Land Tours

[nordski]

Having had to deal with quotas in a past life, I would very much hope that the numbers required for tours would be based upon an an average established for the ACC part of RCI.

 

Thus highly popular tours would help keep the less popular viable.

 

I really doubt that a specific number for each tour would practicable, but Miami may think differently.

 

I also wonder what is the earliest that potential tour members should be notifed that a particular tour choice will not be not be offered, although this date probably would be too late for signing up for private tours as an alternative.

[ellbon]

Having had to deal with quotas in a past life, I would very much hope that the numbers required for tours would be based upon an an average established for the ACC part of RCI.

 

Thus highly popular tours would help keep the less popular viable.

 

I really doubt that a specific number for each tour would practicable, but Miami may think differently.

 

I also wonder what is the earliest that potential tour members should be notifed that a particular tour choice will not be not be offered, although this date probably would be too late for signing up for private tours as an alternative.

 

i was lesrning on the ship! some within days of that city.. sometimes thery know when you arrive on the ship. that why there is a cut off date for each city.

[Bill Leiber]

Having had to deal with quotas in a past life, I would very much hope that the numbers required for tours would be based upon an an average established for the ACC part of RCI.

 

Thus highly popular tours would help keep the less popular viable.

 

I really doubt that a specific number for each tour would practicable, but Miami may think differently.

 

I also wonder what is the earliest that potential tour members should be notifed that a particular tour choice will not be not be offered, although this date probably would be too late for signing up for private tours as an alternative.

 

Hello Azamara Land Tour Followers -

 

Rather than speculate on the operational methodology for creating our "core" shore excursion program and our forthcoming "smaller-sized" offerings, I've forwarded your initial responses, concerns and inquiries to our operations team.

 

So please stay tuned as I plan to share that information on this thread.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[uktog]

Having had to deal with quotas in a past life, I would very much hope that the numbers required for tours would be based upon an an average established for the ACC part of RCI.

 

Thus highly popular tours would help keep the less popular viable.

 

I really doubt that a specific number for each tour would practicable, but Miami may think differently.

 

I also wonder what is the earliest that potential tour members should be notifed that a particular tour choice will not be not be offered, although this date probably would be too late for signing up for private tours as an alternative.

 

A useful perspective Nordski - I think the cancellation is always going to be relatively late if it comes, as not unreasonably, the cruiseline will want to try and make the numbers. In many ports, alternative private tours with reputable providers will be hard to source within a month of sailing, whereas I would doubt the cruiseline would ever cancel that far out.

 

I think if something really matters to you, and looking at what it offers it is going to be a less popular option amongst the majority of guests, in the absence of any cruiseline no cancellation guarantees, you should probably go private with that one from the outset.

 

Alternatively, you need to have a Plan B from the cruiseline offered trips to switch into if the need arose or be prepared to switch into the customised options they already offer.

 

An interesting idea I saw, granted not with a cruiseline but elsewhere, was if a cancellation was done within a short time to delivery period, the customer was refunded 110% of what they paid. Maybe on Azamara, the refund should be the non discounted price (125%) if it is cancelled before sailing?

[Xport]

An interesting idea I saw, granted not with a cruiseline but elsewhere, was if a cancellation was done within a short time to delivery period, the customer was refunded 110% of what they paid. Maybe on Azamara, the refund should be the non discounted price (125%) if it is cancelled before sailing?

 

But I'm not sure that such compensation would be sufficient for me on a "once in a lifetime" trip such as the one I've planned to Asia with Azamara in February/March... Having committed mentally to the expense, I want the experience and not reimbursement for opportunities lost...

