alexandria

DW and I have been on dozens of cruises over the past 40+ years and now that we are retired and blessed to afford more luxury travel options, we have started trying out the luxury cruise lines starting with Seabourn.  We booked the Quest transatlantic crossing from Miami to Las Palmas sailing on March 24.  We booked with our preferred travel agent into a Verandah Suite and in December we accepted an offer to upgrade to a Penthouse Spa Suite.  Thanks to a kind member here, we received a referral OBC and we also received CCL credit as well.

Prior to sailing, we contacted Seabourn at the recommendation of some here to provide our suite preferences as the online feature for that was not working.  I do not drink alcohol and prefer sparkling water and no-sugar added soft drinks and vegetable juices.  The Seabourn person we corresponded with indicated that our requests would be no problem.

We arrived about ten minutes before our scheduled check-in time to find the laziest porter we've ever encountered sitting on a chair and directing us where to leave our luggage!  He didn't even get up and help those who were older or struggled with their bags.  But that isn't Seabourn's fault, probably just a sign of the times.  Then we encountered a DYKWIA couple (Seabourn regulars judging from the hugs we saw them give some crew members later that day) who actually cut in front of my wife and put their stuff on the conveyor belt in front of her purse as she waited her turn at the terminal security screening.  Fortunately, our paths did not again cross but it was a reminder that wealth does not buy class!

Embarkation was very smooth and quick but we found the first example of a Seabourn "stumble" while waiting in the terminal for boarding to begin when they put out dispensers of fruit juice and water with champagne flutes that were too tall to fit under the spout with the fixed base underneath.  It made quite a mess as many attempted to fill their glass by tipping it under the spout which put about 1/4" in the glass and the rest all over the table and floor.  A Seabourn crew member later appeared with a standard large beverage cooler and filled glasses with juice.  Unfortunately for those of us who should not avoid sweetened drinks, she only had the juice...water was not available.  Boarding began about 12:45pm but a line soon formed on the gangway as everyone stopped at a table to make Solis reservations or set up a special event.  Once the Seabourn crew member at the table realized everyone had stopped, he announced that anyone who didn't want to do those things before boarding could simply pass by and the line quickly dissipated.

We were greeted upon boarding and directed to the Colonnade.  We were surprised that embarking guests were not provided a glass of champagne as we thought that was something done on Seabourn.  Of course, it was available for the asking if one desired.  Lunch was good but seating was very limited at the Colonnade and service was very slow.  We waited about fifteen minutes for a simple glass of water and a request for a Diet Coke was never fulfilled.  At about 1:30pm, the suites were ready and we made our way aft to our Penthouse Spa Suite.  We found the suite to be well-appointed and clean but only stocked with a bottle of champagne with a note that Seabourn did not receive any suite preferences and to let our suite attendant know of any requests.  That was quite a disappointment, particularly since we found that they only carried Diet Coke (in a very limited quantity), Coke Zero and Sprite Zero onboard.  No other sugar-free drinks were available (unlike on RCCL and Celebrity where they had a wide variety of sugar-free San Pellegrino flavored sparkling beverages).  We also discovered that the only Nespresso pods available were decaffeinated as some provisions were apparently not restocked in Miami.  My request for cream or half-half to have with my early AM coffee was not met until day five when a pitcher of milk appeared in the mini-fridge.  They did provide a bowl of berries two days but the strawberries were soft and not very fresh.  We also learned that due to staffing issues we would not have a suite host and our suite attendant, whom we shared with penthouse suites on Deck 10 forward, was new to Seabourn.  Nonetheless he tried very hard and his efforts were much appreciated.

While service in the Colonnade on embarkation day was poor, it gradually improved over the next few days and by the middle of the sailing was quite attentive.  Service in the restaurant was always good but Solis was a disappointment, both in quality of service and food (see comment here:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3002788-solis-experience-on-quest/?do=findComment&comment=67229471).  The passion fruit sorbet offered one day as a no-sugar added option at Seabourn Square was outstanding.  I also loved the Napa burger at the pool grill...just fabulous!  Afternoon tea in the observation lounge was also quite well done.

