Disappointing Customer Service - Bait and Switch on Cabin Booking

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 3

Review summary

I was excited about my third cruise with Azamara. I did book on a special rate that included no on-board credit (first time that has ever happened to me on any line), but I was assured by my travel agent that an OCEAN VIEW room with NO obstruction is what I was booking. My receipt clearly states 0% obstructed view. I was surprised, then, when I received my cabin assignment. 100 % obstructed! If that wasn't bad enough, the room was nothing like the ocean view cabin I had in the past on Azamara. No loveseat or coffee table, absolutely TINY -- and this, despite the rep onboard at customer relations insisting that "all ocean view rooms are the same size." Obviously, that is not true. Well, perhaps it is since it would be hard to call a 100% obstructed view “ocean view.” Also not true, when I asked if we could change cabins, is that "the ship is full." This is untrue in light of the numbers Azamara emailed post-cruise. 600-something passengers when the ship holds over 700 is not full! Never did I state I would not pay for an upgrade. Indeed, I wasn't even offered that option. Instead, zero attention was given to my request. I did not even receive a courtesy call with regard to my concern but rather had to return to the customer relations desk on Monday morning to ask again about moving cabins. This is such poor customer service, it boggles my mind. Further, when I presented my receipt that states "zero obstruction," I was told "the guarantee is only for the moment of booking and if someone else books, "the status can change.” Azamara really should look up and consider the meaning of the word "guarantee." If there to this is something in the small print to this regard, I couldn't find it. Also, if there is no guarantee, this should have been explained to my travel agent, since she was also unaware of this policy until we received my cabin assignment. Again, I have to state my extreme disappointment in customer service and the "bait and switch" on the cabin. I love the size of Azamara ships and, until now, enjoyed the service of the onboard crew. Azamara has been my cruise line of choice and I can't tell you how often I have recommended this lesser-known line to others. Any further recommendation comes with a dire warning to buyer beware. Sincerely, a formerly dedicated Azamara cruiser –

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Leith (Edinburgh), Scotland

Dundee, Scotland

Inverness, Scotland

Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland

Greenock (Glasgow), Scotland

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Douglas, Isle Of Man

Dublin, Ireland

Disembarkation