VOYAGE PLANNER: our new booking platform for booking Shore Excursions!

Big news! We are introducing a new, more powerful booking platform called Voyage Planner to book your Shore Excursions prior to your voyage! It will give you, our booked future guests, a smoother online experience when planning your upcoming Azamara cruise.

For the time being it is only functional for booking Shore Excursions prior to the sail date. But in the future, we’ll be adding the other on-board services for you to book in advance.

Some of the new Voyage Planner features are:

· Easier navigation with more filters: Search for shore excursions by interest, port, day/location, time of day, tour duration, difficulty of activity level, and many more to help you find the perfect tour based on your needs and travel style.

· Calendar of your booked shore excursions and AzAmazing Evenings: Get a snapshot view of your Azamara vacation. You can also add in personalized activities and reminders like dinner at Aqualina or spa appointments.

· View video footage for select shore excursions: Get an inside look at the immersive experience ahead on land..

· More seamless scheduling: You’ll receive alerts in case of a schedule conflict with another tour you’ve already booked.

· Reserve and pay for shore excursions for family or friends traveling with you on a different booking ID number. (Note: some restrictions apply, such as other guests must be booked from the same market, e.g., USA, UK, Australia.)

· You can now book our complimentary AzAmazing Evening without putting in your credit card information.(Note: AzAmazing Evenings are offered on most sailings).

What the new Voyage Planner does NOT yet include:

· Reserving other on-board services such as Dining packages, Beverage packages, Spa, Internet packages.

· The ability to use your OBC when booking Shore Excursions in advance. The work-around of simply booking the desired shore excursions with your credit card, and then once onboard cancelling and rebooking with the OBC is still available for guests sailing on voyages through September 2017.

For more information, here’s a link: www.azamaraclubcruises.com/voyageplanner

Interesting. Presumably the "workaround" for using an OBC will be replaced by real functionality after September? I didn't know, btw, that such a workaround existed--I thought you couldn't cancel and rebook onboard using your OBC. Doesn't matter to me, I guess, since I'm not sailing until next year.

Bonnie, why oh why would they put out this new booking engine and NOT include the continuing delays of the buy with OBC prior to cruising. Would really believe that booking with OBC would have to be a part of this new booking engine. Extremely disappointed in this lack of planning and providing a COMPLETE new booking engine as well as the inability to book the "other on-board services which most other cruise lines have integrated into their software.

While our next Azamara cruise is not until 2018 and would hope booking with OBC will be active by that time, cannot be sure of that as it has to be an integral part of this new Voyage Planner meaning the IT people will need to integrate it which just might cause problems with the software now being implemented. Cannot say it strong enough that an integrated piece of software needs to be done in one release. Piecemealing it is a recipe for another disaster. Look at the horrible release of the obamacare website and the multiple problems.. The more we see all of the IT errors, the more concerned many of us are about your focus and who you are hiring to make these updates and changes. Obviously the customers have been waiting with bated breath to be able to use OBC pre cruise yet your IT people have also obviously been working on this Voyage Planner that may or may not work further delaying the OBC booking update. while management kept talking only about OBC booking and hiding this new software. Extremely disappointing and an indication that what the customer wants and needs is playing second fiddle to other directions.

Edit to add, clicked the provided link and got to the Cruise Planner page. Logged in and got to the old booked page and no indication of this new way to book. As far as I can see, it doesn't work!!!

Tried just continuing and using the old interface for excursions and get a page not available. Hope others can figure this out as it appears to me to be DOA

Hi Dave,

Well, I see it from another vantage...now we have a platform powerful enough to add the features and functionality that has been missing, and has been asked for. Don't despair, we have not forgotten about adding the functionality to use OBC for pre-booking shore excursions, and eventually other onboard experiences.

I got all excited to look at this and the site is down.

OK Bonnie, tried it a couple more times and finally got the the cruise planner for our cruise. For others you have to login and then you get to the old page where you then click on shore excursions and then the new site comes back up. Not very intuitive but, muddled my way thru. No link to the old pdf document that had all the excursions that we could download and be able to view off line.

Really wondering if the IT people actually had people try out what they created as IMHO, is not very intuitive and needs work.

The planner is working out fine in the UK and I have been able to look at it and played around with putting in a personal appointment to test it.

I worked out how to print the calendar on my PC which will be useful to do just before I leave home, however it might be an idea Bonnie if feedback is being sought, if there could be an onscreen print function

The other thing and I appreciate that this is longer term, is will I be able to export it to an offline app. Not sure I would want to go back to the internet to check my calendar once I am onboard. But so far, nice layout and of course fingers crossed for the OBC functionality.

I do not share rallydaves view on the need for a big bang launch, in my work all the business IT upgrades I am involved in that are customer facing have functionality switched on in tranches so we can isolate any problems to the part that has been switched on rather than not being sure where the root cause of the bug is.

