ChucktownSteve

1 minute ago, laurieb said:

I think that many resources went away after 2020.  I hope those that are disappointed will still enjoy their cruises

Small businesses all over the world which didn't have the financial ability to wait out the governmental induced storm, unfortunately went under.

Small businesses were the most vulnerable. You know the decisions made by people who probably never had to earn a real paycheck adversely affected them?

3 hours ago, Catchum said:

I'll keep an eye out for those. There are so many ways to serve shrimp and crab but you rarely see anything interesting done with lobster. I generally just hand mine over to DH who is part Labrador.

Your DH is part Labrador Retriever?  I hope you send him for coffee in the morning. 😁 Or would that be tea?

Look on the positive side, if you're on the ship and don't enjoy the performance, you don't need to wait for transportation to leave. 😁

I'm wondering if they'll continue Azamazing evenings off the ship where the logistics still work in conjunction with the venue?  Many resources may not still be available post pandemic at some of the destinations.

56 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

I agree. I was disappointed to see that the letter came from a guest relations supervisor. I assume that “supervisor” level is the equivalent of “Director” in banking. Everyone is a “Director.” Means nothing….

Or a Car dealership sales manager? 🤣

2 hours ago, abbe727 said:

Could be a good corporate move if they’re looking to make their books look even better, and the private equity firm is looking to sell while Azumara is doing well. Who knows, either way we still look forward to our up-and-coming Cruises. Our next one is in June for my birthday. Hopefully this will just benefit everyone! 

Happy upcoming birthday.

Having been an entrepreneur, I believe it's too early to churn Azamara.  The line hasn't been built to warrant a very strong return on their investment yet.  Selling too early leaves many potential dollars on the table. They're probably just getting it to the point of implementing their growth plan.

Perhaps the promotion is a way to help fund or implement that growth strategy?

4 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

Actions speak louder than words so stay tuned. Regent had a policy in place that they didn’t enforce. This shouldn’t take long to come up with a new solution so hopefully we will see changes very soon. 

I agree. Let's hope that they're not just patronizing guests but will actually act as their response appears to suggest.

22 minutes ago, abbe727 said:

Does this make anyone else a little bit nervous? I like the idea of additional onboard credit, so I could possibly buy overpriced jewelry that I don’t need, but I don’t like the thought that maybe they’re having cash flow issues. I hope not, but if that’s the case then we’re all going to be out a lot more than the 10% they’re giving us for on board credit. Wonder why they’re doing this if all their cruises seem to be sold out? Thoughts? We cruise on Azamara two or three times a year. 

Not nervous in the least. Cash flow is important to a business. This improves cash flow at a greatly reduced cost of money. Plus it can be used to retire more expensive debt already on the books from the pandemic. Their out of pocket cost of the inflated jewelry to the vendor is not one for one when you consider the commission on sales they are paid. 

I've made it easier for you to see the official Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Double Double discipline

https://www.royalcaribbeangroup.com/the-discipline-behind-double-double/

For me it relates to Celebrity since I haven't cruised Silversea.  I've been sailing Celebrity since the early 2000's; during the five year terms of the Chandris contract where Celebrity was required to maintain the Chandris standards. After that is when I feel the Royalcaribbeanization began.

In 2005, LLP was named vice president of onboard revenue for Celebrity Cruises, moving from RCL,where her job had the same objectives. She was very successful at it.

I relate her method to the same as boiling a frog scenario. Place the frog in cool water and slowly turn up the heat. It won't realize what's happening.  For background, search the term Royal Caribbean double double program. It will explain it better.

It began with little things like changing daily bottles of water in Aqua class to only one bottle pp on embarkation. The list is long. Some worked, some didn't like removing the free hamburgers at the pool grill and replacing them with $10 kobe like burgers.

Many years ago I attended a food talk by the head chef where he explained the different cuts of meat served on the ships.  He admitted they served the cheapest cuts of meet in the buffet, a little better grade in the MDR and the "best" cuts were sold in the specialty restaurants.

