Jump to content

Seabourn pricing !


Able Seaman H
 Share

Recommended Posts

We normally spend Christmas & the New Year onboard with Seabourn. Yes, I know it's the most expensive time but we grit our teeth and get on with it. Until now.

 

 

There has been a lot of talk about what Seabourn must do to maintain passengers in cabins against strong competition, well from the website it would appear we are all somewhat behind the curve. Seabourn have never had it so good.

 

 

Ovation in Asia over the festive period was around £6,500 for 2 weeks basic cabin, then it went up by £1,000 now a couple of days later it's gone up by another £1,000. that's £8,500 cruise only per person for a V1 cabin or around $11,000 in American money. There are some deals offering a bit of internet and cabin upgrades - but not for that cruise :)

 

I know what we've paid over the past 4 or 5 years and that is a huge increase.

 

 

So save your breath folks, what ever you might feel about the Retreat, the brand of Champagne, the number of passengers on board or the taste of the food people are forming an orderly queue and filling up the ships.

 

 

Sadly not us though. See you ashore in Thailand this Christmas & New Years Eve :)

 

 

Henry :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We also usually spend Christmas and New Year on a Seabourn ship, and yes it is always expensive, due of course to the time of year.

 

We're booked on Ovation this year, agree that the prices for it are a big increase compared to previous years.

None of the other holiday cruises worked for us so we went for this one.

I've done this cruise previously on Sojourn plus, my reluctance to try the new ships has been well documented here so my enthusiasm level for the cruise is quite low, reduced further by those prices. However, it's our first proper holiday this year so we decided to go for it. There are only two of us though. If paying for three I think we'd also have skipped it.

 

Sorry you won't be joining us on board Henry, but I know you're a fan of Thailand for land holidays and am sure you'll have an amazing time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We also usually spend Christmas and New Year on a Seabourn ship, and yes it is always expensive, due of course to the time of year.

 

We're booked on Ovation this year, agree that the prices for it are a big increase compared to previous years.

None of the other holiday cruises worked for us so we went for this one.

I've done this cruise previously on Sojourn plus, my reluctance to try the new ships has been well documented here so my enthusiasm level for the cruise is quite low, reduced further by those prices. However, it's our first proper holiday this year so we decided to go for it. There are only two of us though. If paying for three I think we'd also have skipped it.

 

Sorry you won't be joining us on board Henry, but I know you're a fan of Thailand for land holidays and am sure you'll have an amazing time.

 

At £6,500 base price on their website per person it works, at £8,500 base price it's a step too far particularly when you factor in the hassle of booking 3 people into a cabin. I just haven't got the energy :)

 

It was the price increase of £5,000 over a couple of days that threw us.

 

Henry :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At £6,500 base price on their website per person it works, at £8,500 base price it's a step too far particularly when you factor in the hassle of booking 3 people into a cabin. I just haven't got the energy :)

 

It was the price increase of £5,000 over a couple of days that threw us.

 

Henry :)

 

Can I ask, do they handle the issue of a 3rd person in the cabin better on the new ships than they did on Sojourn for you last year? This is something that we may need to deal with next year and I want to prepare myself in advance!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Frank Del Rio piece was interesting and I do think there is some truth in it, I also think there is a bit of brinkmanship in there as well. The luxury cruise sector is growing, Seabourn alone have added 1,200 cabins to what was a 1,350 cabin inventory.

 

People like Ritz Carlton are coming in as new players and there are several well known and often discussed companies fighting for their piece of the action. But however much truth there might be behind the hype a price rise of more than 50% from last year? I don't think so. The market hasn't changed that much.

 

Some of our woes are related to failures on the part of our travel agent who have steadily gone downhill over the past few years. I'm finding myself constantly having to do their job and argue the toss with Seabourn. That third person is also a real issue with Seabourn's booking department. To answer your question Isklaar no, they do not make things any easier on the larger ships.

