New 2013 inclusive beverage program details

[marinaro44]

 

From the first item on the Onboard Packages FAQs page on the Azamara website it looks like you are right -

 

"Q: How did you choose the inclusive brands?

A: The selection of inclusive brands is based on our relationships with various liquor distributors."

So much for the story that it was to attract "upmarket travelers."

 

Depressing factoid: AB InBev sells 39% of the beer consumed in the US.:eek:

[Lottie A]

I have been to many Meet&Mingle's on Quest....And not ONCE have I heard even the slightest hint of a moan.....from any nationality! These great opportunities to meet up with your fellow CC members, have a chat to the wonderful officers and generally socialise are a very special part of an Azamara cruise. They don't happen on Oceania or Silversea for example....and I know that many CC members who commonly sail on those cruiselines are lobbying for them to be a part of the cruise....but so far, not with much success.

 

Perhaps that could be due to them not having the wonderful direct line to AZ management that we are so lucky to have here? Of course I refer to "our Bill Leiber". Does any other CC forum have a "Bill"? Not to my knowledge. He works hard for us all.....and I think it's a tribute to Azamara management that they had the iniative to give us a direct line to them. Just try to get some information on what is currently happening on Silversea for example. Much speculation from seasoned cruisers but no information from SS management at all.

 

I have just got back from a week in Las Vegas and have been catching up with the posts. I have to say that the tidal wave of negativity from some posters is really beginning to make me angry and upset. As other posters have said....some of these people have not even been on an Azamara ship! I think it was Phil who mentioned "perceived value" but I might be wrong because I'm somewhat jet lagged.....anyway, to me the perceived value of an Azamara cruise does not lie in the free drinks list or any other physical element of the cruise. It is all about what those people who have not yet set foot on Quest or Journey cannot understand and those of you who have been on board know what I'm talking about without me having to say it. :)

 

As for the drinks packages and the included drinks.....seems more than fine to me. I hope they include Mango Martini's but it won't ruin my cruise if they don't.

The upgrade package prices seem more than fair to me too....and I am quite sure that I would get great value from buying one. But if I don't then a couple of dollars for a Tanqueray 10 or a glass of fizzy water won't exactly break the bank.

 

Can we please get back to some happy anticipation of our upcoming Azamara cruises and give the depressing moaning a bit of a rest? Do you all know how lucky we are to be able to cruise on these wonderful ships?

I know I will be jumping with joy to get back on the wonderful Quest in a couple of weeks time.

 

I am off on another cruise next week.....not on Azamara but I won't expect it to be like Azamara either. And we will be paying a lot more for our drinks. :rolleyes:

[BurBunny]

Hello Azamara Inclusive Beverage Followers -

 

 

Premium Waters

We state that we provide complimentary water in our promotional material; however, we do not state what brands of (still) water are included since they are sometimes purchased locally or through our purchasing group.

 

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Bill, when one reads unlimited bottled water, why isn't a choice of sparkling or still offered? Many, especially in Europe, prefer sparkling to still, but sparkling is only part of a premium package? That doesn't make sense. In any European restaurant, if you ask for bottled water, they automatically ask sparkling or still.

 

I'm disappointed in the premium water package, but do have a question about it. If you purchase one of the other "premium" packages - the two alcohol or beer for example - is the bottled water and Nespresso added, like they are in the Celebrity alcohol packages? In other words, purchase one package, and the "lesser" packages are automatically a part of it?

 

Appreciate your answer and passing along the message about the waters.

[English Tim]

We newbies are coming a lot of flame from some Az regulars. I understand that for years you have enjoyed a wonderful level of service and a fantastic experience cruising with Az and you don't like newbies denigrating your product.

 

However, some don't seem to be listening or are not prepared to accept that newbies have none of this joy, they just have what the marketeers offer them, plus the remarks on Internet fora, on which to gauge their expectations.

 

Many Brits, including me were sold their cruises on the basis that much of it was all inclusive, the perception being that virtually all drinks would be included (I was told as much by an Az member of staff). To Brits, this means they can estimate pretty accurately what their cruise will cost and it matters to many on limited budgets.

 

Now many will find, when they board (without the benefit of CC), that their cruise will cost a lot more than they budgeted for and will understandably be upset, not a good start to their cruise.

 

Maybe this excellent service will bring them back, maybe not, but we all need to understand each others point of view.

[CruiseKirk]

Well, we are on the inaugural all inclusive cruise. The ship is fantastic, food cannot be beaten and the service is exemplary. One word of warning though, if you want a drink before 17:30 you are pretty much stuffed unless you want to go to the pool bar (and it's raining today). Very misleading, why cant they just open one of the inside bars?

 

Left to go back to our stateroom and pay for expensive wine. No champagne by the bottle to your room either?!!?

[uktog]

Well, we are on the inaugural all inclusive cruise. The ship is fantastic, food cannot be beaten and the service is exemplary. One word of warning though, if you want a drink before 17:30 you are pretty much stuffed unless you want to go to the pool bar (and it's raining today). Very misleading, why cant they just open one of the inside bars?

