TRAVEL ADVISORY

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) TRAVEL ADVISORY – 27 APR

AZAMARA EXTENDS GLOBAL SUSPENSION OF CRUISING

 

Since suspending our cruise operations in March 2020, we’ve been working diligently to develop new protocols and procedures, schedule new itineraries and adjust our plans to welcome you and your clients back onboard. Today, Wed 28 April, we announced that as part of our return to service plan, we will require all guests and crew to be fully vaccinated to be able to sail.

 

As the world continues to confront the many challenges resulting from COVID-19, our primary goal continues to be a healthy return to service for our guests, crew and the communities we visit. While we do see cruising is slowly starting up again, there is still uncertainty surrounding the resumption of cruise operations globally.

 

However, several ports and regions are starting to welcome travellers back and encourage cruising. We’ve been approved to resume sailing again at the end of August 2021, with a series of new Greece Intensive voyages aboard the Azamara Quest. We are still finalising those itineraries, but we expect them to be available to book online at azamara.com as of May 11th. As a result, we need to cancel all current Quest sailings departing on or before October 2nd, 2021.

 

Unfortunately, as travel requirements throughout most of Europe remain unconfirmed, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to cancel the following voyages as well: 

  • Azamara Journey sailings departing on July 16, 2021 through September 29, 2021
  • Azamara Pursuit sailings departing on July 10, 2021 through September 14, 2021 

 

Our ships will be back in operation as per below:

  • Azamara Quest®: August 28, 2021.   
    Azamara Quest will start the Europe season with a series of new Greece Intensive voyages sailing roundtrip from Athens (Piraeus), Greece.

 

  • Azamara Journey®: October 13, 2021.  
    Azamara Journey will start the late Europe season with her originally scheduled 12-night Greece Intensive voyage from Athens (Piraeus), Greece.

 

  • Azamara Pursuit®: September 28, 2021.
    Azamara Pursuit will start the Europe season with her originally scheduled 11-night Greece Intensive voyage from Athens (Piraeus), Greece to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy.

 

Our Europe 2022 – Spring 2023 OnwardSM deployment will also be announced soon, with adventures awaiting all around the globe.

 

COMPENSATION OPTIONS

Guests will have three compensation options to choose from.

  1. . 125% Future Cruise Credit to book a new cruise by April 30, 2022 and sail on or beforeSeptember 30, 2022.
    • This amount will be based on total cruise fare paid. And, we’re giving you a little extra, knowing that this is such a unique circumstance.
    • Future Cruise Credit will automatically be issued via email by May 31, 2021
    • If you have purchased pre- or post-land packages through Azamara, you will also receive compensation in the same form as your cruise fare.
    • If you opted into the Cruise with Confidence 100% Future Cruise Credit for this sailing, you do notqualify for this offer.
    • Visit our online form to submit your FCC request.
  2. Lift and Shift: Or, you can keep the cruise vacation plans to the same destination and move the existing booking to a 2022 sailing within four weeks of the originally scheduled sailing.
    • Call Azamarato move the reservation at the same rate and promotion by May 12, 2021
    • The alternative sailing must be of the same stateroom category, on the same itinerary type and cruise length (+/- one sail night), scheduled within four weeks before or four weeks after the date of the original sailing but in the subsequent year.
    • If we don’t hear from you by this date, we will automatically issue your clients a Future Cruise Credit. 
  3. 100% Refund: Or, if they prefer the lower value in a full refund, you have until July 21, 2021 to request a refund and deactivate the Future Cruise Credit certificate.
    • We will initially send you the 125% Future Cruise Credit Certificate. You have until July 21, 2021 to request a refund. We will then deactivate your certificate. Note: Please know, once we receive your refund request, we unfortunately won’t be able to accept an FCC request if you change your mind.
    • You can expect to receive your refund 45 days after you submit your request.
    • Please note: If you used a Cruise with Confidence certificate on this sailing, and you request a refund instead, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount, and we’ll reinstate your original Cruise with Confidence certificate.
    • Visit our online form to submit your refund request.

If you have booked Shore Excursions through Azamara, you can opt to receive an Onboard Credit in the value of 125% of the total Shore Excursion purchases on the reservation.