We found many of the "conversations" and other activities quite enjoyable.  In fact, we spent so much time doing those things that neither of us made much progress on the reading we intended to do onboard.  I enjoyed talks by Bob Wittman (retired FBI agent who started the Art Crimes Team) and Keith Muras (retired British Foreign Service officer) while DW enjoyed doing artwork and was thrilled to find Debbie Macomber, one of her most favorite authors, sailing with us as a featured conversationalist so DW was able to enjoy some wonderful times with two new friends.  Team Trivia was great thanks to CD James Templeton, his lovely assistant (and Seabourn dancer) Tabitha, and the sometimes rowdy but fun crowd who participated for nine straight days!  Shows were quite good but the Seabourn singer who led two well-known hymns during the Easter morning service was unprepared and lost his place in the music during each hymn.  That was rather...unfortunate.

We found that our fellow travelers were (by and large) a friendly, fun and interesting group who, like us, took the service and quality missteps in stride and in good humor.  A number of them had sailed Seabourn before and acknowledged that service and quality has declined in recent years but opined that Seabourn is still quite better than many travel alternatives.  We had some great times talking with a few of the crew members and while all (but one) was helpful and friendly, several went above and beyond to make us feel very welcome and special.

The ship was in great shape with brand new cushions on the pool deck loungers and chairs.  There was always cleaning or maintenance taking place, we didn't see a speck of rust or any indication of deferred maintenance, and they even replaced all of the carpet on the atrium stair treads during our voyage even though the previous carpet (same color) appeared to be in excellent condition!  Internet (the stream package) was very fast and available during the entire crossing with no outages experienced.

Our overall thoughts:  Unfortunately, in business today the trend seems to be "over promise but under deliver."  That leads to disappointment and can diminish the likelihood of developing a loyal customer.  But marketing fills cruise ships and cruise lines (at least all of them we have sailed) have become adept at apologizing "for any inconvenience" and they are quite willing to sacrifice customer loyalty and satisfaction for increased profit.

Did Seabourn meet expectations?  No.  Did they deliver an above-average product and service?  Yes.  Would we sail Seabourn again?  It depends.  With recent substantial price increases Seabourn may not represent a good luxury vacation value for us.  We did notice (particularly at the end of the sailing) some benefit to their better crew to passenger ratio, we found the condition of the ship to be excellent, upcharge items on other lines (filet mignon, lobster and such) were included, and we very much preferred the small ship experience.  However, the inclusion of alcoholic beverages is not important to us, availability and variety of some food and beverage offerings were limited, and Seabourn simply missed the mark on their promised Seabourn Experience/Seabourn Difference.  While some crew provided exceptional personal service, the majority provided the typical service experience that we have come to appreciate on lines like HAL and similar.

We have a Silversea sailing coming up later this year and are looking at other luxury cruise options.  We may also look at some of the smaller Regatta-class Oceania voyages to see if they would be a good fit for us.  And we may book another Seabourn sailing when the time, itinerary and price is right.  Any other suggestions are welcomed!

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.  Fair winds and following seas to all!  🛳️

Just now, cruiseej said:

 

I've found that they always need to record the suite number for some aspect of their information/data management. On recent cruises, I've sometimes been greeted by name by the maitre d' or seating host, but asked for my suite number: "Good evening, Mr. ---, could you please remind me of your suite number." (I'd rather have them remember my name than my suite number! 😂)

That makes sense, however, the seating host never addressed us by name.  Not a big deal, just surprising considering how much contact we had with him during the sailing.  On the other hand, some crew with whom we had not had any previous interaction did address us by name when we encountered them which was a nice touch.  🙂

Our experience with Solis on a recent Quest sailing was also disappointing.  We had a server who abruptly and officiously "corrected" me when I decided to order two appetizers in lieu of a main, telling me that the menu required me to order one appetizer and one main.  This was my first time on Seabourn so, foolish me, I thought perhaps the Solis dishes were paired as in a tasting menu.  Nope. 

