denatravels

On 11/16/2023 at 1:42 PM, paf225 said:

I received an email from Azamara this morning promoting their different beverage packages.  It appears they have increased the cost of the Ultimate and Premium packages by $3.00 per day each.  At least they have kept the loyalty level discount.  Regards, Paul

 

I booked over Labor Day and this was the prices I found in my research in September 

On 9/26/2023 at 1:41 PM, Mercruiser said:

I tried booking an excursion online using OBC. I was successful in that I booked an excursion. Unfortunately, I was just browsing and didn't intend to book that particular excursion.

 

Instead of trying to figure out how to fix it on the web site, I decided to call Azamara to sort it out. It turned out to be one of the best customer service interactions I've experienced in a long time.

 

The agent answered right away, cancelled my unwanted excursion and booked the two I wanted, using OBC. I was on the phone just under 10 minutes. We chatted a bit and she said she recently joined Azamara after leaving Celebrity. I think Celebrity's loss is Azamara's gain.

 

I wanted to post this because Azamara has had terrible reports of customer phone service. Hopefully, my positive experience is part of a larger trend.

 

Note: I called on a Tuesday at 10:00 AM Pacific (USA).

I had a similar experience. Found the phone reps to be outstanding 

Thanks to the people that helped. I called. Needed to make final payment but was able to work with them to book excursions and they took from each of the three cruises so I have left over credit to use on board. 

11 minutes ago, AnnaNicole said:

Not a TA. 

 

If you book the shore excursions and do not pay them at the time of booking, you will receive a new invoice in your email.  The invoice should show the OBC applied and any other payments made on the reservation and if there is a remaining balance due.  Sometimes, I can access the invoice online.  Other times, I cannot.   It is wonky.    

 

Cut and paste from my invoice (redacted):

 

Payments Payment Type Date Amount

CREDIT CARD 10 Aug 2023 $ XXXXX
CREDIT CARD 24 Aug 2023 $ XXXXX
$300 OBC SHOREX 25 Aug 2023 $ 300.00
OBC COUPON 25 Aug 2023 $ 75.00

$300 OBC SHOREX 25 Aug 2023 $ 300.00

OBC COUPON 25 Aug 2023 $ 75.00

 

The invoice will be several pages long and show everything about the reservation.   All of your shore excursions, payments made, add-ons (ex: OBC), dining preference, etc.  

 

 

I will try that!  thanks

1 hour ago, Grandma Cruising said:

You can do it online and Azamara sent out information on how to do it.

Here are their instructions

Using Onboard Credit to Book Shore Excursions

To use your onboard credit (OBC) to book shore excursions, after logging into your account: Scroll down to Shore Excursions and select “Book” on the $0 Onboard Credit item to authorize use of your onboard credit Book your desired Shore Excursions Once your Shore Excursions are booked, navigate to the payment screen and click “Cancel" Your selected shore excursions are now booked, and onboard credit will be applied

I do not see an option for "book"

2 hours ago, wjfan417 said:

Did you book through a travel agent? They can book shore excursions using OBC fairly easily.

Can you explain how to do this "fairly easily"-- I am an agent-- this is my first Azamara booking (for myself) and I cannot figure out how to do this AT ALL.  This is the most frustrating website I have seen!!

On 4/18/2023 at 11:09 AM, fruitmachine said:

Tronchetto - at the end of the People Mover.  I gather there were reps with Azamara signs, as there were at the airport.

Can someone please confirm if that’s at the place with the car park and not where the original cruise terminal is. I believe there are stops at both

14 hours ago, Gishua_ said:

Same. Very boring/ typical. Also lacking options in late September beginning of October which is my favorite time of year. 

Actually, I looked again but for august instead of July and I’m more interested now

I wish I was more excited by their Med cruise but I’m sticking with the NCL I have booked— Istanbul and portugal is a big draw, as it’s a few of the fewer ports in the area I haven’t been to. 

1 hour ago, HicksRA said:

We were last on Vision in April 2019 and dined every evening in mytime at 5:15 pm. Who knows how it will be this day forward. 

Was that in the Caribbean or Europe?  They did say something about it being ship and itinerary specific. 

I am on vision of the seas in July 2022 with my parents. My mom has a medical/digestive issue that requires her to eat dinner pretty early. We currently have my time dining and tried to make dinner reservations for 5:30pm.  The reservations don’t begin until 6:30. We called Royal Caribbean several times last week and my mom finally got someone that said “don’t worry. The dining room opens at 5pm and you can eat anytime”. Something about not being able to reserve early times didn’t sit well with me (and knowing how famously accurate the call center is), I had her call resolutions. Now they are being told that the dining room opens on this ship/itinerary at 6:30. While that is somewhat supported by the reservations, I’ve been on more than 20 cruises and never seen dining open so late. We would prefer not to do set dining, but I’m aware that 6pm early dining would be an option. 
thoughts on the accuracy of this info?

