Where would you like Azamara to fit as a cruise line?

[geocruiser]

I have been thinking (and that is dangerous), about where Azamara "fits" in to the cruise market / where I would like it to fit. For me I would like the product to stay the way in is today. Upscale, above the main (mass) market cruise lines, such as HAL, Princess and X. I like the way it is now because there is no nickel and dime on board. and it is still affordable. I like all the things that are included. If it goes the way of Regent Seven Seas or Crystal, then it is not for us in price, and price would keep us away. The higher the cruise price the narrower the market. I would think a cruise line needs to have a wide client base. A cruise line needs to pick a target PAX's and aim to keep them. Azamara has to keep a steady product, they can add but not take away. They also need to beat the other cruise lines in that range. I feel one of the most important areas to be number one in is service. And Azamara has been that for me. I would also like to have an on board chaplin. and last I also would like want to be able to drive to the port.

 

Where would you like Azamara to fit as a cruise line?

 

Maria

[Nancyquilts]

To take the question in a geographical way, I would like Azamara to fit on the West Coast from time to time. I loved our recent cruise to the Sea of Cortez. Maybe they'd like to make round trips to Hawaii?

[Grandma Gilly]

I too am very happy with the 'level' of Azamara. We sailed on Crystal which was amazing and our next cruise was on the Journey which we loved. We felt that Azamara was 90% as good as Crystal for 60% of the price. Definitely the cruise line for us and we are sailing on the Quest on Feb 19th.

[comcox]

What we liked about our first Azamara cruise experience (this was pre-Pimental) was the sense of relaxation. Passengers were primarily serious travelers who booked because of the wonderful itinerary, the overnight stays, etc. We had wonderful lectures and almost no silly games or constant annoucements by some cruise director. We don't cruise so much for the onboard experience although we enjoy good food, a good library, and responsive service. We don't want the Crystal or Seabourn experience at all--all that pretentiousness is not for us.

[Host Dan]

We don't want the Crystal or Seabourn experience at all--all that pretentiousness is not for us.

Funny one would categorize Seabourn as pretentious.. ( have they cruised SB?) I have over 250 days on SB and have encountered more pretention on the mainstream lines... Looking forward to Azamara next month.

 

Host Dan

[WesW]

Hope Bill (even Host Andy) pops in here and provides their take on where Azamara fits in. Believe somewhat like Oceania (who bill themselves as Upper Premium (under promise, over deliver) they fit between Premium lines (Celebrity, Cunard, HAL), are targeting above Upper Premium and below Lux lines (SB, SS, Regent, Crystal(tho Crystal is recognized as a Lux Line but is not AI), and Seadream). So we may refer to Azamara as Upper Premium Plus, or Luxury Lite (not all inclusive). Methinks Azamara is reaching for and beyond Oceania's market with their new amenities (complimentary wine with lunch & dinner, extended port stays). In our case, it's working we are zeroing in on an Azamara voyage having (in last seven years) only sailed with SS and Regent.

[onthebalcony]

I agree with everything Geocruiser posted especially the "no nickel and diming you" on board. We will be on our 4th Azamara cruise in Oct. and we just love the size, homey atmosphere of the staff and passengers.

 

The itineraries are also unique as the size of the ship can get into ports that the large ships cannot enter.

 

Right now the incentive to book tours at 50% discount is an added plus!!! We usually do independent tours but with this special we are saving even more!!

 

Service, food, specialty restaurants and itineraries are outstanding!! On one of our cruises a passenger stated that the Azamara food was better than Oceania!! We actually had the dinner buffet a few nights which we never did before on the other cruise lines. Food was excellent!!!

 

Entertainment is enjoyable for the size of the ship -- nightclub atmosphere. Didn't miss the big productions of the larger ships.

 

Don't change too much!!!

[Jade13]

So we may refer to Azamara as Upper Premium Plus, or Luxury Lite (.

 

"Luxury Lite" is the best description.

[geocruiser]

I like the term Luxury Lite by Colonel Wes for Azamara. It seems to fit in between Main stream and Luxury. For me, I want the perks Azamara is now giving, but I don’t want the price of the Luxury cruise lines. If Azamara goes by way of Luxury cruise line, it has to compete against a very established market and a narrow one too, in way of PAX. By staying in the Lite Luxury they are pretty much competing ONLY against Oceania (which is established). Then all they have to do is beat Oceania at what they do. Also I feel there are a lot of people who were mass market cruise people (like us) who don’t like the direction the mass market cruise line are going (large ships, service lacking at times and nickel and dime you). There is a large population of people who don’t want a ship 1,000 ft long. Sooner or later most of us don’t want to walk hundreds of feet to dinner. This is where Azamara come in. Offer a steady product and a fair price.