We also found that glasses were not kept filled (wine for DW and sparkling water for me) and I twice had to ask for more water.  The food was fine, about dining room quality, but the service....below par.

I did encounter our Solis server again a few days later when I ordered a scoop of sorbet at the coffee bar.  The fellow behind the gelato counter who was otherwise unoccupied grabbed a container, rinsed the scoop and was about to dish up my sorbet when our Solis server, who had been preparing a coffee order for another passenger, stepped over and grabbed the scoop from his hand telling him she needed to finish the order she was working on.  She then scooped a few different cups of gelato before handing him the scoop back.  She was the single example of quite poor service we encountered.

There were a handful of wonderful crew who did address us by name and were very attentive, but most did not call us by name.  The aspect of that I found most unexpected was the restaurant seating host who asked every night (but the Solis night) for our suite number before sending us to a table.  You'd think that on an 11 night sailing that was only 75% full he might be more attentive and personal.  I'll be posting a review in the near future once I put my thoughts together, but your post on Solis did prompt me to share our experience as well.

Hope you enjoy the remainder of your sailing!

4 hours ago, Archipelago said:

I was arriving the day before. Blacklane never notified me at all . I live and hour and 15 minutes away and could not have gotten there on time had someone been standing here to take me . I am in a small town and taxi service opens at 8am and closes at 7pm. American had no available flights that day or the next . I am cancelling my 2 future voyages with SS. They were both long trips . I am putting this behind me and will find other good choices in the future .SS needs a new slogan .. Silversea Door to Door ..Will you take the risk ?

Sorry to hear about your experience...what an unfortunate turn of events.  That's one reason I never book through a cruise line but handle all of my own transfers, hotels and flights both before and after the cruise.

Your experience may be helpful to other travelers in planning travel from remote airports with infrequent flight availability.  In such cases it is a good idea to have more than the usual contingency plans in place.  If the airline schedules mean that one absolutely has to make a particular flight, a hotel stay the night before at the airport might be wise.  And considering that weather, ATC and other disruptions are not uncommon, the conventional wisdom of arriving in the port of embarkation one day before sailing may need to be reconsidered and arrival even a few days earlier might be a good idea where the disruption of a single flight could prevent one from arriving to the ship on time.

Hope your future cruise travels, on whatever line, are trouble-free.

7 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

We had to get some US cash onboard one time last year and the exchange rate for Australian dollar wasn't great. I am not sure that exchanging US for Euro would be better. If you just want a small amount and in small bills it might be better to do it at the airport if you don't want to risk finding an ATM in time. The ship might also not have much Euro or the right sort of notes coming from Miami.

Thanks for the information, exactly what I was looking for!

Thanks for the reply. I see some ATM locations within a thirty minute walk from the cruise terminal but don't know that we would have time to do that before the excursion departure. And trying to get to an ATM while on the excursion might be difficult or impossible depending on the location of the restaurant that is hosting our lunch (which hasn't been provided yet).

Getting euros from an ATM in Las Palmas when we disembark won't be an issue. But for the Santa Cruz stop we'll want to have euros on hand when we arrive.

DW and I are on the upcoming Quest TA sailing from Miami to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria with just one port of call in Santa Cruz de La Palma.  We'll be on an all-day Distinctive Voyages excursion in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

We may want to have on hand a modest amount of cash for gratuities for the excursion and included lunch and perhaps for any local purchases we might want to make if a credit card isn't accepted.  Are euros available onboard, either through the guest services desk or an onboard ATM?  Alternatively, are USD generally accepted in the Canary Islands or are euros preferred or required?

I've already checked with local bank branches in our area and none will exchange USD for euros for non-customers and the nearest branch of our "megabank" is about an hour away.  I know that I can get euros at the airport but I hear the exchange rates/fees are terrible.

Thanks!

17 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

Truly shocked. 

That letter is in extremely bad taste.

