World Cup Cruise and changes to the itinerary!

[Cornish Maid]

8 minutes ago, Riocca said:

Sorry this referred to the Venice / Ravenna change that Host Jazzbeau mentioned, I should have made this clear.

I do feel for those affected as it’s one of those “lifetime “ events, but agree with the dammed if you do comments Azamara have taken a lot of grief on here for announcing cancelled ports before the replacements have been established.

This sort of thing seems to be happening more and more with local authorities making changes without a thought as to the implications to cruise ship passengers, I wouldn’t like to be running a cruise line at the moment.

Thanks for clearing that up was just curious as I said it is the not knowing what will happen before exploring what to do with tickets or attending match.

[floridafolks]

I see the Regent Seven Seas Explorer still currently lists  Doha as port stop on Nov 22. I wonder if they are late to change itinerary or whether they are still permitted. 
(Azamara’s cancelled Doha stop was Nov 21-23)

[john1970]

I love being on Azamara and enjoy the at sea experience very much but I think they have always been poor in terms of back office and organisation. This was the same long before covid. I can understand that some events are beyond their control but if you are selling yourself as premium then it needs to include the whole customer experience from booking onwards. They need to concentrate on basic customer service such as answering emails and phone calls in a timely manner. 

[Riocca]

1 hour ago, john1970 said:

I love being on Azamara and enjoy the at sea experience very much but I think they have always been poor in terms of back office and organisation. This was the same long before covid. I can understand that some events are beyond their control but if you are selling yourself as premium then it needs to include the whole customer experience from booking onwards. They need to concentrate on basic customer service such as answering emails and phone calls in a timely manner. 

Agree, previously Azamara have always suffered from being the poor relation of a mass market cruise line and I think we’re still seeing the legacy of that. I reserve judgment until Azamara are totally free from the restrictions of RC systems and for me that can’t happen soon enough.

That said since the pandemic we have shifted from using a travel agent, who short changed us throughout, to booking direct. Other than the telephone system difficulties, which is improving, I have found the Azamara shoreside staff keen to help and any issues have been resolved positively. I really like that booking confirmations are emailed to you while you’re still speaking to the agent so I have been able to check all the details immediately, with our ex TA it often took months to get booking confirmations.

[nordski]

It must be very frustrating to miss a sports or similar event that one has anticipated for a long time.

 

Advice that I read on this Board some time ago is still worth considering.

 

If there is a site or event that is a high priority, cruising may not provide the most promising access.

 

There have always been ports missed because of bad seas, mechanical issues, etc.

 

Now there seem to be increasing political pressures that limit the use of certain ports, pressures that may be either short or long term, surprising or long-anticipated.

 

I have to remind myself that changes in a ship’s itinerary, while not common, are not unheard of.

[Riocca]

28 minutes ago, nordski said:

It must be very frustrating to miss a sports or similar event that one has anticipated for a long time.

 

Advice that I read on this Board some time ago is still worth considering.

 

If there is a site or event that is a high priority, cruising may not provide the most promising access.

 

There have always been ports missed because of bad seas, mechanical issues, etc.

 

Now there seem to be increasing political pressures that limit the use of certain ports, pressures that may be either short or long term, surprising or long-anticipated.

 

I have to remind myself that changes in a ship’s itinerary, while not common, are not unheard of.

That’s sound advice, a few years ago we booked Journey’s Monaco Grand Prix cruise, on race day sea conditions made tendering very tricky. Luckily we weren’t on an Azamara race tour and got ashore early as just after Captain Johannes suspended tender operations. Eventually everyone who had race tickets got ashore but it was touch and go, had we not been able to get ashore we would have had to take the hit for the unused tickets. We saved a great deal of money over the Azamara cost but it was at our risk but we accepted this.

[uktog]

I think the issue is one of timing. When did Azamara know vs when did they still collect final payments. If they didn’t know then that’s a different thing to if they did. 

It’s not an annual event, soccer fans have waited 5 years for this and it’s a big thing even to go to the fan zone. I think some of the earlier responses were a little dismissive. I hope Azamara can do a lot more to help fans stuck with a very expensive cruise to ports that they’ve probably no interest in seeing- this cruise was about going to experience the World Cup atmosphere. A few, not many, would score tickets to the game. 
 

Yes the authorities may have blindsided them - but when? 

[nordski]

34 minutes ago, uktog said:

I think the issue is one of timing. When did Azamara know vs when did they still collect final payments. If they didn’t know then that’s a different thing to if they did. 

It’s not an annual event, soccer fans have waited 5 years for this and it’s a big thing even to go to the fan zone. I think some of the earlier responses were a little dismissive. I hope Azamara can do a lot more to help fans stuck with a very expensive cruise to ports that they’ve probably no interest in seeing- this cruise was about going to experience the World Cup atmosphere. A few, not many, would score tickets to the game. 
 

