Large Price Drop in the Med and Beyond

I was browsing the Seabourn site today and noticed that all of the Med cruises dropped in price dramatically. It seems some of the others areas may have too but I haven't been paying attention to the prices closely so I'm not really sure.

 

There's a 14 day Monte Carlo to Athens cruise for $4000 for an OB. At that price you almost can't afford not to sail...

 

Call your TA and see what they can do (or call Seabourn directly). My TA just let us know that our balance dropped $2k per person for a cruise next June. Now that's a nice surprise!

Our TA informed us about two weeks ago of the $2000 per person price drop on our epicurean cruise next April Barcelona to Dover on the Quest. That will take care of one return business class ticket from SFO.

 

More cruise ships (and perhaps some not totally rational terrorist fears) may be fueling the price drops, as well as dollar strengthening v. Euro, all theories. Ports in the med were quite packed this month, however, too many people to be ideal for a short port stop, so much to see!

Thank you for posting this.

We saved over $9K for the 2 of us on Encore - quite a savings!

Thanks again.

Glad to see you're trying Seabourn again, Paul.

Yes - I am looking forward to it.

Will give Crystal a try as well in the future - though I am still quite happy on Oceania (just not as happy as I used to be :))

It's good to try different things.

Our TA informed us about two weeks ago of the $2000 per person price drop on our epicurean cruise next April Barcelona to Dover on the Quest. That will take care of one return business class ticket from SFO.

 

More cruise ships (and perhaps some not totally rational terrorist fears) may be fueling the price drops, as well as dollar strengthening v. Euro, all theories. Ports in the med were quite packed this month, however, too many people to be ideal for a short port stop, so much to see!

 

do you think you will be happy on SB after your ms Europa ?

only the quality of the food ingredients :cool: ???

 

i closed the door for SB as both Odyssey and Sojourn were terrible for me and Quest only acceptable.

once again : free drinks is not a synonym for luxury to me .

I imagine that you are more at home with the languages used mainly on Europa, vistaman? Not quite so easy or enjoyable for those of us who only really speak English, with perhaps a smattering of French. We Brits are notorious for not bothering to learn other languages - and I doubt that Americans are much better.

 

It does make a difference to one's enjoyment of a cruise, and even the atmosphere can seem different - we once went on a (dreadful) Costa cruise, and the overly Italian atmosphere on board and the fact that English was about the 5th language used in announcements made it even worse.

ok i am trying to speak 4 languages and i am able to order meals in italian as well ( and complain :eek: ) - for sure not in spanish at all

i can understand for ms europa the language can be an issue , not for ms europa 2

despite there are other differences in the hotel and F and B approach

example Us pax do drink martini's , the German pax in general a lot of - real - champagne and plain drinks

on hapag : lots of different breads cold cuts and cheeses

before i discovered Hapag , i was a regular on Crystal (and the 3 small SB triplets ) but not so a fan anymore due to quite some quality changes after all inclusive

what is disturbing me quite heavily was also the fact SB does practice a complete random of upgrades - so first timers 5 and even 6 degrees higher as a pax on level 15 ???

I understand your preference for Europa, Vistaman, but it seems the only times you post on the SB board is to knock SB. You're entitled to your preferences and so is everyone else.

I understand your preference for Europa, Vistaman, but it seems the only times you post on the SB board is to knock SB. You're entitled to your preferences and so is everyone else.

 

I agree.

vistaman - I think you have proved the point I was making - not only the language, but the style different nationalities have. You love special breads and cold cuts and cheese (probably for breakfast?) most other nationalities who frequent Seabourn probably prefer croissants, eggs benedict, pancakes, etc. I actually speak quite good French, and passable German, but still prefer the 'style' of Seabourn, even though I am British and not American. And although the wines on Seabourn are only average, the cocktails and spirits for preprandial drinks are good, and encourage guests to mingle in the bars rather than skulking in their suites for drinks.

 

Chacun a son gout.

Nice reply, spot on. As an American who only has a barely

passing

capability with a second language, but wish I could be more fluent, I would think having English as a third or fourth language spoken in the event of an emergency is not something I want to pay money for. Will stick with Seabourn with their breakfast choices and announcements in English, just staying in my wheelhouse.

I understand your preference for Europa, Vistaman, but it seems the only times you post on the SB board is to knock SB. You're entitled to your preferences and so is everyone else.

 

i think there is still somewhere in CC a very positive review i wrote once about the Legend - those were great days !!! despite i disliked the Charlie Palmer menu's but you were able to avoid those ...

and then with the Odyssey all those changes ...

wripro,

i think both of us are very experiuenced travellers and cruisers

so :

suppose both of us are booked business class long distance ( fully paid so not with miles points or other rewards ) on an overbooked plane

 

you do have gold or silver in the programm of that particular airline - i have entrance level

 

i think you are far more eligible for an upgrade to first - not me ...

unfortunately that logic seems impossible to several cruise companies including SB and also Crystal ( not so on SS )

complete random : not once but several times in line !

vistaman - I remember that you found that you had been given a less good suite than someone with fewer days on Seabourn than you, which understandably annoyed you. I have had the same thing happen to me, and there does not seem much logic in how guarantee suites are allocated - see the current thread on guarantees. I would love to know how the Guarantee Genie works.