 

Left to go back to our stateroom and pay for expensive wine. No champagne by the bottle to your room either?!!?

 

Thanks for coming past to post Cruisekirk

I would suggest you get an attention to detail card from guest relations and highlight this wet day issue to them - this is one of the "shaking down" pieces of feedback they will need to hear about

When you say no champagne in the room, do you mean the welcome bottle for suites or the bottle for those who are at Explorer or above level in Le Club voyage or both?

[Lottie A]

Tim, to be clear, I am not flaming or denigrating you. I am merely commenting on the recent flood of negativity from some posters.....which started long before you joined. This forum used to be a very pleasant place to visit, to help others by answering questions and share our wonderful memories of past Azamara cruises and look forward to our future ones. It's not like that anymore and that makes me sad. I cannot believe that one night Host Andy had to virtually lock some threads down because of the way they were turning. :( This is not the behaviour of the cultured, pleasant and entertaining people we meet on Azamara cruises.

 

I am British too and I booked my May Azamara cruise when it was advertised in the UK as "all inclusive" but I never expected this to include top shelf alcohol.....did you? No matter what alcohol is chosen there will always be someone who says "but I drink XXXXXXXX and why isn't that included?" There are many choices available in the included alcohol package and IMHO the extra alcohol packages are very good value indeed. So you could go on an Azamara cruise and not spend anything extra......if that is your choice.

 

With everything that is included in an Azamara cruise your inboard spend should be very acceptable indeed. No cruise line is truly all inclusive, as I'm sure you know but looking at the choices available on Azamara, I'd say it is doing quite well.

[insidecabin]

Well, we are on the inaugural all inclusive cruise. The ship is fantastic, food cannot be beaten and the service is exemplary. One word of warning though, if you want a drink before 17:30 you are pretty much stuffed unless you want to go to the pool bar (and it's raining today). Very misleading, why cant they just open one of the inside bars?

 

Left to go back to our stateroom and pay for expensive wine. No champagne by the bottle to your room either?!!?

 

No beverage service at windows?

On our TA you could get some(limited) drinks at mosaic cafe.

 

 

It would be easy for them to leave out the daily wines/house brands/beer and sodas on a help yourself basis in a couple of key locations if they don't want to have staff allocated, or allow room service to any location.

[Lottie A]

Well, we are on the inaugural all inclusive cruise. The ship is fantastic, food cannot be beaten and the service is exemplary. One word of warning though, if you want a drink before 17:30 you are pretty much stuffed unless you want to go to the pool bar (and it's raining today). Very misleading, why cant they just open one of the inside bars?

 

Left to go back to our stateroom and pay for expensive wine. No champagne by the bottle to your room either?!!?

 

If its raining then surely you could have a drink at Mosaic cafe?

 

So glad to hear you are having a good time though.....despite the rain.

[Raskelf]

Raining ? Maybe that's what they mean by locally sourced water. At least it will be All Inclusive.

[uktog]

English Tim: It may be that Saracen is feeling a tad like me. That is, I get the point about some complaints, but am finding all the repetition rather boring--"Yawn."

 

Spot on Dunelm - as I said the other day several might like to consider their overall effectiveness and consider that less is more

[Lindy028]

Well, we are on the inaugural all inclusive cruise. The ship is fantastic, food cannot be beaten and the service is exemplary. One word of warning though, if you want a drink before 17:30 you are pretty much stuffed unless you want to go to the pool bar (and it's raining today). Very misleading, why cant they just open one of the inside bars?

 

Left to go back to our stateroom and pay for expensive wine. No champagne by the bottle to your room either?!!?

 

CruiseKirk,

glad to hear you are enjoying it despite the rain and the inaugural hiccups, let's hope that is what they are!

I really don't think the required preparation has gone into this change, and it is the poor serving staff who will get all the flak.

Hopefully, management will be proactive and sort out the initial problems quickly or there will be some disgruntled passengers.

[Spursgirl]

Well, we are on the inaugural all inclusive cruise. The ship is fantastic, food cannot be beaten and the service is exemplary. One word of warning though, if you want a drink before 17:30 you are pretty much stuffed unless you want to go to the pool bar (and it's raining today). Very misleading, why cant they just open one of the inside bars?

 

Left to go back to our stateroom and pay for expensive wine. No champagne by the bottle to your room either?!!?

 

I am so glad that you are enjoying the ship and that the food is still top notch.

 

Are you saying though that if you fancied a pre-lunch G&T you couldn't have one? If this is the case I am sure it is a teething problem as the programme only commenced with your cruise. However, as UKtog suggests it might be worth commenting on the attention to detail card you will be receiving any time soon.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise

[English Tim]

Well, we are on the inaugural all inclusive cruise. The ship is fantastic, food cannot be beaten and the service is exemplary. One word of warning though, if you want a drink before 17:30 you are pretty much stuffed unless you want to go to the pool bar (and it's raining today). Very misleading, why cant they just open one of the inside bars?

