Using OBC to book Land Discoveries - Pre-Cruise

[BBMacLaird]

We have $500 OBC from Azamara and $400 OBC from our TA. We have been told by both that none of the OBC is refundable. A rep from the TA reported that none of it can be used for shore excursions. Azamara said that all of it can be used for excursions. Since we prefer to book private excursions, we were hoping some would be refundable. Are we getting the right information?

 

OBC from us is not refundable. OBC given you by a TA sometimes is refundable. It depends on whether there was actual cash involved, i.e., they paid for the OBC. If your TA says it's not refundable, that's the right information.

Any type of OBC you receive can be used to buy our shore excursions. We have many types of Land Discoveries, including small group tours "Insider Access" and evening tours called "Nights & Cool Places". https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/land-discoveries

Or check-out a special onboard experience we call "Nights in Private Places". https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/life-onboard/nights-private-places

[donaldsc]

OBC from us is not refundable. OBC given you by a TA sometimes is refundable. It depends on whether there was actual cash involved, i.e., they paid for the OBC. If your TA says it's not refundable, that's the right information.

Any type of OBC you receive can be used to buy our shore excursions. We have many types of Land Discoveries, including small group tours "Insider Access" and evening tours called "Nights & Cool Places". https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/land-discoveries

Or check-out a special onboard experience we call "Nights in Private Places". https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/life-onboard/nights-private-places

 

But I can't use the OBC to book excursions on line - is that correct?

 

DON

[Ken the cruiser]

OBC from us is not refundable. OBC given you by a TA sometimes is refundable. It depends on whether there was actual cash involved, i.e., they paid for the OBC. If your TA says it's not refundable, that's the right information.

Any type of OBC you receive can be used to buy our shore excursions. We have many types of Land Discoveries, including small group tours "Insider Access" and evening tours called "Nights & Cool Places". https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/land-discoveries

Or check-out a special onboard experience we call "Nights in Private Places". https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/life-onboard/nights-private-places

 

Bonnie, if we're on a B2B2B and our TA posts $1400 nonrefundable OBC in our onboard account starting on the first leg of the cruise along with the $700 Azamara gives us for the first leg, if we spend all of the Azamara OBC but only spend $200 of the TA's OBC, will the remaining $1200 of the TA's OBC be transfered to our new account on the 2nd leg of the B2B2B or will it disappear?

 

Our TA says it will transfer to the 2nd and subsequently the 3rd leg if any is left, but folks on this thread said it would disappear. Who is correct as I want to make sure before I call our TA and tell him he's wrong.

[bob278]

Bonnie, if we're on a B2B2B and our TA posts $1400 nonrefundable OBC in our onboard account starting on the first leg of the cruise along with the $700 Azamara gives us for the first leg, if we spend all of the Azamara OBC but only spend $200 of the TA's OBC, will the remaining $1200 of the TA's OBC be transfered to our new account on the 2nd leg of the B2B2B or will it disappear?

 

Our TA says it will transfer to the 2nd and subsequently the 3rd leg if any is left, but folks on this thread said it would disappear. Who is correct as I want to make sure before I call our TA and tell him he's wrong.

I'm not Bonnie, but I can answer this with a high degree of confidence. At the end of your cruise, if you have OBC from a TA that is refundable, it will be refunded to the credit card attached to your on board account. Or, you can go to guest relations on the last night and draw it out in cash with no fee like you would get in the casino. That's about the only way you would have a "sort of" carry-over (you could then deposit the cash to your account for the next cruise (but I would wait until day 2). The ship's books close at the end of a cruise and the next cruise accounts are populated from Miami, not any holdover balances.

 

marinaro44 is a very experienced Azamara cruiser and I have cruised with them several times (all on B2B or B2B2B). You will find that folks on Cruise Critic are almost always better informed on factual information than most TAs and cruiseline service reps.

[BBMacLaird]

Bonnie, if we're on a B2B2B and our TA posts $1400 nonrefundable OBC in our onboard account starting on the first leg of the cruise along with the $700 Azamara gives us for the first leg, if we spend all of the Azamara OBC but only spend $200 of the TA's OBC, will the remaining $1200 of the TA's OBC be transfered to our new account on the 2nd leg of the B2B2B or will it disappear?

