Azamara Journey canceled trips

[oddjob16]

No feeling of «Empty Ship» at present. Entertainement is great and the shows have full attendance.( we are 202 guests). This is also a healthy ship so far. The decision to cancel sailings for three months is understandable from the bean-counters point of view, but they were also responsible for the decision to make quarantines for onboard covid cases to OceanViews on deck 4. We almost cancelled because of the possible prospect of ending up in a OV if we caught the virus onboard. I think this «genious idea» of quaranteening on deck 4 has played a major part in most peoples cancellations for nowadays cruises. Interesting to hear if anyone has some ideas as to the rationale of cancelling a full season of sailings and sending their workforce into uncertainty again.

[read2learn]

Fingers crossed for April Quest cruise. This was a L&S from 2020. My Jan cruise with another line was just canceled. 

[excitedofharpenden]

16 hours ago, oddjob16 said:

No feeling of «Empty Ship» at present. Entertainement is great and the shows have full attendance.( we are 202 guests). This is also a healthy ship so far. The decision to cancel sailings for three months is understandable from the bean-counters point of view, but they were also responsible for the decision to make quarantines for onboard covid cases to OceanViews on deck 4. We almost cancelled because of the possible prospect of ending up in a OV if we caught the virus onboard. I think this «genious idea» of quaranteening on deck 4 has played a major part in most peoples cancellations for nowadays cruises. Interesting to hear if anyone has some ideas as to the rationale of cancelling a full season of sailings and sending their workforce into uncertainty again.

Hope you are enjoying Odd and sorry I'm not there. I think part of is that all the ships are going to be in Europe and now with another ship coming onstream soon, the booked numbers of guests is just too thin. And the numbers with Covid make it even worse because many still can't or don't want to travel. The stories of hoops to jump through and curved balls if you do happen to get quarantined don't help. 

 

I believe that we will get through the pandemic this year and gradually accept that whilst not nice to get, Covid won't kill us and restrictions will be lifted so that we can be free again. It's unsustainable for cruising to have the current restrictions and fear that goes with it. I'm looking forward to Quest in June and I hope a feel by then things will be brighter. 

 

Phil 

[annapolitan369]

We are on the May 26th Journey cruise and I am concerned about final payment next week.  Our T/A states that Azamara told them that the cancelations were because of Covid.  I find that hard to believe, as the other Azamara ships are still sailing to countries that are in the same CDC categories.  Can anyone shed some light on this with better information from Azamara?

Thanks, Jay

[Spotbattman]

16 hours ago, annapolitan369 said:

We are on the May 26th Journey cruise and I am concerned about final payment next week.  Our T/A states that Azamara told them that the cancelations were because of Covid.  I find that hard to believe, as the other Azamara ships are still sailing to countries that are in the same CDC categories.  Can anyone shed some light on this with better information from Azamara?

Thanks, Jay

I think it’s much more a case of restrictions due to Covid and therefore pax cancelling their cruise than a case of Covid cases on board the ships. Reports are that the last 3 Journey cruises have had around 200 pax on board, and very few from the US, and presumably looking ahead the numbers are similar, hence the decision to cancel these financially unviable cruises. Numbers on board the other ships are probably ‘break even’ 

[KirkNC]

I don’t think it helps that the Journey cruises require international flights.  With flight cancellations and planes having to turn around due to passengers refusing to wear mask, it creates another uncertainty which when combined with protocols and quarantine probably puts some people off.  I also look at the embarkation ports, for example the 1-29 cruise embarks in the Canary Islands, not many direct flights there from the US.

[uktog]

11 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

I don’t think it helps that the Journey cruises require international flights.  With flight cancellations and planes having to turn around due to passengers refusing to wear mask, it creates another uncertainty which when combined with protocols and quarantine probably puts some people off.  I also look at the embarkation ports, for example the 1-29 cruise embarks in the Canary Islands, not many direct flights there from the US.

I can see that but now all the UK and European guests only have a US option. It’s a shame they had to make the decision when they did, the UK testing regime for coming home was significantly eased the next day and my TA said he was swamped with enquiries. 
 

[KirkNC]

12 minutes ago, uktog said:

I can see that but now all the UK and European guests only have a US option. It’s a shame they had to make the decision when they did, the UK testing regime for coming home was significantly eased the next day and my TA said he was swamped with enquiries. 
 

Maybe they should have waited a few more weeks to pull the plug.  

[oddjob16]

Decisions had to be made and for Azamara it seems like the timing has been unfortunate. They could probably have sailed in South-Africa with Pursuit, but pulled the plug just days before the restrictions on travel to S-A was lifted. We have friends who have been in the Cape district for almost 5 weeks now and they report of now problems related to Covid. 
I do have a feeling that the timing of cancelling Journey sailings is just as bad.

[Baynanno1]

If only we all had crystal balls that accurately predicted the future . . . . .

