Is there a reason, that by my calculations, it is less expensive to book the two parts of a two part combo cruise separately rather than booking it as one cruise? Do you receive any unspecified benefit for booking a combo? Is there a downside to booking both parts separately such as having to disembark and then check in again?
There is often a discount for booking a back-to-back (combo) cruise; you can also request the same suite for both cruises, avoiding having to pack up (and possibly disembarking and re-embarking the ship). I don't see any advantage to booking the cruises separately unless you are really into packing.
I actually found the same thing after I had booked a combo....not sure how many back to backs it is, but probably 5 or so. I did the maths of paying for each segment as a seperate cruise, and it worked out quite a lot cheaper! (This was just taking the prices from the Seabourn website) Naturally I queried this with my TA....and voila....all was fixed! So all you need is a good TA....anyone know any?
__________________ Granny Lorr
Seabourn Pride...Dover to Singapore...88 Days....Sept 17 2011
This is one area where I fully expect Seabourn's move to Seattle to improve things. There simply were not enough people and an inferior reservations system so there was inconsistent pricing. With the more robust system that Holland America (and Cunard, Princess, P&O Australia) use those inconsistencies will...eventually...go away.
As Granny mentioned, she booked quite a long cruise (get ready for Granny's Adventure!!!) which when broken down into segments was less expensive. But when this was brought to Seabourn's attention it took a while for the correct pricing to be loaded into the system...and then Granny's price was actually less than the sum of the segments (as it should be).
In short, if you have a good travel agent he/she will book you under one reservation and have the pricing adjusted. If that doesn't happen, Seabourn will not require you to disembark and then embark. And, if you don't have the same suite for a back-to-back, Seabourn will even move your clothes, etc. Remember, is Seabourn...and that does make a difference.
Is there a reason, that by my calculations, it is less expensive to book the two parts of a two part combo cruise separately rather than booking it as one cruise? Do you receive any unspecified benefit for booking a combo? Is there a downside to booking both parts separately such as having to disembark and then check in again?
I have heard that people sometimes have to disembark (but not pack) and then basically go through customs again, but that is probably solely dependent of what country you are in (U.S.).
These lux lines, especially Seabourn, market different combinations of cruises as different singular cruises, so the savings is built into the pricing scheme and I don't think you are officially booking a back to back much of the time.
For example, the "brochure" will list a 10-day cruise, a 20-day cruise and a 31-day cruise all starting on the same date and same ship. They are combining cruises for you, and the price goes down accordingly.
This is why lux lines rarely repeat any itinerary, they know a lot of people just want to stay on the vessel for more than one cruise.
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
I am awaiting the answer to whether Seabourn will match their separate prices for the combo cruise I am taking. I’m not looking for an extra discount for having booked both but just for what it would cost me to book individually. Right now it is cheaper to book both cruises in the combo separately than to pay their combo price. The alternative, to assure not losing rooms to waitlist people, is to cancel one person per room at a time. Pay supplement for single. Rebook the cancelled person at new price. Repeat. (I am sure I haven’t explained this properly.)
I plan to disembark for the day that the second segment starts, so customs is not a problem. Especially since it’s in Europe and not the US. It’s the same port I leave from for segment 1. I am just happy being assured of not having to repack.
I was hoping I would be told that there was some sort of bonus to be had (like free spa days???) to make up for the difference and encourage me to buy their combination. The difference for me is about $2000 (but more than 1 room involved). I consider that nuts.
Hopefully Seabourn will think so too and arrange this without making me jump through hoops (but expect new stationary for second segment etc if I have to). But have to wonder why they need time to think about it or work on it. And yes it's my fault for not having done the calculations before I booked.
I am sure the cruise will be repriced just as mine was. I dont even know what made me think of looking at the individual costings for each cruise...probably just had nothing else to do one night. In round figures mine came to approx $10,000 less! Now that is huge in anybodys language! Also can tell you that Eric even managed to better it by a hell of a lot more. Back to backs over (I think) 26 days? are called Grand cruises.
All our cruises have been lots of back to backs. We have never had to do the customs thing after the first time.
Only on one cruise did we have to change suites. We had done the 72 days South American navigation, and then added a Trans Atlantic at a later date, so couldnt keep the same suite. If you want, the crew will move all your belongings for you and put them back in the same places in your new suite. We decided to just do the move ourselves. On embarkation day the crew are so busy, and we were in Fort Lauderdale, and didnt want to go onshore....so was easier for us to do it ourselves.
__________________ Granny Lorr
Seabourn Pride...Dover to Singapore...88 Days....Sept 17 2011
Unfortunately my travel agent passed away last fall and I’m dealing with someone new who doesn’t seem to have the same type of connections. Reservations department says they are aware of the problem but can not do anything to change it until they get an answer from management/accounting. They are now saying they hope to have it settled by tomorrow. I’m hopeful but it’s rather annoying (having to annoy).
