Single Supplement - Website Frustration

[excitedofharpenden]

I love Azamara, but boy do I get frustrated with pricing cruises I think I might like to do. I am looking at taking a cruise earlier part of next year and click on the "Special Offers" and "Savings for Singles" tabs on the website. Listed as one of them is Journey 3rd March 14 Night Trades of the Orient cruise so I click on the "Book Now" tab under the heading "Book it!" and it brings up a price that rather than being the advertised 125% is twice the per person double occupancy price. £7400 is just way more than I want to pay as a single for a 14 night cruise. I'm left wondering if it's a mistake.

 

I'm getting emails every week or so from Seabourn with special deals that make much more sense financially. Azamara, you are wanting to advance your business, but are going to lose your loyal customers like me if you continue to try and deliver your product with such a shoddy website with incorrect information. Coupled with the fact that going forward I am going to be unable to speak to my Personal Cruise Consultant in the UK and have to start dealing with a call centre in Guatemala. It's all a bit depressing. Rant over.

 

Phil

[English Tim]

That was a post from the heart, Phil.

 

In my brief experience with Azamara (two cruises), you have been one of the most helpful posters and one of AZ's staunchest supporters, so for you to post like this, you must be hugely frustrated.

 

I think AZ's various marketing staff from around the world, should get together and decide how to move forward, then check everything they are about to announce before it goes public.

[Spursgirl]

Hi Phil,

 

It is truly depressing to read your post particularly as it follows our own recent issues with Azamara UK.

 

I am pinning all my hopes on the imminent appointment of the new Az UK Managing Director, in the hope that whoever it is can get a grip of the situation.

 

I too am looking at Seabourn. They have some interesting propositions.

 

Hazel

[excitedofharpenden]

Tim, you are right. It was from the heart and does reflect the passion I have for Azamara vs the frustration with the way in which they market their product. I went on the website again this morning to re-check I wasn't doing something wrong. I also looked at another cruise on the 125% single supplement list. Both cruises doubled the fare if I put one adult in the booking process.

 

Hazel, I really don't want to go to Seabourn. I want to book another cruise on my beloved Azamara, but it's making me think too. I absolutely don't mind spending money and am not looking for a bargain, just fair value and if I'm tempted in by claims on the Azamara website the there are "Fantastic rates for singles on selected voyages" I don't want to be confused or disappointed when I got to try and book something. If they are capacity controlled and have reached capacity for reduced single supplement then take them off the flippin' list. Oh and I clicked on the terms and conditions underneath just to see if I was missing something and it had the following text "On select 2012-2013 voyages single guest rates of 125% of total stateroom fare is available." If they can't keep the information up to date there really is no hope. Yes, I'm still cross because I want to cruise on Azamara again. Not at those prices though. Get your act together guys.

 

Phil

Edited November 8, 2013 by excitedofharpenden

[Xport]

This is one of those cases in which--regardless of your judgment as to the competence resident in the UK office at the present time--I'd call and ask for a quote after citing the promotion on the website... As you know, both Azamara and Celebrity are not known for the flexibility/capability of their systems in handling basic booking/reservation management issues; promotional bookings are likely even more challenging... And if you don't like the quote [at least then you'll know if the fares are capacity controlled and that they've reached capacity], conclude the call...

 

It goes back to early May but I did receive the 25% Single Supplement--in tandem with the "Book An Inside/Get Upgraded To A Verandah" promo--for the 3 March sailing on Journey... That said, I booked while aboard Solstice--along with the two prior cruises--so have no idea how gymnastic their on-line systems were/were not at the time...

 

Comments offered in only the most constructive of ways... Hope to see you aboard!

Edited November 8, 2013 by Xport

[Willow1686]

Phil

 

The online agent I use most frequently is offerings singles on that voyage from £4315 plus unspecified 'further savings'; perhaps a quick Google and a phone call to them would be helpful.

 

I know it's hugely frustrating; I cannot even persuade the website to let me click on the free shore excursions voyages. I don't know whether this may be an iPad thing or just technical incompetence on the part of Azurama, myself, or both them and me :)

[Andy]

Hi Phil,

 

Thank you for posting. I felt your frustration in your post. I too, am not pleased with Azamara's website, especially since they've once again changed the booking engine a couple of weeks ago. I can only hope that improvements are to follow, but that's an unknown at this point.

 

FWIW, Celebrity's website was also "upgraded" (if you can call it that !) about 2 weeks ago, and Celebrity posters are constantly complaining about website pricing, and booked sailing pricing changing minute to minute. I've personally witnessed all sorts of pricing for my 6 booked Celebrity cruises, which I have stored on their site. Many other members are complaining about the inability to view and book Shore excursions. My point is, whatever is going on at Celebrity, might very well be the same issue as Azamara - not that it makes it any more acceptable... just trying to shed some light on what might be the issue. Hopefully, Bill Leiber will share this information with Azamara's Management team.

