New website.

[nonrev1]

It is embarrassing that a second email had to come out….and you are right about the OBC, clear as  mud. You have to call…..but what if there is no OBC visible?  Will it magically appear? I do have all the documents that show I have an OBC.  I  read the new email three times and it does not make sense.  And still no apology.  

[JM0115]

32 minutes ago, jjikids said:

And another email from Carol to clarify her other email. Azamara has become a joke to us. We can only hope the onboard experience will be better. At least she admits you can’t use the OBC to book excursions now on the website. You have to call. That is another joke.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Even the second email, which my wife got but I did not is not accurate. We cannot book any excursions nor are they correct on our booking. Just hoping the onboard experience is great!

[Travels with Lisa]

This is absolutely ridiculous.  No apology, no admission that they messed up.  Some  promise of compensation for us being loyal and patient might go a long way.  

 

Fill out the form again?  What a joke. 

[islandwoman]

1 hour ago, nonrev1 said:

I am very disappointed.  I loved our Japan cruise the first week April and yes, the Azamara onboard team is the best.  But, yes, there were issues and like other posters have said, we did not book a luxury vacation to stand in line or have to meet daily to see if things were sorted out.  We did it on that cruise but I am not willing to do it again.

Thank you for posting about your experience on an Azamara cruise this month.  We are booked on the Quest departing Singapore May 5 and I needed to know what to expect.

[nonrev1]

17 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

Thank you for posting about your experience on an Azamara cruise this month.  We are booked on the Quest departing Singapore May 5 and I needed to know what to expect.

I hope you have a fantastic vacation.  We did love our cruise.  The onboard product is wonderful…..and a great team on the Quest.  With this transition it is just a bit rough getting there.  They will try everything possible to resolve issues.  

[Nuts4pi]

3 hours ago, islandwoman said:

Is your opinion based on your experience with Azamara before or after Azamara was bought by a private equity firm? 

I agree with the newbie who posted their onboard experience. We are seasoned AZ cruisers & I can emphatically state that our onboard experiences - both pre- & post-sale - were exceptional. What happens on the ship is nothing like what's going on in the back offices; they bend over backwards to accommodate any concerns you have or conflicts that need correcting (although, the ship's records are usually correct, despite the inaccuracies that appear when you log into your AZ website account).

Bottom line - do NOT let what's happening with the website transition deter you from your scheduled AZ cruise. Once onboard you'll be glad you went!

[Baynanno1]

Points still missing - and I have sent the screen grab of points prior to the website shambles.

[royallondon]

6 hours ago, islandwoman said:

Is your opinion based on your experience with Azamara before or after Azamara was bought by a private equity firm? 

Based on both.  We have also cruised on all 4 ships.

[Grandma Cruising]

11 hours ago, Huntingdon1701 said:

 

Hard to tell, since there are no Barbados options listed any more. Lisbon excursions do appear before Madeira, but that's also chronological - it's that all the Lisbon ones, and the Land programmes, are for disembarkation there, rather than Barbados. ie the transfers take you from port to airport, when you'll be needing the opposite. 

Can someone tell me where on board credit should be showing on the booked cruise pages? I can't spot it, but it might just be located somewhere less obvious than I expect. Or the email from the President might have been wrong about it being fixed.

My onboard credit shows towards the bottom of the reservation page. It’s a bit misleading as it says $150 Shore Excursions Credit, but below it says Quantity 2 - I take it that means we both have $150, which is $300 in total. That’s what I expected.

[Grandma Cruising]

7 hours ago, islandwoman said:

Is your opinion based on your experience with Azamara before or after Azamara was bought by a private equity firm? 

We’ve had 2 cruises in the last 6 months and the experience onboard has been as good as ever.

[roger b]

7 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

My onboard credit shows towards the bottom of the reservation page. It’s a bit misleading as it says $150 Shore Excursions Credit, but below it says Quantity 2 - I take it that means we both have $150, which is $300 in total. That’s what I expected.

 My O.B.C states $250 ,but as it should be $500 do you think this is per person?

Nothing on this website is straight forward you should not have to search around to find it.

[fruitmachine]

21 minutes ago, roger b said:

 My O.B.C states $250 ,but as it should be $500 do you think this is per person?

Nothing on this website is straight forward you should not have to search around to find it.

Yes - per person - but that's like an item on your invoice, showing that you have been "sold" 2 x $250 at a cost of zero.  What it is not is your OBC balance. 

I've no idea where that is, or if it even exists until you get onto the ship!  But if you don't (couldn't in our case) use it before then, my experience is that it will show up in your on-ship account.

 

[roger b]

1 minute ago, fruitmachine said:

Yes - per person - but that's like an item on your invoice, showing that you have been "sold" 2 x $250 at a cost of zero.  What it is not is your OBC balance. 

I've no idea where that is, or if it even exists until you get onto the ship!  But if you don't (couldn't in our case) use it before then, my experience is that it will show up in your on-ship account.

 

 Thanks for that then I can book an excursion with it ?? when I try it asks for a credit card , I want use my O.B.C so do I have to wait until I am aboard ??

