Musings, Rambles, and Thoughts.

[greeneg]

Well, we're back home, I've caught up ( at least mostly) with the Boards, and have submitted my review of our October 15th sailing on the Journey to Greece, Israel, and Turkey. That done, I have a couple of thoughts/comments that I'd like to share. I want to stress that these are strictly my opinions, please feel free to agree or disagree with them, but remember that they are only opinions and as such are neither right nor wrong. They're just what I think.

 

1) We had a very enjoyable cruise on the Journey, and I would certainly sail with Azamara on either ship in the future. The crew and staff interaction on board the ship continues to hold the whole experience together. They are the absolute backbone of the line and if that area every fails then the "special" nature of Azamara will be gone. They are the most consistent feature of the line, food has deteriorated, the ships are beginning to show their age, but the Crew soldiers on. My hat's off to them, they remain wonderful and as steady as a rock.

 

2) I received an email this morning from Azamara announcing the introduction of the previously mentioned Azamazing Evening Excursions as Mr. P said that they were going to do. The penalties for non-cancellation of these events were listed in the fine print of the email and range from $100-200 if cancellation is not made by 10:00 PM on the evening before. Personally I find this offensive to think that this has been included in my cost of the cruise and if I choose not to do it I have to tell them or I will be penalized. These things are not for everyone and while they may well be very nice experiences, I fail to see how this enhances the Azamara Experience or justifies a price increase. The fact is, that at either 50% off of some number, or at full price, Azamara shore excursions are the same as every other cruise line's excursions; no difference that I can see, folks, they are all purchased from the same local suppliers and re-sold by the cruise lines.

 

3) Tony Markey, our CD remarked at the CC Party that we had 580 passengers on board for our sailing. Since I believe that the two ships can carry 694 passengers when "full", we were only at about 84% of capacity. I have no idea what it takes to make a profit, but the missing 16% has to have some effect on the bottom line. I realize that there has to be a figure which each ship has to generate from each sailing, and that you can either generate that figure by having the ship full at a per diem that produces that number, or by increasing the per diem so that the same number is produced by fewer people. Clearly Azamara Management has made the decision to go the latter route. I hope that it works for them; it will clearly force me to shop "fire sales" if I want to sail with Azamara in the future. I find it hard to understand why Azamara Management wants to push a significant percentage of it's customer base into this position. It's like they want you to shop the competition and if you sail with them, well that's OK too.

 

4) I seem to remember that Mr P made the point in his discussion that Cruise Critic Members were only a small percentage of Azamara's customer base. That may well be true, but Cruise Critic Members by and large are smart, experienced, and fundamentally thoughtful people who I would think would add to the Azamara Experience rather than detract from it. Does a business not want to deal with an informed customer base? Why not? I think those are good questions, but I don't have answers.

 

5) We did our first cruises on Azamara in 2008 and 2009, in those days, I was accused on several occasions of being an Azamara "Cheerleader" here on Cruise Critic and I suspect that that was true as I certainly did want the line to succeed since it was such a perfect fit for my wife and I; I can do without formal nights and love the smaller ships and great service at a price we could live with. That changed with the less than truthful pricing that occurred in 2010. Having done another Azamara Cruise in 2012, we were delighted to find that the basics were still there. Unfortunately, Azamara has decided to become more "inclusive" and more expensive for whatever reasons, so I have serious concerns that may have been our last. We'll just have to see.

 

OK, fire away.

[Joecors]

Would like to refer to your "Thoughts" which express my feelings much more eloquently than I can, so you have at least one supporter.

 

To me, of particular importance is the service provided by the onboard officers and crew. To a certain degree, I resent this because if their friendliness and attention, the "going the extra mile" was not so apparent, I'd find it so much easier to look elsewhere for my cruise holidays

[MrMojoRisin]

Well, we're back home, I've caught up ( at least mostly) with the Boards, and have submitted my review of our October 15th sailing on the Journey to Greece, Israel, and Turkey. That done, I have a couple of thoughts/comments that I'd like to share. I want to stress that these are strictly my opinions, please feel free to agree or disagree with them, but remember that they are only opinions and as such are neither right nor wrong. They're just what I think.

