Maybe Azamara... was about to book today then worried about loyalty program changes

[the_dylaness]

Hello out there,

 

Thinking of sailing on the Pursuit on Sept 25.  I have a hold that expires tonight... I was excited to try Azamara for a variety of reasons but have been a little wishy-washy on pulling the trigger on this one, can't quite figure out why.  One of the things we were taking into consideration is that Azamara would status match our Celebrity Elite status (we are getting burnt out on X's nickel and diming... $9.95 + 18% gratuity for room service is not "modern luxury" or whatever they call themselves) and we just learned here that this is no longer the case.

 

Would the perks we would've received on Azamara as X Elite members made much of a difference? Am I making mountains out of molehills?  We are thinking of a standard OV room for this trip so that we can spend more on really fun Mediterranean shore excursions.  However if this means being at the back of every long line or otherwise feeling like cattle, I'm not interested.  

 

I realize the ship is much smaller than the X ships so likely this is not that big of a deal but we have sailed on ships with as few as around 150 pax so this is not tiny, either.  

 

Appreciate any insight!

 

 

 

 

[excitedofharpenden]

IMHO I would definitely not use loyalty perks as a driver. Much more to it than that if you really want to do the itinerary and experience small ships that you can't do with Celebrity. And those perks on both lines really aren't that great anyway. 

 

Phil 

[the_dylaness]

Thanks for your message!

Sorry to give the impression I was choosing Azamara only for the loyalty situation... I think it was more that I am a little on the fence already and this was a "negative" mark against it.  Agree the perks are not that great but occasionally they come in handy!

 

Some of the ports are still accessible by larger ships (Naples, Civitavecchia) but it would go to Amalfi and Venice, which is neat!

[travelberlin]

I am not sure if you still can match your Celebrity status to Azamara. I think that possibility has expired.

Ivi

[takemewithyou]

47 minutes ago, the_dylaness said:

Thanks for your message!

Sorry to give the impression I was choosing Azamara only for the loyalty situation... I think it was more that I am a little on the fence already and this was a "negative" mark against it.  Agree the perks are not that great but occasionally they come in handy!

 

Some of the ports are still accessible by larger ships (Naples, Civitavecchia) but it would go to Amalfi and Venice, which is neat!

I had a look at your itinerary for 9/25.  It is a lovely one and we did one similar.  I would highly recommend you try Azamara.  We sailed them and Celebrity a lot.  We prefer Azamara and have not been back to Celebrity since 2018.  

[Scots Caz]

from the transition FAQs on website

 

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

  Yes. Celebrity past guests will continue to have status points with Azamara if they only sailed with Celebrity until February 1, 2023.

  After February 1, 2023, Celebrity Cruises-acquired points will only be protected and transferred to our new program if you have sailed on and completed a sailing with Azamara by that date.

[the_dylaness]

Thank you all- I just hung up with my TA and have booked this cruise.  I'm still feeling a little hesitant but here we are 🙂

[asnaleah]

I think you will not notice any “back of the bus” attitude. For example, no one can book specialty restaurants until on board and you are able to book excursions as soon as they are available. You likely will miss any discounts such as for internet. There is self laundry on board unlike Celebrity. Sounds like a great cruise - Enjoy!

[travelberlin]

19 minutes ago, the_dylaness said:

Thank you all- I just hung up with my TA and have booked this cruise.  I'm still feeling a little hesitant but here we are 🙂

I have sailed both. I find Azamara much better than Celebrity. Give it a try and who knows it might be good for you too. 
Ivi

[PirateWife]

There is no back of the bus. The only place we have seen an obvious sorting of seating by cabin type is for the Azamazing Evenings. It's never been a big deal for us.

[laurieb]

I think you missed the boat. Azamara and celebrity no longer acknowledge the others status, if that was the only reason you were going to give Azamara a try.  You still should though!!

