Obstructed View 6035 & 6046

[karenbeanpole]

Just been allocated our cabins - please has anyone stayed in these, and what are they like? Can we see anything?? Or just a whacking great big lifeboat.....Please enlighten us :D

[Redtravel]

6046 is the better of the 2. In 6046, you have some view. In the other cabin, you are looking at a lifeboat. Almost no view. Both cabins are very small. 143 sq. ft. You will have a bed and one chair. If you were assigned these cabins as part of a GTY booking, you may be able to change to another cabin in the same category. Look at what is available on your cruise. Keep checking. People do cancel. On my next cruise, I booked a GTY veranda and got assigned the last cabin with an obstructed view. I kept checking and eventually I got a cabin in a more desirable location. If you have sailed on Celebrity or Azamara before, you can try to get an upgrade one category. Deck 3 OV have portholes, but are 170 sq. ft. Good luck.

[tiggertom]

Hi Karen

I have been in 6046 and your view is like looking through a tunnel in that you can see straight ahead but the exterior wall of next door's cabin is sticking out on the left hand side and there is a life boat on the right. The cabin is small but very nice. It is wide rather than long and well laid out. The bed is on the left with the window and dressing table on the facing wall and the wardrobe on the right. The bathroom is the same size as any other cabin. I would take this again if I didn't want a balcony. It was nice and quiet.

Let me know if you require further information.

:cool:

[karenbeanpole]

Thank you both for your help. We had booked b2b both guaranteed insides. Gave us these 2 rooms. I am not really pleased as the rooms are smaller than the insides. We have been in inside cabin before and it was fine. Vic thinks that some light is better than no light, though I wonder if that is a big sacrifice for more space. I might ring Azamara and see if they can give us an unobstructed view....:D.

Wonder if an inside is still better than these rooms?

[Andy]

Thank you both for your help. We had booked b2b both guaranteed insides. Gave us these 2 rooms. I am not really pleased as the rooms are smaller than the insides. We have been in inside cabin before and it was fine. Vic thinks that some light is better than no light, though I wonder if that is a big sacrifice for more space. I might ring Azamara and see if they can give us an unobstructed view....:D.

Wonder if an inside is still better than these rooms?

 

Hi Karen,

 

If it were me ? I'd take the obstructed view over the inside cabin, but that's a personal choice. With the obstructed cabin, You are giving up 15 sq ft. (143 vs 158), but you have a window.

 

If there are other cabins available in the same category, Azamara might move you. I doubt they will move you up in category at no charge, but it never hurts to ask ! Perhaps they might, or maybe move you up to a Cat 7 for a small upcharge. I think the best plan is to call Azamara, and see what your options are.

 

Please let us know the outcome and good luck !

Edited May 25, 2014 by Host Andy

[karenbeanpole]

After spending an entire day trying to get hold of a human to talk to at Azamara, machines talking to me, noone answering, then finally got through to the first human.... only to be cut off after a few minutes. Then had to go through the whole procedure again.... get a second human..... and guess what, yes, we got cut off again. Noone rings me back, noone really wants to answer the phone at Azamara! I am so so disappointed with the customer service at Azamara. Never have I experienced such badly managed telephone system!

 

Having said all that, I explain to human 1 and human 2, then to human 3, all about changing my assigned cabins. No luck. Apparently according to the "terms and conditions" blah blah, there is nothing they can do about changing my assigned cabins. Not even giving me back an inside. let along a proper outside cabin.

 

I told them that my DH has mobility problems, so a smaller cabin is actually not a good idea for him at all. When asked what cabins they had left, they have everything available, insides, outsides, even the wheelchair accessible ones. But they keep going back to the T& C and say nothing can be done. I then said that that's not true cos something can always be done... if they want to. After all, we are not governed by machines. We are human, and we can just be NICE. I reasonably argued that if I paid them, something can be done. To which he agreed. So it's all to do with money.... fair enough. But in the end, Azamara can just be nice. To me the obstructed oceanview is NOT an upgrade. Potsy window with hardly a view, and a much smaller space is not better for us.

 

I am not a happy bunny :(

[Andy]

Hi Karen,

 

Sorry it's not working out for you. As others have reported, it sounds like Guatemala does not have their act together. Have you insisted on speaking with a supervisor ? Unfortunately, when booking a GTY, things like this can happen. In addition, I must say that playing cabin roulette when a loved one has mobility issues, is something you may wish to reconsider in the future. My Mom has mobility issues, and when we cruise, we'd never ever book a GTY, as there are simply too many unknowns.

 

What's interesting, is that I always thought that once you are assigned a category, you could move to another cabin in the same category. Perhaps the rules are different in the UK. If you do not want the obstructed cabin, I suppose that does not resolve your issue - but you would think they would move you into an inside, only to make you happier.

 

I'd suggest giving it 1 more try, and insisting to speak with a supervisor. I sincerely hope things work out for you. Good Luck !

[karenbeanpole]

Thanks Andy for your suggestions. When I rang yesterday, they did speak to a superviser - they wouldn't let me speak- and said that once the raffle for guarantees are done no changes can be made, and it would cost me £2000 to change DOWN to an inside!

