Concerned how Azamara treat loyal customers

I booked a gty inside cabin on Journey and would have been happy with almost any cabin, but knew it was a bit of a risk. Just been assigned cabin 8018, below the pool bar, which I really am not happy with. I have had experience of a cabin below pool before and don't wish to repeat it due to the noise from above. On looking at my TA's website, I noticed the prices for outside cabins had dropped significantly, it's now only £50 more each. I contacted my TA, who in turn contacted Azamara, only to be told it would cost £1450 😱 more to upgrade! The free flights promo was on, and still is, for this cruise when I booked. I presumed that it was just a case of handing over another £100 to have an outside cabin. Not so! It would be classed as a new booking apparently. IMHO It really doesn't pay to book early. Does loyalty pay? It doesn't appear so!

To be fair, loyalty does pay and an option to you is to register for a Loyalty upgrade, yes it will cost you a little more but it is one way you might be able to address this issue.

I am not sure why you have such a difference in price, you are working with an agent and sometimes their pricing has hidden bundles/perks in it that are not entirely visible so you might not be comparing like for like. They may also have restrictions on what they can change with Azamara.

You might like to requestion you agent on this one and ask for a breakdown of the costings of all the components.

As you say, you took a risk with a Guarantee, and yes, it is always a risk and in this case the room you got was not what you really wanted

I booked a gty inside cabin on Journey and would have been happy with almost any cabin, but knew it was a bit of a risk. Just been assigned cabin 8018, below the pool bar, which I really am not happy with. I have had experience of a cabin below pool before and don't wish to repeat it due to the noise from above. On looking at my TA's website, I noticed the prices for outside cabins had dropped significantly, it's now only £50 more each. I contacted my TA, who in turn contacted Azamara, only to be told it would cost £1450 😱 more to upgrade! The free flights promo was on, and still is, for this cruise when I booked. I presumed that it was just a case of handing over another £100 to have an outside cabin. Not so! It would be classed as a new booking apparently. IMHO It really doesn't pay to book early. Does loyalty pay? It doesn't appear so!

As you know GTY is a game of chance - you pay a basic price and Lady Luck makes a call.

If you try to upgrade the price you will be quoted is as it was when you booked. They want new customers to snap up the deals not existing customers. I don't think loyalty comes into it - all cruise lines do this.

Enjoy your cruise - I am sure you will have a great time.

We have sailed and been in 8018 and not had any noise from above.

To conclude that Azamara doesn't treat loyal customers well because one books a guarantee and is assigned a stateroom that one deems not desirable is quite a stretch. And quite unfair.

Hello lizboyle, I am afraid the others are right. When you book a GTY you do not get a say in cabin assignment. If you are particular about location, then the GTY is not the way to go.

May I ask if this new thread has anything to do with your recent thread about wanting the 10% LCV voyage discount and the $398 upgrade applied to an existing booking? I had understood from your final post that that was resolved to your satisfaction. It could be that there are no LCV upgrades available on your voyage?http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2190877

Your best bet is to work through your TA. Best of luck.

What a silly thing to complain about. You booked a guarantee room, and you got the leftover location. That's what happens when you take the cheap way out. If you want a specific location, then you pay for the luxury of getting to do so. I have a long history with Celebrity, yet I wouldn't expect them to assign me a good room based on loyalty. It's a company, not a charity.

Michael

Hello lizboyle, I am afraid the others are right. When you book a GTY you do not get a say in cabin assignment. If you are particular about location, then the GTY is not the way to go.

 

May I ask if this new thread has anything to do with your recent thread about wanting the 10% LCV voyage discount and the $398 upgrade applied to an existing booking? I had understood from your final post that that was resolved to your satisfaction. It could be that there are no LCV upgrades available on your voyage?http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2190877

 

Your best bet is to work through your TA. Best of luck.

Hi Bonnie, that was indeed resolved satisfactorily. I did apply for the $398 upgrade but the email I got in return said this wasn't applicable to gty cabins. I'm not holding out hope with my TA and Azamara, but shall ask again. Thank you.

What a silly thing to complain about. You booked a guarantee room, and you got the leftover location. That's what happens when you take the cheap way out. If you want a specific location, then you pay for the luxury of getting to do so. I have a long history with Celebrity, yet I wouldn't expect them to assign me a good room based on loyalty. It's a company, not a charity.

 

 

 

Michael

I'm not expecting charity! I was prepared to pay the difference in price from when I booked to today's price. Thank you for your comments.

We have sailed and been in 8018 and not had any noise from above.

Thank you LEESRE. That is reassuring.

my friends were in there and heard nothing. the bar is oprn from 9 to 7 so it get quiet there at night.. as all cabins you wil lhear soem chairs movign but that is it.

enjoy the cabin

To be fair, loyalty does pay and an option to you is to register for a Loyalty upgrade, yes it will cost you a little more but it is one way you might be able to address this issue.

 

I am not sure why you have such a difference in price, you are working with an agent and sometimes their pricing has hidden bundles/perks in it that are not entirely visible so you might not be comparing like for like. They may also have restrictions on what they can change with Azamara.

 

You might like to requestion you agent on this one and ask for a breakdown of the costings of all the components.

