Spursgirl

Oh how I sympathise Ann. While I fortunately received the balance of my cruise cost a couple of months ago, it is proving impossible to receive the deposit. As the   cruise was booked onboard, apparently the funds are returned (or not) by Azamara direct rather than via the TA. 

Have received copious responses to my emails informing me that the cash is on the way but as the refund was requested in March am on the point of writing it off. 

While the loss of £125 is in no way catastrophic, on a point of principle I won't book a future cruise with a company that has so little care for its guests.

i hope your situation is resolved soon.

Have finally received my refund after regrettably having to threaten to take my (Scottish) TA to the Sherriff's Court.

In my case the fault was totally Azamara's. Despite the TA requesting a refund on my behalf the day the cruise was cancelled, 70 days later I received my first communication from Azamara informing me that my FCC had been forwarded to my TA. When my blood pressure came down I told the TA that if this was not sorted within 48 hours legal action would follow and they re-imbursed me immediately before they had received the funds from Azamara.

i have heard from two other people that Azamara employed the same tactics with them and sadly it leaves me feeling that the integrity of this company is sadly lacking.

i know that many are still waiting for resolution and hope that this comes soon.

it is unlikely that I will be rushing to book with Azamara when it is safe to cruise again. That makes me very sad as I have loved all my 20+ Azamara vacations.

You sound as fed up as me Ann. Really don't think I have been unreasonable. Was not expecting my refund in 14 days or anything like. What I anticipated was Azamara refunding passengers in chronological order of cancellations. Instead what we seem to have is a chaotic and haphazard system that no one can work out leaving far too many annoyed guests.

The only thing they seem to be good at is sending fatuous emails I have no interest in at this time. For me this just adds fuel to the fire and demonstrates how totally out of touch they are.

Hope both of our issues are sorted soon.

That is great news Diana. After receiving copious excuses from my TA I was told yesterday that my refund is imminent. Am totally fed up and not sure I believe them.

Have decided to give them one more week and if no cash arrives reluctantly I will follow the same strategy as you.

i have loved all my cruises with Azamara and am very sad that their shambolic refunding process has left me so disenchanted.

Clearly you and I received the same survey Combine. My first thought was that Azamara had used a different survey company from usual and how much more relevant this one was.

Wondering if we received the same survey. Granted there were questions about itineraries but I was also asked how I felt during the Pandemic and when I would feel comfortable cruising again. I also used the opportunity to say in one of the boxes that I was unlikely to cruise again until a vaccine was widely available, I hope others received similar question options and were able to inform Azamara of their thoughts regarding future cruising plans.

Seatrade Cruise News has reported today that RCCL have boosted their liquidity by securing a 364 day $2.2 billion loan.

Hope some of this will be used to keep Azamara afloat!

I am on the same cruise as you. Amazingly British Airways are still selling tickets for the flight to Barcelona on April 25 when I had planned to travel.

Azamara and RCCL are clearly loathe to address the fact, but it is looking increasingly likely that there will be NO European cruise season in 2020.

i am becoming very frustrated that Azamara are not cancelling Med cruises in April, May and June at least.

It is a lovely picture but it is immaterial when it was taken, it is highly inappropriate to post it now.

In my small community in the UK, people including those most at risk don't seem to have taken on board the concept of social distancing. The lack of corporate responsibility here by Celebrity is disappointing.

Wondering if it might come down to chartering flights for non US guests. Another complicated conundrum for the over stretched team in Miami to solve

While it might become necessary at some point, I am not advocating that Azamara junk their entire Med Season today. But Italy, Spain and possibly France will not have recovered and be ready to welcome tourists before June at the earliest and in my opinion that is a stretch. Cancelling cruises in April and May seems the responsible thing to do. It is so sad that we are applauding the integrity of Viking and other competitor lines and denigrating Azamara 

This does not assist those of us sailing the Med from April one bit! Do they get the news in Miami?  Have they heard Spain is to imminently join Italy on lockdown? If other cruise companies can do the right thing by their guests and their crew why can't Azamara? 

Phil, Australia already introduced similar stringent immigration rules earlier this week.

Suspect it won't be long before cruising is suspended worldwide for three months or so.

I wonder if Bonnie could kindly ask her Executive Management Team who say they have so much care for guest's health and well being if they have heard of the World Health Organisation.

Yesterday they confirmed that Europe is now the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak and yet there is no statement relating to European cruises starting in April including my Pursuit voyage on the 26th.

Italy is overwhelmed and on lock down, Spain and France are hot on their heels and  the United Kingdom, my home is facing serious challenges.

