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Nespresso charges are back according to Azamara Facebook


uktog

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HEY - I finally figured out how I can afford my next Azamara cruise!!!!

 

I will bring along my nespresso machine, set it up and charge 50% less that the Mosaic. I can even provide room service for a small fee. With the tips and the money collected - it should easily offset the 64 cents it costs to make it and provide enough profit to make up for the huge increase in price of the cruise!

 

I will have to nab some sugar and milk from the kitchen though.....:eek: ;)

 

I like your style! We can go milk shopping in each port for a further discount from you.

 

Seriously though, the more I think about this the more annoyed I am, not that some coffee is going to be charged but because what was stated as a we listened to you last month was actually well we listened but actually only for a day..... Makes me wonder what else I should believe or not believe about Azamara HO messages

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Anne, I agree with you that it is annoying to be told one thing only to find out that something entirely different is actually the case. This is one of the things that has disturbed me about Azamara since 2010: there is a element of smoke and mirrors to almost everything from the artfully manipulated two for one pricing to we hear what you are telling us and we are listening--not!that just seems to pervade Miami's World View. I don't get these sort of vibrations when I am dealing with Celebrity, but Azamara always seems to remind me of the little man in the Very Tall Hat, twirling the ends of his mustaches.......

 

Remember what Bill L said awhile back about " Revenue Enhancement"? I suspect that the key lies there. Wonder if anyone in the Accounting Office in Miami is named S. Legree??

 

Ed

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Just a thought!!!

It looks like Nespresso is losing market share to the Keurigs and Tassimos of the world during the last few years

If you will put them on your ships ( Nespressos pitch)

we will give you the coffee makers and capsules at no charge and maybe you can convince your customer base that it is a better product by selling it on your ships and we can regain some of our market share that has been lost

Just pondering , but it happens all the time in the retail marketplace

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Azamara Club Cruises

 

 

We appreciate all the feedback on the new upgrades to the Azamara Quest. A few of you have mentioned the Nespresso coffee on the ship. Our complimentary coffee, tea, soft drinks and water will remain as is, and will continue to be complimentary. The Nespresso coffee will be available in addition to our current offering, and will be the only coffee available at a charge for guests that are interested.

Here's the latest post:

We've read all your comments and we apologize for not being clear about the Nespresso offer. Coffee and tea are still complimentary on board, as well as select standard spirits, international beers, and wines. We are indeed looking at launching a new Nespresso option for our passengers later in 2013, which would be available for a small charge. It will, however, not change what we are currently offering, and it will not be available as the ships exit dry dock. Thank you for your comments, we are reading them all, and we appreciate you taking the time to give us your thoughts."

 

I'm not sure why they said they were not "clear" before. They were clear, and this is now a different story. It amazes me that they can't get their act together on something as small as coffee. Based on the latest post I think they'll also now cause confusion and people will think that spirits and wine are already complimentary, not later in 2013.

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I was just on South Beach (Miami Beach) and there is a Boutique Nespresso Bar on Lincoln Road. Within several blocks, there are three Starbucks. The three Starbucks were packed and had a line to the door - The Nespresso Bar was empty. Tells you something.

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Of course Nepresso should be included...however I feel very comfortable with Azamara..no not the best rooms certainly and not the best food HOWEVER we were on the March 26th cruise with the fire and do not think we could have had better care from any line. The Captain talked to us every 10 minutes or so and kept us all calm When we arrived in port after several days with no ac it was a treat to see Mr. Pimental waiting to welcome us and to offer his apology. When you have a problem you see the real make up of a company so even though prices have risen, no free Nepresso or other treats I will be a very loyal customer

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Of course Nepresso should be included...however I feel very comfortable with Azamara..no not the best rooms certainly and not the best food HOWEVER we were on the March 26th cruise with the fire and do not think we could have had better care from any line. The Captain talked to us every 10 minutes or so and kept us all calm When we arrived in port after several days with no ac it was a treat to see Mr. Pimental waiting to welcome us and to offer his apology. When you have a problem you see the real make up of a company so even though prices have risen, no free Nepresso or other treats I will be a very loyal customer

 

Thanks for your perspective on this issue.

