HELP! Azamara is trying to cancel my trip because of their mistake! Horrible Cruise!

[excitedofharpenden]

hubofhockey, I would not even worry about it. I think people will make up their own mind based upon what had been written here and now that we have a few more facts hopefully everyone is free to do that without being called a cheerleader, whatever the term means. 

 

Phil 

[PatG2]

8 hours ago, CruiseGal999 said:

 

I think you're being very gracious in accepting an OV room.  The very least Az could have/should have done was largest balcony cabin. They SHOULD have honored the price ... I don't care how ridiculously low it was ... you did back flips verifying and confirming with everyone.  This is such an awful situation.  

Thanks CruiseGal999

[PatG2]

2 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

As to OP misleading and using social media to pressure Azamara, everyone can decide for themselves.

 

There aren't quotas for salesmen in the cruise industry, but that aside, we still don't know if the cruise was two months away as stated in the original post or several months away as indicated in the Elliott Advocacy article.  Nobody would ever confuse couple with several. 

 

 

I find it funny how everything I said on here was questioned, but yet, what was written on the other site was  mostly taken as accurate. I can see why you would believe a third party source more, I understand that, but everything they said wasn't accurate.

 

When Elliot looked up the price of the suite, it was in fact, closer to 10% of the price. When I looked up the prices it was in fact closer to 25%. Once again shows you how cruises have thousands of dollars in price differences from one day to the next. The person that paid over $5,000 more than what another cruiser paid a few days later is out of luck.

 

I like how you posted that "nobody would ever confuse couple with several." When in fact, it was 2 months away. Maybe Elliot used "several" instead of "couple" to keep my itinerary private. Or maybe "several" sounded better to prove their point. Not sure why they used the words they did but it seems like someone in fact did "confuse couple with several".

 

You can agree or disagree with my point of view, that's fine. But what I have posted on here has been accurate.

Edited June 23, 2019 by PatG2

[PatG2]

10 hours ago, florisdekort said:

 

Please stop taking the bait. You’re never going to convince certain people on here who cheerlead Azamara on every single thread. 

 

Your right floris. I think everything that can be said about this has been said at this point. Those who have chosen one side or another are probably not budging.

I'm glad the majority of people voted in my favor on Elliot but I was surprised it was even that close. There are strong opinions on both sides and I don't think there is anything else to be said.

 

Thank you again to everyone for contributing.

[Shep_Proudfoot]

My choice on my latest cruise booking recently came down to Azamara or Crystal.  After reading this thread from start to finish, and the Elliott article as well, I sure am glad I chose to give Crystal my business, and will be leery of transacting any business with Azamara in the future.  

 

As an IT quality assurance professional I understand how there are many, many ways issues like this can happen, but also realize there are a great many ways to prevent such mistakes, whether using additional software features, more frequently or rigorously testing existing systems, or utilizing more robust human-reviewed workflows or audits, and when they are not caught it is likely due to simply not spending enough money on the appropriate controls.  If Azamara is to deem the kind of likely cost-cutting practices that led to this as adequate to control its operational and reputational risks, in my opinion it should be prepared to accept the occasional screw up as the cost of doing business to a greater extent than it apparently is.

Edited June 23, 2019 by Shep_Proudfoot

[daisy-mae]

"Maybe Elliot used "several" instead of "couple" to keep my itinerary private. Or maybe "several" sounded better to prove their point. "

 

Not to mention the trouble one can get into when using the term "countless"....

 

 

[donaldsc]

2 hours ago, Shep_Proudfoot said:

My choice on my latest cruise booking recently came down to Azamara or Crystal.  After reading this thread from start to finish, and the Elliott article as well, I sure am glad I chose to give Crystal my business, and will be leery of transacting any business with Azamara in the future.  

 

As an IT quality assurance professional I understand how there are many, many ways issues like this can happen, but also realize there are a great many ways to prevent such mistakes, whether using additional software features, more frequently or rigorously testing existing systems, or utilizing more robust human-reviewed workflows or audits, and when they are not caught it is likely due to simply not spending enough money on the appropriate controls.  If Azamara is to deem the kind of likely cost-cutting practices that led to this as adequate to control its operational and reputational risks, in my opinion it should be prepared to accept the occasional screw up as the cost of doing business to a greater extent than it apparently is.

 

Based on past experiences w Azamara, we all know that the Azamara IT department is staffed w people who flunked out of a correspondence IT training program.  They consistently can not seem to create a good on-line experience. Their WEB site is horrible.