 

I fully understand that Azamara is not a charitable endeavor but, if they bill/pride themselves as providing a Destination Immersive experience with intriguing itineraries [often inclusive of lesser known and less tourism-developed ports], there is--to my mind--some obligation to provide a reliable infrastructure to round out the experience beyond transportation [however nicely done] beyond points A and B... In some places we'll visit, there are no meaningful private tour opportunities--trust me, I've looked hard--but I don't relish the prospect of traveling half way around the world only to learn at the last moment that my only option is to wander aimlessly around the dock and--perhaps--adjacent shops... It that were my travel goal, I could remain at my home in Florida or New Jersey and do the same thing--at a whole lot less cost/effort--in Miami/Fort Lauderdale or in Bayonne/Manhattan with far more fulfillment...

 

Though I also understand that we all have different tastes in what we hope to see/do during a port call, I'd much prefer that Azamara's Tour Planners curtail their offerings so as to feature fewer [some are already understandably sparse] covering the essential/most popular attractions at each port with virtual assurance [very little wiggle room] that such tours will reliably operate... Using smaller means of conveyance--vans and mini-buses seem to be the preference among Azamara's guests and seem most appropriate to Azamara's scale in any case--should keep tours economically viable; if demand exists, further capacity--if available--could be added... And if not available, a tour could then be closed well in advance of sailing; such a known operational dynamic could well encourage early guest commitment to booking cruises and tours while providing Azamara with a more predictable revenue stream...

 

With less than two weeks to go to final payment on the first segment of my trip and a desire to start making plans for 2015, this thread leaves me somewhat uneasy about choices that I have made and about choices that I am considering for the future... I hope those concerns are needless...

[riandei]

 

I fully understand that Azamara is not a charitable endeavor but, if they bill/pride themselves as providing a Destination Immersive experience with intriguing itineraries [often inclusive of lesser known and less tourism-developed ports], there is--to my mind--some obligation to provide a reliable infrastructure to round out the experience beyond transportation [however nicely done] beyond points A and B... In some places we'll visit, there are no meaningful private tour opportunities--trust me, I've looked hard--.

 

 

I agree with you....i dont want a refund...i want my experience.

 

You can only hope with less PRIVATE tour opportunities the ship sponsored tours will fill up

[Xport]

You can only hope with less PRIVATE tour opportunities the ship sponsored tours will fill up

 

From our mouths to God's ears! But sadly, I won't know for certain until aboard Journey...

 

Tour planning for Asia has been surprisingly challenging... In some places like Thailand, Vietnam, and the major cities in China, the concept of private touring has evolved/is evolving... But in places like Singapore [there's not much out there in any case but it doesn't help that my visit coincides with the start of Lunar New Year] and throughout Japan--including major cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Okinawa, and Kobe--opportunities are still remarkably sparse [Tours By Locals has some presence in some cities but that model--in which you correspond with a prospective guide sharing an advertising resource rather than a fully established tour operator (where one can get a better sense of capability--and in my case, English mastery--via a dedicated website and by accessing a broader base of reviews)--has, to my mind, some potential shortcomings]...

[uktog]

Mike, we share one leg of your journey involving Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

 

For that cruise, we too will be using ships excursion as I too do not like the Tours by Locals model (not least because I know how it operates locally hear and that is at the heart of my significant discomfort).

 

However as it is a once in a lifetime, we have taken the view that we cannot see everything, there are so many competing choices of places to see in each port, we are opting for one excursion after some research but there are runners up in our decision making processes which will mean we have options. That said, our sightseeing preferences are somewhat generic in that area and nothing is on the must see list except Hiroshima and that is a pretty safe bet something will run there

[Xport]

You are, of course, right in your insights and I keep reminding myself that I can't do it all... But that sure hasn't stopped me from trying!

 

Thanks too for your thoughts about Tours By Locals; to date, I've never used them... I have some plans to share several tours through them--planned by a very travel-savvy cruise mate of ours; I'm sure we'll have great days--but I've not had good experiences when I twice tried to organize something through them first-hand... I view myself as being quite international and accepting of cultural differences in my thinking but I have zero capability in any Asian language... On both occasions the tour description at the TBL website claimed English fluency--and the write-up surely would have suggested it--but, upon corresponding with the prospective guide, I quickly concluded--with lots of latitude in my assessment--that the web entry must have been professionally scripted by someone else... That's disingenuous and, while I'm sure that there are gems out there, I simply don't choose to spend the significant time/effort necessary to find/vet them...