 

Our TA says it will transfer to the 2nd and subsequently the 3rd leg if any is left, but folks on this thread said it would disappear. Who is correct as I want to make sure before I call our TA and tell him he's wrong.

 

 

I believe that non-refundable OBC does not transfer from one voyage to another for B2B guests.

 

On a side note, your b2b2b is in 2018, correct? By then our guests will be able to pre-book Land Discoveries using OBC, and as you mentioned in an earlier post, you could research the tours you want to take, and ask your TA to allocate your OBC to the individual voyages accordingly.

[BBMacLaird]

But I can't use the OBC to book excursions on line - is that correct?

 

DON

 

No, not presently, Don. It is something we are working on.

 

P.s. I can assure you our IT team is not limited in any way by intelligence...rather by a "legacy" software, budgetary constraints, manpower and hours in a day. I am continually proud to work with the men and women of Azamara. And I've been in the cruise biz since 1983 and have hired plenty of employees over my career; I don't dole praise lightly. But I do take offense at anyone name calling and denigrating my hardworking coworkers.

[Ken the cruiser]

Thank you everyone for the great feedback on dealing with OBC across B2B cruises! I just sent an email off to our TA highlighting what you all have said to include quoting Bonnie. It always looks better when you reference an Azamara rep when challenging your TA's knowledge. Thanks Bonnie! :) I'll let you know what the outcome is when we hear back from him.

[donaldsc]

No, not presently, Don. It is something we are working on.

 

P.s. I can assure you our IT team is not limited in any way by intelligence...rather by a "legacy" software, budgetary constraints, manpower and hours in a day. I am continually proud to work with the men and women of Azamara. And I've been in the cruise biz since 1983 and have hired plenty of employees over my career; I don't dole praise lightly. But I do take offense at anyone name calling and denigrating my hardworking coworkers.

 

I can appreciate the fact that you have to support your IT staff members. However, I can only judge their product by how well the product works and the product (not the cruise experience but the WEB cruise booking experience) from Azamara as well as the WEB sites of most of the other cruise lines are years out of date and totally user unfriendly.

 

Compare how all of them work with product WEB sites such as Amazon or most of the other retail WEB sites. With Amazon, when I log in it knows about every transaction I have done with them. I do not have to enter more information. You also have to admit that the reservation ID is a unique identifier. When I enter the reservation ID, I should not have to enter additional information such as my name, the name of the ship and the date of the cruise. Why is this additional information necessary?

 

I use an automatic password entry site on my computer so that when I log into a site, I do not have to enter my user ID or password. This does not work with your WEB site or most of the other cruise company WEB sites.

 

Put bluntly, I find that cruise company WEB sites and not just the Azamara WEB site are the most user unfriendly WEB sites I ever go on. I am very computer literate and can usually find my way around difficult WEB sites. I shudder to think of who people who are not computer literate cope with cruise company WEB sites.

 

DON

[BBMacLaird]

Don, you're not alone in your opinions about cruise line websites. They are only slowly improving beyond the days when they were created as a digital cruise brochure with zero functionality. (I reiterate that I was there back in the days when marketing cruises on the World Wide Web was a new concept.)

 

The fact of the matter is that website updates tend to be of lower budgetary priority than the modernization of ships, shipboard amenities, refreshing the onboard dining, attracting and keeping the best personnel possible, researching new tour offerings, subsidizing the tours (I'm talking about you...OBC's!), improving the internet speed, and I could go on and on.

In the end all cruise lines are judged primarily on the cruise experience, ports visited, and the service and the food and drink quality onboard.

