Upgrade bid experiences

[roberts2005]

I’m on August 10th Pursuit, 8 nights, in a CC.  Minimum bid to CWOS is $1500.pp.  Seems rather steep as they could then make money selling my cabin.

[Grandma Cruising]

2 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

I’m on August 10th Pursuit, 8 nights, in a CC.  Minimum bid to CWOS is $1500.pp.  Seems rather steep as they could then make money selling my cabin.

Thanks, I’ve added your information to the spreadsheet, but can you tell me when you were invited to bid and what your loyalty level is, please. I assume from your post that you’re not making a bid?

[roberts2005]

17 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Thanks, I’ve added your information to the spreadsheet, but can you tell me when you were invited to bid and what your loyalty level is, please. I assume from your post that you’re not making a bid?

This was my 2nd invite. It was received today.  I am discover plus.   We are always happy with the CC.  Yes we are not bidding

[Grandma Cruising]

Thanks, all added.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pEoojQ5-EPmD4cI3gw1dVcYfYTXfZePdDXxU09l0H3M/edit

[Mrs Miggins]

This is the reply I had from Customer Service regarding the offer and prompt withdrawal of an upgrade offer on our B2B which is covered by one booking number

 

Hello,

 

We apologize for the less than excellent experience with our website, Azamara is dedicated to ensuring all our guests have an amazing experience and it is truly unfortunate you were unable to experience this from the start with your online interaction with us. We have escalat ed this to the proper channels so that this incident is not repeated. We truly appreciate you brining this to our attention as we at Azamara are dedicated to excellence and creating incredible lifelong memories. Thank you for being Amazing Azamara guests! We truly appreciate your feedback and consideration.

 

Well my "incredible lifelong memories" will obviously not be made in an upgraded suite.

[tiggertom]

10 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

This is the reply I had from Customer Service regarding the offer and prompt withdrawal of an upgrade offer on our B2B which is covered by one booking number

 

 

Hello,

 

We apologize for the less than excellent experience with our website, Azamara is dedicated to ensuring all our guests have an amazing experience and it is truly unfortunate you were unable to experience this from the start with your online interaction with us. We have escalat ed this to the proper channels so that this incident is not repeated. We truly appreciate you brining this to our attention as we at Azamara are dedicated to excellence and creating incredible lifelong memories. Thank you for being Amazing Azamara guests! We truly appreciate your feedback and consideration.

 

Well my "incredible lifelong memories" will obviously not be made in an upgraded suite.

Does nobody check spelling and grammar 😬

[fruitmachine]

2 hours ago, tiggertom said:

Does nobody check spelling and grammar 😬

Or even meaning!

[tgg]

 

- bid date    I WILL NOT BE BIDDING

- cruise date    DEC 3 2024

- cruise length   10 DAYS

- loyalty level     DISCOVERER +

- minimum bid required for upgrade (in US$) 100

- cabin type initially booked V1

 

These are the minimum bids per person listed in the email:

Owners - $2,500

Ocean - $2,200

Spa - $ 2,000

CC - $500

V+ - $100

 

I received this offer on August 16, 2024.  At this time, there are no suites available. We are booked on the previous cruise in a CC and thought it would be nice to upgrade for the second leg. But getting stuck with one of the least desirable CC suites (at any cost) is not worth the risk to us.

 

As I understand the program, Azamara will reveal the cabin you've been assigned only after you find out that your bid has been accepted. 

 

 

[Leo_On_Geo]

On 8/7/2024 at 5:37 PM, Mrs Miggins said:

This is the reply I had from Customer Service regarding the offer and prompt withdrawal of an upgrade offer on our B2B which is covered by one booking number

 

 

Hello,

 

We apologize for the less than excellent experience with our website, Azamara is dedicated to ensuring all our guests have an amazing experience and it is truly unfortunate you were unable to experience this from the start with your online interaction with us. We have escalat ed this to the proper channels so that this incident is not repeated. We truly appreciate you brining this to our attention as we at Azamara are dedicated to excellence and creating incredible lifelong memories. Thank you for being Amazing Azamara guests! We truly appreciate your feedback and consideration.

