Azamara refund problems (merged)

[Charlie Chan]

1 hour ago, Hamwen3839 said:

Really happy you have received your refund Riocca.We are now at 11 weeks since Azamara cancelled and still no refund  (cruise of 24 March).I now see that a further 10 cruises have been Cancelled through to end of July.

I really hope those cancellations don’t end up In a heap on top of our one. !!!

Don't give up!! We have received refunds for both Quest cancelled cruises (March 17 and March 28) in the last two days. Full amounts.  Both were booked through our Brisbane travel agent. Doing the happy dance.😀

[Baynanno1]

2 hours ago, Riocca said:

Good news our wait is over, ten weeks after our cruise was cancelled we have now received a full refund of our cruise fare via our travel agent.

 

Really pleased to hear that you have at last received your refund.

I have been hoping to hear your good news ever since ours arrived.

[Baynanno1]

1 hour ago, Hamwen3839 said:

Really happy you have received your refund Riocca.We are now at 11 weeks since Azamara cancelled and still no refund  (cruise of 24 March).I now see that a further 10 cruises have been Cancelled through to end of July.

I really hope those cancellations don’t end up In a heap on top of our one. !!!

 

I hope your refund appears within the next few days!

Definitely hope it does not get swamped by the new cancellations!

[Hamwen3839]

Thank you Charlie Chan and Baynanno1 for your words of support.I am sure it will come through eventually.I think part of the problem is that we paid the T.A. who then went through Cruiseco which adds another layer.

[Riocca]

3 hours ago, Baynanno1 said:

 

Really pleased to hear that you have at last received your refund.

I have been hoping to hear your good news ever since ours arrived.

Thank you, it was a relief to see it in our account this morning, now we have to decide what to do with our October cruises would be happy to move them but there’s nothing within the time frame allowed to move them too. Have filled in Azamara’s online form but have not heard anything as yet.

[diana11]

I’ve now started legal proceedings against my travel agent in order to obtain my refund. My cruise was cancelled 8 weeks ago and I’ve had no response from my emails. Managed to speak to someone on the phone who told me that the Azamara refund will be cash but the flights etc will be credit notes as per their terms and conditions. 

 

As i am from the UK, I’m legally entitled to a full cash refund for a cancelled package holiday. It’s the lack of communication from my agent that has annoyed me.

[combine]

55 minutes ago, diana11 said:

I’ve now started legal proceedings against my travel agent in order to obtain my refund. My cruise was cancelled 8 weeks ago and I’ve had no response from my emails. Managed to speak to someone on the phone who told me that the Azamara refund will be cash but the flights etc will be credit notes as per their terms and conditions. 

 

As i am from the UK, I’m legally entitled to a full cash refund for a cancelled package holiday. It’s the lack of communication from my agent that has annoyed me.

 

Hi diana11

Sorry to hear that your travel agents are not playing ball with you. I believe you mentioned in an earlier post that this was packaged up by them with flights and hotels. 

 

With a few exceptions refunds are starting  to come through thick and fast now from Azamara and your travel  agent should be passing that onto you pretty quickly.

 

I hope that your travel agent comes good with the remainder of your costs in cash.

 

 

 

 

[Grandma Cruising]

2 hours ago, diana11 said:

I’ve now started legal proceedings against my travel agent in order to obtain my refund. My cruise was cancelled 8 weeks ago and I’ve had no response from my emails. Managed to speak to someone on the phone who told me that the Azamara refund will be cash but the flights etc will be credit notes as per their terms and conditions. 

 

As i am from the UK, I’m legally entitled to a full cash refund for a cancelled package holiday. It’s the lack of communication from my agent that has annoyed me.

You’re absolutely right, you are entitled to a full refund. Martin Lewis has been making a big thing of this on TV and on the MoneySavingExpert website. We had a similar position with a booking for a cottage through an agent. Initially they said their terms and conditions allowed them to offer us a transfer, but we persisted and got a refund - it took a lot of time on the phone and a lot of emails.  Good luck!

Edited May 22, 2020 by Grandma Cruising

[uktog]

So today I join the group of the extremely unimpressed with the handling of cancellations.  On 17th April I received three emails cancelling three cruises.  Each said

• We will automatically issue you your Future Cruise Credit by Friday, May 22^nd, 2020 via email. So, there's nothing for you to do!