[luv2travel90266]

I am a past Celebrity cruiser that took my first Azamara cruise last year . The hook was the reciprocal benefits but we would have shifted to smaller ships anyway which meant Azamara and Oceana was our target. Azamara is not perfect but I'm not either (so says she who must be obeyed). Not cueing up to get off the boat is number one reason. Quality of food very similar. On board entertainment inferior but we aren't night owls so not really missed. I am in the gym before breakfast. Love the itineraries on the smaller ships to smaller ports.  If any of the above sounds good you  will be very happy with your choice. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just now, luv2travel90266 said:

I am a past Celebrity cruiser that took my first Azamara cruise last year . The hook was the reciprocal benefits but we would have shifted to smaller ships anyway which meant Azamara and Oceana was our target. Azamara is not perfect but I'm not either (so says she who must be obeyed). Not cueing up to get off the boat is number one reason. Quality of food very similar. On board entertainment inferior but we aren't night owls so not really missed. I am in the gym before breakfast. Love the itineraries on the smaller ships to smaller ports.  If any of the above sounds good you  will be very happy with your choice. 

This is even more true based on the recent reports of Oceania itinerary cutbacks [actually not so new – when weather intervenes, Azamara moves heaven and earth to find an alternate port while Oceania has historically done doughnuts in the ocean to kill the time] changing arrivals and departures to shorten time in port dramatically.  Thereby reinforcing Azamara's status as having the longest times in port!

 

[And Celebrity's reported food cutbacks are even more dramatic – dropping them closer to Royal's low level, except that Royal is also cutting everything they can find to maintain the distance...]

[Jim_Iain]

On 2/17/2023 at 2:18 PM, Scots Caz said:

from the transition FAQs on website

 

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

  Yes. Celebrity past guests will continue to have status points with Azamara if they only sailed with Celebrity until February 1, 2023.

  After February 1, 2023, Celebrity Cruises-acquired points will only be protected and transferred to our new program if you have sailed on and completed a sailing with Azamara by that date.

 

Really confused by the above.   I've never sailed Azamara and just out of curiosity I checked my Azamara Account and it's show my Tier as Discoverer Platinum and shows my 5,000+ points.   Since it is after Feb 1, 2023 I thought it would have disappeared. 

 

Will all that disappear when they bring their new website live?

 

Was considering Azamara but if we have no status will probably go with Silverseas all other factors and itineraries equal.

[takemewithyou]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Really confused by the above.   I've never sailed Azamara and just out of curiosity I checked my Azamara Account and it's show my Tier as Discoverer Platinum and shows my 5,000+ points.   Since it is after Feb 1, 2023 I thought it would have disappeared. 

 

Will all that disappear when they bring their new website live?

 

Was considering Azamara but if we have no status will probably go with Silverseas all other factors and itineraries equal.

Hi Jim, 

Have enjoyed many, many of your live threads on X board.  Happy to try to answer your question…..I am surprised the web site hasn’t updated your status by now.  

Unfortunately, I am afraid what you see on your Azamara account is not accurate since you did not sail with Azamara ever, prior to 2/1/23.  As you say, it may be because the web site hasn’t updated your status.  I do think you would enjoy sailing on Azamara some day….regardless.  Hope to see you someday! 

[excitedofharpenden]

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Really confused by the above.   I've never sailed Azamara and just out of curiosity I checked my Azamara Account and it's show my Tier as Discoverer Platinum and shows my 5,000+ points.   Since it is after Feb 1, 2023 I thought it would have disappeared. 

 

Will all that disappear when they bring their new website live?

 

Was considering Azamara but if we have no status will probably go with Silverseas all other factors and itineraries equal.

I wouldn't use this reason to base your decision. If you take a look at the Platinum benefits they really aren't all that fantastic and not as good as Zenith on Celebrity. You'll get free unlimited internet, but I think if I'm not mistaken, from your sailings on Celebrity you'd be staying in a big suite anyway and have that as a perk. Unlike Celebrity, no upgraded drinks package in any cabin, but the packages aren't that expensive because your are starting from an inclusive drinks base. Other than that (free laundry you'd get in a big suite, but not unlimited as it is on X for anyone) really not much else except a %age advantage for discounts for booking future cruisers onboard. 

