First Azamara booking - how does OBC for early payment work?

[rodndonna]

We are looking at booking our first Azamara (and PerryGolf) cruise for fall 2025 and am wondering about the promo of OBC for payment in full.

 

• It was 8% the other day and now 5% - is the offer something that fluctuates? I wouldn't bother at 5% but 8% I would might take. Would tat likely pop back up for 1.5 year out cruise with availability?
• If we book and decline the full payment offer, might it them become available to us to pay in full at whatever the early payment promo rate is?
• Is it only available it booked directly with Azamara or can we go through an agency and still get that offer?

 

Also - any other advice for a first time Azamara booking would be appreciated. 🤔

 

Thanks!

 

 

[crzrr]

They offer the increased OBC periodically for a short period of time.  You would be notified by email if you are included in the promo.  It's been 8% at times and even 10% once.  I know that our TA can handle it as that's how we have had it applied.  Can't answer in regards to direct booking.  However, I would recommend using a TA as it makes it easier in dealing with all situations that might arise - including repricing if a better deal comes along.

[fruitmachine]

How does OBC for early payment work?  Badly!

 

Neither my TA nor I were having any success getting them to apply it to my booking.  Azamara even claimed that they had agreed it in error; that they would pay it; but that they couldn't get their system to apply it.  Then they removed the $1,000 OBC that was a separate offer!

 

It took multiple calls by my TA over many weeks, coupled with an email from me to Erin O'Donnell.  I don't know what finally cracked it, but I eventually got the full amount due, then spent it as quickly as possible!

[rodndonna]

20 minutes ago, fruitmachine said:

How does OBC for early payment work?  Badly!

 

Neither my TA nor I were having any success getting them to apply it to my booking.  Azamara even claimed that they had agreed it in error; that they would pay it; but that they couldn't get their system to apply it.  Then they removed the $1,000 OBC that was a separate offer!

 

It took multiple calls by my TA over many weeks, coupled with an email from me to Erin O'Donnell.  I don't know what finally cracked it, but I eventually got the full amount due, then spent it as quickly as possible!

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

I recall reading a thread on here (maybe your's?) with someone's experience that was not very good. It's one of those things I have in the back of my mind...

is it worth it financially (at 5%, 8% etc) and then add in -  if it's not relatively straightforward ... is it worth it with some hassle?

 

10% .. I'd be willing to go for the OBC .....knowing it might be a hassle and a few phonecallsto have it applied,

5% OBC ..no way....

8%.. maybe...borderline if I end up having to make a number of calls...

 

 

[tgg]

When the offer went to 10%, we grabbed it.  Our TA took care of everything seamlessly. The amount is reflected in our revised invoice.

 

This will pay for all our excursions on an upcoming cruise.  Thanks Azamara.

[NeilWM]

We took advantage of the 8% offer last week. Our booking was direct and Azamara (Australia) assisted us speedily by adding the 8% offer to our booking, we then paid and all looks ok.

[rodndonna]

3 hours ago, NeilWM said:

We took advantage of the 8% offer last week. Our booking was direct and Azamara (Australia) assisted us speedily by adding the 8% offer to our booking, we then paid and all looks ok.

 

Out of curiosity, do you think if one of those "elusive" 10%  OBC offers came up in the future, you could have the additional 2% added?

 

Not sure if Australia has the same "re-faring" ability as we do here in U.S./Canada but if so, I "guess" that's how it would work.

 

[crzrr]

1 hour ago, rodndonna said:

 

Out of curiosity, do you think if one of those "elusive" 10%  OBC offers came up in the future, you could have the additional 2% added?

 

Not sure if Australia has the same "re-faring" ability as we do here in U.S./Canada but if so, I "guess" that's how it would work.

 

A friend tried that when the 10% came out after taking advantage of a 5% offer and it did not work.

[rodndonna]

13 minutes ago, crzrr said:

A friend tried that when the 10% came out after taking advantage of a 5% offer and it did not work.

 

Thanks - that being the case I wouldn't pull the prepay trigger below 8% .

[NeilWM]

Also in case it isn’t clear Azamara need to add the 8% offer to your booking BEFORE you pay the balance 

[rodndonna]

6 hours ago, NeilWM said:

Also in case it isn’t clear Azamara need to add the 8% offer to your booking BEFORE you pay the balance 

 

Thanks - so does that mean you have to contact them and let them know first ... then they add the X%,,, and then you proceed with the payment?

 

I would have thought they insisting on seeing the payment before adding the OBC (but I guess they can pull it if you don't follow through)

 

 

[NeilWM]

Yes that is correct, at least for us with an existing booking we made a couple of weeks earlier.

We received an email and the instructions included ‘To participate in this promotion, simply ensure the offer is added to your booking before paying the balance in full’

[rodndonna]

9 minutes ago, NeilWM said:

Yes that is correct, at least for us with an existing booking we made a couple of weeks earlier.