[curmudgeon98]

Those April Journey sailings were at the top of my list for doing a cruise this year, based on our particular port interests, but I was purposely holding off until 30 days prior to book so I might have a better picture of the port and cruise environment.  Cruise lines are used to having the bulk of their bookings much further in advance, so I'm sure people like me are making things more difficult in planning.  

 

Lots of folks in the US have been reading just too much on restrictions in Europe (and too many quarantine situations on cruise ships) to feel comfortable booking right now.  For us it's not so much that we couldn't navigate through the issues, but the risk/reward for our trouble is skewed these days.

[Canberra601]

We are so disappointed that our intensive Croatia cruise scheduled for 31 March has been cancelled.  Due to our personal circumstances I have requested a refund rather than a voucher. My TA has advised that it will be up to 90 days before we get the refund.   Is this normal Azamara policy? 

[uktog]

1 hour ago, Canberra601 said:

We are so disappointed that our intensive Croatia cruise scheduled for 31 March has been cancelled.  Due to our personal circumstances I have requested a refund rather than a voucher. My TA has advised that it will be up to 90 days before we get the refund.   Is this normal Azamara policy? 

Depends some of it might be the travel agents policy. Many hang onto the money for as long as they can to help their cash flow 

[oddjob16]

On 1/21/2022 at 11:31 PM, Baynanno1 said:

If only we all had crystal balls that accurately predicted the future . . . . .

Hindsight is the most excact science

[yogagal47]

We have a June 17 journey cruise booked out of Athens. Wondering now if I should even book flights…

[ECCruise]

1 hour ago, yogagal47 said:

We have a June 17 journey cruise booked out of Athens. Wondering now if I should even book flights…

No way of telling. 

 

We are on the 2 sailings prior to yours (first one back on 26 May and Black Sea on 5 June--which will have it's own issues since it includes Ukraine).  We've had airfare booked to and from Athens for months. We are planning to be there but YMMV.

[Mrs Miggins]

The Sunday Times yesterday had 2 page spread in their travel section featuring a recent Canary Islands trip on Journey. Bad timing I guess. 

[uktog]

Covid travel tests to be axed in England for double vaccinated https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60109945
 

and this 😀

[Travels with Lisa]

Great news!

[uktog]

1 hour ago, Travels with Lisa said:

Great news!

Its not coming in until 11 February but at least we know it is coming

[gardenbunny]

I made a decision in February 2021 to cancel everything overseas until 2023.   I just did not think Europe and beyond would be ready for cruise ships. Many cruise lines have had to cancel South America cruises and even the Caribbean ports are hit or miss.  Currently have a friend on a cruise in South Pacific islands out of LA and have missed ports or stayed extra days in Tahitti and Bora Bora.  And now today having 10 days at sea to get back to LA.

I hope my decision will be a good one and this Covid pandemic will become endemic in a couple months and normalcy can start to return.

I have an Intensive Japan for April 2023….here’s hoping

[Grumpy old git]

We have managed a three cruises in the last year, a Celebrity UK "Staycation" with all British ports,  an eastern Med with Azamara and a Caribean with Celebrity again.  All have been good with the Azamara one being the lowest guest/crew ration at about 400 crew and 107 passengers, it was a private yacht and for sure, not viable  The Christmas Caribbean (B2B) was also quite empty but New year seemed quite full and felt less safe.   Our daughter came home with covid but that could be stuck in that aluminium tube for 8 hours and the airport crowds.  My main beef was Miami both in and out at passport control, 3 hours in and 1 hour out with no safe distancing.   Also the amount of paper work with dozens of e-mails required and government departments appearing not to communicate and having to type the same information in multiple times.  Not bad enough to stop us though 🙂 we are really looking forward to Seabourn in a couple of weeks.  Lost $1200 OBC with Azamara  as well.

[chardmj]

Booked on Greek Intensive 11 nights departing Athens Oct 28/22. Have see on my account that this has been cancelled but TA tells me it is still on and involved me in a 3 way call to someone in America who said the same thing. Cannot find cruise listed now on Azamara Website. Does anyone know what is happening?

[Desert Cruisers]

6 hours ago, chardmj said:

Booked on Greek Intensive 11 nights departing Athens Oct 28/22. Have see on my account that this has been cancelled but TA tells me it is still on and involved me in a 3 way call to someone in America who said the same thing. Cannot find cruise listed now on Azamara Website. Does anyone know what is happening?

Your cruise is showing on the US - Azamara website.  I do know that they have stopped selling the prior 2 sailings and have marked these bookings as "cancelled".  I was told last week by an Azamara rep that these bookings are now marked as under Revenue Department control but are not cancelled.  We are on the October 17th sailing out of Piraeus.  Someone on the October 6th roll call has reported that an extra day has been added to their cruise.  This would put the Journey into Piraeus October 18th so the sailing that I'm on would be shortened by one day.

 

According to the Port of Piraeus website [olp.gr], the cruise schedule as of April 21 shows the adjusted dates as outlined above.  Your cruise is still there.

 

The lack of communication from Azamara is very disappointing.  For us, this sailing is part of a longer trip.  The sooner we know what's up, the better.