What does the future hold for Azamara

[pacheco18]

Insidecabin,

 

I can understand and agree on most of your points but the one that said

 

Promote only to existing customers of RCCL they have enough to fill the beds on two ships if the price/product is right

 

Is one I can't agree with. (but can understand)

 

We had the most brilliant cruise and holiday with Azamara, one where the experiences and memories will last a lifetime. This could not have happened if it had only been promoted to existing customers of RCCL.

 

 

Agree. I never would have found Azamara that way.

 

I think it is shortsighted to think that you can only promote to your own customers and fill the ships. This is a very competitive business and it is getting more competitive every year. Viking Oceans is coming on board and they seem to build and build and build. Regent is updating its ships and getting a new build. Oceania is updating its ships, has two new ships and there is word of one or two additional new builds. Those lines will be vying for Azamara's customers and I assume attracting some of them. NCL (which I would have NEVER considered in the past) has the Haven which, I have learned to my surprise, is attracting some luxury cruisers. There is post somewhere by a long time Crystal cruiser who fell in love with the Haven and cancelled a Crystal cruise to be in the Haven again. It's a ship within a ship. My curiosity is peaked.

 

Great crew. Great on board experience. Lousy shore side service, lousy communication and older, outdated ships in need of refurbishment. I do not think that the first two can trump the rest forever.

Edited May 29, 2014 by pacheco18

[geocruiser]

I would love to see Azamara fill a special spot in the cruise industry. This is what I would love it to be. Above the main market cruise lines. RCCK, HAL, X, Princess and below luxury or near luxury, Oceania, Crystal etc. I believe there are a lot of PAX who don't want to cruise on large ships and that like the smaller ships. The price should be a little more that the main market, but not near the price of the higher end cruise lines. That is the place that I feel there is no cruise line that is in that market area. There are so many cruise lines that are so much like each other. Azamara needs to be different than them. Price point is important. A good cruise, with a great crew and staff, good food and things to do on board makes me happy. Let people buy what ever packages the want. I would love to see what would happen if a cruise line had a small ship leaving from Fl. round trip most of the year.

Just my two cents again.

[syam]

I guess I wasn't clear before, but, except for the year-round Florida part, I agree with you, Geocruiser. There is definitely a market for this. And with all due respect to a previous poster, it's not a difficult target group to find.....we are constantly on the lookout for interesting, affordable holidays just like everyone else on CC...don't forget...there are lots of us who used to cruise with Azamara who have been abandoned and have nowhere to go! Friends who have gone over to Celebrity, even at the Concierge level, or other lines, have cautioned me that Azamara is a hard act to follow. They admitted their cabins were better, but that's where it ended. They'd never go back!

I know many people who'd be happy to forgoe the free liquor and evenings to retain the small ports, wonderful staff and small vessels at a less than luxury price.

The only way my friends and I can continue to enjoy Azamara is to watch out for promos or poor-selling itineraries they are dropping prices for. I'm heading to Istanbul next week for just such a cruise...the Black Sea, without the Crimea...an amazing price, a relaxing itinerary and the wonderful staff....an Azamazing value! I'm not a 'bucket list' cruiser...just love a chance to be out on the sea. I'm sorry that I won't get to see those ports, but I'm thrilled just to be able to enjoy what I will see.

I agree that there's lots of choice out there for those fortunate enough to have the wherewithal to go 'luxury', or prefer family and party-style. And practically nothing for those who prefer smaller ships with interesting itineraries and excellent service. There's the gap!

[Jade13]

I would love to see Azamara fill a special spot in the cruise industry. This is what I would love it to be. Above the main market cruise lines. RCCK, HAL, X, Princess and below luxury or near luxury, Oceania, Crystal etc.

 

Isn't that where they are, "Luxury-Lite"? I don't think they want to be considered below Oceania which I have never heard discussed as a luxury line.

[geocruiser]

I guess I wasn't clear before, but, except for the year-round Florida part, I agree with you, Geocruiser. There is definitely a market for this. And with all due respect to a previous poster, it's not a difficult target group to find.....we are constantly on the lookout for interesting, affordable holidays just like everyone else on CC...don't forget...there are lots of us who used to cruise with Azamara who have been abandoned and have nowhere to go! Friends who have gone over to Celebrity, even at the Concierge level, or other lines, have cautioned me that Azamara is a hard act to follow. They admitted their cabins were better, but that's where it ended. They'd never go back!

I know many people who'd be happy to forgoe the free liquor and evenings to retain the small ports, wonderful staff and small vessels at a less than luxury price.

