Lift and Shift

[combine]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

Yes the trick going forward is finding the small independent that does not operate through a franchise network or on a commission only basis through an online operation. Unfortunately many of them disappeared swallowed up by the big boys.

Though to be fair I’m having a very good experience so far with a smaller now becoming big agency that bought out a failed big boy and the cancelled cruise I had through them was handled promptly and impeccably 

 I  understand who you are referring to and their good  reputation comes from the top, so fingers crossed. I have been using my TA for 15 years also family run but I do worry that the day will come when they get swallowed up or the family decide that they've had enough. ☹️

[royallondon]

1 hour ago, combine said:

 I  understand who you are referring to and their good  reputation comes from the top, so fingers crossed. I have been using my TA for 15 years also family run but I do worry that the day will come when they get swallowed up or the family decide that they've had enough. ☹️

It was very sad to hear of the passing of the Co founder before Xmas.  I wonder what if any, this may have on their operation going forward.  They did a brave but wonderful thing in helping to secure so many jobs.  
When the time is right for us we will be giving them a try.

 

Regards

[john1970]

My agent in the UK is very large but have been very good during the pandemic. All my payments for any cruise I have booked with them have been charged directly by the cruise company. I would use them again and will try and book my next Azamara with them. I guess it's only when it goes horribly wrong that you find out how good they are.

[Mrs Miggins]

My TA is a small family business.  At the moment only two working, the founder and his daughter.  They have been really great through all the trials and tribulations of the last year.  She has managed to Lift and Shift our B2B to a similar time frame in 2022 although the itineraries are not the same.  She said that talking to Azamara remains difficult and when she phoned to confirm we wanted to go ahead she spoke with someone different who initially gave her completely different information and only when our TA said "no that isn't what I was told earlier, please check" did a Supervisor OK the change.

Interestingly the TA has still not received some of my deposit from our cancelled 2020 cruises but nevertheless proceeded with the 2021 booking, and now this lift and shift without asking us for more money.   Another vote for the independent travel agent !

I havent actually received any paperwork so I really hope this lift and shift has actually been approved by whoever received the online application from my TA.  

I did email the Loyalty Team at Azamara but no reply.

[G2G]

On 1/7/2021 at 11:56 PM, combine said:

The small independent Travel Agency I have used here in UK for all my Azamara cruises also has the same arrangement with the credit card. Payment is made direct to cruise line and no money is held by the TA. Both my refunds for 2020 came directly from Miami straight to my card. For my FCC for the third cancelled cruise, my Travel Agent  let me know the amount,  which was actually more than I was expecting. I was one of the few ,whose refunds came through in a timely manner and to the penny of what  I was expecting. Kudos to the little guys! 

That has been my experience too. The agent I use in the UK doesn't keep the money, it is a direct payment to the cruise line. I received refunds directly from the two different  lines in a relatively timely period.

[mcailao]

My April cruise was cancelled so I did a lift and shift for next year.  It was seamless and had no issue until I wanted to change my suite to the opposite side of the ship.  I don't know if my TA or Azamara is screwing me but if I booked the trip today, taxes and fees would be about $365 but I was upcharged over $1000 for taxes and fees so if course I'm not happy.

Edited January 16, 2021 by mcailao
Continue comment.

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

My U.K. Travel Agent is hanging onto my final balance payment that I made 5 days before Azamara cancelled my April cruise last week. They acknowledge that they have not paid Azamara but say it will take them 10 to 12 weeks to refund me. Clearly they are using customers monies as an interest free loan. I have put in a chargeback claim with my credit card company. 

[royallondon]

8 minutes ago, HalifaxYorksCruiser said:

My U.K. Travel Agent is hanging onto my final balance payment that I made 5 days before Azamara cancelled my April cruise last week. They acknowledge that they have not paid Azamara but say it will take them 10 to 12 weeks to refund me. Clearly they are using customers monies as an interest free loan. I have put in a chargeback claim with my credit card company. 

How disappointing but unfortunately not uncommon.  Like you, we had to pull the S75 trigger as the TA had retained our refund for weeks after Azamara had passed it onto them.  

