Using OBC

[fruitmachine]

5 hours ago, avw said:

Step 1 says to  "select “Book” on the $0 Onboard Credit item"? I don't see anything like that when I am in the excursions section. I just have a list of excursions with prices. I can't find a word about OBC under the excursions section of my booking. I am paid in full and have OBC to use. Thanks.

It should look something like this ...  and you may need to click on the "Booked" or "Available" tabs at the top to see it.

If this doesn't appear, then I'd call Azamara or your TA if you have one.

[Riocca]

7 hours ago, avw said:

Step 1 says to  "select “Book” on the $0 Onboard Credit item"? I don't see anything like that when I am in the excursions section. I just have a list of excursions with prices. I can't find a word about OBC under the excursions section of my booking. I am paid in full and have OBC to use. Thanks.

Only appears on the cruise we are boarding in 2 days all the others are over 30 days out and I’m sure I read somewhere OBC could only be used within 30 days of sailing. Although like most people I’m not really sure of the new rules or the validity of information people have been given.

[uktog]

55 minutes ago, Riocca said:

Only appears on the cruise we are boarding in 2 days all the others are over 30 days out and I’m sure I read somewhere OBC could only be used within 30 days of sailing. Although like most people I’m not really sure of the new rules or the validity of information people have been given.

Really?  Thats just so rubbish - people want to book excursions ahead of that.  Certainly I can see there is OBC to be applied but cannot use it as I used to be able to - we are more than 30 days out.  

 

What happens if it is one of the special excursions that needs booking at least 30 days ahead?  If it is a new rule they have not thought it through properly.  Not everyone is retired and able to go on the phone during the day - thats why online is important to many, sorting out excursions is an evening activity

[Riocca]

41 minutes ago, uktog said:

Really?  Thats just so rubbish - people want to book excursions ahead of that.  Certainly I can see there is OBC to be applied but cannot use it as I used to be able to - we are more than 30 days out.  

 

What happens if it is one of the special excursions that needs booking at least 30 days ahead?  If it is a new rule they have not thought it through properly.  Not everyone is retired and able to go on the phone during the day - thats why online is important to many, sorting out excursions is an evening activity

Our experience before we cruised with Azamara/Celebrity was that OBC could only be used onboard, if you wanted to book an excursion you had to pay upfront then if you wanted to pay with OBC you had to go to the tour desk to cancel and rebook. On the other hand OBC wasn’t as generous as we’re currently experiencing so usually only covered onboard expenses at best.

 

Azamara needs to find its own way forward and not try to replicate the old way of working with systems obviously not designed to do so. Would have been better all round if they had said we are now a new company making a clean break from the old systems, possibly some past passengers wouldn’t like it but it would avoid the current confusion.

[uktog]

That was never my experience.  I could use OBC, when you came to the payment page for the excursions there was an option to use OBC or not and a slider bar where you applied as much as you wanted and paid any balance with your card.  In the UK, the first time you did that fixed the $-£ exchange rate that would apply for all your OBC.  Did you not have that - I had it whether I booked direct or through an agent?

 

I appreciate they have to find new ways of working but pre booking shore excursions on a destination focussed cruise line is an absolute must.  It is no point waiting until you are onboard and going through a process of joining a queue or having to hope your in room TV is working and possibly missing out on a trip that is very important to you.  That was how it was at the start with Azamara but then they changed to the process that enabled you to book excursions online (around 2014 possibly earlier) This past customer would walk away from them because prebooking excursions and using OBC is a fundamental as there is nothing else I want to use it for onboard.  That said, I certainly have not seen generous amounts of OBC being applied to my bookings in the last year, quite the opposite!!

[blag]

3 minutes ago, uktog said:

That was never my experience.  I could use OBC, when you came to the payment page for the excursions there was an option to use OBC or not and a slider bar where you applied as much as you wanted and paid any balance with your card. 

My experience, too. 

[Grandma Cruising]

I have been able to book excursions with out paying for them yet. I just added them, then when it came to paying I clicked cancel. They have stayed on my booking for weeks.

