blag

36 minutes ago, uktog said:

My guess is you were part of the interface that is actually B2B and not B2C - in other words you were in the business to business portal and at that end it will be possible due to negotiations between Azamara and travel agents for transfers to be added free of charge

Your guess may not be correct, but... 

I just logged-in via the Web interface and other than the process of getting to the booking from the initial splash screen, through 'Booked Guests' to 'Manage My Booking' the interface and behaviour presented via the Web and via the app are different identical. But, by that time, the Web interface is no longer entitled Azamara, it is showing as Seaware. 

One difference, however, is that via the app I can see all my bookings including all the cancelled ones! So, it may be that the app I am using is intended for Agents after all. 

As my screenshot (previous post) indicates, the app was downloaded from Google's Play Store. As to how I was able to get it remains a mystery. 

10 minutes ago, uktog said:

I’m wondering though if it’s fully set up to integrate with Azamara passengers side of things yet. Might explain why a free transfer booked on it turned out not to be free? 

A few minutes ago I tried to find the app in Google's Play Store, but couldn't find it!

Maybe it has been withdrawn. 

In any case - although I have not done any comparison of the Web interface and the app - as far as I can tell the info available is identical.

Now, if the transfer was invoiced by Azamara at zero cost on three separate occasions, I doubt whether it was the interface at fault. I think the underlying data is far more likely to be the culprit. 

9 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Was the zero costed transfer also offered on the website version of your account?

I did not look at the Web version. I use this app. It seems to include everything I need.

There is a back-story to this zero-cost transfer.

I booked this short cruise via my usual TA as a 'filler' to allow us to get away in August, on the understanding that I would cancel it and re-book the same (preferred) suite once onboard in April when we qualified for the six free nights arising from loyalty progression whilst on the April/May cruise.

I was prepared to sacrifice the deposit in order to ensure that we secured the suite we wanted.

Being aware that the Future Sales staff were onboard cannot cancel a booking made by a TA, I went armed with a detailed letter from our TA authorising the onboard staff to cancel the cruise.

Although I lost the £500 deposit, I gained $800 OBC, and of course, six free nights gave us a substantial discount.

So, to get to the point: this cruise was booked twice.

In each booking (via the app) I was able to select a free transfer from FCO to Civitavecchia.

In each of three Azamara invoices prior to mid-May, this transfer is shown as having no cost associated with it. Only in mid-May did Azamara wake up to the fact that they had made an error, and issued a further invoice - after Final payment had been made.

As it happens, I have instructed my TA not to pursue this further with Azamara, because it sounds as if the shuttle provided by Azamara is unlikely to suit us for several reasons. 

17 hours ago, uktog said:

I understood in Tenerife the local taxi union had objected to the provision of shuttles.

7 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

However the P & O ship that was nearer the port gate had a shuttle!

6 hours ago, ECCruise said:

As for Tenerife, we were told by a very senior officer that it was strictly due to the expense.  Taxi unions were never mentioned. And this was our 3rd post-pandemic porting in Tenerife, and the first 2 times definitely had shuttles.

I wonder which is correct?

It seems to me that, if the P & O ship had shuttles, but Azamara's didn't, it is because Azamara was not prepared to pay for them.

57 minutes ago, Sabbycat said:

AZ does not have an app, and so I am wondering if you have confused them with another cruise you may have booked. 

No confusion whatsoever!

I did not say that Azamara has an app.

I can view my future cruises via Azamara's version of the 'Seaware' app, which is what I said in post #21 in this topic. See screenshot... 

Furthermore, all our future cruises are with Azamara.

6 minutes ago, camella said:

We just got back from a cruise Rome to Ravenna and used sharedshuttle.it.  Our experience was wonderful.  They contacted us prior to picking us up - we were staying at the airport Hilton and they picked us up right in front of the hotel.  There was one other couple in the van but it could have accommodated four more.  The other couple was already in the van when we were picked up.  He dropped them off at their ship and then dropped us off at our ship - there were different locations within the port.  Hope this helps!  It was 80 euros for both of us and we paid cash.

Thanks. I've been in touch with them.

Your review allays some of my concerns. The fact that they prefer a cash payment (or a PayPal +7% transaction) rather than payment by Credit Card is a worry. No comeback whatsoever if they fail to provide the service, but the consequences of a no-show would be much the same, irrespective of how payment is made. 

39 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

We didn’t have one in Tenerife either and it is a long walk. 

Forced 'Destination immersion'? 

52 minutes ago, Islay Peat said:

am not clear as to where replies show up (yours was an email to me)

Generally-speaking, once you post in any thread, you will receive notifications by email to advise you that someone has responded to your post or posted something in that thread.

If you check the details of the email you received, you will see that I did not send you the email - it was generated automatically by Cruise Critic.

