Finding out what cabins are available

[lahore]

Has anyone worked out how to find out what cabins are available on the new disaster-masquerading-as-a-website?

All I have managed to do is to pretend I am actually going to book, then when I have entered all the information and have an ‘offer’ then it allocates a cabin.  If I don’t want that cabin, but a different one, I have had to go through the whole process again, resulting in multiple cabins allocated to me that then don’t go away.  I am seeking an accessible cabin so choice is limited and important.  Thanks in advance for any help.  

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, lahore said:

Has anyone worked out how to find out what cabins are available on the new disaster-masquerading-as-a-website?

All I have managed to do is to pretend I am actually going to book, then when I have entered all the information and have an ‘offer’ then it allocates a cabin.  If I don’t want that cabin, but a different one, I have had to go through the whole process again, resulting in multiple cabins allocated to me that then don’t go away.  I am seeking an accessible cabin so choice is limited and important.  Thanks in advance for any help.  

 

I do not know for sure but a good TA might have tools that you don't have.  I know that my TA always seems to be able to quickly tell me what is available when I ask. TAs are useful for much more than getting a few perks here and there.

 

DON

Edited April 29, 2023 by donaldsc

[uktog]

3 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

I do not know for sure but a good TA might have tools that you don't have.  I know that my TA always seems to be able to quickly tell me what is available when I ask. TAs are useful for much more than getting a few perks here and there.

 

DON

But travel agents aren’t open 24x7 and when they are open it’s better they aren’t focusing on those not yet ready to book 

 

Many of us browse exactly when agents are shut.

 

Potential guests will head to those lines where you can see specific cabin availability. That is VERY important on Azamara where 50% of Club Continental suites are no use to many guests. A quick browse in the past could tell if a cruise was even an option or not for those wanting that category of room. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by uktog

[NeilWM]

After carefully considering options I have just booked a cruise on Oceania where I could look at options, pick my cabin and sort everything out in 5 minutes.

Hopefully I can review options with Azamara next time.

[Mackdogmolly]

3 hours ago, NeilWM said:

After carefully considering options I have just booked a cruise on Oceania where I could look at options, pick my cabin and sort everything out in 5 minutes.

Hopefully I can review options with Azamara next time.

Ah, THOSE were the days!

[tgg]

Many online travel agencies make it extremely easy to see all available cabins for any sailing. Because of cruisecritic rules, I can't name them here.  But with very little effort, it's not too hard to find them.😃

[takemewithyou]

1 hour ago, tgg said:

Many online travel agencies make it extremely easy to see all available cabins for any sailing. Because of cruisecritic rules, I can't name them here.  But with very little effort, it's not too hard to find them.😃

Hi @tgg 😀

I know a lot of those web sites and used to use them but none of them show available cabins anymore for Azamara since the web site changes.  Have you searched lately for Azamara cabins on your sites?

[lahore]

17 hours ago, uktog said:

But travel agents aren’t open 24x7 and when they are open it’s better they aren’t focusing on those not yet ready to book 

 

Many of us browse exactly when agents are shut.

 

Potential guests will head to those lines where you can see specific cabin availability. That is VERY important on Azamara where 50% of Club Continental suites are no use to many guests. A quick browse in the past could tell if a cruise was even an option or not for those wanting that category of room. 

Exactly, 100% correct.  I will never use a TA.  I would genuinely rather not go.  Although they have good intentions, people in the USA don’t realise that their TA’s are governed by rules that others are not.  Australian TA’s exist only to line their own pockets and offer no service or protection to customers (indeed they add an extra layer of risk: both financial and error related).
 

16 hours ago, NeilWM said:

After carefully considering options I have just booked a cruise on Oceania where I could look at options, pick my cabin and sort everything out in 5 minutes.

Hopefully I can review options with Azamara next time.

Don’t blame you: trouble is Oceania is pricing itself out of my market.  I adore Oceania. 

 

4 hours ago, tgg said:

Many online travel agencies make it extremely easy to see all available cabins for any sailing. Because of cruisecritic rules, I can't name them here.  But with very little effort, it's not too hard to find them.😃

 

Yes, I know, I am by no means inexperienced in such things.  But as others say, this no longer applies to Azamara. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by lahore

[lahore]

Thank you everyone.  At least it’s not just me, but that is cold comfort.  I can’t begin to imagine how much custom Azamara is losing due to this “new website”.

[tgg]

3 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

Hi @tgg 😀

I know a lot of those web sites and used to use them but none of them show available cabins anymore for Azamara since the web site changes.  Have you searched lately for Azamara cabins on your sites?

 

Hi Kathy,

 

Just for fun, I just looked for an N2 on the Onward Dec. 12 sailing.  One very popular online site listed 7 cabins plus a guarantee. Is it accurate?  I have no way of knowing.

 

It would be fun to sail with you and Peter again.

 

T.

[NeilWM]

And for what it is worth Oceania is very cost competitive with current sale, price was not a consideration, lack of hassles with booking, etc main driver 

[lahore]

4 minutes ago, NeilWM said:

And for what it is worth Oceania is very cost competitive with current sale, price was not a consideration, lack of hassles with booking, etc main driver 

Thanks for the tip, I’ll check it out but last time I looked at the same ball park of cruise we wanted it was a lot more expensive.  However, I much prefer Oceania and given the current state of Azamara I will 100% consider.  

[takemewithyou]

7 minutes ago, lahore said:

Thanks for the tip, I’ll check it out but last time I looked at the same ball park of cruise we wanted it was a lot more expensive.  However, I much prefer Oceania and given the current state of Azamara I will 100% consider.  

There is a great sale on right now….Extraordinary Savings 

You might want to check it out and see if it works for you. (2023).

