Using OBC to book Land Discoveries - Pre-Cruise

We'll be on the 10/28/17 Journey in the Mideast, and have $1,100 of OBC.

Can I use the OBC's to book Land Discoveries (Shore Excursions) in advance, rather than waiting until we're on board?

Thanks.

Michael S.

We'll be on the 10/28/17 Journey in the Mideast, and have $1,100 of OBC.

 

Can I use the OBC's to book Land Discoveries (Shore Excursions) in advance, rather than waiting until we're on board?

 

Thanks.

 

Michael S.

We are interested in that very same question. Mind if we listen in on the answer? :)

We are interested in that very same question. Mind if we listen in on the answer? :)

No you cannot at present but we are being promised a change in 2017 so we can. This needs a big IT systems change first evidently.

No you cannot at present but we are being promised a change in 2017 so we can. This needs a big IT systems change first evidently.

That would be great for us as our cruise doesn't happen until Oct 2018!

No you cannot at present but we are being promised a change in 2017 so we can. This needs a big IT systems change first evidently.

I really believe they should change it. While it is only for "0n Board" purchases, those purchases while paid "online" can only be utilized while on board. Looking forward to that change in 2017.

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No you cannot at present but we are being promised a change in 2017 so we can. This needs a big IT systems change first evidently.

Not a big change at all as in fact when we boarded this past August went to Land Discoveries if we could cancel an excursion & rebook and the Land Discovery person said yes and made the change in the computer and since we hadn't gotten to our cabin as yet told us we could simply keep the existing tickets.

That said, it did take a few days for them to post the credit to our account but, the debit for the payment from our OBC went on our account immediately so there is a way right now to do this or at least there was in August way after it was reported that it couldn't be done.

Before I get told the policy for this changed before August and is no longer allowed, I saw that post and subsequent to that post Bonnie posted that you could cancel on board, use OBC and get the earlier credit card payment credited as refundable OBC.

Having seen two different answers to the same question, I did post a question to Bonnie asking if she was sure we could cancel and rebook to which she didn't respond so I thought why not ask and if they said no, I would accept the response. They didn't say no and gave the credit so we ended up several hundred dollars to the good when we disembarked.

Now this may no longer be possible however it was done in August 2016 so the old addage, you don't know the answer if you don't ask the question applies.

Not a big change at all as in fact when we boarded this past August went to Land Discoveries if we could cancel an excursion & rebook and the Land Discovery person said yes and made the change in the computer and since we hadn't gotten to our cabin as yet told us we could simply keep the existing tickets.

 

That said, it did take a few days for them to post the credit to our account but, the debit for the payment from our OBC went on our account immediately so there is a way right now to do this or at least there was in August way after it was reported that it couldn't be done.

 

Before I get told the policy for this changed before August and is no longer allowed, I saw that post and subsequent to that post Bonnie posted that you could cancel on board, use OBC and get the earlier credit card payment credited as refundable OBC.

 

Having seen two different answers to the same question, I did post a question to Bonnie asking if she was sure we could cancel and rebook to which she didn't respond so I thought why not ask and if they said no, I would accept the response. They didn't say no and gave the credit so we ended up several hundred dollars to the good when we disembarked.

 

Now this may no longer be possible however it was done in August 2016 so the old addage, you don't know the answer if you don't ask the question applies.

Which ship Rallydave? This certainly wasn't the case on the Journey in July when we tried to do exactly what you are describing was possible on your cruise.

Which ship Rallydave? This certainly wasn't the case on the Journey in July when we tried to do exactly what you are describing was possible on your cruise.

Ditto August and September

But the IT change is coming it was confirmed by Larry Pimintel at a q and a during the LCVcruise

It was on Quest. Perhaps the person who did this should not have it did occur.

Really am only questioning taking many months to make a relatively minor software change. Azamara has the right to make changes when and where they choose so if the choose to make these changes later in 2017 that is their prerogative so don't need them making excuses simply say we choose to make these changes on XX.