Longer in geiranger is the one I’d pick. And then you can be earlier in Bergen to do the funicular before the lines get long. 

18 hours ago, jelayne said:

You can upgrade to the Premium Beverage  Package after final payment .  If you are a CaptIns Club Classic or Select you get a 5% discount,  Elite and Elite + get a 10% discount if you upgrade pre cruise.  So rather than $10 per day +20% gratuity =$12  with the 10% discount the cost is $9 +20% total $10.80 per day.  

Any idea how that can be accomplished with the following restrictions: 

I will become diamond on Royal in July 2022 and remain in europe for the following six weeks prior to embarking in august on celebrity (thus getting elite status). I will not have any phone service in between these cruises. 

1 hour ago, WestLakeGirl said:

I think Summit is scheduled to embark from New Jersey and disembark in Southampton on the 1 August  itinerary.

 

It would then turn around and embark in Southampton and disembark in New Jersey.

 

Probably neither of those will take place.

It disembarks on return in Boston

I’m a TA and you can see all cruises booked within the agency only- nothing else. 

Can you book round trip La Harve? I did that in 2019 and it was so nice— only 300 people embarking!

23 hours ago, drakes2 said:

Since DH no longer cruise I travel solo sometimes with a friend or family member. I do enjoy my alone time but also love meeting new people and have remained friends with many through social media. Can't say there are any cons to cruising solo, at least none that I've experienced. 

The con to traveling solo is paying double the price. And for some unknown reason, even the upgrades are paid double on celebrity (on princess the room is double and the upgraded perks are solo)

23 hours ago, Canadianmama3 said:

So normally I always book a refundable deposit.  It’s usually around $200-$300 more (total) then the non refundable.  I’m looking at a cruise for Summer 2022.  And this particular cruise is giving me the  refundable rate as $575 higher (for 3 people) then the non refundable.  
 

At what point do people feel the premium for a refundable fee isn’t worth it? 
 

Right now I’m leaning towards just going with the refundable since it’s the same deposit amount and switching to non refundable closer fo the date if it’s cheaper.  But I could end up paying $575 more for the cruise if prices go up.  

Post covid, refundable is ALWAYS worth it. 

1 hour ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

 

No shot = no sail.

There is no “right” to cruise, regardless of your age.

I agree that vaccines should be mandatory for adults but you can’t make vaccines mandatory for kids when they have not even been studied. 

On 2/14/2021 at 3:08 AM, SNJCruisers said:

You're speaking a foreign language to the majority of readers.  We are not on the Celsius scale, we're Fahrenheit.

On 2/14/2021 at 2:57 AM, Hunter69 said:

Due, to be released in next 6 weeks.. July is our winter. Which means, a 16-18 degrees sail-Out of Sydney. Or 22" out of Brisbane.👍

I’m perfectly fine figuring the conversion. I do understand that it’s winter. I think that’s why there aren’t a lot of options. Carnival is the only cruise option and I’ve gone from “independent” tour company for land Australia to completely booking and planning the whole thing myself. 
Not a huge fan of snow and ice but cooler temps are ok. 

I’ve never sailed carnival but I’m looking at july 2023 and wondering when itineraries might be released. They are showing until June 2023 now. 

On 2/5/2021 at 11:13 PM, sanger727 said:

Oh, I'm not. I don't think there's any chance cruising would resume until everyone has had the opportunity to get the vaccine. But if it did, I don't think that saying "it's on the person" is appropriate when we are talking about the restrictions and categories of the covid vaccine. Would hate to see someone lie about being an essential worker or health issues to get the vaccine early just to go on a cruise. 

You need some kind of proof to show eligibility. You can’t just walk up and say “give me a vaccine”

I haven’t done VOV yet but midnight Sun is such an amazing itinerary!

2019– absolutely fantastic! And the weather was really glorious. Highly recommended 

6 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

No it was the entire CwC program, not well communicated.  Look at the T&C and it's more clear.  Maybe they cleaned up the language recently but now it's very clear.   I ran into this last week when trying to move my NRD to a sailing outside 5/4/2022 and they wouldn't waive the $100 pp fee quoting the sailing date outside CwC window.

 

"Celebrity Cruises’ “Cruise with Confidence” program provides individual guests and guests in non-contracted groups who booked a cruise on or before April 30, 2021, on sailings between June 12, 2020 and May 4, 2022, with the option to either: (i) cancel their cruise reservation up to 48 hours prior to the vacation start date and elect to receive a Future Cruise Credit under the Cruise with Confidence program (a “CWC FCC”) equal to the amount of the cruise fare the guest paid to Celebrity for their cruise; or (ii) opt in for our Cruise with Confidence “best price guarantee” on their current sailing up to 48 hours prior to the vacation start date. "

First off, I’m honestly not trying to start something with you. I looked at the terms and truly do not see where this is stated. https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-with-confidence
I have a celebrity and Royal for this summer that I’d like to ditch.