Yes the authorities may have blindsided them - but when? 

That’s certainly a good question and it will be interesting if we ever have an answer.

 

I have a friend who spent a number of years teaching at a university in Qatar, and he described the decisions of the government as often seemingly “capricious”.

 

But at the foundation of those decisions was the apparent benefit of the citizens of that nation. Concern about the welfare of non-citizens was not uppermost.

Thus it will not always be transparent as to when/why decisions are made. But it is certainly possible that the port decision is an exception.

 

[Riocca]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

I think the issue is one of timing. When did Azamara know vs when did they still collect final payments. If they didn’t know then that’s a different thing to if they did. 

It’s not an annual event, soccer fans have waited 5 years for this and it’s a big thing even to go to the fan zone. I think some of the earlier responses were a little dismissive. I hope Azamara can do a lot more to help fans stuck with a very expensive cruise to ports that they’ve probably no interest in seeing- this cruise was about going to experience the World Cup atmosphere. A few, not many, would score tickets to the game. 
 

Yes the authorities may have blindsided them - but when? 

Very good point, but U.K. travel agents will have collected the balances 120 days out while Azamara’s terms are 90 days this has created problems in the past when changes are made in the intervening period. Although in this case it does look like it’s well within the 90 days period, but some of the news reports that extra cruise ships would be positioned as extra hotels is dated mid September. Guess we probably will never know but the email did say Azamara were working on plans for those with tickets it will be interesting to see what that could be given the shortage of hotel accommodation.

Edited September 29, 2022 by Riocca

[Riocca]

News of Bahrain only carried the story that visitors visas had been suspended on the 22nd September so it looks like cruise lines were thrown a real curveball.

https://www.newsofbahrain.com/world/84215.html

[Cornish Maid]

2 hours ago, Riocca said:

News of Bahrain only carried the story that visitors visas had been suspended on the 22nd September so it looks like cruise lines were thrown a real curveball.

https://www.newsofbahrain.com/world/84215.html

Thanks for that information maybe Azamara have acted sooner than first thought but no help to match ticket holders, fingers crossed we can work something out over this once we know if Azamara have had any joy from Qatar authorities.

[Baynanno1]

The 2022 World Cup was awarded to Qatar on 2nd December 2010 - almost twelve full years ago.

 

Qatar accepted Azamara's booking to dock at Doha at some time within the last couple of years since (1) Sycamore bought Azamara and (2) cruising and the associated port docking reservations recommenced after the long break caused by covid.

 

It is not Azamara who should be facing the gun at this point in time, it is Qatar, for having accepted docking reservations and then rescinding those reservations.

Qatar has had almost twelve full years to have all their World Cup plans in place and to my way of thinking their rescinding of Azamara's three day docking reservation which would have been made relatively recently is an unconscionable act.

 

My opinion - others may have different opinions - we are all individuals.

[Baynanno1]

8 hours ago, Riocca said:

News of Bahrain only carried the story that visitors visas had been suspended on the 22nd September so it looks like cruise lines were thrown a real curveball.

https://www.newsofbahrain.com/world/84215.html

 

After almost 12 years, it seems as if they are working out their plans (or maybe lack of plans) on the go!

[hamrag]

21 hours ago, Riocca said:

That’s sound advice, a few years ago we booked Journey’s Monaco Grand Prix cruise, on race day sea conditions made tendering very tricky. Luckily we weren’t on an Azamara race tour and got ashore early as just after Captain Johannes suspended tender operations. Eventually everyone who had race tickets got ashore but it was touch and go, had we not been able to get ashore we would have had to take the hit for the unused tickets. We saved a great deal of money over the Azamara cost but it was at our risk but we accepted this.

We had that experience precisely in May 2019, celebrating our Ruby wedding with our family, sailing Crystal Serenity. Like you we purchased the best grandstand tickets available on the F1 website for race day, at half the price Crystal were charging. It was an extremely nervous morning, but we headed as soon as all were ready and made it but heard that tendering had been suspended late morning.

 

It's definitely a risk, but we took it and were extremely fortunate on what was a beautiful sunny day...with much wind offshore!

 

I'd be very slow to blame Az for the Qatar issue, they may yet come through with assistance for those planning to watch matches.

Edited September 30, 2022 by hamrag

[joegrumble]

On 9/30/2022 at 11:00 AM, hamrag said:

We had that experience precisely in May 2019, celebrating our Ruby wedding with our family, sailing Crystal Serenity. Like you we purchased the best grandstand tickets available on the F1 website for race day, at half the price Crystal were charging. It was an extremely nervous morning, but we headed as soon as all were ready and made it but heard that tendering had been suspended late morning.

 

It's definitely a risk, but we took it and were extremely fortunate on what was a beautiful sunny day...with much wind offshore!