 

Just my thoughts

 

Maria

[lwing69]

My thoughts exactly! I have done two T/As on Azamara - one with my wife and the other with my 85 year old father. On the first with my wife we were some of the very youngest onboard at 58&53 and we thought OMG what have we done? One of the best two cruises we have ever taken. My dad has cruised almost 50 times on various lines and is (no was) totally sold on HAL. If he can talk me into taking him on one more cruise, he wants to go Azamara. What a tribute to personalized service. BTW, Dale on the Journey is probably the best bartender I've ever known - andI've known quite a few!

[VickyMcG]

To take the question in a geographical way, I would like Azamara to fit on the West Coast from time to time. I loved our recent cruise to the Sea of Cortez. Maybe they'd like to make round trips to Hawaii?

 

Yes, put some more cruises on the West Coast! We would definitely go..many times.

 

I agree with everything Geocruiser posted especially the "no nickel and diming you" on board.

 

The itineraries are also unique as the size of the ship can get into ports that the large ships cannot enter.

 

Right now the incentive to book tours at 50% discount is an added plus!!! We usually do independent tours but with this special we are saving even more!!

 

Amen, just beat me to it by stating it first. :)

[Bill Leiber]

Dear Geocruiser and all others:

 

Where would you like Azamara to fit as a cruise line?

I’ve been thinking about the best way to respond to your question and others like it and needed some time to formulate my answer in an objective and unbiased manner to avoid the risk of sounding like an Azamara advertisement on Cruise Critic.

 

Now I finally understand why Larry Pimentel when introducing me to my new role had decided to position our boutique cruise line into a new category class of its own called “Upmarket.” He anticipated that when I started communicating with you that your focus might be to find the “right” category to pigeon-hole the Azamara experience, since the norm in the cruise industry is to categorize cruise lines as mass-market, premium, deluxe, or luxury.

 

I was pleased to notice in your comments that you were comparing us to many quality competitors such as Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, and Crystal Cruises and not only to Oceania. At the beginning of my job, I noticed the very prevalent misconception to compare us only to them but it’s understandable since we both share the same hardware. Interestingly, based on our guests’ past cruise histories they frequently migrate between the luxury and premium/deluxe categories of lines such as Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Crystal Cruises. I can appreciate why you’d refer to us as “luxury-lite” and there’s nothing wrong with that.

 

I believe that the Azamara Club Cruises is in a unique, NEW and exclusive product category that delivers its own distinctive, one-of-a-kind cruise experience. It reminds me of what has occurred in the automobile industry with their creation of the “crossover” product category which combines the features of the SUV placed on the frame of a sedan. For me, Azamara is the “crossover” product which we call “UPMARKET” that bridges the gap between the experiences delivered by the premium/deluxe category and by the luxury cruise lines such as Seabourn and Silversea.

 

We include in our cruise fare the inclusive features of luxury lines of gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; boutique wines with lunch and dinner selected from our extensive wine cellar; bottled water, sodas, specialty coffees and teas; English butler service for suite guests; and shuttle service to and from ports, where available.

 

Our moderate size vessels are of optimum size – small enough to visit many exotic and unique ports similar to the smaller luxury vessels, yet large enough to offer a full range of facilities and onboard options - few enough guests to offer intimacy, yet enough to allow a dynamic onboard atmosphere and the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.

 

Every day, our onboard officers, staff and crew are committed to deliver a one-of-a-kind guest experience that exceeds our guests’ expectations. Our team is trained in “anticipatory service” to be able to expect a guest’s needs and empowered to make it happen during each moment of their vacation. With one staff member for every two guests, Azamara’s personal service and country club- like atmosphere deliver an ambiance similar to that found on luxury lines.

 

We believe that our guests are in control and that their satisfaction is a function of how well we fulfill their wants. The ability to provide a personalized experience that meets and exceeds the guest’s expectations is the success factor for Azamara. Exceeding a guest’s expectation means being sure to give them what they want. Our mission is to provide intellectual and lifestyle experiences to refresh the mind, body and spirit. Simply, it’s our software.