I also made a reservation for the Azamazing evening to test it and the confirmation email was much nicer, clearer and user friendly than what you had previously thank you.

This is wonderful! Even if it's not to the point yet of being able to use OBC and book other onboard packages, it's a big step in the right direction!! I'm going to check it out right now!!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Nice start and I am looking forward to the OBC pre booking being added soon. A few days ago I received a call from the Shore Excursion Dept (which really surprised me) and they asked if I wanted to be booked for the Azamazing Evening on our upcoming cruise. They then asked if I would like to book any more excursions and I explained I knew about the work around but for my August cruise I preferred not to book, pay, cancel and rebook. He was also very familiar with the work around ( which is good!) and assured me they are working on a permanent solution and it should be available long before our January cruises.

A cool feature ( to add on to UKtog) would be to give passengers access to calendars on the interactive TV's in the cabin vs. having to go on the internet or print in advance. If we can pull up our bills....why not our calendars?

An update Bonnie

My eagle eyed DH has pointed out that the email confirmation needs looking at, its probably a derivative of an RCI/X product. Against each name it has a category Prepaid gratuities with the response No - this could start some folks worrying that Azamara does require gratuities.

Suggestion - for the Azamara responses the prepopulation should be N/A

An update Bonnie

My eagle eyed DH has pointed out that the email confirmation needs looking at, its probably a derivative of an RCI/X product. Against each name it has a category Prepaid gratuities with the response No - this could start some folks worrying that Azamara does require gratuities.

 

Suggestion - for the Azamara responses the prepopulation should be N/A

Good catch! I'm forwarding all of the above comments along to the team overseeing this roll-out. Thank you. :hearteyes:

Worked for me too. Very clean and easy to use. Much better and clearer than the old way of booking Shore Excursions. Hoping to be able to use it with my OBC for my October cruise!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Oops - worked for me using the right-hand side of the page, entering my reservations number, but when I tried using it by logging in to My Azamara on the left-hand side, then going to book Shore Excursions, I got a 'Page Temporarily Unavailable' message.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

New to Azamara, joined My Azamara last week. Have tried several times to log in and each time got a temporary out of order message. Not overly concerned, our 1st Azamara cruise in not until June, 2018.

Bonnie, this looks great and as already mentioned when using OBC pre cruise it could be a great addition for Azamara. That said looking at our Bali to Sydney cruise 21st January it shows a day trip to the Blue Mountains, great I thought but not sure how this would work as we do not arrive in port until 14:00! Where can I check this or can you wave your magic wand for the answer?

Rosalyn

I was able to look at shore excursions both the original and new ways. I didn't find one to be better than the other, just prettier pictures on the new platform:) As we sail in early October, I would love to have a way to use some of our obscene OBC (obscene in a very good way, lol) to book excursions, or see the workaround extended. Tempus fugit and all....

Edited to add: I tried looking at the second cruise on a B2B and got the following message: "The information you have attempted to enter is not correct."information you attempted to submit is incorrect. Please try again.

Now, it wasn't information I attempted to enter. I did enter the correct booking number, ship and sail date. I wonder if the fact that the booking is linked to a prior one means that the second booking is inaccessible for booking excursions?

So I went back to the original method to try to book the Azamazing Evening and couldn't get it done. Got all the way to the payment page and get a message saying:

"Please ensure you have completed all Credit Card fields correctly and try again."

which I have. So it appears that online functionality isn't there for that booking. Argh.

Bonnie, mentioned this earlier without response. Cannot find the pdf brochure for our cruise. Went into my booking the old way and clicking excursions gets me to the new site without a link to the brochure. Somebody posted they got to the old booking site but, have no idea how which is where the pdf used to be. Really need a way to download a description of the excursions.

Also, we are on the Nov. 2018 Journey TA and that list of excursions you posted does NOT show. The transfers are gone but, all that shows is an expensive tour to see cheese made. Also no excursions for St. Barts. And, still the page not available still showing when going into the new site using your link and logging in.

Also no link on the home page to match the link on your first message. Really appears this "new" feature is NOT ready to be rolled out and missing links to it and very important things like the pdf of all the excursions. No way I have figured out how to get to the "old" booking site.

Extremely disappointed.

Bonnie, mentioned this earlier without response. Cannot find the pdf brochure for our cruise. Went into my booking the old way and clicking excursions gets me to the new site without a link to the brochure. Somebody posted they got to the old booking site but, have no idea how which is where the pdf used to be. Really need a way to download a description of the excursions.

 

Also, we are on the Nov. 2018 Journey TA and that list of excursions you posted does NOT show. The transfers are gone but, all that shows is an expensive tour to see cheese made. Also no excursions for St. Barts. And, still the page not available still showing when going into the new site using your link and logging in.

