Trying to make lemonade on the journey crossing

[Phylhering]

I am taking this cruise to use my 6 free days.  Turns out I am paying @$1500 more than if I booked it myself. (I am a single traveler, so you know what the issues there are).  I booked on my b2b in july to norway.  Had to book something on lose them. I had to make final payment right away.  When I discovered the difference. I knew I would not get any money back but I thought something,  free wifi, beverage upgrade, they refused to do anything.  Ok.  We will make the lemonade.

 

Then I have an oceanview, no clock on the room.  Asked for one and was told there were none on the ship.  I did not believe it because I had one in july.  The person at the desk sent an email and I was told I miraculously got one.  Was made to feel special.  But found out they do have them in balconies and suites.  Really.  Not asking for much after all the money I have spent over 10 years.  

 

My room has an uncomfortable chair for a short person, asked for a couple of pillows for my back.  Again no hard sofa type pillows available.  Given bed pillows.  Not ideal.

 

I was on crystal for the first time this year. And it was wonderful.  Think it is time for a change. Since clearly azamara could care less.

[ellbon]

There are clocks in suites..plugged in away from bed.  Was told only suites.

 

no one gets free WiFi ..you pay for it.

 

not even sure what to say about the rest..

[Phylhering]

I have gotten free wifi.  I am paying for it now.  Just thinking of something that is not costly for them to say they understand about the 6 free nights costing me more than I could have gotten using a travel agent.  So not impossible.

 

  I am sure they did not take your clock.  

 

 

[wripro]

This is a perfect example of why one should ALWAYS use a qualified travel agent.

[uktog]

There is an issue with the free nights. We expect to lose ours as every quote for 2021 is coming out costing at least £2000 more if we use our free nights than if we do not. 
Shhhh we have a clock in our room. I think when they go dead they don’t replace them. It’s hopeless relying on a mobile phone as your clock on a transatlantic. They should provide clocks in all rooms. 

[Ithikan]

I am so sorry about how this turned out for you, Phylhering.

We also missed having a clock in our cabin on our last cruise - to supply these only partially throughout the ship is shoddy, IMO.  Our "free" nights were used last summer and we do not expect ever to do that again, as the next level of loyalty would require tens of thousands of dollars spent on Azamara.   For that investment, one should not be asked to make lemonade.

[Phylhering]

Thanks for understanding the real issue is the free nights and their response.

 

For some reason with all the time changes my android is not always accurate.

 

 

[marinaro44]

Free nights work out best on short cruises or cruises that historically have not had promotions.

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, marinaro44 said:

Free nights work out best on short cruises or cruises that historically have not had promotions.

That’s what we thought, which is why we used them on the July 2019 Norway intensive as that rarely gets discounted. Unfortunately that one did and ended up less than we paid, even with the free nights.

[excitedofharpenden]

5 hours ago, Phylhering said:

Thanks for understanding the real issue is the free nights and their response.

 

For some reason with all the time changes my android is not always accurate.

 

 

Yes, those free nights, especially if you are a single on a reduced supplement and on a longer cruise need careful calculation and I have found the same thing. 10 nights max seems to be about it. 

 

Phil 

[Anchor Light]

These free nights are a misnomer.  I too booked my free nights - some time ago so they wouldn't expire. The base price used for the calculation has far exceeded the current pricing so we too are paying more for this cruise than if we were able to take advantage of promos and price drops.

 

LCV and Revenue Management was of no help when this was brought to their attention.  They even had difficulty understanding the issue, they just kept explaining the hard-and-fast free-nights rules.  There is no lemonade in this situation - just seems like another loyalty benefit that really isn't.  I'm sorry now that I even booked them.

[DebbieMacG]

Do you mean the digital clock on the bedside table? We’ve only sailed in an inside but always had a clock.

[laurieb]

We will book a 7 night to use our 6 nights as part of a b2b.  Used our 4 nights on a 7 night and couldn’t even come close to what we’re paying if we were booking now.  I think the shorter the cruise the better you’ll come out cost wise.  

[donaldsc]

13 hours ago, Phylhering said:

I am taking this cruise to use my 6 free days.  Turns out I am paying @$1500 more than if I booked it myself. (I am a single traveler, so you know what the issues there are).  I booked on my b2b in july to norway.  Had to book something on lose them. I had to make final payment right away.  When I discovered the difference. I knew I would not get any money back but I thought something,  free wifi, beverage upgrade, they refused to do anything.  Ok.  We will make the lemonade.

