Asia on the pride 2010

[MARIANH]

The post has just arrived with a Seabourn brochure from my TA with details of eight upcoming cruises this year on the Pride in Asia.

 

The prices are inclusive of air and good quality hotels pre and post cruise.

 

These prices are incredibly low ( for Seabourn) and a great bargain .

 

Unfortunately other committments and impending poverty ( courtesy of the UK Government) prevents me from taking up the offer.

 

Does this promotion suggest that this destination has not sold well and is therefore being heavily discounted ( at least in the UK)?

 

And is it likely that this destination may not feature next year?

 

I am interested because I had a cruise in Asia on my "to do" list.

[tyfh]

The post has just arrived with a Seabourn brochure from my TA with details of eight upcoming cruises this year on the Pride in Asia.

 

The prices are inclusive of air and good quality hotels pre and post cruise.

 

These prices are incredibly low ( for Seabourn) and a great bargain .

 

Unfortunately other committments and impending poverty ( courtesy of the UK Government) prevents me from taking up the offer.

 

Does this promotion suggest that this destination has not sold well and is therefore being heavily discounted ( at least in the UK)?

 

And is it likely that this destination may not feature next year?

 

I am interested because I had a cruise in Asia on my "to do" list.

 

I have to tell you ... the price I got in the US was entirely too good to pass up! In fact, it was cheaper than the Baltic cruise I took last year on Celebrity, and we had an in-side cabin!

[MARIANH]

I have to tell you ... the price I got in the US was entirely too good to pass up! In fact, it was cheaper than the Baltic cruise I took last year on Celebrity, and we had an in-side cabin!

 

Interesting. I deliberately avoided quoting figures as I thought this might be against posting rules. The prices in £UK are in an official looking Seabourn logoed brochure; but admittedly with the TA's name in smallish print. So perhaps my decision was correct. I would welcome seasoned CCers advice on this potentially sensitive topic. I have no desire to inadvertantly do something that is non compliant with accepted practice on this site.

 

Thanks

[redheadednancy]

Makes me want to do it again. We did the Singapore/Hong Kong and then added an extra week to Shanghai last year. It was a great trip. However their airfares are always economy and I won't fly anywhere in the Far East unless it is business class. My old bones can't take it. So that's the rub coming from the US...made it prohibitively expensive when you added on business class. The trip was about 24 hours for us coming from Atlanta. We were 21 days on ship and I didn't want to get off!!! We also added a week in Singapore and a week in Shanghai. Highly recommend the trip!!

[wripro]

I agree, redheadedNancy. Having to fly economy that far is a deal breaker. There are also so many great deals in the Med but the cost of a business class flight from US is greater than the cruise (unless one has miles and availability.)

[writer100]

I agree, redheadedNancy. Having to fly economy that far is a deal breaker. There are also so many great deals in the Med but the cost of a business class flight from US is greater than the cruise (unless one has miles and availability.)

Agreed. At a certain age, you --or at least I--can't put up with "knees to the chin" seats anymore. But the cost of biz is really ugly. There are a couple of 2-for-1's floating around. I think Amex Travel will give you a 2fer on British Air, and so will Visa Signature through Merrill Lynch. (Or 50% off 2 biz tix, which amounts to the same thing.)

However, scriveners are notoriously bad with numbers. Air France has (or at least had) a semi-permanent 2fer NY-Paris.Not that that's going to help get you to Asia.

Any predictions on where SB might redeploy their ships for the next season or two? I'm hoping for UK & Ireland.

[writer100]

New SS brochure arrived with several cruises at 65% off.If you had an on board 5% discount ...Still, a bit too formal for me. Yes, of course chacoun a son gout and all that.

[Kizmet]

New SS brochure arrived with several cruises at 65% off.If you had an on board 5% discount ...Still, a bit too formal for me. Yes, of course chacoun a son gout and all that.

 

Seriously? My Mom used to call that a 25 cent word.

 

We are using up all our frequent flyer miles to go from the US to China in Business class.

 

We just got our documents today for our China trip leaving Oct 27th. Keelong has been eliminated from the itinerary and an extra night is added for Shanghai.

 

We looking forward to the formal nights, for us that makes things a bit more special and the tradition that we have come to love.

 

To each his/her own. :)

[writer100]

Seriously? My Mom used to call that a 25 cent word.

 

We are using up all our frequent flyer miles to go from the US to China in Business class.

 

We just got our documents today for our China trip leaving Oct 27th. Keelong has been eliminated from the itinerary and an extra night is added for Shanghai.