[uktog]

Gone from some information to no information and it won’t even let you submit a form  Not sailing for a while so I’ll leave it but it seems each time they say they’re on the case my own personal information gets less and less accurate. 
Im glad they are hiring more staff. Is this in addition to the staff they already said they were recruiting or is it just those staff coming on stream anyway 

[fruitmachine]

3 minutes ago, uktog said:

Gone from some information to no information and it won’t even let you submit a form  Not sailing for a while so I’ll leave it but it seems each time they say they’re on the case my own personal information gets less and less accurate. 
Im glad they are hiring more staff. Is this in addition to the staff they already said they were recruiting or is it just those staff coming on stream anyway 

The emails are all spin - and you've correctly spotted that the new staff were in the pipeline anyway.  Imagine what would have happened had they gone with their original conversion date!

[fruitmachine]

12 minutes ago, roger b said:

 Thanks for that then I can book an excursion with it ?? when I try it asks for a credit card , I want use my O.B.C so do I have to wait until I am aboard ??

I think that's answered in the most recent email.  The one that tried to "clarify" another sent just a few hours previously.  No date for resolution, and you could end up unable to book popular excursions, or have the price increase nearly 50% (as we did), by the time you're onboard ... 

A follow-up to our earlier email update on the system transition with helpful information on hold times, shorex, OBC, account and air

Dear Azamara Guest,   Earlier today you received an email with an update on our system transition. We would like to clarify a few points related to this message.   Contact Center Hold Times   We are committed to providing the best service possible to both our guests and our travel agent partners. We recognize that our hold times have been extremely long following our transition. Our immediate focus is to prioritize guests with upcoming sailings in the next 45 days so that your questions and concerns are answered prior to boarding.   Shore Excursions   There have been challenges booking and viewing accurate information for previously purchased shore excursions. We have resolved the majority of these issues within the tour-level shore excursions detail on each booking and pricing has been adjusted to reflect the original purchase price. For all future shore excursion purchases, tour-level information and pricing is accurate and available to book, as of today. If using an OBC, contact your travel agent or our contact center (see below for additional information).   Onboard Credits   Currently, all guests can book shore excursions directly on Azamara.com and pay with credit card, however, the functionality for guests to apply an OBC coupon as payment through Azamara.com is not yet available.   Guests who booked before March 15th, 2023, can contact their travel agent directly or our contact center to apply your OBC coupons.   Guests who booked after March 15th, 2023, can contact their travel agent directly or our contact center to apply your OBC coupons starting next week.   Please note: There may be OBC inconsistencies between the amount presented on the invoice and the amount available to spend in coupons. The correct amount, which can be applied to shore excursion purchases, is reflected in the coupon amount and will be available to spend according to the timeline described above.   Account Information   In the event that you have been unable to access your loyalty account on Azamara.com, we have taken steps to resolve these access problems caused by the creation of multiple profiles over the years or omitted information on your profile (specifically e-mail addresses).   If you are unable to view future bookings or your loyalty status/point total is incorrect, please complete the Future Bookings and Loyalty Support form.   Air   For guests who booked air travel through Azamara the airline tickets are processed thirty days before departure (consistent to historical practices). While we do not anticipate any issues, if your departure date is within thirty days and there is no record of the ticket with the airline, please contact us for resolution.   While we continue to successfully book new reservations, we know that there are a handful of data issues still requiring resolution over the next few weeks. We are confident that these issues are impacting only a small percentage of bookings made in our former reservation system. Please rest assured that your reservation details remain intact.   Azamara has always stood by its product and made things right. We are as committed to that spirit as we ever have been. Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and partnership with us. I will share another update in the next couple of weeks.   Sincerely,       ©2023 Azamara. Ships registered in Malta. “Change the Way You Sea” is an international service mark of SP Cruises OpCo Limited.   Azamara, 3059 Grand Ave, Suite 205, Miami, Florida, 33133, United States

Edited April 29, 2023 by fruitmachine

[ECCruise]

Just now, Grandma Cruising said:

We’ve had 2 cruises in the last 6 months and the experience onboard has been as good as ever.

Speaking from Quest right now, that is subject to at least some discussion. 

[roger b]

1 minute ago, fruitmachine said:

I think that's answered in the most recent email.  The one that tried to "clarify" another sent just a few hours previously ... 

