BOGO 50% off sale -- is it a sales price?

[workingtocruise-59]

Totally agree.

Ditto.

Obviously, we expect prices to rise year-on-year (by a reasonable amount).

Some of the price increases we have seen take Azamara into a price bracket that is way beyond our comfort level.

Edited December 15, 2017 by workingtocruise-59

[workingtocruise-59]

And he had your awesome knowledge to advise him..............your key word was with us. When I took my first cruise I was as dumb as a door nail and knew nothing or anybody that cruised.

 

Also for those already taking issue with things I have said this is why I don;t say my opinions or knowledge regarding things. I don;t like being berated. If you all knew about this why continue to book even as far out as 2019? Don;t answer as I am not responding. Feel free to disagree, take issues or whatever else you feel about what I have just said. This is my final info and thoughts. I am done with this thread on this topic. I won;t be on Azamara again after the cruise I have booked so it really doesn;t matter.

 

Kathy

 

Oh, Kathy, I think this is really sad.

I understand that you will not respond but perhaps you will read this?

Will this be your first cruise on Azamara?

Honestly and truly the on board experience normally obliterates anything that has gone before.

[nordski]

I like to think that I am reasonably savvy as to making good decisions concerning cruising.

 

However, my potential hubris is tempered by knowledge of the Dunning Kruger effect. Perhaps I am just climbing “Mount Stupid”

 

Regardless, if you see us going on board no need to feel sorry for us. To the best of our ability (perhaps limited) we have made the calculations.

 

 

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[Baynanno1]

I’d take issue with that comment. I’ve been sailing Azamara a while now and it hasn’t taken me very long to figure it out and I think many regular Azamara cruisers have done the same. Thing is the pricing such as it is at present hasn’t been this way very long either. I’d say less than a year.

 

I think we all appreciate that prices inevitably rise a little and we are happy to pay up for it. Trouble is the prices being quoted now have risen dramatically in a relatively short time and are being hidden with so called special offers and promotions to make it look like you are getting a deal when you really aren’t. That is what is cheesing me off. Nobody likes being taken for a fool.

 

Phil

 

We absolutely agree Phil!

[Grandma Cruising]

We all have choices, and access via the internet to lots of information. For us it’s a question of weighing up the value for money to us and looking for the best time to buy. For example we really want to do a North Cape Cruise and we really want to go on Azamara, so we waited to book a North Cape Cruise until we reached the next loyalty stage and got 4 nights free. That made an expensive cruise affordable. (We know Azamara doesn’t do offers on that cruise as it’s so popular).

 

 

 

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[Bloodaxe]

We just received a email from Azamara entitled, You cannot put a price tag on a experience like this.

It shows a few 2018 cruises and the prices quoted are way higher than they were only recently.

I know because I booked one of them in September, the way prices are going it could well be our last.

In my opinion you can put a price on the experience and these are way over the top.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Bloodaxe

[uktog]

I’d take issue with that comment. I’ve been sailing Azamara a while now and it hasn’t taken me very long to figure it out and I think many regular Azamara cruisers have done the same. Thing is the pricing such as it is at present hasn’t been this way very long either. I’d say less than a year.

 

 

 

I think we all appreciate that prices inevitably rise a little and we are happy to pay up for it. Trouble is the prices being quoted now have risen dramatically in a relatively short time and are being hidden with so called special offers and promotions to make it look like you are getting a deal when you really aren’t. That is what is cheesing me off. Nobody likes being taken for a fool.

 

 

 

Phil

 

 

 

Absolutely agree. And I still say that the vast majority of cruisers, first time and returning are much more price savvy with many more tools available to price track over a period.

 

 

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[Mrs Miggins]

I won;t be on Azamara again after the cruise I have booked so it really doesn;t matter.

 

Kathy

 

Of course you may change your mind after your first cruise.

Many regular Azamara cruisers also regularly cruise on other premium lines. We look at many options. Some prefer the Azamara experience and are prepared to pay for it but we are not fools.

Most have spent a lifetime making money and understand the way business works. From my own experience in the airlines I understand that a regular repeat client is extremely valuable. A new client is fantastic but not necessarily at the expense of an old one. New blood is great but it's foolish to let regulars haemorrhage at the other end.

 

The cruise I looked at in September showed a £100 per person discount using the new offer so not a really great deal for a Mediterranean cruise. This has in fact lead me to look at a more expensive Far East cruise on Viking which appears to offer a great deal more for approximately an additional 15%.

 

I hope you enjoy your Azamara cruise. You will find your fellow passengers are extremely pleasant, well travelled and delightful company. Now that is a huge selling point and in my experience is not always replicated on other cruise lines.

[Spursgirl]

We just received a email from Azamara entitled, You cannot put a price tag on a experience like this.

It shows a few 2018 cruises and the prices quoted are way higher than they were only recently.

I know because I booked one of them in September, the way prices are going it could well be our last.

In my opinion you can put a price on the experience and these are way over the top.

 

I got that email too Eric and unlike Azamara I do put a price tag on the experiences I enjoy.

