New final payment requirements for 2015?

[Leo_On_Geo]

Just got this from TA (below), but no more details (ie no updated invoice). Does anyone know how the policies have changed for 2015?

 

 

"It has come to our attention that Azamara has instituted new final payment requirements as well as new cancellation penalties for sailings departing in 2015. We are therefore sending an updated invoice, so that your records will reflect the cruise line’s new policy."

 

Lisa

[dln929]

I know the deposits are changed for 2015 in that they have to be paid further in advance than previously. But there's cancellation changes too? I hope they don't up the fee for cancellations. It's at $25 pp now if you cancel early (I've paid it before :().

 

Balance Due Payments

 

To hold your place on the voyage, Azamara Club Cruises must receive payment of your remaining balance 90 days prior to the sailing date if your voyage begins January through December 2014 or 120 days prior to the sailing date if your voyage begins on or after January 2015. You may pay your balance thorugh your travel professional, or directly to Azamara if you booked through us.

Please note: The policies shown here are for the United States and Canada only. Residents of any other country should contact their local office or travel partner.

[Leo_On_Geo]

 

To hold your place on the voyage, Azamara Club Cruises must receive payment of your remaining balance 90 days prior to the sailing date if your voyage begins January through December 2014 or 120 days prior to the sailing date if your voyage begins on or after January 2015. You may pay your balance thorugh your travel professional, or directly to Azamara if you booked through us.

Please note: The policies shown here are for the United States and Canada only. Residents of any other country should contact their local office or travel partner.

 

Wow 120 day for final payments. I did not know.

[mare s.]

yes, when I got the invoice from my t.a. I was surprised that final payment is now 120 days out...and there are now penalties within that period similar to what it used to be 90 days out. Unless people are very observant, there is going to be a bit of confusion, I think.

[midwestchick]

I did not get this notice and 120 days is a lot....it seems it may be giving ACC more time to try and get the ships filled and then can offer better promos to those that have not booked in advance. Meanwhile, for those who have booked early will be penalized??????? It just makes me go......hmmmmmmmmmm. :confused: :rolleyes: As much as I defend ACC, even I am not happy about this decision. :mad:

[pacheco18]

Just for comparison Oceania requires 120 days for cruises 21 days or longer. It is 90 days for cruises shorter than that

 

I don't blame Azamara for moving up final payment. Lots of people book multiple cruises knowing they won't take them all or wait until the last day to cancel. Very difficult to assess where you need to fill ships when you have lots of cancellations three months out.

 

To me it's all the same

 

I just had to pay in full for vanguard china 2015 one year out!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[excitedofharpenden]

I'm in the UK so slightly different from the US in terms of deposit, but I booked onboard last month for a cruise leaving next year and my ta rang a couple of days ago to say she had to collect a further £100 per person deposit as it is now £250 and they'd collected the previous £150 in error on the ship. I didn't know about the 120 days though.

 

Phil

[mare s.]

Here's what I found on the Azamara site regarding the new cancellation policy for 2015. It appears there are a lot more stringent penalties for cancelling from final payment at 120 days on compared to current (2014) policy. All the more reason to get really good trip insurance.

 

 

Voyage, Cruisetour, and Hotel Cancellation Charges

 

Please note: Cancellation charges based on double occupancy. The policies shown here are for the United States and Canada only. Residents of any other country should contact their local office or travel partner.

 

2014 Cancellation Policy

 

This policy applies to all voyages beginning in January through December 2014.

 

 

Days Prior to Departure

 

Cancellation Charge

 

 

91+ days US $25 per person

90-60 days 20% of booked fare

59-30 days 50% of booked fare

29-15 days 75% of booked fare

14 days or less 100% of booked fare

 

2015 Cancellation Policy

 

This policy applies to all voyages beginning on or after January 2015.

 

 

Days Prior to Departure

 

Cancellation Charge

 

 

121+ days US $25 per person

120-91 days 15% of booked fare

90-61 days 50% of booked fare

60-31 days 75% of booked fare

30 days or less 100% of booked fare

[excitedofharpenden]

Change Terms and Conditions- Increased deposit £250.

