New Deals posted

[annapolitan369]

I checked with our TA and received a 10% reduction in our cost for a May cruise.  I saw the new deal on the internet and did not receive any email offer, although we have been on several previous Azamara cruises.

[scrapcreator]

Thank you for posting this. I was able to save some $$ and gain some onboard credit.

[oddjob16]

Azamara would seldom send out mails when introducing new promotions. They will lose money if they offered reduced prices to all customers eligeble for rebooking. I check their website frequently to look for better deals and it pays off. This is just a question of being alert and on the ball,- either you or your TA.

We have had 5 changes to our january 2022 booking and every time because I requested it, not because Azamara or my TA tipped me off. So far we are down to about 2/3 of the original price, but have lost some other perks like premium beverage and a V3 instead of a V2. We should have lost our OBC, but it still shows in our booking so fingers crossed. 😁

[KevintheIrishDJ]

5 hours ago, oddjob16 said:

Azamara would seldom send out mails when introducing new promotions. They will lose money if they offered reduced prices to all customers eligeble for rebooking. I check their website frequently to look for better deals and it pays off. This is just a question of being alert and on the ball,- either you or your TA.

We have had 5 changes to our january 2022 booking and every time because I requested it, not because Azamara or my TA tipped me off. So far we are down to about 2/3 of the original price, but have lost some other perks like premium beverage and a V3 instead of a V2. We should have lost our OBC, but it still shows in our booking so fingers crossed. 😁

I'm telling!!!

[Canberra601]

But if they reduce the fares after you have paid in full (ie. less than 120 days from the start of the cruise), there is no refund of the difference, nor any additional OBC.  We just found this out.

[oddjob16]

6 hours ago, Canberra601 said:

But if they reduce the fares after you have paid in full (ie. less than 120 days from the start of the cruise), there is no refund of the difference, nor any additional OBC.  We just found this out.

In the Cruise with Confidence program they have a Best Price Guarantee valid up 48hours before sailing. 

[Canberra601]

On 12/24/2021 at 4:50 PM, oddjob16 said:

In the Cruise with Confidence program they have a Best Price Guarantee valid up 48hours before sailing. 

I got back in contact with my TA based on this advice and they contacted Azamara again, this time talking to someone different and it appears that I will get a refund for the difference.  Thank you for your advice.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, Canberra601 said:

I got back in contact with my TA based on this advice and they contacted Azamara again, this time talking to someone different and it appears that I will get a refund for the difference.  Thank you for your advice.  

Good!  We're never sure when deals on the US website are valid elsewhere in the world.

[combine]

Took advantage of the UK offer of 15% reduction for our January Canary Island cruise. Called our TA on 16 December and received the exact  15% reduction to our credit card of payment on 22 December direct from Azamara. Great service.
All we need now is to actually get on this cruise !! 🤞

[Scots Caz]

great result @combine

 

Anybody had any success with price reduction with Cruise with Confidence program after final balance recently when booked direct with Azamara and not with an agent?

My Quest cruise for Feb has dropped quite a bit but when I called to request reduction under Cruise with Confidence I am being told to fill in Best Price Guarantee form.

I advised that the Best Price Guarantee form page states "To make a Best Price Guarantee request as part of our Cruise with Confidence policy, please call us to make the adjustment. This Best Price Guarantee is for guests who are not booked with our Cruise with Confidence policy."

And also quoted the information on the Cruise with Confidence policy on website and was told this was incorrect (website is wrong!) and I needed to fill the form in and would get OBC for the difference. (don't want OBC, want FCC as per Cruise with Confidence terms)

To fill the form you need to select country Canada or United States (I am in UK) so can't even do that!

I have emailed Customer Service UK (aim to respond in next 7 days) but wondered if anyone else has had issues

(I have used the Cruise with Confidence previously for a reduction and was all very straightforward but not this time - agent advised they had checked with a supervisor and they were right and I was wrong)

Just home after 2 back to backs on Journey, had a fab time and had even confirmed they process on board with Future Cruises...great I thought ... will be able to part pay towards another one 🙂

Guess my option would be to cancel and rebook but no idea how long the FCC would take to come through and all seems unnecessary when there is this process that should make it simple.

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Scots Caz
added info

[Scots Caz]

As a follow up to my post above

I called the call centre again this morning and agent had no problem repricing and within 5 minutes I received a revised confirmation with the new price

Has been sent to another team for processing the difference (they said it would be OBC however I suspect it will be processed correctly as refund as per website FAQs and combines experience)

I have sent update to customer service and flagged that there may be some training required after all the misinformation given yesterday.

5 weeks till cruise and trying to stay positive that it will happen! 

[uktog]

Great news, was yours a direct booking?  I’m trying to do the maths to work out if I have a drop or not.  My agent is really busy just now though. 

[oddjob16]

I rebooked to a new promotion 2 weeks ago and received the cash refund today. IMO it is always nice to have a TA to do these transactions. 

[Huntingdon1701]

Does Azamara tend to do New Year sales? Or are the current ones likely to continue for a while, based on past experiences? Thanks.