 

As you say, you took a risk with a Guarantee, and yes, it is always a risk and in this case the room you got was not what you really wanted

Thank you for your most gracious reply Uktog. Like I said, the exact same product is on my TA's website, free flights as well, cheaper than what we paid. Fair do. I get that prices can fluctuate either way. What baffles me is the difference in price and the reason for it. It's not as if I'm not prepared to pay for an upgrade, but I guess rules are rules, as crazy as they may be!

my friends were in there and heard nothing. the bar is oprn from 9 to 7 so it get quiet there at night.. as all cabins you wil lhear soem chairs movign but that is it.

 

enjoy the cabin

Thank you ellbon. My last experience of being under a pool was chairs being moved from 5am and also late at night. Wasn't Azamara, so let's hope they are more considerate.

As you know GTY is a game of chance - you pay a basic price and Lady Luck makes a call.

If you try to upgrade the price you will be quoted is as it was when you booked. They want new customers to snap up the deals not existing customers. I don't think loyalty comes into it - all cruise lines do this.

Enjoy your cruise - I am sure you will have a great time.

Thank you! I'm sure we will.

Hi Bonnie, that was indeed resolved satisfactorily. I did apply for the $398 upgrade but the email I got in return said this wasn't applicable to gty cabins. I'm not holding out hope with my TA and Azamara, but shall ask again. Thank you.

Per the Terms & Conditions of the Stateroom Upgrade offer, guarantee categories are not eligible so Azamara advised you correctly in their email.

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/int/le-club-voyage/offers/stateroom-upgrade

The LCV upgrade process not only does not apply to "Guarantee" bookings, but only is available to LCV members. Your profile does not indicate any sailings to-date on Azamara so that option is not available to you yet.

The Pool Bar opens at 11 AM and closes before sunset. If the weather is bad it will close early, or not open at all.

I have found that Azamara treats all passengers exceedingly well from their very first cruise. The "special treatment" really arises from the relationships that you build with the crew and officers. It sounds corny but they truly make you feel like you are coming "home".

The LCV upgrade process not only does not apply to "Guarantee" bookings, but only is available to LCV members. Your profile does not indicate any sailings to-date on Azamara so that option is not available to you yet.

 

The Pool Bar opens at 11 AM and closes before sunset. If the weather is bad it will close early, or not open at all.

 

I have found that Azamara treats all passengers exceedingly well from their very first cruise. The "special treatment" really arises from the relationships that you build with the crew and officers. It sounds corny but they truly make you feel like you are coming "home".

We have sailed with Azamara before, just last year. I'm very slow at updating my profile. 😌. I am discovery level so perhaps I am eligible. We LOVE Azamara!

There is a review of cabin 8019 on UKtog's invaluable cabin sticky which I think would be in the same position as your cabin ...just the opposite side. Have a look at it, because it seems it was a good cabin, with minimal noise issues and well positioned.

Have a great cruise. :)

We have sailed with Azamara before, just last year. I'm very slow at updating my profile. . I am discovery level so perhaps I am eligible. We LOVE Azamara!

Nope, still not eligible if you're booked in a Guarantee category.

Thank you ellbon. My last experience of being under a pool was chairs being moved from 5am and also late at night. Wasn't Azamara, so let's hope they are more considerate.

We were on deck 8 under the pool area on our last Journey cruise and had no issues with pool or deck noise during normal sleeping hours. Even mid-day wasn't very noticeable at all. OTOH, I would avoid the area under the pool grill. That WAS noisy on a prior Journey cruise.

We were on deck 8 under the pool area on our last Journey cruise and had no issues with pool or deck noise during normal sleeping hours. Even mid-day wasn't very noticeable at all. OTOH, I would avoid the area under the pool grill. That WAS noisy on a prior Journey cruise.

Thank you Sanatee. We are right under the pool bar so hopefully it will be fine.

hi - we are the people who robin (elbon) is referring to who have recently stayed in 8018. we had very little noise from above and had no problem whatsoever with the cabin, in fact robin who was in a suite experienced a lot more noise than we did !!!. enjoy it . nick and Cheryl

Thank you Sanatee. We are right under the pool bar so hopefully it will be fine.

Right.

Now, maybe you should have titled the thread "Booked a GTY and have a question about my cabin" rather than giving an inflammatory title that leads people to believe Azamara doesn't treat its loyal customers well. This business of generalizing one person's possible issue (and there was no issue in this case) and making it sound like it applies to everyone grows old here on Cruise Critic.

Right.

 

Now, maybe you should have titled the thread "Booked a GTY and have a question about my cabin" rather than giving an inflammatory title that leads people to believe Azamara doesn't treat its loyal customers well. This business of generalizing one person's possible issue (and there was no issue in this case) and making it sound like it applies to everyone grows old here on Cruise Critic.

Like:)

Right.

 

Now, maybe you should have titled the thread "Booked a GTY and have a question about my cabin" rather than giving an inflammatory title that leads people to believe Azamara doesn't treat its loyal customers well. This business of generalizing one person's possible issue (and there was no issue in this case) and making it sound like it applies to everyone grows old here on Cruise Critic.

I concur but I've got a built-in bias ;)