New campaign

Obviously something is forthcoming with regards to Azamara strategy and new campaign.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/republica-selected-by-azamara-club-cruises-as-its-global-strategic-agency-300579314.html

Are you able to elaborate, Bonnie?

Thanks for the info Odd. I don't know anything about the company in question so it's difficult to form an opinion. I guess it is a case of wait and see.

Phil

Yes watching with interest and a little bit of concern. I’m fed up with factually incorrect blogs and spin. Maybe accuracy and less hype will prevail......

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Being in the advertising business I have never heard of them either. Having said that maybe they specialize in this type of business like some ad agencies specialize in cars, etc so to me the fact I have never heard of them does"t mean too much. They may be really big.

I am moving this week but when I am done and have internet back I will do some research. However it won;t mean much again because as we know Azamara does what they think best. The ad agency will give ideas but ultimately it is the person who writes the check final say so.

Kathy

I am traveling now and on our way out to meet the Journey in SIN. Waiting to take off from Orlando. But, I think they are a Miami based ad agency. I seem to remember seeing a building with their name on Coral Way. But, I could be wrong.

Obviously something is forthcoming with regards to Azamara strategy and new campaign.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/republica-selected-by-azamara-club-cruises-as-its-global-strategic-agency-300579314.html

Are you able to elaborate, Bonnie?

I have little to add to the facts in this press release. I do know the Republica team was onboard the Quest in Miami the other day along with our internal marketing staff.

I join Mr Pimentel in welcoming Republica to the brand and I look forward to their creative and strategic input as we grow the Azamara presence on a global scale.

Thanks for the info Odd. I don't know anything about the company in question so it's difficult to form an opinion. I guess it is a case of wait and see.

 

Phil

Sounds like they must have some good strategies up theur sleeves:

«Azamara is a marvelous brand with legions of loyal customers, and we are excited to build new affinity with discerning, elite consumers around the world," said Jorge A. Plasencia, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Republica. "Partnering with Azamara, we have developed a solid, strategically-relevant campaign that we are confident will establish trust, create loyalty, and ultimately bring new customers to Azamara for years to come," added Mr. Plasencia.»

I mean they are taking about LEGIONS of loyal customers.:)

Sounds like they must have some good strategies up theur sleeves:

«Azamara is a marvelous brand with legions of loyal customers, and we are excited to build new affinity with discerning, elite consumers around the world," said Jorge A. Plasencia, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Republica. "Partnering with Azamara, we have developed a solid, strategically-relevant campaign that we are confident will establish trust, create loyalty, and ultimately bring new customers to Azamara for years to come," added Mr. Plasencia.»

I mean they are taking about LEGIONS of loyal customers.:)

The American Legion? The French Foreign Legion? [sorry, I couldn't help myself ;p]

Instead of spending money to hire a PR firm, maybe they should spend money on their IT department. Their excuse for not making the WEB site even slightly usable is that they don't have the money.

Just a thought.

DON

My two recommendations for the new agency would be:

1.) Fix the website

2.) Make sure advertisements are factually correct. Each time I see the promotions for Pursuits’ Antarctica cruise with photos taken on shore (it’s a drive-by) or the promotions for the Sydney NY’s cruise with Quest next to the Harbour Bridge (it will be at White Bay) I cringe...

Floris

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My two recommendations for the new agency would be:

 

1.) Fix the website

 

2.) Make sure advertisements are factually correct. Each time I see the promotions for Pursuits’ Antarctica cruise with photos taken on shore (it’s a drive-by) or the promotions for the Sydney NY’s cruise with Quest next to the Harbour Bridge (it will be at White Bay) I cringe...

 

Floris

 

 

 

 

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Spot on!

