UK Price Protection

[BillericayUK]

I'm a seasoned cruiser with top level status with Princess, HAL and high status with P&O and several others. I'm use to cruise prices fluctuating by a few hundred pounds particularly nearer departure.

I'm a 1st timer on Azamara. I booked in July 2023 a cruise for £10,000 which sails in February 2025.

A travel agent sent me a speculative email 2 days ago which included my cruise at £8000. I checked the Azamara website and sure enough it had dropped 20%. My original booking included freebies of $300 OBC, upgraded drinks and internet for 1 person.

I contacted the TA I booked with and asked him to contact Azamara. They replied that Azamara had said 'I can cancel the original booking and lose my deposit of £500, lose the original freebies and have no guarantee that I would be able to rebook the same cabin as the original booking'.

Yes there are T&C's and there is still a saving but isn't it simply stealing to keep my deposit when someone can book today with a £500 price advantage over me whereas I demonstrated commitment and booked early and had this TA not sent me a speculative email I would have never known about the massive 20% saving. UK bookers you may want to check your bookings!

I feel very aggrieved with Azamara's attitude as dealing with other cruise lines where there have been issues has always conciliatory and mutual compromise. 

Have I chosen a very poor cruise line?

 

[Grandma Cruising]

No, this is common practice in the UK. For example if you book a non-flexible flight and then it’s price changes, you can’t just swap to it if the T’s & Cs say not. You signed up to the terms and conditions. 
I have cancelled and lost a deposit in the past, then immediately rebooked, getting the same cabin, when it’s been worth my while to do so.

[uktog]

It’s the same for any land based package holiday. 

[BillericayUK]

5 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

No, this is common practice in the UK. For example if you book a non-flexible flight and then it’s price changes, you can’t just swap to it if the T’s & Cs say not. You signed up to the terms and conditions. 
I have cancelled and lost a deposit in the past, then immediately rebooked, getting the same cabin, when it’s been worth my while to do so.

This level of heavy discounting must be unique to Azamara and the message is clearly don't book early with them and on the strength of this experience I will never again book with them. .We are talking thousands of pounds difference not a few hundred. Azamara wouldn't guarantee the same cabin on a rebook however my TA who does appreciate my business moved me a few cabins along into the next grade with his compliments. He will continue to get my repeat business. Azamara make no recognition of booking early and committing to them.

As I said I'm a seasoned cruiser, I am not naïve and I am use to price reductions close to sailing date to fill cabins and discount offers for Black Friday etc but I have never seen a 20% reduction and a couldn't careless attitude to existing bookers.

 

[Billy Butlin]

I'm not sure the message is 'clearly dont book early' I booked a cruise over 18 months in advance where the offer price of a Continental Suite is now what you would pay for an Outside cabin. Clearly this cruise is popular and I assume almost fully booked so residual cabins will come at a premium.

 

I think its more a case of supply and demand ..... if they are not selling cabins on your cruise they will reduce the price and keep reducing or offering incentives until they start to fill the ship. Then the price will go back up.

 

Appreciate its frustrating but as somebody pointed out not dissimilar to the supply and demand pricing of other travel companies.

[Grandma Cruising]

26 minutes ago, BillericayUK said:

This level of heavy discounting must be unique to Azamara and the message is clearly don't book early with them and on the strength of this experience I will never again book with them. .We are talking thousands of pounds difference not a few hundred. Azamara wouldn't guarantee the same cabin on a rebook however my TA who does appreciate my business moved me a few cabins along into the next grade with his compliments. He will continue to get my repeat business. Azamara make no recognition of booking early and committing to them.

As I said I'm a seasoned cruiser, I am not naïve and I am use to price reductions close to sailing date to fill cabins and discount offers for Black Friday etc but I have never seen a 20% reduction and a couldn't careless attitude to existing bookers.