Thinking about software and cruise lines there do seem to be software problems at many cruise lines so perhaps it is the inability of the IT people on staff to properly provide accurate software. One glaring example is the problems with being added to the email lists and the after finally being added suddenly being removed. This seem so simple ye occurs again and again wasting valuable staff time that could be used elsewhere for things like OBC being used before boarding.

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It was on Quest. Perhaps the person who did this should not have it did occur.

 

Really am only questioning taking many months to make a relatively minor software change. Azamara has the right to make changes when and where they choose so if the choose to make these changes later in 2017 that is their prerogative so don't need them making excuses simply say we choose to make these changes on XX.

 

Thinking about software and cruise lines there do seem to be software problems at many cruise lines so perhaps it is the inability of the IT people on staff to properly provide accurate software. One glaring example is the problems with being added to the email lists and the after finally being added suddenly being removed. This seem so simple ye occurs again and again wasting valuable staff time that could be used elsewhere for things like OBC being used before boarding.

 

 

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I understand it is not a minor software change and is part of a major investment for this year. I am grateful that resources have been made available to allow it to happen

I understand it is not a minor software change and is part of a major investment for this year. I am grateful that resources have been made available to allow it to happen

+1. Exactly what we were told by Richard Twynam at the LCV Christmas Event 2 weeks ago, but the good news it is coming!:)

In May, I was on the Quest and tried cancelling pre-booked excursions once I was onboard and then rebook them using OBC. I was told no. I was further told that if I cancelled those excursions, I could not rebook them again. I'd have to book different excursions.

Thanks everyone again for your comments, especially those who have confirmed Azamara will be updating their online software sometime in 2017! With all the OBC they now give out, especially if you book early and have a B2B2B like we do, it will be nice to book excursions ahead of time and then pay for them onboard with OBC!

The update is still on track for 2017.

Wish I could tell you when exactly, but we'll have to wait together.

I understand it is not a minor software change and is part of a major investment for this year. I am grateful that resources have been made available to allow it to happen

[emoji106]

Agreed. They will need to make changes to both their back office system and the website and link the two so that the Land Discoveries section knows precisely how much on board credit someone has and can accept it as a new form of payment, automatically reducing the remaining balance. Two hours after you take that live, someone will try to cancel a land discovery booked online with OBC - so they will have to build refund functionality. Shortly thereafter, someone with $100 OBC will try to buy a $110 land discovery and post a rant on Cruise Critic about how ridiculous it is they can't pay with $100 OBC + $10 on their credit card, so they will have to build partial payments and then of course also partial refunds. Through all that people will want a way to track their balance of OBC at all times on the website. In short, not easy at all, especially not when dealing with legacy systems as opposed to building a new system from scratch.

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+1. Exactly what we were told by Richard Twynam at the LCV Christmas Event 2 weeks ago, but the good news it is coming!:)

The update is still on track for 2017.

Wish I could tell you when exactly, but we'll have to wait together.

This is such good news! I have waited for this, there is literally nothing we can spend our OBC on, we don't gamble at all or drink much, and too busy to spend time in the spa! Fingers crossed its completed before our Oct Quest cruise.

So glad they'll be making this change! It makes sense. I'd think this would make life a little easier for the onboard Shore Excursion Dept. too. Just hoping their IT Dept. is a little faster than Princess' (which takes FOREVER!).

I had the same question about the dining package. We would like to buy it ahead of time for our 9/17 cruise

I had the same question about the dining package. We would like to buy it ahead of time for our 9/17 cruise

Dining packages cannot be booked ahead of time yet either.

Right now Guests can now pre-book the "More to Love" packages, the Internet packages, and our beverage packages.

Check out the redesigned webpage: https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/packages

I am so glad they are working on the functionality to let us pre-book tours with our OBC's. We were on the New Year's cruise and one shore excursion was canceled (but, they scrambled to get it reinstated for us) and we were wait listed on another. (we never cleared the waitlist but found out from our friends that there was room)

There was a promo that was offering large OBC's and if we had been allowed to pre-book, the ship would have had a much better idea of how many people would take tours and be able to plan accordingly.