Add to it World Cup, New Year’s Eve fireworks in Ho Chi Minh. Currently the Social media outputs are on ignore here as I cannot trust them

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I'm dismayed that you're distrusting our cruise descriptions, uktog. I don't know what transpired in the interim between when we first announced the World Cup voyages ages ago, and now, when we cannot acquire World Cup game tickets for our guests. I can understand your disappointment. I agree with you that as things change operationally we need to do much better with communicating these changes to our booked guests. I apologize on behalf of the whole team.

My two recommendations for the new agency would be:

 

1.) Fix the website

 

2.) Make sure advertisements are factually correct. Each time I see the promotions for Pursuits’ Antarctica cruise with photos taken on shore (it’s a drive-by) or the promotions for the Sydney NY’s cruise with Quest next to the Harbour Bridge (it will be at White Bay) I cringe...

 

Floris

 

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I've shared your suggestions/criticisms with our management. Thank you for the feedback.

Btw Floris, your ears might have been burning the other week while Heike and I were talking about missing you on our Azamara ships. We hope you'll come back to us someday. :*

I'm dismayed that you're distrusting our cruise descriptions, uktog. I don't know what transpired in the interim between when we first announced the World Cup voyages ages ago, and now, when we cannot acquire World Cup game tickets for our guests. I can understand your disappointment. I agree with you that as things change operationally we need to do much better with communicating these changes to our booked guestsT. I apologize on behalf of the whole team.

Thanks it’s a cumulation of events relating to itinerary communication starting from buying a cruise highlighting we’d be berthed in the Rocks on 2015, the cherry being missing from the promised cake this New Year’s Eve as well as the World Cup that has led to Azamara itineraries PR not being trusted now in our house.

As I discussed with officers onboard the marketing needs to get back to honest statements of what will be delivered and not as Floris highlights images and statements that cannot.

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Sorry if I too disappoint Bonnie, but I must agree with both florisdekort and uktog as far as the woeful website and inaccurate "information" in the written word, whether by design or by accident due to poor research and fact gathering.

We leave home today for Singapore, from where we will sail on the Journey through to Auckland.

The third leg starts in Sydney and at present Azamara is still saying the ship will be docked at the main cruise terminal at The Rocks (where big ships have to dock, as they can't get under Sydney Harbour Bridge), but the Sydney Port Authority has us docked at White Bay, some distance away from the main cruise terminal. Obviously this will not affect us, but will affect those joining the ship in Sydney.

On another subject . . . under the banner of incomplete information . . . on our recent Middle East cruise, I had intended to take an excursion entitled "Fascinating Forts" out of Muscat in Oman. However, prior to booking I found that during the 8 hour tour, only half an hour was spent at one fort and a bare 15 minutes at the other! Less than one eighth of the tour time at "Fascinating Forts". More time was allocated to visiting a Souk!! Needless to say I did not book it.

Finally for today . . . the ever stretching out (inability to) use on board credit prior to embarkation which was promised many months ago and has still not appeared . . . one wonders whether it will ever come to fruition??

Like many others outside USA, I will not use the temporary book, refund, rebook process which disadvantages anyone who has to make the initial payment in their own currency and is then reimbursed in $US along with disadvantageous exchange rates and credit card fees.

♥ However I do love the on board experience ♥

I've shared your suggestions/criticisms with our management. Thank you for the feedback.

 

Btw Floris, your ears might have been burning the other week while Heike and I were talking about missing you on our Azamara ships. We hope you'll come back to us someday. :*

Thanks Bonnie - I appreciate the very kind words.

Perhaps Azamara can give you access to a system in which you can see our future bookings [emoji6]

Bonnie, I am sure many of the factual discrepancies in the voyage descriptions are honest mistakes and not trying to willfully mislead customers to buy something false. One good excample is the may 21 2018 voyage. Originally it was advertised as Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival. Well, the film festival is the week before and hence no possibilities to rub shoulders with the stars. The overnight and two days in Cannes will be a dissapointment if you thought you would be there at the height of the festival.

I did look at this cruise and did some research. When I discovered this wrongful description I let Miami in on my findings and subsequently the text in the voyage description was changed.