    • Visit our shore excursion onboard credit opt-in form to request the higher value credit. We will email you the credit by May 31, 2021.  
    • If we don’t hear from you on or before May 12, 2021, Shore Excursion purchases will be automatically refunded. You’ll receive your refund within 45 days of your booking’s cancellation.
    • If you have opted for a cruise fare refund or for Lift and Shift, you are not eligiblefor this Voyage Planner Onboard Credit offer. If you opt to Lift and Shift your booking to a future voyage, we can help rebook you on another Shore Excursion, or provide a full refund.  If you opt for a cruise fare refund, your Shore Excursion purchases will be refunded in the same manner of your cruise fare refund. 
    • This offer does not apply to other pre-purchased amenities and packages – like beverage, internet or specialty dining, or Azamara Upgrade, which will be automatically refunded.
    • If you have independent arrangements, we suggest you cancel them directly with your travel advisor or service provider who can give you additional guidance.

 

 

GUESTS WITH AIR & HOTEL BOOKINGS

Guests with air travel and hotel booked through Azamara will be refunded automatically. Guests with non-refundable air through Azamara or independent air and hotel arrangements need to contact their travel advisor or appropriate travel provider directly to make all required cancellations. As a reminder, due to the current situation, airlines are being flexible with flight changes and the waiving of fees.

 

 

GLOBAL SUSPENSION REFUND DELAY

As we went into our global suspension of sailings, we initially estimated that refunds would take 30 days. Unfortunately, due to an unprecedented volume of refunds and credits, we are delayed. We’ve worked diligently to resolve most of the volume issues and are working around the clock to address the backlog to get you your refund, as quickly possible. Currently, some refunds are taking up to 45 days from the date requested. Please know that each and every request is receiving the same level of care and dedication. And rest assured, your refund will be honored, and it is coming – it’s just taking a little longer than expected and we’re very sorry about that. We thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

 

*NEW* FCC EXTENSION – PRE-COVID

In order to give our guests additional time to rebook their future cruise with us, we have extended the expiration date for all guests who have not redeemed the issued FCCs Pre-Covid to be aligned with our current Global Suspension & Cruise with Confidence policies/offers.

 

Guests will now have until April 30, 2022 to apply their FCC to an Azamara voyage that sets sail on or before September 30, 2022.

 

Please note clients will not receive an updated FCC. Their FCC has already been updated in our system to reflect the new expiration date of April 30, 2022.

 

FCC Extension – Apr 30, 2022 – Guest Letter
FCC Extension – Apr 30, 2022 – Trade Letter

 

 

FOR TRAVEL PARTNERS

We are very pleased to give you full commission on cancelled reservations paid-in-full, as well as the future reservation where the correlating FCC is redeemed. Please note that FCC commission earnings are payable only on sailed reservations.

 

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and cooperation during this unprecedented situation.

 

Please stay safe and healthy, and know, we really appreciate your continued loyalty & support.

 

Self-service cancellation form (to apply for an FCC, refund or lift & shift). Please note refund option is only allowed for cancelled sailings as a result of our Global Suspension.
Shore Excursion Onboard Credit Opt-In Form

View Global Suspension Trade FAQ's
View Vaccine Requirements Trade FAQ's

HEALTHY SAIL PANEL

 

22 Sep 20 – ***Royal Caribbean Group & Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Healthy Sail Panel announce their comprehensive set of protocols & recommendations submitted to the CDC for the healthy return of sailing***

 

Our Healthy Sail Panel, a group of globally recognised experts has concluded cruising can be safer in the current health environment with a robust set of science-backed protocols. Through research and their relevant experience in various disciplines including public health, infectious diseases, biosecurity, hospitality and marine operations, the panelists have identified more than 70 recommendations across five focus areas. The core focus areas include testing, screening and exposure reduction; sanitation and ventilation; response, contingency planning and execution; destination and excursion planning; and mitigating risks for crew members.

 

Cruise companies will use the Panel’s recommendations to inform the development of new, detailed operating protocols, which will be submitted to the CDC and other authorities around the globe for review and approval– an important milestone in the process of resuming sailing around the world.

 

The impressive work of the Healthy Sail Panel is a progressive step to welcoming both you, our valued travel partners, and your clients back onboard soon!

