CANCELLED AZAMARA CRUISE - CROATIA INTENSIVE MAY 2020

[DRJVH]

We are very, very disappointed with Azamara. Our loyalty to them has just vanished.  

They cancelled our back to back cruise next year, 7 nights Croatia Intensive. They decided that a charter was far more profitable..  They made an offer of taking the next 10 night cruise with 3 complimentary nights .  The cruise sails on 9 May for 10 nights.  Great if you don't have to be home halfway through.  Our flights are already booked for a return to Australia on 15 May.  Therefore, this cruise is of no use to us at all. Azamara's response , is  take the next 10 night cruise or nothing.   

So disappointed, they don't really care about loyalty as much as they say they do. People who are loyal to Azamara really mean nothing to them when it come to dollar value.

[sailco]

Oh gee......yet another Azamara schmozzle. We're already worried about port changes because they've done that to us before, but to loose the whole cruise without proper notice and compensation is just so stressful. I'm so sorry for you..

[Shawnino]

Sorry to read, OP.

That's pretty terrible.

Can you shoehorn in the cruise prior instead of the cruise after?

[Cruise Junky]

What the hell? This is ridiculous some people could have bought air.  I get charters but it should be hands off once Air is released. 

[Lottie A]

So sorry to hear this. 

Azamara should either give you the choice of another cruise or refund your airfare so you could stay on for the 10 day cruise they are offering you. 

Charter's happen and they are very profitable for the company but already booked passengers should not be out of pocket because of them. 

 

Azamara should make this right. 

[travelberlin]

I am very sorry to hear this happened to you. It happened to us with Royal this year and we have found a better alternative to our cancelled cruise. We had also already booked our flights, expensive business class and we are lucky we found something to fit our plans. I hope that you also can find something  in order not to loose your air tickets. We will not book any cruise anymore with Royal, Celebrity or Azamara so far in advance.

 

Edited July 3, 2019 by travelberlin

[TXU2]

Azamara has a terrible record of cancelling cruises in the region for charters. We too also had b2b in Oct 2017 and b2b in Oct 2018, fortunately more than a year out. Having one of two cruises cancelled basically resulted in having to cancel both which they graciously :-( agreed to refund both without penalty. How generous.

 

This is much more common with Azamara ( 2trips (4 cruises) cancelled out of 6 trips (8 cruises)) booked compared to none cancelled  out of  40 cruises on Celebrity, both parts of Royal Caribbean.

[lisiamc]

18 minutes ago, TXU2 said:

Azamara has a terrible record of cancelling cruises in the region for charters. We too also had b2b in Oct 2017 and b2b in Oct 2018, fortunately more than a year out. Having one of two cruises cancelled basically resulted in having to cancel both which they graciously 😞 agreed to refund both without penalty. How generous.

 

This is much more common with Azamara ( 2trips (4 cruises) cancelled out of 6 trips (8 cruises)) booked compared to none cancelled  out of  40 cruises on Celebrity, both parts of Royal Caribbean.

 

I’m not sure you can accurately extrapolate how common it is from a sample size of one.  We’ve had one Azamara cancellation out of 12 cruises, but three material date and itinerary changes and two cancellations on Celebrity out of 21 cruises.  It happens on all cruise lines, unfortunately.  I think it’s more noticeable on Azamara because of the much smaller number of ships.  I also think they are wilfully blind to the number of people who book b2b cruises, and have more than one cruise affected by a cancellation.

[jo-b]

Maybe this happens more with Azamara because of the size of the ships, someone is much more likely to fit la charter on Journey or quest size ships than Edge size ships. 

 

As a comparison for compensation we had a small motor yacht holiday booked with a UK travel company also down the Croatian coast cancelled earlier this year, they gave us an immediate full refund and a choice of about a dozen other holidays for free around the same dates,  The air had been booked as part of the deal so we had no losses at all and a wonderful river cruise as a substitute. 

[puppycanducruise]

So sorry this happened to you.