I rang my travel agent this morning, as I booked part 1 of the cruise with them, and tried through them to get it changed. Exactly the same outcome - £2000 once the cabins are allocated. No changes allowed without cost. And at £2000 I could go on another cruise....

 

So not good. I cannot imagine why Azamara is so mean when they don't have to be, and they have the ability to be nice. A good deed goes a long way to lasting good reputation.

Guess we're staying put. Shall still look forward to our cruise though, as we have sailed twice on the Journey before (balcony and inside and been very happy) and loved it.:)

[themoon]

If there are still inside cabins available, then I'm a little surprised that they would want to charge you so much extra to go back to what you originally booked. It doesn't seem like very good customer service to me.

 

If you can't succeed in changing cabins before you go, perhaps you'll have more luck once you're on board, assuming the cruise is not sold out. Good luck.

[karenbeanpole]

Azamara never change cabins onboard, not unless ours caves in or floods.....

That's why I tried to do it here. We are sailing on Monday, so we are resigned to our allocated cabins on both legs now.

Apparently when you book a guaranteed inside, they have a right to give you just about anything, since an inside cabin is of the lower category, anything they give you is justified. So that's that. It doesn't matter to them whether I consider an obstructed outside as inferior to an inside, the fact is that an inside is their lowest category. And once a cabin is assigned, no changes are allowed unless a fee is paid, in this case, £2000!!

I guess that's their policy, even though I think it's a pretty lousy one.

[excitedofharpenden]

Karen, sorry you are having trouble speaking to someone sensible. This is a manifestation of my fear with Guatemala. Whereas there was someone within the UK who you could plead with if necessary we have now lost that.

 

Unfortunately what you are being told is strictly correct. With a guarantee you have to take what is offered to you even if it is an "upgrade". That's the limitation of taking a guarantee at the more attractive price you pay for them. If it is any consolation to you whilst I haven't been in one in person I heard other members of a roll call on a recent cruise say they actually liked the set up of the room. Because they are side on the door is in a different location. In the wall so to speak rather than at the end, if you know what I mean. Perhaps this will be better for your husband. Not sure. Perhaps someone else who has stayed in one can offer some positive input.

 

Phil

[tiggertom]

Hi Karen

As I said I would book 6046 again. It is slightly smaller and a different layout but it is a lovely cabin - I am sure you will like it and the floor space in in the centre of the room, if you know what I mean, so may be easier for OH.

Have a wonderful cruise

[Lottie A]

Karen, I would speak to your Hotel Director onboard and if they can, they will try to help you. I have had my cabins changed twice on past cruises and I know of someone who actually had three different cabins changes on the one cruise and it wasn't due to a problem with any of the cabins! So they DO sometimes change your cabin onboard.

 

If you take a risk and book a guarantee cabin then my philosophy is you have to be able to live with the worst allocation but hope for a better one.

 

Azamara shoreside may be a disaster but I have always found that everyone onboard is really kind and helpful, as much as is possible within the limitations imposed by Miami anyway.

Like I said, your best bet is to explain your circumstances to the Hotel Director.

[karenbeanpole]

Thanks to you all for your lovely messages. We will have a great time on Azamara as we usually do. Can't wait now... Counting the days. The weather is so bad here anywhere will be better!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[jollyjoyce]

Karen, we have just been allocated 4047 after booking a guarantee inside too!!

I would be very grateful f you would let me know what it is like when you get back.

I would like to know if there is anywhere to sit other than the bed and just general info.

We have been in balcony cabins 3 time so would like to know before I get in touch with anyone as our cruise isn't until August. Thanks,

Joyce

 

kjleitch2@yahoo.com

[karenbeanpole]

Will update when I return, Joyce

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Neigh]

Strange as it may seem to you I purposely book 4064 or 4069 as I like natural light coming into the room. In these 2 cabins you can see out as described in an earlier reply. I must also say though that some of the other obstructed view cabins do look only at the sides of tenders.

I have found when in a verandah cabin I don't use the outside area a lot as it can be too cold or windy or I am just not in the cabin that much.

Azamara has plenty of spaces where you can look out. 

You can save several thousand dollars booking the obstructed view over a verandah and maybe use that on extra shore excursions.

[claudio]

We doing spice route  and got allocated 6037

I take it it's same as others describe a full view of a lifeboat???

When and how are upgrades allocated

Do I get an email or do I chase them myself

Thanks

[excitedofharpenden]

6 minutes ago, claudio said:

We doing spice route  and got allocated 6037

I take it it's same as others describe a full view of a lifeboat???

When and how are upgrades allocated

Do I get an email or do I chase them myself

Thanks

6037 will have a direct lifeboat obstruction. You say that you were allocated this cabin.  Does this mean you purchased a guarantee?  If so then upgrades aren't offered for this cabin category. If it's not a guarantee then you will have to wait and see if you get an offer. Not everyone does. You can't chase it yourself AFAIK. 

 

Phil 

[claudio]

Thanks I will chase it up with my travel agent we were allocated the 3 last cabins when we booked since then I noticed with cancellations there might be more cabins available 

I really can't complain since  we got them for half of what their selling them for now