 

Click here for the Press Release
Click here for the Infographic
Click here for the Full Report
Click here for more information on our Corporate Website

Click here or below to watch our short video which summarises all the recommendations made.

 

 

We’re excited to introduce Royal Caribbean Group’s and Norwegian Cruise Line Holding’s “Healthy Sail Panel” — a team of cross-disciplinary experts enlisted to guide the cruise industry’s way forward in response to COVID-19. Comprised of globally recognised specialists in public health, infectious diseases, hospitality and maritime operations, the panel will advise us on a science-backed plan for a healthy return to service that ensures the well-being of our guests and crew as well as the communities we visit.

 

Their combined expertise will help us reinforce our current safety procedures onboard our ships, create new ones and ensure our vacation experience. Our collective efforts will be shared across the cruise industry, as well as other industries that may benefit from our findings — because we’re all in this together.

 

Watch Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain and panel co-chair Governor Michael Leavitt discuss the vital work that is underway in the video link below.

 

Click here to watch the video

 

As always, the most important thing to us will always be the safety of our guests and crew. We highly encourage you to visit our website, which is constantly being updated with the latest travel alerts and regulations at Azamara.com/en-au/Travel-Advisory.

 

Click here for the Press Release about this announcement
Click here to Meet our Healthy Sail Panel Experts
Click here for our Healthy Sail Panel Experts Extended Bios
Click here for our Healthy Sail Panel FAQs

 

MUSTER 2.0

  • New patented approach helps guests sail away smoothly
  • Techonology licensed to other cruise lines to help eliminate crowding

Royal Caribbean Group is replacing one of the least-loved but most important parts of a cruise holiday – the safety drill – with Muster 2.0™ – an entirely new approach to delivering safety information to guests. The innovative program, the first of it’s kind, reimagines a process originally designed for large groups of people into a faster, more personal approach that encourages higher levels of safety.

  • Instructions on emergency procedures & how to use a life jacket will be accessible to guests on an individual basis
  • New technology eMuster™ will be used to help provide the information to guests via their mobile devices and interactive stateroom TVs
  • Guests will be able to review the information at their own time prior to setting sail, eliminating the need for the traditional large group assemblies
  • This new approach allows everyone onboard to maintain better spacing as guests move about the ship & allows them to enjoy more of their holiday with no interruption
  • After reviewing safety information individually, guests will complete the drill by visiting their assigned assembly station where a crew member will verify that all the steps have been completed and answer questions. Each of the steps will need to be completed prior to the ship’s departure, as required by International Maritime Law.
  • More than year in the making, Muster 2.0 is also an initiative that will be part of the comprehensive set of protocols and procedures that the Royal Caribbean Group is developing along with the Healthy Sail Panel that was recently assembled in collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
  • Not only will this process make all Royal Caribbean Group shipboard procedures safer and faster by eliminating crowding, it will help other cruise lines protect the health and safety of their guests and crew, as we share and license this patented technology across the cruise industry.
  • Muster 2.0 was first tested on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas in January 2020. Guests who took part in the mock process indicated a strong preference for the new approach and also reported better comprehension and retention of the safety information

Click here for the Full Press Release
Click here for Muster 2.0™ FAQs

CRUISE WITH CONFIDENCE

 

***UPDATED POLICY & EXTENDED UNTIL 31 MAY 2021***

 

Now more than ever, you and your clients are dreaming about your next voyage to the world’s most amazing destinations. To provide peace of mind while you plan, we’ve enhanced our Cruise with Confidence program to give you the flexibility to change any sailing you book by 31 May 2021.

 

Key notes:

  • This policy has reduced to 2 components and is applicable to all sailings departing on or before 30 April, 2022
  • Lift & Shift option has now expired (expired 31 Jan 2021)
  • Policy is valid for all new & existing bookings made through to 31 May, 2021
  • Options are available up to 48 hours prior to sailing
  • Booking must be an active booking and not have opted into a previous offer

Best Price Guarantee
You’ll always get the best possible price—even after you book. If the fare on your booked sailing lowers or a better promotion is offered, contact us and we’ll honour that better price right up to 48 hours before you sail.

 

Future Cruise Credit
We know things can change. You have up to 48 hours before you sail to cancel and receive 100% of the amount paid in a Future Cruise Credit to use toward a new or existing sailing departing on or before 30 September, 2022. The credit must must be applied toward the cruise fare by 30 April, 2022. Offer only available to bookings for named guests for which the cruise fare deposits have been paid.

