Azamara Guest Survey email

[Mrs Miggins]

Just received a email inviting me to complete a survey.  Copied the link provided and it took me to a site called Cruise Brand Q3 23 PG.  Filled in first two pages, age etc and number of cruises/other vacations.  Page 3 invited to rank different wishes and experiences.  Select 4 from a list of 10.  Guess what - that proves impossible to fill in - or select any of the options.

Is it just me ?  Or is it just another Azamara mess ?

[uktog]

Answers on a postcard to send by Pigeon Post to ………

[Marylebone37]

52 minutes ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Just received a email inviting me to complete a survey.  Copied the link provided and it took me to a site called Cruise Brand Q3 23 PG.  Filled in first two pages, age etc and number of cruises/other vacations.  Page 3 invited to rank different wishes and experiences.  Select 4 from a list of 10.  Guess what - that proves impossible to fill in - or select any of the options.

Is it just me ?  Or is it just another Azamara mess ?

 A hot mess!

[fruitmachine]

1 hour ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Just received a email inviting me to complete a survey.  Copied the link provided and it took me to a site called Cruise Brand Q3 23 PG.  Filled in first two pages, age etc and number of cruises/other vacations.  Page 3 invited to rank different wishes and experiences.  Select 4 from a list of 10.  Guess what - that proves impossible to fill in - or select any of the options.

Is it just me ?  Or is it just another Azamara mess ?

Worked fine on a PC

[Mrs Miggins]

Didn’t work on my Mac but  will try again.

 

I was wonder whether these third party surveys actually have any value

If Azamara are looking for customer feedback then they only have to read Cruise Critic .

Edited August 15, 2023 by Mrs Miggins

[uktog]

The argument always is that cruise critic is not scientific 

[Mrs Miggins]

Ok so it worked on Firefox !

Weird questions - Last ones were about cruising in groups and also special work onboard section utilising various different spaces for meetings etc.  Think they need to get the wi fi sorted first.

[Mrs Miggins]

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7463754/Cruise-Brand-Q3-23-PG?id=506497

 

This is the link.

[lisiamc]

The survey worked fine for me in Safari on my iPad. Some very interesting questions about interest in being able to work remotely whilst on board.

[fruitmachine]

53 minutes ago, Mrs Miggins said:

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7463754/Cruise-Brand-Q3-23-PG?id=506497

 

This is the link.

See that "id=" at the end?  That will identify all responses as you!

[ECCruise]

No interest in the 2 programs they are touting:

 

"Work and Wander" so that the ship would be filled with stressed out people trying to work while onboard and gobbling up public spaces and bandwith. (And this spoken by someone who spent more than a decade working on ships, but out of the way and briefly each day).

 

and

 

"Gather and sail" or something like that, pushing for big groups of 6+ to sail together.  

 

No way I would book (or keep one of our current 8 bookings) in those environments.

[uktog]

17 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

No interest in the 2 programs they are touting:

 

"Work and Wander" so that the ship would be filled with stressed out people trying to work while onboard and gobbling up public spaces and bandwith. (And this spoken by someone who spent more than a decade working on ships, but out of the way and briefly each day).

 

and

 

"Gather and sail" or something like that, pushing for big groups of 6+ to sail together.  

 

No way I would book (or keep one of our current 8 bookings) in those environments.

I have to agree, a cruise where a high % of guests were part of mini groups will not give the ambience I want.  It will change Azamara and not for the good/

 

The only way they could create space for the workers is to take out precious space onboard.  Possibly be fine if you are on a good weather cruise but not great if you are on a scenic cruise in less good weather - our South America cruise was bad enough with all the available space when we had three days of poor weather.  I too still work onboard but do so in my room or, if I am just on my pc with regular coffees in the Discovery Bar (so I dont hog up Mosaic, occasionally if DH is joining I may use Mosaic. I dont expect the cruise line to make space for me.  And the idea of somewhere for group meetings -in other words another way to market group bookings for team away weeks (do bottom lined focussed business other than those in the travel trade do these now?)

