Paying the balance

Is there any other way to pay the balance on our cruise than by phone? The call charges are expensive and when I called to change our cruise dates they put me on hold for ages and ages - phone charges adding up (sometimes I suspect companies do this on purpose to get the money!). I need to pay my balance tomorrow but just wondering if there's a way to pay online (can't see anything on MyAzamara).

Cancelled

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/950a872a#/950a872a/1

This should be the link to the 2017 destination guide. On p64. No:1.4, paying the balance is explained along with a direction to charges. No: 1.10.

I think the call charge may be worth paying. Also beware of any Credit Card fee. Use a Debit Card. If this payment was not time critical, a good old fashioned cheque still works.

We always pay through our travel agent, so not sure about online payment. Good luck.

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Are you in the USA? There is a toll free number 1-877-999-9553. And now from our sponsor ... OK you're in the UK. All I have for that is the Le Club Number 0844 493 4016.

HTH

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately there is no toll free number in the UK so I guess I'll just have to be very quick on the phone!

uh oh, although my invoice says payment due tomorrow, it looks like they're not open on a Sunday. Tried calling Club Voyage (on the website says they are open Sundays but the recorded messages doesn't say so) in the US but too late as well. I wonder if they will cancel me (but if they're not open on Sunday then maybe I'll be lucky?). I may have to rebook and lose my deposit. Don't know what else I can do if I can't ring them tomorrow.....:mad:

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately there is no toll free number in the UK so I guess I'll just have to be very quick on the phone!

A friend of mine in the U.K. mentioned to me the other day that the geographic telephone number for Azamara no longer works for cruise payments and it wasn't straightforward. A retrograde step. You should be able to pay it on the website. Crazy that you can't. I use a travel agent here and pay via their website, no issues.

For information, I pay Azamara direct, always use a credit card and never have to pay a fee for doing so.

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Why don't you email our U.K. MD Richard Twynam? rtwynam@azamaraclubcruises.com.

Let him know you want to pay!

Why don't you email our U.K. MD Richard Twynam? rtwynam@azamaraclubcruises.com.

Let him know you want to pay!

It's silly if every direct booking guest has to contact the MD to pay. There has to be a better solution!

I agree with others it's not right to be paying the price of a premium rate 0844 call to pay for a cruise.

I had a nightmare the last time I paid using the non 0844 number which I refuse to pay for. The push button 1 for loop is wrong, it takes you round to a dead end. What I did in the end was selected the returning guest option as nothing else was working. I got a human who manually transferred me to the right number - well except it was not but three transfers later I was speaking to someone overseas and paid the bill.

I agree! We certainly don't want any hurdles in the booking process.

And to have a big hurdle at final payment for direct bookings is unthinkable. I've forwarded this thread on for review.

Just another reason not to book direct IMO. Most of these annoyances can be circumvented if you use a decent TA.

However, this is a crazy situation which Azamara should address at the earliest opportunity. If you want to book or pay for a cruise direct shouldn't the telephone number be free?

Ok, so contrary to the info on the website, the phone line was open today (the 0844 number) so I managed to pay my balance in the nick of time. I paid by credit card and there was no charge for this. Sleepless night though.

As people on here says, why can't we have a toll free number in the UK (and possibly in other countries you can choose on Azamara's website)? And paying online would save a lot of stress (and money) for customers. I also noticed in MyAzamara that the phone number is the US toll free one and not one relevant to my country. There is also no email contact info (thanks for sending that through Bonnie) on the website as far as I could see.

I think next time I will book through a TA and let them deal with things. Also, I didn't get any 'perks' by booking this cruise direct, which was a bit disappointing as last time (through a TA) we got some good ones.

Anyway, panic over and really looking forward to our cruise in May.:D

I agree! We certainly don't want any hurdles in the booking process.

And to have a big hurdle at final payment for direct bookings is unthinkable. I've forwarded this thread on for review.

Has this problem been resolved yet? I would prefer the option to pay online using MyAzamara but the facility of a freephone uk number for direct customers to pay their balance would be a gesture.

Has this problem been resolved yet? I would prefer the option to pay online using MyAzamara but the facility of a freephone uk number for direct customers to pay their balance would be a gesture.

There is this number 0800 018 2020 in U.K.

I used it and paid by credit card no fee.

Thank you.

There is this number 0800 018 2020 in U.K.

I used it and paid by credit card no fee.

Technically that number is for Customer Relations issues after the cruise.

Technically that number is for Customer Relations issues after the cruise.

 

 

I think the point being made is that the use of a 0844 number in the U.K. is seen by many as a cynical ploy to make money from your customers. In certain industry sectors it's now illegal not to have an alternative non premium contact number, unfortunately it doesn't apply to the travel industry-yet!

Many of those that previously used 0844 numbers, including Government Departments, now use 03 numbers which are included in all phone tariffs including mobiles. It was highlighted a few years ago when it was revealed that some Government Departments were making vast amounts of money from those that could least afford it.

Still many people here in the U.K. refuse to deal with companies who use these chargeable numbers.

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I agree we should not be paying a premium call rate - the last time I called to pay a balance by phone, by the time I pushed all the buttons to get through to the correct department, sat in a queue of music and words and was eventually connected to an agent I had been on hold for 20 minutes but all of this was costing me. Luckily my next balance is due whilst I am onboard and I will make arrangements with the future sales consultant for them to action the debit to the credit card I will have on board with me.

Azamara should not be using an 0844 number and in the absence of the online payment mechanism we used to have I will continue to call whatever free to me in my tariff bundle number I can find.

There is this number 0800 018 2020 in U.K.

I used it and paid by credit card no fee.

I tried using this number today to make my final payment. The agent at the other end told me that this was an RCL number and I needed to call the 0844 number which I then did. After about three minutes pressing 1 for this and 2 for that ( quite a long list of options some of which repeat) and another five minutes listening to the AZ messages, I eventually got through to someone where I completed my payment.

I think that the lesson learnt here is that you should always book Az cruises using a travel agent because I do not know of one (online or high street) that will charge you for the phone call to pay for the cruise. Indeed no other cruiseline that I have booked directly with charge for the phone call to make a cruise payment.

Another point is you are told that calls may be recorded and so your credit card details will be recorded! Other cruise companies call you back so that credit card details are not recorded. :mad:

Hi uktog and belfastman, et.al.,

I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I have passed your comments along to our U.K. office.