uktog

My reading is it’s included as a benefit for anyone who books under the work and wander package but is an add on cost for anyone else. And as for “networking with others” - really….. I go on holiday for a rest and yes regular check in to home systems to keep things ticking over. Schmoozing is the last thing I want to do. Good luck Azamara maybe you’ve a new target market

I think I posted before I had a survey sometime ago, asking about the concept that Azamara might introduce of packaging together cruises aimed at people who still wanted to work while on the cruise. This morning I have had an email outlining the concept in more detail and offering bookings on some Cruises under the tag work and wonder. To be honest at the time of the survey I was very dismissive of the idea and I continue to be so although I do work whilst on a cruise. I’m not sure that paying extra to have a cruise with supposedly high bandwidth and the opportunity to network with others is what I want. It will be interesting to see if this concept is popular or whether it quietly disappears in due course.

No it’s no longer needed

Because their IT can’t cope and it was previously run through Royal’s system. I

The bidding programme is currently not operational

DH will take a jacket and he will travel in a blazer - thats just his preference partly because he feels the cool from air-conditioning and partly because the early stages and later stages of the return journey in particular need something and it saves dragging a fleece for its holiday. I will have smarter evening clothes - after all these days I get less and less opportunities to wear them and I love changing early evening and heading for a drink before dinner.. I am relaxed what others wear, I cannot understand why people say their dining experience was spoilt because someone else was not dressed smartly enough. However, I do struggle to understand those who argue they just wear the same thing day or evening regardless of venue. Wherever I am I want to wear a change of clothes at dinner time

I think if you buy onboard that makes a difference but if you just start the process with a TA you are less likely to see paperwork. From what you describe you’re not buying pre bundled packages though albeit you do by adding a hotel via the agent create a packaged holiday under the UK rules. @Host Jazzbeau it’s probably much simpler in the US though you have much more franchise owners rather than what we would call travel agents

It seems different TAs work different ways probably due to the “legal” relationship they have with Azamara and even within the TAs different members of staff work different ways. I have booked with the agency I believe Grandma Cruising uses and I did not get the Azamara paperwork. When we do get the paperwork it is not addressed to us but to the agency I think one difference might be if you buy a cruise only through a TA you are more likely to get the Azamara paperwork if you buy a bundled package put together by the agency not the cruise line (flights some hotels cruise etc) you will never see the costs split out so no Azamara invoice. These bundled packages are very commonly advertised online in the UK and many we meet onboard use them but I’ve not seen them in the US.

I do not get one if we book through an agent, I get the agents confirmation which transfers over info in their words eg the amount of on board credit and other benefits, the cabin no, itinerary etc I do not have an Azamara confirmation as my financial relationship is with the agency

Captain Johannes returns to Quest tomorrow until early December

On Viking everyone has unlimited dining in the two restaurants but its on a space by space basis so to that extent its like everyone is in a suite. The suite perk is they get more pre boarding bookings but everyone gets at least one in each restaurant. Explora do not differentiate on your room type - all can prebook one in each venue. So it could well work within the Azamara existing model.

Not quite, both Explora and Viking do your restaurant reservations ahead of boarding if you wish. Limited obviously and you will then add more if you want when onboard Certainly makes for a much more relaxed embarkation on Viking and I understand it will be the same on Explora

Bear in mind Miamis focus is not serial cruisers, nor should it be. Their focus is on new cruisers or one/maybe two cruises a year guests. They are selling out their current versions and have waiting lists most cruises without changing the menus Yes new menus might be lovely but the development costs are not insignificant so I would expect that to be a low priority on their current agenda. Working on updates to speciality and evening pool grill menus will be higher up the lists.

As Mrs Miggins says, trainers are now very much part of fashion trends- thank goodness for those of us who still like to wear dresses but need a lot of support in the footwear department. My physio is absolutely delighted at this development. Of course, I do have a pair of smarter indoor trainers for that occasion. Viking have no issue if you wear trainers in the evening wherever you eat onboard- we actually specifically checked up onboard on that. However unless it’s a result of a late running trip ashore, I see no reason to wear day excursion gear in the evening on an ocean cruise

Thanks @florisdekort You’ve confirmed my fears about Emporium at night. When I queried the experience elsewhere I was firmly put in my place - as you say some will love it but not eating “together” is an absolute no no. Certainly not for us either! We’re past the time of standing around waiting for dinner. But absolutely no problem plenty other options each night. Hopefully the pizza menu is dealt with soon

Mine is also resolved but no 100 euros. Happy though it’s sorted! I will be delighted to be onboard with 500…. Or however many it is. The thing is I will be onboard 😂😂

The Azamara showers are so much smaller than Viking

500 for us then by the sounds of things

One thing that does not appear to have changed, Guest Support are only doing one reservation for you in each restaurant even though your reservation is a back to back. I accept we can sort it out onboard but its a pain when you want two special dates one on each cruise. I also know that for now the ship is below capacity I think the problem is the software in that the two cruises are combined into one reservation number and so everything that drives off it beyond that point is taken as it being one cruise

At least Explora have agents or ambassadors as they are called who are taking over once you are at a certain point and are helping their customers and communicating. Their emails are well written and not irrelevant cut and pastes. My current issues go beyond OBC in relation to what existing bookings are showing. Most of us do not use onboard sales and whilst I am glad some US travel agents are seeing improvement, that is not the message some UK agents continue to give so I do not quite know who to believe. Obviously my view is clouded by the fact that changing a booking was not allowed when it should have been and I ended up losing money and our free nights. Emails on that topic remain unanswered but I have given up. All I want is accurate information on my reservations, a better onboard experience than my last one and we can then see where we go from there. We certainly hope there might be more reservations to come but like many others, we could do with a far better all round performance!

You will always get someone saying "mine is prefect" What I am waiting for now (in the absence of having to go into one of our reservations because I absolutely need to do something) is for an official communication from the cruise line saying "its fixed as far as it will be, here is what you can do here is what you no longer can do"

I have stayed away from the website, despite posts saying it’s now being fixed or everything is fine. However, today I did need to look at something for a cruise early next year and I go into a reservation and it just makes no sense at all. There is only one word to describe this migration, and more importantly, the lack of communication to guests affected Darling, it’s a disaaaaaster. Whilst maybe you can defend the issues relating to migration data, you cannot defend the vacuum in communication. If new software does not do things that the old software did why not put on the website clear guidance or send out emails to Circle members. It may or may not be wonderful onboard but many potential guests are influenced by the whole end to end experience. When other lines can give you that it’s really hard for Azamara to sell based on the on-board service, which, to be honest, some do find problems with. I hoped several months ago, the company would communicate more, instead they took a Trappist monk vow of silence. Maybe we should start a campaign to ask that to be the New Year resolution because it’s been almost a year of this malaise

We will certainly be testing with more passengers later in November but your posts have really excited us and we now eagerly anticipate a cruise we so nearly walked away from last month. Thanks for the mood reset They do need to sort out the back office experiences- the software is giving issues for lots of lines but Explora needs to up their level of response to guests.

The back office team have finally taken ownership of my issue with an appropriate work around which hopefully means we have our paperwork in the next few days. I think the reports from the current cruise are very valid and, given I know who one of them is having done several cruises with them, I am 100% sure their reports are accurate and they are not getting any recompense. However the next cruise from 3 November has a high number of travel agents and some influencers are already flagging up they will be onboard so the feedback from that cruise may be suspect. Mind, it is going to be hard for them to recognise improvements given how perfect it was for them first time around 🙂

Yes it Mars your holiday experience