 

I noticed in the thread a few comments that our fares compared more favorably than those of our competition. Certainly judging Azamara against other cruise line competition by price point alone is easy to understand but appreciating the price/value equation is not always that easy. We recognize that all our guests are not created equal and understand that when you make your decision to cruise with Azamara you’ve made personal tradeoffs with your perceptions of our price, quality and service in order to achieve the best “value” for your vacation experience. We understand that for some people the Azamara experience is luxurious, while for others they could have selected a more luxurious brand. The value of Azamara lies not in its price point, but in its potential to deliver a memorable, unique vacation experience. Our guests understand that a quality vacation experience successfully delivered at a somewhat all-inclusive price is a compelling value-proposition.

 

I hope that I have provided you with our thought-process in how we envision our “place” in the cruise market and decided to execute that concept.

 

Thank you for your very interesting question and having taken your time to join into the discussion.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

___________________

Bill Leiber

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

[syam]

We chose our first cruise very carefully over a long period of time. We are in our early 60's. We love to travel and have taken many fly/drive vacations all over the world. We knew we couldn't handle the big ship experiences. Just not interested in the on board activities like skating or rock climbing, herding around like cattle on bussed shore tours or lining up at humungous buffets. As a retired teacher, I wanted to get away from kids of all ages on a vacation. One of my colleagues took one of these voyages to Alaska and told me although she loved the scenery, she could have done without the conga lines in the dining room. Well, there are NO conga lines on Azamara!

 

But most of all, we wanted to feel like we were on an actual ship, not a floating high rise apartment building. Maritime aesthetics were very important. If we want Vegas, we'll go to Vegas! If we want Disneyland....well, you get the idea. We actually love the connection to the sea!

 

Although we didn't expect the upgrades and would have been satisfied to stay at our price range and do without them, we were fortunate to be among the first to enjoy the new 'Pimentelizing' effect last spring on a voyage from Barcelona to Venice and haven't gotten over the experience. They had to carry us off the ship, kicking and screaming.

 

I have no basis for comparison, since this was our first cruise, but judging from all the comments I've been reading over the year on CC, it seems to me that most of the customers for Azamara are a genial and easygoing lot, satisfied and appreciative of the fantastic service and relaxed atmosphere, unlike some people on other upscale lines who find the most incredibly picky things to fret about. They sound terribly spoiled. On our trip, except for one man, who had an astonishing hissy fit about the punctuality of a shuttle, and a few people who 'stole' dryers in the laundry room, everybody we met on was entirely civilized, unpretentious and considerate. Grownups.

Unfortunately, the new prices have us hesitating about another cruise. There seems to be nothing left in a smaller ship that isn't too expensive as Azamara moves up to compete with Oceania. We never contemplated Crystal and their ilk, too expensive. I am noticing more customers are 'moving down' from those ships to Azamara, so I guess they must be pleased, however, I think they make a mistake trying to 'go there' because, frankly, although the Journey was entirely lovely and comfortable, I wouldn't call it luxurious. Casual, rather.

I realize there are many benefits to the all-inclusive approach, but we don't really drink a lot, so although the free coffees and wine were a nice touch, we didn't hold up our end, so to speak, at the bar. Hundreds of dollars more for a glass of wine with dinner is too much for us. We probably subsidized those cruisers who are frequently posting to anxiously enquire about the quantity and quality of the free wines and coffees.

I'm anxiously watching to see if there are any specials coming up. I am frankly concerned that there are so many issues about early bookings, later discounts and unhappy passengers regarding uneven rates. I hate to play those kind of games.

It seems to me that Azamara's decision to move upscale and pop another couple of thousand dollars on a cabin/week is yet another indication of the growing polarization of wealth in these times. There are behemoth cruises for the masses and cruises for the wealthy, but very little in between, which is where Azamara used to be. I know of some former regular Azamara cruisers who have had to abandon ship because of this.

All that said, I can't believe there could be better service on any other ship. Their greatest asset is their staff.

[WesW]

Bill, very well said, thanks for a very well thought out post...I like the tag, "upmarket" and your crossover analogy.

[MightyQuinn]

I’ll add my $.02 to this interesting discussion.

 

It appears to me that Azamara is now enjoying a higher profile and clearer image in the market than ever before. The perceived gap between Azamara and Oceania has narrowed significantly in the recent past. I don’t think it’s unusual at all that these cruise lines would be compared to each other. Both Azamara and Oceania deliver a premium cruise experience, somewhere in that privileged spot between mainstream and luxury. As far as I know, they are really the only players occupying that market niche. So it’s natural that they are often compared.