If you've sailed Celebrity, have you noticed how many dutch ovens they have used in the buffet with various types of cheap grade meats concealed in heavy gravies and sauces?

They also, several years ago, went from a cabin attendant with assistant to just a cabin attendant. There are way too many examples to mention. All were before the pandemic.  But the most recent was switching out the individual butlers in the Sky Suites to butler teams. The immediate fallout was so bad that they are reversing that decision.

They had reduced the live music performances; replacing them with ultra loud DJ's permeating multiple decks through the atrium.

Celebrity touted luxury sailings, while only placing at the top end of the mass market lines, but they were actually mimicking the Royal Caribbean line way of business to attract new, younger customers who didn't know the difference.

Those are some of the reasons why after reaching Elite+ I began sailing more of the other lines. Then I eventually stopped sailing Celebrity in 2022 for the time being.  The rapidly accelerated prices combined with the totality of the cuts showed me a better pn/pp value on Azamara and Regent. Sometimes they're even less considering what's included vs. additional costs on Celebrity.

These of course are my personal opinions and observations. Other person's opinions will definitely vary.
 

Side note: my last Azamara cruise was December '21. My next is December '24. So I will see then what differences I experience. I am going with an open mind and expect changes in the past three years. I have done three Regent in the meantime.

6 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

In the 19th Century there was a 'simplified spelling' movement in the US.  As a Librarian I am well aware that our icon Melville Dewey [inventor of the Dewey Decimal System, a founder of the American Library Association, and responsible for the standardization on 3"x5" for catalog cards] started spelling his name Melvil Dui.  My initial specialty was as a Cataloguer [or as I prefer to spell it, Cataloger].  

 

 

Guess that really dates us.  You for being there, doing that and me for knowing and remembering what you're talking about. 😁

2 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

 

I am curious what other brands in the premium or luxury segment you have sailed on?  Maybe Azamara has ticked enough boxes for you to have no desire to sail on another, and that’s really quite okay. Again, thank you for your thoughtful and honest input in your response to this thread. 
DH and I always have a great time when we travel, and starting this thread has provided a lot of meaningful input to Azamara. We are definitely looking at some interesting itineraries for our travels next Spring. 

I agree that Dynacruiser had some very good points.  It boils down to whether people are happy complaining a lot or happy despite the less than perfect circumstances.  But I believe you'll find similar observations on any cruise line.  I hate this phrase, however the "new normal" for cruise lines is increased cost of goods and finding ways to aid the bottom line. That results in the undesired cost cutting so many cruisers notice while fares have increased.

I hope you don't mind my two cents. I tend to look at a few cruise lines and compare itinerary and value for the fare.  What is included and what costs extra.  That's the analytical in me.

Shortly after the pandemic I sailed Celebrity, Azamara and then Regent.  Celebrity used to be my go to line but has fallen out of my favor.  Too much Royal Caribbeanization.

I sailed AZ before the pandemic and after. In 2017, it was my best cruise ever since I began sailing in 1985.  To put things in perspective from my standpoint, my most recent three cruises following our last AZ was on Regent.  I currently have three AZ booked cruises and one Regent in 2/2026.  Both are now my go to lines. So it really boils down to what you enjoy most about your cruise.  That is a deciding factor for me.  I find quality service, better quality food and good itineraries on both theses lines since I prefer a more than 12 day cruise.

As a suggestion, I find the best time to get the lowest prices for cruises is when the itineraries are first released.  They only go up from there as the ship fills.  Periodically Regent does a two suite category upgrade. I usually only book during that promotion.
 

However only y'all know what floats your boat. Try them and see what you like and dislike because opinions are subjective.

3 hours ago, uktog said:

No package included for suites I’m afraid. If you want proper sparkling water you also need the ultimate package or pay as you go 

When we booked our suite, we received the premium package.  I'll be upgrading us to ultimate however the brands in that package are not really ultimate IMO. They're just a little better than premium.

We're sailing Onward in December.

1 minute ago, Ahaohio said:

No special mention of cocktails BUT I notes a few other things which means that an upgrade is in place.

