks ago - but nothing received.

 

As I had found what I thought was the UK website I thought I would investigate other cruises possibly early summer - but on searching for a cruise I am immediately again shown offers in US dollars.

 

Surely it is not difficult to fix this - why is there not a proper UK site.

and I see from the previous post there may be benefits that we are not aware of. eg I am Platinum Royal Caribbean - does this have any benefit on Azamara - who would know ?

 

Our friends had a fabulous time last year and we feel the Azamara experience may well be for us now that our 18 year old is independent and doesnt want to travel with a load of old people !

Hello Mrs. Miggens -

 

I appreciate your time and effort to report your disappointment with the information you encountered using the UK website and I have passed on your valuable comments to the UK marketing team.

 

If you still have not yet received your brochure, please contact the dedicated Azamara Service 'Ambassadors' to request your brochure: 1) telephone line - 08444 936 006, and 2) email address - Azamaraservice.uk@rccl.com. Another place to view the brochure is online at the UK website and you'll be able to instantly evaluate the itineraries of both vessels.

http://www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk/_images/Updated%20Azamara%20brochure%20UK_tcm10-8906.pdf

 

The UK is aware that that US$ pricing appears on the website; however, when you directly contact reservations your booking will be in GBP. However, as you peruse the itineraries you are actually transferred to the 'Azamara booking engine' which automatically links the UK guest to the US site - hence, the US$ pricing. The UK is planning to build their own dedicated booking engine to prevent this problem.

 

Congratulations on attaining the Platinum tier in Royal Caribbean International's Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program. Here's some good news - while Credits earned are not combinable across the brands, the Azamara, Celebrity and Royal reciprocal loyalty program allows guests from Royal and Celebrity to move directly into the equivalent tier on their first voyage on Azamara Club Cruises. If a Platinum Crown & Anchor member (30 - 54 Points) such as yourself, sails with Azamara for the first time, the member will move directly in to the Le Club Voyage Explorer tier (5 - 9 Credits) which includes benefits such as a bottle of champagne on arrival, 150 free minutes of free internet per voyage, one complimentary bag of laundry wash, dry, and press per week and more as shown on the website:

http://www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk/le-club-voyage/benefits/I sincerely hope that we'll have the opportunity to welcome you aboard your first Azamara experience hopefully sometime later this year.

 

Regards,

 

Bill Leiber

________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[nuneham]

Hello Bill You quoted some of my comments from last year at the beginning of this thread and I really should have responded sooner. Unfortunately I had to cancel my ACC cruise last autumn on account of illness - at the last minute and with my suitcase by the door! You will understand that I've not wanted to look at CC since. BUT yesterday I booked the Baltic White Nights and the Athens to Venice cruises and I am delighted to report that the changes certainly worked well for me with much more flexibility around the flights and better pre-cruise hotels in both cities. So far, so very good. Thank you for listening. I shall watch with interest any developments relating to late debarks or excursions with airport transfers as we do have one late afternoon flight. Just one small thing, Bill, I'm a 'she'!

[Bill Leiber]

Hello Bill You quoted some of my comments from last year at the beginning of this thread and I really should have responded sooner. Unfortunately I had to cancel my ACC cruise last autumn on account of illness - at the last minute and with my suitcase by the door! You will understand that I've not wanted to look at CC since. BUT yesterday I booked the Baltic White Nights and the Athens to Venice cruises and I am delighted to report that the changes certainly worked well for me with much more flexibility around the flights and better pre-cruise hotels in both cities. So far, so very good. Thank you for listening. I shall watch with interest any developments relating to late debarks or excursions with airport transfers as we do have one late afternoon flight. Just one small thing, Bill, I'm a 'she'!

Dear Ms. Nuneham -

 

My sincerest apologies for my mistaken assumption.

 

Thanks for setting me straight!

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

___________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[cardiffmatch]

Hello Mrs. Miggens -

 

<cut for brevity!>...

 

The UK is aware that that US$ pricing appears on the website; however, when you directly contact reservations your booking will be in GBP. However, as you peruse the itineraries you are actually transferred to the 'Azamara booking engine' which automatically links the UK guest to the US site - hence, the US$ pricing. The UK is planning to build their own dedicated booking engine to prevent this problem.

 

...<and again!>

 

Regards,

 

Bill Leiber

________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

 

Hi Bill,

 

Thanks for this latest update on the website. I'm really surprised (and disappointed) to hear that the UK website is still only at a "Planning" stage. It is March 2012 and it's coming up for a year without a website for us.

 

I'd like to pass on via you to your head office our deep frustration with this situation. This is the 21st century - I don't want to phone your sales operatives and get a list read to me of all the cruises over a three month period when I am considering taking a holiday. It costs me a stack of cash and they usually get a number of details wrong. I want to see the itineraries and prices on a screen all together, like I can with Silversea and Seabourn (or RCL and Celebrity, for that matter).