 

1) We had a very enjoyable cruise on the Journey, and I would certainly sail with Azamara on either ship in the future. The crew and staff interaction on board the ship continues to hold the whole experience together. They are the absolute backbone of the line and if that area every fails then the "special" nature of Azamara will be gone. They are the most consistent feature of the line, food has deteriorated, the ships are beginning to show their age, but the Crew soldiers on. My hat's off to them, they remain wonderful and as steady as a rock.

 

2) I received an email this morning from Azamara announcing the introduction of the previously mentioned Azamazing Evening Excursions as Mr. P said that they were going to do. The penalties for non-cancellation of these events were listed in the fine print of the email and range from $100-200 if cancellation is not made by 10:00 PM on the evening before. Personally I find this offensive to think that this has been included in my cost of the cruise and if I choose not to do it I have to tell them or I will be penalized. These things are not for everyone and while they may well be very nice experiences, I fail to see how this enhances the Azamara Experience or justifies a price increase. The fact is, that at either 50% off of some number, or at full price, Azamara shore excursions are the same as every other cruise line's excursions; no difference that I can see, folks, they are all purchased from the same local suppliers and re-sold by the cruise lines.

 

3) Tony Markey, our CD remarked at the CC Party that we had 580 passengers on board for our sailing. Since I believe that the two ships can carry 694 passengers when "full", we were only at about 84% of capacity. I have no idea what it takes to make a profit, but the missing 16% has to have some effect on the bottom line. I realize that there has to be a figure which each ship has to generate from each sailing, and that you can either generate that figure by having the ship full at a per diem that produces that number, or by increasing the per diem so that the same number is produced by fewer people. Clearly Azamara Management has made the decision to go the latter route. I hope that it works for them; it will clearly force me to shop "fire sales" if I want to sail with Azamara in the future. I find it hard to understand why Azamara Management wants to push a significant percentage of it's customer base into this position. It's like they want you to shop the competition and if you sail with them, well that's OK too.

 

4) I seem to remember that Mr P made the point in his discussion that Cruise Critic Members were only a small percentage of Azamara's customer base. That may well be true, but Cruise Critic Members by and large are smart, experienced, and fundamentally thoughtful people who I would think would add to the Azamara Experience rather than detract from it. Does a business not want to deal with an informed customer base? Why not? I think those are good questions, but I don't have answers.

 

5) We did our first cruises on Azamara in 2008 and 2009, in those days, I was accused on several occasions of being an Azamara "Cheerleader" here on Cruise Critic and I suspect that that was true as I certainly did want the line to succeed since it was such a perfect fit for my wife and I; I can do without formal nights and love the smaller ships and great service at a price we could live with. That changed with the less than truthful pricing that occurred in 2010. Having done another Azamara Cruise in 2012, we were delighted to find that the basics were still there. Unfortunately, Azamara has decided to become more "inclusive" and more expensive for whatever reasons, so I have serious concerns that may have been our last. We'll just have to see.

 

OK, fire away.

 

 

Very eloquently and precisely put. I agree with everything you say.

[Andy]

Hi Ed,

 

I wanted to say thank you for your (as always) well thought out comments. I'm glad you had a wonderful time on Journey, and welcome home !

[mare s.]

I find myself agreeing with you 100%. But am curious...in what way has the food service deteriorated?

I received the same email from Azamara this morning about the Azamazing experiences...I'm afraid I was not overly impressed (based on what I read) A couple did sound interesting but not something I'd cite as the main reason for booking a cruise. But that's just me.

Still looking forward to our upcoming cruise...primarily for the small ship ambience, resort casual attire, and wonderful crew.

[greeneg]

I find myself agreeing with you 100%. But am curious...in what way has the food service deteriorated?

