Asia Shore Excursion Guidance Please, Bill...

[Jade13]

Hi Bill,

 

I was just advised by email that the only Azamara shore excursion we were planning on taking on our Nov. 9 Azamara cruise has now been canceled by the cruise line (or by the vendor).

 

This is disappointing as we were looking forward to visiting the Raffles Hotel for Tea in Singapore. Additionally, we were actually booked at 50% off the most recent pricing as we had booked immediately when the excursions first came out before a price increase.

 

Please be advised due to operational reasons, SP47 - Tracing the Footprints of Raffles with High Tea Tour will not be offered for your sailing date.

 

I had just written about the disappointing shore excursion offerings on our upcoming Journey, and as this was the only one that fit our interests was surprised that it has now been canceled.

 

Can you please advise the reason for this cancellation? Also interested to hear if we will be arriving even later in Singapore than originally planned and if that is the reason for the cancellation?

 

We were willing and able to spend money and purchase excursions through the cruise line, but unfortunately it looks like none of them fit our interests. I just wanted the company to know that in the future they will need to come up with more unique options (and not the standard tours), if they want us to make any shore excursion purchases. After all, Azamara promotes itself as a destination focused cruise line.

[uktog]

Appreciate your disappointment. Maybe the issue is we arrive on a Sunday and that gives logistical issues. If you still wish the High Tea you can easily do that independently. There are also independent walk tours you can use including iPad based ones. Singapore is the easiest of all the ports on that cruise to DIY, taxis are 100% reliable and very easy come by.

[Bill Leiber]

Hi Bill,

 

I was just advised by email that the only Azamara shore excursion we were planning on taking on our Nov. 9 Azamara cruise has now been canceled by the cruise line (or by the vendor).

 

This is disappointing as we were looking forward to visiting the Raffles Hotel for Tea in Singapore. Additionally, we were actually booked at 50% off the most recent pricing as we had booked immediately when the excursions first came out before a price increase.

 

Please be advised due to operational reasons, SP47 - Tracing the Footprints of Raffles with High Tea Tour will not be offered for your sailing date.

 

I had just written about the disappointing shore excursion offerings on our upcoming Journey, and as this was the only one that fit our interests was surprised that it has now been canceled.

 

Can you please advise the reason for this cancellation? Also interested to hear if we will be arriving even later in Singapore than originally planned and if that is the reason for the cancellation?

 

We were willing and able to spend money and purchase excursions through the cruise line, but unfortunately it looks like none of them fit our interests. I just wanted the company to know that in the future they will need to come up with more unique options (and not the standard tours), if they want us to make any shore excursion purchases. After all, Azamara promotes itself as a destination focused cruise line.

 

 

Hello Jade -

 

Please give me some time to look into this situation.

 

Thanks for your patience.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[Jade13]

Appreciate your disappointment. Maybe the issue is we arrive on a Sunday and that gives logistical issues. If you still wish the High Tea you can easily do that independently. There are also independent walk tours you can use including iPad based ones. Singapore is the easiest of all the ports on that cruise to DIY, taxis are 100% reliable and very easy come by.

 

Hi, We have been to Singapore before, and I agree that Singapore is easy to do on ones own, and we have done so. Last time we were there we left our bags at the airport and took the MRT and went on the Singapore Flyer, which we enjoyed.

 

We have also taken an Azamara excursion in Singapore that I was going to recommend to others but it is no longer being offered, and I thought it was very good. It was on the last day and included time around town including a stop in Chinatown and then the Botanic Gardens, including Orchard garden which if I recall is hard to get to on one's own (would need a taxi and not the MRT). This tour ended at the airport (I think they had the same with hotel drop off). I thought the vendor that Azamara/RCCL uses in Singapore was excellent and was the reason had planned to take a ships excursion in Singapore again. I noticed right now that the Azamara website no longer shows any excursions the last day with either hotel or airport stop-off. We are leaving early and wouldn't do the same tour again, but it was good.

 

Regarding tea at Raffles. The tea is typically from 3:30pm - 5:30pm in the Tiffen room. If Azamara planned to take those going to tea on the same buses as those on the tour with Singapore Sling (Tracing the Footprints of Raffles with Singapore Sling) which departs at 2:30pm for 4 hours than, yes, the timing would not work for tea. However, if the excursion to Raffles with tea departed earlier at 1:00pm (one tour departs as early as 12:30pm), and for 4.5 hours (1:00pm-5:30pm), there would be time for tea from 3:30pm-5:00pm with a departure from the hotel at 5:00pm. If they couldn't coordinate with the Bum boat ride they could take guests somewhere else first such as around the Marina and Gardens by the Sea. If the reason this was canceled is because another group already booked the room, than this was poor planning by Azamara's vendor.

 

So, just disappointed since we did not get to go to last time as we took their ShoreX to the Night Safari. They added two good excursions, full day Mumbai tour and tour to Kandy after final payment when we already made other commitments, but than canceled the tour we were looking forward to at Raffles with tea. Also note that when the excursion first disappeared from the website about a week ago I called and was told it was sold out. Why would "Miami" tell me an excursion was sold out as obviously they didn't know.

[Jade13]

Hello Jade -

 

Please give me some time to look into this situation.

 

Thanks for your patience.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

 

Hi Bill, thanks.

[uktog]

Hello Jade -

 

Thank you for your additional input today.

 

In the meantime, I've received information from the global shore excursion team explaining their decision not to offer Kandy & Temple of the Tooth from Colombo: A few years back these tours were offered from Colombo by Train & Coach. Guests reacted negatively to the coach ride of 4 to 4.5 hours and the winding roads through mountains mixed with driving in the dark. Last season we offered this excursion by chartered train in both directions, which comes at a high cost and diminished demand.

 

§ For the Journey's November 9, 2013 voyage the train is not available during the hours required. In the meantime, the team is working with our tour operator to determine if there are alternatives to offer tours to Kandy & The Temple of Tooth.

§ As for Mumbai, we are adding a full-day option - "Shades of Mumbai" - featuring a more local perspective on the city and surrounding area.

§ In Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur), they are considering creating a unique Azamara tour to the Batu Caves. The concern is with the large amount of steps to climb to access the caves, i.e., guests must walk approx. 2.1 miles with 272 steps to reach Batu Caves. There is no other way to access other than climb the steps.

 

Also, they are looking at adjusting the timing for the shore excursions and the AzAmazing Evenings event in Kerala.

 

I will let you know and others on this voyage when I've received a response about Kandy & The Temple of Tooth and the Batu Caves on a separate thread. Please stay tuned.

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

 

Thank you for the update Bill and a special thank you for taking the time to post a more detailed outlined on our roll call - we very much appreciate that thoughtful addition.

 

Whilst I am not yet sure if we will join this trip, it is an excellent addition to the tours offered this cruise

[Jade13]

Thank you for the update Bill and a special thank you for taking the time to post a more detailed outlined on our roll call - we very much appreciate that thoughtful addition.

 

Whilst I am not yet sure if we will join this trip, it is an excellent addition to the tours offered this cruise

 

Hi uktog, I don't know if you want to say or not, but did you decide to go to Agra, and/or are you still thinking about it? All I remember from our visit years ago was that it was extremely hot. Everything surrounding the Taj Mahal was very run down, even a restaurant recommended on Lonely Planet (this was years ago) was in a one room shack. But then you walked into the gates of the Taj and it was a beautiful oasis.