The only way my friends and I can continue to enjoy Azamara is to watch out for promos or poor-selling itineraries they are dropping prices for. I'm heading to Istanbul next week for just such a cruise...the Black Sea, without the Crimea...an amazing price, a relaxing itinerary and the wonderful staff....an Azamazing value! I'm not a 'bucket list' cruiser...just love a chance to be out on the sea. I'm sorry that I won't get to see those ports, but I'm thrilled just to be able to enjoy what I will see.

I agree that there's lots of choice out there for those fortunate enough to have the wherewithal to go 'luxury', or prefer family and party-style. And practically nothing for those who prefer smaller ships with interesting itineraries and excellent service. There's the gap!

 

I put the cruise from Florida in because it is where I love to cruise from:). Azamara needs to target a market that no other cruise line has. I think that market is out there.

Your cruise sounds great. It will be wonderful. Enjoy!

[TxnAquarian]

I'm not a 'bucket list' cruiser...just love a chance to be out on the sea. I'm sorry that I won't get to see those ports, but I'm thrilled just to be able to enjoy what I will see.

 

I just love your enthusiasm and attitude! I get soooo tired of all the whining and moaning on these boards! We are so lucky just to be able to take cruise vacations and I think people need to be more appreciative of the experience of being out at sea, regardless of where they are and what ship they are on. We are trying Azamara for the first time this December(with a second booked). We are in our 30s, maybe a little younger than the Azamara demo, but I know we will enjoy ourselves. Keep up the great attitude and thanks for bringing some positivity to these boards!

 

 

 

Michael

[insidecabin]

I would love to see Azamara fill a special spot in the cruise industry. This is what I would love it to be. Above the main market cruise lines. RCCK, HAL, X, Princess and below luxury or near luxury, Oceania, Crystal etc. I believe there are a lot of PAX who don't want to cruise on large ships and that like the smaller ships. The price should be a little more that the main market, but not near the price of the higher end cruise lines. That is the place that I feel there is no cruise line that is in that market area. There are so many cruise lines that are so much like each other. Azamara needs to be different than them. Price point is important. A good cruise, with a great crew and staff, good food and things to do on board makes me happy. Let people buy what ever packages the want. I would love to see what would happen if a cruise line had a small ship leaving from Fl. round trip most of the year.

Just my two cents again.

 

Is this not what ACC was before they changed the drinks policy added Azamazing and announced they are after the $300k+ earning pax and hiked up the prices.

 

There is definitely a market for the ship that sells itself to people that already cruise and are looking for that middle ground quality experience at a reasonable price.

 

Does make you wonder if that old model would work, certainly there must be loads out there that just want a relaxing vacation so the destinations not so important, come up with 2-4 itineraries from florida and you might fill a ship.

[excitedofharpenden]

We are so lucky just to be able to take cruise vacations and I think people need to be more appreciative of the experience of being out at sea, regardless of where they are and what ship they are on.

That's something that crosses my mind many times on a cruise. How fortunate I am to be there and able to do it.

 

Phil

[geocruiser]

Is this not what ACC was before they changed the drinks policy added Azamazing and announced they are after the $300k+ earning pax and hiked up the prices.

 

There is definitely a market for the ship that sells itself to people that already cruise and are looking for that middle ground quality experience at a reasonable price.

 

Does make you wonder if that old model would work, certainly there must be loads out there that just want a relaxing vacation so the destinations not so important, come up with 2-4 itineraries from florida and you might fill a ship.

 

I am one of the PAX who want a relaxing vacation and the destination is not so important (like you said). My Azamara's cruises were out of Fl. just to relax. I agree with you.

[HudandPug]

That's something that crosses my mind many times on a cruise. How fortunate I am to be there and able to do it.

 

Phil

 

Agree, just grateful and prepared to enjoy the experience. Especially now I have got to know Azamara much better ;)

Like Phil says, when on any cruise, I feel very fortunate to be able to cruise and able to enjoy it.

 

Yvonne

[pacheco18]

Unless there is a sea change (sorry for the pun) at the leadership and marketing level at Azamara this is all wishful thinking. They are and have been targeting the luxury cruiser. I do not think they are succeeding and I do not think luxury cruisers are going to want to sail on old ships with small cabins. Luxury cruisers don't even want to sail on the O ships in the small cabins even with the refurbishment. They opt for the newer larger ships with much larger cabins.

 

As you know these boards are not instrument for effecting change at the highest levels -- did you get the harpists back? are land discoveries discounted? has the beverage package been changed based on all the comments? I could go on. They run the show. You either book a cruise or vote with your wallet.

 

Azamara does not seem to listen. The fate of the cruise line is in their hands and none of us knows what will happen in the future. All we have are the facts. No refurbishment. No new builds. Higher prices. The chips will fall as they always do.

