Experience More Package on B2B

[pastis]

We are planning our first B2B cruise and trying to decide whether or not to purchase an Experience More package.  The first cruise is 7 nights and the following one is 10 nights.  Does Azamara treat the B2B as one cruise in terms of the Experience More package (wishful thinking on my part, I know) or would I need to purchase the packages separately for each cruise?

Edited July 11, 2021 by pastis
typo

[manc]

I think for each cruise from past experience 

[laurieb]

Yes they are separate cruises regarding the packages.  Which package are you looking at? Do your math for the 7 night cruise and make sure it makes sense to you money-wise.  We've done the Indulgence on longer cruises, but won't do it on shorter ones.  Also you won't be able to upgrade to the ultimate beverage package if you find you want top shelf

[Mackdogmolly]

2 hours ago, laurieb said:

Yes they are separate cruises regarding the packages.  Which package are you looking at? Do your math for the 7 night cruise and make sure it makes sense to you money-wise.  We've done the Indulgence on longer cruises, but won't do it on shorter ones.  Also you won't be able to upgrade to the ultimate beverage package if you find you want top shelf

Why wouldn’t you be able to upgrade to Ultimate?

[Vineyard View]

Why wouldn’t  they  be able upgrade to the Ultimate package?   We have included the Experience More package with premium drink package, but had planed on upgrading to the Ultimate? 

[Vineyard View]

Why wouldn’t  they  be able upgrade to the Ultimate package?   We have included the Experience More package with premium drink package, but had planed on upgrading to the Ultimate? 

[takemewithyou]

3 hours ago, laurieb said:

Yes they are separate cruises regarding the packages.  Which package are you looking at? Do your math for the 7 night cruise and make sure it makes sense to you money-wise.  We've done the Indulgence on longer cruises, but won't do it on shorter ones.  Also you won't be able to upgrade to the ultimate beverage package if you find you want top shelf

Laurie, I think some people have reported that they were successful in upgrading to the ultimate package.  This is probably a new rule?

[Vineyard View]

Our TA advised we could pay the difference. I sincerely hope that is true. 

[takemewithyou]

VV, who knows till we start cruising again!  We need some reports once cruises start back ……that said, fingers crossed!

[Vineyard View]

I sure hope so. It went into our decision to book. I will ask TA to double check and lyk what she may be able to find out. 

[laurieb]

18 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Our TA advised we could pay the difference. I sincerely hope that is true. 

Maybe changed since 2018 then...

[Vineyard View]

Our TA is trying to verify and will post when I hear back from her

[laurieb]

May be the difference between booking yourself and upgrading, and having a “complimentary” package as part of a promotion; friends couldn’t upgrade the beverage package from their complimentary premium package. 

[uktog]

8 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Our TA is trying to verify and will post when I hear back from her

Thanks for keeping on this one as you certainly could not do that on Azamara before (but sometimes could on Celebrity) so either it’s a policy change or someone reading the wrong script.  It’s quite an important difference for some.  

[Vineyard View]

10 hours ago, laurieb said:

May be the difference between booking yourself and upgrading, and having a “complimentary” package as part of a promotion; friends couldn’t upgrade the beverage package from their complimentary premium package. 

I sure hope that is not the case. As Uktog said, it’s quite an important difference to some. When I look at the difference in offerings it is significant. 

[Vineyard View]

Just heard from our TA. She stayed on hold for a very long time to get an answer reconfirmed. She was told that yes, it can be upgraded to the Ultimate for $7/pp per day. I have no history with Azamara so I cannot speak to the past, but I am hopeful that this is what will occur once we are onboard, as that is when we have to do this. 

[excitedofharpenden]

Yes, my understanding is if you are getting the standard beverage package as a perk (ie you are not physically paying for it) then you can't upgrade for the difference, but if you have paid for it (which is what you will have done in buying an Experience More package) then you can pay the difference. 

 

The crew member you do the upgrade with gets credit for the sale of it, so if you get a nice smile and service from one of the bar staff when you get on the ship then let them know what you want to do. 

 

Phil 

[takemewithyou]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

Just heard from our TA. She stayed on hold for a very long time to get an answer reconfirmed. She was told that yes, it can be upgraded to the Ultimate for $7/pp per day. I have no history with Azamara so I cannot speak to the past, but I am hopeful that this is what will occur once we are onboard, as that is when we have to do this. 

So just to clarify, you purchased the Experience More Package and did not receive this as part of a promotion with your booking?

 

 

[Vineyard View]

Part of a promotion. I honestly don’t know what to believe

[laurieb]

So, how it was explained to our friends 

if you receive a package as a perk, it comes as no cost to you.  The cruise line won’t allow you to go from a zero cost to you package to a 21.00 pp per day or so package for just the difference.  Makes sense to me.  And considering that many of the big boys charge up to 69.00 pp per day, Azamara is a hands down bargain even if you have to pay the full upgrade price

[takemewithyou]

6 minutes ago, laurieb said:

So, how it was explained to our friends 

if you receive a package as a perk, it comes as no cost to you.  The cruise line won’t allow you to go from a zero cost to you package to a 21.00 pp per day or so package for just the difference.  Makes sense to me.  And considering that many of the big boys charge up to 69.00 pp per day, Azamara is a hands down bargain even if you have to pay the full upgrade price

Yes, it makes sense and it also explains why some people have been able to upgrade…..because theirs was not because of a promotion for booking.

[Vineyard View]

There is also an argument to be made that if it is part of a promotion then while it is ‘free’, Azamara will se no additional monies from pax - where if they allow pax to pay additional monies to upgrade, there is additional revenue going to Azamara. 
I have tried to email as well as request information about this on the website. Those portals are not available. They have been “relocated”. I only see a phone number as means of contact. Our TA was on hold for 90 min yesterday trying to get a second person to confirm that upgrading is allowed with the Onward promotion. She was told yes. Is there another avenue I could reach out to for contact other than calling? 

[excitedofharpenden]

2 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

There is also an argument to be made that if it is part of a promotion then while it is ‘free’, Azamara will se no additional monies from pax - where if they allow pax to pay additional monies to upgrade, there is additional revenue going to Azamara. 
I have tried to email as well as request information about this on the website. Those portals are not available. They have been “relocated”. I only see a phone number as means of contact. Our TA was on hold for 90 min yesterday trying to get a second person to confirm that upgrading is allowed with the Onward promotion. She was told yes. Is there another avenue I could reach out to for contact other than calling? 

Maybe Azamara Circle?  Loyalty@azamara.com.

 

There's nothing like a promotion to confuse matters! I've had it before too on others. Thing is, if you get a drinks package thrown in then there is a "price" to that I suppose. Same as the Experience More that is touted as a $599 value. 

 

Phil 

[takemewithyou]

Bring back Bonnie!  She would get an answer to this for everyone…….