[Riocca]

40 minutes ago, uktog said:

That was never my experience.  I could use OBC, when you came to the payment page for the excursions there was an option to use OBC or not and a slider bar where you applied as much as you wanted and paid any balance with your card.  In the UK, the first time you did that fixed the $-£ exchange rate that would apply for all your OBC.  Did you not have that - I had it whether I booked direct or through an agent?

 

I appreciate they have to find new ways of working but pre booking shore excursions on a destination focussed cruise line is an absolute must.  It is no point waiting until you are onboard and going through a process of joining a queue or having to hope your in room TV is working and possibly missing out on a trip that is very important to you.  That was how it was at the start with Azamara but then they changed to the process that enabled you to book excursions online (around 2014 possibly earlier) This past customer would walk away from them because prebooking excursions and using OBC is a fundamental as there is nothing else I want to use it for onboard.  That said, I certainly have not seen generous amounts of OBC being applied to my bookings in the last year, quite the opposite!!

Yes as far back as I can remember we’ve been able to use OBC for Shorex with Azamara and Celebrity but it was something that appeared unique to the RC brands.

The ability to book Shorex in advance is built into their new software but not it appears using OBC to pay for it, the current work round is not acceptable as a long term solution. Either the software has to be changed to accommodate this or they have to find an acceptable alternative way of working. If you look at the Oceania website they offer the option of OBC or free Shorex, Viking offers included basic Shorex, Azamara have to clear their heads and provide a sensible option.

[uktog]

1 minute ago, Riocca said:

Yes as far back as I can remember we’ve been able to use OBC for Shorex with Azamara and Celebrity but it was something that appeared unique to the RC brands.

The ability to book Shorex in advance is built into their new software but not it appears using OBC to pay for it, the current work round is not acceptable as a long term solution. Either the software has to be changed to accommodate this or they have to find an acceptable alternative way of working. If you look at the Oceania website they offer the option of OBC or free Shorex, Viking offers included basic Shorex, Azamara have to clear their heads and provide a sensible option.

Viking also offers non complimentary excursions that can be booked in advance and paid for using obc and/or credit card. They are very good, our experience of the complimentary ones are that they too are as good as any Azamara walking tour or Panoramic tour and having done quite a number of them only one was “basic”

 

Accept that if you are in a lower room category on Viking you cannot access excursions to book until 60 days pre cruise but it’s fair and well communicated that higher priced rooms have earlier access. It’s an automatic release of access no phone calls needed. 

[AnnaNicole]

6 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

I have been able to book excursions with out paying for them yet. I just added them, then when it came to paying I clicked cancel. They have stayed on my booking for weeks.

Same.

 

You can book shore excursions in advance.   

 

We had an issue where my husband's OBC was added to our account but not applied to our shore excursions.   I just called and the rep applied it and I paid the difference.    The rep said she would send the paid invoice to my TA.  She sent me my edocs, confirming my shore excursions.   I sail in December.    

 

If your invoice shows your OBC is not applied then call Azamara.   I was on hold for several minutes.  The rep was fantastic.   She was friendly and helpful.

[westcoasttech]

17 hours ago, avw said:

Step 1 says to  "select “Book” on the $0 Onboard Credit item"? I don't see anything like that when I am in the excursions section. I just have a list of excursions with prices. I can't find a word about OBC under the excursions section of my booking. I am paid in full and have OBC to use. Thanks.

I’m currently dealing with some OBC issues (detailed in other threads).  

I found OBC items (coupons with a zero cost) under the Add In sections of my account, select book on them and assign them into your account.  Once you have them there I am advised that the OBC option should appear on the credit card payment page as a pull-down option when paying for the excursion.  Mine is not working due to currency differences (I’m in 🇨🇦) … after a phone call Azamara is arranging the conversion.  As you’re in the US you shouldn’t have that same problem.

[Lotus Girl]

Can anyone post up how to see the actual price of excursions? I know how to get in to see what’s available, just not how to find the price and book if I’m interested.  Thanks in advance for any help.

[NewSalty]

On 10/2/2023 at 1:58 PM, AnnaNicole said:

Same.

 

You can book shore excursions in advance.   

 

We had an issue where my husband's OBC was added to our account but not applied to our shore excursions.   I just called and the rep applied it and I paid the difference.    The rep said she would send the paid invoice to my TA.  She sent me my edocs, confirming my shore excursions.   I sail in December.    