 

So if there is an itinerary that you like and you fancy trying Azamara then I'd say go for it. You won't have Discover Platinum on your key card, but hey you are trying a new product!

 

Phil 

[uktog]

Agree the benefits aren’t nearly as good on Azamara. If you do upgrade your drinks package you will get a 25% discount that  helps a little.   If you do not sail in a big suite the gap in laundry benefits plus the drinks package issue does put some Zeniths off. There is also no discount on Speciality dining although it’s free for all suites not just the big suites

However you also have to consider that all round the onboard experience is a very different proposition on Azamara 

[DCPIV]

On 2/17/2023 at 3:03 PM, the_dylaness said:

Hello out there,

 

Thinking of sailing on the Pursuit on Sept 25.  I have a hold that expires tonight... I was excited to try Azamara for a variety of reasons but have been a little wishy-washy on pulling the trigger on this one, can't quite figure out why.  One of the things we were taking into consideration is that Azamara would status match our Celebrity Elite status (we are getting burnt out on X's nickel and diming... $9.95 + 18% gratuity for room service is not "modern luxury" or whatever they call themselves) and we just learned here that this is no longer the case.

 

Would the perks we would've received on Azamara as X Elite members made much of a difference? Am I making mountains out of molehills?  We are thinking of a standard OV room for this trip so that we can spend more on really fun Mediterranean shore excursions.  However if this means being at the back of every long line or otherwise feeling like cattle, I'm not interested.  

 

I realize the ship is much smaller than the X ships so likely this is not that big of a deal but we have sailed on ships with as few as around 150 pax so this is not tiny, either.  

 

Appreciate any insight!

 

 

 

 

 

As mentioned, loyalty levels are more about discounts than priority on board.  You'll have as good a time as anyone else on board, even you are paying a little more for your drink package and wi-fi.  Enjoy your cruise!

[ghstudio]

We too were blindsided by this incredibly poor marketing decision by the new Azamara team.  We had two azamara cruises booked this year (our first on Azamara) and to this day, it shows that we are "discovery plus"......I am led to believe that we will actually have no status on our cruises.  We are too committed around our cruise in July (airfare, pre/post cruise arrangements), but we are cancelling our Fall cruise to Israel because we don't have those commitments ($10k booking).  It's not so much the actual benefits...it's the misleading information that continues to this day on the web site...and no communications from Azamara indicating that the info is wrong...like a simple email.  If this is managed so poorly, one has to wonder what other decisions will be made that effect us.  

 

Perhaps we will regret the cancellation, but I don't like the way we've been misled and not sure what else will change as the new owners try to maximize their profit instead of focusing on the marketing advantage of at least extending the benefits to anyone who books before they make it clear that you have no status. Throw out all the old reviews...we just don't know what we'll experience now.  

 

As of today I am still discovery plus....but I'm expecting that to change, now that I've found that sentence/deadline. 

 

This thread is exactly what I'm afraid of happening....no focus on the customer:

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by ghstudio

[lisiamc]

@ghstudio, I’m sorry you’re disappointed about missing the deadline. In fairness, Azamara have a lot on their plate with changeover of the IT system, and I sure a lot of things are going to be harder to see and to use until the changeover is complete. 
 

As @uktogpoints out, the loyalty benefits are certainly not make-or-break. They’re better than no benefits, but not up there with some other cruise lines (although better IMO than Viking’s loyalty benefits, and I speak as someone who likes Viking a lot.)

 

Thankfully, the state of the website and IT areas does not speak for the overall product. I’d much rather the IT side was iffy and the at-sea experience was excellent than the other way round. 

[ghstudio]

2 minutes ago, lisiamc said:

Thankfully, the state of the website and IT areas does not speak for the overall product. I’d much rather the IT side was iffy and the at-sea experience was excellent than the other way round. 