Ports are closing to cruise ships and tourist attractions are closing down. 

It is clear you have no duty of care to your guests but what about your crew? Surely you are not intending to put them in harms way?

Please show some belated leadership and cancel all Med cruises until at least July.

Royal Caribbean has announced a suspension of 30 days FOR AMERICAN SAILINGS ONLY. And this on the day that the WHO announced that the epicentre of the epidemic is now in Europe.

While the statement is from Royal Caribbean Ltd there is no mention of either Celebrity or Azamara - maybe neither brand has American sailings.

i give up!

This is a spoof video right? Just cannot take this guy seriously!

There is a post on the Royal Caribbean CC site that says that the company are making a statement at 2pm EST. Obviously I have no idea if this is accurate but maybe we will receive some welcome news later today

It is very sad to read your post Ann as I know how much you have loved your Azamara cruises. Not only have you been a huge supporter of the cruise line you have also provided many of us with helpful and sound advice over the years.

i cannot disagree with any of your comments. The measure of a company is not how they behave when things are going swimmingly ( forgive the pun) but when they are faced with a challenging environment. Sadly Azamara's current response is both woeful and unacceptable.

My cruise in six weeks features three ports in Italy over four days as well as a disembarkation in Civitavecchia. A toddler could predict my cruise (and yours) will not go ahead but still Azamara prevaricates.

When this nightmare is over looks like we will both be looking for a new cruise line.

This is an excellent thought but a suggestion of this nature should not come from a guest. Working from a crisis manual, used as a bible by leading corporations whenever an emergency situation occurs, a thread would have been activated on this site many days ago. Designated spokespeople would communicate updated statements on a regular basis and while the news they were imparting might be disappointing,the integrity of the company would be retained and guests would have the information they need to make informed decisions. It appears to me that RCCL do not have such a reference manual which as a communications professional I find unbelievable.

Reading Bonnie's last missive posted on another thread 30 minutes ago which is totally inadequate bearing in mind the ever worsening crisis, I fear Phil's idea is not going to be happening any time soon. 

This post is not intended to be disrespectful to Bonnie in any way. I'm sure she will pass on information to us when she is able

Sorry to say I have zero sympathy with Azamara - their communications strategy is pitiful.

Of course they have to buy into RCCL group policy but there are still ways to give guests travelling shortly reassurance, ideally with a comment / statement here from Mr Pimentel or if that is not possible Bonnie (who of course is unable to provide us with info until her line manager/ management sanction it.

My cruise is next month and it is obvious it will not happen - what are RCCL waiting for? Unlike Viking, it appears that they want other players in the industry to make announcements and then they will be forced to follow. This is very disappointing business practice.

Lottie, we obviously had the same thoughts at the same time. I for one am becoming extremely frustrated. Bet I'm not alone 

With Italy now reporting 12,500 cases of Coronavirus and sadly more than 800 deaths, at what point will Azamara take the decision that calling at Italian ports is untenable for at least the next 3 months? With cases in France and Spain also increasing rapidly, rerouting itineraries may prove extremely problematic and may require the company to rethink the entire Med season for 2020.

Many on these boards have expressed frustration that decisions re cancellation are taken very late causing guests unnecessary stress and in many cases significant expense.

While I appreciate that this is a fast moving situation, the Azamara of old would have taken a proactive stance taking into account the well being of both guests and its wonderful crew.

Could I request through Bonnie who is doing her very best to inform us and convey our concerns to management that decisions regarding at the very least April and May Med cruises are made very speedily.

Like many others am a loyal and currently frustrated Azamara cruiser. My April cruise ends in Civitavecchia with about half our itinerary visiting Italian ports. Azamara has clearly forgotten the mantra that it takes a long time to build a company reputation but a very short period to lose it.

The company's current guidelines are totally inadequate not to mention muddled. What happens for example to unfortunate passengers who are denied boarding because they have a temperature? Are they taken to a location where they can be monitored and re- tested? Are they immediately quarantined at the embarkation city or are they left to fend for themselves? Obviously most people would ( if allowed) want to get home asap with the potential that they could be infecting significant numbers of people at an airport or on a flight.

This current strategy is untenable!

Bearing in mind where Italy were 7-10 days ago and how this virus is mushrooming, the number of sufferers in France and Spain may also be very elevated by the time of our April cruises.

i would assume Azamara are taking this into consideration when planning how or if there is a Mediterranean season this year.

The World Health Organisation's rather accurate crystal ball tells us that countries around the world should be prepared for significant disruption over the next several months. Azamara's statements intended to help and reassure guests is completely inadequate. Time for them to get real!