AZ Upgrade Program - NEW - effective 3/12/19!!

[Grandma Cruising]

11 hours ago, screen-gem said:

Here's another data point.

 

We sail at the end of May (less than 90 days away), and our booking is fully paid.

I submitted an upgrade request (under the old system) months ago, and received back an acknowledgement at the time. Have received no correspondence from Azamara advising that the old request was now null and void, nor that I'd have to reapply under the new program.

 

Since learning about the new program here, I've been attempting to re-apply, but keep getting the well-known "you're not eligible at this time" error message.  This morning, I was not eligible. Then earlier this afternoon, an email from AZ arrived.

   Subject: Act Now - You're eligible for a stateroom upgrade

I find this to be somewhat disingenuous.  We're not really eligible for an upgrade; instead, we're eligible to "submit offers to upgrade your existing stateroom".  The email makes no mention of my upgrade request that was submitted previously, nor what happens if I leave things the way they are. Had I not read the many posts on this thread, I might well have assumed I was still waitlisted according to the previous confirmation from Azamara (a 1-category upgrade @ $398/cabin).

 

The email goes on to say that "If you booked your voyage through a travel agent, please be assured that your agent can guide you through the upgrade process". I've learned that this afternoon my TA received the same email that was sent to me.

 

A number of upgrade options are listed, ranging from a Continent Suite (from $200US pp) all the way up to the World Owner's Suite (from $2,800US pp). The slider for a bid on the WO Suite goes up to a whopping $5,100pp. That's a bit steep for my budget.

 

Following Bonnie's guidance in a previous post, I submitted the minimum of bids possible (which is supposed to retain whatever priority might have been established by my original request). I  immediately received back a confirmation that my offer had been received.

 

It's clear there are still some bugs in the system, but it seems that the hamsters powering the Azamara IT equipment room are slowly getting up to speed. 

Have you seen the sticky topic titled Upgrade Bid Experiences. I am trying to compile a chart of people’s experience with bidding for upgrades. It would be great if you would be prepared to post on there the following - date of bid, date of cruise, length of cruise, LCV level, cabin booked, cabin bid for, minimum bid available, amount of bid, bid strength (weak etc) and then later come back & say whether your bid was successful.

[screen-gem]

On 3/23/2019 at 4:50 AM, Host Grandma Cruising said:

 It would be great if you would be prepared to post on there the following - date of bid, date of cruise, length of cruise, LCV level, cabin booked, cabin bid for, minimum bid available, amount of bid, bid strength (weak etc) and then later come back & say whether your bid was successful.

Noted.

If my bid is successful, I'll be happy to post the intel. However, the likelihood it will be accepted is minimal. Less than minimal, I'm sure,  given the paltry number of LCV points we have and the fact that all the suites are shown as sold out. Not to mention the cheapitude of my bid...

[Lois R]

I put in a bid almost 2 weeks ago but never received a reply. I tried emailing them with a follow up today but my email was returned as "UNDELIVERABLE"...……...

[BBMacLaird]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

I put in a bid almost 2 weeks ago but never received a reply. I tried emailing them with a follow up today but my email was returned as "UNDELIVERABLE"...……...

When do you sail LoisR?

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, BBMacLaird said:

When do you sail LoisR?

Hi Bonnie, I sail April 10th...…….2 weeks away.

[Grandma Cruising]

10 hours ago, screen-gem said:

Noted.

If my bid is successful, I'll be happy to post the intel. However, the likelihood it will be accepted is minimal. Less than minimal, I'm sure,  given the paltry number of LCV points we have and the fact that all the suites are shown as sold out. Not to mention the cheapitude of my bid...

Could you also post if your bid is not successful. I think that would be useful information too.

[combine]

To put this new system into perspective, it would be interesting to know (although I doubt we would be told) just how many guests were ever offered the $398 upgrade on any given cruise. For all we know -and yes all cruises are different , maybe only one person got the call each cruise or maybe 10 or maybe none. Now we have the new system  and we are talking about it more openly and seem to be doing all the hard work, trying to pitch our offer just right, are we expecting too much and jumping through all these hoops for very little end result? We never used to post on here if we had been succesful or not. Maybe on our  roll call, yes, to update contact details on spread sheets.

 

For our  one and only upgrade, when the call came at four weeks out, we were offered 3 different cabins and I chose the one that suited us best. I believe Host Grandma you were the next one called!!  So on that cruise there were at least 3 cabins from oceanview to balcony. That could have been the norm or a one off.

