Made my final payment for May cruise, new ship pushed me over the edge

[mdpa]

Hi Everyone,

 

I waffled back and forth on this one, but just made our final payment for our Western Med cruise coming up on May 29th. I feel like we got a pretty good deal, and really enjoy the smaller ships.

 

The cruise with confidence program along with the continued investment by Azamara made me comfortable that we will either have a great trip in May or have some really good options over the next 18 months. I will now enjoy the next phase...anticipation and continued planning for the adventure!

[travelberlin]

7 hours ago, mdpa said:

Hi Everyone,

 

I waffled back and forth on this one, but just made our final payment for our Western Med cruise coming up on May 29th. I feel like we got a pretty good deal, and really enjoy the smaller ships.

 

The cruise with confidence program along with the continued investment by Azamara made me comfortable that we will either have a great trip in May or have some really good options over the next 18 months. I will now enjoy the next phase...anticipation and continued planning for the adventure!

It is very unlikely that you will be able to sail in the Mediterranean with Azamara in May 2021. Other lines have cancelled already such cruises. But as you say, there is good chance you will be able to enjoy another cruise over the next 18 months. 

[florisdekort]

But why would you make final payment before it’s due in today’s environment? I see no logical reason for that? 

[hiccups]

That cruise was a great price and we would have loved to have booked it, but felt there were too many unknowns (the least of which is we won't be vaccinated by then).

[mdpa]

8 hours ago, florisdekort said:

But why would you make final payment before it’s due in today’s environment? I see no logical reason for that? 

Our payment was due on1/29 and we decided to pay on 1/27 (2 days early). We still retain price protection and up to the last 48 hours to cancel. If Azamara decides to cancel, we will have 3 choices. Our money back, lift and shift for the same price, or 125% cruise credit.

 

The price and itinerary was better for us than any comparable options. I almost backed out, but this seemed like a pretty efficient way to get exactly what we want or a 25% discount.

[mdpa]

6 hours ago, hiccups said:

That cruise was a great price and we would have loved to have booked it, but felt there were too many unknowns (the least of which is we won't be vaccinated by then).

I would be surprised. My wife is getting her second vaccination on Friday. I am hoping to have the opportunity to get vaccinated with a first shot in February or March. The only timing concern I have is with my daughter since she won’t be 16 until March and at this point only eligible for 1 of the vaccines.

[ellbon]

2 hours ago, mdpa said:

I would be surprised. My wife is getting her second vaccination on Friday. I am hoping to have the opportunity to get vaccinated with a first shot in February or March. The only timing concern I have is with my daughter since she won’t be 16 until March and at this point only eligible for 1 of the vaccines.

As you live in Maryland  I am not up on the laws there.But I do know so far no one under 60 got it in any state unless in medical. So not sure why a child would get it before someone 70 who is waiting l

[mdpa]

6 hours ago, ellbon said:

As you live in Maryland  I am not up on the laws there.But I do know so far no one under 60 got it in any state unless in medical. So not sure why a child would get it before someone 70 who is waiting l

Not true..,many of our essential workers are already getting them (grocery stores). I just spoke with a admin employee of a County government position who was offered the vaccine but decided against it (35 years old).

 

I’m not talking today, I am talking a full 90 days from now. Walmart, Giant, and Rite Aid, are starting to offer the vaccine. Once the government gets out of the way it should happen quickly.

[jelayne]

If I’m not mistaken the deadline to L & S ended this past weekend. L & S is no longer mentioned on the Azamara or  Celebrity sites as a part of CWC.

[florisdekort]

15 hours ago, mdpa said:

Our payment was due on1/29 and we decided to pay on 1/27 (2 days early). We still retain price protection and up to the last 48 hours to cancel. If Azamara decides to cancel, we will have 3 choices. Our money back, lift and shift for the same price, or 125% cruise credit.

 

The price and itinerary was better for us than any comparable options. I almost backed out, but this seemed like a pretty efficient way to get exactly what we want or a 25% discount.

Strange, I thought final payment was 3 months before sailing, not 4.  My bad.

 

 

[ellbon]

1 minute ago, florisdekort said:

Strange, I thought final payment was 3 months before sailing, not 4.  My bad.

 

 

Mine was moved closer to sail date. As of one it just under 90 days. Hope to see it moved again.

[uktog]

2 hours ago, florisdekort said:

Strange, I thought final payment was 3 months before sailing, not 4.  My bad.

 

 

Floris - it all depends on the country and even within the country the agent.  The agent I was using was 16 weeks before even when Azamara was 90 days

[TeaBag]

The TA we use is always 4 months.

[florisdekort]

35 minutes ago, uktog said:

Floris - it all depends on the country and even within the country the agent.  The agent I was using was 16 weeks before even when Azamara was 90 days

 
Interesting. I now wonder if Azamara (and other lines for that matter) cancel just before the 3 month mark because they think it’s before final payment whilst for a lot of people who book via travel agents it actually isn’t... It really feels like bad business to me to collect final payment for sailings that clearly are never going to happen. I wonder if they know. 

