Xport

Three more credits appeared on my credit card, one for the amount of taxes and fees paid for the March 3 cruise, and the other two in amounts unexplainable by me. However, when added together, they total the $2386.34 shortfall from the initial refund amount. So it looks like they've made us whole for the March 3 cancelled cruise. That's good news.

 

There was one additional credit for a small amount I can't reconcile with any specific charges paid by me, and it's significantly less than two days worth of refund for the February 17 shortened cruise, so I'll wait and see what else appears on my credit card account.

 

This is quite encouraging...and more timely than we were led to expect.

I, too, got refunds--in four separate transactions--yesterday to my credit cards [i'd used one to pay the balance and a second for the deposit] for the cancelled 3 March cruise. Though it took me some time to reconcile them, I've found that [a] two total my deposit, and , two represent my cruise fare and port taxes/fees following exclusion of credits to the basic cruise fare I received for having booked aboard and for having booked back-to-back-to back sailings... The numbers initially looked funny but they did add up...

Yesterday, I also received refunds to my credit cards for two Azamara Land Discoveries I'd booked during the 3 March trip... Each of those transactions was easily identifiable as the amount represented the full amount I'd paid...

To date, I've not seen a partial credit for the cruise fare/port taxes and fees for the 17 February trip that ended prematurely... I'm assuming--but don't know--that some portion of the port taxes/fees paid for this sailing were associated with our anticipated arrival in Shanghai on 3 March [that is to say that not all the charges associated with being in Shanghai were associated with the already refunded 3 March sailing] and that some flat dolllar amount [rather than a pro-rata share of the port taxes/fees paid for the 17 February trip] will be part of that refund...

I agree... To Azamara's credit, it's happening faster than expected...

--Mike

February 27, 2014

2:15am E.S.T

 

On February 25, Azamara Journey sustained damage to one of the ship’s two propellers, caused by debris. Unfortunately, due to the time needed to make the necessary repairs, it is necessary to cancel Azamara Journey’s next voyage, which was scheduled to depart Shanghai, China, on Monday, March 3.

I've been on Journey since 3 February and learned of the cancellation via the e-mail sent from Miami earlier today and have still not heard the same news from anyone aboard ship... Indeed, I was amazed!

Sorry... Unintended duplicate...

I have friends going on Northbound Asian Allure in March. Does anyone know if they are planning on changing the IT.

I am currently in Singapore and will board sister ship--Azamara Journey--on Monday... Our itinerary calls for a double overnight in Bangkok--specifically, we'll dock right in town at Khlong Toey--from 6 through 8 February... While I'm sure the viability of our visit [Millennium is also scheduled to visit Bangkok next week but ports several hours outside town] remains fluid in the context of reaction to tomorrow's elections, we have not been advised of an itinerary change thus far...

I do know that Journey did call at Bangkok as scheduled earlier this week and, per the tour operator I've engaged, they did conduct the tours that had been planned by guests currently aboard Journey without difficulty [the unrest--at least until now--has seemingly been centered away from the primary tourist sites]...

I suspect that your question may be a bit early in terms of what may ultimately happen during a cruise in March...

Lois [2fromTO] is correct... The information is also on the Azamara website...

http://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/plan-your-voyage/after-booking/helpful-information/directions-embarkation-ports

Siem Reap was amazing... Looking forward to meeting you and John on Monday!

--Mike

But I did a very similar sailing on Journey in mid-September 2010--from Barcelona to Rome [we had a port call in Portofino and an overnight in Nice rather than specific stops--though we toured both--at Cannes and Monaco] and, start to finish, the seas were calm, the weather was picture perfect [though there are never any guarantees], and--as an added bonus--the summer crowds were gone...

I would, without hesitation, visit that area again at the same time of year!

If you go, enjoy!

We are going on our 1st Celebrity cruise to Asia in March on the Millenium - we have booked a Aqua room and are looking forward to trying out Blu.

You will also receive shower gel--in the same Lemongrass scent and by the same manufacturer--cited otherwise in this thread... I happen to like the products and their very light scent... If anything, I find the shampoo to be somewhat drying after continued use on a longer cruise and generally bring a small supply of my own--something moisturizing--to mix it up a bit...

The bottles are small but they're not rationed! If you need more, simply ask your Stateroom Attendant for an additional supply and further request that he/she try to anticipate your use...

I thoroughly enjoy AquaClass and Blu... Have a great trip! I'm leaving for Asia tomorrow--first visit--and am really psyched about it!