 

My other concern is the noise - and that cuts both ways.  I would want Azamara to strictly enforce (no ifs no buts) a policy of no Teams Meetings or FaceTime calls without the use of headsets in public areas.  We dont all want to hear the call thank you - this is something that is needed now, FaceTime is happening too often in the dining room.  

But also dont put the "dedicated area" in the Living Room or the Den - these areas are needed for other activities such as Trivia and Games so we do not want Business Person telling us to keep the noise down.

 

Lets hope like some previous surveys these ideas die as quick a death as they had a birth.

[ECCruise]

Honestly, this is an example of how corporations often flail and then fail.

 

For us, Azamara's core values have been the special onboard experience that we find there.  Smaller ships. Wonderful service from folks that feel like family.  Overnight and longer port stays. Some unique ports and itineraries.  A feel unlike any of the other 80+ sailings we've had on 10+ lines.

 

They did that for years, and guess what?  The ships ran at virtual 100% capacity with largely loyal passengers.

 

Then they experienced the loss of some key personnel. Then fast forward to the whole IT debacle, and instead of refocusing and rededicating themselves to the core values above, someone or someone's in an office in Miami (or a consultant) decide to run 2 catchy sounding programs not directed to their central audience up the flagpole to see what kind of response they may get.  

 

I know it is just one survey with a couple trial balloons, but it does indicate a problem.  Along with the Perry Golf email that followed it touting sailings that are in 2 days (not available for booking, sorry) and 2 weeks that are going for the bargain price of $19,993 for a 10 day sailing in a V3 balcony.  Hurry before they are gone! 

 

We were happy with Azamara as it was, but worried that it might be headed in a direction where we would not be found.  And that is sad, frankly. 

[Marmaduke]

Got fed up with it half way through. Binned it !

[uktog]

@ECCruise how well put

 

Anyone else find that these days they all too often have an image of headless chickens when they think Azamara 

Edited August 15, 2023 by uktog

[lisiamc]

4 hours ago, ECCruise said:

No interest in the 2 programs they are touting:

 

"Work and Wander" so that the ship would be filled with stressed out people trying to work while onboard and gobbling up public spaces and bandwith. (And this spoken by someone who spent more than a decade working on ships, but out of the way and briefly each day).

 

and

 

"Gather and sail" or something like that, pushing for big groups of 6+ to sail together.  

 

No way I would book (or keep one of our current 8 bookings) in those environments.

I took this as my opportunity to stress how much I love the intensive and relocation itineraries, the overnights and the late evening departures from ports. The Work and Wander stuff is interesting, and certainly not perfect, but better IMO than the looping seven day itineraries that are often dangled as bait to attract working people.

[Snow day]

This may seem off topic but I think it’s relevant. Our cruise this past April had many families with young children and we expressed our concern that this was not what we had expected based on our previous Azamara cruises and that if this was the geographic Azamara was encouraging it would be a game changer for us. That cruise also had a very large group travelling together that dominated the venues; the specialty restaurants were booked up by them and noise level in all the dining rooms certainly changed the atmosphere. All of this feedback was provided directly to an Azamara sales rep via our TA as well on the post cruise surveys. Now completing this new survey it seems that Azamara does want to attract a different/ newer clientele.Both of these new programs would deter us from booking with Azamara again. As someone said, maybe this survey will go nowhere. 

[aussie travel bird]

Just when we have retired we're not interested in sailing with stressed out working people hogging public areas with the Team Meetings online etc.  I answered it, hope it goes now where.  Not a mention of web issues anywhere.

[cruisingaussies]

Two utterly terrible ideas, we will never book an Azamara cruise again if either is introduced. What on earth are they trying to do with the brand!  There is no space on these ships for either proposition. We were on the point of booking for next year but the worst website in history and now this, is making us think again. 
 

In the survey I emphasised when I could that what we like about az are the older demographic passengers, no families or large groups. Then small ships. 
 

Why don’t they throw money at sorting out the website instead of paying people who seemingly have no idea of what the majority like about the cruise line to come up with ideas like this. 