 

There is light at the end of the tunnel though. The modernization of our website is slowly happening :)

[nonrev1]

I am looking forward to the updates. Change takes time. I hope with the updates that my information will automatically populate after entering my loyalty number when checking in online for a booked cruise Crazy to have to put in the information each time as if I never cruised with Azamara before. I know.....baby steps! :)

[rallydave]

Bonnie wrote In the end all cruise lines are judged primarily on the cruise experience, ports visited, and the service and the food and drink quality onboard. Bonnie, believe you are missing two extremely important issue by which cruise lines are judged by and that is how the website works or doesn't work and how the home office works or doesn't work. Azamara is not the only cruise line that has a horrible website as well as a home office that is night and day different than the on board experience. In this day and age, cruise lines are judged by their on board experience and equally by their websites and how things are handled at the home office. Most cruise lines seem to have the same issues with their websites as well as their home offices. Too often these issues are put aside and under budgeted as your post indicated and IMHO this is a serious miscalculation by Senior Management. There are two unnamed cruise lines we absolutely will not even consider due to an almost complete lack of caring for the customer except on board and sure others have these issues with these same and other cruise lines. From my knot hole, apears that cruise lines don't hire the best, brightest or most experienced, seems they bring in recent graduates and less skilled workers they can pay a lower salary to. Your comment regarding what you think is more important and where the budgets are spent supports my above conclusion. We are booked on another Azamara cruise next year but, if the problems in Miami and on the website continue, it may very well be our last. Sure I'm speaking for others and hope you and the executives take heed of this constructive criticism. Haven't found another cruise line with a better on board experience but, that doesn't make up for the many months of dealing with horrible website and home office service. Remember the old saying, one aw s%&t ruins all the attaboys. Thanks for listening and hope the right measures are taken in the next two years. Remember also that you only have one opportunity to make a first impression and that happens with the website and home office on cruise lines.

[Travels with Lisa]

I think it would be great if Azamara (Land Discoveries) would only allow a portion of the shore excursions to be booked prior to boarding, so those of us who have OBC might be able to book some of the more popular excursions.

 

Liz

[donaldsc]

Bonnie wrote In the end all cruise lines are judged primarily on the cruise experience, ports visited, and the service and the food and drink quality onboard. Bonnie, believe you are missing two extremely important issue by which cruise lines are judged by and that is how the website works or doesn't work and how the home office works or doesn't work. Azamara is not the only cruise line that has a horrible website as well as a home office that is night and day different than the on board experience. In this day and age, cruise lines are judged by their on board experience and equally by their websites and how things are handled at the home office. Most cruise lines seem to have the same issues with their websites as well as their home offices. Too often these issues are put aside and under budgeted as your post indicated and IMHO this is a serious miscalculation by Senior Management. There are two unnamed cruise lines we absolutely will not even consider due to an almost complete lack of caring for the customer except on board and sure others have these issues with these same and other cruise lines. From my knot hole, apears that cruise lines don't hire the best, brightest or most experienced, seems they bring in recent graduates and less skilled workers they can pay a lower salary to. Your comment regarding what you think is more important and where the budgets are spent supports my above conclusion. We are booked on another Azamara cruise next year but, if the problems in Miami and on the website continue, it may very well be our last. Sure I'm speaking for others and hope you and the executives take heed of this constructive criticism. Haven't found another cruise line with a better on board experience but, that doesn't make up for the many months of dealing with horrible website and home office service. Remember the old saying, one aw s%&t ruins all the attaboys. Thanks for listening and hope the right measures are taken in the next two years. Remember also that you only have one opportunity to make a first impression and that happens with the website and home office on cruise lines.

 

Well said. We both agree on the problem. Can you imagine how many people who have limited computer smarts just give up when trying to book a cruise on their computer. Do you think there might be a conspiracy between the cruise lines and the TAs to drive people who can not or will not figure out how to use the cruise company WEB sites to use TAs? Think about it. Some conspiracy theories may in fact be true.

 

DON

[rallydave]

Well said. We both agree on the problem. Can you imagine how many people who have limited computer smarts just give up when trying to book a cruise on their computer. Do you think there might be a conspiracy between the cruise lines and the TAs to drive people who can not or will not figure out how to use the cruise company WEB sites to use TAs? Think about it. Some conspiracy theories may in fact be true.