 

Do you think we will see a functioning Azamara UK website this year? It's such a shame the old one was scrapped as it's absence pushes Azamara down the list for us in 2012. I can't plan my cruise with Azamara because Azamara doesn't want to do business the way I do.

 

Best wishes

 

Thom

[Bill Leiber]

Hi Bill,

 

Thanks for this latest update on the website. I'm really surprised (and disappointed) to hear that the UK website is still only at a "Planning" stage. It is March 2012 and it's coming up for a year without a website for us.

 

I'd like to pass on via you to your head office our deep frustration with this situation. This is the 21st century - I don't want to phone your sales operatives and get a list read to me of all the cruises over a three month period when I am considering taking a holiday. It costs me a stack of cash and they usually get a number of details wrong. I want to see the itineraries and prices on a screen all together, like I can with Silversea and Seabourn (or RCL and Celebrity, for that matter).

 

Do you think we will see a functioning Azamara UK website this year? It's such a shame the old one was scrapped as it's absence pushes Azamara down the list for us in 2012. I can't plan my cruise with Azamara because Azamara doesn't want to do business the way I do.

 

Best wishes

 

Thom

Hello Thom -

 

I'm sorry that you're still required to contact me about when you can expect to see GBP when you peruse various itineraries on the UK website.

 

I've mentioned several times that the UK market develops and manages their own website in order to comply with local business laws. Our marketing director who is responsible for the US website will be contacting the UK development team this week to obtain an update about when the GBP correction is expected to be completed and also share with them your disappointment and frustration about this situation. Once I learn the specific date, I will let you know.

 

I'm totally aware that I've been asking for your continued patience about the GBP issue for quite awhile and I'm not surprised at all if your patience reserve is almost at empty.

 

I truly appreciate your loyalty to Azamara Club Cruises.

 

Regards,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[cardiffmatch]

Thanks Bill for your ever-patient responses,

 

It would seem reasonable to suggest that ACC UK upload a simplified PDF price list once a week or so, covering the leading price in each category. With appropriate caveats in the small print (E&OE, prices correct at date X) this would at least allow UK customers access to a relatively up to date price list. Perhaps they could consider this suggestion?

 

Warm regards,

 

Thom

[Bill Leiber]

Thanks Bill for your ever-patient responses,

 

It would seem reasonable to suggest that ACC UK upload a simplified PDF price list once a week or so, covering the leading price in each category. With appropriate caveats in the small print (E&OE, prices correct at date X) this would at least allow UK customers access to a relatively up to date price list. Perhaps they could consider this suggestion?

 

Warm regards,

 

Thom

Hello Thom -

 

I wanted to let you know that I'm still waiting for a date when you will be able to view pricing in GBP on the UK website, but also some information about the US/Canada website that might offer support in the interim. Hopefully, in two-three months, the US website will be upgraded to show global pricing in GBP and Australian dollars along with 12 other currencies.

 

I've passed on your PDF suggestion for their review and consideration.

 

Take care and best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[jazzy912]

Hi Bill

Since discovering Azamara Quest in Oct 2010 I have already sailed on her twice and have a 3rd cruise booked.

The onboard experience is excellent and delivers everything I want on a cruise.

The Quest's crew are fantastic ambassadors for the brand.Not only delivering a very high level of customer service but also appearing very happy to work for Azamara.

It is good to see that positive steps are being taken to improve UK operation.

Last year I was left bitterly disappointed when the I booked and paid for a cruise on the Quest. The day after the full advertised costs were debited from my credit card, I received a very apologetic call from my travel agent stating that "Azamara state the price was a mistake on their website and are refusing to continue with the booking so the cost of the cruise has already been credited back to your card". After numerous phone calls I regretfully accepted what I had been told.

The following week I discovered the price was not a mistake at all but one of the fantastic offers made available from time to time for solo travellers..........sadly the discovery was too late for me as I had already booked a cruise with a different company.

It will be great when the UK operation matches the "Quest's onboard experience" and that includes delivering a UK website that is updated regularly.

I am booked to sail on the Quest on 8 May 2012 and today checked the UK site to see if my cruise has been affected by the engine room fire .I am surprised to find no mention of the fire or any travel alerts on the UK site.

Bill is there any chance of UK website being linked to the travel alerts posted on the US site?

Regards

Suzie

[Desmond61]

Bill, the work here is very encouraging and thank you for taking the time to post the details here.

[cardiffmatch]

Hi Bill,

 

Any further update on the UK website? That FCC from the 26/3 sailing will soon need spending. Since it was a seventeen night cruise and we are both in full time work with limited leave allowance I imagine we are going to need to browse a lot of cruises to find one we can spend that much cash on within a calendar year!

 

Kind regards,

 

Thom