 

I saved nearly £2000 on a cruise (about 25%) even taking into account my lost deposit - not unusual and certainly not unique to Azamara

[Host Jazzbeau]

This is a difference between the UK and US T&C.  If you had booked through a US travel agent, you would not lose your deposit on a cruise this far out.  You might lose the $75 pp administrative fee.  And while it isn't guaranteed that you will get the same cabin, I have every time I have been able to use a sale like this.

[hamrag]

18 hours ago, BillericayUK said:

..... Azamara make no recognition of booking early and committing to them.

As I said I'm a seasoned cruiser, I am not naïve and I am use to price reductions close to sailing date to fill cabins and discount offers for Black Friday etc but I have never seen a 20% reduction and a couldn't careless attitude to existing bookers.

 

Based on what you wrote above, I am surprised that UK terms & conditions around all types of vacation bookings would be such a shock to you. Small print rules!

 

Because we have discovered that, for the first time in many years, US agency pricing can be much lower than the UK our last 3 cruises and the next one we booked that way. As JB has stated, within the US system it is only a relatively small admin fee lost if prices drop significantly before final payment.

Edited January 17 by hamrag

[BillericayUK]

Based on comments from over the pond Azamara are ripping off the UK market

I feel like the little boy in the Emperors Clothes story. 

Some seem to be jumping to the defence of the Azamara without actually asking and answering why. I've read the T&C's and I cannot see where or why I have to cancel.

I'm not asking to cancel my cruise. I want the same cruise, same cabin, they can keep their freebies but I want the new price because I committed and booked early. That commitment has a value. 

If I was cancelling and walking away then fine they have an entitlement to the deposit. 

It is Azamara who say I have to cancel but what am I actually cancelling? 

How does the price change cost £500?

Why should someone be able to book the same cruise as me today but £500 cheaper than me?

Azamara shows no appreciation for their existing customers. 

It's an out and out rip off by Azamara and that's putting it mildly. 

[Homerody]

15 minutes ago, BillericayUK said:

Based on comments from over the pond Azamara are ripping off the UK market

I feel like the little boy in the Emperors Clothes story. 

Some seem to be jumping to the defence of the Azamara without actually asking and answering why. I've read the T&C's and I cannot see where or why I have to cancel.

I'm not asking to cancel my cruise. I want the same cruise, same cabin, they can keep their freebies but I want the new price because I committed and booked early. That commitment has a value. 

If I was cancelling and walking away then fine they have an entitlement to the deposit. 

It is Azamara who say I have to cancel but what am I actually cancelling? 

How does the price change cost £500?

Why should someone be able to book the same cruise as me today but £500 cheaper than me?

Azamara shows no appreciation for their existing customers. 

It's an out and out rip off by Azamara and that's putting it mildly. 

You keep flogging a dead horse.

 

The commitment you value - sadly - is not one of  monetary value per the T&C you agreed to when you made the booking.  It is a subjective value that you are assigning to the transaction.

 

May be I am oversimplifying - but what you are seeking is downward price protection without the upward price risk.  I have not found such an arrangement with other cruise companies.  Cancel and rebook is the mantra.

 

I have been on both side of the price fence.  Sometimes the price goes down and I feel like a chump who's been had.  At other times, price goes up and I smugly feel I got a "deal".

 

All in all,  a quick search on CC will yield many posts decrying this or that cruise company's payment  adjustment policies.  In the scheme of things the needle does not move much.

 

I hope you have a great cruise and sailing experience despite this unpleasant, yet familiar, situation you are in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Grandma Cruising]

It’s exactly the same as many flights. If I book a non flexible flight today for 6 months time I have to pay in full. If in 5 months the price goes down (probably because there are plenty of seats available) I can’t then get a price reduction - it’s called market pricing.