[BBMacLaird]

Hi DrJVH,

I am very sorry you're upset about the charter of your May 9, 2020 voyage. Unfortunately full-ship charters are part of the industry, every line is open to the possibility; and frankly charters have been around for as long as I've been in the cruise industry...since 1983! Way back then I oversaw both Revenue Management AND Marketing and I can assure you the decision was always stressful. The 2 rule of thumbs were always 'focus on under-performing cruises' for RM sake + 'the further out from sailing date the better' for our booked guests' sake.

The letter notifying booked guests went out on 5/22/19; so almost one year in advance. I've shared a bit of the letter below.  I do hope you'll transfer your booking to another Azamara voyage. We value you!

 

 

"May 22, 2019

Dear Azamara Guest,

We’re writing to inform you of some important changes regarding your 7-Night Croatia Intensive Voyage scheduled to depart on Azamara Quest May 2, 2020.

Azamara Quest, has been chartered by a private group which has required us to cancel your voyage. We deeply apologize for this inconvenience, and hope you will understand that when planning so far in advance sometimes circumstances arise that require us to alter our sailing schedules.

We understand your cruise vacation is extremely valuable to you and your family and we try to minimize disruptions to your travel plans, which is why we create compensation offers that will ensure you are provided an appealing alternative when have a change such as a charter.  As a valued guest, we would like to present you with one of the compensation alternatives described below:

• We invite you to embark on a 10-Night Dalmatian & Amalfi Coasts Voyage that departs Venice, Italy on May 9, 2020. That’s just one week later than your originally scheduled departure and you’ll still sail aboard the beautiful Azamara Quest. Re-book on this recently modified voyage, in like accommodations and we will honor the lower rate. Consider the extra three nights a complimentary “thank you” from Azamara. What’s more, this new itinerary happens to include many of the Croatian ports of call on your original voyage.
• Alternatively, you may choose to move to any other Azamara voyage not listed above at the prevailing rate, and receive a $100 onboard credit per standard stateroom; a $200 onboard credit for suites when you re-book any Azamara sailing.
• If you choose to cancel, a full refund for amounts paid will be processed to the original form of payment however, you will not receive the other incentives described above.

[florisdekort]

I agree that all lines charter and that this practice has been around for a very long time HOWEVER it’s pretty unheard of and quite frankly poor business practice to cancel a cruise for a charter AFTER air has become available, typically ~300-330 days before departure.

 

Floris 

[Cruise Junky]

18 minutes ago, florisdekort said:

I agree that all lines charter and that this practice has been around for a very long time HOWEVER it’s pretty unheard of and quite frankly poor business practice to cancel a cruise for a charter AFTER air has become available, typically ~300-330 days before departure.

 

Floris 

Earlier than that for most of the world. International flights are usually 356 days  Air Canada is open to June 22 right now for flights to London. 

[BBMacLaird]

29 minutes ago, florisdekort said:

I agree that all lines charter and that this practice has been around for a very long time HOWEVER it’s pretty unheard of and quite frankly poor business practice to cancel a cruise for a charter AFTER air has become available, typically ~300-330 days before departure.

 

Floris 

By my count it was announced by email @ 349 days before departure.

[Cruise Junky]

34 minutes ago, BBMacLaird said:

By my count it was announced by email @ 349 days before departure.

When did the communication go to guests? 349 days from may 4th, 2020 would have been May 21st 2019. Which would have already been too late. Lots of international options start around 356 days. The 330 is mainly US domestic. 

[florisdekort]

The precise number of days is irrelevant and I regret putting a number in my previous post. The point is - it’s AFTER flights have become available and cancellations this late are very rare - for obvious reasons.

[marinaro44]

51 minutes ago, florisdekort said:

The precise number of days is irrelevant and I regret putting a number in my previous post. The point is - it’s AFTER flights have become available and cancellations this late are very rare - for obvious reasons.

There just shouldn't be cancellations this late.  Azamara says they sent out notices on June 14 notifying those of us on a May 9, 2020 cruise that it was being moved to March...320 days notice.  That's simply unacceptable.