 

Azamara Club Cruises Sailings- departing from 1 January 2015, will require a deposit of £250 per person at the time of making any relevant booking and pay an balance/final payment to us no later than 90 days prior to the sail date. Full payment will be required for relevant bookings taken within this period.

 

All sailings of Azamara Club Cruises ships departing on or after the 1st January 2015, the following variation of terms will apply to any bookings taken by you:

 

The deposit amount payable on taking a booking and payable to us will be increased to £250 per person; and

 

The balance due date will be 90 days prior to the sail date. Full payment will be required for relevant bookings taken within this period.

 

Cancellation terms for applicable bookings are revised as follows:

 

30 days or less 100%

 

60 to 31 day 75%

 

89 - 61 days 50%

 

90 days or more Deposit only

 

Phil

[English Tim]

It simply means those of you who are choosy about where and when you go, will be subsidising those of us who aren't. :)

[excitedofharpenden]

It simply means those of you who are choosy about where and when you go, will be subsidising those of us who aren't. :)

Tim, don't forget each person has their own strategy for when they book. This could be because of work or home life constraints or being able to get a specific cabin and having the long anticipation of a cruise and the planning that goes with it. Sometimes the deals are there along the way too. Each to their own, but honestly, "smart" comments like yours don't add to the conversation IMHO. Probably sticks in the throats of those who have to book early because of their circumstances.

 

Phil

Edited June 7, 2014 by excitedofharpenden

[uktog]

Those who need accessible cabins have to book very early, I am sure they are delighted to read Tims gloat :(

 

For me, I am currently fixing my 2016 -2017 work schedule, r+r will be essential and I do not care paying deposits now (use future certs when I can)or balances earlier - after all UK TAs were generally on 12 week timescales.

 

And whilst I know the maths multiplies up for the whole ship we are talking about a loss of deposit account interest of about £5 for the average cruise so let's not lose sleep here

[nordski]

Here's what I found on the Azamara site regarding the new cancellation policy for 2015. It appears there are a lot more stringent penalties for cancelling from final payment at 120 days on compared to current (2014) policy. All the more reason to get really good trip insurance.

 

 

Voyage, Cruisetour, and Hotel Cancellation Charges

 

Please note: Cancellation charges based on double occupancy. The policies shown here are for the United States and Canada only. Residents of any other country should contact their local office or travel partner.

 

2014 Cancellation Policy

 

This policy applies to all voyages beginning in January through December 2014.

 

 

Days Prior to Departure

 

Cancellation Charge

 

 

91+ days US $25 per person

90-60 days 20% of booked fare

59-30 days 50% of booked fare

29-15 days 75% of booked fare

14 days or less 100% of booked fare

 

2015 Cancellation Policy

 

This policy applies to all voyages beginning on or after January 2015.

 

 

Days Prior to Departure

 

Cancellation Charge

 

 

121+ days US $25 per person

120-91 days 15% of booked fare

90-61 days 50% of booked fare

60-31 days 75% of booked fare

30 days or less 100% of booked fare

 

Thanks for fleshing out the new policy in North America.

 

On the whole these new requirements are of no great moment to us and, as Pacheco points out, may be necessary from a business point of view to ensure some sort of commitment to a cruise.

 

While I also agree with your point about "really good" trip insurance, unfortunately, even with due diligence, it's difficult to assess if some companies may follow rather extreme measures to avoid a payout.

However, that is no reason not to seek coverage and this policy should encourage doing so.

[2fromTO]

I have no problem with the change in policy per se, however, I hope we get a revised invoice soon as we are cruising in January 2015. Advancing final payment by 30 days without giving us sufficient notice may leave some of us scrambing...

[mare s.]

Change Terms and Conditions- Increased deposit £250.

 

Azamara Club Cruises Sailings- departing from 1 January 2015, will require a deposit of £250 per person at the time of making any relevant booking and pay an balance/final payment to us no later than 90 days prior to the sail date. Full payment will be required for relevant bookings taken within this period.