[Texed]

We were very pleased with our cruises on Azamara. :)

[Reggiefan]

May I suggest that if the issue is whether Azamara cruises under current pricing represent good value and in effect are attractively priced, then the folks on this forum are well positioned to offer their opinions.

 

However, if the issues are whether Azamara is profitable, whether Azamara is meeting the financial expectations of its parent company, and how Azamara's profit margins have been affected by the changes made some two years ago to become more inclusive with higher pricing, I doubt that anyone taking part in this discussion knows.

 

It is a credit to Azamara that so many of its fans are so interested in the future of the cruise line that they are trying to connect the dots in discussing Azamara's future. But without some hard data, can anyone say how Azamara is doing financially and whether the arrows for key metrics are pointed in the right direction?

[geocruiser]

Unless there is a sea change (sorry for the pun) at the leadership and marketing level at Azamara this is all wishful thinking. They are and have been targeting the luxury cruiser. I do not think they are succeeding and I do not think luxury cruisers are going to want to sail on old ships with small cabins. Luxury cruisers don't even want to sail on the O ships in the small cabins even with the refurbishment. They opt for the newer larger ships with much larger cabins.

 

As you know these boards are not instrument for effecting change at the highest levels -- did you get the harpists back? are land discoveries discounted? has the beverage package been changed based on all the comments? I could go on. They run the show. You either book a cruise or vote with your wallet.

 

Azamara does not seem to listen. The fate of the cruise line is in their hands and none of us knows what will happen in the future. All we have are the facts. No refurbishment. No new builds. Higher prices. The chips will fall as they always do.

 

I agree. I hope Azamara finds where they belong in the cruise industry and the PAX find them.

[kiawahdon]

However, if the issues are whether Azamara is profitable, whether Azamara is meeting the financial expectations of its parent company, and how Azamara's profit margins have been affected by the changes made some two years ago to become more inclusive with higher pricing, I doubt that anyone taking part in this discussion knows.

 

 

As a stockholder of RCI, I read all their SEC filings including the Annual Report, Proxy Statement, 10-k and 8-k filings. I look at debt/equity, free cash flow and capital commitments (all noted in the SEC filings) in particular. It does not take a genius to see where Azamara fits in RCI's world.

[Jade13]

As a stockholder of RCI, I read all their SEC filings including the Annual Report, Proxy Statement, 10-k and 8-k filings. I look at debt/equity, free cash flow and capital commitments (all noted in the SEC filings) in particular. It does not take a genius to see where Azamara fits in RCI's world.

 

What does it show regarding Azamara?

[Reggiefan]

Other than Azamara producing a small percentage of RCI's revenue, which is to be expected given the number of ships and their capacity in RCI's other cruise lines, what do the SEC filings show?

 

I understand that there may be an issue of how committed RCI is to the success of Azamara. Years ago, we saw GM start Saturn, which I thought was an interesting concept, and then failed to give that company the independence and financial resources it needed to grow.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Reggiefan

[BBMacLaird]

Thank you everyone, for your concern. If you are wondering, I had a really bad fall Friday night. Totally freak accident, but on the bright side, it could have been a lot worse. I mentioned it on the Celebrity forum : http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=42873205&postcount=65 .

 

It's really not so bad ! As long as I don't breathe or move, I'm fine :). The good news is, each day is a little better than the previous one, so I hope to be back on my feet in a few days.

 

Hi Andy, I'm sorry to read that you've been laid up. I hope you're feeling better?

I've been in 2015-2016 planning meetings with Azamara all week and have had very few free minutes to respond to the various CC threads.

I appreciate your comments tapping down all the conjecture & speculation on this thread. The entire Azamara team appreciates the fact that you know and understand that we remain committed to our guests.

 

Best wishes,

Bonnie

[baytraller]

Hello Bonnie, very pleased to see that you are monitoring this topic.

Some say that Cruisecritic has no influence on cruise line policy

That may be correct for major issues, but I'm sure for small changes this may be possible

When I started this post, I had hoped for comments on those possible small options

Such as - bringing back the duo in the Looking Glass

The inclusion of one or two dinners in the specialty restaurants

Better internet service and prices

 

I have booked a cruise next year on the Crystal Syphony for April/May

 

This cruise was sold out in late January

 

Crystal have recently refurbished there two ships and upgraded internet bandwidth

 

Made their rewards program much better, which includes almost unlimited internet access

 

Crystal now has one of the highest future cruise capacity rates

 

Lets hope that Azamara see that there is a future with just two ships of upto 1,000 passengers

 

Cheers Peter

[English Tim]

Having taken 6 cruises in the last 12 months, one on Seabourn, three on Azamara, one Princess and one Celebrity, we are about to take a land based vacation in Austria.