 

We looking forward to the formal nights, for us that makes things a bit more special and the tradition that we have come to love.

 

To each his/her own. :)

Kizmet, that is one of only two four-word phrases that i know in French. I use it whenever possible. And sometimes, I am told, impossible. On wearing formal clothes,I only meant that they (SS) are by declaration more formal. I can empathize with SBers who may be recalling a different (and more formal) age. Alas, I have not found that wearing formal clothes makes people more interesting, and may even be repressive. (New thread for psychological impact of evening wear?)

Kizmet is a charming handle. Please don't tell me it is a combination of Kansas City and metro area.

[MARIANH]

Kizmet is a charming handle. Please don't tell me it is a combination of Kansas City and metro area.

 

That could be a fateful question.

[MARIANH]

Alas, I have not found that wearing formal clothes makes people more interesting, and may even be repressive. (New thread for psychological impact of evening wear?)

.

 

Nevertheless, I have found that if the formal clothes are spectacular they can often be a starter for conversation. And thus break the ice - if you get my drift.

[writer100]

Nevertheless, I have found that if the formal clothes are spectacular they can often be a starter for conversation. And thus break the ice - if you get my drift.

I am indeed drifting with you. And, what ho! Is that a lady German tourist heaving into sight?

[MARIANH]

In the UK I have been offered the opportunity in the past with some air inclusive offers to have a credit instead of the flight. This allows one to book your own flghts. Although Business fares can also be prohibitive from the UK sometimes BA does some fantastic deals. If serendipity strikes then bingo! Business class plus a luxury cruise at a (relatively ) reasonable cost. Always worth looking for BA offers ( or Virgin) if they are available in the US. Also both airlines offer " premium economy" - more legroom in comfortable cabins at reasonable cost ( ie an uplift in economy fare but usually reasonable)

[MARIANH]

Hot on the heels of the recent favourable Seabourn offers in the UK, I have just received an email from Silversea for cruises from now into 2011 at very favourable prices including air.

 

Is all of this a sign that the competition is hotting up? Is there overcapacity or are customers feeling the " credit crunch" and playing hard to get? Or am I missing something ( as Usual)?

[writer100]

Hot on the heels of the recent favourable Seabourn offers in the UK, I have just received an email from Silversea for cruises from now into 2011 at very favourable prices including air.

 

Is all of this a sign that the competition is hotting up? Is there overcapacity or are customers feeling the " credit crunch" and playing hard to get? Or am I missing something ( as Usual)?

Passing over the false humility, I think you are spot on. (Notice my pitiful attempt at using UK argot.) There was just an article in the WSJ about how even the wealthy are cutting back. At least for the moment. Other than buying a grand piano, there aren't a lot of big ticket purchases easier to postpone than a cruise. Even one on SB.I think the real problem here is if the trend persists, how will SB cope. They can take one of the smaller ships out of service. They can change standards on one ship--make it SB Lite, if you will. Or, let us hope, they will continue to do what they can to persevere in a difficult climate. Hard to make adjustments when your product line is offered and priced a year or more in advance. Think a juicy homicide might trigger consumer interest?

[baskis]

Finally we have found someone sailing with the Pride on Oct 27 from Beijing! My husband and I live in Sweden and have sailed with the Pride twice in the Caribbean waters.We have never been to China and found the iternerary with the Pride very interesting. We are going to be in Beijing a few days before, joining the Pride Journey offer. We are hoping to be able to visit the World Fair in Shanghai as we will be there the last day of the fair. Looking forward to meeting you!

[MARIANH]

Passing over the false humility, I think you are spot on. (Notice my pitiful attempt at using UK argot.) There was just an article in the WSJ about how even the wealthy are cutting back. At least for the moment. Other than buying a grand piano, there aren't a lot of big ticket purchases easier to postpone than a cruise. Even one on SB.I think the real problem here is if the trend persists, how will SB cope. They can take one of the smaller ships out of service. They can change standards on one ship--make it SB Lite, if you will. Or, let us hope, they will continue to do what they can to persevere in a difficult climate. Hard to make adjustments when your product line is offered and priced a year or more in advance. Think a juicy homicide might trigger consumer interest?

 

Thankyou for confiming my suspicions, Watson.

 

Perhaps what is needed is an international best selling murder novel to stimulate interest in cruising. It could be set on a small , luxury vessel vessel. The only problem might be to find someone bold enough to take on the daunting task of authoring such an epic. But given the broad church that is the Seabourn community, someone might volunteer. Just a thought.