 

If you, Charles, and I provide a sound base toward establishing a critical mass, I'm sure that we'll have opportunity to properly tour--I can't say enjoy; it will be very sobering--Hiroshima together via the good graces of Azamara... Clearly, Hiroshima is essential to the Japan experience...

[Jade13]

We recently attended a Cruise & Travel Expo and went to a feature presentation by Azamara. Much ado was made of the AzAmazing Evenings with videos from some past events being shown. The rep tried to put a hard "value" on them and mentioned that when AZ charters a ship, the AzAmazing Evenings are not included but can be purchased for an additional $250,000! Methinks that's a pretty high value, no matter the destination or the event, or whether it's a charter or regular sailing. I asked her later if she was sure about that amount and she was emphatic. But she also said AZ had two jewel-box ships named Journey and Conquest, so draw your own conclusions! ;);)

 

I would guess $97,500 would be more accurate which would be $150.00 USD per person x 650 people. Isn't that the amount that they want to charge those who sign up and do not attend?

 

They are obviously cutting costs with the plans to stop including food and make these a shorter after dinner event.

 

Of course $250,000 could easily be the amount that Azamara would (try to) charge the charter company so they make a profit. If those numbers are accurate they probably figure the charter company could tack on an additional $400.00 per person to cover the costs. However, I assume the charter company is negotiating the rates.

[Jade13]

 

I also wonder what is the earliest that potential tour members should be notifed that a particular tour choice will not be not be offered, although this date probably would be too late for signing up for private tours as an alternative.

 

I can tell you they wait until the last minute hoping others will join. We boarded one time with names of taxi companies to call in some ports in Greece in case of cancelation. I really did not like not knowing if the tours would go. At the time they ran them with under 20 people.

[Jade13]

B

 

Though I also understand that we all have different tastes in what we hope to see/do during a port call, I'd much prefer that Azamara's Tour Planners curtail their offerings so as to feature fewer [some are already understandably sparse] covering the essential/most popular attractions at each port with virtual assurance [very little wiggle room] that such tours will reliably operate... .

 

The problem is that doesn't work for those who travel a lot and are going back to the same port, and have already done the standard tour.

[ellbon]

when i started this thread i was looking for answers to improve ports. seems if we pull tours some of us want to take and if a taxi will not get us there and back then we need a tour at a smaller size.

The change for me at night with Azaming Evenings will mean i will do even less of them and either stay on the ship or do a local resturant like I did in Spain. it was another bus trip and i had done a private tour that day.

I love eating local food and wine and if they take away food for me what is the point. most of the events were three hours or so with the bus ride. felt rushed everytime. the nights i walked i really enjoyed myself. tendering was never the problem it was the bus ride.

[Xport]

The problem is that doesn't work for those who travel a lot and are going back to the same port, and have already done the standard tour.

 

And before I posted, I fully recognized that I am sufficiently well-traveled so as to realize that my comment could work against me in some parts of the world... But I would still rather see Azamara focus on the essentials--those could still constitute several tour opportunities--than to over offer [this thread sure doesn't suggest they are committing now] and under deliver to a broader array of guests... All the current practice does is fragment participation so as to leave more guests disappointed by failing to get a level of participation that Azamara views as economically viable on multiple excursions; in effect, it forces the issue of potential tour consolidation to the last possible moment so as to get to the same place in a more agonizing--for guests and staff--way...

 

And as I noted, I also think that Azamara could achieve greater reliability in its tour delivery if it were to focus on planning for smaller groups by right-sizing transportation at the outset... That strategy alone could foster broader tour offerings--such as those more apt to appeal to repeat visitors--with each standing on its own financial merit...

