New website.

[fruitmachine]

8 hours ago, blag said:

I'd be interested to learn why you say this. Have you liaised with land-based staff direct?

My view is that staff (irrespective of their location) have access to the same 'clean' system with a database-driven interface, but the problems lie with the integration of the web interface. 

I have spoken to them and raised tickets.  Nothing could be done by the call centre, and nothing has been done in response to a ticket from three weeks ago.  I'm waiting until the mythical "fixed by the end of June" and "we may take up to 28 days to respond to your email" to pass before contacting them again, at which point I will be more forceful.

Edited June 26, 2023 by fruitmachine

[JaneStarr]

1 hour ago, kml246 said:

 

Glad to help. We had a 1pm check in time, I believe. We had the porter come to our hotel (Hotel Moresco) at 12:15pm. It's about a five minute walk to Piazzale Roma where we got a taxi to Maritima (20 Euros) and were at the terminal by 12:30pm. There was about a ten minute wait to drop the luggage. The staff attached luggage tags for you. Make sure when you drop off your luggage, if you are in a Veranda Plus or higher cabin, that they give you a green sticker for your priority.  You then walk into the terminal. If you have the green priority sticker, you are able to check in and get on the bus without waiting. Otherwise, a person gives you a number sticker for your check in group and you sit until your number is called.

 

It's around a twenty-five minute bus ride to Fusina, and you board the ship right away, and are directed to the Cabaret Lounge to have your passport validated and register your credit card. You are then ready to enjoy your cruise. 

 

If I had to do this again, I would have left my hotel 45 minutes earlier. 

 

Enjoy, 

Kevin 

Kevin,

Thank you so much for this detailed response! I’m especially happy to be aware of the green priority stickers since all 4 cabins in our group qualify.

Our cruise agent was able to push to get Azamara/GMT to ticket our flights. I feel much less stressed now that we have ticketed seats!

 

Our agent/friend was even able to get us a working Emergency Travel Team phone number (which I tested) in case of issues while traveling to the port.

This is the number we were given:

 (954) 687-1074 

It was answered within a minute by “Global Marine Travel” when I made a test call. I confirmed with the nice woman who answered that this was indeed the right number to call 24/7 if we had any flight issues.

Jane

[JYDCruise]

Just as a follow up, we finished our cruise (Istanbul - Athens on the Quest) last week. We had all of the usual issues pre-cruise, including multiple ball-drops by Customer Support.

 

That said . . . once we got to the port in Istanbul, it was a completely different experience, and really just what you would hope for from Azamara. Seamless check-in and boarding, and just an outstanding experience. We had to sign up for a few excursions onboard (see CS ball-drop above), and it only took a few minutes. The crew was truly excellent from the Captain on down (though oddly the ACD seemed pretty invisible to us during the trip), I thought the food was better than last year (and that was already pretty good), excursions were interesting, the entertainment was fine (1 of the singers disappeared after day 2, no idea why, but the others were able to cover it without any gaps), even the weather was virtually perfect, though I'm not sure that Azamara can get credit for that part. 😄

 

The only glitch was in accounting. I asked Guest Relations for a billing update a couple of times during the trip and there were some odd OBC credits that neither they nor I could identify, and nothing that was clearly identifiable as our TA OBC (nor did any amounts match what I would have expected). We made it to the last day with what looked like a few hundred dollars left of OBC (I hope) and wound up popping the cork on a very nice bottle of champagne with our last dinner.

 

Bottom line: yes, the IT migration has been a complete cluster . . ., customer service not much better, PR updates late, sporadic and frequently just wrong, and I still feel there needs to be some housecleaning among Azamara's executive staff. But once you're on the ship, ahhhhhhhhhhhh - what a great time!

[fruitmachine]

Something is happening!

The past cruise that appeared in my future cruises until earlier today (on both www.azamara.com and seaware.azamara.com) is no longer being displayed.

My real future cruise is still not shown!

