Where will you cruise in 2020?

[gnld]

We had a Windstar cruise booked early June on the still-being-stretched Star Breeze. We cancelled that ~2 weeks ago, just before final payment was due. We have a northern transatlantic Viking cruise planned late August, Bergen to Montreal. Hope things will have returned to normal by then and we can get to go (our 1st on Viking).

We now have FCC from Azamara and I've found a Greek Intensive cruise July 2021on the Pursuit that we're interested in. Will likely book that after things settle down a bit, maybe a month from now.

[Ithikan]

4 hours ago, gnld said:

We now have FCC from Azamara and I've found a Greek Intensive cruise July 2021on the Pursuit that we're interested in. Will likely book that after things settle down a bit, maybe a month from now.

That Greece Intensive cruise looks like a winner, gnld, so many new ports and a very tidy itinerary!  Good luck with your planning.  We'd eyed that one ourselves when it first came out, but, our cruise plans are now kaput.  I'd enjoyed my 70th birthday onboard Journey earlier this year but have evidently now "aged out" of Azamara's target clientele.  In addition, we're not feeling particularly sanguine about the future of cruising in general, but we do wish you Happy Planning and a wonderful cruise.

[smisand]

We are home! This did not turn out to be the cruise we were expecting. When we left there were very few cases of Covid19 in Ontario and NONE in South America. When we boarded the Azamara Pursuit on March 2nd in Buenos Aires there was news of 1 case reported in Brazil. Off we went - oblivious to what was happening in the rest of the World! On March 11th we docked in Punta Arenas and took an excursion across the Magellan strait to see the penguin. Never considering this would be our last port until we docked in Miami 19 days later! Through all of the uncertainty, flight change, after flight change, after flight change - 5 in all - the Azamara team was absolutely PHENOMENAL!!! The Captain always kept us updated - both good and bad news and always with a smile and joke. The ship was never under quarantine so we were free to roam about, sit by the pool or go to one of the many amazing entertainment/shows the crew put on. We were extremely well fed and kept "hydrated" with an abundance of free flowing wine/liquor. The toughest decision we faced each day was what time did we want to go for a meal and what food did we want to eat 🍇🍞🥞🧀🥓🍳🥗🍟🍔🌯🍦🍷🍰🍹t - soooo many choices! This was definitely not the cruise we signed up for but I have to say it was still a great time. We made many new friends, had a lot of laughs and really enjoyed ourselves with the bonus that as we were no longer attending any ports and everyone aboard was healthy we were probably in a safer place than we are right now back at home. The captain and crew had one main objective - to keep all the passengers safe, healthy and happy. Azamara has always had very high sanitation regulation and proceedures and during this period of uncertainty they doubled their efforts. Some have asked if we would ever cruise again after this experience and without reservation my answer is always ABSOLUTLY! This virus has shown us how quickly life can change from perfection to disaster. My belief is if my time is up then so be it - will I take precautions to prevent disaster - definitely but I will not let something like this rule my life and wrap myself in a cocoon and stay there - Once we get this virus under control and it is once again safe to travel - then off I will go. As an added bonus Azamara not only took such fantastic care of us aboard we have also been advised we are being fully refunded the total amount of the cruise (50% cash refund and 50% future cruise credit) so I definitely will cruise again and take advantage of my credit certificate!  I hope that everyone stays healthy and safe, don't take this situation for granted. ✈⛴🌎

[Anchor Light]

Glad to hear you were so well looked after by the always-amazing on-board staff.  They are some of the best in the business IMHO.

 

Fortunately you were on a healthy ship which allowed for free movement and a pleasurable experience even if not the experience you were expecting.

 

Such is not the case for many other stranded ships which started with just one infected person.  Unfortunately passenger experience on those affected ships will not mimic yours for a multitude of reasons.

 

As you have relayed your "phenominal" experience with the team, it appears the Azamara on-board officers and staff have shown once again that they are one of the best-selling features of the line, in good times and bad.  I trust they will be well-recognized and so rewarded by corporate - and hopefully they will be allowed sufficient authority and autonomy to continue as such in the future.

 

Kudos to Azamara on-board staff and officers!

 

May we all be safe and healthy.

[hubofhockey]

This is not an Azamra issue, but I consider Azamara cruisers the most savvy of all and wanted to run it by some here.

 

Silversea has not yet cancelled my Galapagos cruise on the Silver Galapagos for 5/23.  Once they cancel, I can either get my money back or 125% credit to a future cruise.

 

The problem is that they are retiring the Silver Galapagos and bringing on the Silver Origin and its rates are 140% higher than my current cruise.  If I were to take the 125%, I would have to come up with $5,000 for the four of us (two cabins) to do the same itinerary next year at the same time.

 

I have instructed my TA to offer them to move me over at no cost, or ask for my $26,000 refund.  

 

Do you think Silversea would accept my offer under the circumstances?

[suzyluvs2cruise]

2 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

This is not an Azamra issue, but I consider Azamara cruisers the most savvy of all and wanted to run it by some here.

 

Silversea has not yet cancelled my Galapagos cruise on the Silver Galapagos for 5/23.  Once they cancel, I can either get my money back or 125% credit to a future cruise.

 

The problem is that they are retiring the Silver Galapagos and bringing on the Silver Origin and its rates are 140% higher than my current cruise.  If I were to take the 125%, I would have to come up with $5,000 for the four of us (two cabins) to do the same itinerary next year at the same time.

 

I have instructed my TA to offer them to move me over at no cost, or ask for my $26,000 refund.  

 

Do you think Silversea would accept my offer under the circumstances?

 

Interesting question. It would be great if they would do the right thing and I hope you come back and share the outcome of your request. We may have a similar situation with our upcoming Azamara Pursuit July 6 British Isles cruise. We booked a Club World Owner's Suite at a decent price. Next year there is 1 date for this cruise and the only Suites available are Club Continent Suites at a price of $4,500 more than we paid for the CWO Suite. If we're cancelled....and I'm thinking that will happen....we won't be able to get a comparable cruise with the same accommodation type so our only option will be a refund as we don't want an FCC. 

[hubofhockey]

Good luck to you as well.  The major issue facing the RCCL right now is liquidity and they don't want to be writing refund checks to customers who are willing to move the cruise a year out.  I really can't just take their 125% cruise credit because my second room is for our two kids in their younger 20s who have less use for Silversea than I do.  I have nothing against Silversea as a cruise line, but it may be a little too formal us.  If they don't take my offer, we'll take our money back. My TA believes that they'll work with me and hate losing customers.  We'll see soon

[Grandma Cruising]

4 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

Good luck to you as well.  The major issue facing the RCCL right now is liquidity and they don't want to be writing refund checks to customers who are willing to move the cruise a year out.  I really can't just take their 125% cruise credit because my second room is for our two kids in their younger 20s who have less use for Silversea than I do.  I have nothing against Silversea as a cruise line, but it may be a little too formal us.  If they don't take my offer, we'll take our money back. My TA believes that they'll work with me and hate losing customers.  We'll see soon

Do come back and let us know how you get on.

[hubofhockey]

9 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Do come back and let us know how you get on.

 

I will report on this thread how Silversea handles this.  Right now, they are following the same corporate policy as the other Royal Caribbean brands.