Feeling Deceived and Powerless

[laurieb]

On 4/5/2024 at 2:11 PM, Vidiruth said:

In my case I paid with credit card and had 2 options: hold 24 hours or pay in full. 

Hmm Azamara has never required a cruise be paid in full at time of booking, unless it is within final payment, which you have stated above was not the case.  

[Rabo]

1 hour ago, laurieb said:

On 4/5/2024 at 5:11 PM, Vidiruth said:

In my case I paid with credit card and had 2 options: hold 24 hours or pay in full. 

Hmm Azamara has never required a cruise be paid in full at time of booking, unless it is within final payment, which you have stated above was not the case. 

This sounds like something through a travel agency, with the payment being their requirement.

[tgg]

2 minutes ago, Rabo said:

This sounds like something through a travel agency, with the payment being their requirement.

If that were the case, I'd find another travel agency.

[laurieb]

5 minutes ago, Rabo said:

This sounds like something through a travel agency, with the payment being their requirement.

This person said it was directly with Azamara- "I booked througth the website. My cruise is on June"

 

[blag]

1 hour ago, laurieb said:

This person said it was directly with Azamara- "I booked througth the website. My cruise is on June"

 

 

1 hour ago, Rabo said:

This sounds like something through a travel agency, with the payment being their requirement.

It seems to me that there is something strange about this. Until the OP enlightens us we don't know for sure through whom the booking was made.

Absence of responses and information always leaves me wondering what else we should know about the booking(s). 

[Carolexas Cruiser]

10 hours ago, blag said:

And I asked the same question right at the top of this topic, but this and two other potentially relevant questions remain unanswered.

Ine tries to offer assistance, rather than platitudes, but to no avail! 

 

Hey! Sorry I missed your question. This is my first time posting on this forum. So we paid in full so far out because it was a great deal and we wanted to earn points on the credit card to book flights early as well. But to be clear, Azamara is offering us a full refund for the amount we paid. We just want to go on the cruise that was promised at the price it was promised at. Plus, we've got plane tickets and hotel rooms. (By the way we've sailed with Azamara before in 2022 and it was great.) I was hoping someone else had experience and could tell us who we should try to appeal to.

[Carolexas Cruiser]

21 hours ago, tgg said:

I wonder if Carolexas Cruiser, a first time poster and Vidiruth, a second time poster, are on the same cruise - or if they know each other.

 

It would be interesting to know the sailing dates and cabin categories as well as all the pricing information.

 

Hey, tgg. First, no, I have no idea who Vidiruth is. Second, we sailed Azamara in 2022, but we're not frequent cruisers. Never been on a cruise before or after that. I've read reviews and general advice on CruiseCritic, but never had a need to post. In fact, our first cruise with Azamara was great. Like, I said in the OP, I hate having to post here in public about it, but I don't know what else to do and thought maybe some other folks had a similar experience.

[Vidiruth]

Just to clarify. Azamara works with several markets and each market has its own rules. In my case, azamara requires full payment at the time of booking, regardless of the time remaining for the cruise. I've been on more than 20 cruises, most of them with Celebrity and Azamara. I usually buy directly through the website without a travel agent. However, I no longer have the confidence to buy directly from Azamara's website. 

[Rabo]

23 minutes ago, Vidiruth said:

 

Just to clarify. Azamara works with several markets and each market has its own rules.

 

Can you share where you are located?

[laurieb]

34 minutes ago, Vidiruth said:

Just to clarify. Azamara works with several markets and each market has its own rules. In my case, azamara requires full payment at the time of booking, regardless of the time remaining for the cruise. I've been on more than 20 cruises, most of them with Celebrity and Azamara. I usually buy directly through the website without a travel agent. However, I no longer have the confidence to buy directly from Azamara's website. 

What market would you book from?  Not the US or Canada, or EU from what I can tell

[Vidiruth]

50 minutes ago, Rabo said:

Can you share where you are located?

South America.

[Vidiruth]

42 minutes ago, laurieb said:

What market would you book from?  Not the US or Canada, or EU from what I can tell

Correct. South America.

[cornwellda]

I currently have a similar fare issue.

Booked in Sept, 2023  for  cruise on May 29 2024

Showed paid in full until a month ago.