 

Left to go back to our stateroom and pay for expensive wine. No champagne by the bottle to your room either?!!?

 

Why not ask them?

[English Tim]

I am British too and I booked my May Azamara cruise when it was advertised in the UK as "all inclusive" but I never expected this to include top shelf alcohol.....did you? No matter what alcohol is chosen there will always be someone who says "but I drink XXXXXXXX and why isn't that included?" There are many choices available in the included alcohol package and IMHO the extra alcohol packages are very good value indeed. So you could go on an Azamara cruise and not spend anything extra......if that is your choice.

 

With everything that is included in an Azamara cruise your inboard spend should be very acceptable indeed. No cruise line is truly all inclusive, as I'm sure you know but looking at the choices available on Azamara, I'd say it is doing quite well.

 

No I didn't expect top shelf to be included, but bailey's and a dark rum, yes! I'll be happy with white rum or cocktails. I usually work my way through the cocktail menu. :)

[Andy]

Why not ask them?

 

I agree Tim. The onboard Officers & Crew always try their best to please. If the request is reasonable, I'd hope they would be accomomdated. I'd absolutely have a chat with the Guest Relations folks, and/or the Hotel Director.

 

As others have mentioned, this is the first sailing with the new program. Based on Guest feedback, I'd expect there might be some adjustments to the program.

Edited March 29, 2013 by Host Andy

[maryann ns]

In 2011 I had no problem getting sparkling water with meals, but would have had to pay to get it at other times from a bar.

[insidecabin]

I agree Tim. The onboard Officers & Crew always try their best to please. If the request is reasonable, I'd hope they would be accomomdated. I'd absolutely have a chat with the Guest Relations folks, and/or the Hotel Director.

 

As others have mentioned, this is the first sailing with the new program. Based on Guest feedback, I'd expect there might be some adjustments to the program.

 

Agree, talk to the stripes, they can't fix an issue if they don't know about it.

 

If you were on a new extended hours more inclusive cruise ask about it.

 

Was it a sea or port day? on sea days is not the casino bar open?

[Raskelf]

As I recall the same proceedure is followed on Silversea ( Silver Wind, Cloud and Whisper ). Basically in the normal course of events there is no point opening a bar below decks when everyone is going to be by the pool. If the weather takes a turn for the worse there is only a limited crew available on bar duty and you can't suddenly split your staff to open another bar on the off chance somebody will wonder in for a drink. ( Anyway a little sea air and rain sharpen the thirst of a hardened sea-dog ! And you can always lash yourself to the bar stool. )

[Gardendog]

I had sparkling water (club soda) throughout the day on my Ouest cruise earlier this month.

San Pellegrino and Perrier sparkling was an up charge.

I had sparkling water every single night and most lunches and for pool drinks, it was not a problem. On a fe occasions it was flat, but I got a new glass then.

Club soda is rather high in sodium. I would have preferred San Pelligrino, but did not want to pay for it.

[marinaro44]

I have been to many Meet&Mingle's on Quest....And not ONCE have I heard even the slightest hint of a moan.....from any nationality!

There was one British couple who "moaned" obnoxiously at the M&M on Quest's first cruise after drydock. Kept trying to pin the captain down that the cruise was delayed two days not because of the austerity strike in Spain, but because the drydock wasn't completed on time. Other than that I've never seen any expressions of discontent at M&M gatherings, and Azamara's are by far the best attended by ship's senior staff and the most substantive in terms of content. Definitely worth attending.

[insidecabin]

There was one British couple who "moaned" obnoxiously at the M&M on Quest's first cruise after drydock. Kept trying to pin the captain down that the cruise was delayed two days not because of the austerity strike in Spain, but because the drydock wasn't completed on time. Other than that I've never seen any expressions of discontent at M&M gatherings, and Azamara's are by far the best attended by ship's senior staff and the most substantive in terms of content. Definitely worth attending.

 

ACC are good when comparing with the likes of other RCCL and may cruise lines

 

IME NCL equal or trump ACC.

[mzk90]

ACC are good when comparing with the likes of other RCCL and may cruise lines

 

IME NCL equal or trump ACC.

 

That last comment is nearly as funny as Bud being an international beer and having to pay for Malibu!

[marinaro44]

That last comment is nearly as funny as Bud being an international beer and having to pay for Malibu!

I suspect insidecabin was referring to the number of senior staff who attend NCL's M&Ms, not the overall cruise experience. Note the bolding he did in the posting of mine that he quoted. Nothing funny about it at all. It's actually an accurate statement. Edited March 30, 2013 by marinaro44

[mzk90]

I suspect insidecabin was referring to the number of senior staff who attend NCL's M&Ms, not the overall cruise experience. Note the bolding he did in the posting of mine that he quoted. Nothing funny about it at all. It's actually an accurate statement.

 

Then I apologise unreservedly. :o