Azamara has failed us before we've even sailed!

[andreecruisemom]

We have 5 cabins (10 people) scheduled to sail on the Azamara Journey on January 5th.  I am the travel agent for the group and this has been the worst experience pre-cruise that I have ever encountered.  We specifically booked this Cuba intensive itinerary for the 3 days in Havana.  They changed the itinerary about 3 months ago (after final payment) to only 2 days, 1 overnight in Havana and an extra day in Cienfuegos.  We have booked some shore excursions through the ship and some through private tour operators.  We booked the show at the Tropicana privately and prepaid for tickets.  1 week ago we were notified that the Ahmazing Evening (which is a nice value-added excursion that Azamara touts all over the place) had been changed from the night in Santiago de Cuba to the 1 night in Havana.  Where we have already prepaid for Tropicana tickets.  Upon contacting Azamara (which I can never reach without being on hold for 30-50 minutes first), I was told that they had to change because of a problem with the dock in Santiago.  Well, the dock issue has been going on for months-I have been following other Cuban cruises.  If they would've notified us prior to 2 weeks before sailing we may have been able to attend the evening without losing the $ for our Tropicana tickets.  Now we don't get our "value added" event because we are attending our paid for evening.  They have refused any compensation for this because they are blaming Cuba.  Today, my Parent's received an email (1 week prior to sailing) that their "Easy Panoramic Havana" excursion was changed to the 2nd day in Havana (from the 1st).  My parents are turning 77 and 80 on the cruise and have some mobility issues.  This excursion was booked for them as an easy way to see Havana on the 1st day without alot of walking.  We have a private tour booked for the 2nd day so they can't do the excursion then.  Of course I called Azamara (and was put on hold for 30 minutes).  I explained my issues with the agent Leah and was told that that excursion is not available for the day.  There was not a single other excursion available that day that does not require alot of walking.  As a result, my Parents will not be able to get off the ship in Havana that day.    I was told that they are trying to work out some other excursions for that day, but nothing is guaranteed.  The only offer made was to let my Parents cancel the entire cruise without penalty! I have never encountered this many problems and changes with any other cruise line!  This experience has soured me completely on Azamara.  I understand difficulties in dealing with Cuba, but they are not treating their customers with respect at all.  This cruise will have to be miraculous in order for me to ever cruise Azamara again.

[Grandma Cruising]

I hope you do enjoy the onboard experience, but it sounds like they will have to work hard to overcome your poor shoreside experience.

Have you looked at booking a private classic car experience in Havana for your parents, or other private tour? I look at all the Roll-calls for all Azamara  cruises and many people who have booked Cuba cruises have booked private tours (Blexie is a name that has been mentioned a lot).

[MomC]

I understand your frustration. We also book private private excursions often. My guess is that this may truly be a Cuba problem and working with the operators there.  Of course, it could be Azamar’s fault. You have been following other cruise lines and you said they are not having these issues. We have a Cuba cruise booked  next November on Seabourn. I had planned to book some independent excursions. Now I am a bit concerned. 

 

Mom C

[andreecruisemom]

We have a classic car excursion on the 2nd day in Havana for our entire group.  I wanted my Parents to have an easy day in Havana the first day because we are all attending the Tropicana that evening and it will be a late night.  Thank you for all the suggestions.  I will be contacting our private tour operator to see if he can do something for my Parents.  We are using Fertours and he has been very responsive.  This does not absolve Azamara of anything.  They still have a great deal to do to make up for our precruise issues.

[travelberlin]

I am sorry to hear about your experience. It does not sound good. I hope you enjoy your experience on board.

Ivi

 

[jelayne]

I understand your frustration. 

We also had problems with excursions on our recent Cuba cruise.  The excursion we booked for the 2nd day in Havana was cancelled prior to our cruise so we booked another ships excursion as a replacement.  Arrived on board to find a notice that our excursion was cancelled.  Reviewed the Shore Excursion booklet and found our 3rd choice & headed off to the Shore Excursion desk to book that excursion.  Guess what that excursion had also been cancelled. 

