Celebrity Zenith member as an Azamara Newbie :)

[cruiseerf]

I will be trying out the onward in November in the Med on a B2B.  The dates and times fit our schedule and so we booked a Club World Owners suite.  I have read the excellent spreadsheet on the Newbie thread and many of these links for information and we are excited to try something new-ish.  I still have the following questions as the Royal and PH suites on Celebrity seem to come with many more perks I am not finding on Azamara?  Though perhaps some are "Unpublished"?  I do know that our status on Celebrity will not be recognized until after our first Azamara cruise, though as we are on a B2B, it will be interesting to see how that plays out...All good I am sure.   

 

1)  My partner has all her evening attire pressed when she arrives, 25-30 items, will I have to pay for this?  

2)  Will we receive 240 free internet minutes or will we receive internet for the entire voyage?  

3)  Can we make specialty dining reservations prior to boarding?  

4)  What time do the ships normally board?  Rough range of time ok?  Just trying to plan etc.  

5)  Will they know of our Celebrity status or do we need to bring an account statement etc?  

6)  How bad will we feel the motion being in the back of the ship?  

7)  Any other helpful hints are appreciated.

 

Thank you all in advance.   

[uktog]

A.  There is no official laundry allowance other than one bag every seven days.  The butlers often do the pressing so you can see how they react.  They’re unlikely to want to do a large number like that all at once.  If your partner would work on a day by day basis you might get them done without charge, but that number of items it’s marginal 

B.  You will have unlimited internet 

C. You cannot make reservations before boarding. Your butler will discuss reservations on embarkation day or you can head to the desk, usually Windows Deck 9 and sometimes a secondary place on Deck 5 and do your own.  You should have no problems getting what you want if you are flexible eg happy to go to either restaurant if one is busy 

D. Currently boarding is starting from 1400 with time slots allocated when you do online check in.  In many ports not worth going before 1400, some won’t even let you in the building- each port is a rule to themselves and the ship has no control 

E.  If you have attached your captains club member to your booking you will be treated to all the Platinum perks. You can check by logging into your booking on Azamara it should say Platinum. If for any reason it doesn’t work, onboard go to the Loyalty Desk on Deck 5 - they can still call up Captain Club records so will fix it, no need to carry lots of documents 

F.  Motion, a little but your at the back, the big suites have far more motion.  We’ve not found it an issue in the Owners suite. 

 

One hint, your Platinum level gives you 10% off any future booking made onboard.  In addition you get any promotions running, $300 obc for the next cruise if you book in the first half of the cruise dropping to $200 thereafter, a reduced deposit  plus your booking is placed with your ta of choice so you get their benefits. Whilst this is a great perk, sometimes you don’t know when you want to go next. Some of the onboard sales folks are a bit pushy and want a secured reservation and don’t tell you you can also buy an open booking.  It’s timeless, you won’t get the obc but it means, for the payment of the deposit you retain the 10% off benefit for that time in the future when you see what you want when you can travel. 

Edited July 9, 2022 by uktog

[cruiseerf]

Thank you So very much!  All questions answered!  Cheers! 

[excitedofharpenden]

Yes, you'll be Platinum on your first cruise. Just make sure your Captain's Club membership number is logged on your booking. You'll most likely have a cocktail party on the first evening attended by the other big suite occupants, Platinum members and two or three senior staff onboard. It's a nice event. Depending on the weather it may be inside or out (had it on the outside spa deck before).

 

I'd say overall the perks are not as good as Zenith, but I find the overall experience more genuine. If you know what I mean. 

 

Phil 

[Riocca]

This statement on Azamara’s website is at odds with this, although I’m not sure how they can implement this or if they actually do.

 

• As a Captain's Club member, will I have status and points with Azamara if I have only ever sailed with Celebrity?

  No. To have had status or points with Azamara, you must have at least one past sailing with Azamara.

[excitedofharpenden]

Hmmm, thanks.  That's at odds with my experience although admittedly this was some time ago.  So things might have changed.  An odd thing to implement.

 

Phil

[Riocca]

1 minute ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Hmmm, thanks.  That's at odds with my experience although admittedly this was some time ago.  So things might have changed.  An odd thing to implement.

 

Phil

Phil, it’s on the New Ownership page on the website which lays out what’s changing, it could probably do with updating and being more specific. My question would be does it mean one Azamara sailing before the sale or does a sailing post sale also count?

 

https://www.azamara.co.uk/loyalty/azamara-circle/transition

[john1970]

I think only Azamara will be able to answer. I am guessing it would be wise to get something in writing from them. They have so much out of date/factually incorrect/unclear information on their website it's hard to know what to believe. Maybe try loyalty@azamara.com I tried facebook to ask a question in March and am still waiting for a reply so I think that route is a waste of time. I love them at sea but the back office is not the same standard.

