"Wifi feasibility test" on Quest, December 28

[Belfastman]

9 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

Of course, it has to work for someone.  Drawing names out of a hat would fill every upgrade slot, too.  But is it working for the LCV members with 40, 50, 60 cruises, the Platinums and double Platinums who have done so much to put Azamara where it is now?  The ones who take six, eight, ten Azamara cruises a year.

I take 5 Azamara cruises a year (generally in suites) and it works for me

 

[uktog]

Maybe we should take less cruises with Azamara as it appears that’s the trick. Good for someone’s bottom line as well. 😂😂😂

[Riocca]

The higher your category level of free nights the more likely the free nights are to work, probably because there are fewer offers on the top accommodations. We have only had two lots of free nights, firstly 6 nights as we became Discoverer Plus these worked out well especially as due to a charter we ended up paying for two nights of a ten night cruise. Our 3 free nights are more marginal but as we used them on a 3rd October cruise and there have been fewer offers on these cruises.

[BBMacLaird]

17 hours ago, uktog said:

Thanks. Based on the communication that states “the new redemption values apply to all loyalty guests, regardless of their stateroom” can you advise exactly what values apply to a guest at each loyalty level who stays in a verandah, oceanview and inside cabin. 
 

 

For LCV guests not sailing in a Veranda Plus or a Suite, here are the values towards Internet:

 

Loyalty Internet Minutes Test:

• Discoverer Platinum – 150 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Discoverer Plus – 120 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Discoverer – 90 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Explorer – 60 min or 35% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Adventurer – 30 min or 20% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package

 

[uktog]

24 minutes ago, BBMacLaird said:

 

For LCV guests not sailing in a Veranda Plus or a Suite, here are the values towards Internet:

 

Loyalty Internet Minutes Test:

• Discoverer Platinum – 150 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Discoverer Plus – 120 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Discoverer – 90 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Explorer – 60 min or 35% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Adventurer – 30 min or 20% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package

 

Thanks

That is a significant reduction in benefits for me and one I am very unhappy with compared to my previous allowance of $150 off a package as a platinum.  I would be grateful if you could pass my dissatisfaction up to whoever made that proposition.  Certainly does not encourage me to make any more bookings with Azamara.

[Riocca]

33 minutes ago, BBMacLaird said:

 

For LCV guests not sailing in a Veranda Plus or a Suite, here are the values towards Internet:

 

Loyalty Internet Minutes Test:

• Discoverer Platinum – 150 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Discoverer Plus – 120 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Discoverer – 90 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Explorer – 60 min or 35% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Adventurer – 30 min or 20% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package

 

At Discoverer Plus I take that as a kick in the teeth for all the £££’s I’ve spent with Azamara, if I was Platinum I would be incandescent!

Someone needs to take a long hard look at the implications of further reducing benefits for loyal guests, to me it’s close to commercial suicide. 

[marinaro44]

18 minutes ago, uktog said:

Thanks

That is a significant reduction in benefits for me and one I am very unhappy with compared to my previous allowance of $150 off a package as a platinum.  I would be grateful if you could pass my dissatisfaction up to whoever made that proposition.  Certainly does not encourage me to make any more bookings with Azamara.

No additional discount going from 300 points to 3000, a factor of 10.  Who cooked up this disincentive program?

 

"Incandescent" is an apt descriptor.

Edited January 3, 2020 by marinaro44

[Grandma Cruising]

1 minute ago, Riocca said:

At Discoverer Plus I take that as a kick in the teeth for all the £££’s I’ve spent with Azamara, if I was Platinum I would be incandescent!

Someone needs to take a long hard look at the implications of further reducing benefits for loyal guests, to me it’s close to commercial suicide. 

The minutes are the same, but I agree if you're on a short cruise the discount is not as good - but better if you're on a long cruise.

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

I’m confused. Host Grandma assured us it was only in relation to combining for suites. Now the test applies for everyone (although I did ask Bonnie to

reconfirm). By my calculations I’m worse off on 3/4 cruises I’ve got booked so not impressed. It strikes me the upper tiers are getting squeezed - just as if I’ve gone to RC I don’t get all the top perks (I was ok with that just didn’t expect it on my previous cruise line of choice) 

I actually said that the initial letter Bonnie published only seemed to apply to suite guests. I had no other knowledge than that.

[uktog]

4 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

No additional discount going from 300 points to 3000, a factor of 10.  Who cooked up this disincentive program?

 

"Incandescent" is an apt descriptor.

incandescent, kick in the teeth, - its so insulting that someone even thought this scheme was a good idea and it got signed off up the flagpole.  Very clear what value Azamara places on Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Platinums

[Riocca]

10 minutes ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

The minutes are the same, but I agree if you're on a short cruise the discount is not as good - but better if you're on a long cruise.

