Visitors onboard

We were on a Seabourn cruise last year when a couple onboard who had friends in one of our ports of call, invited them to join them onboard for lunch. It looked like nice thing to do although I imagine it doesn't happen a lot. However when I checked the Seabourn website 'Q's & A's' it stated that no visitors are allowed. Does anyone know the position and have any of you been able to invite friends for lunch/dinner? I gather that its fine with Silversea.

We managed to get friends on board for lunch on the Legend in December 2014. We realized that they would be in Curacao on a Holland America cruise the same day we were there.

When we contacted Seabourn well in advance, we were told that since our friends' passports and other relevant information were on file with HAL, it would not be a problem to have them come on board. When we boarded the Legend, we checked to make sure everything was set. Of course, no one on board had heard anything about the arrangements. Luckily we had a week for dialogue between the ship and Seattle, and eventually the approval was given for our friends to come on board.

When we met them at the gate to the port (they were docked at a separate facility), the port guards would not let them enter with their Holland America ID cards. They were supposed to be on an approved list, but... One of us had to return to the ship and eventually someone was able to communicate with the gate to let them in.

They (and we) did have a good time on board, and were treated the same as any other guest, rather than "interlopers".

So, short answer is that it is possible, with a lot of work and attention on your part.

I posted a question on another thread as the Odyssey (which we will be boarding) and the Encore will both be docked in Barcelona on the same day and we wondered whether there was any precedent that would let us have a sneaky peak?

I posted a question on another thread as the Odyssey (which we will be boarding) and the Encore will both be docked in Barcelona on the same day and we wondered whether there was any precedent that would let us have a sneaky peak?

I have been on the Odyssey otherwise we could swap :D We board the Encore that day.

We were boarding Seabourn Legend in Monte Carlo a few years ago, as it happened Azamara Quest was also in port. Our friends whom we met cruising were aboard Azamara Quest. Our friends requested permission for us to board. It seems the Hotel Director or the Captain must request permission and security check from head office. It is possibly a similar situation with Seabourn. We had a nice tender ride out to Azamara Quest, enjoyed afternoon tea with our friends, tendered to shore in the late afternoon to board Seabourn Legend .

Patti the lycra is on standby;)

Whilst terms and conditions state no visitors are permitted on board Seabourn do make allowances at times.

We have just concluded 42 days on Encore and were fortunate to have our son and his family join us while we were docked in Melbourne.

It is a long arduous process be prepared to allow several weeks or months in our case of too-ing and fro-ing.

Initially an email to HO asking for permission will eventuate in a visitor request form being sent.

Seabourn do not reply to emails readily. You will require passports full details of those coming on board make certain everything is clear and accurate.

Our application was approved by the Captain details were available at the port gate, once on board more forms were required to be filled in and visitors cards were required to be worn.

It was a very pleasant occasion for us and well worth the effort. Good luck.

We are both SB and SS being itinerary led. Our two out of the box requests are hopping on and off sometimes instead of doing the full cruise and secondly having visitors onboard. SS are very accommodating on both, SB refuse customising the cruise and their literature says no visitors so I find SB, on shore, very restricting and "corporate" with their attitude. Onboard though is a different matter. However on our July 2016 SB Med cruise I managed to get permission to have friends on board for dinner, they loved it and subsequently are now regular SB cruisers.

I have had many guests on board with SS and around 80% of them are now converted into regulars. It is VERY short sighted of SB to not promote or welcome visitors as it generates easy substantial business.

Miss Merry

These are very helpful replies, thank up you all. I am not sure that we have the stamina to pursue it on Seabourn if it is such a hassle - but it is yet another reason we are going to be trying SS.

Miss Merry, you put your finger right on another issue I have been pondering - namely, hopping on or off a cruise partway. It sounds worth looking into. I might have to start another thread!

These are very helpful replies, thank up you all. I am not sure that we have the stamina to pursue it on Seabourn if it is such a hassle - but it is yet another reason we are going to be trying SS.

 

Miss Merry, you put your finger right on another issue I have been pondering - namely, hopping on or off a cruise partway. It sounds worth looking into. I might have to start another thread!

I know SS did this years ago. Do they still do it?

Seabourn are not very helpful about on board visitors, but it is possible provided you allow enough time for all the necessary stuff about passports etc. to be dealt with. We did try it recently with friends who have a house near St.Trop, but did not leave enough time for sorting it. Well worth it if you organise it well in advance, but I agree Seabourn should be a bit more accommodating - our friends would almost certainly have become customers.

Lincs Lady, how strange, it was our Odyssey cruise last year at St Tropez that I was referring to in my original post! We said Hi to the group -outside at the Colonnade! What a huge coincidence. It was the last week of August. Good to know anyway that sometimes it can be done.

I agree that this does seem a shortsighted policy that Seabourn are following. The SS website actually has instructions to tell you how to go about organising visits.

We took Sojourn HK-Singapore last year and our son and daughter in law were in Manila. My wife had submitted PP copies and they came aboard for lunch dinner and then for breakfast. Many of the Filipino crews families did come aboard to visit. I don't know if that had any impact on them boarding.

These are very helpful replies, thank up you all. I am not sure that we have the stamina to pursue it on Seabourn if it is such a hassle - but it is yet another reason we are going to be trying SS.

 

Miss Merry, you put your finger right on another issue I have been pondering - namely, hopping on or off a cruise partway. It sounds worth looking into. I might have to start another thread!

Hopping on and off with SS is easy and they charge you by the night. With us it all started as we wanted to get to St Maarten from Tortola and the local Island hoppers (planes) are not very reliable. First trip was three days, second trip was four days but we still didn't take to cruising. It was only when we had a last ditch attempt at it by going on a holiday for 18 days did it gel and we realised that perception is everything. We had treated our first two attempts as an up market ferry trip, a means to an end, when we relaxed into it we were hooked and three years on have done SS and SB many times, although SB won't customise. Again SB are being short sighted, others where we live now do this, and all because SS said "YES"

Thanks for this useful information. I agree with you, it's very shortsighted of Seabourn. We will certainly be giving SS a try.

My mother and sister sailed on Seabourn Sojourn from Barcelona to Cape Town in Nov/Dec 2014. My mother asked for permission for me (the son) to join them on board for lunch in Cape Town. I had to supply my passport details. There were no forms to complete and so it was easy, straightforward and quick. Perhaps it's easier for family members?

I loved it and did my first Seabourn cruise out of Singapore in December 2015. I probably wouldn't have done that cruise if I hadn't been on the ship in Cape Town. Six of us (all family members) are now booked on the Ovation inaugural cruise in May next year. So one free lunch has led to significant business for Seabourn!

My mother and sister sailed on Seabourn Sojourn from Barcelona to Cape Town in Nov/Dec 2014. My mother asked for permission for me (the son) to join them on board for lunch in Cape Town. I had to supply my passport details. There were no forms to complete and so it was easy, straightforward and quick. Perhaps it's easier for family members?

 

I loved it and did my first Seabourn cruise out of Singapore in December 2015. I probably wouldn't have done that cruise if I hadn't been on the ship in Cape Town. Six of us (all family members) are now booked on the Ovation inaugural cruise in May next year. So one free lunch has led to significant business for Seabourn!

Exactly, it really is an excellent marketing tool. Having said that I invited a friend on board SS for lunch, he loved it and promptly booked SB. If the suits from SB follow these threads I really hope they listen and action.

MM