[uktog]

15 minutes ago, jelayne said:

I understand your frustration. 

We also had problems with excursions on our recent Cuba cruise.  The excursion we booked for the 2nd day in Havana was cancelled prior to our cruise so we booked another ships excursion as a replacement.  Arrived on board to find a notice that our excursion was cancelled.  Reviewed the Shore Excursion booklet and found our 3rd choice & headed off to the Shore Excursion desk to book that excursion.  Guess what that excursion had also been cancelled. 

What happens then - can you go ashore on your own?  As I read the rules each day had to involve an approved excursion either through the cruise line or an approved provider.

[Bimmer09]

5 hours ago, andreecruisemom said:

 This cruise will have to be miraculous in order for me to ever cruise Azamara again.

 

I feel your pain at your situation.

I too, plan my port time in advance to maximize my experience and quickly book interesting excursions rather than fly by the seat of my pants and wing it-which puts me and you at odds with the Shoreside Azamara which doesn't get a lot of love on this board and there must be a reason for that. You've highlighted one.

Shipside Azamara seems to garner the love and that's what led me to book it as my means of cruising Cuba-no other line was offering the immersion that Az promised. I am not expecting miracles on board but I am confident that I will really enjoy my time on the ship.

It's a tiny little cruise line sailing 3  20 year old ships and judging by the Shoreside experience 

will likely stay tiny. 

They have changed my Cuba itinerary for the January 15th sailing but I roll with the punches with a sigh. My situation is a lot less complicated than yours though. I say my but I mean our as 

I am not traveling alone but she who is less amenable to rolling with the punches luckily doesn't read CC nor this board and is blissfully unaware how "all at sea" the Azamara Organization (sic)

conducts it's business. My time in Havana was cut short by 6 hours to accomodate an Amazing Evening in Santiago de Cuba where Az knew the pier was out of commission. Then changed back to first night in Havana and the cancellation of our Az excursion to a club playing Buena Vista Social Club type music. Then the cancellation of the other nighttime excursions in Havana. I rolled my eyes. 

 

I personally wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over missing an Amazing Evening. Enjoy the Tropicana!

Norris

[mnocket]

I agree with Bimmer.  The Tropicana trumps the Amazing Evening.  Kudos to you for booking your Tropicana show privately - Azamara's mark-up on this tour is ridiculous.

[jelayne]

5 hours ago, uktog said:

What happens then - can you go ashore on your own?  As I read the rules each day had to involve an approved excursion either through the cruise line or an approved provider.

 

Yes, and many did in each of our Cuba ports.  We booked with a private guide for day 1 in Havana; Blexie and he was fantastic. The price was 1/4 of the ships Classic car tour. 

We originally opted for a ships excursion for day 2  because it was a cooking class and we hadn’t found one we could do on our own.  Of course that was the first excursion that was cancelled.

Edited December 30, 2018 by jelayne

[Shawnino]

This sounds pretty bad. Sorry you're going through this.

 

As to 'blaming Cuba', I am somewhat suspicious of this excuse from Azamara. 

It might work on an American audience.

But the Cuban tourism industry is very mature -- it can be argued that since the Cubans clowned JFK at the Bay of Pigs, Cuba's tourism industry facing the Rest-of-the-World is the only thing that's kept Cuba from being, oh, Haiti. Cuba has been welcoming Canadians, Europeans, etc. for decades to the island. The accommodations are by no means always first class, but the planes fly in in bunches every day from all over.

 

I doubt very much it's the Cubans cancelling the excursions. They really need the hard currency to prop the dictatorship up and keep the citizenry from asking too many questions.

[tgg]

15 hours ago, uktog said:

What happens then - can you go ashore on your own?  As I read the rules each day had to involve an approved excursion either through the cruise line or an approved provider.

 

Yes, you CAN go ashore on your own. I know this because we did just that a few weeks ago. We just showed our passports and were on our way. No questions were asked. Nobody cared. 

