MizzLee - re Journey July 3, 2013

[kylie500]

Hi MizzLee and others,

 

We too are booked on the Journey July 3 Mediterranean cruise, which seems to have been chartered.

 

Thank you for your query here, which I have just read, as without it, we would be still unaware of the change. I just called our TA who is also unaware and who is currently calling Azamara to see if there are any updates.

 

Our flights are already booked, $5000 worth, from Australia into Nice 3 days prior to the cruise embarkation to coincide with the cruise dates, and the rest of our time in France is also coordinated around the cruise dates. If Azamara compensate us for the fees we will incur to change our dates (if that is even possible! I haven't checked yet...) then at least we won't be out of pocket, but we specifically wanted the ports of call that this cruise provided. I too will now be searching for alternatives which I don't know will be available at this time, and we will no doubt be paying a premium price for booking later, rather than the very early booking we made.

 

Anyway, my post today is less to do with expressing my frustration and more to ask whether you have discovered any suitable alternatives? I'm about to start searching. Perhaps between us and anyone else affected we may come up with some solutions.

[NicoleAbbate]

I was just looking at the Journey's itinerary for July 11th cruise and was looking for the sailing before and it doesn't come up on the website at all,

 

What does it mean that it is chartered?

[Bill Leiber]

Hello Kylie500 and NicoleAbbate -

 

The company has made the business decision to charter the Azamara Journey's July 3, 2013 Mediterranean voyage which explains why we have closed this voyage out of "inventory" to the general public. I apologize on behalf of Azamara for disappointing you and other already booked guests.

 

At this point in time I do not have any information about the displacement offer that will provide financial compensation for the operational inconveniences you may encounter as well as details about a "re-accommodation" offer. I must receive approval from our legal team before I can issue those details which is a function of the status of the legal charter agreement.

 

Nicole, I just went to our US/Canada website and was able to open the July 11, 2013 Azamara Journey voyage on the booking engine so it seems like it's available for booking. I speculate that many guests on the July 3, 2013 chartered Journey voyage will consider this voyage as a replacement.

 

Please stay tuned for more information which I will report as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, my best wishes for a New Year filled with good health, happiness and prosperity.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[kylie500]

Hi Bill,

 

Thank you for your reply. I do understand your position and appreciate your comments. I just wonder if you have a possible time frame for this being finalised, as until it is finalised, we can make no other arrangements for our trip. We are essentially stuck between being currently booked with our deposits tied up, and unable to change any plans as we don't know for sure if we need to.

How long does this process normally take?

 

NicoleAbbate - chartered means (I presume) that the entire ship is being booked by one company for their purposes, so no other bookings are possible.

[Jade13]

 

Our flights are already booked, $5000 worth, from Australia into Nice 3 days prior to the cruise embarkation to coincide with the cruise dates, and the rest of our time in France is also coordinated around the cruise dates. If Azamara compensate us for the fees we will incur to change our dates (if that is even possible! I haven't checked yet...) then at least we won't be out of pocket, but we specifically wanted the ports of call that this cruise provided. I too will now be searching for alternatives which I don't know will be available at this time, and we will no doubt be paying a premium price for booking later, rather than the very early booking we made.

 

While I do not know what they will eventually offer, we have been involved in several redeployments. These were not charters so may be handled differently. But based on our experience this is what you might expect. Azamara generally offers up to $500.00 per person credit on another cruise to cover non-refundable expenses. This of course requires you to pick another cruise. The amount was figured on up to $250.00 per person in airline change fees and up to $250.00 per person in non-refundable fees such as non-refundable hotels. Note that our rate was not protected and the new cruise we booked did have a higher per diem (in the case of a charter I absolutely think your rate should be protected on a per diem basis).

 

While the first time this happened we were also offered $500.00 per cabin OBC on the new cruise we booked, this was not offered when the new cruise also had an itinerary change (Egypt was canceled). The price of the new cruise did go down and everyone received the new rate, but note it was before final payment and in the US we would have been eligible for the reduced rate anyway.

 

Also, we do not have the same understanding as Azamara on what constitutes "non-refundable". Our pre-cruise hotel had been paid with non-refundable paid "certificates" and although we had it in writing that their amount would be deducted from our new cruise, Azamara reneged stating that we could use the certificates another time (even though we offered to send them in). As of now we have not been able to use our certificate (it is not like a credit but based on availability at the hotel which Azamara customer service refused to understand).

 

Good luck straightening this out. Once you get on the ship everything is great.

[Bill Leiber]

Hi Bill,

 

Thank you for your reply. I do understand your position and appreciate your comments. I just wonder if you have a possible time frame for this being finalised, as until it is finalised, we can make no other arrangements for our trip. We are essentially stuck between being currently booked with our deposits tied up, and unable to change any plans as we don't know for sure if we need to.

How long does this process normally take?

 

Hello Kylie500 -

 

I understand your dilemma and I'm hoping to be able to have the re-accommodation offer information to you no later than January 3, 2013. Hopefully, I'll beat that deadline.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[kylie500]

Thank you Bill for that information. That timeframe does help us and we will look forward to hearing from Azamara in the next few days.

[MizzLee]

Hi, Kylie500,

 

I am so sorry that you have been put in this position. At least we hadn't bought airline tickets yet and weren't trying to work around other travel plans!