 

[uktog]

46 minutes ago, florisdekort said:

 
Interesting. I now wonder if Azamara (and other lines for that matter) cancel just before the 3 month mark because they think it’s before final payment whilst for a lot of people who book via travel agents it actually isn’t... It really feels like bad business to me to collect final payment for sailings that clearly are never going to happen. I wonder if they know. 

 

I suspect they may do now - there are a number of instances reported of travel agents telling customers they had to wait for refunds from the cruise lines when cruises were cancelled.  Some waited many months, started chasing the cruise line etc only to find that their money had not been passed over to the cruise line and that the agent had had it all along.  Anyway, thats a rant for another thread for many in the UK.

[ChucktownSteve]

All of my TA cruise payments actually show up on my charge card by the cruise line booked.  I recently cancelled two Azamara cruises for May and December. The refunds, less penalty, were received within one week from Azamara.

[uktog]

24 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

All of my TA cruise payments actually show up on my charge card by the cruise line booked.  I recently cancelled two Azamara cruises for May and December. The refunds, less penalty, were received within one week from Azamara.

Unfortunately this is not normal business practice in the main UK agencies particularly the ones Azamara pushed their limited access offers through in the past.  Smaller agencies do offer direct payment to the line.  "Who actually will my payment be to?" will be a critical question by many in the UK post pandemic.

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

I paid my Tavel agent ( large U.K.  dot co.U.K. Agent ) on the 8th January for an Azamara cruise late April 2021. The Agent originally wanted paying 4 months in advance at the end of December but I asked them to extend until January. Within 4 days of payment Azamara cancelled . The Agent has confirmed that they have not paid Azamara but are saying the earliest that they can refund my payment is 19th April. I find this totally unacceptable and have commenced a Section 75 Credit card repayment claim with MasterCard. Needless to say I will book direct in the future.

[TeaBag]

14 hours ago, HalifaxYorksCruiser said:

I paid my Tavel agent ( large U.K.  dot co.U.K. Agent ) on the 8th January for an Azamara cruise late April 2021. The Agent originally wanted paying 4 months in advance at the end of December but I asked them to extend until January. Within 4 days of payment Azamara cancelled . The Agent has confirmed that they have not paid Azamara but are saying the earliest that they can refund my payment is 19th April. I find this totally unacceptable and have commenced a Section 75 Credit card repayment claim with MasterCard. Needless to say I will book direct in the future.

You definitely need a new agent!

I asked our agent who asks for final payment 4 months before the cruise, if I had to cancel in the time between 4 months and 3 months before sailing, would I have to involve my insurance company. They said no, if the cancellation occurred before the final payment date the cruiseline specified.  i think that extra month the TAs hold your money is just for their advantage.

[Grandma Cruising]

6 hours ago, TeaBag said:

You definitely need a new agent!

I asked our agent who asks for final payment 4 months before the cruise, if I had to cancel in the time between 4 months and 3 months before sailing, would I have to involve my insurance company. They said no, if the cancellation occurred before the final payment date the cruiseline specified.  i think that extra month the TAs hold your money is just for their advantage.

That’s how many travel agents make their money, they have your money for a month so can earn interest on it, or use it so they pay less interest on loans etc.

[Cruiser6270]

On 2/3/2021 at 12:40 PM, HalifaxYorksCruiser said:

I paid my Tavel agent ( large U.K.  dot co.U.K. Agent ) on the 8th January for an Azamara cruise late April 2021. The Agent originally wanted paying 4 months in advance at the end of December but I asked them to extend until January. Within 4 days of payment Azamara cancelled . The Agent has confirmed that they have not paid Azamara but are saying the earliest that they can refund my payment is 19th April. I find this totally unacceptable and have commenced a Section 75 Credit card repayment claim with MasterCard. Needless to say I will book direct in the future.

Shocking behaviour which needs to be called out. As often happens during a crisis, those businesses which act with empathy and integrity will flourish in the new world. In time, all those who are effectively ripping their clients off will become known and attract the kind of business they deserve.

[macmax]

13 hours ago, TeaBag said:

You definitely need a new agent!

I asked our agent who asks for final payment 4 months before the cruise, if I had to cancel in the time between 4 months and 3 months before sailing, would I have to involve my insurance company. They said no, if the cancellation occurred before the final payment date the cruiseline specified.  i think that extra month the TAs hold your money is just for their advantage.

In Canada, Azamara's Final Payment is 120 days out (other lines are much shorter). An agency will probably request that payment a week or 2 before then to allow for processing issues etc.  The payment is normally made directly to the cruise line using the clients card and is not held by the agency.  Unlike many other cruise lines, Azamara (not the agency) charges $75 pp cancellation fee for bookings cancelled prior to final.