As I understand it, cocktails can be requested to be made using your package included liquors.

13 minutes ago, Ahaohio said:

I know that you need the ultimate package for the artisanal Atlas cocktails to be included. Question is can I find a list of what concoctions are included with the premium package as an upgrade from the basic package.

You can download the three beverage package liquor lists PDF here

https://www.azamara.com/static-assets/content/B2C-pdfs/beverage-packages.pdf

2 hours ago, Laganlady02 said:

At inflated prices?

Do the maths..😁..three times nothing (inflated prices) is still nothing. And I would have had to pay the balance due on the cruise anyway. 

So for four months earlier than final final payment due, we gave up $200 real interest $ for about  $1,400 OBC.

Regardless, my spousal unit likes to spend the OBC on inflated Mary Frances bags.  I like to spend OBC on inflated liquor prices.  Plus we're doing inflated cost ship excursions we wouldn't have done without OBC. Besides, we're all paying inflated cruise prices since the pandemic.   With what they gave us, we can do all of it at no extra cost except giving up $200 interest.

I just checked the AZ website for OBC remaining.  It appears they applied the 10% promotion on the full cruise fare minus T/Fs even though some assistant at my TA showed it on balance due.  So I got what y'all got!  Yay.  Now my spousal unit can get more purses. lol 

It's a win/win for AZ and us.  I'm happy to see, what I believe are, some smart business decisions with the new powers that be.

Gives me confidence in my having booked three upcoming AZ cruises.

As a side note, I received 10% on the balance minus the tax/fee amount. It did not include the deposit amount of cruise fare. 
 

If someone received it on the total cruise fare including deposit, please share that info. 

5 minutes ago, Dynacruiser said:

@Grandma CruisingYour argument makes a lot of sense, but why hadn't they done it before?  They surely have smart financial people who can see opportunities.   Perhaps they make 40 to 50% profit on everything they sell onboard?  So the offers only cost them half of what they give us in OBC?  I don't know the numbers, I am just speculating.

But why hadn't they done it before?  You could argue that it's because of recent high interest rates.  Interest rates in the US started going up in 2022, and the US Fed rate reached 4% in late November 2022.  My bank was calling me in mid 2022 to offer me great fixed-term deposit rates.  Azamara could have started offering this since 2022, but I think we didn't start seeing them until late 2023.

 

@saltymac Yes, it makes me a bit nervous, but I am committed to this brand and my last trip a couple of weeks ago was as enjoyable as any other, so I'm taking the risk.

 

@ChucktownSteve I don't think Sycamore intends to run down the company, it's probably worth pennies to the dollar if it goes belly up, but they probably want to make it much more profitable (or just profitable), and they don't want to infuse any more cash into it.  They just want to get profits and distribute to their private equity shareholders.

 

I don't buy trip insurance.  I probably should, but it's too expensive and I perhaps I may could take a loss of <$10K, but also assume the risk is low.  

I use a credit card and a travel agency, I hope I get some protection from them.  I should review the protection included in my credit card, which a very old legacy Chase bank card that provides travel protection benefits no longer available, but I don't think it includes bankruptcies.

 

I am hoping other folks here can share their financial wisdom.

I don't think they will do that either.  Besides the OBC, my credit cards give me 3% cash back on travel and my TA gives me a 10% rebate after the trip. 

I'm not concerned about bankruptcies.  I'm more interested in the health and repatriation coverage with all the other things they cover. Credit cards don't usually give you the full coverage. 

1 hour ago, AroundWithMAPTravels said:

Seems like every week there is a new, more “incentivized “ offer

I received this today as well

Last week was 7% at 365 days.
My scheduled trip is not until June 2025. Maybe by then the OBC offer will be 50%😁

I HOPE so! Our May 2025 Med cruise would make it more enticing to pay early.. I'm only getting about 5% annual interest on my cash in MM's.  Time, Value, MONEY.

53 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Just think about it, the OBC Azamara gives you comes back to them, not only that but they make a good profit on almost anything you buy using OBC. Speciality meals, drinks packages, Wifi, excursions, spa services etc don’t cost them anywhere near what they charge you in OBC, yet they can put your cash in the bank & earn interest on it.