I appreciate the difficulties the TA’s have had, but when ours lost their honesty and integrity, they also lost our business.

Hope your money is back with you shortly.

 

Regards

[uktog]

Well said. Totally reflects my experience. I’m struggling why all the cruise lines who know this is happening continue to allow these companies to represent them. It’s not unique to Azamara 

I appreciate all lines need agencies but acting against those damaging their reputation would be a short and longer term winner. 
Too many people are believing the untruths from their agent as they don’t know the truth from the cruise lines. 

Edited January 17, 2021 by uktog

[uktog]

You’ve got to laugh one of the recalcitrants who still have not refunded people from cancellations made last August even though according to posts on Trustpilot cruisers have had confirmed from Royal Caribbean and P and O that the cruise line have refunded the agency have a new game. 
They contact you saying sorry we still don’t have the admin capacity to pay your refund we had previously promised to pay in January. We now will try to pay it in February BUT if you book another cruise with us today we will give you £100 off your new booking 
Beggars belief- I hope no one falls for that wheeze to help their non existent cash flow. 

[excitedofharpenden]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

You’ve got to laugh one of the recalcitrants who still have not refunded people from cancellations made last August even though according to posts on Trustpilot cruisers have had confirmed from Royal Caribbean and P and O that the cruise line have refunded the agency have a new game. 
They contact you saying sorry we still don’t have the admin capacity to pay your refund we had previously promised to pay in January. We now will try to pay it in February BUT if you book another cruise with us today we will give you £100 off your new booking 
Beggars belief- I hope no one falls for that wheeze to help their non existent cash flow. 

They've just done this to me. As far as the offer of £100 went?  This is what I did😉

 

Phil 

 

 

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

Needless to say the agent concerned won’t be getting any new business from me in the future. Under the Package Travel Regulation refunds are meant to be paid within 14 days. In my case it’s not as though the agent is waiting for money back from Azamara as they admit they have not paid them.

[uktog]

Given the Scottish Government has now indicated they were implementing mandatory quarantine at government run facilities at the travellers expense for two weeks for all arrivals from overseas, it made me wonder how on earth Azamara would crew up to restart for May.  Projecting forward, I thought maybe my July cruise should be a lift and shift now to remove uncertainty and also to preserve OBC which was a result of a previous cancellation  - I have gone on the Azamara website, all reference to Lift and Shift has gone.  I wonder, is this because the scheme has been removed or because they are rejigging 2022 plans?

Edited February 2, 2021 by uktog

[jelayne]

The end date for Lifting & Shifting option was Jan 31, 2021.  

[uktog]

8 hours ago, jelayne said:

The end date for Lifting & Shifting option was Jan 31, 2021.  

Thanks, I hope it returns!

[johnnyswitzerland]

Hi all.  I'm not sure if this thread is the appropriate place, but given the discussion of U.K. vs. U.S. travel agents, I think I ought to ask here…

 

I'm with a group of four friends booked on Quest's 10-Night Greece Intensive departing Sept. 27, 2022.  We're U.S.-based (and booked through a U.S. travel agent), but have a dear friends in the U.K. who would like to join our group.

 

The U.K. contingent simply went online to book and found terms that didn't sit well with them, and since the sailing is after April 30, 2022, it seems Cruise with Confidence does not apply.

 

Could this U.K.-based couple book via our U.S. agent to get our deposit/cancelation penalty terms?  Is that legal?  Even possible?  Are there implications to pursuing this strategy?  Not trying to cheat — mainly just trying to get our friends onboard!

[johnnyswitzerland]

I will add here that they prefer to book via the U.K. site and are concerned about exchange rate loss if booking in USD, so this may be moot.

 

If they book direct with Azamara U.K., can they add on a cancelation protection program that would get their deposit back if they have to cancel?  Or is their independent travel insurance readily available in the U.K. that would cover them if they go ahead and buy it at time of cruise deposit?

 

Sorry for such broad booking questions!  I've never booked anything outside the U.S. so am relying on your wisdom and experience to help me advise my friends.

 

Many, many thanks in advance!