You may not be able to do this until on board. Steiner (the current operator) will be leaving. The new spa company has not been announced.

A recent cruiser posted here yesterday that Canyon Ranch will assume operation of the spas on Celebrity ships... I seem to recall that the full transition isn't anticipated until July or August...

Original Poster... The full schedule is never available for advance booking online... If you can't find the appointment you are looking for--or any, for that matter--suggest that you book in person immediately following boarding...

For your very kind comments... Though not all will agree with my observations for a variety of reasons, I do think that they're important enough [as are others from the earlier related thread that I did not specifically mention] from an equity/principles perspective--I'm not some grumpy old man or obsessed with perks--to "keep them green"... This forum is surely one vehicle for doing so...

In response to participant feedback, Celebrity has--to their credit--already made two minor tweaks to the revised Captain's Club program as unveiled on 25 November... In the meantime--and I just don't understand it--Azamara has yet to get their revisions, surely they were anticipated in the context of Celebrity's impending actions [they were no surprise and more than a rumor early last year] and their mutual systems, off the ground...

--Mike

...on 16 January... Those--as well as the documents for the 3 February and 17 February sailings--all reflect my LCV membership tier as Discover rather than Discoverer Plus...

I'm conceptually indifferent about the benefits differences too--I booked these cruises long before the Captain's Club and the straggler LCV changes were introduced--but there are principles in play... If new membership levels have been introduced and Club Points are being accrued at a lower rate for some--but not all--based upon stateroom level, there is--to my mind--an imperative to implement new benefit levels [seemingly enhancements, whatever they are] coincident with announcement of new membership tiers and implementation of the revised loyalty measurement system...

As someone who typically travels solo, my Captain's Club change from Elite to Elite Plus is meaningful to me in that it provides a more equitable internet and laundry benefit than I received under the old system for the same--or higher--spend than an Elite tier couple... And even though my benefits will still be half those of an Elite Plus couple for the same or higher spend, laundry and internet time are now at a level that will work for me--even though the concept is still off--without sustaining additional charges that similarly loyal couples did not incur...

I've noted before that we all see these things through our own prism; it's human nature not to do so just as it is human nature not to look at the broader picture/perspective if it does not impact us... Many on this forum have expressed differing--but very valid--issues and concerns; some [like the published disparity in qualifiying for Celebrity Elite versus Azamara Discoverer; I'm still convinced that was an error but they've never directly admitted so; pride is getting in the way of their good judgment] are significant...

I'm all for things being done right--always and all ways--but I think that Azamara's ship has already sailed... In terms of onboard experience, the Discoverer Plus designation will seemingly have no tangible meaning for those of us who are sailing prior to some yet undetermined date during Second Quarter... And so while I agree that the records should be correct, I'm not much sure that a Discoverer versus Discoverer Plus designation makes an iota's difference from a guest perspective--to me, that's where it matters--in terms of our imminent sailings...

Sadly, Azamara has made a terrible debacle of this rollout... If done well, cohesively, and strategically in timely fashion, it could have been a win/win for both guests and the cruise line...

We are very sorry for the delay in the Le Club Voyage email. We had intended to send it out on January 15th, but instead we will be sending it out on January 31st. We know that our communications are not up to our standards, or yours. Again, we are very sorry for the delay.

It would be a very considerate gesture if Azamara were to orchestrate an onboard briefing by the LCV Representative for those who will be aboard coincident with the communication or who--like me; there are others who have weighed in on this thread in similar situation; most, if not all of us, will already have arrived in Asia--will be boarding on the next subsequent sailing...

I too await the news at the end of the month with significant interest...

One is outside the theater and opposite the forward elevator lobby; the second is outside Destinations [the future cruise sales office] just aft of the midships elevator lobby... No smoking that I've seen between the two...

The Azamara Rep with whom I spoke yesterday in search of an update [my post #85 above] called last evening... She could offer no firm date at which the promised--but now overdue--LCV communication will go out but I did appreciate her related attempt to get an answer and her kind follow-up...

With a request for update... Can't say I spoke with a Le Club Voyage Rep as I learned that there is no dedicated LCV staff despite the fact that I followed Azamara's invitation--as listed on their website--to "call us on this special line created exclusively for our most loyal guests"... I suspected as much when I reached their Interactive Voice Response system and there was no prompt to speak with an LCV representative; the person who did answer--after a bit of a wait--confirmed my suspicions...