[Lindy028]

19 hours ago, Scots Caz said:

great result @combine

Scots Caz, we are in a similar position to you, we booked direct with Azamara and after reading on this forum about people receiving refunds we checked our cruise price and it has gone down over £600! My DH rang yesterday and it was confirmed we were due a refund and a new invoice would be sent. The invoice never arrived so we rang again this morning, they have now said because we have paid in full we will get the refund as OBC. We already have $500 OBC, so another over£600 is crazy! DH is currently on the phone now and is about to have a nervous breakdown,

and I think I may join him! 😤

[Lindy028]

1 hour ago, oddjob16 said:

I rebooked to a new promotion 2 weeks ago and received the cash refund today. IMO it is always nice to have a TA to do these transactions. 

We booked direct this time because of the problems we had with getting our refund for our cancelled cruise in March 2020. We had thought direct was the way to go, but are now having second thoughts!

[Scots Caz]

29 minutes ago, Lindy028 said:

Scots Caz, we are in a similar position to you, we booked direct with Azamara and after reading on this forum about people receiving refunds we checked our cruise price and it has gone down over £600! My DH rang yesterday and it was confirmed we were due a refund and a new invoice would be sent. The invoice never arrived so we rang again this morning, they have now said because we have paid in full we will get the refund as OBC. We already have $500 OBC, so another over£600 is crazy! DH is currently on the phone now and is about to have a nervous breakdown,

and I think I may join him! 😤

Mine was also a direct booking and my drop was £950 (and also have $500 OBC!)

I've got my new invoice and I am hoping with seeing the posts above re refunds that the agent I spoke to was incorrect and when it gets passed to the correct team they will process it as refund - or even FCC would be ok (in theory I could have cancelled, received FCC and rebooked and had the 'change' as FCC)....I'll keep you posted.

- after the nightmare call yesterday I also think I will use agent next time....

Edited December 30, 2021 by Scots Caz

[Lindy028]

14 minutes ago, Scots Caz said:

Mine was also a direct booking and my drop was £950 (and also have $500 OBC!)

I've got my new invoice and I am hoping with seeing the posts above re refunds that the agent I spoke to was incorrect and when it gets passed to the correct team they will process it as refund - or even FCC would be ok (in theory I could have cancelled, received FCC and rebooked and had the 'change' as FCC)....I'll keep you posted.

- after the nightmare call yesterday I also think I will use agent next time....

We have now been told that she has passed it to her manager, who is not on duty for 4 hours, but she has no idea when she will email her back because of the holiday. It is very  frustrating as she wouldn’t even contemplate a FCC and said OBC was the only option. She couldn’t even tell me what would happen if we could not cruise and opted to take FCC, would we be given a refund of the £680. She said every case is treated on a case by case basis!

Really hope you get a refund to your credit card or at least a FCC, do keep us posted. I think you’re right about training, we’ve now spoken to 3 different agents and everyone has interpreted it differently!

[Scots Caz]

9 minutes ago, Lindy028 said:

I think you’re right about training, we’ve now spoken to 3 different agents and everyone has interpreted it differently!

Looking at the website FAQs it states

"For bookings outside of final payment, any amounts owed will be refunded to the original form of cruise fare payment."

https://www.azamara.co.uk/cruise-with-confidence

but then again, yesterday I was told that the information on the website was wrong (when being told to fill in Best Price Guarantee form when it clearly states the form does not apply for Cruise with Confidence and you are to phone)

[uktog]

Once you have made final payment in the UK it has always been the case you get OBC only.  At least you get that now, in the "olden days"  once you passed final payment it was tough luck you got nothing.  

[combine]

Fingers crossed @Scots Caz and @Lindy028.

I was fully expecting my price reduction in obc ( thinking yet more handbags)!!  but was pleasantly surprised that my TA said a cash refund would be processed, and it duly was.

We use a small independent TA and never had any problems with receiving the refunds or the fcc from our cancelled cruises in 2020, unlike many who used larger online agencies.

[Lindy028]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

Once you have made final payment in the UK it has always been the case you get OBC only.  At least you get that now, in the "olden days"  once you passed final payment it was tough luck you got nothing.  

Yes, we remember the “olden days”, when it was just tough luck. Azamara though have provided this vehicle for getting a reduction, we’d be mad not to take advantage, it’s the confusing information which is being given out that is so frustrating! I think all we want is an even playing field, with the same rules applied to everyone.

[Lindy028]

1 hour ago, combine said:

Fingers crossed @Scots Caz and @Lindy028.

I was fully expecting my price reduction in obc ( thinking yet more handbags)!!  but was pleasantly surprised that my TA said a cash refund would be processed, and it duly was.

We use a small independent TA and never had any problems with receiving the refunds or the fcc from our cancelled cruises in 2020, unlike many who used larger online agencies.

So glad you finally got your cash refund. We had a really good TA, who always gave us excellent service, she retired a few years ago and the company we used after that were appalling over our refund for our cancelled Covid cruise. They quite simply lied to us,hence we decided to book direct. My DH says we’ll need an extension if I buy any more handbags and shoes! 😂

[Canberra601]

Further to my previous message, my TA was told to fill in a form to get a refund.  Not sure whether it will be OBC or refund to the credit card.  As we already have USD1,600 OBC, we would prefer not to get another USD1,300 in OBC.   We travel at the end of March so still time to resolve this.

[Medeba]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their posts about repricing and refunds.  I have now had two repricings on our B2B cruises for October 2022 and saved a considerable amount of money.  We also got the latest $500 OBC promotion.  We did, however, lose the free WiFi package but this was a small price to pay for the reduction in price.