I received the same email from Azamara this morning about the Azamazing experiences...I'm afraid I was not overly impressed (based on what I read) A couple did sound interesting but not something I'd cite as the main reason for booking a cruise. But that's just me.

Still looking forward to our upcoming cruise...primarily for the small ship ambience, resort casual attire, and wonderful crew.

 

Mare s, I didn't say that the food service had deteriorated, it hasn't. The food itself isn't as good as I found it on our previous Azamara cruises. ( I don't think that it's as good as it used to be on Celebrity either, for that matter, but that's beside the point.) Steaks are thin and a little tough ( much harder to get a rare steak if that happens to be the way that you like it) and, to my mind, the emphasis is on plating and preparation as opposed to taste and quality. An example: I ordered fish and chips one night in the MDR ( I like fish and chips) I received a perfectly prepared piece of fish, cool chips, and the fish was served on a mound of wilted spinach. The end result? The bottom of the fish was soggy and almost disgusting. But it looked good when it was served.

 

The quality of the Food Servers remains outstanding in my opinion, they will just about do anything for you that they possibly can. The food on the other hand is less outstanding, no better than Celebrity, whereas it used to be a distinct cut above.

[greeneg]

Hi Ed,

 

I wanted to say thank you for your (as always) well thought out comments. I'm glad you had a wonderful time on Journey, and welcome home !

 

Thanks, Andy, your comments are always appreciated, and Thank You for doing such a great job keeping the Peace here on these Boards. I'm glad we got in and out of JFK before Sandy came knocking, that's for sure.

 

Ed

[Bloodaxe]

Very eloquently and precisely put. I agree with everything you say.

 

Me to, I could not have summed up my feelings any better

[CTLeeA]

Ed-Add me to your fan club. I also agree with everything you wrote. I checked on what Amazing Evening Azamara has in store for us, and it's some sort of welcome party--not even a tour! Since we dock right downtown, they don't even need to hire buses. Rather than take a chance on one of us in our group getting ill and having to pay $100-$200 for cancelling at the last minute, we'll skip it. I think we all, except perhaps for a small minority, are disappointed with the direction the line is going.

[Mrs Miggins]

Very interesting and well reasoned post.

 

We returned to the Uk after our wonderful Quest trip on October 6th.

 

It sounds like all of us in the UK never stop moaning about the pre and post cruise service BUT I certainly have not received anything from Azamara since then apart from a Questionnaire asking us to mark each element of our cruise. My point is that they obviously have my email address but presumably choose not to 'sell' me the new included excursion or extra included drinks.

 

This added to the abysmal UK website which is still offering "up to 50% off shore excursions" shows that Azamara does not value clients who are not US based.

[taxjam]

Ed - I generally agree with your post.

 

I think on the cancel fee, Azamara could justify it by saying they have a cost for the evening, if they can keep it down to just the customers that use it, they can minimize slightly the amount fares will increase because of the evenings. We are on back to back cruises beginning in July and intend to try the evenings with an open mind. We've done these types of excursions on river cruises and with professional associations and they have worked out well. However, it wasn't 650 people, etc. So, we will see.

 

On the food comment, I looked for your review, but it isn't up yet because I am interested in specifics. My personal opinion, and admittedly it is my "taste," is that Azamara's food is consistently very good, occasionally outstanding, and on rare occasion disappointing. I am surprised nobody has challenged you yet given that food is usually ranked 5 (top score) in the member reviews.

 

Looking forward to seeing your review.

[mare s.]

Ed...sorry, I didn't mean to type "service" after food...somehow it managed to get in! Thanks for the specifics...I like a beautifully presented plate as much as anyone, but not when it diminishes the quality of the food...ugh soggy fish and cold chips...nasty! (and why fish and chips over spinach????) Hoping food quality on our upcoming Quest cruise is as good as I remember it. Of course, with those little cupcakes in Mosaic....don't think I'll go hungry. ;-)

[Architect]

 

Tony Markey, our CD remarked at the CC Party that we had 580 passengers on board for our sailing. Since I believe that the two ships can carry 694 passengers when "full", we were only at about 84% of capacity. I have no idea what it takes to make a profit, but the missing 16% has to have some effect on the bottom line.