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Anne, I agree with you that it is annoying to be told one thing only to find out that something entirely different is actually the case. This is one of the things that has disturbed me about Azamara since 2010: there is a element of smoke and mirrors to almost everything from the artfully manipulated two for one pricing to we hear what you are telling us and we are listening--not!that just seems to pervade Miami's World View. I don't get these sort of vibrations when I am dealing with Celebrity, but Azamara always seems to remind me of the little man in the Very Tall Hat, twirling the ends of his mustaches.......

 

Remember what Bill L said awhile back about " Revenue Enhancement"? I suspect that the key lies there. Wonder if anyone in the Accounting Office in Miami is named S. Legree??

 

Ed

 

Love your post..so very true..love the ship and the staff, the office has big problems!

 

..

Jancruz1

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Hello Azamara Followers -

 

I've shared your comments with Larry Pimentel about his decision to reintroduce a new Nespresso option in 2013 within the context of his October 15th Cruise Critic Q&A remark that "we listened and decided to remove that component for now."

 

Since making that decision to abandon the Nespresso option which would include a small extra charge, we received feedback from our global marketing offices (remember we host guests from over 40 countries) that we should consider rolling out the Nespresso option and testing the concept for our global guests. We realize the risk to our credibility by reversing the original decision but decided that our reasoning to abandon the Nespresso program was too hasty a decision. It was based not on actual guest feedback from the program's operation but on your comments about the "notion" of charging for coffee while offering liquor at no charge. We decided to "bite the bullet" by introducing the program later in 2013 after the Azamara Journey's drydock is completed in January.

 

In retrospect, we should have tested our rationale for introducing the extra-charge Nespresso option based the following:

§ We will continue to serve our great complimentary espresso and capuchins at the Mosaic Café prepared by our staff. The service will not be downgraded in any way.

§ We believe that Nespresso, over time, will be perceived as another extension of our product philosophy of offering standard inclusions with an option to upgrade and not as a "nickel and diming" attempt:

- Included pouring wine > option for premium wine

- Included Discovery Dining Room > option to dine in Aqualina / Prime C specialty restaurants

- Included espressos and cappuccinos > option for Nespresso coffees.

§ As with all our extra-charge enhancements, guests can choose to select or decline.

 

I've noticed that many of you who are sharing your comments have already expressed your opinions during the September and October introduction of our post dry-dock enhancements. I'm sorry that some of you may find our revised decision disappointing, but trust that you can appreciate our need to at least operate the Nespresso program and collect actual onboard guest reactions and comments in real-time before eliminating the option.

 

Again, I salute you on your dedication to our onboard experience and your time and effort to share your thoughts with on this Azamara Cruise Critic forum.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

______________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

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I will probably be attacked here, it seems to be what is happening, but I will post anyway.

Come on folks, enough already. They will still be offering free coffee and expresso, they are not taking anything away. If you do not want to pay extra for Nespresso, simply don't. It is a test, and if they find that people do not want to pay extra for the Nespresso, they will either offer it free or remove it. It is a business, and most businesses test new pricing and products. Azamara is doing a test while not taking anything away that was previously offered. Relax

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OK - so if they are not taking anything away then I am thrilled. I had (incorrectly) thought that the Mosaic coffee offerings were being replaced by a pay-per-cup Nespresso bar. No harm, no foul here in my mind.

 

I still think I'm suspect of the 2013 price increase given what I've read of the included offerings - why don't they just go 100% inclusive and up a the price a tad more aka Regent? It seems to me to be an awkward position to be "almost all inclusive" but what do I know marketing for a major upscale hospitality company for 15 years? :) Either way, I'm sure I'll enjoy my cruise in a few weeks and look forward to seeing what Azamara is all about and why everyone is so very vocal. The fact that so many are so upset means it must be a great cruise line...

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First there was to be a charge for an ordinary item that many people whip up in their own kitchen every day for a few cents!! Then LP says no, we won't be making a charge 'at this time' - I missed that qualifier first time round! Now we're to have a charge AGAIN - but is it later in 2013 or from January in the case of Journey "straight out of drydock", our next cruise? Likewise, the timing of 'all-inclusive drinks' is muddled by these latest pronouncements. I'm confused and disappointed at this indecision, misinformation and unnecessary complication. We won't be partaking of Nespresso if charged: Nickel & diming, as the Americans say, is NOT what we want to experience on Azamara, and is something we're having some difficulty preparing for on an upcoming Celebrity Solstice cruise. So, I won't comment further on that: But this whole issue of 'will we/won't we/when will we' has been handled and communicated very poorly.