3 hours ago, ECCruise said:

Finding that out and seeing the "free shuttles where available" scrubbed from the website makes me think that if the local authorities don't provide it, then it's not happening.

Seems probable. 

But, if so, I feel that Azamara has shot itself in the foot. 

1 minute ago, Travelswithmycamera said:

Travelling on a Med cruise  next year and it is an overnight departure point from  Chioggia.  Many of our ports have the excursion choices available however nothing as yet listed for Venice.  Has anyone had recent departures from Venice and what if any were the excursion choices?  Thank you all again for your great information.  

There are very enjoyable 'Free walking tours' in Venice. We have participated in a couple of these and have found them to be interesting, enlightening and not-too-strenuous. 

In some ways these are ideal for a city as compact as Venice.

17 minutes ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Well the Az agent categorically stating several times that nobody from the agency has contacted them at all to rectify the situation is absolutely untrue. My TA has the names and times of people that they have spoken to. Had the Az agent stated that they "couldn't see any record of" or "I'm unable to access that information"  then I wouldn't question their honesty for a second but they repeated to me several times that my TA had not contacted them to confirm the details. I Don't wish to debate semantics so I'll just leave it there. Thanks for the advice all. 

I was trying to say that we had insufficient information to dismiss the possibility that Azamara's agent misled you.

7 minutes ago, carfla7 said:

As a regular Azamara cruiser I am a bit concerned that the port shuttles (where available) are being dropped. I can’t see any mention of them on the website. My next cruise (Northern Cities 22/08/24) has several ports where a shuttle would be needed. But reading others’ posts it looks like they won’t be providing them. Of course, it could just be that they are simply not available. What recent experiences do people have?

We are already vexed because there has been a major change to the itinerary and I am trying now to manage expectations…. 🙄😎

On our most recent cruise, about a month ago, shuttles were available where necessary.

But, I would add, that these shuttles  were not provided by Azamara. They were provided either by the local community or by (perhaps) the Port Authority.

3 minutes ago, uktog said:

All no cost  inclusions are via the packaged product and aren’t set up by the guest. 

In my case, I selected a no-cost option (add-on) direct with Azamara.

I booked the cruise whilst on board, transferred it to my TA. I subsequently booked the no-cost option myself, independently, and Azamara confirmed it (at zero cost) in their invoice, which was presented to me by my TA.

I fail to see how this was not 'set up by the guest'. 

2 minutes ago, uktog said:

accusing people of lying without giving all the specifics is uncalled for

I concur.

But we do not know all the facts.

Maybe, just maybe...

Just now, Grandma Cruising said:

If you have everything written out in the confirmation from your travel agent, you have a contract with them and they have to make sure you get what is in your confirmation.

But, what happens if Azamara have included something (and is reneging, as in my case) but the TA has not specifically included these?

In the case of excursions and other add-ons I have dealt direct with Azamara, either in person whilst onboard, or via the Azamara online interface. In fact, AFAIK this seems to be the conventional protocol. 

 @DavyWavey70 may be contending with with a similar situation. 

7 minutes ago, uktog said:

And to repeat the agent may have made a mistake, accusing someone of lying implies a deliberate act to deceive you - I suspect your evidence on that claim would not stack up. Why would they deliberately be trying to deceive customers given how precise and demanding UK consumer legislation is?

I fully recognise a mistake may have been made, perhaps just as you have done, wording has been sloppy.  Things may not be correct on the IT record - but that is not deceit.  

The only mistake from what you have told us that I can see is that the Azamara agent spoke to you - you should have been told to route your call through your travel agent.  That is what you should be doing now and there are well established routes for UK agents, particularly those who do bundled packages as you have bought, to escalate items to Azamara.

We don't know all the facts.

6 minutes ago, Ayden said:

If shared is a concern, because it often can be, then try Stefano Rome Cabs. We have used them each and every time and they won't disappoint. From the port to the car is quite close. 

Thanks. I'll contact them. 

4 hours ago, avw said:

You might want to check them out. https://sharedshuttle.it/Transfer/67/Civitavecchia-Cruise-Port-Fiumicino-Airport

 

I checked them out. Looks good, realistic price, and the time of departure suits us.

Just two questions occur to me... 

1: the provider's blurb states there will be a meet-and-greet, but how far is the vehicle from the meeting point? 

2: what is the maximum number of passengers in the vehicle? 

2 hours ago, avw said:

I have sailed on Azamara since 2008 and have never known Azamara to include a transfer unless you also got your air through Azamara. Also, I have never seen any Azamara provided deal that included a 3 table tour. I live in the US, so there could be a difference there. But, it sounds to me like the tour operator may have assembled its own packag

This was not arranged by my TA/Tour Operator. It was an option offered by Azamara in their version of the Seaware app. Transfer from Fiumicino was offered by Azamara at a cost of zero; transfer to Barcelona airport had a price, but was irrelevant because we are staying for a day or two after the cruise.