If you booked independent air, you can request reimbursement for "reasonable" out-of-pocket costs for change, cancellation or deviation fees.  Just email the receipts to Silversea at guestrelations@silversea.com with your booking number.

Are there other things you want to claim reimbursement for?

On 3/6/2024 at 11:04 PM, Corony said:

Generally pricing will fluctuate based on remaining cabin availability even if it’s within a certain sale promotion. 

Exactly.  It is the same as any other travel option out there.  Prices on airline tickets can change multiple times in a single day for the same seat on the same flight.  Hotel prices vary from day to day.  Cruise lines do the same.  It is basic revenue management.  And because many cruise ships are sailing with full or nearly full capacity now, cruise lines are more apt to adjust pricing upwards as bookings occur (and probably even more so on luxury lines where passengers are likely not as price-sensitive) to maximize revenue.  And don't forget that food and fuel costs have both been rising which is significant considering the food and fuel requirements for any cruise ship, even the smaller luxury line vessels.  The revenue to cover those increasing expenses has to come from somewhere and on all-inclusive lines like Seabourn, it comes from increased cruise fares.  Mainstream lines have relied more upon increased pricing for onboard purchases (primarily drinks/drink packages and specialty dining) to generate additional revenue.

I recommend that travelers research their travel options and book when the pricing and availability meets their desires and their budget.  If you delay, you may miss out on pricing that is currently offered.  And if the pricing then in effect when you are ready to book has increased and is no longer within the range you'd like to pay, then you can wait and see if prices drop (which does happen from time to time) or look at other options.  Remember to consider overall travel pricing when deciding whether that particular journey provides the value you expect.  If the cruise fare increases by $500pp but the airfare drops by $750pp at the same time, don't fail to see the forest for the trees and miss out on the $250pp overall savings!

Fair winds and following seas!  🛳️

20 hours ago, stan01 said:

 

Thanks for the time to post and the information.  Fortunately, Flight Ease (at least for US based Seabourn customers) does not work that way (which sounds awful I agree)!  We get access to a booking web site and can choose our own flight arrangements on any carrier, can check multiple airports, can book outbound and return on different carriers, and can get seat assignments when the airline allows that.

 

In this case, because it is a transatlantic Flight Ease gives us a lower cost.  For example, when i went to AA website they would not even book a round trip or multi-stop ticket across the Atlantic; had to do a one way ticket US to Europe and another one way ticket from Caribbean to US.  

Thanks all for the info, sounds like we will go ahead and book soon and take our chances with airline schedule changes. 

 

 

Sorry for the incorrect information, I was indeed thinking of Silversea as far as the booking process.

However, as far as pricing, I still recommend checking pricing on your desired flights booking direct before booking via Flight Ease.  When we booked our upcoming sailing on the Quest, we found that business class airfare booked on Flight Ease for our desired flights was significantly more than booked direct.  I just checked again and the pricing today for our round-trip flights booking on Flight Ease would be $4,100 pp where the same exact flights, dates, routings and class would be just $2,450 pp if booked direct.  In fairness, they do have other flights for our sailing that are less expensive booked via Flight Ease than if booked direct but those have more stops and are on less desirable aircraft for business class than those we selected. 

In your case, it sounds as though Flight Ease was the better/more preferable option.

Despite my error in my earlier post, my point remains...compare the offerings of Flight Ease vs booking direct and then select the booking option that makes the most sense for you!

If you haven't already used a cruise line to book your airline tickets, just be aware of the pitfalls as well as the benefits (the primary of which is convenience).

Booking through Flight Ease does remove one travel planning task from your hands and places it in the hands of Seabourn.  In addition to the flights, Seabourn will provide transfers from airport to ship and back and, if an overnight stay is required due to flight schedules, a hotel room as well.

