Latest Azamara Offers

[Mrs Miggins]

I am interested in booking a B2B at the end of September 2024 on Onward.   I asked my TA for a quote.  I also phoned Azamara for a quote.  I spoke to a young lady in Kansas who told me she was newly assigned to the UK Desk.   The price she gave me was obviously wrong.  I asked her to recheck and got a different price, and then eventually at the third request the quote was similar to the on line price.  Slightly more than the quote from my TA.

However there was a big difference in the OBC offered  $650 for the first cruise and $800 for the second.  My TA was $650 total for the two cruises including $75 pp for the B2B.

All prices should have included the 10% discount offered in an email today for the Azamara Circle.

Is there any way to establish what the OBC should really be.  The phone call to Kansas was long and confusing.  I did ask for confirmation of price and OBC but what I got was a Booking Confirmation (showing nothing paid) showing the price but not giving any OBC details.  

[combine]

43 minutes ago, Mrs Miggins said:

I am interested in booking a B2B at the end of September 2024 on Onward.   I asked my TA for a quote.  I also phoned Azamara for a quote.  I spoke to a young lady in Kansas who told me she was newly assigned to the UK Desk.   The price she gave me was obviously wrong.  I asked her to recheck and got a different price, and then eventually at the third request the quote was similar to the on line price.  Slightly more than the quote from my TA.

However there was a big difference in the OBC offered  $650 for the first cruise and $800 for the second.  My TA was $650 total for the two cruises including $75 pp for the B2B.

All prices should have included the 10% discount offered in an email today for the Azamara Circle.

Is there any way to establish what the OBC should really be.  The phone call to Kansas was long and confusing.  I did ask for confirmation of price and OBC but what I got was a Booking Confirmation (showing nothing paid) showing the price but not giving any OBC details.  

Is it the 4 nighter and 7 nighter ? The b2b obc is less for  the 4 nighter and it could well be less for this $1000 obc promotion. It says up to that amount but isn’t explained in the t&c s 

[Mrs Miggins]

Yes they are to two cruises - a 4 night and 7 night.  I would of course expect different amounts each week.  However, after speaking with Azamara my TA has said for the two cruises combined each person would get $250 plus $75 for the B2B.  ie a total of $650 for the two cruises.  

The Azamara representative told me that we would get $650 for the first short cruise and $850 for the second cruise.  I did ask her to check twice.

This is obviously a substantial difference.  I plan to try a couple of other TA's tomorrow,  I just wonder if anyone has ever had the actual amount of OBC confirmed after a phone quote or if it can be seen anywhere online.

 

[Dynacruiser]

@Mrs Miggins You are probably experience one of those times when Azamara land-based team is disorganized, and they may be given you and your TA incorrect information.  It's also possible that Azamara is willing to negotiate on some cruises that they really want to sell?

 

 

My suggestions:

1) Make sure you have a very strong TA, a company with enough muscle to negotiate on your behalf in case there is a misunderstanding.   (search this forum, I remember reading somewhere that a somebody got a deal too-good-to-be true, and then Azamara reneged on it ?).

 

2) in general, I think it's better to book with a TA.  You usually get additional perks, and somebody to do the heavy lifting for you, as well as give you advice.

 

3) If Azamara gives you the lowest price, then tell your TA the deal you are getting from Azamara, the name of the person from Azamara you are speaking to, and ask your TA to match it, and give it to you in writing and buy it.

 

4) If Azamara gives you the lowest price, but your TA dos not want to negotiate on your behalf and you must buy from Azamara, then document your conversations.  Perhaps you could send Azamara an email stating:  this is what I understand I will pay, and the OBC I will receive, and then buy it from Azamara. I believe you can transfer it to your TA then.

 

Good luck.

 

 

[combine]

50 minutes ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Yes they are to two cruises - a 4 night and 7 night.  I would of course expect different amounts each week.  However, after speaking with Azamara my TA has said for the two cruises combined each person would get $250 plus $75 for the B2B.  ie a total of $650 for the two cruises.  

The Azamara representative told me that we would get $650 for the first short cruise and $850 for the second cruise.  I did ask her to check twice.

This is obviously a substantial difference.  I plan to try a couple of other TA's tomorrow,  I just wonder if anyone has ever had the actual amount of OBC confirmed after a phone quote or if it can be seen anywhere online.

 

I just did a dummy booking in a balcony V3.  ( its a quiet night on the TV!!) 
Both cruises come up with $500 obc per cabin which is from the ‘up to $1000’ promotion currently  running.
The 4 nighter will have  $150 per cabin for a b2b making it $650 but the 7 nighter has $300 per cabin for the b2b making it $800. Which ties in with the figures you mentioned in your  first post of  £800 not £850 as above. These are the figures I would be expecting not £650 for both cruises as per your TA.

 

You may also be eligible for the ‘pay in full now and receive 10% of price less port taxes in obc’

[Mrs Miggins]

Thank you Combine !  I think we met on a Azamara cruise some years ago ! Or perhaps it was during that lovely time when Richard Twynam was in charge in the UK when he arranged such great events.

That information is really helpful. The new Azamara lady did get that bit right.

Will try one of the larger TA’s tomorrow as well

 

 

[combine]

13 minutes ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Thank you Combine !  I think we met on a Azamara cruise some years ago ! Or perhaps it was during that lovely time when Richard Twynam was in charge in the UK when he arranged such great events.

That information is really helpful. The new Azamara lady did get that bit right.