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I think Bill Leiber's response was well considered and reasonable. If it really is only a test of the market, and not a slippery slope, and the market test seems to be just that considering the "free" booze decision and price hike, I will give them the benefit of the doubt, for now (see slippery slope). How can you go almost to Seabourn but charge for coffee? Maybe Nespresso is paying big up front promotional fees to AZ to get the product in the pipeline? Pro golf tournaments pay Tiger Woods a million bucks just to show up...business. Either way as the man says, don't buy it and stay with what you love. Eliminating the Mosaic free stuff while giving away booze would not be consistent with the Seabourn model, which I believe they are trying to emulate at a lower cost to the bottom line. When they go all the way they will have to give away Prime C and Aqualina as well, and price accordingly.

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All the current frustration could have been resolved if when making the decision to revise the line taken by the CEO someone had thought, who else did we tell that we would not charge..... we need to advise them we are changing plan again..... oh yes, Larry said something on Cruisecritc and a pre announcement warning had gone to Bill so he could either post here just before the Facebook messages arrived or so he was ready when the first posts came rather than having to say he would go and find out.

 

The issue for me is the whole approach to customer communications and the failure to have joined up thinking, an issue I asked about in the CEO Q and A in October but did not get a response to.

 

Anyone with access to Facebook will see the shambolic handling of communications there, no one is stopping to think how does this read to the customer, have I covered all the angles, how could someone misinterpret this, before they post. Basic rules of customer communications!

 

Onboard, they think customer in their communications, but at corporate marketing level, sorry but its now a joke.

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OK so I just read all of the LP threads and the enormous and animated feedback. Here's my take: This a segment of a very large corporation trying to find itself. And YES there were a few lies (or as we call them miscues). It certainly adds skepticism but we are always free to move on. We did just that due to cost alone (see our Oceania trip to the Baltics next August). Again as I'm about to embark, I'm holding judgement until I return Jan 1st. (Mostly). :) I do have a feeling I'm going to love this trip, but when you are spending this much details matter. Either way - happy adventures!

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Just a thought!!!

It looks like Nespresso is losing market share to the Keurigs and Tassimos of the world during the last few years

If you will put them on your ships ( Nespressos pitch)

we will give you the coffee makers and capsules at no charge and maybe you can convince your customer base that it is a better product by selling it on your ships and we can regain some of our market share that has been lost

Just pondering , but it happens all the time in the retail marketplace

 

See the AARMAK machines in my large spun off office these days? They even branded them. Truth be told - the green tea is great. :)

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Corpkid....

 

The foul is Larry lied on October 19th (you can see for yourself in his posts above)

 

If he lies or makes hasty decisions on little things like coffee, what is he going to do with more important issues.

 

A man who can't keep his word or at least speak for himself when

he changes his mind after previously making public statement he

wouldn't' is not a man that I want to do business with.

 

The foul continues when it comes to how hard the crew works onboard the ships....I really feel sorry for them, they work so hard to provide guests with a perfect cruise and all of us want to return to Azamara for that reason alone, but the behavior of shoreside and Larry has caused many of us to head over to Oceania.

 

I'm not certain it is fair to say Larry "lied" about this issue, and I note that you also refer to him "changing his mind". To me, those are two different positions. The former invokes a moral judgement that I don't think we have the information to make. I would not appreciate being judged a liar for deciding to change a policy and flexibility is not necessarily a sin, although I agree in this case it may well be ill-advised.

 

Secondly, you mention what a wonderful experience the crew provides onboard. I certainly agree, and since it's a hallmark of the ACC brand don't we have to give credit to Larry and shoreside for providing the preconditions for that experience?

 

Perhaps we should narrow our focus to some questionable marketing policies and communication of same.

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All the current frustration could have been resolved if when making the decision to revise the line taken by the CEO someone had thought, who else did we tell that we would not charge..... we need to advise them we are changing plan again..... oh yes, Larry said something on Cruisecritc and a pre announcement warning had gone to Bill so he could either post here just before the Facebook messages arrived or so he was ready when the first posts came rather than having to say he would go and find out.

 

The issue for me is the whole approach to customer communications and the failure to have joined up thinking, an issue I asked about in the CEO Q and A in October but did not get a response to.