 

DON

[LHT28]

I just hope they did not get one of the OV on deck 6 😲

[lovecruzin]

@PatG2

I’ve got to hand it to you for responding to comments and staying calm and reasonable. Too often people come here and post of a negative experience and when they are given opinions that dont agree with their own, they disappear. I hope you enjoy your cruise woth your wife and friends.

[Jimmycruiser]

Hubofhockey- I agree with you. I am not aware of any cruise line or airline or other business that would agree to a $30,000 discount on a $34,000 fare. 25% maybe 50 % a stretch but possible, but not one example on this thread for a company accepting a 89% discount. To not choose AZ because of this example is absurd, especially if they have not experienced cruising with AZ. Last post on this thread.

[SoCalTraveler]

9 minutes ago, Jimmycruiser said:

Hubofhockey- I agree with you. I am not aware of any cruise line or airline or other business that would agree to a $30,000 discount on a $34,000 fare. 25% maybe 50 % a stretch but possible, but not one example on this thread for a company accepting a 89% discount. To not choose AZ because of this example is absurd, especially if they have not experienced cruising with AZ. Last post on this thread.

Absolutely right.  The idea that other cruise lines or travel providers are somehow immune from website problems is not based on the real world.

 

[Cruise Junky]

11 minutes ago, SoCalTraveler said:

Absolutely right.  The idea that other cruise lines or travel providers are somehow immune from website problems is not based on the real world.

 

Pretty sure a few of us gave real life examples of how other cruise lines honoured their mistakes. 

[snowglobe]

Yes, and I too gave an example. In my case, the mistake amounted to approx. 40% less.

 

However, the OP knew well enough not to be immediately upfront to us about the actual price that he paid, and how ridiculously and unrealistically low it was.

 

It’s the order of magnitude that makes all the difference in this case, and put it in the greyscale of things - not black or white, IMO.

As far as I’m concerned, neither party was ever completely in the right this time.

Edited June 23, 2019 by snowglobe

[Jimmycruiser]

Cruise Junky - I was done responding on this thread until your post. Give me one example where any business accepted a $30,000 loss on a $34,000 fare? I accept the $34,000 fare is full price and very few people pay that but even at a normal 25% discount the fare is $25,000 for a veranda suite with butler and all specialty restaurants. This is funny in that I am sure if the tables were turned an you were AZ you would not negotiate to reduce your loss and try to resolve the mistake with a fair offer.  But everyone is entitled to their opinion even if they never experienced an AZ cruise, which I really hope you do in the future.

[Cruise Junky]

5 minutes ago, Jimmycruiser said:

Cruise Junky - I was done responding on this thread until your post. Give me one example where any business accepted a $30,000 loss on a $34,000 fare? I accept the $34,000 fare is full price and very few people pay that but even at a normal 25% discount the fare is $25,000 for a veranda suite with butler and all specialty restaurants. This is funny in that I am sure if the tables were turned an you were AZ you would not negotiate to reduce your loss and try to resolve the mistake with a fair offer.  But everyone is entitled to their opinion even if they never experienced an AZ cruise, which I really hope you do in the future.

If the tables were turned and I was Azamara I’d fire my entire IT crew, admit they’re incompetent and honour my mistake. This is not the first issue with their pricing ...the first time, sure, it’s an error...now? They’re just useless, and incompetent and apparently have taken no safe guards to ensure it doesn’t keep happening. 

[SoCalTraveler]

1 minute ago, snowglobe said:

Yes, and I too gave an example. In my case, the mistake amounted to approx. 40% less.

 

However, the OP knew well enough not to be immediately upfront to us about the actual price that he paid, and how ridiculously and unrealistically low it was.

 

It’s the order of magnitude that makes all the difference in this case.

I came to the defense of OP pointing out that reliance supported the OP's purchase of tickets, etc.  However, reliance has to be reasonable.  Given the details we have since learned through Chris Elliott, there is a serious question of whether reliance on what the reps said was reasonable.  No doubt, Azamara could do a better job with its IT and with its reps, but Azamara came through and did not simply stand on its contract rights, but offered significant monetary concessions, which OP took.  

 

What would have been the reaction here if OP first posted:

 

1.  OP bought two cabins, on two separate platforms (for which there has yet to be an explanation) at a price that was between 11% and 25% of the true retail price.

2.  OP reached out to secure confirmation, and Azamara confirmed, several times.

3.  Azamara's contract allows Azamara to correct pricing errors (pretty much no matter how annoying those are to the customer).