 

At any rate, I sincerely hope you are able to book at the price you expect. Please keep us posted, and thanks for sharing your insights with us.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Host Andy

[excitedofharpenden]

Phil

 

The online agent I use most frequently is offerings singles on that voyage from £4315 plus unspecified 'further savings'; perhaps a quick Google and a phone call to them would be helpful.

 

I know it's hugely frustrating; I cannot even persuade the website to let me click on the free shore excursions voyages. I don't know whether this may be an iPad thing or just technical incompetence on the part of Azurama, myself, or both them and me :)

Thanks so much for the info. I will get Googling. I guess in my world of always booking directly with Azamara I was missing something or relying on their information too much. If I find something and decide to do it I will post back here.

 

Phil

[Willow1686]

Thanks so much for the info. I will get Googling. I guess in my world of always booking directly with Azamara I was missing something or relying on their information too much. If I find something and decide to do it I will post back here.

 

Phil

 

 

If you search on:

 

Trade routes of the Orient from Shanghai

 

it should come up top of the list!

[excitedofharpenden]

Thank you so much. You are a star.

 

Phil

[fraj1]

I'm also really frustrated with the solo pricing at the moment Tim. Having had exactly the same problems as yourself with the website ( I tried a number of different cruises but could find no 125% single offers) I phoned Azamara yesterday only to be told there were no 125% offers at the moment. The advice was to look at the home page each day when it would be evident if some become available. Goodness knows where it will show up if they are! Azamara was always a good line for solos - looks like things are changing? Or am I still missing the way to access the 125%?

 

Solo traveller wishing to travel Azamara!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[goodvig]

Without having the time to go back and read previous threads/posts - I recall something about a December promo geared towards single cruisers. The previous promo was the "Double Upgrade" offer, currently it's the free shore excursion promo "On Shore On Us", and it was mentioned the Dec Promo would be geared toward the single cruiser??

 

If I can find it - I will re-post...maybe it's worth waiting until then to see.

[hrhdhd]

Or am I still missing the way to access the 125%?

 

I don't know about the UK website, but on the US website, click on "Special Offers" in the top navigation bar, wait for the page to open, and there's a link to "Savings for Singles."

 

My problem is that the 125% is not offered on the cruise I want, but the onboard booking consultant said it might come out later, so I'm waiting to see. If it doesn't, I'll cancel and just be out the $25 cancelation fee.

[Xport]

Without having the time to go back and read previous threads/posts - I recall something about a December promo geared towards single cruisers.

 

I saw it too after reading a link contained in a 10 October post--posted in a different context--by Host Andy... You'll find the reference to a December "Savings For Singles" promotion among Larry Pimentel's comments here...

 

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b16db138#/b16db138/6

 

Andy's original reference to this newsletter was contained in the following thread...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927217

Edited November 10, 2013 by Xport

[excitedofharpenden]

Without having the time to go back and read previous threads/posts - I recall something about a December promo geared towards single cruisers. The previous promo was the "Double Upgrade" offer, currently it's the free shore excursion promo "On Shore On Us", and it was mentioned the Dec Promo would be geared toward the single cruiser??

 

If I can find it - I will re-post...maybe it's worth waiting until then to see.

 

I saw it too after reading a link contained in a 10 October post--posted in a different context--by Host Andy... You'll find the reference to a December "Savings For Singles" promotion among Larry Pimentel's comments here...

 

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b16db138#/b16db138/6

 

Andy's original reference to this newsletter was contained in the following thread...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927217

 

Thanks for the information.

 

I don't know about the UK website, but on the US website, click on "Special Offers" in the top navigation bar, wait for the page to open, and there's a link to "Savings for Singles."

 

My problem is that the 125% is not offered on the cruise I want, but the onboard booking consultant said it might come out later, so I'm waiting to see. If it doesn't, I'll cancel and just be out the $25 cancelation fee.

 

My main issue that having checked that list and found one I would like to do it prices is at double rather than 125% as a single, but there is enough good information here that will help me and I may wait until December and see what happens then.

 

Phil

[scotpom]

Have had reason to check prices for a friend who is interested in this cruise and my USA T/A came up with:-

VI Club Veranda US$ 7267.16 plus $680 OBCredits

VX veranda De luxe $8127.16 plus $750 OBCredits

 

Hope this helps

 

Scotpom

[excitedofharpenden]

Have had reason to check prices for a friend who is interested in this cruise and my USA T/A came up with:-

VI Club Veranda US$ 7267.16 plus $680 OBCredits

VX veranda De luxe $8127.16 plus $750 OBCredits

 

Hope this helps

 

Scotpom

Thanks Scotpom. It's another line for me as I do have a US travel agent that I use. Just easier via the UK if I can. I have now found another website that gives me the single person supplement very easily so I can use that for the first step on choosing the cruise and then take it from there. Thanks again for posting.