 

 

[uktog]

Thanks.  I am  in the early stages of planning a Cuba trip.  I think given all I am reading I will organise my excursions independently.  I have just returned from three Azamara cruises and the Land Discoveries still had too many silly issues for us in any event.  We were using them to use up OBC and that went pear shaped in any event as so much got cancelled.

[Shawnino]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

Thanks.  I am  in the early stages of planning a Cuba trip.  I think given all I am reading I will organise my excursions independently.  I have just returned from three Azamara cruises and the Land Discoveries still had too many silly issues for us in any event.  We were using them to use up OBC and that went pear shaped in any event as so much got cancelled.

 

What happened?

Thanks.

[uktog]

4 minutes ago, Shawnino said:

 

What happened?

Thanks.

I will do a review in due course but we had missed ports (one due to a technical fault one weather related, ok these things happen) but then in addition we had excursions cancelled due to lack of demand and the timing of others changed to times that did not suit us (we had deliberately opted for afternoon trips to fit into morning plans but all the afternoon ones got cancelled for "operational reasons.")  

At least if I book my own I am in more control, it was just that in South America there were few independent providers.

[laurieb]

On 12/29/2018 at 12:04 PM, andreecruisemom said:

.  They have refused any compensation for this because they are blaming Cuba

Why in the world would you expect compensation?

[andreecruisemom]

Well, they changed the itinerary from 3 days in Havana to 2, after final payment.  They changed the Azamazing evening from Santiago de Cuba on Day 7 to Havana on Day 2 with 2 weeks notice.  We have already booked and paid for a private event that evening, forcing us to either miss the evening that we have paid for or miss the special evening provided by Azamara. This is despite the fact that they have known that the Santiago pier is out of commission and has been for months. Then, 1 week prior to our cruise, they cancelled the only shore excursion that my parents had signed up for in Havana through the ship and scheduled them for the next day when they are unable to do it.  There is not another shore excursion option for them to do for that first day in Cuba, which means that they can't disembark according to the Cuban/US rules.  You don't think that any of this is a problem?

[rallydave]

1 minute ago, andreecruisemom said:

  There is not another shore excursion option for them to do for that first day in Cuba, which means that they can't disembark according to the Cuban/US rules.  

While I sympathize with the way you have been treated, your quoted issue is NOT an issue at all.  There are absolutely no rules that say whether you can get off the ship in Cuba.  The only rules are from the US and no problems at all.  Just avoid paying any money that will go to the Cuban Government and keep a journal of everything you do in Cuba in the very very very unlikely chance that at sometime in the future the US Government ask you for the journal.  You are more likely to get struck by lightening than having to show this journal to anyone.

 

In spite of all the shoreside problems, the ship will be wonderful.

[hiccups]

24 minutes ago, andreecruisemom said:

Well, they changed the itinerary from 3 days in Havana to 2, after final payment.  They changed the Azamazing evening from Santiago de Cuba on Day 7 to Havana on Day 2 with 2 weeks notice.  We have already booked and paid for a private event that evening, forcing us to either miss the evening that we have paid for or miss the special evening provided by Azamara. This is despite the fact that they have known that the Santiago pier is out of commission and has been for months. Then, 1 week prior to our cruise, they cancelled the only shore excursion that my parents had signed up for in Havana through the ship and scheduled them for the next day when they are unable to do it.  There is not another shore excursion option for them to do for that first day in Cuba, which means that they can't disembark according to the Cuban/US rules.  You don't think that any of this is a problem?

 

Did you by chance purchase cruise-specific travel insurance that will compensate you for a change in itinerary and/or prepaid excursions?

Could you change your private tour to the first shore day instead of the second?  Probably not, but it might be worth an email to your tour guide.

I sympathize with the cancelled excursions.  On our last Azamara cruise I had two excursions cancelled--one due to weather and one due to lack of participation.  For both I was notified the evening before the excursion, which left me no time to book any other excursion unless it was with Azamara.  And of course, any of the other excursions I would have been interested in were full.  However, I asked shore excursions if they could please make an exception and add me to an excursion at the second port, since it was too late for me to make any other arrangements.  They complied, which I appreciated, but unfortunately the excursion was only so-so.