 

A relatively minor point, but your calculations presume zero solos. My friends and I all travel together but one to a cabin so that affects the capacity figure. (And of course we pay a supplemental surcharge to do so.) Further, I very much dislike overcrowded ships and I'd happily pay more for a cruise that is notably under capacity. Same thing with planes; for example, an uncrowded long-haul business cabin is often a superior experience to a completely-full first-class cabin. Of course this depends on the airline and even the aircraft, but the point is the same.

 

I definitely agree with your observations about the "AzAmazing Evenings" thing. Actually, come to think of it, this dovetails neatly with my previous remarks: the last thing I'd want to partake in would be an "AzAmazing" (or any other) shore experience with buses and 500 people. Dear God.

[greeneg]

No, Mare S, I guarantee that you will not go hungry. I certainly didn't.

 

I want to stress that I am not saying that the food is bad, it isn't. What I am saying is that it isn't what it once was. I used the example of the fish and chips on spinach to make the point that the emphasis seemed to be on the plating. I have no idea why someone would serve a crispy dish on top of a "wet" item, the end result is certainly predictable. We actually had dinner about half the time in Windows because the food was about the same, and it was a lot quieter and more pleasant up there.

 

In a sense, I would argue that the availability of Windows is an asset for those times when you want a nice, perhaps lighter meal, flexibility of menu, and some peace and quiet.

 

Ed

[greeneg]

A relatively minor point, but your calculations presume zero solos. My friends and I all travel together but one to a cabin so that affects the capacity figure. (And of course we pay a supplemental surcharge to do so.) Further, I very much dislike overcrowded ships and I'd happily pay more for a cruise that is notably under capacity. Same thing with planes; for example, an uncrowded long-haul business cabin is often a superior experience to a completely-full first-class cabin. Of course this depends on the airline and even the aircraft, but the point is the same.

 

I definitely agree with your observations about the "AzAmazing Evenings" thing. Actually, come to think of it, this dovetails neatly with my previous remarks: the last thing I'd want to partake in would be an "AzAmazing" (or any other) shore experience with buses and 500 people. Dear God.

 

The 694 figure is directly from Azamara's website and is listed as double occupancy.

 

Boy, do I agree with you on the idea of an intimate evening with 500+ "friends". I can think of a number of adjectives to describe that sort of experience, but Amazing isn't on the list.

 

Ed

[marinaro44]

Boy, do I agree with you on the idea of an intimate evening with 500+ "friends". I can think of a number of adjectives to describe that sort of experience, but Amazing isn't on the list.

 

Agree. That leaves only the free bottom-shelf liquor as added value in return for the huge fare increases. Guess we'd better drink up!

 

I'm with greeneg. I will cruise Azamara when I see the equivalent of this past year's Valentine's Day promotion, or when my cruise agent puts together a cost-effective air/cruise/OBC package built around a poorly-selling Azamara cruise, like he did with last October's half-full Journey trans-Atlantic.

[meow!]

Well, we're back home, I've caught up ( at least mostly) with the Boards, and have submitted my review of our October 15th sailing on the Journey to Greece, Israel, and Turkey. That done, I have a couple of thoughts/comments that I'd like to share. I want to stress that these are strictly my opinions, please feel free to agree or disagree with them, but remember that they are only opinions and as such are neither right nor wrong. They're just what I think.

 

Thank you so much for your report and thoughtful comments. As shown on our report last year http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1482473 , Azamara is a very nice cruise line, but its fares are high, and difficult to afford for many people. Despite the very bad economy with no hope of true recovery in the foreseeable future, somehow all cruise lines are still increasing fares, some (including Azamara at some 8% per annum compounded) faster than the others. We wonder what type of passengers can still afford cruising these days!