 

[uktog]

Or if I book a package holiday to Europe. It’s also the same if I book on Celebrity, Viking, MSC, Oceania to name a few. 
Price goes down I have to rebook (and lose deposit) to benefit but hey don’t forget if the price goes up they don’t come to ask for more. 
@BillericayUK maybe time to move on and accept that maybe you didn’t understand the norms of the UK travel markets 

[Riocca]

39 minutes ago, BillericayUK said:

Based on comments from over the pond Azamara are ripping off the UK market

I feel like the little boy in the Emperors Clothes story. 

Some seem to be jumping to the defence of the Azamara without actually asking and answering why. I've read the T&C's and I cannot see where or why I have to cancel.

I'm not asking to cancel my cruise. I want the same cruise, same cabin, they can keep their freebies but I want the new price because I committed and booked early. That commitment has a value. 

If I was cancelling and walking away then fine they have an entitlement to the deposit. 

It is Azamara who say I have to cancel but what am I actually cancelling? 

How does the price change cost £500?

Why should someone be able to book the same cruise as me today but £500 cheaper than me?

Azamara shows no appreciation for their existing customers. 

It's an out and out rip off by Azamara and that's putting it mildly. 

This has been the way of the U.K. holiday market for as long as I can remember and certainly not exclusive to Azamara. Terms & conditions within the U.K. market have been stricter than the North American market it was always said that this was because of the legislation that gives us greater protection making the cost of doing business higher.

We’ve encountered similar issues with other cruise lines P&O U.K. being one of the more intransigent when a cruise we booked early was slashed in price, in fact we ended up paying more for a balcony cabin than they were selling Owners Suites for in the last few weeks before the cruise.

It’s swings and roundabouts, we are usually early bookers with Azamara and certainly with our current bookings have been happy with the overall deal. Our next cruise is in March and the cruise is included in the latest offers however currently for the price we are paying for a CC suite we could only book an ocean view.

[royallondon]

1 hour ago, BillericayUK said:

Based on comments from over the pond Azamara are ripping off the UK market

I feel like the little boy in the Emperors Clothes story. 

Some seem to be jumping to the defence of the Azamara without actually asking and answering why. I've read the T&C's and I cannot see where or why I have to cancel.

I'm not asking to cancel my cruise. I want the same cruise, same cabin, they can keep their freebies but I want the new price because I committed and booked early. That commitment has a value. 

If I was cancelling and walking away then fine they have an entitlement to the deposit. 

It is Azamara who say I have to cancel but what am I actually cancelling? 

How does the price change cost £500?

Why should someone be able to book the same cruise as me today but £500 cheaper than me?

Azamara shows no appreciation for their existing customers. 

It's an out and out rip off by Azamara and that's putting it mildly. 

Unfortunately the facts are that you have entered into a contract to receive goods and services with Azamara at an agreed price that I can only assume you were happy with.  You have decided to break that contract and the applicable fee is being applied.  Now, I fully understand your disappointment and I too would be jarred off as I always like to be on the winning side, I’m a bad loser.

However, just as soon as the mist disappears I would grab the consolation prize on offer of a £1k plus saving and see your TA’s email as a bit of good fortune.

 

 

[hamrag]

3 hours ago, BillericayUK said:

.....Why should someone be able to book the same cruise as me today but £500 cheaper than me?...

 

If you live in the UK, or anywhere else for that matter, you surely must have heard of 'supply and demand'! 😉

[fruitmachine]

15 hours ago, BillericayUK said:

Based on comments from over the pond Azamara are ripping off the UK market

 

Look at it from the other side.  If you book with UK Ts & Cs, you are protected from any significant change to the itinerary.  You can cancel for a full refund.  US clients cannot; there are plenty that come on here and complain but, as many point out, the cruise line are entitled to do that. 

 

Plus, if you book flights and perhaps a hotel at the start & end of the cruise in the same transaction as the cruise, all those elements are similarly refundable if there is a significant change to the itinerary.

 

All that protection has a cost, and that cost has to be paid for somewhere.