However, if you book through Flight Ease you don't get to select your preferred airline, you don't get to select your routing (and may be booked onto flights with multiple stops vs a non-stop) nor the flight times, you often do not get to pre-select your seat at the time of booking, and you lose the ability to make changes to the flights at your discretion should you want to travel earlier or later or on a different routing.  If you want to fly to Barcelona a day or two before the sailing, or stay in Barbados for a few days before returning home, you may be required to pay deviation fees. 

Flight Ease has in some cases booked flights for passengers that don't arrive until the morning of the sailing.  While they promise to get you to the next port if there are flight delays that cause you to miss embarkation, for a transatlantic that may mean you miss a significant portion (or even all) of your sailing. 

For those who don't mind doing their own travel research, I recommend using Google Flights to find preferred flights (dates, airlines, flight numbers and class of service) and getting pricing for those.  I also always recommend arriving in your port of embarkation at least one day in advance, so research hotels and get pricing on those as well.  Finally, check cost and availability of transfers from the hotel to the port (taxi, Uber or such).  Then, once you have that information in hand, call Flight Ease and see what they can do to book your exact preferred flights and hotels.  That may help you decide whether to let Flight Ease handle those arrangements or to manage your own flights and hotels.

Personally, I have never found value in entrusting those arrangements to a cruise line.  For example, I recently booked fully refundable round-trip business class flights for my wife and I for a fall transpacific cruise to Tokyo.  For one-stop departing flights (there are no non-stops to our port of embarkation city from the east coast) and a non-stop return from Tokyo, I paid about $7,500 vs the $11,000 the cruise line wanted for flights of their choosing (and the more than $12,000 the cruise line would charge for my preferred airline, routing and dates).  I also booked a two-night stay at a luxury/high-end hotel in our port of embarkation city that was just over half of what the cruise line would charge for a single night in a hotel of their choice.  All told I saved at least $4,000 on the flights and hotels, they are all fully refundable, and I maintain full control over my bookings in the event I want to make any changes.

Of course, YMMV. 

Hope that is helpful!

On 2/29/2024 at 2:19 PM, SLC0606 said:

Do people tip on Silversea?  I’ve heard that it’s not encouraged, but in the past, we’ve often tipped some people who went above and beyond to make our trip enjoyable.  This is our first time on Silversea.

Gratuities are already included in your cruise fare.  Nevertheless, some posters here report that they do tip additional amounts (or donate to the crew welfare fund).  However, many others do not.  And either approach is perfectly fine.  Tipping is neither required, nor expected.  If you have not yet experienced a luxury cruise line (such as Silversea, Seabourn or Regent), you may be pleasantly surprised to find that most of the crew go "above and beyond" to make your trip enjoyable.

Enjoy your cruise!

2 hours ago, Northernroots said:

I’m sure this has been asked before, but there doesn’t seem to be a “ search for topic” facility on CC forum? 

Others have answered your question about making a reservation at the Grill by Thomas Keller.

I agree that the CC search feature is not very intuitive.  To search, click on the magnifying glass near the upper right of the CC page you are on.  Then select "Topics" under Content Type and below that select the specific board on CC you want to search using the drop-down menu under Cruise Critic Community.  Here is an example of what I'm talking about:

Fair winds and following seas!  🛳️

I'll be on that sailing as well! 

I wonder how many passengers will be embarking or disembarking the Quest in Miami.  After all, it isn't one of those "bus runs" back and forth from Miami to the Caribbean so I suspect it isn't like a typical turnaround day you find on the mainstream cruise lines in Miami.

6 hours ago, taxatty said:

The refund of 3rd party items purchased via Silversea, such as air upgrades, air deviation fees, transfers, insurance, hotel, land tours, pre and post, and overland tours, will be net of any penalties assessed by the suppliers. Regarding the refund of 3rd party items purchased independently, such as air upgrades, deviations, transfers, insurance, hotel, land tours, and pre and post and overland tours, please contact the airline carrier, tour operator, or hotel supplier/chain directly to discuss options. Other restrictions may apply

Another reason not to book flights and hotels through Silversea whenever possible.

