Azamara now move daytime excursions to trips in the dark

[uktog]

For our upcoming cruise we perhaps mistakenly put our faith again in Azamara land discoveries. Over the last few weeks we have had changes notified to us but I have to say that the change notified today is really annoying and I wish we had an Azamara spokesperson on these boards who could explain why - and more importantly what now for the guests.

 

We had booked a 10.5 hour excursion sightseeing in the Kyoto and Nara area leaving the ship at 0800 (the ship docks at 0730). This is not a cheap excursion, even allowing for the fact we booked with the 25% discount, it is costing the two of us around $450 (and no please no debates about you could do this for less on your own blah blah, I am just stating this cost to put my following comments in context)

 

Today we have been advised that for operational reasons this excursion has been put back to a departure of 11.00. My first question is what operational reason - all the other excursions still leave at 0800-0815.

 

This change has a significant impact on what this trip will be like for guests and yet no opportunity to reschedule to another trip retaining the 25% discount or even recognition of the issues that will now arise have been given in the generic email issued.

 

This excursion will now run from 11.00-2130 (yes 21.30 at night) in an area where sunset is at 1800 and all the items of the trip involved sightseeing and external sightseeing at that. And what about dinner that night?

 

So Azamara seems to expect us to spend a large % of the daylight time in a lunch, spend a third of the excursion time in the dark and yet they are offering no real explanation (of either why or more importantly how our experience will not be affected), price reduction for loss of enjoyment or retention of our discount if we change.

 

All in all, this email regarding the change shows a complete lack of thought of the impact of what was being sent out to guests its just a "make the change and shove the standard email out" without the least thought for the guests.

 

Our experience for this cruise has not been good, I have already highlighted issues I had paying for the cruise, I still cannot do my online check in because it will not move off a default page claiming an information discrepancy when there is no discrepancy and now this - all in a situation where you have removed our PCS from us UK direct bookers. (And I will ignore the Le Club Voyage farce)

 

Yes onboard may well be great as always but there are too many issues before we get on board -this thoughtless generic approach to an excursion change is the last straw tonight.

 

If Azamara monitor these boards, I would be very interested in their explanation of the steps they take to consider the impact of changes to land discoveries on guests before communicating the change and did this particular excursion just fall through the checks or not?

[dln929]

I'm sorry for you. It seems like you've most definitely gotten the short end of the stick on this excursion! I wouldn't like getting back that late. I'd be starving for one thing. And it would mess up any chances at evening entertainment. (What if that's the night of the White Night party or another really fun event?) They'd have served you better if they'd just have cancelled the whole thing. It strikes me as unfair that you are not allowed to reschedule at the same discount you booked the excursion under. While the fine print does say they reserve the right to modify or cancel shore excursions, it would have been a nice gesture on their part to give you the opportunity to choose something else or cancel.

[uktog]

Thanks Deirdre

I have contacted Azamara and asked the questions, I suppose I was surprised a line focussed on destination experience had not thought about this first

[dln929]

Thanks Deirdre

I have contacted Azamara and asked the questions, I suppose I was surprised a line focussed on destination experience had not thought about this first

I think common sense has flown out the window. Azamara (exclusive of the wonderous on board experience) appears to be very carelessly run. I am beginning to understand what all the pre-cruise distress is all about and that makes me kinda sad.

[Andy]

Hi Uktog,

 

Sorry to hear of your frustration. I sincerely wish I could offer some words of wisdom, or assistance... but I'm out of the loop, and Azamara has not been posting much in recent weeks. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is dearly missing Bill's presence, or Azamara's participation on this forum. We can only hope Azamara will touch base with us, in the near future.

 

Wishing you a wonderful cruise !

[silkismom]

We're on the 17 Feb HKG to Shanghai Journey cruise, we have the same shore excursion booked and wonder if we'll be changed too? Haven't heard anything.

[150edmiston]

Uktog, as a highly respected poster on this board, your words are always sensible, in tune with most of us, and are read with interest as you are a seasoned azamara traveller.

 

Thank you for your post. As a corespondent and observer, you have got it in one again. They actually dont care.

 

I for one have honestly given up on posting here. I follow the forum with vigor, but the repetitive posting of the same repetitive themes, makes me both sad and mad.

 

Let me share my most recent experience of the debacle and indifference that has become azamara on shore.

 

As part of our upcoming cruise, we have included flights, room overnight on arrival, and day room on departure. Great we thought, what a really good package.