 

I don’t think it matters much whether Azamara is called upmarket, upper premium or luxury lite. The distinction seems to matter most to industry insiders and travel writers. Most consumers probably don’t think or care too much about the semantics. We just want a quality cruise experience that meets (or exceeds) our expectations.

 

I hope that Azamara continues to compete vigorously with Oceania. Neither seems eager to acknowledge the other, but I do think both have benefited from this competition. As a customer of both cruise lines, I hope it continues. But I also hope that Azamara further differentiates itself and capitalizes on its unique strengths. For me, that means Azamara would own the world of upper premium destination-immersive cruising. I think that would be an excellent fit without having to reach further up the ladder towards luxury cruising.

[minz56]

I have been following Azamara and Oceania for some time now and have come to conclusion that both are worthy of trying. I started being more drawn to Azamara when the Club product was introduced a year or so ago.

 

I particularly like the inclusion of wine with lunch and dinner and the fact that gartuities are included in the price. Both of those things usually sting me in the pocket at the end of a cruise on another line!

 

I also like the fact that as a solo traveller they have so far been reasonably consistent in offering certain sailings with only a 25% supplement. This makes a huge difference to me. Also so far Azamara have been offering great deals (OBC's, Verandah for OV price, discounts, air credits, shorex deals etc) and I hope that as more people move over to Azamara that these will not totally disappear (as they largely have on Oceania).

 

As for the onboard experience I have yet to sample that, but everything suggests that I will have a wonderful time. Roll on 2012!

 

Michael

[meow!]

When Oceania started, it was between the mass market and the luxury lines. It did very well, perhaps too well, that its fares kept increasing, to the point of roughly the same as the luxury lines (if you take into account cabin footage), and often even higher (on a per sq.ft. basis). Now we hope Azamara will take over what Oceania has left, and fill that niche market instead.

[geocruiser]

I believe that the Azamara Club Cruises is in a unique, NEW and exclusive product category that delivers its own distinctive, one-of-a-kind cruise experience.

 

Bill Leiber

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

 

Hi Bill,

 

I like the above statment. For me, it put Azamara in a class by itself. I believe it is better for Azamara to be unique, than to be one of many of the same in the cruise industry.

Thank you for your answer.

 

Maria

[Kini12]

To take the question in a geographical way, I would like Azamara to fit on the West Coast from time to time. I loved our recent cruise to the Sea of Cortez. Maybe they'd like to make round trips to Hawaii?

Being from your neck of the woods, I too would like the same as you.

[ElectraGlide]

My wife Haps and I loved our 1st Azamara cruise in may when we did the Holyland last may.

After 19 cruises... we always have a blast.. and are doing B2B on Azamara Journey leaving Aug 17th..

Advice... go back to 9 to 16 days cruises.... Get into really small ports... If ya cant do that.... get new ships and maintain the service!!

Mark & Happi

[Shorex]

Dear Geocruiser and all others:

 

Where would you like Azamara to fit as a cruise line?

I’ve been thinking about the best way to respond to your question and others like it and needed some time to formulate my answer in an objective and unbiased manner to avoid the risk of sounding like an Azamara advertisement on Cruise Critic.

 

Now I finally understand why Larry Pimentel when introducing me to my new role had decided to position our boutique cruise line into a new category class of its own called “Upmarket.” He anticipated that when I started communicating with you that your focus might be to find the “right” category to pigeon-hole the Azamara experience, since the norm in the cruise industry is to categorize cruise lines as mass-market, premium, deluxe, or luxury.

 

I was pleased to notice in your comments that you were comparing us to many quality competitors such as Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, and Crystal Cruises and not only to Oceania. At the beginning of my job, I noticed the very prevalent misconception to compare us only to them but it’s understandable since we both share the same hardware. Interestingly, based on our guests’ past cruise histories they frequently migrate between the luxury and premium/deluxe categories of lines such as Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Crystal Cruises. I can appreciate why you’d refer to us as “luxury-lite” and there’s nothing wrong with that.

 

I believe that the Azamara Club Cruises is in a unique, NEW and exclusive product category that delivers its own distinctive, one-of-a-kind cruise experience. It reminds me of what has occurred in the automobile industry with their creation of the “crossover” product category which combines the features of the SUV placed on the frame of a sedan. For me, Azamara is the “crossover” product which we call “UPMARKET” that bridges the gap between the experiences delivered by the premium/deluxe category and by the luxury cruise lines such as Seabourn and Silversea.