[rickip]

18 hours ago, JYDCruise said:

Just as a follow up, we finished our cruise (Istanbul - Athens on the Quest) last week. We had all of the usual issues pre-cruise, including multiple ball-drops by Customer Support.

 

That said . . . once we got to the port in Istanbul, it was a completely different experience, and really just what you would hope for from Azamara. Seamless check-in and boarding, and just an outstanding experience. We had to sign up for a few excursions onboard (see CS ball-drop above), and it only took a few minutes. The crew was truly excellent from the Captain on down (though oddly the ACD seemed pretty invisible to us during the trip), I thought the food was better than last year (and that was already pretty good), excursions were interesting, the entertainment was fine (1 of the singers disappeared after day 2, no idea why, but the others were able to cover it without any gaps), even the weather was virtually perfect, though I'm not sure that Azamara can get credit for that part. 😄

 

The only glitch was in accounting. I asked Guest Relations for a billing update a couple of times during the trip and there were some odd OBC credits that neither they nor I could identify, and nothing that was clearly identifiable as our TA OBC (nor did any amounts match what I would have expected). We made it to the last day with what looked like a few hundred dollars left of OBC (I hope) and wound up popping the cork on a very nice bottle of champagne with our last dinner.

 

Bottom line: yes, the IT migration has been a complete cluster . . ., customer service not much better, PR updates late, sporadic and frequently just wrong, and I still feel there needs to be some housecleaning among Azamara's executive staff. But once you're on the ship, ahhhhhhhhhhhh - what a great time!

Great to hear!!  I don't suppose they'd consider making any unused OBCs refundable after all of the pre-cruise issues (and inability to apply them properly)

 

[Melissaghoti]

I’ve been relatively lucky with the website, but this popped up today as I was looking at excursions for an upcoming cruise. …..I sat down immediately. 🤪

[nonrev1]

9 hours ago, fruitmachine said:

Something is happening!

The past cruise that appeared in my future cruises until earlier today (on both www.azamara.com and seaware.azamara.com) is no longer being displayed.

My real future cruise is still not shown!

My past cruise is still showing as my future cruise at - 85 days.  My canceled cruise still shows as an upcoming cruise.  But the good new is that my two “real “ cruises are showing.  

[Solon]

Finally, my Discoverer Plus status was showing.... then the next day it wasn't!

 

One step forward and then one step back....LOL

[terry&mike]

An update - some of you will remember that I have been working to correct errors in both personal and client bookings. Some of the errors had been corrected, and then new errors appeared, and I was becoming quite frustrated. 

 

As of now, it appears that the errors have been corrected, and the bookings are in an acceptable state. I use this phrasing, as the bookings are not perfect, but they won't impact the trip. For those who like details, I'll post the issues at the bottom of this post, but they are negligible. 

 

As for loyalty points and status that are incorrect, Azamara is now saying that will be corrected by the first week in July, rather than their previously mentioned end of June date. 

 

For those preparing to set sail, you will do best to bring along with you printed copies of your OBC amount for your booking, proof of any Shore Excursions you booked in advance and the cost of those excursions at time of your booking them, and anything showing your points/status. This will help speed things along at Guest Services once you have boarded, if there are any errors. 

 

In regards to the small errors I have remaining, in addition to loyalty/points errors, there are only two. One is on a client booking, where when looking at the booking on the TA portal, under Add Ons, I no longer see their Insurance they purchased showing (it was showing in this area until about a week ago), but if I select View/Print Guest or Agent Invoice the insurance is listed on the document with the correct pricing, so it is attached to the booking. The second is on a personal booking, where I was given a gift of Chocolate Strawberries & Champagne before the data migration, it fell off during the migration, then re-appeared on the booking but with a charge to me of $190. I made a request for the $190 error charge to be corrected to 0, which resulted in the entire gift being removed; I'm going to leave this one alone, as the booking is back to Paid in Full, and I don't want to risk something else going astray on the booking, and I don't really need the strawberries and champagne. 