 

If your invoice shows your OBC is not applied then call Azamara.   I was on hold for several minutes.  The rep was fantastic.   She was friendly and helpful.

I'm currently in the same situation - have 3 or 4 unpaid excursions sitting in "the system" for the last month or so.  However, I have no assurances that these spots are actually reserved, and that when I do go to pay for them, the system will tell me that there are no spots left.

 

Has anybody had this happen to them since the website changeover?

[AnnaNicole]

23 minutes ago, NewSalty said:

I'm currently in the same situation - have 3 or 4 unpaid excursions sitting in "the system" for the last month or so.  However, I have no assurances that these spots are actually reserved, and that when I do go to pay for them, the system will tell me that there are no spots left.

 

Has anybody had this happen to them since the website changeover?

Customer service assured me that my excursions would not be dropped before the OBC was applied.   After my OBC was properly applied, I was able to pay the balance. 

[NewSalty]

9 hours ago, Lotus Girl said:

Can anyone post up how to see the actual price of excursions? I know how to get in to see what’s available, just not how to find the price and book if I’m interested.  Thanks in advance for any help.

Assuming that you've already booked the cruise...

 

You need to either sign-in on the Azamara website, or use the "Manage My Booking" link at the top of the home page.  (If you haven't already linked your booking to your sign-in, you may need to request Azamara to do this.)

 

Once logged in, you'll see a list of your bookings - select the one of interest, and you'll be taken to the "Seaware" system, where you can, ah, manage your booking.  There's a section there for Excursions, it shows pricing and allows you to select and pay for excursions if you so desire.  (Although using OBC to pay is not at all straightforward.)

 

Caveat - this is based on my experience with the US site, it might vary in the UK...

[woodlander1]

I am posting about my experience re OBC & using it for shore excursions.  I am UK based and we had a $300 OBC credit as part of our booking promotion.  We have also upgraded to the Indulgence package which gives an additional $700 OBC.  So $1000 in total.

I have been unable to apply any of our OBC to the excursions I have booked on the web site so rang the UK number for Azamara.  Eventually got through to Kansas, US!  Very helpful assistance - so we went through each of our bookings and she could apply the $300 OBC but not the additional $700.  The upgraded $700 does not become “live” until we board the ship so we have to go to guest relations and ask them to apply it to cover the additional cost of the excursions.  As we are doing B2B I guess that the $700 will only become available at the start of each leg.  🤔

A point to note she could not even apply the $300 to the last cruise as the final payment date is still 17 days away.  So I will have to call again at the beginning of November to get the last bit sorted out.  She also had the complications of currency exchange - OBC in $ but excursions in £.  

To be honest the assistant was helpful but it’s a very cumbersome system and there should be some notice saying you can’t use OBC until after  final payment date and upgraded packages can only be used once on board.  Perhaps there is but I haven’t seen it.  
This element of the web site definitely needs some attention- a lot of people like to sort out excursions as part of the planning stage of their trip.

[fruitmachine]

2 hours ago, woodlander1 said:

She also had the complications of currency exchange - OBC in $ but excursions in £.  

I had this experience, and it's even further complicated by the fact that they use a fixed rate to convert the $ cost of the excursion into £, but then a variable rate to apply the $ OBC to the outstanding £ amount.  I ended up worse of, but not as badly off as it would have been with the higher £/$ rate in July.

Why they can't just deduct the $ price of the excursions from the $ denominated OBC defeats me.  I think this is exactly what will happen once you're onboard.

[uktog]

@woodlander1

that is a nightmare 

They need to go back to the drawing board on OBC and excursions. The old system was far superior. This just turns you off promotions with OBC and using ships excursions 

Are you booked on the excursion that needs an intervention at guest relations not or could you get there and find the trip is full

Edited October 9, 2023 by uktog

[woodlander1]

Agree it’s not really fit for purpose.  
Well I guess we could arrive at guest relations & find the excursions we have booked are full.  🤞they are showing as booked on our account if that counts for anything but will have to cross that bridge when we get there.
Makes a bit of a nonsense of the whole system.  We bought the upgraded package to get the excursion OBC & other benefits.  Will have to re think that strategy if they are not going to let you use the OBC in advance to pay for excursions.