 

We include in our cruise fare the inclusive features of luxury lines of gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; boutique wines with lunch and dinner selected from our extensive wine cellar; bottled water, sodas, specialty coffees and teas; English butler service for suite guests; and shuttle service to and from ports, where available.

 

Our moderate size vessels are of optimum size – small enough to visit many exotic and unique ports similar to the smaller luxury vessels, yet large enough to offer a full range of facilities and onboard options - few enough guests to offer intimacy, yet enough to allow a dynamic onboard atmosphere and the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.

 

Every day, our onboard officers, staff and crew are committed to deliver a one-of-a-kind guest experience that exceeds our guests’ expectations. Our team is trained in “anticipatory service” to be able to expect a guest’s needs and empowered to make it happen during each moment of their vacation. With one staff member for every two guests, Azamara’s personal service and country club- like atmosphere deliver an ambiance similar to that found on luxury lines.

 

We believe that our guests are in control and that their satisfaction is a function of how well we fulfill their wants. The ability to provide a personalized experience that meets and exceeds the guest’s expectations is the success factor for Azamara. Exceeding a guest’s expectation means being sure to give them what they want. Our mission is to provide intellectual and lifestyle experiences to refresh the mind, body and spirit. Simply, it’s our software.

 

I noticed in the thread a few comments that our fares compared more favorably than those of our competition. Certainly judging Azamara against other cruise line competition by price point alone is easy to understand but appreciating the price/value equation is not always that easy. We recognize that all our guests are not created equal and understand that when you make your decision to cruise with Azamara you’ve made personal tradeoffs with your perceptions of our price, quality and service in order to achieve the best “value” for your vacation experience. We understand that for some people the Azamara experience is luxurious, while for others they could have selected a more luxurious brand. The value of Azamara lies not in its price point, but in its potential to deliver a memorable, unique vacation experience. Our guests understand that a quality vacation experience successfully delivered at a somewhat all-inclusive price is a compelling value-proposition.

 

I hope that I have provided you with our thought-process in how we envision our “place” in the cruise market and decided to execute that concept.

 

Thank you for your very interesting question and having taken your time to join into the discussion.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

___________________

Bill Leiber

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

 

Thank you for your very thoughtful response. We are eclectic cruisers who enjoy Crystal, Silversea, Regent, Seabourn and Oceania -- and have also cruised on mass market lines including the Marco Polo in Antarctica. (Hey, we are even looking at the Royal Mail ship to St Helena for the adventure.)

 

We heard about the rocky start for Azamara -- but it seems as though Azamara is now establishing a niche market share that the other lines don't address. This a good thing. Your analysis has lead us to peruse the 2012 Azamara itineraries. (We are cruise-maxed ((Regent, Oceania, AMAWaterways)) for this year.)

 

Gosh, you nailed it with the "price/value equation." After 50+ cruises, we are not locked in to any line, but are looking for two things: the price/value equation AND itineraries that offer something we haven't seen before. And a 3rd factor is the familiarity/comfort level of returning to a ship we've been on previously. But -- we can get a suite on Azamara for (give/take) a standard stateroom on Crystal. Lookin' good.

 

This thread (and your contribution) means that it's 90%+ certain we'll be on Azamara in 2012. Ask for a raise. ;)

[geocruiser]

Dear Bill,

 

Thank you for your insight and response. Tomorrow I will be on Journey for our cruise. I can't wait to get there.

 

Take care and thanks again,

 

Maria

[Bill Leiber]

Dear Bill,

 

Thank you for your insight and response. Tomorrow I will be on Journey for our cruise. I can't wait to get there.

 

Take care and thanks again,

 

Maria

Dear Maria,

 

Thanks for your message. You’ll have an opportunity to meet with Andy Geller, aka “Host Andy” on Cruise Critic. His passion for Azamara and his attention to detail is a priceless resource for our company. Please introduce yourself to him and I’m sure he’ll remember everything you ever posted!

 

Bon Voyage!

__________________

Bill Leiber

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

[geocruiser]

Hi Bill,

 

Will look for Host Andy. I posted on our roll call for him to look for the lady wearing yellow, and a head of curly hair. I hope we bump into each other.

 

Take care and thank you for all you do here.

 

Maria