 

Anyone with access to Facebook will see the shambolic handling of communications there, no one is stopping to think how does this read to the customer, have I covered all the angles, how could someone misinterpret this, before they post. Basic rules of customer communications!

 

Onboard, they think customer in their communications, but at corporate marketing level, sorry but its now a joke.

 

Excellent post and I hope Miami learns from it.

 

On a personal level, being in the midst of a home reno "shambolic" will now be my word for the day.

 

Thanks for the thoughtful assessment.

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I will probably be attacked here, it seems to be what is happening, but I will post anyway.

Come on folks, enough already. They will still be offering free coffee and expresso, they are not taking anything away. If you do not want to pay extra for Nespresso, simply don't. It is a test, and if they find that people do not want to pay extra for the Nespresso, they will either offer it free or remove it. It is a business, and most businesses test new pricing and products. Azamara is doing a test while not taking anything away that was previously offered. Relax

 

In my opinion it is one of the dumbest "tests" I have seen in the cruise industry. You offer free beer, wine and liquor, but charge for a cup of coffee worth less than a beer???? Maybe the next test will be charging for a second roll of toilet paper! It just smells of cheap and has the look of Carnival all over it.

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All the current frustration could have been resolved if when making the decision to revise the line taken by the CEO someone had thought, who else did we tell that we would not charge..... we need to advise them we are changing plan again..... oh yes, Larry said something on Cruisecritc and a pre announcement warning had gone to Bill so he could either post here just before the Facebook messages arrived or so he was ready when the first posts came rather than having to say he would go and find out.

 

The issue for me is the whole approach to customer communications and the failure to have joined up thinking, an issue I asked about in the CEO Q and A in October but did not get a response to.

 

Anyone with access to Facebook will see the shambolic handling of communications there, no one is stopping to think how does this read to the customer, have I covered all the angles, how could someone misinterpret this, before they post. Basic rules of customer communications!

 

Onboard, they think customer in their communications, but at corporate marketing level, sorry but its now a joke.

 

I think you've done an excellent job of expressing what many of us are thinking!

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After reading all those posts since yesterday - I REALLY NEED A CUP OF COFFEE ----- where's my travelling Nespresso machine?! I am in desperate need of an INTENSE Luongo Espresso!!!!!!!

 

I think like "Liz & Dick" illustrates - intense love can equal intense emotional distress (and I got that from watching that stupid movie this weekend).....thereby evoking all kinds of wild behaviour (I had to resist the urge to quietly slit my wrists).

 

There is no doubt that for many of us "Azmara Cheerleaders" (not the worst thing I have ever been called - LOL), we just want to continue to be able to travel on our beloved ships in the way we have always been used to. The onboard product is amazing --- shoreside has usually been a great source of disappointment. We just don't want to see the "shoreside" troubles destroy the onboard experience and THAT is why there has been such an outpouring of emotion. The Business End tends not to have that "soul and heartbeat" that the onboard product has. Let me run an analagy here - recently your politicians brought up the notion that businesses are people.....they should be positively influenced by their people but sadly in most cases they are not. We are just trying to protect the "brand" from the perils of "heartless" business --- or as we see it anyway.

 

Just my 2.5 cents......

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All the current frustration could have been resolved if when making the decision to revise the line taken by the CEO someone had thought, who else did we tell that we would not charge..... we need to advise them we are changing plan again..... oh yes, Larry said something on Cruisecritc and a pre announcement warning had gone to Bill so he could either post here just before the Facebook messages arrived or so he was ready when the first posts came rather than having to say he would go and find out.

 

The issue for me is the whole approach to customer communications and the failure to have joined up thinking, an issue I asked about in the CEO Q and A in October but did not get a response to.

 

Anyone with access to Facebook will see the shambolic handling of communications there, no one is stopping to think how does this read to the customer, have I covered all the angles, how could someone misinterpret this, before they post. Basic rules of customer communications!

 

Onboard, they think customer in their communications, but at corporate marketing level, sorry but its now a joke.

 

Exactly, Anne, well said indeed. The problem is not only the Joke, but to my read, it makes Management appear to be very customer indifferent ( which I am sure they probably are not) but also arrogant ( i.e. LP's remarks about there being other alternatives for customers to choose should they not like Azamara's Changes. Really? Is it good business to send your customers, particularly your repeat customers, to try out your competition? Wonder what class at MBA school teaches that.). If it's a joke, then it's a bitter one and might just come back to bite.

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