 

Hopefully, that's what we'll find on our July cruise...but as of now (and the new owners are now the new owners), we don't have (at least I haven't found) a single executive contact name or email address...customer service response time is weeks, not days...no human to speak to other than (guess) some call center with no authority to do much of anything. 

 

Not an auspicious start for a new cruise line.....and I'm being kind......

[Riocca]

This information was put on Azamara’s website on the 30th August 2022, I can also remember CC posts about it at the time:

 

Currently, Azamara Circle and Captain’s Club members earn points cumulatively in both programs. After the sale of Azamara to private equity firm Sycamore Partners, we announced that loyalty members who sail on Azamara or Celebrity, continue having reciprocity and earn cumulative loyalty points until February 1, 2023.

After February 1, 2023, Azamara Circle Members will no longer earn cumulative points and have reciprocity with Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. Although this may take some getting used to, this is great news for all of us. Having our own independent systems allows us to implement loyalty program suggestions and improve pre- and post-cruise guest experiences more effectively.  

We thank you for your patience as we work through details. We will continue to keep you up to date with more updates and reminders in the coming months. In the meantime, please see the frequently asked questions below. 

 

I would also say that the current website is administered by Royal Caribbean not Azamara and I doubt if a company they’ve sold is high on their priority list.
What the future holds with Azamara’s IT remains to be seen but the company that’s been brought in to provide IT, Versonix Seaware have a lot of experience with the cruise industry providing services to NCL, Windstar, Virgin, Disney, MSC and many others. We have no experience with any of these cruise lines, maybe others who have will be able to provide some feedback.

 

[ghstudio]

27 minutes ago, Riocca said:

This information was put on Azamara’s website on the 30th August 2022, I can also remember CC posts about it at the time:

 

quote from the azamara web site today (in the FAQ)....to date, we never received "further notice" notice and we booked in November so we missed any discussion on CC.  

 

• Is the Azamara Circle Program still reciprocal with Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club Program?

  Yes. Until further notice, guests who sail with Azamara and Celebrity Cruises will earn points towards membership in both Azamara Circle and Captain's Club, regardless of which brand they sail. Azamara Circle and Captain's Club members will enjoy select benefits of their tier levels on both lines. Select tiers in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Program also will receive reciprocal benefits when sailing with Azamara.

[Grandma Cruising]

13 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

quote from the azamara web site today (in the FAQ)....to date, we never received "further notice" notice and we booked in November so we missed any discussion on CC.  

 

• Is the Azamara Circle Program still reciprocal with Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club Program?

  Yes. Until further notice, guests who sail with Azamara and Celebrity Cruises will earn points towards membership in both Azamara Circle and Captain's Club, regardless of which brand they sail. Azamara Circle and Captain's Club members will enjoy select benefits of their tier levels on both lines. Select tiers in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Program also will receive reciprocal benefits when sailing with Azamara.

The FAQ’s in the New Ownership Update are very clear.

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

  Yes. Celebrity past guests will continue to have status points with Azamara if they only sailed with Celebrity until February 1, 2023.

  After February 1, 2023, Celebrity Cruises-acquired points will only be protected and transferred to our new program if you have sailed on and completed a sailing with Azamara by that date.

   

  This information has been there for a long time.

 

[Riocca]

12 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

quote from the azamara web site today (in the FAQ)....to date, we never received "further notice" notice and we booked in November so we missed any discussion on CC.  

 

• Is the Azamara Circle Program still reciprocal with Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club Program?

  Yes. Until further notice, guests who sail with Azamara and Celebrity Cruises will earn points towards membership in both Azamara Circle and Captain's Club, regardless of which brand they sail. Azamara Circle and Captain's Club members will enjoy select benefits of their tier levels on both lines. Select tiers in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Program also will receive reciprocal benefits when sailing with Azamara.

The following email went out to loyalty members on the 30th August to loyalty members:

 

In an ideal world anyone booking after that date should have been made aware of this but as has already been established the current website is unable to break the link between Celebrity and Azamara loyalty points.