Loyalty Program Earned Complimentary Nights

[wjfan417]

Does anyone know how the value of the complimentary nights is determined?  I had booked a 2021 cruise using two complimentary nights while onboard a cruise last fall, but ended up switching to a regular booking because the 50% off second passenger worked out to be less expensive.  We're moving up to Discoverer level after our next cruise, so I'm thinking that 4 nights would be a better value than a 50% off promotion?

[Baynanno1]

As you have probably discovered, your complimentary nights are only applicable on a full fare cruise without any additional promotions. You would need to do the maths on any given cruise to see what works best for you.

 

We found the best way to go with complimentary nights is usually shorter cruise which has less full fare nights to pay. We actually used our four nights on a ridiculously expensive three night cruise in between two nine (I think) night cruises. It was worth it to "lose" the fourth night.

[Grandma Cruising]

Yes, they don’t work so well on longer or cheaper cruises. We used them on a very expensive Norway cruise.

[uktog]

I’ve yet to find a cruise they work on. With this crisis mine have become worthless. The only ones that worked were the 10 nights on reaching Platinum. I have since earned another 3 and even trying to use them on a 5 night cruise it was more expensive than booking at the current published price. They extended my time to use them last year with a patronising “we are sure you will soon find something you like”. Despite corresponding it wasn’t a case of finding something we liked we had tried over a dozen options it was refusing to pay more for a cruise by using them than by not using them. 
Sadly many have the same experience 

[Riocca]

To me it’s must be a black art as the one we’ve just booked makes no sense, we had 3 free days credited back from an October 2020 cruise we cancelled. To use our FCC’s we booked a 10 night cruise for September 2021, hoping some normality will return by then. Our TA priced the cruise on the current BOGOHO offer but I thought I might as well get a comparison using the three free nights and was surprised as it came out almost £1k cheaper! However I try to work it out using the current pricing I can’t, so I just accepted it.

[Mrs Miggins]

We were going to use our 4 free nights on a cancelled France intensive 7 day cruise.  Our overall saving on that cruise was about £375 per person.  The fare is calculated using the "standard fare" .  One of the difficulties is finding out what that "standard fare" actually is.  

For our booked April 2021cruise we are again attempting to use these free nights.  The "standard Fare" for the 7 day cruise was £2898 for 2 people.  When the 4 free days are applied  we are now being charged  £1325 for two people.  So for us this is a good deal.  This is for a Cat 5 OV.  We do not get the $500 OBC on the current promotion.  We do get a B2B OBC of $300.

I arranged this direct with Azamara (lady working from home in Kansas) and it was transferred to my TA.  For comparison purposes we are paying £1980 for 2 people for our B2B cruise which was slightly cheaper online.  Overall I think we are saving about £875.  

I do not know how you can find out what the Standard Fare is without contacting Azamara on each possible voyage so the calculation is difficult when taking into account current promotions. Its not just a case of looking at the advertised price.

[excitedofharpenden]

As you can see from the varied responses it's difficult to give an exacting answer. You will just have to look at the cruise and price it up. Two free nights on their own I've worked out to be no value to me because of the removal of all promotions in working them out. Four might save you some money. Have a look. 

 

These free nights are sadly far from free even though they tout them a lot. To be truly free you'd book a 7 night cruise for example and with four free nights you would pay 3/7ths of the price. Now that is truly free (and much easier to work out!). 

 

Phil 

Edited August 24, 2020 by excitedofharpenden

[hamrag]

2 hours ago, uktog said:

I’ve yet to find a cruise they work on....
....Sadly many have the same experience 

Based on posts this thread, and other threads previously read, it all sounds like the opposite of a genuine 'Loyalty Program'!

[excitedofharpenden]

8 hours ago, hamrag said:

Based on posts this thread, and other threads previously read, it all sounds like the opposite of a genuine 'Loyalty Program'!

The thing that is galling to me is that one attends the LCV (now Azamara Circle) presentation on a cruise where they honour the most frequent Azamara cruiser and always the "free" nights are mentioned by the Host.  As has been said on this board many times, more often than not they aren't free.

 

I really hate being taken. I don't blame the LCV Hosts. They have a job to do. I'm just glad I'm informed and have been able to make good use of the complimentary nights in the past when I've had a good number all at once. 

 

Phil 

[laurieb]

11 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

We were going to use our 4 free nights on a cancelled France intensive 7 day cruise.  Our overall saving on that cruise was about £375 per person.  The fare is calculated using the "standard fare" .  One of the difficulties is finding out what that "standard fare" actually is.  

For our booked April 2021cruise we are again attempting to use these free nights.  The "standard Fare" for the 7 day cruise was £2898 for 2 people.  When the 4 free days are applied  we are now being charged  £1325 for two people.  So for us this is a good deal.  This is for a Cat 5 OV.  We do not get the $500 OBC on the current promotion.  We do get a B2B OBC of $300.

I arranged this direct with Azamara (lady working from home in Kansas) and it was transferred to my TA.  For comparison purposes we are paying £1980 for 2 people for our B2B cruise which was slightly cheaper online.  Overall I think we are saving about £875.  

I do not know how you can find out what the Standard Fare is without contacting Azamara on each possible voyage so the calculation is difficult when taking into account current promotions. Its not just a case of looking at the advertised price.

Your TA has the standard fare and can come close to the correct fare using free nights.  You do indeed need to contact Azamara to have them applied though

[Mrs Miggins]

My small local TA did not have the standard fare.  It actually took the Azamara rep some time to find it.  Perhaps it is different in the US.  Many in the UK have lost faith in large TA's due to them withholding refunds and giving out incorrect information.

[Redtravel]

I have never been able to cash in free nights on Azamara because I took many Celebrity cruises.   The people who started sailing years before Azamara existed have been excluded from the free nights.  Rule states that you must earn more than 50% of points on Azamara.   as discoverer plus/elite plus, I have lots of points.   I am being punished by Azamara because I sailed on Celebrity.  Had they had separate programs, I could get free nights.  This loyalty program needs revamp.  Since nobody is sailing anywhere now or anytime soon, I have lost real interest in cruising. 

[Bloodaxe]

3 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

I have never been able to cash in free nights on Azamara because I took many Celebrity cruises.   The people who started sailing years before Azamara existed have been excluded from the free nights.  Rule states that you must earn more than 50% of points on Azamara.   as discoverer plus/elite plus, I have lots of points.   I am being punished by Azamara because I sailed on Celebrity.  Had they had separate programs, I could get free nights.  This loyalty program needs revamp.  Since nobody is sailing anywhere now or anytime soon, I have lost real interest in cruising. 

 

It's not just people who sailed .mostly on Celebrity who are penalised by this program

Most of our cruises have be on Azamara but we achieved our status discovery plus/elite before free nights were offered and have never received anything.

 

 

[uktog]

On 8/24/2020 at 7:20 PM, laurieb said:

Your TA has the standard fare and can come close to the correct fare using free nights.  You do indeed need to contact Azamara to have them applied though

Not in the UK they don’t (or won’t). 

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

Not in the UK they don’t (or won’t). 

Yes, I agree. My TA daughter has to ring Azamara to get it.