Azamara Cruises - AMEX CPP Program

[aandjw]

Got this email from AMEX:

 

We are thrilled to welcome two new partners to the Cruise Privileges Program: Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises. Now, when Platinum and Centurion Card members book virtually any cruise with Celebrity or Azamara, they will receive valuable benefits and special amenities.

 

CPP Amenities - Azamara Cruises:

$300-per-stateroom shipboard credit

Exclusive behind-the-scenes ship tour

Bottle of premium champagne

Double Membership Rewards points

 

Cool, eh? Just got $300 more OBC for my December cruise!

[DrKoob]

Got this email from AMEX:

 

We are thrilled to welcome two new partners to the Cruise Privileges Program: Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises. Now, when Platinum and Centurion Card members book virtually any cruise with Celebrity or Azamara, they will receive valuable benefits and special amenities.

 

CPP Amenities - Azamara Cruises:

$300-per-stateroom shipboard credit

Exclusive behind-the-scenes ship tour

Bottle of premium champagne

Double Membership Rewards points

 

Cool, eh? Just got $300 more OBC for my December cruise!

 

Interesting. My question is, did you have to use the card to book the cruise?

[aandjw]

the rules are a little wiggy....you have to be a Platinum or Centurion cardholder - but you can pay with any AMEX card. Sometimes I use my Starwood card, sometimes I use the Platinum Card - just depends on cashflow.....

[alidor]

I think you have to book your cruise with an American Express agency to get this extra credit.

[aandjw]

I think you have to book your cruise with an American Express agency to get this extra credit.

 

Nope - just a Platinum or Centurion Cardmember.....any travel agency can book it. Of course AMEX agencies may be more familiar with the program - just because they see it more often.

[cruiseyguy]

Most luxury lines as well as several lines in the Carnival Group have had the AmEX Plat benefit for awhile. You do NOT have to use an AmEx TA to receive the benefit. The benefit only applies to the "original" Platinum Card, not the co-branded cards, such as Delta's. This is a very positive development for Azamara and Celebrity.

[sunny54]

this is awesome news! thanks

I haven't received this information yet!

[Liz 130]

I find all of this very interesting. After reading the original post - I checked our American Express Platinum website and found that Azamara or Celebrity had not been added to the list of cruise lines that were partnered with the Cruise Privilge perks for Platinum. So we called AE and spoke to a number of people. We were told that we did not qualify because we did not use a Platinum Travel agent - (the reason we used another TA was because there was no affliliation with Azamara through AE). We are annoyed that we pay the premium for this card but seem to always be shut out of the benefits.

 

We did use our Plat AE card to pay for this trip -- and we are paid in full.

[cruiseyguy]

Liz 130-I think you got bad info from AmEx. Any TA is OK BUT the TA has to take some specific steps to get you the benefit. It involves a little paperwork and some TAs don't like to do it or don't know how. BTW-the "benefit" is actually paid for by the cruise line, not AmEx and most lines no longer allow "double dipping" which means you often can't combine cruise line bonuses with AmEx bonuses.

[Liz 130]

We are happy with the deal our TA was able to secure for us for this trip.

 

We are unhappy with AE and their response whenever we have an inquiry into card benefits. We are passed from person to person - and the outcome is never favorable.

 

Just checked AE website again - still has not been updated with this info. What are they waiting for? And why do some cardholders know about this and not all?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

If this is the same Amex Plat benefit that has existed for some time for other cruise lines, like Regent, it has nothing to do with booking through an Amex agent, it has to do with paying for the cruise with your Platinum card, or other Amex that you have, as a Platinum cardholder. Our website (Canada) shows no sign of adding new cruiselines to this, although perhaps it is just very new.

[wripro]

Your TA, any TA, has to call Amex Platinum, give all the pertinent info re: the booking and receive a tracking number for the credit which needs to be relayed to the cruise line. My advice is to get that tracking number from your TA in case there's any problem. That way you can show it to the purser.

[aandjw]

It seems AE has been slow to load this information on their website. I do deal with Plat travel so I got the information the day it started. Calling your TA is the correct move - if they aren't familiar with the program, they can get details about it from AE.

[C-Bunny]

I checked with our Amex Platinum TA and she said this is only available in the US. As a cruiser from Canada, I thought this sounded too good to be true!;)

[JennAngel9]

Liz 130-- do not give up!!

 

I am happy to report that we JUST received $300 credit from our Amex Plat card towards OBC on top of the $300 we got from our TA at the time of booking. I thought it was a bit dicey b/c I just happened across this thread about a month AFTER final payment with our Starwood card, but we now have our tracking number and were assured we will get both sets of OBC! (I book 2-4 cruises through our TA/yr and she always takes care of us but I recognize this might be a minor miracle)

 

Has anybody actually made it onboard and exercised the AmEx perks? I would love to know if it goes as seamlessly as it has on Cunard/Princess. I would also appreciate hearing about the tour!