I have already booked flights but have flexibility there.

 

So far, told that fare will not be honored.

It appears the fares on the web site are often wrong.

Three  weeks ago the "7 day Iberian Wonders" Suite was bookable on the site for $1266.

As mentioned earlier, you won't find out the fare is bad until it is too late.

 

This is the second time I booked a great rate and it was a "web site error".

First was for a cruise that turned out to be a charter . I got a confirmation verbally and

through email  that everything was good and then later a phone call later  that it was a mistake.

No flights or hotels booked, so no major issue for us.

 

Summary, The web site and Azamara corporate are still a mess

We had pre-cruise issues with OBC, excursions, passport entry etc etc .

Seems to be a common theme. Most worked out after multiple phone calls but

a pain. 

 

I would still like to go on the may 29th cruise as ~60 cabins were open until web site

changed to PRICING UNAVAILABLE. 

 

On the positive side, On the Quest now and onboard experience is similar to last year

when we were on the Journey. We have enjoyed the cruise.

 

 

[luv2travel90266]

26 minutes ago, cornwellda said:

 

Three  weeks ago the "7 day Iberian Wonders" Suite was bookable on the site for $1266.

As mentioned earlier, you won't find out the fare is bad until it is too late.

Less than a price of an inside cabin? Obvious website error.

 

Some however are not so obvious like attempting to renege on OBC offers such as the 5% for early payment.  Still fighting that one and will update. The hassle takes the pleasure out of dealing with them. 

[java spot]

Could these fare issues be avoided if using a TA? Seems everyone who has had the mistake fare issue is booking directly with Azamara. 

[commodoredave]

9 hours ago, laurieb said:

This is a story you wrote, correct?  You have a lot to say for someone who hasn't ever sailed with the line either, according to your signature

The story is based on the experience of an unhappy Azamara client, not my experience. By your measure, a journalist covering a fire would have to be in the burning house to report on it.

By the way, despite the troubles and incompetence at Azamara shoreside, I might still consider sailing with them one day because the onboard experience appears to be good.

 

[luv2travel90266]

Not correct. I have a travel agent who I have used for Decades. The conversations were well documented between the agent and Azamara staff who "passes the buck" . The conversation ends with "I will contact the department who can do this and will call you next week" Result is silence!  

 

How much simpler can it be? Travel agent contacts Azamara 9 in January 8 months ahead of cruise, indicates her client wishes to take advantage of the 5% OBC for full payment, my card is charged and I receive a new invoice showing zero balance. 

 

Like others I now have my air, booking for cars and hotels before and after the cruise after hours of research (which I love doing). I won't cancel but why would they wish to lose a repeat client with a history of multiple past cruises on the line? Errors are expected but resolving them efficiently without wasting staff, agent or customer's time is too!

[laurieb]

57 minutes ago, luv2travel90266 said:

Not correct. I have a travel agent who I have used for Decades. The conversations were well documented between the agent and Azamara staff who "passes the buck" . The conversation ends with "I will contact the department who can do this and will call you next week" Result is silence!  

 

How much simpler can it be? Travel agent contacts Azamara 9 in January 8 months ahead of cruise, indicates her client wishes to take advantage of the 5% OBC for full payment, my card is charged and I receive a new invoice showing zero balance. 

 

Like others I now have my air, booking for cars and hotels before and after the cruise after hours of research (which I love doing). I won't cancel but why would they wish to lose a repeat client with a history of multiple past cruises on the line? Errors are expected but resolving them efficiently without wasting staff, agent or customer's time is too!

This is a very different issue than booking a cruise at an increidbly low, obviously wrong rate

[laurieb]

2 hours ago, commodoredave said:

The story is based on the experience of an unhappy Azamara client, not my experience. By your measure, a journalist covering a fire would have to be in the burning house to report on it.

By the way, despite the troubles and incompetence at Azamara shoreside, I might still consider sailing with them one day because the onboard experience appears to be good.

 

But you wrote it and published it, correct?

[commodoredave]

2 minutes ago, laurieb said:

But you wrote it and published it, correct?

I’m assuming you are asking because you are interested in me and my scribbles. Please click on the “about David” icon on the GP website to learn more. Thank you.