 

I'd be very slow to blame Az for the Qatar issue, they may yet come through with assistance for those planning to watch matches.

what kind of assistance though. road transport must be a no go as its around 500 miles from abu dhabi to doha and back again. my 1st match is at 1pm. i was looking forward to the pre match atmosphere and then i intended to use the free subway shuttles to the other evening game at 10pm. then straight back to the ship.(in Doha) the following day i have the 3rd match in the evening. what if i am the only one in attendance to this game. France v australia. even if they laid on air transport there would be a lot of wasted time checking in and travelling back and forth from airports etc. its a no goer for me. i am absolutely gutted as this 60th birthday football treat has been ruined.

[joegrumble]

it will be interesting to know how many onboard have booked world cup tickets and therefore what Azamara intends to do. after all to coincide a cruise in this area during a MAJOR world sports event must have been thought through. i would think most non sports people would have avoided these dates because of the costs and situation regarding an increase in the countries population during this time.

i for one try to avoid big events in the world unless going to them. ie the olympics or rio carnival etc.

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, joegrumble said:

what kind of assistance though. road transport must be a no go as its around 500 miles from abu dhabi to doha and back again. my 1st match is at 1pm. i was looking forward to the pre match atmosphere and then i intended to use the free subway shuttles to the other evening game at 10pm. then straight back to the ship.(in Doha) the following day i have the 3rd match in the evening. what if i am the only one in attendance to this game. France v australia. even if they laid on air transport there would be a lot of wasted time checking in and travelling back and forth from airports etc. its a no goer for me. i am absolutely gutted as this 60th birthday football treat has been ruined.

Azamara arranged docking access in good faith with Qatar for these dates.  It is Qatar that has let you down by rescinding port privileges.  Whatever transport Azamara can arrange is sure to come at a price, too.  Have you looked into flights from Abu Dhabi to Doha yourself?

[joegrumble]

20 hours ago, Port Power said:

Azamara arranged docking access in good faith with Qatar for these dates.  It is Qatar that has let you down by rescinding port privileges.  Whatever transport Azamara can arrange is sure to come at a price, too.  Have you looked into flights from Abu Dhabi to Doha yourself?

hi, no way on earth am i going to arrange my own transport from abu dhabi to doha. i paid in good faith that i would be attending a major world sporting event and i would be actually in the COUNTRY that it was taking place.

it would be like you flying to london to see wimbledon and then you were told you were going to scotland instead and would you like to drive or be coached to london and back twice. this isnt a dig at you by the way.

[fudgbug]

4 hours ago, joegrumble said:

hi, no way on earth am i going to arrange my own transport from abu dhabi to doha. i paid in good faith that i would be attending a major world sporting event and i would be actually in the COUNTRY that it was taking place.

it would be like you flying to london to see wimbledon and then you were told you were going to scotland instead and would you like to drive or be coached to london and back twice. this isnt a dig at you by the way.

So you are blaming Azamara for something that was caused by the government of Qatar?

[Cornish Maid]

The latest information on this fiasco received from Azamara let’s hope the arrangements are favourable and we can get to see the matches we have tickets for.

Edited October 4, 2022 by Cornish Maid

[mklions]

8 hours ago, Cornish Maid said:

The latest information on this fiasco received from Azamara let’s hope the arrangements are favourable and we can get to see the matches we have tickets for.

I will be amazed if the logistics of this works. With such a long transportation time between Abu Dhabi and Doha ( 6 hours)  then the border wait time  the unfortunate passengers with tickets for a 1pm kick off will have to leave the ship 3-4 am in the morning! Then those with  further tickets for the evening game they will get out of the ground at 10pm at the earliest join the coach for a 6 hour journey back, um!

[joegrumble]

On 10/2/2022 at 6:42 PM, fudgbug said:

So you are blaming Azamara for something that was caused by the government of Qatar?

No I am not blaming azamara but I am not travelling from Abu Dhabi to doha. I am seeking a refund from the travel agents. Qatar wanted tourists/football fans to support the economy and enjoy the world cup. This my friend seems to have taken away from me by their decisions. 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

On 10/4/2022 at 4:24 PM, joegrumble said:

Qatar wanted tourists/football fans to support the economy and enjoy the world cup.

I'm not sure what Qatar wants, but it certainly isn't for football fans to enjoy the world cup:

Qatar Bans Beer Sales at World Cup Stadiums

[uktog]

I fear the ban on alcohol sales might be the tip of the iceberg in this tournament in terms of issues some groups of the fans could face.  I really hope the football shines through and Scotland wins 🙂 

[Belfastman]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

I fear the ban on alcohol sales might be the tip of the iceberg in this tournament in terms of issues some groups of the fans could face.  I really hope the football shines through and Scotland wins 🙂 

You have to be in to win!!