[Shawnino]

I'm surprised excursions get cancelled for lack of participation: the ships' markups are huge. 

 

[hiccups]

1 hour ago, Shawnino said:

I'm surprised excursions get cancelled for lack of participation: the ships' markups are huge. 

 

I was, too.  It was a bicycling excursion.  Shore Excursions said six people had signed up (US price was $99).  They said the tour operator said they needed more people, but really, with a bike excursion, I don't know that you'd want a group much larger than that.  As a fairly active person (runner/cyclist), it's been hard to find Azamara excursions that give me the activity level I prefer on vacation.  Surprisingly, I had better luck on our river cruise, even though the average passenger age was older.

[Ithikan]

33 minutes ago, hiccups said:

I was, too.  It was a bicycling excursion.  Shore Excursions said six people had signed up (US price was $99).  They said the tour operator said they needed more people, but really, with a bike excursion, I don't know that you'd want a group much larger than that.  As a fairly active person (runner/cyclist), it's been hard to find Azamara excursions that give me the activity level I prefer on vacation.  Surprisingly, I had better luck on our river cruise, even though the average passenger age was older.

When our second bicycling excursion was recently cancelled for our June cruise, I called Miami to learn why - was informed that the Greek tour operators had cancelled, not Azamara.  I've lots of time to find alternative excursions for which I'm grateful, including contacting the island bicycle shops directly.

[50thstate]

I am sailing on 2/11/19 and received the same notification. Our Ahzamara Spec. Night was changed from Cienfuegos to Havana. However, in addition we were advised that in order to do the complimentary evening show, we must have  an excursion booked for the same day. I think that's ridiculous. I have other excursions booked for different dates but because I do not have one for that day, I cannot attend the show???  What kind of shenanigans is that???

[kcscrapper]

WE had the same issue with Tropicana v. Amazing Evening -- Tropicana has a 7 day notice cancellation with a small penalty.  Guest relations worked "with" us to get information, but then exceeded their mandate by accepting the penalty and cancelling our Tropicana reservations (I requested that the AZRepresentative learn what the Tropicana would do and I wanted a full refund - I didn't care if that refund came from Tropicana or AZ - the Representative accepted the cancelation with penalty from Tropicana, but didn't get the balance refunded from AZ.)  

 

In any case - hearing about the Tropicana and experiencing the "Azamzing Evening" -- I wish we'd chosen the Tropicana.

[Shawnino]

On 12/31/2018 at 11:58 AM, hiccups said:

I was, too.  It was a bicycling excursion.  Shore Excursions said six people had signed up (US price was $99).  They said the tour operator said they needed more people, but really, with a bike excursion, I don't know that you'd want a group much larger than that.  As a fairly active person (runner/cyclist), it's been hard to find Azamara excursions that give me the activity level I prefer on vacation.  Surprisingly, I had better luck on our river cruise, even though the average passenger age was older.

 

Yeah.

 

We generally do private excursions, and our guides tell us that when they are booked out by the cruise ships proper, the guides gets somewhere between a third and 40% of the fee charged by the line, the line keeping the rest. As an example we did a 4x4 tour in Sardinia at EUR 100pp. Guide says when the ship books him the ship charges 200pp from which he gets 70, so he's well ahead anytime he gets a private booking. His expenses are about 160 on a group of 4, so  he clears 120 on a ship's tour and 240 on a private booking. Somehow we pay half and the guide nets double 🙂 

 

To your example, if the markup is similar, I'm slightly surprised Azamara ShoreEx wouldn't come to an arrangement with their operator to give the operator a slightly bigger piece of a smaller pie, so that the customer is happy and there is at least some pie for both the operator and Azamara.  

 

And I've heard the same about River Cruises having a more active clientele. Never done one because I don't like the all-inclusive aspect. I like to plan from scratch in each port.