[JennAngel9]

Oh, and I forgot to mention-- AZ and Celebrity perks are now listed on the website :)

[kay0522]

JennAngel9:

 

We were on Azamara Journey last December. We received paid gratuities and a $300 shipboard credit at booking. We also use the Celebrity AmEX card. We were credited with an additional $500 shipboard credit from the card. The credits usually don't show up until day 2 or 3 of your cruise - then they will appear on your television screen "charges" and "credits" area.

 

We did take confirmation from the travel agent and from Celebrity AmEx in case there was a problem - but all credits showed up perfectly. Don't hesitate to check with guest relations if there is a problem. They are great about assisting you!

 

Enjoy your wonderful cruise!

[Zimmy]

JennAngel9:

 

We were on Azamara Journey last December. We received paid gratuities and a $300 shipboard credit at booking. We also use the Celebrity AmEX card. We were credited with an additional $500 shipboard credit from the card. The credits usually don't show up until day 2 or 3 of your cruise - then they will appear on your television screen "charges" and "credits" area.

 

We did take confirmation from the travel agent and from Celebrity AmEx in case there was a problem - but all credits showed up perfectly. Don't hesitate to check with guest relations if there is a problem. They are great about assisting you!

 

Enjoy your wonderful cruise!

 

After reading this post, we attempted to get the Amex benefits for a cruise which we are taking on the Journey in October, for which we have paid a deposit but have not yet made the final payment. Through a previous promotion, we are getting prepaid gratuities and a shipboard credit. When our travel agent inquired today about the Amex benefits, she was told that we could not combine them with the other promotional items we are receiving, that it was one or the other. The difference may be that we are using a Platinum Amex rather than a Celebrity Amex. So for us, at least, the Amex benefits seem to be of no value. This is in contrast to the cruise which we have just booked on Silversea - even though the cruise is highly discounted and includes promotional air, we received the Amex benefits with no problem.

[kay0522]

Zimmy:

 

I think you are correct in the difference in the AmEx cards. We use points accumulated throughout the year for our OBC. We request those directly through the AmEx Celebrity card site and are credited. Thanks for the additional info. Happy Cruising! Karen

[Liz 130]

Glad to see that the website has been up-dated -- received a promotional piece of mail from AE Platinum that told of the addition of Azamara and Celebrity - but it seemed to take forever for them to put it on the website. We never did get the benefits from AE for our cruise in May - and I even asked the hotel manager on the Journey about it. He seemed unaware that they had been added to the cruise privileges list. Well, it seems to be official now - and I will know in the future to ask for it. Thanks for the up-date.

[JennAngel9]

Sorry I was too late Liz!

 

Kay and Zimmy, just to be clear, I have the standard AmEx Platinum card (with Cruise Privileges Program), not the Celebrity one. Zimmy, I'm not sure what sort of promotion you had (and whether or not it was non-combinable) but we had a fairly discounted rate on our 1A cabin, and $300 OBC, and then we were able to get the $300 credit from AmEx added with our tracking number. You might want to ask your TA to call the AmEx Platinum people and get a tracking number "just in case."

 

Also, Kay, thanks for letting me know OBC isn't always on the stateroom account right away-- that may save me a few hours of panic and pursers desk visits. :)

[EeezyCruiser]

Well, I just called my agent re the Plat AMEX 300 obc, and they called Azamara who said that it was not combinable with the discount we already have (free gratuities). So far I have been denied this 300 obc and the shareholder credit of 250. We are Elite members on Celebrity and have used Platinum promotions before on Princess, Cunard and Silversea, none of which disallowed a combination of discounts.

 

I have become more and more disillusioned with Celebrity (we have taken about 6 of their cruises in the last 18 mos), and had looked forward to trying Azamara - but it isn't looking good, so far.

[alidor]

The shareholder credit benefit was ended at the end of last year. It's either-or. You can still get the onboard credit but it's not combinable with another credit. Take which one works out best.

[JennAngel9]

EEezyCruiser-- we are boarding the Journey on Sunday, and I am boarding with a print out confirmation & AmEx tracking number stating we are entitled to our $300 credit for gratuities and another $300 from AmEx (plus champagne & ships tour), I will try to remember to report back if all goes well, and I will certainly report here if it doesn't!

[suec12]

OK I have a deposit on a May cruise and would love to receive the $300 onboard credit and the champagne (esp. since I can't carry on much wine!). I just looked at the AM EX website - I don't see anything there about Celebrity / Azamara perks. I have booked this cruise myself thru the A website and did put the deposit (and will pay) with my Delta Plat. AMEX.

 

Where on the AMEX website is this perk info? Do you think I should just call A before the final payment to pursue this credit? or switch to an agent? And the RCL shareholder credit is no more? Thanks!