Trying hard to sail with Azamara

[Solar Yellow]

I lurk on the boards a lot but I'm not a big poster.  However, I'm curious what others think.  I booked a cruise for myself in one cabin and my sister and her spouse in another.  It was a Med cruise for last April so it was canceled.  We rebooked a Med cruise for late October using the 25% bump they gave us to upgrade our cabins plus just a little more cash.  This cruise was canceled this week (which we were anticipating, of course).

 

We're trying to book a cruise for next May but they want significantly more money ($1700 more for my sister and her spouse for an equivalent cabin to the October cruise).  My agent is working on them but says RC and their affiliates are very difficult to work with compared to Carnival and NCL.  She's trying to do a lift and shift since our original cruise was in April but they're not allowing it.  Am I being unreasonable to think we should be able to take this May 2021 cruise for the same amount of money and in the upgraded cabins?  The original cruise had starting prices of $1319 and this May 2021 cruise has starting prices under $1200.  I know there's more to it than that, but it seems like an indicator that we should be able to work something out.

 

We're very close to cancelling and going back to Oceania or maybe even try Crystal instead.  What do you think?

[laurieb]

Unfortunately, after reading the Lift &  Shift requirements, your cruises don't appear to meet the criteria

https://www.azamara.com/cruise-with-confidence

I believe, however, that since the October cruise, which you used your 125% FCC on, that you should be able to apply that 125% FCC to the May cruise; you will need to pay the difference, as you would have for the October cruise if there was one

[Baynanno1]

I would try a direct approach to Azamara.

 

The cynic in me sees your TA keen to reap the benefits of a more expensive cruise. Apologies if she is a very good friend of yours, but if you have read the boards extensively you will be aware many TA's have not been doing the best for their customers.

 

I know some who have posted on various threads have been able to lift and shift not only to different times of the year (outside the guidelines of the cruise with confidence policy), but also to quite different itineraries.

 

Nothing to lose by making that phone call. Good luck!

[Solar Yellow]

On 8/9/2020 at 6:16 PM, Baynanno1 said:

I would try a direct approach to Azamara.

 

The cynic in me sees your TA keen to reap the benefits of a more expensive cruise. Apologies if she is a very good friend of yours, but if you have read the boards extensively you will be aware many TA's have not been doing the best for their customers.

 

I know some who have posted on various threads have been able to lift and shift not only to different times of the year (outside the guidelines of the cruise with confidence policy), but also to quite different itineraries.

 

Nothing to lose by making that phone call. Good luck!

Our TA took another stab at it and escalated our request.  The manager was apparently annoyed that the first rep didn't immediately confirm it was okay!  So, we're set (again) for a cruise in the Med in late May 2021.  Crossing our fingers.

[laurieb]

21 hours ago, Solar Yellow said:

Our TA took another stab at it and escalated our request.  The manager was apparently annoyed that the first rep didn't immediately confirm it was okay!  So, we're set (again) for a cruise in the Med in late May 2021.  Crossing our fingers.

That's wonderful news!!

[Jimmycruiser]

On 8/9/2020 at 3:15 PM, Solar Yellow said:

I lurk on the boards a lot but I'm not a big poster.  However, I'm curious what others think.  I booked a cruise for myself in one cabin and my sister and her spouse in another.  It was a Med cruise for last April so it was canceled.  We rebooked a Med cruise for late October using the 25% bump they gave us to upgrade our cabins plus just a little more cash.  This cruise was canceled this week (which we were anticipating, of course).

 

We're trying to book a cruise for next May but they want significantly more money ($1700 more for my sister and her spouse for an equivalent cabin to the October cruise).  My agent is working on them but says RC and their affiliates are very difficult to work with compared to Carnival and NCL.  She's trying to do a lift and shift since our original cruise was in April but they're not allowing it.  Am I being unreasonable to think we should be able to take this May 2021 cruise for the same amount of money and in the upgraded cabins?  The original cruise had starting prices of $1319 and this May 2021 cruise has starting prices under $1200.  I know there's more to it than that, but it seems like an indicator that we should be able to work something out.

 

We're very close to cancelling and going back to Oceania or maybe even try Crystal instead.  What do you think?

Crystal is in deep financial trouble and not sure it will survive much longer. Most refunds are taking between 135 and 150 days! Love Crystal but would not give them any money until after they start cruising If they ever do.

[upwarduk]

On 8/23/2020 at 9:04 PM, Jimmycruiser said:

Love Crystal but would not give them any money until after they start cruising If they ever do.

I feel exactly the same about any cruise line at the moment.

I have just had an e mail from Azamara, indicating that they have a new promotion:

Double cabin upgrade and Double Captains circle points.

In normal times I would jump on an offer like that, but at the moment I will wait until cruising begins, so that I can see what the health requirements are.

[Bloodaxe]

Very sensible, to many thinks are unknown at this time.