I have of course been debating the legal validity of these credits so whilst longer term I will probably take a cash refund, having read all the pain people were having with refunds I decided in the short term I would follow the instructions in the email and do nothing.

 

Unfortunately Azamara cannot even keep to a promise not predicated by cash flow.  No certificates have arrived.  
 

[diana11]

17 hours ago, diana11 said:

I’ve now started legal proceedings against my travel agent in order to obtain my refund. My cruise was cancelled 8 weeks ago and I’ve had no response from my emails. Managed to speak to someone on the phone who told me that the Azamara refund will be cash but the flights etc will be credit notes as per their terms and conditions. 

 

As i am from the UK, I’m legally entitled to a full cash refund for a cancelled package holiday. It’s the lack of communication from my agent that has annoyed me.

An update.

Last night after sending my travel agent (who can’t be named!) a letter advising them of 14 days before court action, I awoke this morning to an email from them confirming payment in full back to my credit card. What a result.

 

i wish to thank the poster on this thread who posted a copy of his letter that he used with his travel agent. I used it as a template and it worked. Everyone on this site is so helpful 

[Spursgirl]

That is great news Diana. After receiving copious excuses from my TA I was told yesterday that my refund is imminent. Am totally fed up and not sure I believe them.

 

Have decided to give them one more week and if no cash arrives reluctantly I will follow the same strategy as you.

 

i have loved all my cruises with Azamara and am very sad that their shambolic refunding process has left me so disenchanted.

[uktog]

29 minutes ago, Spursgirl said:

That is great news Diana. After receiving copious excuses from my TA I was told yesterday that my refund is imminent. Am totally fed up and not sure I believe them.

 

Have decided to give them one more week and if no cash arrives reluctantly I will follow the same strategy as you.

 

i have loved all my cruises with Azamara and am very sad that their shambolic refunding process has left me so disenchanted.

So sorry to hear this Hazel.  I trusted them to provide a future cruise certificate and I read now that a UK guest on one of the cruises (26 May) had got their refunds whilst those of us who stupidly showed a modicum of faith in their future operations have got nothing despite the communication that we would receive our certificates by email by yesterday.  You are right, it is shambolic, very disappointing and a complete turn off no matter how much you want to support the onboard staff.  They seem to see the posting of stupid and absolutely pointless videos up on their Facebook pages a higher priority than sorting out the refund process.

Edited May 23, 2020 by uktog

[Spursgirl]

You sound as fed up as me Ann. Really don't think I have been unreasonable. Was not expecting my refund in 14 days or anything like. What I anticipated was Azamara refunding passengers in chronological order of cancellations. Instead what we seem to have is a chaotic and haphazard system that no one can work out leaving far too many annoyed guests.

 

The only thing they seem to be good at is sending fatuous emails I have no interest in at this time. For me this just adds fuel to the fire and demonstrates how totally out of touch they are.

Hope both of our issues are sorted soon.

[Grandma Cruising]

5 hours ago, diana11 said:

An update.

Last night after sending my travel agent (who can’t be named!) a letter advising them of 14 days before court action, I awoke this morning to an email from them confirming payment in full back to my credit card. What a result.

 

i wish to thank the poster on this thread who posted a copy of his letter that he used with his travel agent. I used it as a template and it worked. Everyone on this site is so helpful 

That’s great news, Diana, I’m delighted for you.

[RW75]

As a long term lurker, thought it was about time I posted my experience here. 

I had two staterooms booked on the 5th April Pursuit sailing from Miami and have three booked on the 19th September Pursuit sailing. 

The 5th April was booked with two different agents, one in the UK and one in the US.

Everything with the US agent has been dealt with very quickly and professionally. Notification of cancellation was received  on 15h March from both Azamara and the Agent.  I chose the FCC.

The UK agent did not inform me of the cancellation until four days later. Was a further week until I received contact regarding refund or FCC.  Was told that would be issued by 14th April. 

I asked if I was able to make a new booking and apply the FCC when issued. Was told that was not possible. 

Received the FCC certificate from the US agent on 13th April. The entire cost including tax was used to calculate the 125%.

The UK agent contacted me on 21st April to inform me of a processing delay and the credit would be issue by 18th May and have the tax amount deducted and refunded separately. 

Since that date I have received neither the FCC nor the cash refund element. The agent will not speak to me as I have no current booking within a fourteen day departure window.  The cruise I would have very happily booked back in March is now priced over £3000 more expensive across two staterooms, clearly I will not be making that booking. 