 

DON

 

Thanks Don, highly doubt it is the conspiracy you describe as cruise lines save up to 18% by having people book direct as that is where most commissions are based on info I have gleaned. IMHO, really think it is a money issue with most cruise lines saving by hiring fresh outs (just graduated people) who can be had for a lower wage. Problem is most are inexperienced and don't look at the big picture when developing or modifying the website and miss many links that need to be in the software.

[BBMacLaird]

Thanks Don, highly doubt it is the conspiracy you describe as cruise lines save up to 18% by having people book direct as that is where most commissions are based on info I have gleaned. IMHO, really think it is a money issue with most cruise lines saving by hiring fresh outs (just graduated people) who can be had for a lower wage. Problem is most are inexperienced and don't look at the big picture when developing or modifying the website and miss many links that need to be in the software.

 

Not fair to lay our industry's website short-comings on new employees or youth. All strategic plans for changes to any website are approved and supervised by senior staff...most of whom are long-time cruise line employees, and ahem...a bit longer in the tooth than new grads.

No, as I mentioned earlier, the main factor remains budgetary priorities...not competence, nor ignorance of the short-comings. We are keenly aware of what's happening in the world technologically.

In fact, our younger employees are who love attending technological conferences and seminars. They are great team members!

[Ken the cruiser]

Actually, we've had no problems using Azamara's website to find out about cruises, excursions and other information. We thought it was quite easy to use once the Azamara rep explained how useful the Search function was. We also never use any of the cruise line websites to actually book a cruise. We may "fake" book a cruise just to see what rooms are available, but that's about the extent of it. Once we find a cruise we want, we'll just call the 1-800 number and talk with a cruise line representative to finish the deal. There is always someone there to answer the phone and give you the straight scoop. That's not always the case with a TA, especially on the weekends or when they are on vacation. Then, after the deal is done, we might later transfer the booking to our TA, but that will be after we book the cruise and get all the perks Azamara has to offer.

 

However, way can't wait for the capability to book excursions online and then pay for them when we're onboard using our OBC. That will put one BIG feather in Azamara's hat when deciding who to book some of our future cruises with.

[jkadventures]

We have been trying for several days to book Land Discoveries for our first AZ cruise this September. We will not lock in our airfare until we are sure we can take the AZ excursion from Civitavecchia to FCO on our last day. Unfortunately, again, attempts to book these online have been unsuccessful. We log into our AZ, it shows our booking, and then says either "booking cannot be retrieved" or "system maintenance" (this has been going on for days). We went through tremendous frustration just trying to book this trip online last year as the system did not recognize any benefits (such as online booking bonus & a sale that was going on). Even after it was finally booked, we didn't get an automatic confirmation nor were any of these benefits attached to the booking. Several more calls to the 800 number finally got these done and we thought we were all set. When we asked for help here, the repeated advice was use a TA. I have self-booked dozens of cruises and trips worldwide and never had issues like this before. I enjoy doing the research and making the arrangements myself. This trip will cover a very significant life event for us and we chose it based on all the positives we have read. Once again, we are strongly considering abandoning this effort and moving on to something with a more fluid customer service process. If there are any hints on booking Land Discoveries (other than using a TA) we'll give them a shot. Thanks.

[Ken the cruiser]

We have been trying for several days to book Land Discoveries for our first AZ cruise this September. We will not lock in our airfare until we are sure we can take the AZ excursion from Civitavecchia to FCO on our last day. Unfortunately, again, attempts to book these online have been unsuccessful. We log into our AZ, it shows our booking, and then says either "booking cannot be retrieved" or "system maintenance" (this has been going on for days). We went through tremendous frustration just trying to book this trip online last year as the system did not recognize any benefits (such as online booking bonus & a sale that was going on). Even after it was finally booked, we didn't get an automatic confirmation nor were any of these benefits attached to the booking. Several more calls to the 800 number finally got these done and we thought we were all set. When we asked for help here, the repeated advice was use a TA. I have self-booked dozens of cruises and trips worldwide and never had issues like this before. I enjoy doing the research and making the arrangements myself. This trip will cover a very significant life event for us and we chose it based on all the positives we have read. Once again, we are strongly considering abandoning this effort and moving on to something with a more fluid customer service process. If there are any hints on booking Land Discoveries (other than using a TA) we'll give them a shot. Thanks.