 

Well my "incredible lifelong memories" will obviously not be made in an upgraded suite.

 

Got this today from Guest services after a B-2-B upgrade offer was extended, accepted, then canceled.   Seems like an easy fix. I just don't accept that excuse! Upgrades used works fine with two Booking numbers, but now not with one!

 

""I hope you're having a wonderful day!
I wanted to let you know that currently, move-ups aren't available for back-to-back sailings booked under a single reservation. This is because if we don’t get approval for the first leg, but the second leg is approved, we might not be able to process the move-up for the second leg once you’re already onboard the first.

However, there’s always a chance that Revenue might make an exception for these types of bookings. I recommend checking back around 30 days before your sailing date. At that time, you can give us a call, and either myself or Rina Favreault will be happy to review your booking and see if a move-up bid can be arranged.""

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Sounds like another fail for Versonix Seaware.  I'm dealing with new problems on a Windstar booking, after last night's Versonix 'upgrade.'  Sadly, many of the cruise lines I'm interested in use this demon code...

[Rabo]

2 hours ago, tgg said:

As I understand the program, Azamara will reveal the cabin you've been assigned only after you find out that your bid has been accepted.

That policy has changed. Your acceptance email will have a phone # to call. The rep will then tell you specific staterooms available, you have the option of accepting or not. There’s no charge for not accepting an offer.

Edited August 16 by Rabo

[Toronto Guy]

3 hours ago, tgg said:

 

- bid date    I WILL NOT BE BIDDING

- cruise date    DEC 3 2024

- cruise length   10 DAYS

- loyalty level     DISCOVERER +

- minimum bid required for upgrade (in US$) 100

- cabin type initially booked V1

 

These are the minimum bids per person listed in the email:

Owners - $2,500

Ocean - $2,200

Spa - $ 2,000

CC - $500

V+ - $100

 

I received this offer on August 16, 2024.  At this time, there are no suites available. We are booked on the previous cruise in a CC and thought it would be nice to upgrade for the second leg. But getting stuck with one of the least desirable CC suites (at any cost) is not worth the risk to us.

 

As I understand the program, Azamara will reveal the cabin you've been assigned only after you find out that your bid has been accepted. 

 

 

I think that's a good minimum bid to a CC.  I would definitely bid on that.  Which CC's do you think are the least desirable?  I've been in the farthest aft and thought it was great.  Have been in the Deck 6 accessible one though and didn't like that one at all.....but they agreed to move me to a regular one on Deck 8 since they had a no show.

[tgg]

2 hours ago, Rabo said:

That policy has changed. Your acceptance email will have a phone # to call. The rep will then tell you specific staterooms available, you have the option of accepting or not. There’s no charge for not accepting an offer.

This new policy is not reflected in the Terms & Conditions.

[Grandma Cruising]

3 hours ago, tgg said:

This new policy is not reflected in the Terms & Conditions.

It’s exactly what happened to us earlier in the year - we were offered a choice of cabins and could have said no.

 

Thanks for the information tgg. All added to the spreadsheet. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pEoojQ5-EPmD4cI3gw1dVcYfYTXfZePdDXxU09l0H3M/edit

Edited August 17 by Grandma Cruising

[Mrs Miggins]

11 hours ago, Leo_On_Geo said:

 

Got this today from Guest services after a B-2-B upgrade offer was extended, accepted, then canceled.   Seems like an easy fix. I just don't accept that excuse! Upgrades used works fine with two Booking numbers, but now not with one!

 

""I hope you're having a wonderful day!
I wanted to let you know that currently, move-ups aren't available for back-to-back sailings booked under a single reservation. This is because if we don’t get approval for the first leg, but the second leg is approved, we might not be able to process the move-up for the second leg once you’re already onboard the first.