 

Bill has previously pointed out that most tour planning for the RCI family of cruise brands is performed by a shared services organization that serves all three... As the smallest and most unique of those [in terms of variety of itineraries/new ports], I sometimes wonder if those planners fully understand the Azamara business model, are creative enough when more accustomed to planning for busloads on fairly repetitive itineraries with which they have the benefit of past experience [that's where the revenue is; that's where the work is easiest], and are sufficiently staffed to provide the substantial--perhaps disproportionate--resources necessary to serve the niche, complex, and travel savvy market that Azamara seeks to attract with the promise of a destination immersive experience...

 

I have little doubt that Larry Pimentel knows where he wants to take Azamara, flexes those thoughts with experience, and--with his eyes always responsibly on finances first--that he advocates for it every day... I'm less sure that those at the highest level of RCI leadership understand--or have fully bought into--the special needs of a boutique operation/its guests and have made the commitment to supporting it...

[nordski]

Thanks to Bill Leiber for continuing to monitor this thread and pursuing the information for us. I also appreciate the comments of others as to how they deal with the tour offerings.

 

As I mentioned some time ago, on another thread, we are in perhaps a rather unique position since, because of minor physical issues, we don't want to join a privately organized tour lest we interfere with the members' goals/desires. Thus, we have the options of a ship's tour or a private tour for both of us.

 

So far, these choices have worked out well, and we haven't felt that we missed an important site.

 

I'm not certain that explanation of ACC's policy will help our planning that much, but knowledge is often power. It won't affect our upcoming cruise, but we wish to make the best choices next year in the Baltics.

 

I also realize that a refund with penalty does not replace a missed experience, but perhaps the penalty might "focus the mind wonderfully" of the cruise line in order to make certain tours happen.

 

As far as the apparent loss of dining for the Azamazing Evening, it may well be cost cutting but I also suspect that some of the problems of consistency in quality of venues and food was also a factor. On our Evening, which was very enjoyable, the food was hardly sufficient to replace a meal. We would be happy with light snacks etc. I'm also not certain how much such a large scale feeding can represent in a meaningful way the cuisine of a particular area.

 

Thus the Evening may well still be attractive despite that change.

[brucedodge]

Though I also understand that we all have different tastes in what we hope to see/do during a port call, I'd much prefer that Azamara's Tour Planners curtail their offerings so as to feature fewer [some are already understandably sparse] covering the essential/most popular attractions at each port with virtual assurance [very little wiggle room] that such tours will reliably operate... Using smaller means of conveyance--vans and mini-buses seem to be the preference among Azamara's guests and seem most appropriate to Azamara's scale in any case--should keep tours economically viable; if demand exists, further capacity--if available--could be added... And if not available, a tour could then be closed well in advance of sailing; such a known operational dynamic could well encourage early guest commitment to booking cruises and tours while providing Azamara with a more predictable revenue stream...

 

Xport,

 

Very astute observation. Tour operators are used to adding capacity. Though I prefer a single 16 passenger van "filled" with eight guests, I've seen many private tours operate, with the concurrence of the organizer, by adding additional van(s) to accommodate others who want to go along. It's so easy to do a rocket scientist probably couldn't figure it out.

 

Bruce

[ellbon]

Xport,

 

Very astute observation. Tour operators are used to adding capacity. Though I prefer a single 16 passenger van "filled" with eight guests, I've seen many private tours operate, with the concurrence of the organizer, by adding additional van(s) to accommodate others who want to go along. It's so easy to do a rocket scientist probably couldn't figure it out.

 

Bruce

 

I just did about 8 or more private tours in Europe- the group varied from 5 to 12 in Barcolena. They were al lgreat. the only country that extra vans are always aded is with Cosol in St Lucia. otherwise it has not happend to me.

 

my ships tour were just to big for the wonderful old cities in Europe.

 

so far i seem to be doing some in Central America but i am hoping due to either a beach or snorkeling in many cases i will be ok.