 

All sailings of Azamara Club Cruises ships departing on or after the 1st January 2015, the following variation of terms will apply to any bookings taken by you:

 

The deposit amount payable on taking a booking and payable to us will be increased to £250 per person; and

 

The balance due date will be 90 days prior to the sail date. Full payment will be required for relevant bookings taken within this period.

 

Cancellation terms for applicable bookings are revised as follows:

 

30 days or less 100%

 

60 to 31 day 75%

 

89 - 61 days 50%

 

90 days or more Deposit only

 

Phil

 

hmmm...so if I'm correct in my computations, the U.K. pays less deposit up front than U.S. and the penalties are less stringent too. Well, I guess it's offset by the U.K. having to deal with Guatemala (jk)

 

Tim...yes, I guess we are "subsidizing" you...circumstances force us to plan well ahead but we're fortunate in our TA...who always gets us the very best deal and is quick to figure out if a new promotion will help us, even if it requires re-booking.

 

Nordski...I agree with you on trip insurance. you have to read terms and conditions carefully but I've had to deal with it a couple of times (on much shorter trips, mind you) and it can be done. With an expensive vacation such as a cruise, it would be very very risky to go uninsured.

[excitedofharpenden]

hmmm...so if I'm correct in my computations, the U.K. pays less deposit up front than U.S. and the penalties are less stringent too. Well, I guess it's offset by the U.K. having to deal with Guatemala (jk)

 

Bear in mind in the UK the £250 deposit is non-refundable at any stage if you cancel, whereas providing you are not within the penalty period it's just $25 admin fee in the US.

 

Phil

Edited June 7, 2014 by excitedofharpenden

[mare s.]

Bear in mind in the UK the £250 deposit is non-refundable at any stage if you cancel, whereas providing you are not within the penalty period it's just $25 admin fee in the US.

 

Phil

 

Didn't realize this, Phil. So I guess it all evens out in the end. I've never (fortunately) needed to cancel a cruise once booked, but I would certainly think much harder, and probably wait much longer to book, if I were possibly to lose that much money on a cancellation.

 

mare

[excitedofharpenden]

Unfortunately I've had to cancel, but my very handy person at Celebrity/Azamara could work it for me. Sadly I've lost that to Guatemala now. It's a real shame because mutually we did very well from each other.:(

 

Phil

[kiawahdon]

Below is Oceania's payment and cancellation terms (per the passenger contract)

I think you will quickly see that Azamara is comparable, and maybe, even with the changes for 2015, not as restrictive.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deposit & Payment Policy

Bookings require a per person deposit of 20% of the applicable fare for Owner’s, Vista, and Oceania Suites and $750 for all other suite/stateroom categories; for Grand Voyages the per person deposit is $1,500. Bookings must deposit within 7 days of booking for bookings made more than 120 days from sailing, within 3 days of booking for bookings made between 91 and 120 days from sailing, and by the end of the booking day for bookings within 90 days of sailing.

 

Unless otherwise noted, final payment must be received by Oceania Cruises 90 days prior to cruise departure for voyages less than 15 days and 150 days prior for voyages 15 days or longer. Oceania Cruises reserves the right to cancel any booking not fully paid or deposited per the schedule or those without passport details.

 

Cancellation and Refunds Policy

All cancellations must be in writing and received by Oceania Cruises no later than the day before cancellation penalties are to be assessed. Fare is defined as the full cost of any cruise or air component purchased from Oceania Cruises, excluding optional facilities and services fees. Please refer to the full Terms and Conditions of the Guest Ticket/Contract for fees relating to the cancellation of optional facilities and services.

 

The following cancellation charges will be assessed for all written cancellations received up to the scheduled time of departure.

