Azamara's unreasonable hotel policy

[PrincessRobbo]

We are booked on the North East Asia cruise on the Quest on 14th February. We booked our air transportation also and our package included a one night complimentary hotel stay and transfers. We opted to go a day early and I assumed that I could just add a further night at the hotel. My TA now tells me that as we are staying an extra night, Azamara have said that we would have to forfeit the complimentary night and book a two night pre cruise package. As the two night rate is exorbitant I feel disinclined to do that. Presumably if I book our own accommodation Azamara won't include that transfers. We don't get any kind of credit coming from the UK for booking our own air so I feel that they are being petty and unreasonable in their policy.

[world~citizen]

We are booked on the North East Asia cruise on the Quest on 14th February. We booked our air transportation also and our package included a one night complimentary hotel stay and transfers. We opted to go a day early and I assumed that I could just add a further night at the hotel. My TA now tells me that as we are staying an extra night, Azamara have said that we would have to forfeit the complimentary night and book a two night pre cruise package. As the two night rate is exorbitant I feel disinclined to do that. Presumably if I book our own accommodation Azamara won't include that transfers. We don't get any kind of credit coming from the UK for booking our own air so I feel that they are being petty and unreasonable in their policy.

 

There is nothing reasonable in this at all.

 

After 15 cruises, I suppose I have become less and less tolerant of the "if you don't like it, leave it" attitude that too often pops up in various experiences with cruiselines. There will come a time when cruiselines realize that passengers don't grow on trees, and if I read my financial meltdowns correctly, that time is just about here.

 

I doubt very much that you will get any satisfaction with Azamara, cruiselines don't seem to be wired that way. If it means anything at all though, your disappointment, in my opinion, is more than justified.

 

Hope somehow this works out for you.

[cruiseyguy]

Cruise lines bundle their packages based on the rates they contract with their suppliers. If you unbundle these packages the suppliers will often not honor the contract rate and a different rate will apply. It is not necessarily the cruise line's fault if you have to pay more if their suppliers insist on a higher price for the hotel room, tour, etc.

[world~citizen]

Cruise lines bundle their packages based on the rates they contract with their suppliers. If you unbundle these packages the suppliers will often not honor the contract rate and a different rate will apply. It is not necessarily the cruise line's fault if you have to pay more if their suppliers insist on a higher price for the hotel room, tour, etc.

 

In my experience, anything is possible. All that is truly necessary is the will to do it.

 

As far as I am concerned, it is time to put the "hospitality" back into the hospitality industry. If contractors will be inflexible to the point of denying customers what seems to be a reasonable request, then there are problems alright, but the customer shouldn't be left holding the bag.

 

My point here is that it is time for the industry in general to be a little more respectful of the people who in the real economy, pay the bills.

 

If there are no rooms in the hotel or some similar problem, then we have to be reasonable. Otherwise, it is time to start to hustle if you want to keep and satisfy your customers. And if Azamara wants to present itself as something above a premium brand in anything other than hype, I expect more of them.

[Mapu]

We are booked on the North East Asia cruise on the Quest on 14th February. We booked our air transportation also and our package included a one night complimentary hotel stay and transfers. We opted to go a day early and I assumed that I could just add a further night at the hotel. My TA now tells me that as we are staying an extra night, Azamara have said that we would have to forfeit the complimentary night and book a two night pre cruise package. As the two night rate is exorbitant I feel disinclined to do that. Presumably if I book our own accommodation Azamara won't include that transfers. We don't get any kind of credit coming from the UK for booking our own air so I feel that they are being petty and unreasonable in their policy.

Have you checked the price of a room in the same hotel on your own? Generally cruiseline pricing is per person for the hotel room and transfer. It may very well be that your cost for 2 nights on your own would work out to be no more that your one paid night through the cruiseline if they would book it. Have your TA check it out.

[mybagsarepacked]

We are booked on the North East Asia cruise on the Quest on 14th February. We booked our air transportation also and our package included a one night complimentary hotel stay and transfers. We opted to go a day early and I assumed that I could just add a further night at the hotel. My TA now tells me that as we are staying an extra night, Azamara have said that we would have to forfeit the complimentary night and book a two night pre cruise package. As the two night rate is exorbitant I feel disinclined to do that. Presumably if I book our own accommodation Azamara won't include that transfers. We don't get any kind of credit coming from the UK for booking our own air so I feel that they are being petty and unreasonable in their policy.

 

It is ridiculous. I can see why you are upset. I would be as well. I would keep yelling until somebody listens.

[tnt10]

Azamara is not alone in this practice. :eek: You basically have the option of using their services, paying their prices AND following their rules or booking all the items separately yourself. Cruise airfare, transfers and hotel accommodations are for passenger convenience, and not considered a value by seasoned travellers.

