Extremely Poor Booking Experience

Hi all,

I know this may come off sounding like a terrible rant, but I am extremely disappointed with the service I experienced when booking my recent cruise.

First, I submitted a form online for a quote and a cruise consultant did call me back and leave me a message stating my cabin type was available for a certain price. When I called back the same day, this person told me my cabin class was no longer available and the only thing available was now $1000 more. This was slightly suspicious to me, but I know I was booking close to 40 days of sailing so could be possible. I then had one of my travel companions call for a new quote and low and behold the original class was available via a different consultant. Total bait and switch to me.

At this point, I was already turned off by this sales tactic, but because this was a present for my parents, I then called back this second consultant to book and everything seemed to go smoothly, until I was charged the wrong amount. This quickly got resolved and was refunded the correct amount.

Finally, the most frustrating point of this experience...the flights. Our cruise had air included, but I don't understand how they can make so many mistakes when booking the tickets. When I initially booked the trip, I told the consultant that we wanted to fly in earlier. The four of us were all flying in at different times and from two different cities. The consultant assured us this would be relayed to the person booking the tickets.

I check on mysilversea a few days later and what do I see? The wrong dates for the flights we discussed. I email the consultant and hear nothing for 1 week! I then call him and he says he will try to fix the problem. A few days later I see the 'fixed' flights...now half the tickets are correct and half are not! I email again and he says he will fix and call me once it's done. A few days later (and no call), now the incorrect tickets are even more incorrect. One person has double tickets and leaving from the wrong city and wrong date while the other person still has the wrong dates. I email him again and he says he will fix and contact me once it's done. Again a few days later (and no call/email again), now the two with incorrect flights have no flights! This is now slightly more than 2 weeks before sailing.

I then decide to use the old record locators I was previously given and check them. Shockingly, they are now fixed, but not showing up on the mysilversea site. I get an email from the consultant stating he is still trying to fix the flights and has contacted his VP of this and VP of that to fix the situation (this is now 9 days before travel). I screenshot the correct flights and sent them to him. He was surprised that I was able to find out my own flights have been corrected.

I then ask about the luggage tags for sailing since I have read online that usually this is mailed out in advance. The consultant replied that I would receive them at the pier. My guess is that I won't be receiving them there...

Anyways, I apologize for the rant, but from start to finish, this has been the most frustrating booking experience on any trip I have ever had. I usually am very hands on with my travel and I thought it would be nice to have someone else arrange everything since this was so last minute. Not only was there incompetent booking, but the promises of communication and calls were completely nonexistent. Their service is far below what I would have expected from a luxury cruise line. I am not expecting any compensation for these issues, but some sort of offer would have been appreciated.

I am now <2 weeks from sailing and I am not really looking forward to the trip. The issue with the flights has really put me off. I think this will be the first and last time I ever sail on Silversea.

I'm so terribly sorry what you've been put through for what should have been such a fun experience.

I've told my TA time and again, and she agrees, SS's pre-cruise / customer service is just about as bad as it can be for a purveyor of luxury travel. The only thing I will tell you is where SS really shines in once you are on board the ship. The cruise experience itself is what keeps us coming back, as well as our incredible TA who ALWAYS fixes SS's screw ups.

Best wishes to you and I hope you have a wonderful voyage.

Hi all,

 

 

I check on mysilversea a few days later and what do I see? The wrong dates for the flights we discussed. I email the consultant and hear nothing for 1 week! I then call him and he says he will try to fix the problem. A few days later I see the 'fixed' flights...now half the tickets are correct and half are not! I email again and he says he will fix and call me once it's done. A few days later (and no call), now the incorrect tickets are even more incorrect. One person has double tickets and leaving from the wrong city and wrong date while the other person still has the wrong dates. I email him again and he says he will fix and contact me once it's done. Again a few days later (and no call/email again), now the two with incorrect flights have no flights! This is now slightly more than 2 weeks before sailing.

 

I then decide to use the old record locators I was previously given and check them. Shockingly, they are now fixed, but not showing up on the mysilversea site. I get an email from the consultant stating he is still trying to fix the flights and has contacted his VP of this and VP of that to fix the situation (this is now 9 days before travel). I screenshot the correct flights and sent them to him. He was surprised that I was able to find out my own flights have been corrected.

 

Hi,

Your flights on My Silversea aren't a live changing representation of your booking, but are of your original booking unless manually updated. Your booking from your PNR on the airline systems is the current correct accurate one assuming the flight has been ticketed. A PNR isn't a confirmed booking - an e-ticket is.

To check it has been fully eticketed, open an account with Check My Trip ....... preferably on a PC rather than an ipad or phone.

https://www.checkmytrip.com/cmtweb/web-landing.html#/home

.... and when you have finished enter your PNR. Once it shows your flights click on the 6 alphanumeric PNR at the top of the page and a new "hidden" page should show. For each passenger it should show an e-ticket number starting with 3 digits followed by a hyphen and then ten digitss. The 3 digits are your airline eg 125 is BA - followed by the ten digit e-ticket number. If it shows the full number you are fully ticketed amd ready to go presuming it isn't then subsequently cancelled. If it doesn't show the full number your have simply been reserved on the system but would probably be denied boarding as it isn't a firm confirmed seat. The PNR is simply a "travel wallet" and not a ticket.

So if you have the number don't panic and enjoy your trip, but if it doesn't have an e-ticket number panic.

The OP's post is a perfect example of why one should always use a qualified TA. Why out yourself through all that stream when a professional can handle it for you?

Always use an experienced travel agent and one that does a fair amount of business with the cruise line you are wanting to book. A good travel agent is invaluable when booking a cruise.

And why I never, ever, use cruise air.

And why I never, ever, use cruise air.

We are not against cruise air but we’ve not, unlike others here, been able to get equal much less cheaper airfares than we can book ourselves. For our cruise last November Silversea wanted $2,000 more than we could and did book on our own. Just for reference we went first/business class from San Antonio to Rome to start the cruise then Dubai to San Antonio at the end of the cruise. It would have been nice to have Silversea figure that all out and stand behind the reservations/flights for maybe even a little more but not $2,000 more. We did fly with an airline, and its codeshare partners, with which we have advanced frequent status and from that standpoint it couldn’t have gone any smoother.

I am leaving on the spirit out of Rome in a couple of days sbd so must say my pre and post cruise air has been handled to my satisfaction. I would use their air department again, however I always book through a travel agent

We are not against cruise air but we’ve not, unlike others here, been able to get equal much less cheaper airfares than we can book ourselves.

Last spring, our flights booked with Silversea air from LHR to San Juan, returning from Miami, cost £299. Those same open jaw flights booking direct with BA as two singles were £2500. My flights this spring to Singapore and back from Hong Kong were also considerably cheaper. All other cruises (to Med and Baltic) have been cheaper to DIY.

There is certainly no harm in asking for a quote and if nothing else, gives peace of mind that you've booked a better deal without using SS if that's how it works out.

You need a TA who specializes in luxury cruises. This would not have happened with a competent TA.