 

Essentially Seabourn designate certain cabins 3 person so you find yourself quoted a V5 fare when guarantee balcony fares exist for 2 person bookings at several thousand pounds less. I wouldn't mind but there has only been 1 occasion when we've had a sofa that converts into a bed. Every other time we get a roll away bed brought into the cabin each night and taken away in the morning. So any cabin can accommodate 3 people from my experience.

 

I already have some pretty much free Upper Class flights to and from Hong Kong booked through air miles. They work around the Ovation cruise but I can hand them back and get the miles back or I can do something else. I'm waiting to hear back on prices with a couple of other cruise lines. Given the flights are free we may just go with a cheap & cheerful trip for a couple of weeks dressed up with a load of spending money from the savings over Seabourn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That article assumes there will not be an economic stall/down turn in the next few years. Many economists are now expecting this. Argentina, Turkey, Trade issues, years of cheap money, interest rate increases in the US, Brexit, China slowing down.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could the answer to Able Seaman H's post lie in the comments that Frank del Rio made recently?

 

https://www.avidcruiser.com/2018/09/...ser-newsletter

 

 

 

Well, FDR (via Regent Marketing Dept), keeps emailing me daily and offering select cruises at Canadian$ at par plus an additional 15% off. Included is their 12 day Holiday cruise on the Voyager. The price is quite attractive, but we have other plans, and prefer Seabourn vs Regent. But if we did not have plans, that price point would be very attractive.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The third person rort on Seabourn is the reason why most of our cruise travel has been on other lines over the past 4 years. Why do I have to purchase a V4 for third person occupancy when a guarantee is available? Why do I have to purchase a V3 when a V1 is available. The V3 for 3 persons is NEVER a V3 with a third bed. It is always just whatever is available and a rollaway bed. I know they have three person staterooms as the deck plans show them. Are they available even when booking a year in advance? Who knows, but we never get them assigned.

 

This year we have a cruise booked that Seabourn management allowed us to book as a guarantee (after a lot of frustration, phone calls and emails-not an easy process). I was very happy until final payment when SB dropped the guarantee price by $4500...

 

Henry, you might try Celebrity in a Celebrity suite or higher in Asia. It is a pretty good product and the space in the suite for three more than makes up for the ship size. At final payment, there are usually suites that open up from 'multi-bookers' and if you wait a few weeks, then they price drop like Seabourn. You have to be quick for the suites though as they get snapped up once the drop is announced.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Frank Del Rio piece was interesting and I do think there is some truth in it, I also think there is a bit of brinkmanship in there as well. The luxury cruise sector is growing, Seabourn alone have added 1,200 cabins to what was a 1,350 cabin inventory.

 

People like Ritz Carlton are coming in as new players and there are several well known and often discussed companies fighting for their piece of the action. But however much truth there might be behind the hype a price rise of more than 50% from last year? I don't think so. The market hasn't changed that much.

 

Some of our woes are related to failures on the part of our travel agent who have steadily gone downhill over the past few years. I'm finding myself constantly having to do their job and argue the toss with Seabourn. That third person is also a real issue with Seabourn's booking department. To answer your question Isklaar no, they do not make things any easier on the larger ships.

 

Essentially Seabourn designate certain cabins 3 person so you find yourself quoted a V5 fare when guarantee balcony fares exist for 2 person bookings at several thousand pounds less. I wouldn't mind but there has only been 1 occasion when we've had a sofa that converts into a bed. Every other time we get a roll away bed brought into the cabin each night and taken away in the morning. So any cabin can accommodate 3 people from my experience.

 

I already have some pretty much free Upper Class flights to and from Hong Kong booked through air miles. They work around the Ovation cruise but I can hand them back and get the miles back or I can do something else. I'm waiting to hear back on prices with a couple of other cruise lines. Given the flights are free we may just go with a cheap & cheerful trip for a couple of weeks dressed up with a load of spending money from the savings over Seabourn.