 

Phil

[mandymay]

Thanks Scotpom. It's another line for me as I do have a US travel agent that I use. Just easier via the UK if I can. I have now found another website that gives me the single person supplement very easily so I can use that for the first step on choosing the cruise and then take it from there. Thanks again for posting.

 

Phil

 

:D Hi Phil,

How are you getting on with the web site ?

Iv tried,but when I contact them,the rates are no longer available.

Reduced single supplements no longer seem available.

[excitedofharpenden]

Hi mandymay. I'm glad you resurrected this thread as it was on my mind to post to it again and ask Bill Leiber to urgently look at the website (well, the UK pricing part of it at least). Buoyed by a comment by another poster that there were some great single deal rates on the 17 night Mumbai to Athens cruise next Spring I did a price up via the Azamara website for 1 adult for this trip and for a Club Veranda cabin it is coming up as twice the amount (less a bit for second person taxes) as double occupancy. Obviously this isn't right because I know that cruise as Willow1686 posted is 125% single supplement deal.

 

Bill, I'd be grateful if you could look at this because it's not doing you or your potential customers any good quoting the wrong price. If there is anyone in the UK that can go onto the website and look at this same cruise to make sure I'm not going mad I'd be grateful. It would also be interesting to know from our US residents if the US website is showing the same error.

 

Phil

 

PS Depending upon the time of day Sundays aren't the best day to check availability and pricing as the website goes through some maintenance.

Edited November 17, 2013 by excitedofharpenden

[scotpom]

Hi mandymay. I'm glad you resurrected this thread as it was on my mind to post to it again and ask Bill Leiber to urgently look at the website (well, the UK pricing part of it at least). Buoyed by a comment by another poster that there were some great single deal rates on the 17 night Mumbai to Athens cruise next Spring I did a price up via the Azamara website for 1 adult for this trip and for a Club Veranda cabin it is coming up as twice the amount (less a bit for second person taxes) as double occupancy. Obviously this isn't right because I know that cruise as Willow1686 posted is 125% single supplement deal.

 

Bill, I'd be grateful if you could look at this because it's not doing you or your potential customers any good quoting the wrong price. If there is anyone in the UK that can go onto the website and look at this same cruise to make sure I'm not going mad I'd be grateful. It would also be interesting to know from our US residents if the US website is showing the same error.

 

Phil

 

PS Depending upon the time of day Sundays aren't the best day to check availability and pricing as the website goes through some maintenance.

Hi

Scotpom here again. If you would like more info re my previous price from my US T/A, feel free to email me at scotpom@farmside.co.nz

Peter

[Xport]

It would also be interesting to know from our US residents if the US website is showing the same error.

 

I assume that you are referring to the 15 April trip from Mumbai to Athens aboard Journey... If so, the US website is not reflecting a reduced single supplement [perhaps it's capacity controlled/sold out, but then, I don't know whether the website ever handled the reduced single supplement properly] either... For a V-1...

• Solo pricing is quoted at $US 8498.00 + Port Taxes/Fees of US$ 482.79...
  
• Dual pricing is quoted at $US 8498.00 + Port Taxes/Fees of US$ 964.58...
  
• The only difference in quoted fare is in the per person Port Taxes/Fees...
  

These fares do not include air, hotels, or insurance...

 

As you may have read in the post cited below, the US website is an absolute nightmare too... I struggled to find pricing [not all links that seem logical take one there; it takes digging], can't see an ounce of information about stateroom availability by cabin class and/or a sampling of available staterooms within a class, and the whole model seems directed at filling in a web-form or requesting a call to get a quote... I hate that...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1934622

 

I'll obviously be eager to see which sailings are included in next month's promised "Savings For Singles" promotion... But quite frankly, the current inability to research and/or book via a functioning/accurate series of reservation web panels that are easy to navigate does, I believe, serve as a deterrent--it's not user friendly/wastes guest time--to my consideration of booking again with Azamara anytime soon; the experience certainly does dampen one's enthusiasm... Hype to the contrary, Azamara's website--both in the planning/booking functions and in the removal of much of the "Manage My Reservation" functionality [that remaining now is, at best, minimal/convoluted]--seems to be evolving without guest focus... And if it doesn't improve substantially soon from a prospective [first impressions are lasting ones] or booked guest perspective, I might be inclined to focus my future cruise plans elsewhere with a cruise line that values my interest/respects my time during planning and appreciates my patronage upon booking from both a shore-side and onboard--no matter how good Azamara is once aboard--perspective... It need not be so difficult...