 

The day room however was later noted to us as a 16.00 departure, even though we dont fly home till 23.00 on the flights that AZ had arranged. Odd. I emailed AZ asking for a short hotel extension till 18.00 and was frankly brushed off. Its 16.00, live with it.

 

I then contacted the hotel directly. The same day i received a mail back from the hotel to say that yes we could extend our departune until 18.00 as the room had been booked out until 21.00 by the cruise line. Pardon me??!

 

Another nail in the davy jones that this line seems intent on delivering.

 

Staggering. Crass. Intolerable and unaccaptable. We will move on, and although it may cost us more for a similar product, we will at least feel valued as customers.

 

All of the blurb about "more inclusive" and "well take you..." Is just that. Hyperbole, nothing less.

 

I am so looking forward to our cruise in a few weeks with dear friends. This is it though. Enough.

 

David

Edited February 7, 2014 by 150edmiston

[150edmiston]

I should also add, that like you host andy, we too are missing Bills candour, sense of fun, and honesty on this board.

 

David

[Host Hattie]

How annoying, I hope someone has a rethink.

Keep us posted and have a great trip.

[MrMojoRisin]

Another thing to add to this is that Azamara cruise prices are no longer as competitive when compared to lines such as Regent and Silversea.

 

Last summer we opted for a Regent cruise rather than a similar itinerary with Azamara. For approximately £400 per person more we got a much larger cabin with a larger bathroom (with separate shower and bath), a far better range of included drinks (including alcohol preferences mini bar in room), no extra charge for speciality restaurants and a wide selection of included excursions. The staff were as excellent as they are on Azamara. The officers on Regent were not as visible or as forthcoming as on Azamara, although the captain did nod at me one day when he sat at the next table for lunch! Not only that, I could book the speciality restaurant reservations on-line as well as the shore excursions - and when there was a glitch in booking the restaurant reservations a phone call sorted the problem out very quickly.

 

All in all, I thought the extra £800 was well spent.

 

Even today, I notice that a TA I use has available Regent cruises similar to Azamara cruises at a similar small premium.

 

Now, I am not saying that Regent and other similar lines will always be as reasonably competitively priced, but whereas previously I would unhesitatingly book Azamara I now look around at what offers there are for these other cruise lines.

 

All things being equal, I would always choose Azamara as I just love the warmth of the staff and the whole on-board experience. But it seems that customer loyalty to Azamara is not reciprocated by top management and that is such a shame.

Edited February 8, 2014 by MrMojoRisin

[dln929]

Uktog, I never noticed this until now but if you go to Azamara's website, on the home page, there's a catchy little logo that says

 

"Longer STAYS. More OVERNIGHTS. Night TOURING."

 

I think we have our answer. :rolleyes: Though wouldn't it have been nice of them to have told you before they opted you in to the latter choice?

Edited February 8, 2014 by dln929

[uktog]

I followed the links in the initial email I received from Azamara and contacted them last Thursday to ask for details of how the new itinerary would pan out - in particular given how much was about sightseeing, the impact of sunset happening 3 hours before the end of the cruise. I also, asked if I chose could I book an alternative at 25% off as they had now changed the offering

 

I got this automated business response

 

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our Shore Excursions program. This email is to confirm receipt of your request. All inquiries are answered in the order they were received. A sales specialist will be in touch with you within the next 3 business days.

We look forward to having you aboard!

OK it is five business days on and........................ silence is not golden in this case :mad:

[TERRIER1]

I followed the links in the initial email I received from Azamara and contacted them last Thursday to ask for details of how the new itinerary would pan out - in particular given how much was about sightseeing, the impact of sunset happening 3 hours before the end of the cruise. I also, asked if I chose could I book an alternative at 25% off as they had now changed the offering

 

I got this automated business response

 

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our Shore Excursions program. This email is to confirm receipt of your request. All inquiries are answered in the order they were received. A sales specialist will be in touch with you within the next 3 business days.

We look forward to having you aboard!

OK it is five business days on and........................ silence is not golden in this case :mad:

 

I emailed them 2 weeks ago with no response.

[nordski]

I followed the links in the initial email I received from Azamara and contacted them last Thursday to ask for details of how the new itinerary would pan out - in particular given how much was about sightseeing, the impact of sunset happening 3 hours before the end of the cruise. I also, asked if I chose could I book an alternative at 25% off as they had now changed the offering

 

I got this automated business response

 

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our Shore Excursions program. This email is to confirm receipt of your request. All inquiries are answered in the order they were received. A sales specialist will be in touch with you within the next 3 business days.

