New website.

[Lookyboy]

12 hours ago, uktog said:

I’m not even going to look at the website (as I’ve no need) until I get the email that it’s fully ready to use.
 

Obviously those who need to book or are about to cruise in the next few weeks that’s very different but whether my status is correct is such a first world problem (sorry) and if a cruise is missing (last time all my bookings were not there) there will be a saved archive they can restore from and I’m sure they know that switch hasn’t happened in every case. 

I’ve been through these sort of migrations at work. There’s always something that doesn’t connect over straight away. And for Azamara this is a separation and a migration - a once or twice in your career experience for most. And it’s no picnic. 
 

So I’m putting my patience hat on and leaving the call centre lines for those who really need to call 

We are sailing tomorrow and cannot get logged in to/ connected with Azamara, but all will be well, we are sure. 

[tonyl1956]

There's been quite a lot of talk on this thread about future cruise prices having jumped since the new website came into play. There are cruises which seem to have dropped significantly too. We've just booked the 18 night Ancient Trade Routes cruise on Pursuit in October 2024. On the 14th March, we requested a price for a V1, following a thread on here which said prices had dropped. Website price was around £3600 and our TA quoted a small saving on that. We decided to book but for some reason we delayed and prices on the new website looked lower, so we spoke again to the TA. Now less than £2500 for the same cabin. I've had to help the TA lady through the process to ensure the Early Booking Bonus is included (Azamara initially told her it wasn't) but that is a very worthwhile reduction. I'm having to restrain myself from searching for other bargains!

[laurieb]

Prices on the Quest 28 May 2024 have remained stable, with an N1 still the same as when we booked it last year

[john1970]

I saw a cruise priced at £-1 yesterday. Good value!

[Belfastman]

2 hours ago, john1970 said:

I saw a cruise priced at £-1 yesterday. Good value!

I assume you booked it at such a good price.

[JM0115]

On 3/25/2023 at 8:09 AM, laurieb said:

Well, it’s March 27!

 

Figured someone had to comment on this. Still under construction! 🥴

[Hapytocruise]

On 3/24/2023 at 10:29 AM, CYNSport said:

I’m amongst those whose account email is no longer recognized by the new system. Although we are Discoverer Plus, our last Azamara cruise was in 2016. All the difficulties they are having certainly explain why other cruise lines continue to use their legacy systems. I’ve contacted Azamara Cruises, but don’t expect a quick response.

Same! Not a good look for their administration. Whoever in charge of getting new website don’t know what they are doing. It should have been tested inside out and sideways before giving a date it would be up and running. If you know what your doing and experienced that’s rule #1. It’s a very complex undertaking but they (I think) got sold that it was simple. I’ve been involved in new website implementation and you should see it before you believe it.

[JM0115]

3 minutes ago, Hapytocruise said:

Same! Not a good look for their administration. Whoever in charge of getting new website don’t know what they are doing. It should have been tested inside out and sideways before giving a date it would be up and running. If you know what your doing and experienced that’s rule #1. It’s a very complex undertaking but they (I think) got sold that it was simple. I’ve been involved in new website implementation and you should see it before you believe it.

I’m not an IT professional but have managed companies that have done similar projects and we would always run in parallel to make sure things work before switching over. I know this can be expensive and time consuming but now they are damaging their reputation.

[Riocca]

14 minutes ago, JM0115 said:

I’m not an IT professional but have managed companies that have done similar projects and we would always run in parallel to make sure things work before switching over. I know this can be expensive and time consuming but now they are damaging their reputation.

Under normal circumstances you could run parallel systems however on this occasion you have to remember the old system is still very much live and running Royal Caribbean & Celebrity’s account and booking system. Azamara have just received a data package which obviously has some serious issues.

[uktog]

23 minutes ago, Riocca said:

 Azamara have just received a data package which obviously has some serious issues.

And maybe that should not be a surprise to many of us given what we know has gone on before.  Hopefully Azamara has some useful clauses in their exit deal to cover for that as it was almost an inevitable

Edited March 27, 2023 by uktog

[tonyl1956]

Our TA tells me that the people who she can reach on the 'phone (from the UK) are only dealing with cruises departing in the next 30 days. I can understand why our booking for late 2024 isn't top of their list and am patient enough to wait, but I can imagine anyone wanting to do something associated with a cruise in May would be getting a bit 'edgy'.

 

Does Azamara have any real software systems knowledge? Or their own software engineers? They probably wouldn't have needed either previously. Even writing the requirements for the softies to implement would be a mammoth task before any implementation and testing could take place. 