A follow-up to our earlier email update on the system transition with helpful information on hold times, shorex, OBC, account and air

Dear Azamara Guest,   Earlier today you received an email with an update on our system transition. We would like to clarify a few points related to this message.   Contact Center Hold Times   We are committed to providing the best service possible to both our guests and our travel agent partners. We recognize that our hold times have been extremely long following our transition. Our immediate focus is to prioritize guests with upcoming sailings in the next 45 days so that your questions and concerns are answered prior to boarding.   Shore Excursions   There have been challenges booking and viewing accurate information for previously purchased shore excursions. We have resolved the majority of these issues within the tour-level shore excursions detail on each booking and pricing has been adjusted to reflect the original purchase price. For all future shore excursion purchases, tour-level information and pricing is accurate and available to book, as of today. If using an OBC, contact your travel agent or our contact center (see below for additional information).   Onboard Credits   Currently, all guests can book shore excursions directly on Azamara.com and pay with credit card, however, the functionality for guests to apply an OBC coupon as payment through Azamara.com is not yet available.   Guests who booked before March 15th, 2023, can contact their travel agent directly or our contact center to apply your OBC coupons.   Guests who booked after March 15th, 2023, can contact their travel agent directly or our contact center to apply your OBC coupons starting next week.   Please note: There may be OBC inconsistencies between the amount presented on the invoice and the amount available to spend in coupons. The correct amount, which can be applied to shore excursion purchases, is reflected in the coupon amount and will be available to spend according to the timeline described above.   Account Information   In the event that you have been unable to access your loyalty account on Azamara.com, we have taken steps to resolve these access problems caused by the creation of multiple profiles over the years or omitted information on your profile (specifically e-mail addresses).   If you are unable to view future bookings or your loyalty status/point total is incorrect, please complete the Future Bookings and Loyalty Support form.   Air   For guests who booked air travel through Azamara the airline tickets are processed thirty days before departure (consistent to historical practices). While we do not anticipate any issues, if your departure date is within thirty days and there is no record of the ticket with the airline, please contact us for resolution.   While we continue to successfully book new reservations, we know that there are a handful of data issues still requiring resolution over the next few weeks. We are confident that these issues are impacting only a small percentage of bookings made in our former reservation system. Please rest assured that your reservation details remain intact.   Azamara has always stood by its product and made things right. We are as committed to that spirit as we ever have been. Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and partnership with us. I will share another update in the next couple of weeks.   Sincerely,       ©2023 Azamara. Ships registered in Malta. “Change the Way You Sea” is an international service mark of SP Cruises OpCo Limited.   Azamara, 3059 Grand Ave, Suite 205, Miami, Florida, 33133, United States

 What's the point of an O.B.C if you have to pay, by the time I board the excursion might be full !!!

[Grandma Cruising]

19 minutes ago, roger b said:

 What's the point of an O.B.C if you have to pay, by the time I board the excursion might be full !!!

That may be less likely, given how difficult it is to book them!

[fruitmachine]

14 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

That may be less likely, given how difficult it is to book them!

But the large increase in price - which we saw between booking on the old system and the printed on-ship prices - will remain an issue unless Azamara were to guarantee that they'd keep the prices constant until the excursion departs.  That sort of statement in Carol Cabezas' email would be much more reassuring to customers.

[fruitmachine]

41 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

Speaking from Quest right now, that is subject to at least some discussion. 

"Inconsistent" would be the best word I would use to describe it.

As a newbie, I can't compare it with another cruise, pre or post-Covid, on Azamara or elsewhere.  But you would be delighted with the better service we received, or vowing never to return if your luck had delivered more of the poorer-end that we encountered.

We're a week since leaving the ship, but no mid or post-cruise survey has appeared.  If they don't ask, they're not going to know where the issues lie.

[Huntingdon1701]

2 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

My onboard credit shows towards the bottom of the reservation page. It’s a bit misleading as it says $150 Shore Excursions Credit, but below it says Quantity 2 - I take it that means we both have $150, which is $300 in total. That’s what I expected.

 

Thanks - very helpful to see. Unfortunately it means mine still isn't showing, but at least that clarifies that I need to speak to them down the line. 

[Tripgalrf]

Disappointing and I think ending the email promising to get back in “the next couple of weeks” illustrates the lack of urgency that is driving people’s frustration including mine. A commitment to regular weekly updates would have been more appropriate. 

One thing that wasn’t addressed was accounts that were paid in full showing past due. One leg of my b2b has a payment owed because my FCC was removed. My TA said they have a stack of these affected accounts and are working to resolve. Haven’t read that here but sharing in case that is anyone else.

Will be glad when we are all on the other side of this!
Still looking forward to my time aboard in June.

[blag]

1 hour ago, fruitmachine said:

where the issues lie

Please expand. What issues did you encounter?

I am surprised you did not receive any requests to complete a survey. Our experience (on every Azamara cruise) is that we both get an invitation a few days after the cruise, and, in addition, we've always had a mid-cruise questionnaire in the mountain of paper that arrives in your accommodation.

[islandwoman]

1 hour ago, Tripgalrf said:

Disappointing and I think ending the email promising to get back in “the next couple of weeks” illustrates the lack of urgency that is driving people’s frustration including mine. A commitment to regular weekly updates would have been more appropriate. 

 

"In the next couple of weeks" won't work for me.  I'm sailing (I hope) in less than a week.  They claim that "Our immediate focus is to prioritize guests with upcoming sailings in the next 45 days so that your questions and concerns are answered prior to boarding" but after 5 forms and multiple emails, the only answers I get are boiler plates that don't even come close to addressing my issues. After I explained that I was due to sail on May 5, they repeated that the system should be operational by the end of May and that they were concentrating on sailings within 45 days.