Seems to me the issue is more with the agent than Azamara in my case. 

Also currently have twenty four unrelated flight cancellations. Those booked direct with carriers have been dealt with in a satisfactory way, agent bookings are sat unserviced with no contact beyond an obligatory email stating a credit will be applied. 

Apologises for the long post. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2020 by RW75

[uktog]

Elsewhere I am trying to unscramble a large and special trip for August which involved hotels, flights, river cruise, theatre and baseball tickets etc etc.  I used a large agent for the river cruise and did all the rest myself.  All the items I did myself have been handled in an exemplary manner, some with lovely emails "hoping to see you soon" etc.  I think I am using the same large agency as yourself or it is a UK large agency standard knock back to say if you are not cruising in 14 days we will contact you in due course.  So I agree UK agent bookings are not the way to go for us in the future as they now add little value and often serious annoyance.

 

PS I am wondering if the future cruise certificate issue I highlighted in Post 509 is down to then though I understood the credit certificate came direct from Azamara as the notification of cancellation did.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Not a Problem - July 6 Pursuit cruise was cancelled in latest round of cancellations. I did not receive any email from TA or Azamara and called on Wednesday to ask for a refund. Cruise no longer shows in Cruise Planner. Is that how it's been for others? 

Funny thing is on Thursday night I got an email showing I owed for Shore Excursions that I had used OBC to pay for. When I called Azamara I was told there was a "glitch" and when a cruise was cancelled OBC was removed. Agent said this is good as it shows the wheels are moving for a refund. Let's hope so. 

[uktog]

Still no email with the credits that was to be issued by Friday 22nd May according to Azamara's own email.  What is the reason for the delay?

[BBMacLaird]

37 minutes ago, uktog said:

Still no email with the credits that was to be issued by Friday 22nd May according to Azamara's own email.  What is the reason for the delay?

I’ll see what I can find out for you. This is the 3-day Memorial Day weekend so please wait until Tuesday to hear from me.

[royallondon]

That’s really disappointing uktog.

 

Those electing to take a FCC helps to preserve the group’s capital and keeps them locked into the brand moving forward.  There is absolutely no logical business reason why these should not hit the “inbox” by Azamara’s given timeline.

 

My April cruise was cancelled in March.  I’ve requested a refund and am happy to be entered into the lottery in hope that my number is drawn out some time soon.

 

Looking forward, I will be giving extra careful consideration as to which businesses deserve my hard earned money.  
 

Regards

[Grandma Cruising]

59 minutes ago, uktog said:

Still no email with the credits that was to be issued by Friday 22nd May according to Azamara's own email.  What is the reason for the delay?

As Bonnie says, it’s a ‘bank holiday’ weekend in the US, so if it didn’t come on Friday, it won’t arrive until Tuesday - 1 working day later.

[uktog]

4 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

As Bonnie says, it’s a ‘bank holiday’ weekend in the US, so if it didn’t come on Friday, it won’t arrive until Tuesday - 1 working day later.

To be honest I am not interested if it is a holiday or not the wording of Azamara's email when they advised of the cancellations was "We will automatically issue you your Future Cruise Credit by Friday, May 22nd, 2020 via email. So, there's nothing for you to do!" - they did not say "on Friday 22nd".  They have had five weeks since they cancelled the cruises to get the emails ready so whilst I totally accept that Bonnie cannot get an update before Tuesday, I am not sure why you are defending the delay

[Grandma Cruising]

I’m not defending anything, just pointing out that so far it’s one working day past Azamara’s latest date for your FCC.

[combine]

Has anyone any feedback on receipt on their 125% FCC email  from the first two rounds of cancellations? The dates given for email to be received were 13th and 30th April. Did you get them within that time frame and if not how much later were they received?

 

 

 

 

[Baynanno1]

2 hours ago, combine said:

Has anyone any feedback on receipt on their 125% FCC email  from the first two rounds of cancellations? The dates given for email to be received were 13th and 30th April. Did you get them within that time frame and if not how much later were they received?

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "the first two rounds of cancellations".

Do you mean the month long suspensions through to mid-May and then mid-June?

 

Our individual cancellation on 14th March for 28th March, was prior to any month long suspensions.

 

There was no time frame given, but the 125% FCC for that cancellation arrived a month after receipt of the email (14th April).

We are still waiting for refund of ports, fees & taxes 72 days since cancellation.