DavyWavey70

Be careful over there Lois, they have been known to bite 🙂

Unfortunately not. Currently the TA is trying to sort it out but they seem to be banging their head against a very thick wall.

Welcome back M. Reality is a place best kept at arms length. We’ve missed you and whilst feeling sad that your incredible adventure has drawn to a conclusion, I Can’t wait for you next one! Much love to you both xxx

Amex do seem to have gone a little more feral with the percentage that they are charging recently. Enjoy the benefits whilst you can before nobody accepts them anymore.

Have a wonderful time Lois. Looking forward to hearing all about it. xxx

Thank you Host JB for your insight. Unfortunately for somebody that has one “vacation” a year that is planned out to the minute, this is unnerving me. My Autism doesn’t let me rest until things are settled and the stock response of “you can sort that out once onboard’” leaves me unable to sleep at night. I’ve invested hundreds of hours research into this trip. I’ve researched the best Safari lodges to visit before joining the tour, I’m ready to push the button on Emirates first class flights. My partner is set to fly out to meet me for a couple of nights at the Burj al Arab on my way home and the 3 furbaby sitters are ready to be confirmed. This isn’t just a holiday. One thing that I just can’t cope with is dishonesty. Incompetence is manageable but outright dishonesty rattles me to the end.

I Appreciate that Blag, thank you for your contribution. Thanks Host JB. As you may remember I took a cruise on X this past January and had none of these problems. I Was able to upgrade everything seamlessly through their website. I Booked excursions, speciality dining package, upgraded my drinks package and wifi and pre-paid for several bags of laundry without a single glitch and received everything that I paid for. MyTA informed me this time that excursions and any onboard extras needed to booked via Azamaras' website. If I shouldn't be amending or adding extras to my Azamara booking directly rather than going through my TA then why do Az grant me access to the "manage my booking" section of their website as directed (that does appears to run best on Windows 95) that does nothing than add utter confusion to the situation? I've been switched from an extremely eager guest that can't wait to try the line to someone that wonders if they can't run a website, what will the cruise be like.

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.

Yes it’s all in the confirmation. Sorry, my wording was sloppy. It was the Azamara agent that’s been lying to me, not my TA.

This latest round of confusion came because I called Az to upgrade my onboard package which can’t be done via my agent. I Wanted to upgrade from the Experience more essentials package to experience more for solo travellers. It was then that I was informed that the package that had been there the week before was no longer there so I couldn’t upgrade, just pay the full price of the package. One agent in particular had been dishonest with me so I stand by what I said. What a very, very poor first impression of a company. I’m left regretting that I ever booked it.

I’m sorry to hear that blag, I hope you get things sorted. The IT system is just horrid.

They really have been trying. Like I said, we are 2 months in now and I’m still no closer to getting things sorted.

So 2 months ago I booked a 3 week tour of South Africa that included a 12 night Azamara cruise through a very well reputed UK tour operator. I Was so excited to finally try Azamara. Ever since I booked I have been trying to book my excursions and upgrade my included package to no avail. Firstly it took 2 weeks to see my booking at all, this took several phone calls. It was loaded incorrectly. A Week after it finally showed up, Azamara showed that my booking was cancelled. I Called them several times and they confirmed that the booking was cancelled but they couldn’t tell me how or why. Eventually the tour operator managed to get the booking re-instated. It was reinstated incorrectly with my basic package loaded but with none of the extras included such as the 3 table tour. Several phone calls later they finally loaded the 3 table tour to the booking but at the same time dropped the entire essentials package. I’ve called several times since trying to upgrade my package only to be told that I’ll just have to sort it once onboard. The representative has claimed several times that they have had no communication whatsoever from the operator to confirm what should be included despite the operator confirming 5 separate conversations with them. I Have now wasted dozens of hours of my life trying to make the most basic arrangements for my special trip to be met with nothing other than indifference and incompetence. Azamara reps have consistently put the blame onto my tour operator which I know is absolutely untrue. Their IT systems seem to pre-date the times of Marty McFly, their honesty is extremely fluid, their competence is beyond questionable and their ability to deliver would be easily outdone by a paraplegic sloth. What on earth have I let myself in for?

A Pleasure much enjoyed by myself also. Even more so now knowing that Rojaan is Welsh. Cymru am Byth!

That looks absolutely fabulous M. That will certainly soften the blow!

Not one on the Inquisition? Sorry I forgot, nobody expects the Inquisition.

Have you booked your next one yet onboard? Save travels home both xxx

I’ll look forward to his call 😁

We had a similar problem when we were on the Muse and it was very loud at all sorts of hours. Luckily we aren’t early to bed sorts but it was quite intrusive and our Butler wasn’t much help.

Well she’s in very good company. Dolly Parton has just revealed last week that her ancestry was from Conwy. Do you have any leads? I Believe that a trip to the big house was often, in those days, a pre-curser for a much longer trip.

Would the word adventure be more appropriate? I’m glad you enjoyed it anyway.

I For one always use nwah yee in a Martini. I Agree completely about the sauces Jeff vermouth does add an extra dimension of wine.

I’d have an Icewine tasting might have been in order! Enjoy your last couple of days M. The bunting is ready.

I’m so proud of him, his girls and all that they have achieved. I’m Even more proud of the way he has treated the one that was tasked with putting him out of business that now has a minor roll within the same franchise group. He’s smothered her with kindness. As a bystander, Karma can be sweet.

An example of UK redundancy law is my partner. My partners branch of Travel Agency was closing due to non agreement in a renewal of branch lease. They did everything they could to keep my partner but because he requested redundancy and they couldn’t provide similar terms it was his choice. He walked away with 19k and opened his own travel agency. His previous employer set up an active campaign to run a loss making branch close to him to put him out of business. Thomas Cook luckily went under in Sept 19 on his Birthday. Some of those 30 year+ employees left with only 5k. He has employed every one of those previous employees and is about to open his second shop.