[cruisingaussies]

22 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Just received a email inviting me to complete a survey.  Copied the link provided and it took me to a site called Cruise Brand Q3 23 PG.  Filled in first two pages, age etc and number of cruises/other vacations.  Page 3 invited to rank different wishes and experiences.  Select 4 from a list of 10.  Guess what - that proves impossible to fill in - or select any of the options.

Is it just me ?  Or is it just another Azamara mess ?

I found Page 3 looked impossible but went back up to the top where it instructed to drag the points of the list to the right hand column in order of preference. Seemed a rather strange way to do it but it seems that the « ideas team » that have come up with this are a strange lot themselves - in my opinion anyway. 

Edited August 16, 2023 by cruisingaussies
.

[hamrag]

11 hours ago, cruisingaussies said:

.....What on earth are they trying to do with the brand!...

In the survey I emphasised when I could that what we like about az are the older demographic passengers, no families or large groups....

Even as one of the older demographic, I absolutely get it.....you, and we, will cease to be their demographic possibly sooner than we would hope so they need to develop the brand to encourage younger cruisers. That's not to say I think what they propose is the way to attract such, far from it!

 

We don't like it any more than most, but this is 'the circle' of life and all of us have an expiry date!

Edited August 16, 2023 by hamrag

[nordski]

26 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Even as one of the older demographic, I absolutely get it.....you, and we, will cease to be their demographic possibly sooner than we would hope so they need to develop the brand to encourage younger cruisers. That's not to say I think what they propose is the way to attract such, far from it!

 

We don't like it any more than most, but this is 'the circle' of life and all of us have an expiry date!

I enjoy your good humour on this topic. The front office will have to provide a product that cruisers can “grow (mature?) into” as they age and leave behind the ships that suited them as young singles, couples, or families.

 

I certainly accept that those who are somewhat younger than us will not necessarily share our values or our culture. In my view, Azamara has to appeal to those younger souls but hopefully not completely alienate those of us who have become attached to the Azamara experience.

 

 

[Laganlady02]

15 hours ago, hamrag said:

Even as one of the older demographic, I absolutely get it.....you, and we, will cease to be their demographic possibly sooner than we would hope so they need to develop the brand to encourage younger cruisers. That's not to say I think what they propose is the way to attract such, far from it!

 

We don't like it any more than most, but this is 'the circle' of life and all of us have an expiry date!

It is also important to remember they now have 4 ships to fill,so of course the product will change.

[nonrev1]

We were on the Journey and we were asked if we wanted to test the new work product.  The equipment never arrived.  But, they said we woild have fast internet speed just without the equipment.  The speed and reliability were pretty bad.  Just could not imagine selling a work during  your cruise product.  I am guessing they are trying to capture some of the wave of working virtual people.  But, they have a long way to go with their internet reliability and speed.  As for the small group travel…..it is anither revenue stream they are trying to capture but if they can’t get loyalty, pre booking excursions or  website correct…..I think they are biting off way more than they can chew.  Crazy that they can’t fix the current problems and they want to create a whole new set!  

 

[BrendaJ]

I have to wonder if Azamara is trying to capture the kind of attention that the “Life at Sea” cruises recently generated (3-year cruise starting at $30,000 per year per person with ability to work remotely while on the ship).  Many people were attracted to the seemingly low cost and I believe I read somewhere that there was so much interest that a larger, newer ship had to be utilized to meet the demand.

 

For those who work solely from home, it must seem like a dream come true to be able to sail around the world while working.   Logistically though, I cannot imagine a current shipboard internet service that could handle the load of a large percentage of passengers working while on board.

 

I do fear that Azamara has lost their way at the moment.  Our cruise a few weeks ago was as wonderful as always, but with only 283 passengers on board, this is obviously not sustainable.   I hope they can get their act together soon.   Their continued IT problem have made some travel agents steer clear from them; that is certainly going to hurt the bottom line if the travel agents are directing their customers to other lines.