[excitedofharpenden]

I assume that you are referring to the 15 April trip from Mumbai to Athens aboard Journey... If so, the US website is not reflecting a reduced single supplement [perhaps it's capacity controlled/sold out, but then, I don't know whether the website ever handled the reduced single supplement properly] either... For a V-1...

• Solo pricing is quoted at $US 8498.00 + Port Taxes/Fees of US$ 482.79...
  
• Dual pricing is quoted at $US 8498.00 + Port Taxes/Fees of US$ 964.58...
  
• The only difference in quoted fare is in the per person Port Taxes/Fees...
  

These fares do not include air, hotels, or insurance...

 

As you may have read in the post cited below, the US website is an absolute nightmare too... I struggled to find pricing [not all links that seem logical take one there; it takes digging], can't see an ounce of information about stateroom availability by cabin class and/or a sampling of available staterooms within a class, and the whole model seems directed at filling in a web-form or requesting a call to get a quote... I hate that...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1934622

 

I'll obviously be eager to see which sailings are included in next month's promised "Savings For Singles" promotion... But quite frankly, the current inability to research and/or book via a functioning/accurate series of reservation web panels that are easy to navigate does, I believe, serve as a deterrent--it's not user friendly/wastes guest time--to my consideration of booking again with Azamara anytime soon; the experience certainly does dampen one's enthusiasm... Hype to the contrary, Azamara's website--both in the planning/booking functions and in the removal of much of the "Manage My Reservation" functionality [that remaining now is, at best, minimal/convoluted]--seems to be evolving without guest focus... And if it doesn't improve substantially soon from a prospective [first impressions are lasting ones] or booked guest perspective, I might be inclined to focus my future cruise plans elsewhere with a cruise line that values my interest/respects my time during planning and appreciates my patronage upon booking from both a shore-side and onboard--no matter how good Azamara is once aboard--perspective... It need not be so difficult...

Thanks Xport, you reflect my thoughts exactly. I have contacted friends who have passed on details of those travel agents they use and I am making some headway. You mention the capacity controlled part and I too thought this maybe the case, until I checked a few websites (including one from Germany that I've used to see which cabins are available) and they all seem to quote reduced single supplements for a number of cruises in Asia and those that are off season in the Med.

 

I tend to be someone who'll sit at the computer and plan trips that way, having due regard for pricing. As I said I certainly don't mind spending money if it represents value, but some of the prices including the one you quoted off the Azamara website would not be something I'd be prepared to spend. Check elsewhere and I discover the price via other travel websites is much less. I just want an Azamara website with a pricing I can trust to make decisions. I used to be able to, but now I can't and I miss it.

 

I've probably gone on for far too much for many so I'll retire quietly for now. As I said I think I now have some leads and contacts and will see how I go. I want to book up to four cruises with Azamara next year. Oh I wish it was as simple as it used to be.:(

 

Phil

[Bill Leiber]

I tend to be someone who'll sit at the computer and plan trips that way, having due regard for pricing. As I said I certainly don't mind spending money if it represents value, but some of the prices including the one you quoted off the Azamara website would not be something I'd be prepared to spend. Check elsewhere and I discover the price via other travel websites is much less. I just want an Azamara website with a pricing I can trust to make decisions. I used to be able to, but now I can't and I miss it.

 

I've probably gone on for far too much for many so I'll retire quietly for now. As I said I think I now have some leads and contacts and will see how I go. I want to book up to four cruises with Azamara next year. Oh I wish it was as simple as it used to be.:(

 

Phil

 

Hello Phil -

 

It's especially disappointing to read that your motivation to book up to four cruises with Azamara next year is thwarted by the insufficient information available about our savings for single travelers. I admire your loyalty to our onboard experience and I'm sorry that the UK website's restructuring is still pending.

 

Please give me some time to secure a list of the current 2013 and 2014 voyages which are offering the 125% single supplement savings. I'll be sure to include the 17-night, April 15, 2014 Azamara Journey Mumbai to Piraeus voyage status. At the same time, I've sent your message of frustration about using UK website to the current management group.

 

I will share the single supplement information with you, along with the terms and conditions, when available.

 

My hope is that in the first-quarter of 2014 you'll find your experience in dealing with Azamara online to be one of discernible improvement rather than ongoing frustration.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Leiber

__________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

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

[excitedofharpenden]

Thanks Bill. I look forward to further details of the single supplement deals and T & Cs and also that the website is accurate with its pricing for those cruises.

 

Phil

[mandymay]

Thanks Bill. I look forward to further details of the single supplement deals and T & Cs and also that the website is accurate with its pricing for those cruises.

 

Phil

 

Havent been able to find any cruises online with a 125% foe singles on the web site ? m