 

Sailing with Azamara is lovely but there is a price ceiling and I won't pay above it.

 

Have just received an email from a friend I met on Azamara extolling the virtues of another cruise line. There's a lot of choice out there.

[excitedofharpenden]

We all have choices, and access via the internet to lots of information. For us it’s a question of weighing up the value for money to us and looking for the best time to buy. For example we really want to do a North Cape Cruise and we really want to go on Azamara, so we waited to book a North Cape Cruise until we reached the next loyalty stage and got 4 nights free. That made an expensive cruise affordable. (We know Azamara doesn’t do offers on that cruise as it’s so popular).

Indeed we do have choices, but I don’t think the free nights is relevant to the discussion because not everyone gets them or regularly at least. It’s the overall trend of prices on the Azamara site I’m talking about. I did that North Cape trip on Journey (one of my favourites ever) in June 2016. I had a look at the prices for next year's trip. It’s double the price of what it was back then and that wasn’t a cheap Azamara cruise at the time,

 

Phil

[Bloodaxe]

Indeed we do have choices, but I don’t think the free nights is relevant to the discussion because not everyone gets them or regularly at least. It’s the overall trend of prices on the Azamara site I’m talking about. I did that North Cape trip on Journey (one of my favourites ever) in June 2016. I had a look at the prices for next year's trip. It’s double the price of what it was back then and that wasn’t a cheap Azamara cruise at the time,

 

Phil[/quote

 

The North Cape cruise features on the latest Azamara email.

8500 pounds for a balcony.

Who are they kidding?.

It was on my wish list but we have definitely missed that boat.

 

Eric.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Bloodaxe

[travelberlin]

I’d take issue with that comment. I’ve been sailing Azamara a while now and it hasn’t taken me very long to figure it out and I think many regular Azamara cruisers have done the same. Thing is the pricing such as it is at present hasn’t been this way very long either. I’d say less than a year.

 

I think we all appreciate that prices inevitably rise a little and we are happy to pay up for it. Trouble is the prices being quoted now have risen dramatically in a relatively short time and are being hidden with so called special offers and promotions to make it look like you are getting a deal when you really aren’t. That is what is cheesing me off. Nobody likes being taken for a fool.

 

Phil

 

I agree with you Phil. However I think that Azamara is not targeting us, loyal passengers, anymore. They do not necessarily think we are fools. They know we will figure it out, discusse it in CC, raise complains and may be move on to other cruise lines or decide to continue with Azamara. The new target group are cruisers new to Azamara. As long as Azamara sells the cruises they will continue with the current policy.

I have 5 cruises booked. Only one with Azamara to an itinerary, which is interesting to me. The price for the Azamara cruise is way more than what I am willing to pay for the "Azamara product", so I am looking around. If other cruiseline offer a similar itinerary with a better price, I will cancel my Azamara cruise and take the other company. Do I want to do that? No. I would rather book further with Azamara, but neither Azamara nor I have signed an exclusivity agreement. We both know it.

Ivi

[Bloodaxe]

They are still targeting existing customers with this latest promotional email that I have already mentioned.

 

Eric

[oddjob16]

Indeed we do have choices, but I don’t think the free nights is relevant to the discussion because not everyone gets them or regularly at least. It’s the overall trend of prices on the Azamara site I’m talking about. I did that North Cape trip on Journey (one of my favourites ever) in June 2016. I had a look at the prices for next year's trip. It’s double the price of what it was back then and that wasn’t a cheap Azamara cruise at the time,

 

Phil[/quote

 

The North Cape cruise features on the latest Azamara email.

8500 pounds for a balcony.

Who are they kidding?.

It was on my wish list but we have definitely missed that boat.

 

Eric.

That doesn’t sound right. 2019 july 1.st Balcony £6900.- in the Az homepage.

These cruises sell out. Best booked early. Little chance for a sale.

[ChucktownSteve]

I agree with you Phil. However I think that Azamara is not targeting us, loyal passengers, anymore. They do not necessarily think we are fools. They know we will figure it out, discusse it in CC, raise complains and may be move on to other cruise lines or decide to continue with Azamara. The new target group are cruisers new to Azamara. As long as Azamara sells the cruises they will continue with the current policy.

I have 5 cruises booked. Only one with Azamara to an itinerary, which is interesting to me. The price for the Azamara cruise is way more than what I am willing to pay for the "Azamara product", so I am looking around. If other cruiseline offer a similar itinerary with a better price, I will cancel my Azamara cruise and take the other company. Do I want to do that? No. I would rather book further with Azamara, but neither Azamara nor I have signed an exclusivity agreement. We both know it.

Ivi

 

My first Azamara cruise was this past August which was booked two years prior. As much as I would love to book another, they haven't retained this new customer. They will continue to fill the ships since they don't have much availability with so few cabins compared to their competitors.

 

However I believe those new AZ cruisers coming from Celebrity and the other mass market lines will also cringe when they encounter the higher prices. Thus I believe if they chase off their current loyal passengers and rateblock their new passengers, it will be difficult to continually replace them eventually. That's when the pricing will adjust. It's all supply and demand. As long as they can get it, they'll ask it.