 

I suspect that OP would have received less support here had that story been told.  I would have qualified reliance with the requirement that it be reasonable.  Because of the timing, I suggested a credit card dispute, which, given Azamara's contract with OP, was less likely to work.  OP had access to the contract, because it is part of the confirmation process.

 

Azamara offered OP four different options.  OP tried to get us as well as Chris Elliott involved.  When those attempts at intervention failed, OP took a great deal offered by Azamara.  It's not like Azamara refused any accommodation at all.

 

I've posted separately here of a problem I had with RCCL, Azamara's parent.  When the dust settled, RCCL admitted that its employees had gotten things wrong about ten times in dealing with the promise of a future cruise credit.  Did that stop me from doing business with RCCL again?  Nope.  We've booked an Azamara cruise, for example.  We've been on several Celebrity cruises and have another booked.

[hubofhockey]

Jimmycruiser, yup, it's time to walk away.  He is disputing that the $34K fare for two cabins was even the regular price and also disputing timing of the cruise, both key details of why Elliott Advocacy would not support what they call mistaken / gotcha pricing.  As for the person choosing Crystal over Azamara, I agree that this should be the last reason. This coming October is our first and we chose AZ for multiple days in ports, itinerary, and relaxed atmosphere.  I'm keeping an open mind about doing another, but I do like Celebrity deals and somewhat larger ships.  

 

36 minutes ago, Jimmycruiser said:

Hubofhockey- I agree with you. I am not aware of any cruise line or airline or other business that would agree to a $30,000 discount on a $34,000 fare. 25% maybe 50 % a stretch but possible, but not one example on this thread for a company accepting a 89% discount. To not choose AZ because of this example is absurd, especially if they have not experienced cruising with AZ. Last post on this thread.

 

[rallydave]

12 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

If the tables were turned and I was Azamara I’d fire my entire IT crew, admit they’re incompetent and honour my mistake. This is not the first issue with their pricing ...the first time, sure, it’s an error...now? They’re just useless, and incompetent and apparently have taken no safe guards to ensure it doesn’t keep happening. 

Agree completely with you Cruise Junky.  Have tried to stay out of this but, nobody has mentioned all of the screwups of the azamara home office, the dumb decisions, the not caring about their customers and the inept and incompetent so called customer service that one has to put up with in order to enjoy the great on board experience.  

 

Guess some of you think that the home office can keep screwing up time after time while writing terms and conditions that allow them Carte Blanche to no provide any true business management or ever reasonable care to their business practices and when something costs them some money they can simply hold up the T's and C's while they hold up the same T's and C's  when a customer deserves a real solution to something they did wrong.  Remember the old adage, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

 

Almost forgot how azamara keeps repeating the same mistakes, deceptive pricing, etc. without taking are not to repeat these issues.  Have to remember how many times they have advertised promotions that will save you money on reduced fares and many of the fares are not only not reduced but, increased from the previous  days pricing.  There's no we'll give you a more expensive suite because they screwed up the pricing in their favor.  Sorry but a wonderful onboard experience is NOT worth the heart burn and heart aches before and after the cruise!!

Edited June 23, 2019 by rallydave

[hiccups]

1 hour ago, Jimmycruiser said:

Hubofhockey- I agree with you. I am not aware of any cruise line or airline or other business that would agree to a $30,000 discount on a $34,000 fare. 25% maybe 50 % a stretch but possible, but not one example on this thread for a company accepting a 89% discount. To not choose AZ because of this example is absurd, especially if they have not experienced cruising with AZ. Last post on this thread.

 

Please see my examples in post #88.  RCI at least once left off a "O" on a fare for a suite and someone booked for 10% of the price.

There was another mention of Cunard recently posting an incorrect price for solo travelers on I believe a transatlantic cruise.  Based on the typical charge for single cruisers, it was more than a 50% difference.  Now, whether a single cruiser should have to pay more than twice as much as a couple is another matter.

[Shep_Proudfoot]

What’s absurd are the cheerleaders and fanboys on here who say they are done with this thread, yet return to tell others how to think.

[laurieb]

It's a two way street, don't you think?  Believe it or not, not everyone that thinks that maybe Azamara was not in the wrong is a "cheerleader".

[audobon_tx]

Groundhog Day......

[Grandma Cruising]

Thread is now locked - I don’t think there’s anything more to say.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Host Grandma Cruising