49 minutes ago, chrism23 said:

My. I seemed to it a nerve here.  A few retorts.  The incident with the pool chairs was on the Muse.  It was loud and lasted about 10 minutes at promptly 6:00 AM every morning.  When I say loud think of a light plane hitting the ship. It got you up.   Some neighbors complained, in passing I blamed myself for not looking at the deck plans more closely .  I think this heads up is worth it to many pax.  

 

Being next to elevators is also a problem for me.  I stand by that comment too.  I think many people find elevators and resulting conversation sometimes bothersome outside their door at 2 in the morning.   

 

As to a cabin location where I don't think you have ever been caught on deck 9 in a North Atlantic Storm.  Not even scopolmine patches helped me.  We were nearly bouncing off the ceiling.  The passengers on Deck 6 in the middle of the ship probably had a much better time and maybe even ate dinner,  I could go on with my comments but I won't, I have got many but you get the drift. 

 

I may snob and really don't care.  At home I have tried to construct an environment that is calm, quiet, and serene as possible.  I don't see why I shouldn't try to do the same on board.

 

BTW. One cruise I got bumped to an owner's suite because of A/C problems.  It is waaaay too big,  the person in the other one had a cocktail party for 64 the day we got switch.  It was eerie having so much space.  

Speaking for myself, I was responding to your specific comment about not understanding this thread.  However, it appears you DID understand this thread, you just perhaps don't understand why anyone would book a guarantee instead of doing it your way.

Nobody was questioning your personal preference to select your own cabin nor is there any reason for you to feel like you must explain or justify your personal choices to us.  Like yourself, many who cruise prefer to select their own cabin at the time of booking.  There is nothing whatsoever wrong with that.  Others are happy with any cabin on board and therefore choose to save thousands by booking a GTY.  Nothing wrong with that either.  And some of us book both ways depending on the itinerary.  When cruising in areas where having a balcony is very desirable, I'll book a specific Veranda or higher suite or at least a Veranda guarantee.  When cruising in cold areas where I don't care whether I have a balcony, I'll book a Vista guarantee.

To each his/her own.  That's the beauty of choice and freedom!  🙂

39 minutes ago, chrism23 said:

I am not sure I understand this thread at all I fear I sound elitist. 

Are you being serious that you don't understand this thread?  It is pretty simple...OP booked a GTY and wanted some feedback on when he might expect to find out what suite he has been assigned.

Some aren't as particular about what suite they sail in, particularly since on Silversea the only real differences between the lowest and highest price suites onboard are cabin size and location (as opposed to those cruise lines that provide different amenities, services and dining options depending on your cabin category).  While there are some suites that may be less desirable for those who are more sensitive about sounds from a deck above, cruise service stairs or passenger elevators; for some of us that isn't a concern.  And when sailing on cruises where veranda use would be less frequent (such as our late Sept sailing from Anchorage to Tokyo which is certain to have many cool/chilly days), having a veranda may not be important at all. 

For those passengers, booking a GTY category can save thousands of dollars.  Anecdotal reports suggest that the vast majority of those booking a Vista or Panorama Suite GTY end up with a Veranda Suite (in many cases, a Superior Veranda Suite).  We booked a Vista GTY for our upcoming Anchorage to Tokyo sailing.  We'll be quite satisfied with a Vista Suite if that is what we are assigned.  If we end up in a Veranda Suite or even higher, that would be great too.  If we do end up in a Veranda Suite, we will have saved well over $4k by booking a Vista GTY vs selecting a Veranda Suite at the time of booking!  Even if we end up with a Vista Suite, we will have saved enough by booking it as a GTY to fully cover our business class airfares from ATL to ANC and a $400/nt pre-cruise hotel stay.

It's just a matter of personal preference. 🙂   Fair winds and following seas!  🛳️

1 minute ago, UUNetBill said:

Wouldn't it be nice if you bought a bag that was advertised as 'carry-on sized' and it was too big for the airlines you could send an invoice for the oversized bag fee to the manufacturer and have them pay it?  😆

Yep and even now many luggage companies list a bag as "carry-on" that is larger than the permitted carry-on size for most (if not all) carriers.