I also have private pre and post tours booked (4 different ones) through the agent and would prefer not to make any waves until I arrive safely, happily, home from vacation. I would definitely consider making a change before my next cruise / adventure.
I have a question just out of curiosity, what happens to the commission if you change agents close to the time of your final payment?
well thats good news. I was lucky enough to get mine repriced within a couple of days, but I suppose things could be slowed down at the moment with all the changes that are happening in the Seabourn office.
__________________ Granny Lorr
Seabourn Pride...Dover to Singapore...88 Days....Sept 17 2011
In the end, they raised the online prices of the separate segments and slightly lowered the online combo price. Their way of solving the problem. I may be able to get the slightly lower price for the combo but who knows how long that will take. Maybe they’ll raise the online combo price to what I’m already booked at and be done with that problem to.
I won’t even get started on the next improbable argument I had with them.
See post number 4. This is how simple things become incredibly complicated and frustrating. None of us know the facts, but many times the issues are created or exacerbated because of a lack of understanding. There is help out there. You just have to want to use it.
Let's not get false or inaccurate information running here too!
The announcement was very clear: Seabourn is moving its offices at the end of March...not up, running, and in Seattle in the beginning of Frebruary. In addition, there are obvious personnel issues still being worked out and things are in a bit of "state of flux" at the moment so, by obvious nature, now is when these sorts of things have the greatest potential not to be resolved as normal. Think about it.
It was just on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, that it was announced that a person was appointed to head modificiation of the reservations system to handle Seabourn and to oversee the Reservations department. (That system already services Holland America, Princess, Cunard and P&0 Australia that I am aware of.) So to ask how Seabourn is doing in Seattle when it is public knowledge in the trade that Seabourn isn't in Seattle and the people are not even in place is, alas, a bit troubling.
So, pleeeeaaaaaasssseeee, try to have accurate information posted; otherwise it isn't anything but counterproductive on many levels.
In the end, Nadine is, by choice, doing it the hard way. In a perfect world things would be as easy for a single passenger as it is for a Seabourn-experienced travel agent...but then, again, the fact that travel agents even exist lays testament to the fact that it just ain't so.
Sorry to be harsh, but this entire thread just is so "off" as it started with a small issue and has unnecessarily blown itself into an ordeal.
(Nadine: If you would like I will take care of whatever the issue(s) is. You can keep the booking - so it isn't an issue of trying to get your business. It is just an issue of getting it...whatever it is...done. Just email me.)
First off... I don't care if it's Seabourn or a budget line, I ALWAYS recommend people use trained travel agent professionals. It truly is the easiest step to take to ensure your booking experience goes smoothly.
That said, a lux line like Seabourn, whether in the midst of changing locations or not, should be capable of dealing with servicing their clientele through problems in the booking process, if they allow passengers to book directly.
Customer relations departments at other cruise lines are known to be pretty awkward, and often supply information. I'd argue, at the Seabourn price points, one does have a right to expect better from Seabourn.
Turmoil of the move, and personel changes is an easy excuse, and from my few experiences with Seabourn, at least onboard they don't look for excuses, they simply find remedies. The same should be said of their CR dept.
It was very kind of you to offer to step in to assist... whatever the OP's issues might be.
You are absolutely correct, Seabourn should handle things appropriately with direct bookings. Clearly, Seabourn...or, better, Carnival Corp. recognized that while Seabourn has the best product at sea, its land-based operations are not where they should be. That is now being corrected...That is not an excuse, but fact.
It is also important to keep in mind that we are only hearing one side of the story and, as I often find the case, the guest's frustration comes from a lack of understanding rather than the improper delivery of a product or how a solution is formulated. (Heck, even with the pricing issue - and Granny Lorr had the same sort of issue...and I had it resolved quickly - becomes a huge frustration when a guest, rather than her travel agent, has the burden of following up to assure resolution.) So what for business is not a "crisis" is a "CRISIS" for an individual guest, perspectives may run askew.
The solution is not always to blame the imperfect cruise line (budget or luxury), but to ask, "Is there a better way to have this addressed because it isn't MY way or the cruise line's way...as there are probably alternatives I never thought of because I don't know it all?"
I was just referring to the fact that Seabourn's latest press release referred to Rick Meadows as President - and he is in Seattle. But I will assume you are dealing with the sales team on a daily basis, Eric, so I concede that you have a more accurate picture of where the sales team is located.
For something positive… I used the link for the luggage valet on the ‘already booked’ page and received an answer almost immediately. The very helpful woman answered all my questions efficiently and pleasantly. On the negative, I used the link for custom tour services and never received a reply.
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Seabourn combo cruising
Granny Lorr
Back to backs over (I think) 26 days? are called Grand cruises.
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