This was, IMHO, just a minor fault on behalf of the cruise planners and I am sure they will do the right adjustments to their procedures in the future. i.e learn from their mistakes, analyze and correct.

Binnie, these communication issues are not limited to those accurately described. Communications from azamara have deteriorated on most fronts. The absolutely unacceptable communications when cruises are cancelled due to charters or improved profitability have happened several times recently and even with specific comments about issues with communications, both written and verbal and the same issues recur each time showing an unwillingness to learn from past errors and happen over and over again. Also the seeming unwillingness to do anything to fix the IT problems and inability to fix the book excursions in advance which have been promised for many months yet remain still not in place. Not to forget the ceo's response to people complaining about and inability to get on the email list plus being dropped from that list numerous times. If you forgot, the fix proposed by the ceo in writing was to contact Nicole; absolutely nothing about fixing the obvious IT issues just leave it as is and have Nicole re-enter the person on this list. And, don't forget CC is a minimal percentage of all azamara cruisers so, what about the multitude of non-CC members who have no idea how to get on or stay on the email list.

The last issue has and will impact azamara profitability and would think fixing the IT problems would be undertaken immediately rather than the crutch of contacting Nicole.

I have been reading the comments and complaints about administration of Azamara Club Cruises, with interest. I'm new to Azamara. I was really impressed with all levels of management on my recent Azamara Journey cruise. However, Corporate Management must know Azamara has administrative problems, which are upsetting their passengers.

Having worked in executive management, human resources, customer relations, etc., it seem to me that Azamara's problems all end up due to poor Administration, which is undervalued in most organisations.

Most of the problems seem to me to be easy fixes, if central Administration has the over all power to check EVERYTHING before it is made public. Eg new media group has to run media releases, etc. through Administration, before they are released to the public. This way Admiistration could ensure that loyal customers are advised of changes first before announcements are made publicly.

It is harder to regain loyalty, than to keep it.

We took the Quest TA last April and it was wonderful.

When we booked it was advertised on the website as a cruise to see the Semana Santa processions on Maundy Thursday in Seville. However, we left the port of Huelva at 8.00 pm. The processions are in the evenings, a drive of well over an hour to Seville made it impossible. The Azamara website had implied it would be possible to take a ship’s excursion to see Semana Santa.

We had a wonderful cruise but this mis-description was a huge disappointment.

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We took the Quest TA last April and it was wonderful.

When we booked it was advertised on the website as a cruise to see the Semana Santa processions on Maundy Thursday in Seville. However, we left the port of Huelva at 8.00 pm. The processions are in the evenings, a drive of well over an hour to Seville made it impossible. The Azamara website had implied it would be possible to take a ship’s excursion to see Semana Santa.

 

We had a wonderful cruise but this mis-description was a huge disappointment.

 

 

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Cruising is really no substitute and you really need extended land stays to fully experience such sights as the Semanta Santa. Hopefully that is in your future!

However, last spring in Huelva I enjoyed seeing the preparations for the processions, the floats, and the promenades well dressed Senioritas.

Cruising is really no substitute and you really need extended land stays to fully experience such sights as the Semanta Santa. Hopefully that is in your future!

 

However, last spring in Huelva I enjoyed seeing the preparations for the processions, the floats, and the promenades well dressed Senioritas.

We enjoyed seeing some of that in Huelva too, although it was too early to see any of the actual procession.

My main point is that the Azamara advertising of the cruise was misleading, as it has been lately for many other cruises.

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We enjoyed seeing some of that in Huelva too, although it was too early to see any of the actual procession.

 

My main point is that the Azamara advertising of the cruise was misleading, as it has been lately for many other cruises.

 

 

 

 

 

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Also misleading, deceptive are some of their sales where they increase the basic fare on the day the sale starts to the exact amount to the penny that then results in the sale price being exactly the same as the fare was the day before. That cannot be an error or by accident.