The same principle must apply if you wanted to use the spa credit to pre book a treatment etc.  🤪🤪
 

[uktog]

1 hour ago, woodlander1 said:

Agree it’s not really fit for purpose.  
Well I guess we could arrive at guest relations & find the excursions we have booked are full.  🤞they are showing as booked on our account if that counts for anything but will have to cross that bridge when we get there.
Makes a bit of a nonsense of the whole system.  We bought the upgraded package to get the excursion OBC & other benefits.  Will have to re think that strategy if they are not going to let you use the OBC in advance to pay for excursions.

The same principle must apply if you wanted to use the spa credit to pre book a treatment etc.  🤪🤪
 

Indeed  I suppose the spa is a little more flexible in terms of time but an excursion may be a once in a life time at a place so very time limited.

I am going to have to rethink my strategy for one of my remaining cruises booked as it is a once in a lifetime cruise but with more OBC than I would ever be able to use onboard.  The excursions are very important to me, I do not have time to scramble around once onboard to book with an independent if Azamara has no space left.

No about of fabulous warm and fuzzy onboard feel would compensate for not getting on a bucket list excursion because it was full once I was able to get Guest Relations to sort out the issue - imagine the stress if the last space went to the person one ahead of you in line!!! 

[Lotus Girl]

21 hours ago, NewSalty said:

Assuming that you've already booked the cruise...

 

You need to either sign-in on the Azamara website, or use the "Manage My Booking" link at the top of the home page.  (If you haven't already linked your booking to your sign-in, you may need to request Azamara to do this.)

 

Once logged in, you'll see a list of your bookings - select the one of interest, and you'll be taken to the "Seaware" system, where you can, ah, manage your booking.  There's a section there for Excursions, it shows pricing and allows you to select and pay for excursions if you so desire.  (Although using OBC to pay is not at all straightforward.)

 

Caveat - this is based on my experience with the US site, it might vary in the UK...

Thanks for the detailed update and yes booked on the cruise leaving on the 22nd December this year.  Tried what you suggested and I still can't see pricing. I can see all the excursions, just not pricing and the all important Book button! Will send an email to Azamara and see what they come back with on the issue.

[manc]

1 hour ago, Lotus Girl said:

Thanks for the detailed update and yes booked on the cruise leaving on the 22nd December this year.  Tried what you suggested and I still can't see pricing. I can see all the excursions, just not pricing and the all important Book button! Will send an email to Azamara and see what they come back with on the issue.

We got a response from Azamara after over a month - the day we left for our cruise - with the cost of excursions. Not helpful ! 

[avw]

I just called Azamara to book excursions with my Azamara provided OBC. The phone was answered immediately after I selected the correct options to get to the proper representative. I wasn't put on hold at all. I already had one excursion booked on the system, but it was not yet paid as I couldn't figure out how to use my OBC to pay for it. . The representative booked all the excursions I wanted, including the one already on the system, applying all to my OBC. I checked my phone after I hung up to see how long the entire call took...only 5 minutes!! Yes, it would be nice to be able to do it online, but this very quick & easy phone call took care of it! 

[blag]

3 minutes ago, avw said:

I just called Azamara to book excursions with my Azamara provided OBC. The phone was answered immediately after I selected the correct options to get to the proper representative. I wasn't put on hold at all. I already had one excursion booked on the system, but it was not yet paid as I couldn't figure out how to use my OBC to pay for it. . The representative booked all the excursions I wanted, including the one already on the system, applying all to my OBC. I checked my phone after I hung up to see how long the entire call took...only 5 minutes!! Yes, it would be nice to be able to do it online, but this very quick & easy phone call took care of it! 

Just as a matter of interest, how far in the future is this cruise, and at what stage are you in the payment process?

Was this for Azamara OBC, TA-provided, or part from a purchased/included package? 

[avw]

1 minute ago, blag said:

Just as a matter of interest, how far in the future is this cruise, and at what stage are you in the payment process?

Was this for Azamara OBC, TA-provided, or part from a purchased/included package? 

The cruise is in February 2024. Final payment has been made. The OBC used is provided by Azamara, not as part of a package. My agent is also giving me credit, but I don't expect to see it or be able to use it until after the ship has sailed.