 

The excuse was the Cuba issue.  The May 9 cruise wasn't going to Cuba.  But prior ones were, so off to the supposedly more profitable Med six weeks earlier than planned.  May 9 booked passengers be damned.  Hard cheese for us.  Happening too often now for me.

 

Same thing was done with this summer's Alaska cruises.  A month's worth were canceled to go to Japan early for two supposedly more lucrative Japan intensive cruises.  Booked passengers (including me on a b2b2b) be damned.  More hard cheese.  Just got an email from the northwest US consolidator offering low prices on cabins including air, hotel, etc., on Quest's August 28, 2019 Japan cruise.  Turned out to be not so lucrative, I guess.

[laurieb]

10 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

When did the communication go to guests? 349 days from may 4th, 2020 would have been May 21st 2019. Which would have already been too late. Lots of international options start around 356 days. The 330 is mainly US domestic. 

I’ve never been able to get international air that many days out.  330 days out for international travel has always been my experience 

[uktog]

28 minutes ago, laurieb said:

I’ve never been able to get international air that many days out.  330 days out for international travel has always been my experience 

British Airways is -355

[sailco]

Not sure all these numbers for flights really count that much. After all, Azamara has cancelled the cruise you chose to fit in with your holiday dates, made PLANS around and looked forward to with excitement.

 

PLANS is a simple word for lots of stuff including booking flights, land tours and accommodation, making sure you weren't going to miss a family celebration and ensuring you weren't required to babysit the grandkids that month and that someone was available to look after the dog! It's just so disappointing.

[excitedofharpenden]

It's really a shambles. No matter how Azamara dress up another messed up itinerary.  It's obvious that Marketing Department certainly has a strong influence at the moment in their quest to fill the ships.  Forget loyal guests. Oh and fire sell unsold cabins on cruises that remain unaltered at a fraction of the cost and fill with people who aren't Azamara's target market at all. Nice!😏

 

Phil 

[lisiamc]

9 hours ago, marinaro44 said:

There just shouldn't be cancellations this late.  Azamara says they sent out notices on June 14 notifying those of us on a May 9, 2020 cruise that it was being moved to March...320 days notice.  That's simply unacceptable.

 

The excuse was the Cuba issue.  The May 9 cruise wasn't going to Cuba.  But prior ones were, so off to the supposedly more profitable Med six weeks earlier than planned.  May 9 booked passengers be damned.  Hard cheese for us.  Happening too often now for me.

 

Same thing was done with this summer's Alaska cruises.  A month's worth were canceled to go to Japan early for two supposedly more lucrative Japan intensive cruises.  Booked passengers (including me on a b2b2b) be damned.  More hard cheese.  Just got an email from the northwest US consolidator offering low prices on cabins including air, hotel, etc., on Quest's August 28, 2019 Japan cruise.  Turned out to be not so lucrative, I guess.

 

Hopefully you meant August 21st, since we’re on that cruise!  We didn’t book until after the date change was made, so this was a good deal for us.  But we’ve been on both sides of the situation, and it’s very frustrating when you’ve booked and huge changes are made.

[hubofhockey]

16 hours ago, BBMacLaird said:

Hi DrJVH,

I am very sorry you're upset about the charter of your May 9, 2020 voyage. Unfortunately full-ship charters are part of the industry, every line is open to the possibility; and frankly charters have been around for as long as I've been in the cruise industry...since 1983! Way back then I oversaw both Revenue Management AND Marketing and I can assure you the decision was always stressful. The 2 rule of thumbs were always 'focus on under-performing cruises' for RM sake + 'the further out from sailing date the better' for our booked guests' sake.

The letter notifying booked guests went out on 5/22/19; so almost one year in advance. I've shared a bit of the letter below.  I do hope you'll transfer your booking to another Azamara voyage. We value you!

 

 

"May 22, 2019

Dear Azamara Guest,

We’re writing to inform you of some important changes regarding your 7-Night Croatia Intensive Voyage scheduled to depart on Azamara Quest May 2, 2020.