"You pay more for what you want" is a saying I heard once, and have applied to many situations over my lifetime.

Good Luck,

TnT

[Albert Ross]

I'm sorry but your T/A is simply not working for you.

 

I had clients today who wanted to go out 2 days early, pay for one night and then get the one night complimentary hotel - the air department of X in the UK said that this was perfectly acceptable and OK to do.

So get your T/A to call again and speak to the air department, not to the reservations department. Good luck.

[PrincessRobbo]

Thank you all for your input. Albert in my experience TAs in the UK are bookers and money gatherers for the travel companies they don't seem to do much more than that. I will forward your e mail to my TA in the hope that something may come of it. I also wanted to book wth another airline rather than BA but that seems to be a problem as well.

 

tnt I was willing to pay the exorbitant rate for the extra night through Azamara but that wasn't allowed. I could book the hotel directly and pay less for two nights than Azamara are charging for one so I wasn't being difficult, I wanted to do it as a package so that I could get the transfers as well.

 

Lynda

[orchestrapal]

Would you not be better off booking directly with the hotel and paying for your own transfers. We have found the hotel cost difference was more than enough to pay for taxis and dinner with cash to spare. The cruiseline hotel rates are way way over-prices.:confused:

[shoshona2]

Hi,

 

I agree with orchestrapal. We usually book our own hotel and transfer to the ship. It usually is much less money. What city are you flying into and where is the ship docked? It makes a big difference if you have to travel several hours to get to the port as in some Asian cities.

 

Sheila

[Aussie Gal]

I cannot see why you cannot pay for the one extra night and Azamara still gives you the complimentary night plus the transfers. Even if you had to pay for a taxi to the hotel because of the extra night, therefore forfeiting one transfer, I cannot see why you are not entitled to your one complimentary night and the transfer to the ship.

 

It just doesn't make sense to me. I know they block book hotel rooms and surely if you are willing to pay directly to the hotel for the extra night, there shouldn't be any reason for you not to have what is owing to you.

 

I know that the pre and post cruise packages offered by all the Cruise lines at certain hotels are a ridiculous price and we never ever use them. Instead we use taxis from the airport and to the ship from the hotel of our choice. I always find good deals by booking early and directly with the hotel.

 

Jennie

[PrincessRobbo]

Thank you all so much for your comments.

 

My TA cancelled the flights with Azamara. They hadn't been ticketed so we only had to pay an admin fee. Within an hour he got back to me with the flights that we wanted together with the hotels and transfers. All this for less than Azamara were charging and we are now having three nights before the cruise and two nights afterwards. So can't fault my TA.

I normally book all that kind of thing myself but with China being an unknown quantity I was trying to play it safe. Having said that now that I'm starting to do my planning for the trip it all seems very straight forward. I think that the dissatisfaction on this board re Azamara is probably because for them Asia is an uknown quantity also. By the way the ships excursions on my cruise have increased quite a lot so I am looking at private tours.

 

Jennie (Aussiegal)

 

I would have liked to have been on you itinerary as I have read with interest your informative posts on Cruise Critic. However, my husbands football team would appear to have an important match in early March so we had to go on the cruise before.

 

Thank you all once again and I look forward to reading these boards for all the support and information that you give.

 

Lynda

[Eric and Sandy]

heres the one iam stuck with

 

Want to fly in day or two early to Barcelona, ta said theres no deviation offered , only option to take cruise hotel.

 

The hotels are about 340-400 per person per night. The hotel internet rates are 275per night with two night min. Azamara says theres a one night stay, sounds like a big con deal to me.

 

so lets see 340x 2 people=680x2 nights=1360 azamara cost

 

vs 275 x 2 nights=550 if i book myself plus lets say 163 deviation x 2=326+550=876, still amost 500 savings

 

Now they will do deviation in venice for two night extra stay for 163 each including fee, but we want to go in early not stay later, what a rip.

 

They must think they are the only cruise line in Europe, to easy at this point to pull out and go else where. They should pay more attenion to the current stock prices and finanicals today and maybe they could encourage people to cruise instead of trying to get the money back on excursions and pre and post packages. Lets see RCL selling at about 13 somthing today and carnival at 23, wow. i bought RCl in the 30s and cant even get stock credit with azamara since RCL owns them both

 

I guess i need to tell TA to try a bit harder ive never heard of not being able to deviate pre cruise, everyone does this. The deviation flight if we stayed in venice longer put us in Barcelona at 12:30 pm the ship leaves at 6:00pm not much time for error, so i would think the cruise issued flight will be similar if not worse

 

Any help would be appreciated, hopefully this is not to confusing

 

Eric