 

 

 

 

[blag]

39 minutes ago, terry&mike said:

An update - some of you will remember that I have been working to correct errors in both personal and client bookings. Some of the errors had been corrected, and then new errors appeared, and I was becoming quite frustrated. 

 

As of now, it appears that the errors have been corrected, and the bookings are in an acceptable state. I use this phrasing, as the bookings are not perfect, but they won't impact the trip. For those who like details, I'll post the issues at the bottom of this post, but they are negligible. 

 

As for loyalty points and status that are incorrect, Azamara is now saying that will be corrected by the first week in July, rather than their previously mentioned end of June date. 

 

For those preparing to set sail, you will do best to bring along with you printed copies of your OBC amount for your booking, proof of any Shore Excursions you booked in advance and the cost of those excursions at time of your booking them, and anything showing your points/status. This will help speed things along at Guest Services once you have boarded, if there are any errors. 

 

In regards to the small errors I have remaining, in addition to loyalty/points errors, there are only two. One is on a client booking, where when looking at the booking on the TA portal, under Add Ons, I no longer see their Insurance they purchased showing (it was showing in this area until about a week ago), but if I select View/Print Guest or Agent Invoice the insurance is listed on the document with the correct pricing, so it is attached to the booking. The second is on a personal booking, where I was given a gift of Chocolate Strawberries & Champagne before the data migration, it fell off during the migration, then re-appeared on the booking but with a charge to me of $190. I made a request for the $190 error charge to be corrected to 0, which resulted in the entire gift being removed; I'm going to leave this one alone, as the booking is back to Paid in Full, and I don't want to risk something else going astray on the booking, and I don't really need the strawberries and champagne. 

 

 

 

 

If you don't need the strawberries & champagne, I'll gladly accept them on your behalf!

It's the very least I can do to help.

[rickip]

7 hours ago, terry&mike said:

An update - some of you will remember that I have been working to correct errors in both personal and client bookings. Some of the errors had been corrected, and then new errors appeared, and I was becoming quite frustrated. 

 

As of now, it appears that the errors have been corrected, and the bookings are in an acceptable state. I use this phrasing, as the bookings are not perfect, but they won't impact the trip. For those who like details, I'll post the issues at the bottom of this post, but they are negligible. 

 

As for loyalty points and status that are incorrect, Azamara is now saying that will be corrected by the first week in July, rather than their previously mentioned end of June date. 

 

For those preparing to set sail, you will do best to bring along with you printed copies of your OBC amount for your booking, proof of any Shore Excursions you booked in advance and the cost of those excursions at time of your booking them, and anything showing your points/status. This will help speed things along at Guest Services once you have boarded, if there are any errors. 

 

In regards to the small errors I have remaining, in addition to loyalty/points errors, there are only two. One is on a client booking, where when looking at the booking on the TA portal, under Add Ons, I no longer see their Insurance they purchased showing (it was showing in this area until about a week ago), but if I select View/Print Guest or Agent Invoice the insurance is listed on the document with the correct pricing, so it is attached to the booking. The second is on a personal booking, where I was given a gift of Chocolate Strawberries & Champagne before the data migration, it fell off during the migration, then re-appeared on the booking but with a charge to me of $190. I made a request for the $190 error charge to be corrected to 0, which resulted in the entire gift being removed; I'm going to leave this one alone, as the booking is back to Paid in Full, and I don't want to risk something else going astray on the booking, and I don't really need the strawberries and champagne. 

 

 

 

 

I had exactly the same thing with the Strawberries & Champagne... only in my case it was $247 (Canadian vs US Dollars?).  I also asked for it to be removed, as I had no intention of having to pay for it.  If they want to give me something, I would have rather have some free internet minutes.  Re taking proof of what we paid for excursions - how are we supposed to figure out what exchange rate was being used (everything on our booking is in CADollars, but the onboard credits will be in USD).