[Riocca]

2 minutes ago, tonyl1956 said:

Our TA tells me that the people who she can reach on the 'phone (from the UK) are only dealing with cruises departing in the next 30 days. I can understand why our booking for late 2024 isn't top of their list and am patient enough to wait, but I can imagine anyone wanting to do something associated with a cruise in May would be getting a bit 'edgy'.

 

Does Azamara have any real software systems knowledge? Or their own software engineers? They probably wouldn't have needed either previously. Even writing the requirements for the softies to implement would be a mammoth task before any implementation and testing could take place. 

Azamara’s system is provided by Versonix Seaware who run systems for a number of different cruise lines including MSC & NCL so are very experienced in this type of system. 
As said elsewhere the old system is still live and running RC & Celebrity, I doubt very much that Versonix have access to RC’s system and are relying on data transfer. Those of us who experienced the old system will be unsurprised that the data transferred is far from complete or clean.

[joetop2467]

Where can I find shore excursions for my Greek Isles cruise on the Journey in October?  

[JM0115]

7 minutes ago, Riocca said:

Azamara’s system is provided by Versonix Seaware who run systems for a number of different cruise lines including MSC & NCL so are very experienced in this type of system. 
As said elsewhere the old system is still live and running RC & Celebrity, I doubt very much that Versonix have access to RC’s system and are relying on data transfer. Those of us who experienced the old system will be unsurprised that the data transferred is far from complete or clean.

Hope they got a refund! 😂

[uktog]

8 minutes ago, joetop2467 said:

Where can I find shore excursions for my Greek Isles cruise on the Journey in October?  

Unfortunately nowhere for now as far as I can see

[Oslo Dutch]

There is no access to all inventory here in Norway. And one of the biggest agents doesn't have any pricing at all.  I suppose they first need to sort out their main markets before sorting out the very small ones

[Riocca]

On the upside we are currently onboard Onward no problem with check in, OBC added to account normally nothing to indicate any problems with the back office systems.

[JM0115]

Just now, Riocca said:

On the upside we are currently onboard Onward no problem with check in, OBC added to account normally nothing to indicate any problems with the back office systems.

That is great news! 🙂

[JM0115]

Latest Website message:

[tonyl1956]

2 hours ago, Riocca said:

Azamara’s system is provided by Versonix Seaware who run systems for a number of different cruise lines including MSC & NCL so are very experienced in this type of system. 
As said elsewhere the old system is still live and running RC & Celebrity, I doubt very much that Versonix have access to RC’s system and are relying on data transfer. Those of us who experienced the old system will be unsurprised that the data transferred is far from complete or clean.

The point I was trying to make is that Azamara is responsible for telling Versonix what it wants in very precise terms. That's not a management skill, it's a systems skill that may well not have existed in Azamara. Equally, I suppose, Versonix has a responsibility to establish those requirements. If the two parties contracted on the basis of 'MSC or NCL with Azamara look and feel', I'm not sure who is more stupid. Both deserve to suffer, which just may be what is happening.

 

I agree that the data could easily need an enormous amount of cleansing but that should have been anticipated by Versonix, too, if not Azamara.

 

Anyway, at least stuff on the ships is working well and they are making 'baby steps' forward in other areas.

 

[fruitmachine]

1 hour ago, JM0115 said:

Latest Website message:

My cruise departing in 19 days has still not appeared on my account, so thought they might be "focused" on <30 day's, it's no guarantee!

[jkhneuber]

24 minutes ago, fruitmachine said:

My cruise departing in 19 days has still not appeared on my account, so thought they might be "focused" on <30 day's, it's no guarantee!

 

Same here, booked on Onward, no details yet. No hope after mail, that there will be no online Checkin anymore for our cruise

[nonrev1]

Our cruise leaves in a week.  My account does not show any cruises.  

[Baynanno1]

Very pleased to not be cruising in the near future - I can do without all the uncertainty those who are cruising soon are experiencing.

 

Lack of points and loyalty on the new website are minor problems - I guess they may appear some time this year!

[sofietucker]

7 hours ago, joetop2467 said:

Where can I find shore excursions for my Greek Isles cruise on the Journey in October?  

Nowhere, right now. Been trying to book same for our Greece Intensive cruise on Quest in Sept. Nuffin. Then they decided I didn't have an account and booted me off. (This cruise is a rebook of the covid-cancelled one in 2021, fully paid etc.) Then I created a new account and they welcomed me. Went back on and THAT account is also not recognized. We had already selected all our shorex before today but hadn't pulled the trigger.  They just got a nasty message from me.