 

Then I have an oceanview, no clock on the room.  Asked for one and was told there were none on the ship.  I did not believe it because I had one in july.  The person at the desk sent an email and I was told I miraculously got one.  Was made to feel special.  But found out they do have them in balconies and suites.  Really.  Not asking for much after all the money I have spent over 10 years.  

 

My room has an uncomfortable chair for a short person, asked for a couple of pillows for my back.  Again no hard sofa type pillows available.  Given bed pillows.  Not ideal.

 

I was on crystal for the first time this year. And it was wonderful.  Think it is time for a change. Since clearly azamara could care less.

 

Here is an alarm clock at Walmart for $4.88 = https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sharp-LCD-Digital-Black-Alarm-Clock/16610995?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=4288&adid=22222222227010693156&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40925385512&wl4=pla-78859748792&wl5=9028730&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=16610995&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAiA5JnuBRA-EiwA-0ggPXIW1VbsrSh8jYA8OC63kZPPHAdXmCGwr94TH91HRzhGyCW1jXKOzRoCLt4QAvD_BwE

 

Hardly worth all the complaining you are doing about the absence of an alarm clock.

 

DON

[ellbon]

I was in a suite my butler on Quest said only in a suite. No proof of this . But it plugs in and you can plug in your iPhone cords..  mine was on my desk and I felt it was to big. Because I had read no clocks I had one from Amazon which I loved.

 

 

 

 

[Melissaghoti]

A couple of years ago, there were lots of complaints here about how difficult the clocks were to set.  Because they were so ‘user unfriendly’, clocks may have had a slow, uneven attrition as they quit working.  If that’s the case, removing them all when some still worked wouldn’t make sense. Apparently, having a supply of better clocks to transition with didn’t make sense either. At least, that’s my late-night hypothesis.
My usual experience with clocks when traveling is to forget to check what time the previous user had set the alarm, thus often waking up earlier than I’d wanted. I wear a watch, use my phone or iPad for alarm, so I’ve never missed the clock.
Melissa

[uktog]

The trouble is Melissa on a transatlantic your phone is no use unless you fiddle a lot with it due to the 6 time changes we will be making. 
No decent hotel I know does not provide clocks Azamara should do likewise 

 

ps we are on this cruise and do have a clock 

Edited November 10, 2019 by uktog

[Grandma Cruising]

We had one in a Verandah cabin on Journey in July

[NeilWM]

Must be random as we didn’t have one in our verandah cabin on B2B on Journey July/Aug

[newmexicoNita]

18 hours ago, wripro said:

This is a perfect example of why one should ALWAYS use a qualified travel agent.

Thank you.. too many think they can do anything without using a service. I have heard so many say, I want to control my booking or use other excuses, but a good agent can often, save us money or at least go to bat for us. 

[Covepointcruiser]

We have asked for a clock and said there was an unauthorized clock in an Ocean View Cabin.   We do have a travel clock but it does not light up at night.

[Lottie A]

1 hour ago, Covepointcruiser said:

We have asked for a clock and said there was an unauthorized clock in an Ocean View Cabin.   We do have a travel clock but it does not light up at night.

I think that’s really a first world problem. There is a bedside light. 🤣

 

As for reporting an “unauthorised clock” in an Ocean View cabin....well words really do fail me! 

[Ithikan]

2 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

We have asked for a clock and said there was an unauthorized clock in an Ocean View Cabin. 

Surely you jest!

[retird]

1 hour ago, Lottie A said:

I think that’s really a first world problem. There is a bedside light. 🤣

 

As for reporting an “unauthorised clock” in an Ocean View cabin....well words really do fail me! 

Thank goodness we live in a world where the only major complaint we have is no bedside clock.   I wonder if all cabin attendants will be instructed to check each oceanview for the unauthorized clock.  🤣

[Lottie A]

3 minutes ago, retird said:

Thank goodness we live in a world where the only major complaint we have is no bedside clock.   I wonder if all cabin attendants will be instructed to check each oceanview for the unauthorized clock.  🤣

I can just imagine Heike’s face if someone reports an “unauthorised clock”! 🤣