 

[rickip]

Woohoo!!!  I got a response to the support request form I submitted 4 weeks ago... Enough said.

Dear Valued Guest,

 

We hope this letter finds you well. At our contact center, we strive to provide prompt and efficient assistance to all our valued guests. However, due to the high volume of inquiries, we were unable to respond to your inquiry in real time, and for that, we apologize. We understand the frustration this may have caused and assure you that steps have been taken to prevent such delays in the future which include improvement of processes and additional resources to assist. In addition, we have been diligently working behind the scenes to resolve the types of issues you encountered.   If, by any chance, your issue has not been fully resolved or if you have any further questions or concerns, we kindly request that you resubmit your question through our enhanced support form that allows our new dedicated team to better and more quickly address your need.  Alternatively, you can call our Contact Center directly. Please visit our website to find the most suitable Contact Center phone number for your region.   Our dedicated team is available to assist you promptly and ensure your concerns are addressed.   Once again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience. We value your business and remain committed to providing you with the exceptional service.   Sincerely, AZAMARA®

[blag]

1 hour ago, rickip said:

Re taking proof of what we paid for excursions - how are we supposed to figure out what exchange rate was being used (everything on our booking is in CADollars, but the onboard credits will be in USD)

I may be completely wrong about this (please don't shout at me if I am, I'm only trying to help), but I believe that the rate of exchange used for your booking is the rate at the time of the booking. Whether that is the date of confirmation, or the date on which you paid, I would not know. That rate is applied for the conversion from your currency to USD dollars.

So - assuming I am correct - say the exchange rate at the time of booking in your currency (say, Slabovian Dinars i.e. SLD) was 1SLD equals 2USD, for the purchase of goods or services (when using your OBC) quoted in SLD, you will get 2USD for every 1SLD. Whether this fixed rate also applies to purchases not using OBC, I am unsure.

Furthermore, if I'm correct, I do not know what rate (mid-market, that used by their Credit Card processor, etc.) they might be using.

[rickip]

7 minutes ago, blag said:

I may be completely wrong about this (please don't shout at me if I am, I'm only trying to help), but I believe that the rate of exchange used for your booking is the rate at the time of the booking. Whether that is the date of confirmation, or the date on which you paid, I would not know. That rate is applied for the conversion from your currency to USD dollars.

So - assuming I am correct - say the exchange rate at the time of booking in your currency (say, Slabovian Dinars i.e. SLD) was 1SLD equals 2USD, for the purchase of goods or services (when using your OBC) quoted in SLD, you will get 2USD for every 1SLD. Whether this fixed rate also applies to purchases not using OBC, I am unsure.

Furthermore, if I'm correct, I do not know what rate (mid-market, that used by their Credit Card processor, etc.) they might be using.

I'm guessing they'll use one fixed rate for each currency.  Otherwise each Canadian passenger could potentially have a different US$ price for they excursion they purchased in CA$.  We shall see...

[blag]

Just now, rickip said:

I'm guessing they'll use one fixed rate for each currency.  Otherwise each Canadian passenger could potentially have a different US$ price for they excursion they purchased in CA$.  We shall see...

On the basis of what I wrote in post #1764, unless the bookings were made when the rate was the same, it is possible that OBC quoted in Canadian Dollars will have a different USD value.

But as I said, I may be completely, utterly, hopelessly wrong.

Plus, for some bizarre reason, I feel that the 'fixed' rate applies to other purchases. On our most recent cruise, because the Indulgence Package was very good value (IMHO) for a 21-day cruise, I was pleasantly surprised at how (comparatively) inexpensive it was when I paid in GBP. As I recall, the rate that was applied was much, much better than the mid-market rate on the day on which I purchased the package.

As an UK ex-pat, exchange rates are important to me. I am painfully aware of fluctuations.

[rickip]

28 minutes ago, blag said:

On the basis of what I wrote in post #1764, unless the bookings were made when the rate was the same, it is possible that OBC quoted in Canadian Dollars will have a different USD value.