Will try one of the larger TA’s tomorrow as well

 

 

We did ! April 2022 on Quest.
Hope you get sorted out. Adding those two cruises together will make a great trip. 
 

[tgg]

Just as a point of interest for those with lots of OBC on back-to-back cruises.  We were able to carry over the unspent balance from out first cruise to our second. This happened December 2023-January 2024, a 12 + 14  day cruise. At the B2B meeting at the end of the first cruise, the head of Guest Relations announced this change. We had lots more OBC on the first leg than the second. This worked out well for the more than 40 people doing the B2B.

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, tgg said:

Just as a point of interest for those with lots of OBC on back-to-back cruises.  We were able to carry over the unspent balance from out first cruise to our second. This happened December 2023-January 2024, a 12 + 14  day cruise. At the B2B meeting at the end of the first cruise, the head of Guest Relations announced this change. We had lots more OBC on the first leg than the second. This worked out well for the more than 40 people doing the B2B.

Great news!  If we can verify that this is a fleet-wide policy change, @Grandma Cruising can add it to the Tips sticky.

[oceanpark]

We weren’t able to carry over the OBC on our B2B in October.  Used the remainder of our OBC on the first cruise to buy a few bottles of expensive wine and drank them on the second cruise.

[Grandma Cruising]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Great news!  If we can verify that this is a fleet-wide policy change, @Grandma Cruising can add it to the Tips sticky.

Will be happy to do so if someone else can confirm this. I had a look at the Ts & Cs on the Azamara site and there’s no mention of whether unused OBC can be transferred over to the second/subsequent cruise of a B2B.

[oddjob16]

1 hour ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Will be happy to do so if someone else can confirm this. I had a look at the Ts & Cs on the Azamara site and there’s no mention of whether unused OBC can be transferred over to the second/subsequent cruise of a B2B.

They treat the B2B as one reservation. You can consider your OBC a total for both cruises.

[Rabo]

We were on the Journey for the B2B Western Australia to Asia/Intensive Japan this past February and March. Our OBC balance from our first leg was transferred over automatically to be combined with the OBC on our second leg. Additionally, the various forms of OBC (on-board booking, early booking, B2B, excursions, and spa) were all combined and could be used for anything.

[Grandma Cruising]

Thanks for the confirmation Rabo & Oddjob16. I’ll add that to the tips topic and spreadsheet.

[Scots Caz]

currently on Quest doing B2B (on second leg) At our B2B meeting it was pointed out there were differences for those on a single booking and those on separate bookings and two different letters had been produced

As someone that was on two separate bookings I was required to get new card, check out and in again and spend remaining OBC before before end of first leg....those on a single booking were not (and they already had their 'end date' reflected on their existing card)

[Mrs Miggins]

Thanks for the replies.  I am happy to say I have booked the B2B on Onward for this September.  However my TA was told that the generous OBC ($650 - for 4 day cruise and $800 for 7 day) has to be used separately.   I have only one booking number.  

Whilst it is lovely to have so much OBC the prices of the shore excursions are huge - so it will disappear quickly.  We chose the itinerary because it included many of our favourite ports.  We have been to all of them several times and are quite used to getting on a bus or ferry independently.  It's difficult to justify the prices when we know using public transport the cost would be just a few euros.   However we determined to spend it all.  I just hope the onboard shop has improved.   

We have never been on Onward but have enjoyed all the other ships several times.

 

[Mackdogmolly]

50 minutes ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Thanks for the replies.  I am happy to say I have booked the B2B on Onward for this September.  However my TA was told that the generous OBC ($650 - for 4 day cruise and $800 for 7 day) has to be used separately.   I have only one booking number.  

Whilst it is lovely to have so much OBC the prices of the shore excursions are huge - so it will disappear quickly.  We chose the itinerary because it included many of our favourite ports.  We have been to all of them several times and are quite used to getting on a bus or ferry independently.  It's difficult to justify the prices when we know using public transport the cost would be just a few euros.   However we determined to spend it all.  I just hope the onboard shop has improved.   

We have never been on Onward but have enjoyed all the other ships several times.

 

I am very surprised to hear that your OBC won’t roll over. I have a B2B this fall on Quest with one booking number and it was made very clear that all of the (considerable) OBC would roll over. I would have them check again.

[beatnix]

On our B2B in November with two booking numbers the left OBC from the first leg was carried to the second one. We where informed about that in the B2B meeting and also in a letter to our cabin.

[Laganlady02]

3 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Thanks for the replies.  I am happy to say I have booked the B2B on Onward for this September.  However my TA was told that the generous OBC ($650 - for 4 day cruise and $800 for 7 day) has to be used separately.   I have only one booking number.  

Whilst it is lovely to have so much OBC the prices of the shore excursions are huge - so it will disappear quickly.  We chose the itinerary because it included many of our favourite ports.  We have been to all of them several times and are quite used to getting on a bus or ferry independently.  It's difficult to justify the prices when we know using public transport the cost would be just a few euros.   However we determined to spend it all.  I just hope the onboard shop has improved.   

We have never been on Onward but have enjoyed all the other ships several times.

 

I was on Onward three times last year and had difficulty spending remaining OBC.

Even the range of perfumes is very limited, but if your chosen fragrance is stocked you may be in luck. I eventually bought MoroccanOil products for my hair.

 

I think your 4 night cruise will be very popular, so you might consider upgrading your drinks package to the ultimate. This will allow you to experience the Atlas Bar and it should have a great atmosphere for that sailing.

 

Please let us know what you think of Onward once you return. For us, it has the same Azamara heart.