It may just depend upon the person who is checking you in at the airline counter.  Recently my wife and I flew Delta we each had a checked bag and a carry-on.  We got the message on the baggage drop kiosk at the airport that the flight was full and that we should consider checking any carry-on at no cost.  So we paid the fee to check the checked bag (one each) and selected the option to check the carry-on at no cost (one each) and then waited in line for the next available agent at the check-in desk. 

Delta had an agent at the front of the line directing each party to the next available agent.  She sent us to the counter where a very snippy agent sighed and said "I'll be with you in a few minutes."  Mind you, he had already finished with the previous party, their bags were gone and there was nothing left for him to do before helping the next passenger.  He seemed to have a chip on his shoulder.  But we just smiled and waited patiently during which time a young lady came to the computer terminal next to him and began helping customers.  She was able to check baggage for two other parties and start helping a third while our agent kept checking his watch.  He finally told us to put each bag on the scale.  No problem with each the checked bags we paid for but when he got to the first carry-on, in a very condescending voice he said "do you really think you can check that for free?"  The agent next to him actually looked over at us and rolled her eyes.  I replied "yes, that is what the kiosk offered since it is a full flight."  Well he produced a tape measure and measured each dimension, telling us that our carry-on bags were one inch taller than their permitted carry-on size.  He then tore off the baggage tags the kiosk had printed, printed new ones, stuck them around the handles and told us that those two carry-ons would be $40.00 each to check (on top of the $30 each we had paid at the kiosk for our checked-bags. 

Considering how unprofessional he was, I probably should have just said "no, thanks" and carried them to the gate.  But it turned out that he was correct that our carry-on bags (that we have taken onboard for over 20 yrs without a single issue) were in fact one inch too tall (with the wheels and handle).  I had never actually measured them since they were advertised as "carry-on" when we bought them decades ago.  So I just paid the $80.00 without comment and chalked it up as something that happens from time to time when traveling.   Maybe the agent was having a bad day, maybe he didn't like the way we looked, or maybe he is just one of those people who thrives on exerting the tiny bit of power and authority he actually has.  Needless to say, when I received a post-flight survey from Delta I let them know in no uncertain terms how unprofessional the check-in counter agent was.  I've got a number of close friends who currently work for, or retired from, Delta.  Based upon what I know about the culture of customer service at Delta, I suspect that if our agent continues to display that type of attitude and lack of professionalism with customers, he won't remain with Delta for long.

So it will ultimately come down to who the agent is who checks your bags.  Happily for us, in many decades of flying, this was the first issue we had with sizing of baggage.  But if you want to be certain not to have an issue you could always consider returning that luggage for luggage that meets the most common size restrictions.  🙂

Some passengers who book a GTY cabin have it assigned as soon as they book and pay.  Others don't have it assigned until they arrive to board.  So it could be anytime between now and when you check-in at the cruise terminal.

Check your booking periodically on MySilversea and once you are assigned a stateroom, you'll see the number appear.

The current layover cutoff for checking through baggage on AA is 16.5 hrs.  Anything over that and you have to claim your baggage before the lengthy layover.

Assuming AA follows their own policy, in OP's case the baggage will be only be checked to MIA. OP will need to recheck baggage before the flight to BGI.

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Well, hotels can be booked with refundable fares which are typically 5-10% higher but still significantly lower than SS fares. Tours are typically fully refundable. Flights can be more complicated, but most flights typically have only few hundred dollars fine if cancelled, and you can recover them from the insurance. Still doesn't justify paying thousands more for the "convenience".

Even most flights can be booked with fully refundable fares.  If I had chosen fully refundable fares (just to avoid the inconvenience of dealing with travel insurance in the event of a cancelled cruise), instead of paying $8k for the business class fares on Delta ($4kpp), making them fully refundable would have added a total of $500 or so for all of the flights for a total of $8,500.  Still $2,500 less than Silversea's rate on their choice of airline, routing and seat and I'd even end up with a better cancellation policy than Silversea.