However, there’s always a chance that Revenue might make an exception for these types of bookings. I recommend checking back around 30 days before your sailing date. At that time, you can give us a call, and either myself or Rina Favreault will be happy to review your booking and see if a move-up bid can be arranged.""

 

 

Thanks for this.  I guess it is slightly more optimistic than the reply I received (and certainly written in better English).

It looks like CC suites are still available on both of my B2B legs.  

I have asked the UK team to follow up with the relevant people on my behalf next week.  Whilst we are perfectly happy in our Veranda Cabin we have enjoyed a CC suite on several occasions so an upgrade at a reasonable price would be nice.  

Good luck with your request.  It does show that some website issues have improved but others have not.  Very frustrating.

[Toronto Guy]

I don't understand why a cabin has to be available on both legs of a B2B.  I have 2 different cabins on an upcoming b2b and received a different upgrade offer for both legs (albeit at a completely ridiculous price). 

[corinna121]

We set sail in 5 weeks in a V1 I was planning to try upgrading to a suite but I never recieved an upgrade offer in my email. Does anyone have any advice?

 

[tiggertom]

2 minutes ago, corinna121 said:

We set sail in 5 weeks in a V1 I was planning to try upgrading to a suite but I never recieved an upgrade offer in my email. Does anyone have any advice?

 

You could try the link on the website https://www.azamara.com/gb/booked-guests/azamara-upgrades

good luck

[tgg]

14 hours ago, Rabo said:

That policy has changed. Your acceptance email will have a phone # to call. The rep will then tell you specific staterooms available, you have the option of accepting or not. There’s no charge for not accepting an offer.

Rabo, do you know if this new policy is somewhere on the Azamara website? I know a third party runs the program, but I can't find anything explaining the new program. I would be happy to bid under the conditions you describe.

[gymfreak]

16 hours ago, tgg said:

As I understand the program, Azamara will reveal the cabin you've been assigned only after you find out that your bid has been accepted. 

We had an upgrade bid accepted a few weeks prior to our sailing and they provided an email and phone contact We were able to speak to them and choose which CC suite we wanted from those available. There was an option not to proceed at that point if we were not happy with the assignment. It was all handled very well

[tgg]

15 minutes ago, gymfreak said:

We had an upgrade bid accepted a few weeks prior to our sailing and they provided an email and phone contact We were able to speak to them and choose which CC suite we wanted from those available. There was an option not to proceed at that point if we were not happy with the assignment. It was all handled very well

 

Several folks have mentioned this new policy, which sounds great.  I'm just trying to find it written somewhere. Maybe Azamara just hasn't had time to update the T&Cs. I'm not doubting that things have changed. Good change, for a change.

[MamaFej]

32 minutes ago, tgg said:

 

Several folks have mentioned this new policy, which sounds great.  I'm just trying to find it written somewhere. Maybe Azamara just hasn't had time to update the T&Cs. I'm not doubting that things have changed. Good change, for a change.

I believe I understand: you're not doubting the experiences of others, you'd just feel more comfortable if Azamara put it in writing. 

[Rabo]

1 hour ago, tgg said:

Rabo, do you know if this new policy is somewhere on the Azamara website? I know a third party runs the program, but I can't find anything explaining the new program. I would be happy to bid under the conditions you describe.

tgg . . . I don’t know if it’s on the web site. We were told about it while on an Azamara cruise, and when available for our next one we submitted the request. For peace-of-mind, I would give them a call for confirmation. Enjoy your upcoming cruise!

[tgg]

I wonder if this new plan is a test, which could be withdrawn. 

 

We just don't want to be stuck in one of the aft CC suites with the food service carts rolling over our heads and waking us up very early in the morning.

 

I'll call Azamara and see if they have an answer. Because this is a third-party vendor, I don't know if Azamara home office people know anything different from what the T&Cs are now on the website.

 

 

[Toronto Guy]

I have never heard a single noise from above in those suites.  Maybe I was just lucky?