 

Sorry you're going through so much pain to book your cruise. We called the 1-800 number to book our first Azamara cruise for Oct 2018 which is also a B2B2B. They gave us the early booking discount for each leg, but we had to fill out a "Back to Back" form we found in the search function on their web page to get the extra OBC for each B2B leg. As far booking excursions, we were under the impression they wouldn't be available until we were within 6 months of the cruise. I could be wrong, but that's what we understood to be the case.

 

Also, just in case you didn't know, if you have a Celebrity Captains Club number, it's the same as the Le Club Voyage number. For example, we will have Captain's Club Elite status when we take our first Azamara cruise which means we will get all the perks available at the Le Club Voyage Discoverer status. We thought that was definitely a great perk we weren't otherwise expecting. So if you have a Captains Club number, make sure you add it to each of the cruises you booked. We learned just because you add it to your Profile after the fact doesn't mean it automatically gets posted to your cruise, unless it was already in your profile before you booked your cruise online. Again, this is just my understanding as we are also new to Azamara.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Ken the cruiser

[BBMacLaird]

We have been trying for several days to book Land Discoveries for our first AZ cruise this September. We will not lock in our airfare until we are sure we can take the AZ excursion from Civitavecchia to FCO on our last day. Unfortunately, again, attempts to book these online have been unsuccessful. We log into our AZ, it shows our booking, and then says either "booking cannot be retrieved" or "system maintenance" (this has been going on for days). We went through tremendous frustration just trying to book this trip online last year as the system did not recognize any benefits (such as online booking bonus & a sale that was going on). Even after it was finally booked, we didn't get an automatic confirmation nor were any of these benefits attached to the booking. Several more calls to the 800 number finally got these done and we thought we were all set. When we asked for help here, the repeated advice was use a TA. I have self-booked dozens of cruises and trips worldwide and never had issues like this before. I enjoy doing the research and making the arrangements myself. This trip will cover a very significant life event for us and we chose it based on all the positives we have read. Once again, we are strongly considering abandoning this effort and moving on to something with a more fluid customer service process. If there are any hints on booking Land Discoveries (other than using a TA) we'll give them a shot. Thanks.

 

Hi jkadventures,

I'm so sorry you're having this difficulty. We certainly don't want you to 'move on'!

I've passed your post along to a senior manager on the Customer Service side of things. He'd like you to email your name, booking ID number and the best phone number/email address to contact you on. He promises to look into it personally for you.

Please send this information along to this address: webcontent@azamaraclubcruises.com. (This isn't his personal e-address, it's a generic address that will relay the information along to him. (We do not give out personal/work emails on CC...the one exception to this rule is our UK MD, who is always online :) )

[jkadventures]

Thank you Bonnie. Is there any validity that Land Discoveries are only available for booking 6 months prior to sailing? It does not state that anywhere I can find & the Discoveries brochure for our cruise was available quite some time ago.

 

 

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[jkadventures]

Can anyone shed any light on this? How far in advance should Land Discoveries be available for booking online?

 

 

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[Grandma Cruising]

I booked an excursion for my October 2017 cruise at least a year ahead. It was the tour to Petra 'cos it's one I really want to do.

 

 

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[florisdekort]

Can anyone shed any light on this? How far in advance should Land Discoveries be available for booking online?

 

 

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There is no "should". Sometimes a few tours show up very far in advance, most will be there 6 months beforehand and sometimes there are last minute additions, such as the "Taste Local" tour on my recent cruise.

 

I typically book 6 to 4 months out and then take another looks 6 to 4 weeks out to see if I want to change anything.

 

Cheers,

Floris

 

 

 

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[jkadventures]

Thx Floris, I cannot access them thru the website despite logging in multiple times. Phone calls to the 800 number have been no help (again).

 

 

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[florisdekort]

Thx Floris, I cannot access them thru the website despite logging in multiple times. Phone calls to the 800 number have been no help (again).

 

 

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Strange. I just checked; I can log in and access shore excursions for my reservations as normal. Perhaps Bonnie can help you?

 

 

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