If fully refundable airfare and hotel is important to a passenger, they can check those fully refundable rates and compare them with what Silversea offers.  I suspect that in most, if not all, cases the independently booked flights and hotel will still be less costly.

But I agree with what FlyerTalker observed.  Some just don't want to handle their own arrangements, for whatever reason.  While I enjoy travel planning, researching hotels and airfares, comparison shopping and setting up price alerts for flights I am considering in order to get the best "value" for my travel dollar, that process does take time, effort and interest.  Some may have little to no interest or time to put in that effort and would rather just pay others, like Silversea, to do it for them.  Unfortunately, many travel agents also don't want to expend the time involved in getting a client exactly what they want for the best possible price.  For them, time is money.  And since airlines and hotels pay little to no commission, the incentive to put in that time just isn't there unless your TA really, really, really values your business.

If you need a wheelchair accessible suite, since Seabourn has specifically told you that 1023 and 1025 on Ovation/Encore are NOT accessible and since the deck plan (https://www.seabourn.com/en/us/cruise-ships/ship-deckplans) also shows that those cabins are NOT accessible, I would not risk booking either one of them based upon what someone on the internet posts.  What if you rely upon someone saying "yes, those are accessible" and when you get onboard you find out that poster was incorrect??

Absent a published cabin tour video of one of those two cabins showing that Seabourn is mistaken, you should rely upon what Seabourn and the deck plan both indicate concerning those two cabins.  Just my opinion for what it is worth.

Good luck!

5 hours ago, drron29 said:

So you paid Silversea for an extra night at the Conrad and they are switching that to the Westin Yokohama. As you paid for the Conrad that extra night fee must be refunded to you so you can then book your night in Tokyo.

Perhaps Silversea terms and conditions or consumer protection laws are different for AUS based passengers but for US passengers, Silversea's terms and conditions specifically allows them to change hotels even if the new hotel is inferior to the one expected.  In that case, the consumer has no recourse if outside the cancellation period.

11 hours ago, Marstan79 said:

The one thing I don’t like about cruising is the lack of control of the details. Do you book your own air and transfers, too? Pretty new to cruising and trying to learn….

 

I always book air and hotels independently.  It allows me to have control over the process, select the exact airline, flights and seats I want (or the exact hotel and room), make changes as I desire, and I nearly always find better airfare and hotel prices myself than what the cruise line will charge.  While I know some report that on occasion they have found cruise line pricing on airfares or hotels to be lower than booking independently, I personally have never found that to be the case.

Here's a data point:  On a sailing embarking Seward and disembarking Tokyo, with flights out of Atlanta Silversea charges about $2k for economy air and $11k for business class.  I found business class fares on Delta to Anchorage (1 stop) and from Tokyo (non-stop Delta One suite) for a total of just over $8k.  So I saved $3k and booked the most direct flights possible on a quality carrier.  If I had booked through Silversea, they could have (and likely would have) routed me on flights with more stops on an inferior carrier with less desirable seat locations.

As far as transfers, except in limited cases, I also handle those arrangements myself.  For most major cities, the convenience and price of an Uber or taxi is much better than paying cruise line pricing to ride a transfer bus with dozens of other passengers.  If you've ever disembarked and then sat on a cruise line transfer bus for an hour or more waiting for it to "fill up" before it leaves for the airport, you'll understand what I'm talking about.  For me the exception is when the cruise line provides a transfer to/from the airport or hotel to/from cruise terminal where independent arrangements are much more difficult or costly. 

For example, Silversea provides complimentary motorcoach transfers from Anchorage to Seward for cruises leaving out of Seward.  Because Seward is 125 miles or so from Anchorage, the primary transfer options are motorcoach (included) or train ($150-$200pp).   Other options are very costly unless you have three or more sharing a transfer (one-way car rental is $650+ and taxi/Uber is $500+).  So in that case, I'll stick with the included Silversea transfer.

Hope that is helpful!