[uktog]

I heard the number was extremely low both in terms of applications and upgrades however that did not tie up with the reported experiences from the wider group of friends we regularly see on cruises.  I just do not know what to believe other than this is a cost saving (cost of staff to make the calls) and revenue enhancing development (the minimum weak bid is higher than the previous cost $398/£279) that brings Azamara into line with the rest of the brand.

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, combine said:

To put this new system into perspective, it would be interesting to know (although I doubt we would be told) just how many guests were ever offered the $398 upgrade on any given cruise. For all we know -and yes all cruises are different , maybe only one person got the call each cruise or maybe 10 or maybe none. Now we have the new system  and we are talking about it more openly and seem to be doing all the hard work, trying to pitch our offer just right, are we expecting too much and jumping through all these hoops for very little end result? We never used to post on here if we had been succesful or not. Maybe on our  roll call, yes, to update contact details on spread sheets.

 

For our  one and only upgrade, when the call came at four weeks out, we were offered 3 different cabins and I chose the one that suited us best. I believe Host Grandma you were the next one called!!  So on that cruise there were at least 3 cabins from oceanview to balcony. That could have been the norm or a one off.

Yes, that’s right - the only upgrade we ever got.

[excitedofharpenden]

On 3/20/2019 at 11:16 PM, tgg said:

The Continent suite description is "two lower beds convertible to one queen size bed."  Owner's suites and ocean suites, however, are described as having one queen size bed. There is nothing that indicates that they can be split into two beds.

 

If you apply for one of these large suite upgrades and you are travelling with someone with whom you do not share a bed (like an adult child), can these beds be split or replaced?

I can’t speak for Pursuit, but on Journey and Quest the starboard side CW and CO suites can be split and the port side ones can’t.  So in this case it would be important to know which cabin you had been upgraded to if successful.  As it would be if upgrading to a CC Suite with three people because only some have the convertible chair.

 

On another note, I've had the email for the May cruise I booked, but when I click on the link it takes me to a page where it says “server not found". 🤔

 

Phil

[screen-gem]

13 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Could you also post if your bid is not successful. I think that would be useful information too.

Will do. Won't be until late May, unless lightning strikes and they notify me early...

[Grandma Cruising]

9 hours ago, screen-gem said:

Will do. Won't be until late May, unless lightning strikes and they notify me early...

Thanks👍

[tgg]

20 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

I can’t speak for Pursuit, but on Journey and Quest the starboard side CW and CO suites can be split and the port side ones can’t.  So in this case it would be important to know which cabin you had been upgraded to if successful.  As it would be if upgrading to a CC Suite with three people because only some have the convertible chair.

 

Phil

 

If Azamara isn't giving people a choice about a particular suite (and they've already paid for the upgrade when they submit their bid) it sounds like another "handicapped cabin" dealbreaker. Too bad.

[manc]

Currently on Journey and in room info states upgrade for $398 and priority is based on member level and then time of request. 

 

We requested in October 2017 and are discoverer plus now but didn't get one.

 

Information is inaccurate and misleading!!!!!

[BBMacLaird]

Thanks Manc for the heads up. We’ll make sure the ships have the new upgrade information in the staterooms and suites. 

[Lois R]

Hi Bonnie, you had asked me a few posts back when I am sailing.  I sail 2 weeks from today. April 10th.  And Azamara has still not replied to my bid/email.  I realize I am just 1 person among many but I am wondering why I did not get at least an acknowledgement that my email was received even if they don't accept my bid.

[BBMacLaird]

4 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi Bonnie, you had asked me a few posts back when I am sailing.  I sail 2 weeks from today. April 10th.  And Azamara has still not replied to my bid/email.  I realize I am just 1 person among many but I am wondering why I did not get at least an acknowledgement that my email was received even if they don't accept my bid.

 

Hi LoisR, you should have received an Email confirming receipt. Please email AzamaraUpgrade@azamara.com (and copy LCVambassador@leclubvoyage.com) with your information so we can look into it for you.

 

[gymfreak]

I also thought it may be interesting to discover if someone posts they have a successful bid how far out from the cruise date the offer was made. I know the terms state this can be from 60days but I suspect in reality Azamara would hold off until much closer to sail date in case of a better offer being made.

[Lottie A]

I had the upgrade bidding email two days ago. I am 62 days out from my cruise on Pursuit. 