[Host Jazzbeau]

22 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

I’m assuming you are asking because you are interested in me and my scribbles. Please click on the “about David” icon on the GP website to learn more. Thank you.

When you post a link to this "Gentleman's Portion" blog, it comes across as you are citing a third party for verification of your already-posted opinions.  You saying it twice doesn't make it any more credible, but the apparent attempt to clothe it in more credibility than your own opinion actually destroys your credibility.  [This is my personal opinion, neither official nor humble...]

[Vineyard View]

As a prospective Azamara customer, I  am not too far off from OP who has just one  Az cruise in their history. In reading through this thread, there seems to be some interesting perspective that OP should have known the fare they booked was unreasonable enough to expect a huge additional invoice after full payment. 

For arguments sake, Let’s just  say I am looking for a special cruise - to honor a special event/request, etc. and I find an itinerary that is attractive and listed on the website as a special sale. All cruise lines offer ‘special sales’. It fits my timeframe and my budget, and I can honor a special request for family. I book the cruise, thinking all is good and start the ancillary planning of airfare, etc. Fast forward and the money I paid is no longer valid, due to a website error, and if I want to take this trip I need to pony up significant additional money to take this trip. 
As that new person to Az, do I sincerely know that it was an obviously wrong rate? Am I all of a sudden the person in the wrong instead of the company that to seasoned Az travelers might wonder if it is “an obviously wrong rate” ?  And even if I am a seasoned Az traveler, and I caught a great sale, should I just accept that it was a website error? 
IMO. Regardless of the legal loopholes sited, this just seems ethically wrong to a pretty large degree. I am having a pretty tough time finding the majority of fault here with OP. 
I sincerely hope that this all gets straightened out. Don’t give up! 

[commodoredave]

1 minute ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

When you post a link to this "Gentleman's Portion" blog, it comes across as you are citing a third party for verification of your already-posted opinions.  You saying it twice doesn't make it any more credible, but the apparent attempt to clothe it in more credibility than your own opinion actually destroys your credibility.  [This is my personal opinion, neither official nor humble...]

Thank you for your opinion. I disclose in my CC profile a link to the GP website. As a retired professional travel writer, I occasionally write stories for travel websites including GP. I also occasionally provide a link to a particular story if relevant to a CC thread. These stories sometimes contain the opinions of people who have contacted me, as this story did. It was their opinion, not mine. Anyone who disagrees with this or any other story is welcome to do so, either here or on the GP website. 

[Dynacruiser]

On 4/5/2024 at 12:55 PM, Carolexas Cruiser said:

Hello, everyone. I truly hate having to post a complaint, but I don't know what else to do.

 

Dear OP,

Azamara did something TERRIBLE to you.  Their business practices are completely unacceptable.   I have traveled with them almost 15-20 cruises, and have not had something like that happen to me yet.

 

I don't have a lot to ideas to offer except to tell you that if I was in your place, I'd MAKE A LOT OF NOISE.  I'd get on every relevant website, contact consumer advocates, email every person at Azamara (you can find some email addresses here and elsewhere), contact consumer protection groups, government agencies, trade associations, journalists, bloggers, influencers, call Azamara every day, etc, until you get a satisfactory solution.  Or until you feel tired.   

 

Azamara may be legally protected, perhaps.  I do not know, but likely their terms and conditions protect them.  But they did something wrong.   

 

You may not get them to match the original price you paid, but they may throw in some OBC or some deal to soften the blow.    If it's any satisfaction, folks like you will cause them to improve their business practices and be more careful next time.  

 

No need to tell you this, but next time, use a STRONG travel agent, one that will fight for you and has the muscle to convince Azamara.  And if a deal is too good to be true, then be cautious.  Don't pay in full.  Try to book flights that you can cancel (some airlines allow that, it may cost you a couple hundred dollars more).  

 

Keep making noise, and good luck.

[blag]

10 hours ago, cornwellda said:

Three  weeks ago the "7 day Iberian Wonders" Suite was bookable on the site for $1266.

Clearly an error. A CC suite would cost, roughly, about $12000 a day, for two guests, in my experience.

I think anyone who books at $1266 for 7 days should not expect that price to be honoured, whether it be in the short-term or even months later.