At Discoverer Plus the cruise would have to over 13 days for this proposal to benefit me and there are far more itineraries I would lose out on. 
On Celebrity I would also get double the included minutes although admittedly only 35% of an unlimited package.

[excitedofharpenden]

1 hour ago, BBMacLaird said:

 

For LCV guests not sailing in a Veranda Plus or a Suite, here are the values towards Internet:

 

Loyalty Internet Minutes Test:

• Discoverer Platinum – 150 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Discoverer Plus – 120 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Discoverer – 90 min or 50% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Explorer – 60 min or 35% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package
• Adventurer – 30 min or 20% off Full Voyage Unlimited Internet Package

 

Bonnie, you are really confusing me now.   This from your previous post quoted as 75% discount is not on line with what you are saying here:

 

The new redemption values apply to all loyalty guests, regardless of their stateroom. This test will help us determine a more permanent approach in the near future.

 

Am I being thick?

 

Phil

[excitedofharpenden]

28 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

No additional discount going from 300 points to 3000, a factor of 10.  Who cooked up this disincentive program?

 

"Incandescent" is an apt descriptor.

Yep. Someone in Miami needs to read this thread and sort things out as rather than addressing a recognised issue it's posing more questions than it answers and is indeed a kick in the teeth for many of us. 

 

Phil 

[BBMacLaird]

22 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Bonnie, you are really confusing me now.   This from your previous post quoted as 75% discount is not on line with what you are saying here:

 

The new redemption values apply to all loyalty guests, regardless of their stateroom. This test will help us determine a more permanent approach in the near future.

 

Am I being thick?

 

Phil

In this test, the Veranda Plus (cabin category benefit) = 25%, added to the LCV benefit of 50% for Discoverer (regardless of category purchased) = 75% combined benefit.

This is, as I understand it, the purpose of this test...to combine V+/Suite benefits with LCV internet benefits since there was much unhappiness about the non-combinability.

 

Rest assured I am sharing this community's responses with the team doing the testing.

Your feedback is appreciated and may make all the difference. 

 

 

[uktog]

5 minutes ago, BBMacLaird said:

In this test, the Veranda Plus (cabin category benefit) = 25%, added to the LCV benefit of 50% for Discoverer (regardless of category purchased) = 75% combined benefit.

This is, as I understand it, the purpose of this test...to combine V+/Suite benefits with LCV internet benefits since there was much unhappiness about the non-combinability.

 

Rest assured I am sharing this community's responses with the team doing the testing.

Your feedback is appreciated and may make all the difference. 

 

 

Thanks for the clarification.  I am glad the feedback will possibly make a difference - please though can it be realised that proposals/pilots like this do nothing other than antagonise loyal guests if they see a proposal that dumbs down evidence of loyalty recognition.  

 

It was discussed many years ago of using a process to test proposals on actual guests (e.g. show a plan to a cross section of Discoverer Plus or Platinums - not a scattergun survey) and get their views on it.  Its not an uncommon technique to sense test ideas and can be covered by non disclosure agreements.

[hrhdhd]

At the risk of offending the clearly loyal Azamara cruisers here, I am wondering at what point people who have spent tens of thousands of dollars (or more?) on cruises, many in suites, stop fretting over a few bucks for internet access.

 

I get that there's a principle involved, but I guess I have a different perception of my relationship to a cruise line. I don't need myriad demonstrations of loyalty; I'd like a satisfying cruise at a price I am willing to pay, and the "loyalty" stuff isn't a deal breaker. But then I am also the one who doesn't care for the "Welcome home!" thing when I return from port. 😉 

[hiccups]

9 hours ago, uktog said:

Thanks

That is a significant reduction in benefits for me and one I am very unhappy with compared to my previous allowance of $150 off a package as a platinum.  I would be grateful if you could pass my dissatisfaction up to whoever made that proposition.  Certainly does not encourage me to make any more bookings with Azamara.

Yep, a loss to us as well, and as I said in an earlier post, because we now won't buy the package, a loss to Azamara.

[Jimmycruiser]

Just now, hrhdhd said:

At the risk of offending the clearly loyal Azamara cruisers here, I am wondering at what point people who have spent tens of thousands of dollars (or more?) on cruises, many in suites, stop fretting over a few bucks for internet access.

 

I get that there's a principle involved, but I guess I have a different perception of my relationship to a cruise line. I don't need myriad demonstrations of loyalty; I'd like a satisfying cruise at a price I am willing to pay, and the "loyalty" stuff isn't a deal breaker. But then I am also the one who doesn't care for the "Welcome home!" thing when I return from port. 😉 

I agree. The loyalty program has obviously become less Important to Azamara but you make your decision based on the itinerary and price compared to the competition.  Azamara will succeed or fail based on the competition. In business the competition dictates the value proposition and based on Azamara 2021 pricing It will Lose customers to the competition if it doesn’t reduce price or significantly increase value. We found a better price on a luxury line in 2021 for a very similar itinerary and time of year and we just booked it. Successful companies grow because of happy customers and word of mouth not fake pricing structures and counting on new customers during good economic times.