 

I'm helping reduce AZ pricing one cruise at a time... on another similar line where AZ's aft VX is classified as an aft Concierge with all the additional perks and air for less fare.

[Bloodaxe]

That doesn’t sound right. 2019 july 1.st Balcony £6900.- in the Az homepage.

These cruises sell out. Best booked early. Little chance for a sale.

 

That's definitely the price quoted in the Azamara email this morning.

24th July 2018, 8557 to be precise.

The 2019 price is a little cheaper. It does seem that it pays to book this cruise early.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Bloodaxe

[excitedofharpenden]

That doesn’t sound right. 2019 july 1.st Balcony £6900.- in the Az homepage.

These cruises sell out. Best booked early. Little chance for a sale.

Odd, I'm looking at July 24th 2018 on Journey in a cat 05 OV and the price total for the cabin on the UK site is £14834 (there are still a few cabins left). In 2016 and from memory it was about £7000. I held on until quite late on that cruise and got an inside GTY for around £4000. That was offered on the Azamara site, but with any left over cabins Azamara now seem to fire sale to a couple of travel agencies in the US (I can't name them because of CC rules) and they never come up on the website. It's another game.

 

Phil

[oddjob16]

That doesn’t sound right. 2019 july 1.st Balcony £6900.- in the Az homepage.

These cruises sell out. Best booked early. Little chance for a sale.

Sorry. Misunderstood your original post, bloodaxe. We have this problem with early bookings, - we cannot know for sure when we can have vacation. For the summer period maximum 5 months ahead. Summer of 2018- forget it. We rely on sales. North Cape is out of reach for us as prices are tru the roof when dates get closer.

[oddjob16]

Odd, I'm looking at July 24th 2018 on Journey in a cat 05 OV and the price total for the cabin on the UK site is £14834 (there are still a few cabins left). In 2016 and from memory it was about £7000. I held on until quite late on that cruise and got an inside GTY for around £4000. That was offered on the Azamara site, but with any left over cabins Azamara now seem to fire sale to a couple of travel agencies in the US (I can't name them because of CC rules) and they never come up on the website. It's another game.

 

Phil

Phil, I know. The recent «sales» are ridiculous. Actually if they were a norwegian company these sales would have been illegal. In Norway you have to prove that the original price (before discount) has been realistic for a period of time before you can call it a before- price. When they increase prices with 30% and then try to sell you a 25% discount they should be criminalized and fined. It shouldn’t be legal. We have a free four days coming up, so we will obviously do one more, but after that we shop around.

[oddjob16]

Odd, I'm looking at July 24th 2018 on Journey in a cat 05 OV and the price total for the cabin on the UK site is £14834 (there are still a few cabins left). In 2016 and from memory it was about £7000. I held on until quite late on that cruise and got an inside GTY for around £4000. That was offered on the Azamara site, but with any left over cabins Azamara now seem to fire sale to a couple of travel agencies in the US (I can't name them because of CC rules) and they never come up on the website. It's another game.

 

Phil

Obviously som travel agents are holding allotments,- they always do. When Azamara rockets their prices, the agents are in a good position. I don’t think Azamara is giving these prices away to TAs, but have alloted them earlier at fixed prices.

[excitedofharpenden]

Phil, I know. The recent «sales» are ridiculous. Actually if they were a norwegian company these sales would have been illegal. In Norway you have to prove that the original price (before discount) has been realistic for a period of time before you can call it a before- price. When they increase prices with 30% and then try to sell you a 25% discount they should be criminalized and fined. It shouldn’t be legal. We have a free four days coming up, so we will obviously do one more, but after that we shop around.

That North Cape cruise isn’t one of the BOGOHO cruises and it wasn’t included in any promos in 2016 either from what I remember. As you say they can sell it because of the limited itineraries, but at the price they are asking at the moment? Over £16,000 for a balcony? They have to be joking. Azamara are good, but they aren’t that good!

 

Phil

[oddjob16]

That North Cape cruise isn’t one of the BOGOHO cruises and it wasn’t included in any promos in 2016 either from what I remember. As you say they can sell it because of the limited itineraries, but at the price they are asking at the moment? Over £16,000 for a balcony? They have to be joking. Azamara are good, but they aren’t that good!

 

Phil

Hurtigruten is a good alternative.:)

[Grandma Cruising]

That North Cape cruise isn’t one of the BOGOHO cruises and it wasn’t included in any promos in 2016 either from what I remember. As you say they can sell it because of the limited itineraries, but at the price they are asking at the moment? Over £16,000 for a balcony? They have to be joking. Azamara are good, but they aren’t that good!

 

 

 

Phil

 

 

 

But the 2019 North Cape balcony cabins start at just under £14,000.

 

 

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[WhitlocksEnd]

In that case a steal. ;)

[Bloodaxe]

But the 2019 North Cape balcony cabins start at just under £14,000.

 

 

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That's still way more than Azamara is worth, just my opinion.