This zero cost was probably a glitch, but never, in all our cruises with our Azamara, have we used their transfer service, so I had no frame of reference!

Thank you for the link for the Shared Shuttle service. I'll give them a try. 

I am still waiting for @Mrs Miggins to come up with info about her €70 transfer! 

15 hours ago, blag said:

Under the bed.

The beds are designed to provide adequate storage for any suitcases that you are likely to be able to take on a flight.

So, as subsequent posts have confirmed:

under the bed! 

5 minutes ago, Catchum said:

Our upcoming trip includes flights and transfers booked through a TA with Azamara. On the booking it also says independent air and included transfers. 

 

I know the flights are there and ticketed as I have picked my seats. 

 

My TA queried it with Azamara who had no explanation and said don't worry. SNAFU

It is astonishing that Azamara tolerate this level of incompetence!

My scenario is different because Azamara are asking for an additional payment for an included component after Final payment. No reassurance is forthcoming - yet - from either Azamara or my TAM

Under the bed.

The beds are designed to provide adequate storage for any suitcases that you are likely to be able to take on a flight.

35 minutes ago, CraigV-GB said:

 

Anything Azamara offers usually has at least a 100% markup to where you can buy it yourself. Instead, take the train from the airport station at FCO to Civitavecchia. Just one change usually across the island platform at Roma Ostiense. €11 each, plus €6 for the rip off transfer bus (which used to be jus €3) to the ship from the train station. Slow but painless journey. Get tickets at www.trenitalia.com. English button top right. For "from" station use "fiumicino aeroporto". Or install the Trenitalia app. Check your active train and which platform information at www.viaggiatreno.it. Hope this helps.

Thankyou for this suggestion, and we have the Carta Freccia.

We are familiar with this alternative, but as seniors (one of whom is not capable of handling luggage) this constitutes too much handling of suitcases and bags. By my count we would need to do this at least three times more than by using the Azamara shuttle, and our experience of the train into Rome is that luggage storage can be difficult. 

Incidentally, on this occasion, I am finding it difficult to procure a private (or shared) transfer for anything like half Azamara's price, despite what you say about Azamara's inflated prices. The closest I have got so far is €149, but I am hoping that Mrs Miggins' is able to give me some more info about the €70 transfer mentioned earlier!

Just now, Mrs Miggins said:

In the event you are unsuccessful (we often book our own flights and have never had a free transfer) you probably know that a private transfer from the airport to ship side costs approximately 70 Euros.  In fact this is preferable to waiting around for a coach to fill from incoming and often late flights.

 

 

 

 

Nope - €70* from airport to ship seems impossible.

Because of our commitments (based on Azamara's listed, invoiced, free transfer) we will be embarking on a Sunday and I cannot find, anywhere, a transfer at that sort of price.

For us this cruise is just a brief, convenient, low-cost 'filler', and we are endeavouring to keep our expenditure to a minimum. We would not normally consider using the transfer service, and in fact, have never done so, but on this occasion the price was right. 

If you have a contact or resource, for this lower price - please advise.

* is that per person? 

I concur and sympathise.

We have reached Discoverer Plus level, and although there have been a number of bumps along the road, things really weren't too bad until the IT changeover fiasco.

I recently booked a short cruise with Azamara, due to start in mid August, out of Civitavecchia.

At the time of booking, I was delighted to see that a free transfer was available from Rome Fiumicino airport to the port. This is ideal for us, because we live in Italy, and Fiumicino is about three hours drive for us. We can fly back into Fiumicino.

I booked excursions for this cruise whilst onboard Journey a month or so ago. Unfortunately no-one onboard seemed able to provide me with details of the transfer and I was advised to contact my TA so that they might find out more details.

My TA was eventually told about 10 days ago that we should arrive at Fiumicino airport on the morning of embarkation and find Azamara agents for the transfer service. 

I made final payment for the cruise a fortnight or so ago, and on 13 May received the Final invoice from Azamara showing that no money was due. The transfer is listed as included without a price.

The day before yesterday I booked hotels, flight, and parking using Fiumicino as our start and return point.

Yesterday evening my TA advised me that because I have not used Azamara for our flights, Azamara want £176 (£88 each) for the transfers!

When I booked the transfer the fact that we are 'Air Independent' is clearly shown against this booking.

Had there been a price associated with the transfer, it is very likely that I would have made alternative arrangements for our hotels and parking. Indeed, we may have even changed our flight route.

Interestingly, there was a price listed for the transfer from the ship to Barcelona Airport, but this was not of use to us because we will be staying in Barcelona for a day or two. 

I am astonished that Azamara have the temerity - nay! the barefaced gall - to try to ask for payment for something shown without a price on the invoice for Final payment.

Of course, I have asked my TA to vigorously dispute this.