We received an email and the instructions included ‘To participate in this promotion, simply ensure the offer is added to your booking before paying the balance in full’

 

I guess as I think about it more .. it has to be done that way.

 

Over the course of the last 5 days ... I have seen the offer at 8%, 5% and now no offer for the cruise I am watching, so there there really has to be a direct communication and ackowledgement on what terms am I working on. I guess you can't really pay and then say " i saw an 8% offer just before I made the payment.

[Host Jazzbeau]

13 hours ago, NeilWM said:

Also in case it isn’t clear Azamara need to add the 8% offer to your booking BEFORE you pay the balance 

I did it after final payment, as part of a new sale:  I got a lower price plus the 8% OBC.  They refunded the price difference to my credit card.  [But it was technically a cancel and new booking.]

[rodndonna]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I did it after final payment, as part of a new sale:  I got a lower price plus the 8% OBC.  They refunded the price difference to my credit card.  [But it was technically a cancel and new booking.]

 

Wow - that is pleasantly surprising!

[tgg]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I did it after final payment, as part of a new sale:  I got a lower price plus the 8% OBC.  They refunded the price difference to my credit card.  [But it was technically a cancel and new booking.]

Sounds like someone at Azamara made a big mistake in your favor. I'm surprised/shocked that they would let you cancel and rebook after final payment with no penalty and give you 8% on top of that.

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, tgg said:

Sounds like someone at Azamara made a big mistake in your favor. I'm surprised/shocked that they would let you cancel and rebook after final payment with no penalty and give you 8% on top of that.

I did pay the $75/pp penalty.  The saving was still worth it (over $1,000), as my original booking was at the introductory rack rate.  But yes, it was nice of them to allow the 8% – especially as I had done the 5% on the cancelled booking.  So net-net more OBC plus a refund.

[NeilWM]

I forget to mention Tegan from Azamara said the 8% credit is reversed if we didn’t pay within 3 days

[Host Jazzbeau]

On 7/2/2024 at 7:16 PM, NeilWM said:

I forget to mention Tegan from Azamara said the 8% credit is reversed if we didn’t pay within 3 days

Makes sense, since it's a pre-payment benefit.

[ChucktownSteve]

I took advantage of the 10% OBC bonus offer through my TA. All went smoothly with no hiccups. One thing not mentioned yet is that the % OBC is calculated, not just on the balance due, but the entire cruise fare less taxes/fees.

[lahore]

Hi, just a warning.  We paid in full to get the 10% and the credit showed in my booking (I am in Australia).  No problem.  The, rather substantial, amount in USD sat there for ages until I decided to book an excursion out of the OBC.  After I booked the excursion, the amount of OBC plummeted by five times what the excursion was worth.  So now I have to start all over again getting them to fix it.  Their systems really are a nightmare. 

[Grandma Cruising]

3 hours ago, lahore said:

Hi, just a warning.  We paid in full to get the 10% and the credit showed in my booking (I am in Australia).  No problem.  The, rather substantial, amount in USD sat there for ages until I decided to book an excursion out of the OBC.  After I booked the excursion, the amount of OBC plummeted by five times what the excursion was worth.  So now I have to start all over again getting them to fix it.  Their systems really are a nightmare. 

They seem to have done something to their software over the last day or two. Suddenly I can only get into my account on my IPhone, not on my IPad and when I do it shows that I owe £776 which is the exact amount of the OBC I have already paid for the excursions I have booked! I’m going to give it a day or two to see if it sorts itself out before contacting them.

[lahore]

19 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

They seem to have done something to their software over the last day or two. Suddenly I can only get into my account on my IPhone, not on my IPad and when I do it shows that I owe £776 which is the exact amount of the OBC I have already paid for the excursions I have booked! I’m going to give it a day or two to see if it sorts itself out before contacting them.

I think I'll wait too.  The consultant in Australia asked the people in USA to 'fix it'. I got two new receipts overnight, both of which were wildly wrong, and at the same time the amount showing on the website corrected itself.  The worrying thing is that the Aussie rep told me yesterday to "believe the receipt not the website".....the whole thing is entirely unacceptable.  Just as well Azamara and good when you get onboard.  Although yesterday I had a really bad interaction with Celebrity too.... so it's not just Azamara who treat their customers like dirt.

[little britain]

How do you track the offer?

 

If I try a new booking the ‘Price from’ and the ‘Pay in Full get 5% OBC’  prices are the same?! 
And the fare is $3000 more than when we booked 2 weeks ago! 

[uktog]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

How do you track the offer?

 

If I try a new booking the ‘Price from’ and the ‘Pay in Full get 5% OBC’  prices are the same?! 
And the fare is $3000 more than when we booked 2 weeks ago! 

Price is the same whether you go for pay in full or not. The offer is based on the price you pay for 2 minus taxes and air if you have it