[Ride-The-Waves]

We all need to realize that prices - the cost of a cabin - are going to go up, and significantly.  Cruise lines have to repay their pandemic loans, have to clean and rectify ships, have to reassemble crews, and have to pay higher port fees and insurance.  Just for starters.  Add in the need to "social distance" on board and numbers of "guests" per cruise will also decline significantly.  There is no free lunch, and there is no going back to pre-pandemic practices.

[Grandma Cruising]

I disagree regarding pre-COVID practices. I don’t see any need to continue with masks and social distancing once there’s a vaccine. You will, of course, have to show you’ve been vaccinated - possibly something like a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

[Mackdogmolly]

39 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

I disagree regarding pre-COVID practices. I don’t see any need to continue with masks and social distancing once there’s a vaccine. You will, of course, have to show you’ve been vaccinated - possibly something like a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

There will be no guarantee that these first round of vaccines will be 100% effective, any more than a flu vaccine is. I think that masks and social distancing will be around for some time to come.

[Grandma Cruising]

43 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

There will be no guarantee that these first round of vaccines will be 100% effective, any more than a flu vaccine is. I think that masks and social distancing will be around for some time to come.

Quite agree that it may take awhile, however I do think (hope?) that eventually an effective vaccine will be found and we will be able to return to ‘pre-pandemic practices’.

[nordski]

17 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Quite agree that it may take awhile, however I do think (hope?) that eventually an effective vaccine will be found and we will be able to return to ‘pre-pandemic practices’.

I’ve seen some estimates by Public Health officials that it won’t be until the end of 2022 that there will be relatively full control of the disease.

 

That may reflect a world-wide view, so particular geographic areas may see success well before that.

Like you, I will hope for the best.

[Mackdogmolly]

39 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Quite agree that it may take awhile, however I do think (hope?) that eventually an effective vaccine will be found and we will be able to return to ‘pre-pandemic practices’.

Fingers crossed you are right!!

[Jim in OR]

On 9/8/2020 at 7:27 AM, Ride-The-Waves said:

We all need to realize that prices - the cost of a cabin - are going to go up, and significantly.  Cruise lines have to repay their pandemic loans, have to clean and rectify ships, have to reassemble crews, and have to pay higher port fees and insurance.  Just for starters.  Add in the need to "social distance" on board and numbers of "guests" per cruise will also decline significantly.  There is no free lunch, and there is no going back to pre-pandemic practices.

Cruise prices may go up as a result of COVID, but not for the reasons you’re citing. Economics 101 tells us that the price of any commodity is set by two things: supply and demand. It was true pre-COVID and it will be true post-COVID. If prices do go up, it will be because there will be fewer ships cruising (decreased supply) than before. That may be somewhat offset by decreased demand due to reluctance to gather in close proximity to others but only time will tell. 
 

A cruise line’s increased costs will certainly affect the shareholders’ bottom line, but they won’t directly impact cruise prices.  Any attempt to raise prices above that which the demand will support will result in decreased demand and more difficulty in selling cabins.  Trust me - the cruise lines will maximize profits at the exact intersection of the supply and demand curves post-COVID just as they did pre-COVID.

[SiamCruisers]

On 9/8/2020 at 8:27 PM, Ride-The-Waves said:

We all need to realize that prices - the cost of a cabin - are going to go up, and significantly.  Cruise lines have to repay their pandemic loans, have to clean and rectify ships, have to reassemble crews, and have to pay higher port fees and insurance.  Just for starters.  Add in the need to "social distance" on board and numbers of "guests" per cruise will also decline significantly.  There is no free lunch, and there is no going back to pre-pandemic practices.

 

I totally agree with you on pricing.  Only putting 2,000 passengers on a ship built for 3,000 will force the cruise lines to raise rates.  Airlines will do the same.  If there ever is a vaccine that works well in stopping the virus everything will return to the way it was.... but until then it will be more expensive to operate and that will be passed onto the passengers.  They will not operate for any length of time at a loss when there is great demand for their product.

[Ithikan]

On 9/8/2020 at 8:18 AM, Mackdogmolly said:

There will be no guarantee that these first round of vaccines will be 100% effective, any more than a flu vaccine is. I think that masks and social distancing will be around for some time to come.

 

And if "some time to come" extends into, say, Feb. 2022, how will Azamara cope with social distancing for a cruise that's been nearly sold out since 2020?  If distancing is to be enforced, how will the popular Perry Golf voyages cope?  Hopefully not by refusing someone boarding at the dock...

Yes, this feels as though it's a problem for the far, far future, but, maybe not completely off-topic?

[Mackdogmolly]

1 minute ago, Ithikan said:

 

And if "some time to come" extends into, say, Feb. 2022, how will Azamara cope with social distancing for a cruise that's been nearly sold out since 2020?  If distancing is to be enforced, how will the popular Perry Golf voyages cope?  Hopefully not by refusing someone boarding at the dock...

Yes, this feels as though it's a problem for the far, far future, but, maybe not completely off-topic?

Good point. If ships can’t sail at capacity, they will have to start bumping people. And how will that get decided? And will those people be compensated?