The rep who did take my call was most professional but had no information that we didn't get on this forum weeks ago and stated that the 15 January date for communication--she was aware of it--was merely a target and that she could not predict when fulfillment might occur... I reiterated my points of inquiry [as well as others expressed here; I was clear that I've been following the related discussion on Cruise Critic] and again respectfully expressed my displeasure with the manner--from content to communication to timing--the whole matter has been handled [or not handled] by Azamara...

I was invited to send an e-mail to Azamara to express my concerns but, with my departure for Asia now ten days away and my first boarding of Journey on 3 February, declined to do so... I have better ways to spend my time right now and instead asked that someone with in-depth knowledge and meaningful accountability for Le Club Voyage phone me promptly...

Sadly, I have little expectation of a written communication or a return call before my trip commences... Handling of this whole issue tells me much... Though always addressed politely by line-staff for whom I have some sympathy [i wouldn't want to be placed in similar position], arrogance and indifference are at the core of leadership response... Extremely disappointing and certainly not befitting the image Azamara seemingly wants [or should want] to convey...

Has anybody received an email from Azamara regarding their LCV status?

The same thought occurred to me last evening...

Since we're sailing in just over two weeks, it would be safe to say that we have every reason to be more than annoyed! Absolutely unacceptable from many perspectives!

Carnival Cruise Lines does not extend loyalty reciprocity within their own family of brands [Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, and Seabourn]...

Goofy as the reciprocity issues can sometimes seem--it's a source of frequent comment here--within the Azamara, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean family of brands, at least they address loyalty recognition--in my opinion with some thoughtfulness--to both individual brands and across the broader Corporation......

We have also received a willing cash refund from Celebrity when a very expensive fly-in shore excursion was poorly executed, so there is refund precedent in the RCI family.

And wasn't it a fiasco???

But I should have visited ShoreEx with you upon return to the ship... Wasn't squeaky enough--and you know I can be--so got nowhere either onboard or with Miami post-cruise...

I've seldom had reason to express significant dissatisfaction within the Royal Caribbean family of brands but my experience--I've won a few; I've lost a few--is that their response has been highly individualized/situational even when, as our own common experience proves, circumstances are identical... There's nothing formulaic about it...

Good luck to the OP in getting this resolved...

I much prefer Florida's Turnpike over Interstate 95... Traffic is most always far lighter on the Turnpike [interstate 95 can become quite congested; especially between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale] and there are far greater distances between roadway entrances/exits that can sometimes impede traffic flow... That said, Florida's Turnpike is a toll road; I-95 is not [which is another reason that the Turnpike traffic tends to be lighter]...

I've not had occasion to use the Orlando Airport but, if I'm not mistaken, it is situated a good bit closer to the Turnpike than is Interstate 95; that puts you on the highway faster than negotiating more local roads to get to I-95...

As the previous poster noted, plan for about a four hour drive...

Travel safely; enjoy Silhouette!

Easy way to tell...If your cabin is a quad, the bed will be by the bath. If not a quad (they alternate) bed will be by the balcony. EM

But, if trying to address the same issue in AquaClass [not the case for this post], know that one needs to refer to the "sticky" Solstice-Class spreadsheet and count by alternating staterooms if the one you are interested in isn't listed...

All of the AquaClass staterooms are designed for occupancy by two; there are no quads!

For their Flight Operations Group... They deal with issues like missed ship boardings and, to the best of my knowledge, you need not have booked your air through Choice Air to get their guidance [the one time I needed to contact them was on a cruise departing less than ten miles from my home]...

In the US, that phone # is 1-800-256-6649...

Recover quickly! Good luck!

Can't address some of your specific questions as I visited Copenhagen as an intermediate port--and then while cruising with Celebrity rather than Azamara--but Azamara does post embarkation port information [your disembarkation port is the embarkation port for the next sailing] on its website... You will find that information here...

http://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/plan-your-voyage/after-booking/helpful-information/directions-embarkation-ports

Cruise Critic is a treasure trove of information... Strongly suggest that you join the Roll Call for your cruise [follow the "Gold Star" link above to find the thread for your ship and embarkation date]... Roll Calls provide a means to "meet" others who will be sharing your specific cruise, ask questions/exchange information about your trip, and to sometimes share things like transfers and tours...

Some of your questions are not Azamara specific... You might also consider looking at the Ports Of Call forums here--or at sister site TripAdvisor--for ideas as to what you ought see/do while in Copenhagen post-cruise [you may well find information about taxi availability/costs on the Ports Of Call forum too; if not, consider posing those questions to the Concierge at your hotel]...