 

However, I like Seabourn well enough to continue cruising with them, certainly in preference to any of the other 'luxury' lines, having tried Regent, Seadream and Silversea. And on our latest cruise we were lucky enough to be put in a pretty good suite as well, which obviously helps!

Vistaman,

 

Nobody loved the triplets more than I but they are gone. Seabourn today is what it is and we have to accept it. If your annoyance stems from he fact that you once didn't get the upgrade you wanted then remember we are only entitled to the suite we paid for, an upgrade is a bonus. And if it was a guarantee then you still got what you paid for.

do you think you will be happy on SB after your ms Europa ?

only the quality of the food ingredients :cool: ???

 

i closed the door for SB as both Odyssey and Sojourn were terrible for me and Quest only acceptable.

once again : free drinks is not a synonym for luxury to me .

 

 

Vistaman, I am hoping that on my "epicurean" cruise on the Quest the food and service will be better than it was in Norway last month when I still wrote a CC review rating 4/5. Or better yet, I am hoping it will be as wonderful as it was on the Odyssey September 2015 when I rated 5/5 on a BTB. But if they again have that dreadful pseudo-Japanese dinner mess DH was disgusted with or similar as a routine, I will be a little disappointed, and will try and eat more off-ship. But at least DH will be happy most pax speak English, and we will still see interesting things in port. HL is not going to Normandy next spring or we would be on it instead :).

 

Lincslady and others, just to be clear, you absolutely CAN definitely get porridge, croissants, pancakes, eggs benedict, waffles, eggs and bacon, etc. on HL, in addition to the sausage and cheeses and many different breads. DH loved made to order breakfast in the MDR on Europa 2, said he had the best waffles ever, great omelette, while I munched on my steak tatar, creamed herring, or crispy baguettes with wonderful diverse sausages or cheeses or jam ( we both passed on the smoked eel😳.

Eggs benedict were also actually better on the Europa than on the Quest on my trip last month.

 

But as I wrote in my reviews of Europa 2 ( Africa in December 2015) and MS Europa last month, there is the issue of the general reservedness of the German personality ( some exceptions) that likely puts off English speakers more than the language because all menus and major communications are also in English and so are menus. But it is not a place to make many new friends, even if you sit in the bars, which is what the Germans also do before dinner, they are just drinking different things, and with their existing friends and relatives.

Lincslady and others, just to be clear, you absolutely CAN definitely get porridge, croissants, pancakes, eggs benedict, waffles, eggs and bacon, etc. on HL, in addition to the sausage and cheeses and many different breads.

 

You did not mention the friggin baked beans on H-L. Also, whatever they serve as syrup for breakfast is not maple syrup.

 

During past two months, I have been on SB Quest, Europa2, and Crystal Serenity. Return to Serenity next week. Quest food seems to have generally improved as other people have suggested. The only passenger with USA passport on the Europa2 trip. They really should put the brakes on trying to market this ship to North America, IMO. Silk Road on Serenity has become a favorite of mine.

 

Back to breakfast. Maybe twice a week I'll try buffet scrambled eggs. Two bites is enough. Except on H-L, where I finish the plate. Try going from there to Crystal. One bite and done.

 

Where H-L has a chance of cracking the North American market is with one of their two new build exploration ships. It will be English speaking.

Catlover - it does look as if HL has a better choice for different national tastes than Seabourn - although I have never looked for them, I do not think SB does the cold cuts and cheeses for breakfast and I have not seen rye bread, which I do like.

 

However, I am afraid that for me it is what I have read from several reports about the 'style' of HL which does not appeal - and the same applied to Italian Costa and the Greek officers on Celebrity (years ago, maybe this has changed).

Oregon, yes silk road on serenity is my favourite. You can never get too much black cod or sashimi!

 

Vistaman, whilst i can see your reasons for not getting a recognition for cruising before. What this does go to show is that everyone on SB is treated the same regardless of suite, or seabourn club status. Which isnt such a bad thing.

There are certainly more pressing things that would prevent me from travelling with a line. For example food quality on SS is a big issue for me.

tillylovesseabourn,

i must agree with you on SS - despite they maybe have the friendliest priced wine list in the "luxury " all inclusive segment

i only do SS for Caribbean if single sup is extremely low and not on the 2 oldest wind or cloud

 

lincslady,

maybe the guarantee genius is also carnivalised - :eek:??

i was told by a belgian - no names - who previously worked for SB that a first - or even rather "low level" pax 2 or 3 - does have a bigger chance in the guarantee programme for an upgrade as somebody on higher levels

they call that a "commercial upgrade " to make those pax so happy they book once more

and i hope you are willing to believe i am not going to lie on that.

vitamin,

 

What you re sayings possibly very true. They want to ensure continued bookings from newer passengers. That still doesn't give anyone the right to expect more than they paid for.

vistaman - yes, of course you are right, that first timers on Seabourn are likely to get a reasonably good upgrade to bring them back. Sadly, it makes commercial sense! I had already worked that one out.

 

Some friends of ours are going on Seabourn for the first time fairly soon, in a guarantee suite, and I will be very interested to see if they get an upgrade.

 

It also happened to us on another line. Did not work, however, as we did not care for the line.

vitamin,

 

What you re sayings possibly very true.....

 

Predictive text strikes again - Love it!