But as I said, I may be completely, utterly, hopelessly wrong.

Plus, for some bizarre reason, I feel that the 'fixed' rate applies to other purchases. On our most recent cruise, because the Indulgence Package was very good value (IMHO) for a 21-day cruise, I was pleasantly surprised at how (comparatively) inexpensive it was when I paid in GBP. As I recall, the rate that was applied was much, much better than the mid-market rate on the day on which I purchased the package.

As an UK ex-pat, exchange rates are important to me. I am painfully aware of fluctuations.

The OBC was always quoted in US$, so we don't know how many CA$ we started with in their minds.

[FranYAlice]

16 hours ago, Solon said:

Finally, my Discoverer Plus status was showing.... then the next day it wasn't!

 

One step forward and then one step back....LOL

I'm a first time Azamara cruiser, but I've had a Discoverer level that appears and disappears, appears and disappears!

[Grandma Cruising]

7 hours ago, blag said:

I may be completely wrong about this (please don't shout at me if I am, I'm only trying to help), but I believe that the rate of exchange used for your booking is the rate at the time of the booking. Whether that is the date of confirmation, or the date on which you paid, I would not know. That rate is applied for the conversion from your currency to USD dollars.

So - assuming I am correct - say the exchange rate at the time of booking in your currency (say, Slabovian Dinars i.e. SLD) was 1SLD equals 2USD, for the purchase of goods or services (when using your OBC) quoted in SLD, you will get 2USD for every 1SLD. Whether this fixed rate also applies to purchases not using OBC, I am unsure.

Furthermore, if I'm correct, I do not know what rate (mid-market, that used by their Credit Card processor, etc.) they might be using.

I’m sure you are right, except I think the rate used is the rate the first time you spend any OBC. I seem to remember that on the old website, once you had spent some OBC, it told you what the rate used was and said that would be the rate that applied from then on.

[uktog]

48 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

I’m sure you are right, except I think the rate used is the rate the first time you spend any OBC. I seem to remember that on the old website, once you had spent some OBC, it told you what the rate used was and said that would be the rate that applied from then on.

Correct it’s the rate when you first use your obc 

[blag]

55 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

I’m sure you are right, except I think the rate used is the rate the first time you spend any OBC. I seem to remember that on the old website, once you had spent some OBC, it told you what the rate used was and said that would be the rate that applied from then on.

Possibly. Unfortunately, I don't recall. 

[blag]

7 minutes ago, uktog said:

Correct it’s the rate when you first use your obc 

Ah! Thanks. 

[govanguy]

On 6/25/2023 at 12:36 PM, govanguy said:

Ok, I give up....I can't access my account. Previously, before they took down Azamara.uk it was no problem. I could see one of my two booked cruise.

I can access my bookings, just to look, on Seaware but Azamara.com is throwing up negatives. I`ve changed passwords numerous times, used the online template to contact Azamara, received responses saying your account is in order.

Come on...give me a clue.

 

Jings me!  Crivens!  Help ma boab!....

 

I set up a new account with another email and password...I used the Azamara  online template once more ...

I logged on today...and everything is perfect (???).

My two upcoming cruises are shown. My essentials package is shown, I have access to excursions, my points are correct as is my shown status of Discoverer Plus.

 

And.....it`s my birthday!!!

 

That's Braw!

[Cruiser6270]

Does future cruise credit show anywhere on website account ? 

[BuddyR]

Right after the website transition a few months ago, I was able to see an invoice for my upcoming cruise showing the deposit I made and the balance owed.  I booked through a travel agent.  Now I can’t see any type of invoice.  Is there anyway to find it online or has that been removed?

[MamaFej]

14 hours ago, FranYAlice said:

I'm a first time Azamara cruiser, but I've had a Discoverer level that appears and disappears, appears and disappears!

Azamara is welcoming you with a game of Peekaboo.

Edited June 29, 2023 by MamaFej