 

[BillericayUK]

On 1/17/2024 at 8:41 PM, royallondon said:

 

However, just as soon as the mist disappears I would grab the consolation prize on offer of a £1k plus saving and see your TA’s email as a bit of good fortune.

 

 

Final words

I posted on the forum hoping for pearls of wisdom instead I came under attack by people who said they had been in a similar situations several times before with Azamara and still they continue to book with them knowing that there was a high possibility Azamara would do the same again.  Some posting were even declaring that it had happen to them several times if it was some kind of badge of honour.  As my dear mother would have said, they have more money than sense.

Others parroted supply and demand and T&C’s without them actually having read them which I had before I posted on this forum

Clause 1.8 Will the price change?

We reserve the right to increase or decrease the prices of unsold holidays at anytime. The price of your chosen holiday will be confirmed in accordance with section1.2.

Hardly a supply & demand issue when there are only a dozen cabins left and over 14 months to go before the cruise.

Also in this clause they say they can increase or decrease the holiday cost if the increases exceed 2% and if they are over 8% there is the option to accept, change or refund.  Some who posted haven’t read their T&C’s

For decreases there is no limitation.

I could challenge them in a court that the 20% decrease is because of a decrease in their costs, however since I’m not privy to the cost make-up of the original holiday they could cobble together any figures they want to disprove it.  Equally it is not a legal requirement that they make a profit on this specific cruise but they would have to demonstrate in a legal action that the discount now being offered is not as a result of a reduction of their cost and they probably wouldn’t fancy that close examination.

Clause 1.10 Can I make changes to my booking after it has been confirmed?

A very long cause but in essence it says I can change ship or sail date for £75 per guest. I can change cabin or names for £35 however both would attract a cancellation charge.

T&C’s are a last resort and in business, you try and reach a solution that is amicable to both parties so that you retain business and goodwill on both sides.  For Azamara T&C’s are a first resort.

I put the full T&C’s and exchanges for formal legal advice. 

The advice I received is that Azamara are stuffing me by adopting sharp practice.  I could proceed with a legal action however there is a 50/50 chance that I would lose/win and also I could possibly suffer more cost than I stand to gain.  Also Azamara may not fancy the bad publicity and concede before a court case.

Unfortunately, I don’t have more money than sense and I have done what the only sensible posting from Royallondon said and rebooked.  Azamara places no value on existing customers and this will be my one and only cruise with Azamara.

[Dynacruiser]

On 1/16/2024 at 6:49 AM, BillericayUK said:

I'm a seasoned cruiser with top level status with Princess, HAL and high status with P&O and several others. I'm use to cruise prices fluctuating by a few hundred pounds particularly nearer departure.

I'm a 1st timer on Azamara. I booked in July 2023 a cruise for £10,000 which sails in February 2025.

A travel agent sent me a speculative email 2 days ago which included my cruise at £8000.

 

 

Dear OP,

I hope you don't read my post as yet another attack on you, particularly since you already posted your "final words".  I see that this is your first experience with Azamara, and you weren't expecting this.

 

I have been sailing with Azamara for the past 10 years, lately several cruises a year.  I personally like many things that Azamara offers, starting with the wonderful staff we have gotten to know over the years.

 

I learned early on that Azamara prices fluctuate, and sometimes felt it was unfair that I had paid a higher price, or that I had gotten less OBC than newer bookings.  But of course, being a seasoned cruiser (as you indicated you are), you know that we all have favorite rooms or areas where we like to book.  If I book early, I get the room I want.  If I wait for a lower price (which I may indeed find later), the room or the area I want may no longer be available.  

 

Sometimes, I am able to rebook the same room for a lower price.  But I live int he US and the penalty is  not very high (I think it's $75 pp?).  

 

I hope you give Azamara a chance and enjoy your cruise.  Azamara is NOT a perfect business, there are many things I dislike and their land-based staff will not win any awards.   But if you truly give Azamara a chance, your experience may end up being a great one!  Plus, you deserve a good vacation, so forget about this incident and have a great time, enjoy the great service and meet wonderful fellow passengers!