Since our first cruise with Azamara will be a B2B2B cruise in 2018, we're wondering how Azamara handles OBC on these types of cruises. Do you see all of the OBC Azamara gives you for early booking and for B2B cruises in your account (along with any your TA gives you) when you first board the first leg and is it accessible throughout the entire cruise?

Hopefully, the answer is yes, so we will be able to pay for all of our pre-booked excursions we'll have in place once they update their online excursion ordering software in 2017 when we board the ship. This way we will also be able to budget the remaining amount over the entire cruise.

If not, how do they handle OBC on B2B2B cruises?

Since our first cruise with Azamara will be a B2B2B cruise in 2018, we're wondering how Azamara handles OBC on these types of cruises. Do you see all of the OBC Azamara gives you for early booking and for B2B cruises in your account (along with any your TA gives you) when you first board the first leg and is it accessible throughout the entire cruise?

 

Hopefully, the answer is yes, so we will be able to pay for all of our pre-booked excursions we'll have in place once they update their online excursion ordering software in 2017 when we board the ship. This way we will also be able to budget the remaining amount over the entire cruise.

 

If not, how do they handle OBC on B2B2B cruises?

Each cruise is a separate entity. OBC is given on a cruise-by-cruise basis, and is available to be spent on that specific cruise only. OBC from Azamara will be shown as non-refundable, and OBC from your TA as refundable if you don't spend it.

Each cruise is a separate entity. OBC is given on a cruise-by-cruise basis, and is available to be spent on that specific cruise only. OBC from Azamara will be shown as non-refundable, and OBC from your TA as refundable if you don't spend it.

Thanks! I'm glad we asked the question as that's not what our TA was telling us. Regarding the OBC from our TA, should I have the TA post it evenly across all 3 legs of the cruise beforehand or let Azamara give us the remainder after the first cruise in cash which we will then, in turn, deposit into our next cruise's account when we reboard?

I can not understand how cruise companies have such totally unusable out-of-date-useless IT department. Their WEB sites stink. Their on-board computer support is awful. The whole thing is a total mess.

Case in point. I just got an e-mail saying that I should be thinking about about excursions on an upcoming cruise. I clicked on the response box and you would think that the system would know who I am and what cruise I am taking. Doesn't do this which was not a surprise to me.

Instead it sends me to the Azamara site in the book excursions section where I have to tell the system who I am. You would think that if i entered my reservation ID, the system would be able to pull up the other information about me and my cruise. That is the way it works on most other company WEB sites. No again. I have to enter my name AND my password AND the ship I am going to be on AND the date of my cruise in spite of the fact that my reservation ID is a unique identifier.

The people who run the Azamara IT department are total idiots. They should fire them all and outsource their IT support to the Russians. They seem to be pretty good at IT work.

Now I find that I can not book excursions in advance with my OBC. Since booze and tips are included in my cruise and we do not gamble, buy stuff on board, go to the SPA or any of the other extra cost stuff on board, what do I do with this on board credit if my preferred tours are sold out. On my last cruise I bought a watch with unused OBC. I do not need another watch. My wife does not need another watch. Neither of us wear jewelry.

One other thing as long as I am ranting. I am interested in doing some of the snorkeling and kayaking tours on my cruise. However, most of them are restricted to a maximum age of 75 and one was restricted to a maximum age of 70. What percentage of the people on an Azamara cruise are less than 75 - maybe 20%. Why offer excursions that most of your customers can not take.

Now you guys know why I am doing less and less cruising and more and more DIY land trips. I am not held back by stupid rules made by stupid idiots.

Rant over.

DON

We have $500 OBC from Azamara and $400 OBC from our TA. We have been told by both that none of the OBC is refundable. A rep from the TA reported that none of it can be used for shore excursions. Azamara said that all of it can be used for excursions. Since we prefer to book private excursions, we were hoping some would be refundable. Are we getting the right information?