[Riocca]

1 hour ago, john1970 said:

I think only Azamara will be able to answer. I am guessing it would be wise to get something in writing from them. They have so much out of date/factually incorrect/unclear information on their website it's hard to know what to believe. Maybe try loyalty@azamara.com I tried facebook to ask a question in March and am still waiting for a reply so I think that route is a waste of time. I love them at sea but the back office is not the same standard.

I think we’re going to have a few months of pain until Azamara can get their own systems working and disentangled from the Royal Caribbean system. I’ve recently spoken with a couple of their new reservation/customer service agents and it’s obvious they’re struggling with having different marketing offerings in different regions.

Maybe a little patience is required, it’s frustrating but when I’ve had any issues they’ve always resolved it to our satisfaction, it just may have taken a little longer than’s ideal. 
Having seen the new onboard system on Onward I believe that they’re moving in the right direction.

[Host Jazzbeau]

@cruiseerf  I would expect that if you log in to the Azamara website and see the appropriate status level showing (Platinum on Azamara = your Celebrity Zenith status), you will be grandfathered in with this November 2022 sailing.  IIRC the earlier statement had been that you had to sail on Azamara before the systems split, which was expected to have happened already – but the split has been postponed to 1st Quarter 2023.

 

As far as benefits, Platinum may seem less generous than Zenith – but Azamara already includes many more benies for all bookings plus extra ones for top suites, and some of them stack nicely (like internet: you get a benefit for the suite plus one for Zenith and there is a chart of how they add together).

Suite benefits:  https://www.azamara.com/our-ships/suites

Loyalty benefits:  https://www.azamara.com/loyalty/azamara-circle/member-benefits

 

[luv2travel90266]

I have Discoverer status from past Celebrity sailings. My first Azamara sailing is next month. I realized when doing the check in I didn't have a Le Club # for my wife so attempted to register her and couldn't. Called Azamara and was told we don't have the benefits till after our first cruise when she will be assigned a number. Interesting that I do have a number however probably off one the the previous Azamara cruises that were canceled by the line in 2020 and 2021. Lots of confusion but very happy I can finally cruise. Now to be sure I stay Covid negative so are allowed boarding. 

[TeaBag]

Thanks Jazzbeau.  We board in 16 days and I hope they recognize our status with Celebrity.  It also looks like we might accumulate points on each program which would be great.  Can't wait to experience Azamara and I do hope we will make it onto the ship!  This negative COVID test is such a stress.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Azamara and Celebrity use the same numbers. After the split I suppose Azamara will need to give everyone a new number. 

[asnaleah]

Can anyone help me figure out the internet benefit? How many devices are included in the unlimited package? It looks like we will qualify for the 100% due to our suite accommodation and our discovery plus loyalty program rewards. Thanks!

[uktog]

15 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

Can anyone help me figure out the internet benefit? How many devices are included in the unlimited package? It looks like we will qualify for the 100% due to our suite accommodation and our discovery plus loyalty program rewards. Thanks!

My husband and I were both able to register for free internet.  You follow the instructions in the welcome onboard information for setting up an account.  You can only have one device logged onto each account at a time, so I would need to log out of the account on my wifi before I could use it on my phone

[luv2travel90266]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Azamara and Celebrity use the same numbers. After the split I suppose Azamara will need to give everyone a new number. 

It worked and my celebrity points carried over to Azamara. In viewing the info it appeared that previously Azamara might have given 1st timers benefits with the exception of free days credits for past cruises. 

 

Has any new Azamara cruiser received the other benefits, discounts on specialty dining, internet packages, etc.  on the first cruise?  It would be nice to know.

[asnaleah]

6 hours ago, uktog said:

My husband and I were both able to register for free internet.  You follow the instructions in the welcome onboard information for setting up an account.  You can only have one device logged onto each account at a time, so I would need to log out of the account on my wifi before I could use it on my phone

As long as we can each have one device, that will be great. Thanks.

[PirateWife]

I have to ask. Why would your partner bring 25-30 items of evening attire? There are no formal nights.

[cruiseerf]

Yes, Today I logged in after final payment and I am shown as Discoverer Platinum.  Maybe I did take an Azamara at some point?  Could be.   As to why my friend takes the evening attire she does?   This is a question I ask often and get no answer to.  I also ask why she brings a checked bag filled with nothing but shoes and handbags...She just smiles.   It has nothing to do with what the rules are, it has to do with how much she enjoys dressing up.   Meanwhile I dress terribly so there a balance here.  Cheers!  

Edited July 10, 2022 by cruiseerf

[andrcan]

15 hours ago, luv2travel90266 said:

It worked and my celebrity points carried over to Azamara. In viewing the info it appeared that previously Azamara might have given 1st timers benefits with the exception of free days credits for past cruises. 

 

Has any new Azamara cruiser received the other benefits, discounts on specialty dining, internet packages, etc.  on the first cruise?  It would be nice to know.

Yes, I was on my first AZ cruise last month. All my previous Celebrity cruises were all recognized and I was assigned Adventurer status beforehand, so when on board, I just connected to the Internet and voila - here are my 30 mins for free!