 

Cruises of less than 15 Days:

DAYS PRIOR

TO CRUISE SAIL DATE - CANCELLATION AMOUNT

 

91-120 Days Prior - $250 per person administrative fee++

76-90 Days Prior - 25% of Fare

61-75 Days Prior - 50% of Fare

31-60 Days Prior - 75% of Fare

0-30 Days Prior - 100% of Fare

 

Cruises of more than 15 days except 180-Day Voyages:

 

DAYS PRIOR

TO CRUISE SAIL DATE - CANCELLATION AMOUNT

 

 

151-180 Days Prior - $250 per person administrative fee++

121-150 Days Prior - 25% of Fare

91-120 Days Prior - 50% of Fare

61-90 Days Prior - 75% of Fare

0-60 Days Prior - 100% of Fare

[Zombatar]

Given the amount of extra time our TA adds on for final payment it looks like we will have settle up in full before we have even booked the cruise!!!:)

[Jade13]

 

91-120 Days Prior - $250 per person administrative fee++

76-90 Days Prior - 25% of Fare

61-75 Days Prior - 50% of Fare

31-60 Days Prior - 75% of Fare

0-30 Days Prior - 100% of Fare

 

Cruises of more than 15 days except 180-Day Voyages:

 

DAYS PRIOR

TO CRUISE SAIL DATE - CANCELLATION AMOUNT

 

151-180 Days Prior - $250 per person administrative fee++

121-150 Days Prior - 25% of Fare

91-120 Days Prior - 50% of Fare

61-90 Days Prior - 75% of Fare

0-60 Days Prior - 100% of Fare

 

Do they waive these fees (91 to 120 days, or 151-180 days) if the deposit gets changed to another sailing?

[BBMacLaird]

Do they waive these fees (91 to 120 days, or 151-180 days) if the deposit gets changed to another sailing?

 

Hi Jade, if you're booking in North America*, we do not charge the $25pp admin fee if a booking is changed outside of the cancellation penalty. (121+ days prior to sailing.

But we are not able to change a booking inside of the penalty schedule (120-0)

That would be considered a cancellation and penalties apply.

 

(*if you're booking in another country, let me know which and I'll inquire if its the same or not.)

 

[dln929]

Hi Jade, if you're booking in North America*, we do not charge the $25pp admin fee if a booking is changed outside of the cancellation penalty. (121+ days prior to sailing.

But we are not able to change a booking inside of the penalty schedule (120-0)

That would be considered a cancellation and penalties apply.

 

(*if you're booking in another country, let me know which and I'll inquire if its the same or not.)

 

 

Bonnie, is this a new thing because I've paid that $25 pp administration fee when I cancelled a cruise. In fact I was a little bit ticked because all I did was cancel our cruise when I found a better promotion with a different travel agent. Cancelling was an easier option than asking the first agent to release the booking to another agent. I literally rebooked the exact same cruise and cabin with a second travel agent, and I was still charged $50. The TA argued my case with Azamara and they insisted that the fee was valid because I cancelled, and it stood. I'm still a little peeved about it.

 

So either the website needs to be updated to get rid of that first line or your information is incorrect. I'm hoping for the former rather than the latter. You can see that I'm a US resident. :)

 

Voyage, Cruisetour, and Hotel Cancellation Charges

 

Please note: Cancellation charges based on double occupancy. The policies shown here are for the United States and Canada only. Residents of any other country should contact their local office or travel partner.

2014 Cancellation Policy

 

This policy applies to all voyages beginning in January through December 2014.

Days Prior to Departure Cancellation Charge 91+ days US $25 per person 90-60 days 20% of booked fare 59-30 days 50% of booked fare 29-15 days 75% of booked fare 14 days or less 100% of booked fare 2015 Cancellation Policy

 

This policy applies to all voyages beginning on or after January 2015.

Days Prior to Departure Cancellation Charge 121+ days US $25 per person 120-91 days 15% of booked fare 90-61 days 50% of booked fare 60-31 days 75% of booked fare 30 days or less 100% of booked fare

Edited June 13, 2014 by dln929

[Spursgirl]

I suppose consumer legislation in different markets would preclude this but it would be so good if Azamara (and all other cruise lines) would offer the same booking conditions to all.

 

$25 cancellation or change cost would be nothing to us in the UK. It is currently £150 and in 2015 it will be £250 per person.

 

I find it irksome.

[Redtravel]

I can certainly understand the position of the cruiseline wanting people to commit earlier. It makes their bookings firm earlier. It also hints at making more money for the cruise line. They hold your money for a longer period of time. The cancellation fee in the USA before final payment is due is nominal. uK fee is a bit stiff.