We look forward to having you aboard!

OK it is five business days on and........................ silence is not golden in this case :mad:

 

Thanks for the update. I was hoping this issue had been appropriately addressed. It certainly deserves to be so.

 

Very disappointing that it hasn't causing mounting frustration.

[Nitemare]

Executive E-mails are usually called for in situations like this.

 

Contacting local to the company consumer reporters would be a good next step.

 

Don't take their crap lying down. This is unacceptable. You know it, we know it, they know it, but the general public doesn't. Yet.

[Jade13]

For our upcoming cruise we perhaps mistakenly put our faith again in Azamara land discoveries.

 

You shouldn't. They usually sound better on paper than the reality.

 

We did one ships excursion in November and it was a dud. We left early and took a taxi back to the ship.

 

With that said we have a number of ships excursions book for our upcoming (Celebrity) cruise, mostly train excursions or another that is not possible independently.

 

They should honor the 25% discount and allow you to switch to something else.

 

Also, there are those in Miami in the excursions department who will email you the details and timing of the excursion. I have asked in the past and have received detailed information.

Edited February 13, 2014 by Jade13

[nordski]

Thanks for the update. I was hoping this issue had been appropriately addressed. It certainly deserves to be so.

 

Very disappointing that it hasn't causing mounting frustration.

 

I meant to write it was disappointing that it HAD caused mounting frustration.

[uktog]

You shouldn't. They usually sound better on paper than the reality.

 

We did one ships excursion in November and it was a dud. We left early and took a taxi back to the ship.

 

With that said we have a number of ships excursions book for our upcoming (Celebrity) cruise, mostly train excursions or another that is not possible independently.

 

They should honor the 25% discount and allow you to switch to something else.

 

Also, there are those in Miami in the excursions department who will email you the details and timing of the excursion. I have asked in the past and have received detailed information.

 

Never had an Azamara trip that was such a dud that I would incur taxi costs to leave the trip there have been, as I said in all my reviews, some that are better than others, with lack of attention to detail letting the side down, silly mistakes etc

 

I think it is reasonable to put faith in the product and I still expect the current situation to resolve itself. I did have the detailed information at the outset and it is this detail I am after again - maybe the revised timings are going to be beneficial, I did feel I had to see the information before I called a red card foul

Edited February 13, 2014 by uktog

[uktog]

I meant to write it was disappointing that it HAD caused mounting frustration.

 

LOL I knew what you meant ;)

[nordski]

LOL I knew what you meant ;)

 

Thanks for ignoring my apparent incoherence. :)

[puppypundit]

Also, there are those in Miami in the excursions department who will email you the details and timing of the excursion. I have asked in the past and have received detailed information.

 

Do only those booking excursions with the ship deserve to be informed?

 

If the ship knows in advance that the docking times have changed, why couldn't that be updated on the website for everyone's benefit?

 

(I know…that is like asking what is the sound of one hand clapping)

 

Thanks for keeping us in the loop, uktog.

Edited February 14, 2014 by puppypundit
edited to spell uktog's name correctly

[uktog]

I have today re emailed Azamara shore excursions in Miami and another contact address I have in that office asking when I might get the information.

Looks like this is going to be a problem we are going to have to waste valuable onboard time solving :(

[Nitemare]

Have you tried tweeting directly to Larry Pimentel? Might be worth setting up an account just to do this (it's not hard to set up an account, just don't get hooked!) His address is @LarryPimentel

 

Or try e-mailing him. I bet one of these might work:

 

Larry@azamaraclubcruises.com

larrypimentel@azamaraclubcruises.com

lpimentel@azamaraclubcruises.com

 

Those are guesses as to his e-mail address, but the twitter address is good.

 

Good luck!

[nordski]

Thanks for the new update.

 

Disappointing to read and I'm certain frustrating to experience.

 

Clearly this issue should have been resolved in an expeditious manner and you should not be forced to take so many steps to attempt to address it.

 

Hoping you have an amazing cruise despite the shore side failure.

[uktog]

I have tonight received a breakdown of the timings on this trip which is helpful, however the respondent has not picked up on the main issue, that almost a third of the trip. which is a sightseeing trip, will be after sunset.

I have followed up on this but do at least now feel communication channels are open