 

Henry, there is a somewhat similar thread running on the Oceania board. The general concensus seems to be that there is a limit as to how far prices on luxury lines can rise before regular customers begin to consider other alternatives to traveling. And it appears that red line is coming into sight. Some have mentioned rising fuel prices and port fees as some of the major culprits for advancing prices, but I don't think that any of us common folk really has a good understanding of the components of cruise pricing, i.e., labor costs. fuel costs, construction loan costs, etc. My personal opinion, no better supported by facts than anyone else's, is that it is a supply and demand issue to a large extent. I'm also not sure how much of this is a "fad", as I have trouble believing that a significant number of those coming from the mass market lines are going to be regular premium and luxury customers. However, despite Frank's optimism that ships will continue to fill years in advance and that prices can rise forever in lockstep, we all know that in a few years, an oversupplied market facing labor shortages and rising costs is going to start some sort of sorting out process. I was a bit surprised by his public "we can do what we want to now" attitude. Perhaps Carnival is thinking along the same lines now but is more discrete about it. We will see, but shoving regular customers aside is never a good strategy to follow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree re Celebrity in Asia if you book a Royal Suite or Penthouse Suite. It comes with all inclusions, ie. alcohol, WiFi, laundry, the private 80 seat Luminae dining room and Michael’s Club, probably the best lounge at sea in terms of service.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree Celebrity can provide the small ship experience within the bigger ship. This is largely due to special small dining room with exclusive menus for Aqua and Suite cabins. Panda calls this the sweet spot in Cruising, comparing Luxury cruising and the others. With Celebrity you will still need to snaffle a good package, otherwise at recent prices Seabourn is still better value for money. Deals are available if you watch and wait.

To think that Seabourn may be out of our price range in future, would make us very sad and miserable.

 

This year we have cruised twice on Encore,19 days and 11 day cruises. Both most enjoyable , lovely memories and some contemplation in comparison between the cruises. We were left wondering about some interesting dynamics at play in Seabourn's systems and ethics.

Our hope is Seabourn has the savy to realise their product was not broken and return fully to their past style, service and fair tariffs.

Edited by koalapanda
...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree re Celebrity in Asia if you book a Royal Suite or Penthouse Suite. It comes with all inclusions, ie. alcohol, WiFi, laundry, the private 80 seat Luminae dining room and Michael’s Club, probably the best lounge at sea in terms of service.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

The Royal Suite is nice-comes with unlimited specialty dining as well. The Celebrity suite is also good (space wise) and it normally receives all 4 perks so you are only missing the specialty dining inclusion. Anything Celebrity and up also gets you personally escorted on/off the ship by the concierge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

True that cruise has really hit quite a high price point; we also looked at it, for interest sake only, about 3 weeks ago and it was not terrible for a Christmas cruise. Since then it's definitely up 2-3K per passenger, I guess the sale must have worked and filled the ship (that cruise is and was on the 'set sail' event). However there are still some cruises on that event at much better prices. 25 days on Encore in November starts at $6,500, that's a great price. 16 days on Sojourn in March, same price.

The cruise we took this summer was in one such sale, wasn't particularly cheap but came in under our $$/night figure, that filled up in the intervening months and the last suites were offered significantly higher.

When we start looking we usually find one which hits the price point, and if we don't, we go to Bali that year and look the next.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The third person rort on Seabourn is the reason why most of our cruise travel has been on other lines over the past 4 years. Why do I have to purchase a V4 for third person occupancy when a guarantee is available? Why do I have to purchase a V3 when a V1 is available. The V3 for 3 persons is NEVER a V3 with a third bed. It is always just whatever is available and a rollaway bed. I know they have three person staterooms as the deck plans show them. Are they available even when booking a year in advance? Who knows, but we never get them assigned.

 

This year we have a cruise booked that Seabourn management allowed us to book as a guarantee (after a lot of frustration, phone calls and emails-not an easy process). I was very happy until final payment when SB dropped the guarantee price by $4500...

