blag

Those in suites already paid for this - no extra charge for them.

Three locations.

From what you have stated it seems to me that it may not be Azamara's fault. In the absence of any invoices, statements or other confirmation from Azamara of the price, it looks very much as if the culprit is the TA, irrespective of your past history with them. You state that you have taken a suite and have cruised several times previously, and it is probably a fair assumption that you have an idea of what price one might pay for a suite on that cruise? Therefore, was the original price suspiciously low, and is the price now being asked more in line with what one would expect? Having been in a similar situation (albeit for different reasons) - twice - on both occasions I have been able to re-structure things to ameliorate losses. Unfortunately, though, neither of the alternatives were as good as the original. Hotels will often allow flexibility, airlines will often (even on non-refundable) allow you to change flights, and so on. It's a pain, to say the least, but if the TA won't accept liability, and you are not covered by insurance, your choices are: to lose all the non-refundables; to structure an alternative which salvages something; resort to litigation (against a US TA 🤦🤦) or to pay the extra.

Do you have any form of written confirmation from Azamara (i.e. not from the TA) which includes details of the pricing? If so, then you probably have an enforceable contract against Azamara. If not then your right of action is against the TA. Either way, if you have insurance, you should lodge a claim without delay. As an aside, does the new price seem more realistic than the original?

Is this intended for me, or a general 'Thank you'?

There is little (or no) choice of landing at Sorrento! Your question leads me to believe that you are not aware of this resource!

One man's 'reasonable' is another's 'expensive'. If you could define what you mean by 'reasonable' you might get enlightenment.

Sorry. I misunderstood! 🤦🤦🤦

Some (many?) UK insurers will not cover you if the Foreign Office advises against travel to the country.

What time were you pre-allocated by Azamara, or, if no time was pre-allocated, what was your loyalty status/ accommodation?

The actual review was way, way too long gir me, and including photographs of the food speaks volumes. But, most notable — for me — was the following: "… became painfully obvious that the embarkation order dictated in the Azamara joining letter was being universally abused" The result is anarchy, and, ultimately, selfishness becomes self-defeating.

Our most recent embarkation in Rio could have been better, but the intervention of the Hotel Director improved things significantly. As for our embarkation at Dubai, that was by far the worst we have ever encountered. Even with priority boarding we sweltered for two hours before finally getting to the desk. Admittedly most of this was not Azamara's fault - most of the delay was a consequence of a tortuously long queue for entry formalities for India. I think you were westward-bound out of Dubai, which probably explains why your experience differed.

Well said! I have seen people advising turning up whenever it suits. Such advice leads to chaos and frustration for those who respect their allocated lots.

Well, in my experience, Azamara's boarding times have always started early afternoon. What other cruise lines offer for boarding times is, basically, irrelevant.

https://www.whatsinport.com/Porto-Santo-Stefano.htm

Forgot to mention that on the occasions we tried Aqualina for breakfast (on at least two different ships) the lamentably slow service was probably the reason the food was tepid. Complaints to senior staff produced no noticeable improvement.

This is correct, but we found it disappointing. Food arrived tepid, and our orders were frequently wrong. We stopped going after a few days.

Hear! Hear!

Which ship?

It depends on the agent. We use UK agents. One sends the Azamara paperwork as a Statement. The other does not.

Understood. I had the same problem before I found my current TA.

Not entirely true to say never! When Azamara failed to collect Yellow Fever Certificates on embarkation on a recent cruise – and then insisted that they were all presented within a window of a few hours – the queues were very, very long – up to 20 minutes! Inevitably, so early in the cruise, many people, once at the head of the queue, took the opportunity to ask questions about other matters, which slowed the whole process.

Why dump your TA? Are you sure that he/she/they have failed you? Or, are there other reasons for dissatisfaction?

This is Azamara's list of prohibited items: Prohibited Items The following are examples of items that guests are not allowed to bring onboard. These and other similar items will be confiscated. Illegal drugs, flammable liquids, explosives, and dangerous chemicals will not be returned. Firearms & ammunition, including realistic replicas Sharp objects, including knives and scissors (Personal grooming items such as safety razors and scissors with blades less than 4 inches are allowed) Illegal drugs & substances Candles & incense Coffee makers, clothes irons, & hot plates Baseball bats, hockey sticks, cricket bats, bows & arrows Skateboards & surfboards Martial arts gear Self-defense Gear, including handcuffs, pepper spray, night sticks Flammable liquids and explosives, including lighter fluid and fireworks HAM radios Dangerous chemicals, including bleach and paint Electric water kettles Extension Cords and Multi-Plug Outlets/Power Strips As you can see, electric kettles are prohibited. I suggest that on embarkation you present the kettle to Guest Relations so that there can be no 'misunderstandings'.

For us these were 'special' versions of chef's table and the venue was the large table in Prime C.