Looks like AZURA World cruise cancelled.

[bazzaw]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1557856

 

Bit of a shame - because it may have given us Aussies a chance to experience another ship which we don't generally have access to. I did think however that it wouldn't be a particularly good choice for a full WC - too big, too many people to tender off the ship in many ports - and too many people to go on local tours.

 

I generally don't mind doing ship's shore tours in foreign places - and I don't particularly mind being on a bus with 50 others ---BUT when there are 10 of those buses together doing a tour, all arriving at the local points of the tour at the same time, it gets a bit much!:(.

 

 

Barry

[The_Big_M]

I generally don't mind doing ship's shore tours in foreign places - and I don't particularly mind being on a bus with 50 others ---BUT when there are 10 of those buses together doing a tour, all arriving at the local points of the tour at the same time, it gets a bit much!:(.

 

When they have that many buses, they usually change the sequence for different buses. i.e. some buses will go to one destination first, while others will go to a different one, and others to another one again. Otherwise, as you say there's a big conga line - which nobody likes! ;)

[bazzaw]

When they have that many buses, they usually change the sequence for different buses.;)

 

Hmmm - well, that is the "theory" anyway - but in my experience, it often doesn't work that way. Sometimes it is OK - and at others, not :(

 

 

Barry

[bronte2]

Very disappointing for all those people who had a sector or the full WC booked.

 

IMHO it carries too many pax for a World Cruise but that's just me and each to their own.

 

Isn't Azura pretty much the same as Diamond Princess which visits here in summer and cruises back and forth to NZ for a few months? They certainly look similar but Diamond carries around 2600 pax rather than 3000 odd.

[MMDown Under]

Very disappointing for all those people who had a sector or the full WC booked.

 

IMHO it carries too many pax for a World Cruise but that's just me and each to their own.

 

Isn't Azura pretty much the same as Diamond Princess which visits here in summer and cruises back and forth to NZ for a few months? They certainly look similar but Diamond carries around 2600 pax rather than 3000 odd.

 

Azura -

 

115,000 ton

3,597 max passengers

1,200 crew

 

I agree too big for a world cruise, with interesting ports of call.

[bazzaw]

Azura has an extra passenger deck to that of Diamond Princess.

 

Barry

[The_Big_M]

Hmmm - well, that is the "theory" anyway - but in my experience, it often doesn't work that way. Sometimes it is OK - and at others, not :(

 

True, there are always times that things don't go as expected/meet expectations - even with our favourite cruise line. ;) However, where there are large numbers it's usually possible to do it that way, and I'd say I've seen it done that way more often than not when the situation arises.

 

The downside of travelling on bus groups though is that there are normally limitations just due to the volume of people whether many buses or few.

[NSWP]

Bazzaw..Barry, not looks like cancellation.. IS CANCELLED !

 

Azura is same class/size as Ruby Princess and Crown Princess which I have been on. Additional passenger deck to other Grand Class Princess ships. 3500 pax.

 

P&O would want to fill the ship and they doubt they will. Hey, they could offer us Aussies some more 2 for 1 promotional fares, I would take one, like I got on Arcadia !

 

No doubt some people would have already booked airfares, hope they get them refunded. But then it might be too early to book airfares. We lost over $4000 in airfares when Costa Atlantica New England cruise we booked was cancelled due to rescheduling ship to work the Med, but that's another story which depresses me. No compo re airfare from Costa only cruise refund which took 3 months and no travel insurance claim allowed due to fine print 'We do not entertain claims in the event of cruise ship rescheduling.'

 

Check those travel insurance policies ! And as for Costa..pathetic administration.

[Aus Traveller]

We lost over $4000 in airfares when Costa Atlantica New England cruise we booked was cancelled due to rescheduling ship to work the Med, but that's another story which depresses me. No compo re airfare from Costa only cruise refund which took 3 months and no travel insurance claim allowed due to fine print 'We do not entertain claims in the event of cruise ship rescheduling.'

Yikes. :(:(:(

[NSWP]

Yikes. :(:(:(

That is an understatement. Costa, stay away. Also read the fine print in your travel insurance policy. The insurance company involved on that occasion was Covermore from Qld, through my private health insurance, AHM.

 

No more, now go with Budget Direct Platinum.

[cruiselover53]

Bazzaw..Barry, not looks like cancellation.. IS CANCELLED !

 

 

. We lost over $4000 in airfares when Costa Atlantica New England cruise we booked was cancelled due to rescheduling ship to work the Med, but that's another story which depresses me. No compo re airfare from Costa only cruise refund which took 3 months and no travel insurance claim allowed due to fine print 'We do not entertain claims in the event of cruise ship rescheduling.'

 

Check those travel insurance policies ! And as for Costa..pathetic administration.

 

That is a terrible story.

 

 

That's what annoys me about posts where people ask for advice re travel insurance.NO-ONE really knows who is best.They will try and avoid paying out and it's only when you have a major claim,you often find out about the fine print.

[The_Big_M]

Check those travel insurance policies ! And as for Costa..pathetic administration.

 

That's a poor story. Could you have booked an alternative cruise? I'd have looked at that to avoid the lost airfaires.