 

I will not be bidding on an upgrade at all. I find the whole new process tacky and money grubbing. I am really disappointed that Azamara have chosen to go the way of Royal and Celebrity. I book the cabin grade I am happy with anyway, but I have been offered the $398 upgrade in the past and thought that was a fair price to pay. 

[Bloodaxe]

4 hours ago, Lottie A said:

I had the upgrade bidding email two days ago. I am 62 days out from my cruise on Pursuit. 

 

I will not be bidding on an upgrade at all. I find the whole new process tacky and money grubbing. I am really disappointed that Azamara have chosen to go the way of Royal and Celebrity. I book the cabin grade I am happy with anyway, but I have been offered the $398 upgrade in the past and thought that was a fair price to pay. 

 

We had the same email last week and our cruise is in early June.

I have no interest at all in bidding and agree that it is just money grubbing.

I always chose the cabin and location we will be happy with.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Bloodaxe

[Belfastman]

5 hours ago, Lottie A said:

I had the upgrade bidding email two days ago. I am 62 days out from my cruise on Pursuit. 

 

I will not be bidding on an upgrade at all. I find the whole new process tacky and money grubbing. I am really disappointed that Azamara have chosen to go the way of Royal and Celebrity. I book the cabin grade I am happy with anyway, but I have been offered the $398 upgrade in the past and thought that was a fair price to pay. 

As someone at discoverer plus level I have never had an upgrade although I always apply for them. I suppose they always get snapped up by platinum members on my cruises so therefore I believe the new system to be a fairer method to all LCV members. If more people decide not to bid it will a better chance to those of us who do bid.

[Lottie A]

17 minutes ago, Belfastman said:

As someone at discoverer plus level I have never had an upgrade although I always apply for them. I suppose they always get snapped up by platinum members on my cruises so therefore I believe the new system to be a fairer method to all LCV members. If more people decide not to bid it will a better chance to those of us who do bid.

If that's your opinion then go for it. From what I see you will be paying well over the odds for an "upgraded cabin" that is probably in one of the least desirable places when it comes to the location. Otherwise... Why wouldn't someone have booked that cabin already? You cannot refuse the cabin allocation either. It's a way for Azamara to make more money and get rid of the least desirable cabins in my opinion anyway. 

 

The amount of money required pp for a "strong bid" is ridiculous. No thanks! 

[Lois R]

7 hours ago, BBMacLaird said:

 

Hi LoisR, you should have received an Email confirming receipt. Please email AzamaraUpgrade@azamara.com (and copy LCVambassador@leclubvoyage.com) with your information so we can look into it for you.

 

I tried emailing that Azamara Upgrade Address and as I mentioned eariler, it came back undeliverable. I am not going to concern myself with it anymore.

[hiccups]

People can debate about the old system and who got the upgrades based on LCV status, but the one thing I haven't seen anyone mention is the desirability of a cruise.  Our first cruise on Azamara was the British Open cruise.  We applied for an upgrade (we were in an OV), but from what I read on this board, that is a popular cruise and  often sells out (when we took the cruise in 2017, I never saw it offered under any promotion).  Last year we sailed a Spain/Portugal itinerary in April, and got the balcony upgrade  (we're Explorer level and booked about 9 months in advance).  Azamara appears to do several versions of that itinerary and IMO, between that and the time of year, there was availability for upgrades because that particular sailing wasn't in demand. 

 

As has been pointed out, your original type of cabin plays into it as well--it's a lot easier to get an upgrade from an OV to a balcony simply because of the number of balcony cabins.  Taking everything together, I don't think the old system was nearly as unfair as some might think it was.  With this system, though, I guess those willing to pay $$$ for an upgrade might be able to get it.  I'm glad that Double Upgrade promo last year gave us a chance to get our balcony on this year's cruise, because we probably wouldn't have been able to get it through the new bidding process.

[Arizonasunshine]

The fact that you have to take the offered cabin if your bid is accepted makes this a non starter for me. To rub salt into the wound my May 12 cruise is being firesaled by Azamara. I will be paying more for a veranda cabin than the current price for a suite. I get this, that discounts happen, but under the old system I would have a pretty good shot at an LCV upgrade. With a new system I’m out of luck unless I want to roll the dice on cabin location.

 I really don’t like the way Azamara changes the rules at any time  they choose, and think it’s wrong to do it after final payment. Basically I am stuck and have no viable options.

 I have voted for this new system with my money, I have canceled two booked 2020 cruises.

 

Edited March 28, 2019 by Arizonasunshine