Copenhagen is a wonderful city with lots of worthwhile touring opportunities suited to all sorts of individual preference... I personally enjoyed an evening visit [we did not sail away until 1:00 AM] at Tivoli after doing a walking tour of the city [with navigation of the canals by tour boat ] during the day...

Enjoy!

I really don't like Miami, so I was happy when they changed the port to Ft. lauderdale, even though I hadnt been there before. Entering that place is weird, I've never been asked to show ID and declare that I have no weapons just to enter a seaport before.

There's good reason for the intense security at Port Everglades...

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From Wikipedia:

As one of South Florida's leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Currently the third busiest cruise port worldwide, Port Everglades is also one of Florida's leading container ports, with more than 4,000 ship calls annually. Port Everglades is South Florida's main seaport for receiving petroleum products including gasoline, jet fuel, and alternative fuels. The port serves as the primary storage and distribution seaport for refined petroleum products, distributing fuel to residents of 12 Florida counties. Port Everglades is also recognized as a favorite United States Navy liberty port. With a depth of 43 feet (at mean low water), Port Everglades is currently the deepest United States (Atlantic Ocean) port south of Norfolk, Virginia.

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Living as I do in the area, I personally appreciate it...

Are also contributing significantly to the phone traffic your are experiencing...

I'm not sure that I'd necessarily have a preference--haven't really thought about it and don't sail in suites in any case--but certainly don't deny you yours... That said, I'm not sure that I would project forward as to what might occur either...

Staffing on a ship--in terms of both stateroom service and dining--is extremely dynamic... Staff members go on home leave, return from home leave, are on occasion confined by--and return--from short-term illnesses or injuries, and sometimes--like us--have their own preferences [cabin sections; dining rooms/table blocks] as to where they're assigned if available... And while I don't know it to be the case for certain, I strongly suspect that there is some sort of seniority system and/or evaluation [guest and management] based system used to honor crew preferences...

Crew members sign on for a role--not a specific assignment--and can/do move around during the course of a contract based upon employer needs... Though unusual, I've had Cabin Attendants change during a cruise and I've certainly seen both Dining and Housekeeping staff change assignments from one cruise to another while doing consecutive cruises without having personally moved from one cabin to another or changed dining rooms/my preferred table...

My thinking is that--unless service isn't up to standard once aboard--you ought focus now on anticipating your cruise with expectation that you'll thoroughly enjoy it and have fun in the larger sense... Have a terrific time!

I realize there's a great deal of discussion about whether the level will be set at 300 or 310 points, but since Azamara has stated they are limited as to Celebrity's technology, wouldn't it seem logical that the 310 reference is a typo, and the level will be at 300 points?

In the specific matter that you cite above, I too--as noted in Post #51--believe that it may be no more than a typo... But for "2fromTO"--and I'm sure others--the issue is material in the context that he/she fully anticipated reaching Discoverer status based upon consecutive cruises that start a month from now...

Azamara needs to address this and other issues--such as the adequacy, as some have suggested here, of Azamara's Club Point accruals by cabin category [given their price differential to Celebrity] and implementation of enhanced loyalty benefits for those who have already attained [or who imminently expect to attain, perhaps during upcoming consecutive cruises] a new membership level and anticipated enjoying them--whatever they are; it astounds me that they haven't been defined/published--during first quarter cruises [frankly, rolling out the improvements so as to coincide with Azamara's fourth anniversary is immaterial--and fundamentally disrespectful--to those of us who have reached [or may reach during B2B first quarter sailings] such a milestone--now...

To Celebrity's credit, they seemingly timed implementation of their new Club Points accrual system [roughly] coincident with implementation of other Captain's Club changes... It's difficult to understand why--other than that pride sometimes gets in the way of good judgment--Azamara didn't follow the best practices of their sister line or, at a minimum, anticipate the reactions expressed here and taken proactive action to address them prior to what has become a very rocky implementation... So much opportunity--for great press, for guest goodwill--lost but not unsalvageable!

Silence can breed complacency... And complacency can breed a false sense that everything is okay and/or that it's too late to do anything to remedy the situation... Frustration is high and, I expect, particularly so for those who are sailing now or soon [personally, I'm leaving in three weeks for 42 nights on Journey]; I'd like to--and deserve to--know what to expect before I board as the current scenario is casting some taint, no matter how great the onboard experience impressions start pre-cruise, on what should be a lifetime trip... Commitment is a mutual thing...

--Mike