[uktog]

4 hours ago, Jimmycruiser said:

I agree. The loyalty program has obviously become less Important to Azamara but you make your decision based on the itinerary and price compared to the competition.  Azamara will succeed or fail based on the competition. In business the competition dictates the value proposition and based on Azamara 2021 pricing It will Lose customers to the competition if it doesn’t reduce price or significantly increase value. We found a better price on a luxury line in 2021 for a very similar itinerary and time of year and we just booked it. Successful companies grow because of happy customers and word of mouth not fake pricing structures and counting on new customers during good economic times.

I agree and that’s where loyalty also has a big part to play.  Loyalty is two way.  When making the final call between Azamara and other options we did in 2019 stick with Azamara even though the price was less favourable over an alternative (supposedly luxury we don’t know) line because we chose to be loyal, hoped possibly for a paid for upgrade (the ship at that stage was only half sold) etc.  Wrong call in hindsight but that’s another matter. So loyalty mattered then. Anyway for 2020/21 loyalty won’t get a strong say, at present probably no say. Your final sentence is spot on, I would add because oh boy when the tide turns you’ll need your regulars as you did during the previous rough trading times. 

[Belfastman]

6 hours ago, Jimmycruiser said:

I agree. The loyalty program has obviously become less Important to Azamara but you make your decision based on the itinerary and price compared to the competition.  Azamara will succeed or fail based on the competition. In business the competition dictates the value proposition and based on Azamara 2021 pricing It will Lose customers to the competition if it doesn’t reduce price or significantly increase value. We found a better price on a luxury line in 2021 for a very similar itinerary and time of year and we just booked it. Successful companies grow because of happy customers and word of mouth not fake pricing structures and counting on new customers during good economic times.

I agree. I never book a cruise taking any loyalty benefits into account I base my decision on price and is it somewhere I want to go.

[excitedofharpenden]

19 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

At the risk of offending the clearly loyal Azamara cruisers here, I am wondering at what point people who have spent tens of thousands of dollars (or more?) on cruises, many in suites, stop fretting over a few bucks for internet access.

 

I get that there's a principle involved, but I guess I have a different perception of my relationship to a cruise line. I don't need myriad demonstrations of loyalty; I'd like a satisfying cruise at a price I am willing to pay, and the "loyalty" stuff isn't a deal breaker. But then I am also the one who doesn't care for the "Welcome home!" thing when I return from port. 😉 

I certainly am not offended and for sure, what you say is true. I guess it comes down to emotion and the feeling of not wanting to be taken for granted. Nobody likes that and it never happens on the ship. I also feel it's good to give feedback on the subject so that Azamara know and hopefully make changes that benefit everyone.  They are obviously aware of this thread. 

 

Phil 

Edited January 4, 2020 by excitedofharpenden

[Anchor Light]

I have been following this thread with great interest for more reasons than just the wifi trial.

 

I see that changes that have been happening with Azamara over recent times have surely been in favor of increased revenue in large part at the expense of loyalty erosion as well as highly fluctuating pricing structures to accommodate so-called promos.  And generally high pricing which is out of line with the value of the product compared to its competition in the current marketplace.

 

It makes total sense that regulars are upset.  It should not be forgotten that the on-board experience is what has been the saving grace to the remaining regulars who would likely have been long gone by now were it not for that; the hard work of on-board staff in assuring a great cruising experience.  How long can the on-board experience/staff continue to bolster the brand in the face of adversity?

 

There have been so many valid points made on this thread by well-respected loyalists and others alike.  This wifi situation is merely the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

In a nutshell, I see this current discontent as stemming from (1) outrageous pricing (2) significant erosion of LCV benefits, the most obvious one being the change and highly increased cost of the upgrade program as well as lost value of free nights and (3) diminished recognition of upper loyalty levels.

[excitedofharpenden]

Anchor Light, your are spot on and said it better than I have. Your point about the regulars getting Azamara to where they are and supporting them (and indeed promoting them. I have introduced many to Azamara) is well made and something I often think about when one is slapped in the face like this.  And that is what it amounts to. 

 

Phil 

 

[Anchor Light]

33 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Your point about the regulars getting Azamara to where they are and supporting them....

 

Don't think I can take credit for this statement but I for sure understand it!

[uktog]

Excellent post Anchor Light. I really hope Azamara takes the comments to heart and acts on them.