[MARIANH]

I have just received a flash email from another of my TA's in the UK. This time there is a "one week only sale" with deals on the Spirit, Legend and Odyssey. No inclusive air. Period October to December. The prices are, ahem, "competitive".

 

Perhaps this confirms Writer100's shrewd analysis.

[redheadednancy]

The post has just arrived with a Seabourn brochure from my TA with details of eight upcoming cruises this year on the Pride in Asia.

 

The prices are inclusive of air and good quality hotels pre and post cruise.

 

These prices are incredibly low ( for Seabourn) and a great bargain .

 

Unfortunately other committments and impending poverty ( courtesy of the UK Government) prevents me from taking up the offer.

 

Does this promotion suggest that this destination has not sold well and is therefore being heavily discounted ( at least in the UK)?

 

 

 

And is it likely that this destination may not feature next year?

 

I am interested because I had a cruise in Asia on my "to do" list.

 

 

It seems to me that Seabourn must have a marketing policy to certain countries because there is different info. Last December when we did Central America on the Legend., the ship had many Canadians and Aussies that had gotten fabulous rates in the six months before the trip. We on the other hand knew nothing about them. When we did the Far East, lots of Scandanavians...also had been a huge marketing campaign. .

[MARIANH]

It seems to me that Seabourn must have a marketing policy to certain countries because there is different info. Last December when we did Central America on the Legend., the ship had many Canadians and Aussies that had gotten fabulous rates in the six months before the trip. We on the other hand knew nothing about them. When we did the Far East, lots of Scandanavians...also had been a huge marketing campaign. .

 

Interesting. Perhaps Seabourn are now trying to grow their market in the UK ( and Europe?). Athough given the parlous state of othethe UK economy one is left to wonder why. Unless perhaps they think there is a rich seam to be tapped with people for example from our banking/ finance sector which seems to be untouched by the unholy mess they have created. In fact, figures today show the banking/ financial sector in the UK is a major growth area. Or maybe they have cottoned on to the fact that there is a strata in British society that seems to be immune to the turbulance the rest of we mortals are experiencing. If this is the case and Seabourn is successful with this strategy, expect a changed UK demographic on the ships. It's a strange world we live in.

[Buccaneer_1]

With respect to regionally biased marketing I suspect there was quite a bit a few years ago. We & a number of friends got involved with SB and SS back in 2003 when Iraq2 got underway and few North Americans were venturing very far and the discounts were amazing to get a relatively new market on board. We are now doing our second Pride in Asia for the year, and our 11th SB or SS cruise) in a few weeks time and the 65% discounts are again awesome but not just here in Australia - all over from what I can gather.

 

In these days of the internet, however, it's worth a few hours searching. Our first trip in June I booked with my TA of many years standing but for the second I found a UK agency that she couldn't beat and neither could the US based one several friends use regularly. It's worth the time and credit cards work all over but make sure when you pay the $1000 on board to qualify for the 5% discount next time you leave it as an open booking unrelated to your regular TA - makes life a little easier and the 5% transferable with no tears.

 

For anyone considering the Pride in Asia and worried it won't be so available next year - do it now; Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong just have to be seen to see where the future probably lies and don't miss the Expo if you can - forget the pavilion interiors, it can take all day to get in unless you know someone, but the architecture and the feel of a crowd as big as goes is also unmissable.

[Kizmet]

We are also very much looking forward to our first trip on Seabourn as well as our first trip to Asia.

 

We love the smaller ships as they give you a much better chance to feel like a community. We must do a roll call closer to our travel date.

 

Kizmet

(Writer100- Actually, Kizmet was the name of our Snchauzer as we were her destiny as she was ours.

[writer100]

It seems to me that Seabourn must have a marketing policy to certain countries because there is different info. Last December when we did Central America on the Legend., the ship had many Canadians and Aussies that had gotten fabulous rates in the six months before the trip. We on the other hand knew nothing about them. When we did the Far East, lots of Scandanavians...also had been a huge marketing campaign. .

rhn, there was a thread here somewhere about how non-competitive cruise fares were in Australia. The poster wondered whether SB would accept Australian bookings via a U.S. travel agency. Because, it seemed, such U.S. fares were 30-40% less than the local Australian fares for the same cruise.

Other posts from Oz lamented the poor pricing in Australia. Apparently, a few, and very powerful, travel agents. So, one wonders.

As marianh posits, a strange time.