 

We'll be staying at a 4* hotel on a full board basis, with snacks in the afternoon, drinks and fruit in the spa and a multitude of free leisure facilities, including tennis courts, indoor / outdoor pools, saunas, steam rooms, etc. They also organize a free guided activities program.

 

We have stayed there many times before and temptation has got the better of us to return, rather than take another cruise.

 

The cost is about half what we paid for our recent Azamara cruise, but it doesn't include alcohol, some other beverages or much evening entertainment.

 

It will be interesting to see how we value this trip having been so cruise orientated recently. Certainly the bathroom, bedroom and balcony will be much bigger and we'll have lovely mountain views. Service will be top notch, so little difference there.

 

I do feel that Azamara's prices are going up out of pace with inflation, possibly due to the line's popularity, but we generally get a very good price.

 

The main change with Azamara, which particularly bothers me, is that most activities in 'Pursuits' are now revenue based. There are now far fewer 'free' activities than there were twelve months ago and the wretched art auctions have raised their ugly head.

[DaKa2002]

We have been moving towards Azamara for a number of years; many fellow cruisers we know have kept recommending Azamara to us. We finally "jumped" for a cruise in 2015, talking son and his wife into join us. Already considering 2016. From the various Azamara threads, I sure hope management is listening!

[bobndee]

Having taken 6 cruises in the last 12 months, one on Seabourn, three on Azamara, one Princess and one Celebrity, we are about to take a land based vacation in Austria.

 

We'll be staying at a 4* hotel on a full board basis, with snacks in the afternoon, drinks and fruit in the spa and a multitude of free leisure facilities, including tennis courts, indoor / outdoor pools, saunas, steam rooms, etc. They also organize a free guided activities program.

 

We have stayed there many times before and temptation has got the better of us to return, rather than take another cruise.

 

The cost is about half what we paid for our recent Azamara cruise, but it doesn't include alcohol, some other beverages or much evening entertainment.

 

It will be interesting to see how we value this trip having been so cruise orientated recently. Certainly the bathroom, bedroom and balcony will be much bigger and we'll have lovely mountain views. Service will be top notch, so little difference there.

 

I do feel that Azamara's prices are going up out of pace with inflation, possibly due to the line's popularity, but we generally get a very good price.

 

The main change with Azamara, which particularly bothers me, is that most activities in 'Pursuits' are now revenue based. There are now far fewer 'free' activities than there were twelve months ago and the wretched art auctions have raised their ugly head.

 

 

Interesting. We also just booked a land-based vacation at an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean. Butler service, all alcohol included, airport transfers and all activities included. Also for half the price of a cruise on Azamara, Oceania or Crystal.

 

We enjoy cruising since it takes us places that we've never been to before (Mediterranean, Alaska, French Polynesia, Panama Canal). The main drawback to going to the Caribbean, for us, is that one island is much like another. Seen one, seen them all. We choose cruises based on itinerary, not just to unwind aboard a ship. We can do that at a resort for a much lower cost.

 

We intend to take more cruises. The timing will depend on itinerary and our perceptions of the value offered by a particular cruise/cruise line.

[excitedofharpenden]

There's something else I thought about and I don't think it's been mentioned on this thread, but I feel is an important factor when talking about Azamara going forward. It's the crew. I have only been sailing Azamara since 2011, but it' is amazing how many of the staff still on the ships have worked there since day 1, either from other cruise lines or Celebrity. Loyalty and depth of service are strengths of the line that have been discussed many times here.

 

Whilst in no way am I oblivious to the needs of the business as a whole this exhibition of loyalty and passion for the brand has to be a very positive thing.

 

Phil

[uktog]

 

The main change with Azamara, which particularly bothers me, is that most activities in 'Pursuits' are now revenue based. There are now far fewer 'free' activities than there were twelve months ago and the wretched art auctions have raised their ugly head.

 

I cannot agree with your post - I only saw two revenue based activities other than bingo on our cruise. Yes there was not a vast array of activities but as Azamara is a destination cruise line that did not surprise me at all and it did not seem to bother the guests we spoke with either. I do agree I do not like the art auctions, I can avoid the auctions but not their garish art spoiling mosaic

 

Ps my definition of most is 60%+

[nordski]

I cannot agree with your post - I only saw two revenue based activities other than bingo on our cruise. Yes there was not a vast array of activities but as Azamara is a destination cruise line that did not surprise me at all and it did not seem to bother the guests we spoke with either. I do agree I do not like the art auctions, I can avoid the auctions but not their garish art spoiling mosaic

 

Ps my definition of most is 60%+

 

Thanks for the update.