Thats how most travel agents work - they ask you to pay them way before they have to pay the cruise company, hotel etc. They earn interest on your money until they have to pay!

We think alike. I've also pointed that out.   It's cheaper money paying off more expensive debt. 

I pulled the trigger on the 10% promotion today for our 12/9/24 cruise. We each received just under $500 additional OBC pp. Since all the specialty restaurants are included in our suite and we already had $900 total OBC, I suppose the spousal unit is going to get a lot more Mary Francis bags.That is if there are any designs left she hasn't already bought. rofl.

While others have pointed out their concerns about cash flow, it doesn't bother me as long as they remain in business, give me a great cruise and the crew are still motivated towards pax enjoyment. My trip insurance covers me should they not make it, so I'm out nothing financially.

However I can't see a venture capital company wanting to run down the company to devalue it. Doesn't make business sense to me.

3 minutes ago, Camillus112 said:

We were booked by Regent at The Intercontinental last December.  The hotel and breakfast were quite acceptable.  What was not, was the coordination for the transfer to the pier.  The Regent desk at the hotel will assign a bus #, but, no matter your number, all passengers will congregate willy nilly when bus # arrives.  The bus driver will not check your number, so those that push harder will go in first.  This was our experience.  I would recommend you get a taxi to the pier, which is not at all far from the hotel.

We did the same thing in Vancouver. We used Uber which was much faster and cheaper than a taxi. But we arrived before the bus full of transfers. 
 

Btw our luggage was still picked up from our hotel room and transported to our suite. 

We were in a penthouse C suite on the Mariner with a two category upgrade promotion. I liked it because it was about 148 more SF than concierge for the same price. Enjoyed the butler but could live without too.

We followed that up with a Splendor 16 night Concierge suite which was also very comfortable.

Last month I booked a penthouse C on Grandeur for Feb 2026; again with a two category upgrade promo. So I'll see if I'll like that ship's penthouse better. 

I'm curious if there is much of a difference between the two penthouse suites (same catregory) on the Splendor and Grandeur. Though regardless of the ship, my DW, will not like a very forward accommodation.  We did that once.  I learned that lesson from her. lol

40 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Yes it's a good deal for them.  But since we will be taking the shore excursions anyway, it's also a good deal for us.  I have no problem helping the cruise line when it also helps me.

Agree.

My comment was more directed toward people who believe the promotion is about financial instability instead of a smart business decision due to relatively high interest rates from inflation. After all, isn't the investment company, Sycamore Partners, about generating cash flow revenue and profits while still providing an excellent product?

One thing some people appear to be missing is that Azamara isn't really giving up 7 or 10% cash.  You get OBC. Considering the cost of goods for that means they're generating real cash flow early for a greatly reduced out of pocket cost later which is use it or lose it.  I hope they stock the shops with tons of merch. Since cruise lines usually double the supplier's excursion cost, that's still 50% on the dollar. Much better cost of money than borrowing.

Thank you for an excellent review.  It hit all the points someone who hasn't sailed Silversea might like to know. The follow up with extensive details and pictures were unmatched from many blogs. The itinerary was incredible.

I am a little confused though.  I've thought that Azamara falls into the Premium cruise line category while Silversea and Regent occupy the Luxury category.  I haven't sailed Silversea yet but was interested in finding something with them.  Now I'm not so sure I would want to after having sailed Regent a few times and reading your review.  I would have expected Silversea to be at a higher quality level and price point.

However food is also an important part of cruising to me.  That's why I was surprised when you said you "went on this cruise thinking 'all Silversea has to be is Azamara with better ships.'  At the end of the cruise, I’m not sure it hit that level.  Certain things were better than Azamara, but others were worse." You went with lower expectations and they still missed the mark in an important aspect.

Although Silversea appears to be an overall good cruise line from your review, the takeaway for me is a confirmation that my three upcoming Azamara cruises are a good value choice for quality. Thank you again for your viewpoints.