 

Also no link on the home page to match the link on your first message. Really appears this "new" feature is NOT ready to be rolled out and missing links to it and very important things like the pdf of all the excursions. No way I have figured out how to get to the "old" booking site.

 

Extremely disappointed.

I just looked up your 2018 voyage's shorex. To print out the excursions you'll find buttons on the right hand border to download or to print.

The excursions I shared yesterday for San Juan are not yet loaded.

You know, some cruise lines don't actually *charge* for booked excursions until the end of the cruise. This would solve the problem completely. I suspect that the higher-up corporate types would nix this, but thought I'd mention it. I'm about to book excursions on the Paul Gauguin for my October trip to Tahiti, and that's how they work it. Nice.

I see the new Voyage Planner. It's nice, a big improvement.

I just looked up your 2018 voyage's shorex. To print out the excursions you'll find buttons on the right hand border to download or to print.

 

The excursions I shared yesterday for San Juan are not yet loaded.

Thanks for the quick response, thought you said the excursions were loaded, guess I misunderstood. Went back to the page and scoured it and no buttons to download or print. Really trying but, no cigar.

Just found a HUGE problem. Pretended to make a reservation and would NOT let me book only myself. Error message said must book both myself and my wife. Know there will be excursions where we want to do different ones or only one of us wants to do an excursion and the other stays on the ship and this new site won;t allow that. HUGE ERROR!!!!!!

Know my DW and I will do different excursions on this cruise so this removes the ability to pre-book and use OBC.

CANT SAY HOW BIG A PROBLEM THIS IS. SURE OTHERS WILL WANT TO DO DIFFERENT TOURS AND NOT GOOD TO RESTRICT THAT ABILITY!!!!

...

Know my DW and I will do different excursions on this cruise so this removes the ability to pre-book and use OBC.

 

CANT SAY HOW BIG A PROBLEM THIS IS. SURE OTHERS WILL WANT TO DO DIFFERENT TOURS AND NOT GOOD TO RESTRICT THAT ABILITY!!!!

Yes, this should be corrected for sure.

Bonnie, this looks great and as already mentioned when using OBC pre cruise it could be a great addition for Azamara. That said looking at our Bali to Sydney cruise 21st January it shows a day trip to the Blue Mountains, great I thought but not sure how this would work as we do not arrive in port until 14:00! Where can I check this or can you wave your magic wand for the answer?

Rosalyn

The Blue Mountains trip is not the anomaly in that particular Land Discoveries Brochure! It is currently listed as departing at 2.31am for 9 hours (which would have the participants gone (by helicopter ?) and back on board before the ship docks) and even if there was a "typo" there and it should read 2.30pm, participants would be returning to the ship in about two & a half hours of darkness.

*There are also five tours listed for 8 February, only one of which is the airport drop-off.

*Is Azamara making tours available for B2B guests?

The other glaring anomaly . . . or anomalies . . . are the six tours listed for Bali on embarkation day, starting from 7.30am.

The 9h30min tour at 0730 would be pushing it to be back in time for the safety drill.

The only one of the six tours listed that could feasibly be taken by embarking guests is the 1pm one for 4 hours, which would also be pushing it to be back in time for the safety drill.

*Once again, is Azamara making tours available for B2B guests??

The brochure I downloaded this morning was updated 29 July 2017. Several changes have been made to the 12 January 2017 edition.

Yes, this should be corrected for sure.

Indeed it must be corrected!!

My other half rarely does any shore excursions.

I had no difficulty using the work around process to pre-book a single shore excursion ticket for June.

Bonnie

On the NEW brochure the tours in Cyprus still say they are leaving at 8;30 a.m. when the ship does not arrive into port until noon. I saw it. I was able to download it................finally. I have the old brochure as well and it says the same thing leaving at 8;30 a.m. As everyone knows I have been saying this since February.

Kathy

Well, appears that now I can book one person using the "new" excursion page. They changed some of the software since last week when I got the error message. And, was able to get to the "old" way of booking excursions but, to do that had to use the old method of getting to the my booking and the excursions by clicking my link from a year ago twice. Seems things keeps changing in how the site works or doesn't work. Cannot believe there was any QC done on the site earlier as we had to use the crutch to even get to our booking in order to book excursions.

And, I downloaded the pdf excursion listings today which now shows two excursions in San Juan yet the new excursions site still shows only the cheese making, another anomoly. As I said a few days ago, have no clue why the new excursion booking site was released without QC and will so many errors??. Oh, the page error when logging in on the new page still remains. Also remember the old problem logging into our booking still needs the work around and that problem is over a year old. Imagine more issues we haven't found.

What a mess Bonnie and wondering if the booking with OBC will ever work????? Extremely frustrating that the customers have to do all the QC when we are footing the bill for the inept web developers!