 

By having the flexibility to change your cruise experience, we hope you’ll feel confident in planning a holiday during these uncertain, unprecedented times. It’s your world to explore—now it’s your choice.

 

Click here for Cruise with Confidence Update & Ext until 30 April 21 Consumer FAQs
Click here for Self-Service Cancellation Form (to apply for a FCC or refund). Please note refund is only allowed for cancelled sailings as a result of the Global Suspension.
Click here for Full T&Cs available on our CWC Policy webpage

 

PROTECTION OF LOYALTY BENEFITS

Loyalty members who previously redeemed complimentary nights on an affected sailing scheduled to sail before June 11, 2020 or had complimentary nights set to expire between March 6 and October 31, 2020 will receive:
– An extension of their complimentary nights through to January 1, 2022
– Complimentary nights must be used on a new future Azamara voyage booked by December 31, 2020 and departing on or before April 30, 2022
– If the client booked their sailing with the onboard Cruise Again team we will protect their onboard loyalty discount plus the onboard credit they received. This offer is for FCC holders only who previously booked onboard
– Offer applies to Future Cruise Credit holders only. If client chose a full refund, they are not eligible for this benefit.

Guest & Trade Letters were sent out to those booked on sailings prior to June 11, 2020 minus those who opted for a refund.

 

Click here for Guest Letter on Azamara Circle Benefit Protection
Click here for Trade Letter on Azamara Circle Benefit Protection

 

IMPORTANT: Please note, if you choose to move forward with this Cruise with Confidence offer, and then your sailing is cancelled due to an unexpected change, you will not be eligible for the new offer.


Please note Azamara reserves the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions at any time without prior notice or liability. Offers are subject to change and can be withdrawn without notice.

 

Should there be any further itinerary changes or cancellations we will advise those trade partners with affected bookings directly via email.

 

You can also stay up to date with the latest information and changes on this situation by visiting our Travel Advisory web page on our website by clicking here. This is the best area to check information on this situation as this page will constantly be updated as the situation continues to evolve and change.

 

For any other emergencies or specific questions not answered here or the relevant websites and FAQs please see below contact information to assist you:

  • Call Centre Phone number for Australia: 1800 570 552
  • Call Centre Phone number for New Zealand: 0800 445 733
  • Booking Support: azamarabookingsupportapac@azamara.com 
  • Your Business Development Manager (see Contact section for the team’s contact details)

ONBOARD HEALTH PROTOCOLS

 

Azamara takes your and our crew’s health and well-being very seriously, which is why there are many protocols and procedures which have been elevated and introduced to ensure we keep everyone onboard healthy including:

  • Implementation of travel restrictions preventing guests and crew coming from or transiting through areas of high risk of infection/exposure from boarding a vessel.
  • Performing enhanced screening at the embarkation port
  • Providing hand sanitising gel at boarding and throughout the voyage in all public areas and encourage guests to sanitise often.
  • Access to a 24-hour medical facility onboard with a doctor and nurses ready to provide medical care.
  • Working with our tour operators to sanitize transportation vehicles and provide Purell wipes for all guests.

We are currently laser-focused on additional safety enhancements for our return to service. To develop our future boarding screening process and updated health protocols, we are collaborating with government health authorities, the Cruise Lines International Association, and our own team of medical experts. These are not yet finalised, but when they are, we will be sure to let you and your Travel Advisor know via email.

 

We know that our 70+ guests and those with chronic conditions are especially eager to understand what cruising will look like in the future. While subject to change, via the Cruise Lines International Association, we have confirmed that the previous restrictions were lifted in early April 2020 after cruise lines suspended service. Please know that every decision we make, and all of the fine-tuning we do, has your well-being in mind. We miss you – and can’t wait to welcome you back on board.

 

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and cooperation during this difficult and fast-developing situation. As always, the most important thing to us will always be the safety of our guests and crew. In the meantime, we’ll continue to monitor the global situation.

 

We wish you good health and truly appreciate all you do each and every day. We know, this too shall pass and are excited to see you and your guests enjoy a healthy and enjoyable voyage with us very soon!