Azamara Quest, has been chartered by a private group which has required us to cancel your voyage. We deeply apologize for this inconvenience, and hope you will understand that when planning so far in advance sometimes circumstances arise that require us to alter our sailing schedules.

We understand your cruise vacation is extremely valuable to you and your family and we try to minimize disruptions to your travel plans, which is why we create compensation offers that will ensure you are provided an appealing alternative when have a change such as a charter.  As a valued guest, we would like to present you with one of the compensation alternatives described below:

• We invite you to embark on a 10-Night Dalmatian & Amalfi Coasts Voyage that departs Venice, Italy on May 9, 2020. That’s just one week later than your originally scheduled departure and you’ll still sail aboard the beautiful Azamara Quest. Re-book on this recently modified voyage, in like accommodations and we will honor the lower rate. Consider the extra three nights a complimentary “thank you” from Azamara. What’s more, this new itinerary happens to include many of the Croatian ports of call on your original voyage.
• Alternatively, you may choose to move to any other Azamara voyage not listed above at the prevailing rate, and receive a $100 onboard credit per standard stateroom; a $200 onboard credit for suites when you re-book any Azamara sailing.
• If you choose to cancel, a full refund for amounts paid will be processed to the original form of payment however, you will not receive the other incentives described above.

 

How about this one?  Make the OP whole!!!!!!!!   To those who have booked flights, this offer is practically an insult.  When canceling  itineraries less than a year out, you should be willing, at the very least, to do things such as reimburse for booked airfare and any other nonrefundable costs that your customers take on,  Do you want to be known as the cruise line that cannot be trusted?   

 

The Azamara response says, "as a valued guest", but then goes on to totally devalue that relationship. 

 

Here is what Azamara is saying, "being a loyal customer only gets you so far with us.  Maybe you should look to other cruise lines that you can really trust."

 

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by hubofhockey

[Shawnino]

1 hour ago, hubofhockey said:

 

How about this one?  Make the OP whole!!!!!!!!   To those who have booked flights, this offer is practically an insult.  When canceling  itineraries less than a year out, you should be willing, at the very least, to do things such as reimburse for booked airfare and any other nonrefundable costs that your customers take on,  Do you want to be known as the cruise line that cannot be trusted?   

 

The Azamara response says, "as a valued guest", but then goes on to totally devalue that relationship. 

 

Here is what Azamara is saying, "being a loyal customer only gets you so far with us.  Maybe you should look to other cruise lines that you can really trust."

 

 

 

This.

"We value you"--Too bad the WH Press Sec job has already been filled.

 

Bigger picture, more and more things are being tilted in the cruise line's favour in the contractual relationship. Final payments are inching further out, even as ports are being changed closer to sail date. Companies have less and less shame about cancelling cruises for charters. Communication between the company and guests already booked which should be DEAD EASY in the 21st century, is an afterthought.

 

An example of the latter: On another line, we were doing the typical Miami--Santiago (Chile) route through the Panama Canal late 2017. Geography buffs will note that Santiago is inland, so the port listed for Santiago was Valparaiso. three mionths out we got a note from the tour/transfer operator in Valpo (Perro Tours... highly recommend) saying "You're not docking here... nobody is. Strikes etc. You're docking 75 minutes down the coast in San Antonio. We can still pick you up." I livened up the first few days of the cruise small-talking non-Cruise-Critic readers by asking them if they knew we were not stopping in Valpo. Three-quarters had no idea (and many did not believe me).

 

CC readers are informed, astute...and a tiny sliver of the cruising population.

[ellbon]

I had to decide between Japan this August or give up other Asia cruises. I gave up the August cruise. I knew before time to get plane tickets.

 

i was on the Oct 10th 2020 Greek cruise.  I switch ships and staying on the Pursuit.

 

I always learn here before my agent does.  

 

I had one cruise leaving from Turkey and was switch to Athens after I had my plane ticket as many did. I went to Turkey and flew to Athens. The company gave us $500 to switch flights. From here nothing but that paid for my flight between countries.

 

i get it if unrest and safety. But not  for a charter. I buy my flights 10 or 11 months out.