Edited April 30, 2023 by takemewithyou

[Host Jazzbeau]

So Azamara has terrible pre-cruise experience but great onboard experience.  Oceania has great pre-cruise experience and great food, but lots of complaints about post-FP itinerary changes (reduced time in ports) and unexplained last-minute port cancellations.  I guess you pays your money and takes your choice, but I would rather have the itinerary I signed up for.

[takemewithyou]

9 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

So Azamara has terrible pre-cruise experience but great onboard experience.  Oceania has great pre-cruise experience and great food, but lots of complaints about post-FP itinerary changes (reduced time in ports) and unexplained last-minute port cancellations.  I guess you pays your money and takes your choice, but I would rather have the itinerary I signed up for.

Yes, I know all about that.  Thanks for the warning,  mine is a Transatlantic cruise, so if I miss a port or two, it’s ok! Wink, wink.

Azamara does make every effort to keep to their itinerary or offer a substitution, which is a strength of theirs and I have always applauded them for that.

Edited April 30, 2023 by takemewithyou
Spelling

[lahore]

9 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

So Azamara has terrible pre-cruise experience but great onboard experience.  Oceania has great pre-cruise experience and great food, but lots of complaints about post-FP itinerary changes (reduced time in ports) and unexplained last-minute port cancellations.  I guess you pays your money and takes your choice, but I would rather have the itinerary I signed up for.

I prefer the food on Oceania, but the overnighters and longer port days of Azamara.   On the other hand, i have experienced appalling onboard experiences with Azamara (such as being on the cruise where the aircon and all refrigeration stopped working and we bobbed around on the equator for two days in a hot box….we were all refunded 50% but we missed two ports). I have also had Azamara try to bump me from a guarantee.  I roll with the punches, none of those things would actually stop me from considering them again, however if I can’t actually BOOK then that is a major disincentive. 

[lahore]

23 minutes ago, takemewithyou said:

There is a great sale on right now….Extraordinary Savings 

You might want to check it out and see if it works for you. (2023).

Thanks, I just checked it out but we want 2024 so at the moment I think I’ll just wait and see… we are on Azamara Singapore to Athens.  I was then going to book Azamara Venice to London (B2B) but being as I can’t seem to identify whether the accessible cabin I want is available they lose my custom for now at least.  

[NeilWM]

We love both Azamara and Oceania

[lahore]

3 hours ago, NeilWM said:

We love both Azamara and Oceania

So do we, in fact we cancelled Oceania Singapore to Europe because Aza had a better itinerary for us (e.g., we haven’t been to Jeddah before) and it was a great deal cheaper.  Will turn the savings into a further leg, or perhaps two.  And that is where this all began…trying to find an accessible cabin on those two further legs.  *sigh*

[NeilWM]

As we are rapidly growing older we are moving towards being classified more as cruisers than travellers 

[cruiseaholic78]

5 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

So Azamara has terrible pre-cruise experience but great onboard experience.  Oceania has great pre-cruise experience and great food, but lots of complaints about post-FP itinerary changes (reduced time in ports) and unexplained last-minute port cancellations.  I guess you pays your money and takes your choice, but I would rather have the itinerary I signed up for.

We spent 35 days on Oceania over Christmas and New Year with absolutely nothing special except for some Christmas trees and gingerbread houses, not to mention 3/4 hours no power and missing three ports. On New Years Eve we gave up looking for entertainment and were in bed by 23:44

 

In March we returned for our first post Covid Azamara cruise for ten days, I was blown away by the embarkation buffet, Azamazing evening, white night BBQ lunch and brunch.. More fun on ten days compared to 35! I am not sure how anyone can say the food is better on Oceania, yes they have the reputation but I don’t agree that it is valid, we even cancelled one of our “free” specialities. That said they do have shower doors instead of curtains!!

At the moment however none of the Dutch travel agencies are showing Azamara missing revenue, maybe its time to get some “hackers” involved to get the website working properly.

 

Dessert buffet and brunch.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by cruiseaholic78

[john1970]

It's a strange business model that forces you to go to another website to find what cabins are available. You would think they would want to keep the prospective customers on their site. If they push you to look on another site you might find another cruise line that has a better offer. It's almost like they want to give the customer reasons not to book with them. 

[uktog]

59 minutes ago, john1970 said:

It's a strange business model that forces you to go to another website to find what cabins are available. You would think they would want to keep the prospective customers on their site. If they push you to look on another site you might find another cruise line that has a better offer. It's almost like they want to give the customer reasons not to book with them. 

Or is it they are giving such primacy to travel agents over customers that this is what the cruise line wants. You see it on these boards. People who are travel agents on these boards. always saying this is what you should ask your travel agent about.  Have you wondered why?

By pushing you to talk to the travel agent, it takes you further down the sales journey and locks you further in to process of the conversion of interest to sales that the agent and cruise line want to see.  However, for me, it overlooks the buying behaviour of many people and the role of the research before committing plays for many cruise passengers.

Because calling retail store travel agents by phone is not straightforward - it goes to a central call centre along with all holiday queries today, I am heading off on a 40 mile round-trip just to go to the store to talk to the travel agent about a change in cabin. I do not know if this change will happen. Granted if it does, this will be more revenue for Azamara, but if the sort of cabin I want is not available (I need to see what type of club continental are available) I’m not going to be very happy at having had to drive 40 miles to find that out a question I used to be able to answer in two minutes on the website.   It will not let me move on the booking process because I already have a booking for that sailing 

[fruitmachine]

54 minutes ago, uktog said:

  It will not let me move on the booking process because I already have a booking for that sailing 

Control+shift+N in Chrome or Edge, and you get an anonymous browser window that knows nothing about your existing logon.  Just do a simulated booking from there.

[uktog]

I was using incognito but no joy 😞