 

We did hear from our TA (since we were part of a group they had been working behind the scenes with Azamara to figure out alternative arrangements) and I can let you know what we were offered.

 

Our group is being switched to the July 21 sailing, which is essentially the reverse itinerary, but one night shorter. We were offered $500 shipboard credit, an upgrade to the next cabin level (eg, balcony to suite) and reimbursement for any legitimate documentable expenses incurred for travel arrangements that had already been made. The rest of the incentives offered were actually just the enhancements that are available to everyone (select spirits, Azamazing evening, etc.). The overall cost of the cruise is also less, since it is shorter.

 

I think the compensation is generous but I am enormously disappointed in the way that Azamara has handled this situation. From the time I first noticed that the cruise was no longer offered on the website (around December 7), called and was not told the truth, to now, weeks later, other pax are still getting the runaround or even worse, have not been notified at all! The worst is the feeling of knowing that your vacation is canceled but being powerless to make other plans because you have to wait for the official word.

 

I don't think that we will be able to reschedule on this sailing and I will definitely think twice about booking another cruise with Azamara. This would have been our first cruise with them and I have heard so many times on this board that although customer service is lacking the cruise is amazing. Not sure if the cruise can be wonderful enough to justify going through this again.

[kylie500]

Hi MizzLee,

 

I agree, the offer seems like a good one. Unfortunately, we also won't be able to take it up. Our outbound flights are booked for the 22nd, and while they may be changeable (haven't checked the documentation), we have other work and family commitments that require us to return home that week.

 

This was also our first Azamara cruise, and it's such a long way from Australia to Europe, so we won't be back for some time (sadly!).

 

I'm just pleased that you commented on here and I saw it (although a couple of weeks after your first post) otherwise I'd still have no idea!

 

Good luck with your planning.

[Jade13]

Hi, Kylie500,

 

 

Our group is being switched to the July 21 sailing, which is essentially the reverse itinerary, but one night shorter. We were offered $500 shipboard credit, an upgrade to the next cabin level (eg, balcony to suite) and reimbursement for any legitimate documentable expenses incurred for travel arrangements that had already been made.

 

Kylie500 and others canceling, make sure to get it in writing that Azamara will refund your non-refundable amounts, including air. They should since this is a charter and no other option, but in the past it was an amount deducted from a new itinerary/cruise.

 

If flying from the US, you could be talking about over $2,000.00 for two people in airfare alone.

 

As mentioned previously, Azamara refused to refund our non-refundable hotel expense based on the fact it was (possibly) reusable (chain has to have the same certificate level available on the nights you want). We even sent a letter from the hotel chain saying it was non-refundable as originally requested by Azamara. We are still sitting on our certificate, which we have not been able to use almost 2 years later, even though we travel a lot.

[Bill Leiber]

Thank you Bill for that information. That timeframe does help us and we will look forward to hearing from Azamara in the next few days.

 

Hello Kylie500 and others -

 

At this time, I do not have the official re-accommodation offer and ask for your continued patience as today unfolds. I will get back to you when I'm able.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[Bill Leiber]

Hello to you all -

 

Today our reservation team began the process of notifying the guests (either through their travel partner or directly) who are currently booked on the July 3, 2013 Azamara Journey (8-night Corsica and Provence) that the voyage has been chartered.

 

Booked guests with names and deposit or full payment will need to select another voyage or cancel their booking. The offer for booked guests consists of the following:

§ Re-book on any Azamara Club Voyage, in like accommodations, at the protected/lowest available rate.

§ Receive $500 onboard credit per standard stateroom, $1,000 onboard credit for suites when your client(s) rebook an alternative sailing.

§ Guest(s) who incur a fee due to the change in their airline or hotel reservations will be reimbursed up to $500 per person. A faxed copy of the fees accessed must be provided for reimbursement.

§ A full refund for amounts paid will be processed to the original form of payment if guests choose to cancel.

 

Also, we asked our travel partners to contact Azamara Club Cruises for assistance in moving their clients and stated that "All reservations that have not been changed to an alternative Azamara Club Cruises voyage by February 6, 2013 will be cancelled and be ineligible for the compensation offered."

 

On behalf of the company, I apologize for any inconvenience our business decision has caused to our travel partners, their clients and our ultimate guests. It's a dilemma we face in accepting this type of business since our yearly revenue target is composed of a mix from individual guest reservations, group bookings and charter business. As part of a publically held company we have a financial responsibility to our shareholders to meet and exceed the revenue goals that we have agreed to deliver to the total corporation.

 

I'm confident that our reservation team will be successful in securing an alternative Azamara voyage.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

________________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[kylie500]

Thank you Bill. I appreciate the updates you provided and the final details. I will now contact our travel agent who can make the appropriate arrangements.

[Hudsonstreet]

sorry entry below

[Hudsonstreet]

Read your post with interest bearing in mind we are booked onto the following sailing on 11th July . They are very concerning tactics but hope you have now rearranged your travel plans. I shall wait with interest to see if our following sailing is effected.

[ikelmay]

I can't imagine that pre or post sailings would be affected in any way - the whole point of a sole charter is to maximise revenue within a set time block. Screwing up sailings before and after would negate any of the benefits that would be gained from the charter.

 

Also, who in their right mind would OK a cruise conversion to a sole charter knowing that the one sailing before and after would be affected?