 

Regarding the administration, from my experiences with MSC, it seems endemic to Italian cruise lines.

[NSWP]

G'day again ! Some more information you need to know re cruise ship rescheduling, such as Azura.

 

This morning I have researched several Travel Insurance Company policies, including the insurance companies linked to free travel insurance with Credit Card institutions, which many travel on.

 

As a warning: Check the fine print..

i.e. Mondial who are the insurer for One Cover/Budget Direct and others, will not consider claims for rescheduling of planes, ships etc.

 

Also Charteris who are the insurer for several bank/credit card travel insurance policies , i.e. ANZ Platinum, will not pay for losses directly or indirectlycaused by claims arising from cancellation, delays or rescheduling caused by carriers.

 

As I said on other posts, it happened to me when Costa rescheduled Costa Atlantica out of New England and into the Med. Neither Costa nor my insurance company would pay out for lost airfares, which were advance payment - no refund. There was no other cruise available to fit in with the air bookings.

 

Hope this assists, research your travel insurance !

[stass1]

Are you sure its cancelled received an email promotoing this today i think

[bazzaw]

Are you sure its cancelled received an email promotoing this today i think

 

Sure is! have a look over at the CC P&O UK sub-forum. They are not happy over there :)

 

Barry

[NSWP]

Sure is! have a look over at the CC P&O UK sub-forum. They are not happy over there :)

 

Barry

Correct, Some Aussie cruisers have been notifed.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Oriana, Aurora and Arcadia are still going on their World Cruises or Grand Voyages ,as they call some of them now, ....aren't they??

 

[NSWP]

Oriana, Aurora and Arcadia are still going on their World Cruises or Grand Voyages ,as they call some of them now, ....aren't they??

 

Strewth David, hope Arcadia does not get turned around, I am on board 9 March !

[MMDown Under]

Strewth David, hope Arcadia does not get turned around, I am on board 9 March !

 

Rescheduling couldn't happen to you twice surely, Les!

 

Seriously though, it is a real problem for Australians who book non refundable long haul airfares and extra land content (to make the long trip worthwhile).

[MMDown Under]

Under news - P&O's Azura Flip-Flop -

 

The result: In the space of just three months, capacity in the Caribbean for 2013 has suddenly increased by more than 6,700 berths.

 

2013 might be a good year to stay away from the Caribbean, if you don't like sharing a port with crowds of people.

[NSWP]

Rescheduling couldn't happen to you twice surely, Les!

 

Seriously though, it is a real problem for Australians who book non refundable long haul airfares and extra land content (to make the long trip worthwhile).

A truer word was never spoken.

[davaller]

We booked Dubai to Perth as we live in Perth I found out is was canceled on Google Rang the T/A did not no she rang P&O Aust the agents for P&O UK and they did not no the T/A is still waiting for P&O to answer the emails she has sent

Thank goodness had not purchased air fares wont even try to book P&O UK they are just as bad as P&O aust with communications will stick with Princess and get our free laundry and internet and mini bar setup

 

Good bye P&O

 

David and Maureen

[Sutho]

Serves them right really. P&O have only done this to themself. I am only hours away from flying to Singapore to join Arcadia. If P&O didnt wait to the last minute to entiice people to go on a cruise then it would be selling better. I am never booking a cruise more than 6 months in advance again now thanks to how cheap P&O let them go closer.

 

Azura was never suitable for a World Cruise. I know what the World Cruise passengers are like and have been on them every year since 2002. The passengers would never tollerate a ship like Azura that has too many passengers for too small a ship that was only designed for 2,600 passengers. It was inevitable that the regulars would never book Azura. P&O's best bet was its popularity with Australians and the fan base in the UK who have never done a World Cruise - their gamble failed.

 

Unfortunately Oriana is not doing a World Cruise next year. It would have been smarter just to swap ships and keep the iteinerary on but with Oriana doing it instead. Hardly and children go on a World Cruise so an adult only ship would have made insignificant difference had they swapped ships.

[MMDown Under]

I am only hours away from flying to Singapore to join Arcadia.

Unfortunately Oriana is not doing a World Cruise next year. It would have been smarter just to swap ships and keep the iteinerary on but with Oriana doing it instead.

 

Bon Voyage.

 

I agree that Oriana has more appeal for a world cruise. On a world cruise, the size of the ship and passenger comfort are as important as the itinerary.

[Sutho]

It was inevitable Azura would never fill up for a World Cruise too. Passengers these days are far too smart. The Caribbean Princess/Crown Princess variants with the extra deck are a cheap way to bang on more passengers on a small framed ship designed in the late 80's. Its nothing more than a cheap stunt to pull in more cash. There is a reason Princess stopped building these ships and it is because they are in no way a equal comparisson to the latest Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and other competition ships.

 

The reason no one will buy into a World Cruise on Azura is due to the above - overcrowded ship. A ship like that is only suited to port intensive calls where passenger numbers are not noticed.

 

its not fair to call the likes of Aurora and Oriana small as there is only 20m difference in length and 3m difference in width between them and the Aurora. Aurora and Oriana offer far mode deck space per passenger than Azura. There are more public rooms on Aurora and Oriana per passenger than there are on Azura also.