[iana1212]

Unfortunately with holidays, cruises and other commodities prices go up and go down. I am sure I am not the only person that has bought something and then a couple of weeks later seen it discounted in a sale. If it is something I really want I will pay the full price and suffer the anguish if the price is reduced rather than risk not getting it. Cruises are exactly the same, when we book a cruise it is only if the price is acceptable, we have never booked a cruise thinking it is costing £2,000 more than it is worth.

 

We have cancelled and booked again when there has been a price drop, accepting a lost deposit - not Azamara but another line who took exactly the same line as Azamara has here. We have 2 cruises booked with Azamara this year, which we booked some time ago, and which are still cheaper than the currently discounted prices, it also meant that we could book our flights at lower cost than leaving it to the last moment, it isn't a saving if you reduce the cost of your cruise but have to give the reduction to an airline.

 

We are in the UK and have used US agents in the past so we know that you can often get a better deal with them - some of the time. We currently have 3 Azamara cruises booked and 1 Silversea cruise. All of these have been booked through UK agents and all were at better prices than a very large US agent could give for the same cruise. When I book a cruise i usually benchmark against a US agent and if within a couple of hundred pounds will book through the UK as it is easier and removes any of the potential issues of booking through another country regarding only selling to 'US residents' type restrictions (although we have never had an issue).

 

While I sympathise with the poster I doubt if his experience would be any different with any other line. I do tend to continue to watch price trends after I book but I know many who don't as they don't want to fall into the trap of feeling they have been unfairly treated. In the main, by booking early we have saved a lot of money but it is easy to ignore the savings and only remember the one or two where the cost has gone the other way.

 

 

[hawkesbaynz]

If it wasn’t for these forums I would be unaware that people can reprice their cruises, although unfortunately not in the UK😞.

 

From a Roll Call Princess thread I looked at re-pricing a cruise that had gone down in price several hundred pounds. The TA really did not want to help re-negotiating (not replying to emails or calling back) but eventually I was advised to cancel, loose freebies and gain a couple of hundred when the deposit was lost. I did not bother, but will not be using the TA again.

 

However a Celebrity Roll Call was talking about price hikes for a Med cruise. My cabin had gone up three thousand! I think I gained over all.

 

I recently booked an Azamara cruise at a great price with another TA. I won’t be checking the prices again. Oddly I noticed I have yet to have the Azamara invoice so will hold off booking flights until I have that. The price sounded too good.

 

I often cross check prices with US TAs. Rarely the difference seems worthwhile. I have done once and the currency exchange went against me.

 

[Moby Jones]

On 1/29/2024 at 4:47 PM, BillericayUK said:

Final words

I posted on the forum hoping for pearls of wisdom instead I came under attack by people who said they had been in a similar situations several times before with Azamara and still they continue to book with them knowing that there was a high possibility Azamara would do the same again.  Some posting were even declaring that it had happen to them several times if it was some kind of badge of honour.  As my dear mother would have said, they have more money than sense.

 

I think this thread should be stickied as a cautionary tale to others who believe they are more 'seasoned' than they really are. 

I'm in the UK also and book cruises through both UK and US TA's every year depending who is offering the most attractive deal at the time. I'm fully aware of the pros and cons of booking either side of the pond and know that there will always be a degree of risk. But what is key to me is that people should book at a price they are comfortable paying and be happy with it. If you can rebook and get an overall better deal, then great, go for it. 

But this is not a fault of Azamara. And I don't believe anyone has attacked the OP. They've just given him a reality check. The accusations of people attacking him are really just someone who didn't do sufficient homework venting their frustrations on others. 

Maybe Cruise Critic should produce a detailed article on the differences between bookings in differnet countries which can then be referenced in threads such as these?