 

Glad it's not just me :)

 

We have had designated 3 person cabins and also "normal" cabins for the 3 of us. Only on one occasion did the sofa convert. Like you we have always managed to negotiate some semblance of common sense from Seabourn but why make us jump through hoops and beg? Have a common sense department in SB head office instead.

 

The on board crew understand common sense extremely well, SB land side do not.

 

Henry :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad it's not just me :)

 

We have had designated 3 person cabins and also "normal" cabins for the 3 of us. Only on one occasion did the sofa convert. Like you we have always managed to negotiate some semblance of common sense from Seabourn but why make us jump through hoops and beg? Have a common sense department in SB head office instead.

 

The on board crew understand common sense extremely well, SB land side do not.

 

Henry :)

 

Unfortunately it has been that way for 17years from our first cruise when our daughter was 12months old (you should have seen the looks we were given when we boarded the Legend!) until our current November cruise when she turns 18. At least on the first cruise she was free!!!

 

Like you said, the on board crew is what makes SB SB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately it has been that way for 17years from our first cruise when our daughter was 12months old (you should have seen the looks we were given when we boarded the Legend!) until our current November cruise when she turns 18. At least on the first cruise she was free!!!

 

Like you said, the on board crew is what makes SB SB.

 

Emily will be 18 in November as well !

 

3rd passengers are actually good news for Seabourn as they allow them to plug the gaps left by single cruisers of which SB have many. The singletons resent paying 200% when they aren't eating and drinking for 2. Seabourn argue they are taking up real estate for 2.

 

The solution? Charge the singleton 150% and the third person makes up the other 50% to cover their food and drinks. Net result is Seabourn come away with 4 fares per 2 cabins and single cruiser feels less bruised.

 

Why Seabourn make it so hard is beyond me. Ultimately it comes down to land side thinking there are specific cabins with fold out sofas that cater for 3 guests when we both know the reality is a roll away bed in any cabin.

 

Henry :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Emily will be 18 in November as well !

 

3rd passengers are actually good news for Seabourn as they allow them to plug the gaps left by single cruisers of which SB have many. The singletons resent paying 200% when they aren't eating and drinking for 2. Seabourn argue they are taking up real estate for 2.

 

The solution? Charge the singleton 150% and the third person makes up the other 50% to cover their food and drinks. Net result is Seabourn come away with 4 fares per 2 cabins and single cruiser feels less bruised.

 

Why Seabourn make it so hard is beyond me. Ultimately it comes down to land side thinking there are specific cabins with fold out sofas that cater for 3 guests when we both know the reality is a roll away bed in any cabin.

 

Henry :)

 

Henry,

 

In a previous post you alluded to the fact that you were not entirely satisfied with your TA. Perhaps a change to a more qualified TA who would work more closely with Seabourn to get you what you wants in order.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ovation in Asia over the festive period was around £6,500 for 2 weeks basic cabin, then it went up by £1,000 now a couple of days later it's gone up by another £1,000. that's £8,500 cruise only per person for a V1 cabin or around $11,000 in American money. There are some deals offering a bit of internet and cabin upgrades - but not for that cruise

 

Just checked the US website, and V3 is selling for $10,599 + $300 port taxes. That's $757 per diem. (V1 & V2 not available.)

 

However, the other ships are offering more typical pricing: Encore $353 per diem (Sydney to Auckland) 32 days for V5 or $375 per diem (Sydney to Auckland, 16 days for OB, or $279 per diem (Benoa to Auckland) 34 days for an OB; Sojourn $319 per diem (Sydney to Singapore). Antarctica on the Quest holiday cruise is $708 per diem.

 

I agree your targeted voyage is overpriced, but it's a matter of holiday demand - probably more guests than before like the shorter duration and the itinerary - and does not necessarily extrapolate to a system-wide price surge for Seabourn for all dates and all voyages. In fact, there are several other options, although yours is the only one that sails within SE Asia.

Edited by sfvoyage
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...