[excitedofharpenden]

On 7/9/2022 at 4:15 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

@cruiseerf  I would expect that if you log in to the Azamara website and see the appropriate status level showing (Platinum on Azamara = your Celebrity Zenith status), you will be grandfathered in with this November 2022 sailing.  IIRC the earlier statement had been that you had to sail on Azamara before the systems split, which was expected to have happened already – but the split has been postponed to 1st Quarter 2023.

 

As far as benefits, Platinum may seem less generous than Zenith – but Azamara already includes many more benies for all bookings plus extra ones for top suites, and some of them stack nicely (like internet: you get a benefit for the suite plus one for Zenith and there is a chart of how they add together).

Suite benefits:  https://www.azamara.com/our-ships/suites

Loyalty benefits:  https://www.azamara.com/loyalty/azamara-circle/member-benefits

 

The reason I mentioned the superiority of the Zenith benefits for me personally are down to two things. The much better free drinks package that one gets given on Celebrity and the free unlimited laundry. If I was so inclined I could send laundry out every day, to include pressing without charge. I've used it to a varying degree and it's extremely useful. The fact I can get the top package of drinks free is a bonus. 

 

However and it's a big however, I am extremely (insert your own wording here) that Celebrity reneged on their assurance that Zenith access to the Retreat Lounge would return after Covid.  I took this to the very top in the UK after I was concerned about it. Don't worry I was told. Wrong!   It's a big deal for me for various reasons. Only way I can continue it is to pay for a suite with the pricing that is attached.  I doubt I'll return to Celebrity and this makes me sad. 

 

Phil 

[read2learn]

On 7/9/2022 at 5:40 AM, Riocca said:

This statement on Azamara’s website is at odds with this, although I’m not sure how they can implement this or if they actually do.

 

• As a Captain's Club member, will I have status and points with Azamara if I have only ever sailed with Celebrity?

  No. To have had status or points with Azamara, you must have at least one past sailing with Azamara.

I took my first Azamara cruise last month. My Celebrity status was recognized and I received all of the perks for the Discoverer level(Elite on Celebrity). 

[ChucktownSteve]

15 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

The reason I mentioned the superiority of the Zenith benefits for me personally are down to two things. The much better free drinks package that one gets given on Celebrity and the free unlimited laundry. If I was so inclined I could send laundry out every day, to include pressing without charge. I've used it to a varying degree and it's extremely useful. The fact I can get the top package of drinks free is a bonus. 

Phil 

 

Phil I agree wholeheartedly about the premium liquors and unlimited laundry benefit being real desirable perks.

On Azamara late last year the P1 got "basic" shelf liquor in the cabin but premium throughout the ship plus one bag of laundry per full seven days with how much you can STUFF into their bag.

I realized the enjoyment of unlimited laundry recently on Regent.  We didn't have to worry about stuffing. Sometimes the bags went out days in a row or sometimes we would skip a day.  But no worry and no charge was a true benefit that means next time we can certainly pack much less clothing.  Full ltr bottles of requested premium brands were in the suite.

I'm glad the upper AZ suites do this but perhaps they could consider whether they want to elevate some of the other categories experience to go with their premium pricing.  Sometimes a low out of pocket cost with a higher perceived value goes a long way to seal the deal.  At that point it's no longer about price but value/perks for less than Zenith.

Edited July 11, 2022 by ChucktownSteve

[cruiseerf]

I cannot tell you how nice it is to have free laundry and not have to worry about it....Last cruise, my Butler went into my closet looked at all my wrinkled shirts (which looked ok to me as wrinkles do come out with time) and he said, you cannot wear these like this!  He proceeded to take them all off their hangars and send them all out for pressing.  I have never looked better.   Different cruise line different rules and perks etc.  We are still Very excited to try Azamara!  I like that we are trying something "New" as too much with one line becomes "Formulaic".   Safe Sails!  

[LuAnn]

On 7/10/2022 at 1:12 PM, excitedofharpenden said:

The reason I mentioned the superiority of the Zenith benefits for me personally are down to two things. The much better free drinks package that one gets given on Celebrity and the free unlimited laundry. If I was so inclined I could send laundry out every day, to include pressing without charge. I've used it to a varying degree and it's extremely useful. The fact I can get the top package of drinks free is a bonus. 

 

However and it's a big however, I am extremely (insert your own wording here) that Celebrity reneged on their assurance that Zenith access to the Retreat Lounge would return after Covid.  I took this to the very top in the UK after I was concerned about it. Don't worry I was told. Wrong!   It's a big deal for me for various reasons. Only way I can continue it is to pay for a suite with the pricing that is attached.  I doubt I'll return to Celebrity and this makes me sad. 

 

Phil 

I'm so sorry to hear that Phil!! I would be upset as well. But then in the "really olden days" one had access to that venue for the Captain's Club HH!! 🙂 And that was lost a long time ago!! 😞