PSULion

Does anyone know how long it takes for stockholder credit and AmEx platinum credit to hit the shipboard account? It is not there yet as of boarding time at least. Thanks.

Had some difficult boarding as we went to the WTC but the porter pointed out the Azamara minibus, after that it was rather straightforward. Minibus driver was very surly.

John R.

15 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Only wish that when I was working I would have been allowed to accumulate miles and also have time to see the sites.   Things must be much better for those working these days.   

 

 

 

 

 

The OP travels over 150 days a year for work, that is a heck of a lot of time away from home. But she is lucky she can use the "freebies" for some down time!

John R.

Me heel thanks you. 🙂

John R.

Is there a shoe horn in the room?

Thanks, John R.

You could fuel up the G6. ✈️

I probably shouldn't put myself through the exercise of checking how far fares have dropped, but if you know anyone who could live with an inside guarantee on the November 5th TA (Barcelona to Miami), good time to book at an insane price.

John R.

I agree! Always a better approach in a customer service environment. I can not believe what people say to the "staff" sometimes! Unbelievable.

John R.

So you booked them on-line, got the charges to your credit card reversed, they re-booked you with ship credit from the Indulgence Package, but the shore ex was more expensive at that time, but AZ honored the pre-boarding on-line price, all with a smile?

Thanks,

John R.

It seems like they are trying to (understandably)  monetize upgrades, so I imagine the freebies will be few and far between because they will only be left with inside or window cabins (if any based on the precipitous drop in pricing close to departure date) at cruise departure time if the manage the upgrade bidding process well.  I would love to be privy to the revenue generate by the upgrade bidding, I imagine it is not insubstantial.

John R.

3: I can wait until I board, upgrade the Package using the OBC  then and ultimately run the risk of not getting the tours we would like? Yes. So if it were me, I’d reserve the must-have tours pre-cruise using my own resources. Then board and buy the package I want with the OBC I already had. Then use the new OBC credits obtained to reverse the out-of-pocket expenditures on those must-have tours purchased pre-cruise. 

Bonnie, are you saying that on-board staff will reverse the out-of-pocket charges for pre-booked shore ex with the package excursion credit? Others here have indicated that on-board staff have been reluctant to do that, and the last thing I want is to start the trip off with an issue with the on-board staff. Thanks, John R.

I'm basically can never figure out what OBC is refundable and not refundable as some seems to come from the TA and some directly from Azamara. When I board, can I get a summary of OBC from the front desk before I buy a package? I have lots of OBC coming from about 3 or 4 different entities (AZ, TA, AMEX, and stock ownership benefit). Actually I am surprised they all stacked, but I won't complain. 

John R.

That is if you buy the package with cash/credit card, I understand you can't use OBC to buy a package prior to boarding, or at least I can't figure out how to do it. Therefore, you can't use the shore ex credit prior to boarding. John R.

Its all too much of a headache. I don't want to deal with this on-board (i'll potentially get too annoyed). I guess I'll just risk spending the Land Discoveries monies on-board. Thanks for the info so I can avoid the issue.

John R.

I want to use ship credit to buy a package since my TA gave me OBC instead of the Premium Beverage Package since it can not be upgraded to the Ultimate. 

I guess I can't use OBC to buy any package prior to boarding, meaning I can't use OBC to purchase excursions without requesting a credit from Land Discovery staff (with dodgy results apparently). John R.

Yes, I want to use OBC. I guess I have to wait, and of course, all the "good" shore ex will be booked. Azamara should outsource the pre-boarding process to Amazon. John R.

For those of us that still have to work, a TA is synonymous with one word "RELAXATION" (assuming you can get the time off from work for about three weeks).

I am happy to sleep in, spending time with your spouse/significant other, getting caught up on reading, food/drink, and meeting new friends. I don't need (or want) the constant activities of a big cruise ship.

John R. 

Hi all,

I understand I can't buy one of the "Indulgence" packages prior to boarding, but since I am 99.9% certain I will buy the top package, is there any way to use have the cost of pre-boarding booked shore excursions paid for by the package after I board.

Thanks, John R.

I work with a local food critic, and I think these chef/foodie types burn out their palate and need more and more salt in their food. If you don't eat a lot of salt on a regular basis, when you do eat food that is heavily salted, it really can be overwhelming. I always cringe when chefs on TV programs say a "pinch" of salt and it looks like they are adding an entire tablespoon.

John R.

It would be nice if soups and even most foods be made with lower sodium, you can add with the shaker at the table. I know "real" chefs like to season in the kitchen, but it is helpful to us who don't like to eat grams and grams of salt!

John R.

My apologies, yes it appears to be a veranda "grantee".

I did put in a bid to upgrade to a veranda.

John R.

I see Azamara has a fire sale on balcony cabins on the Nov 5 TA-Barcelona to Miami (no Cuba), at least at a few on-line booking agencies. The balcony cabins are now less than I paid for an Obstructed OV, at least I did get a few perks thrown in though!

Though someone might be interested.

John R.

I'd be more concerned about using a public bathroom on ship than the hot tub, thank god for chlorine though.

John R.

I am  a bit younger than the "average" AZ passenger, and I find the hot tubs a challenge, mainly to get out of. You do really have to be careful because the fiberglass surface can be very slick.

The water always seemed very clean and well chlorinated, I never had a hygiene concern. That being said, I have seen people in there with some skin rashes and other surface ailments, and I am not sure I would use the hot tub in that condition (maybe the chlorine does them good, not sure).

I also don' t like when people have drinks in glass in the hot tub. I imagine that is not allowed, but the deck staff didn't seem to say anything. 

Since the ships are not US registered, I don't think they are subject to ADA requirements, so therefore no lifts, etc.

John R.

Part 1 link is dead FYI.

John R.

I recalling seeing what we would call an ATM (automatic teller machine), but I imagine the fees are exorbitant. Probably  better to hit a cash machine shore-side before boarding or at a port perhaps.

That being said, in the USA, there are a number of no-fee bank cards for international money cash machine withdraws, not sure what you can find in London/UK.

John R.