UK Guests Suffering from Exchange Rate Blues

[kpercy]

This thread applies mainly to potential UK passengers.

 

Of late Sliversea prices have gone through the roof so to speak. Even if you discount the so called "free onboard spend and free flights" prices have risen considerably.

 

My wife and I did a Cape Town to Cape Town in February and we paid about £2500. i.e. £250 per person per night for a veranda suite. Now over £4000 albeit "free flight"

 

Anyone else noticed this.

 

Just wondered if our friends in the US have the same views

[wripro]

I think we are about to see hikes in fares on all the luxury lines. Book soon.

[Tony & Trevor]

kpercy,

 

Thank you. I'm sure that you might agree that UK pasengers are disadvantaged compaired to our American cousins. Henry is probably right.

 

There has been some very good deals of late with Seabourn.

 

 

We are cruising Cape Town to Las Palmas next March on the Silver Wind.

 

We just have cruised with Regent and very impressed-flights and excursions included althought there prices going up.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[Buccaneer_1]

It's interesting what perspective does. Some cruise lines - Silversea and Seabourn at least in my recent experience have maintained an Australian dollar exchange rate that was set months ago and if you buy the cruise in Oz with Oz dollars we are paying a lot. By hunting around, and I've booked through the UK twice this year, although there are good deals in the USA for us also, the strong Australian dollar converted to Sterling is saving me about 10 to 15% of what I'd pay here. I've made them aware and had discussions with SS in Sydney and apparently the rates are set when the brochures are sent out and there's no moving them, unlike our dollar which has gone from strength to strength. Maybe it's similar in the UK.:):):D

[Silver Spectre]

It's interesting what perspective does. Some cruise lines - Silversea and Seabourn at least in my recent experience have maintained an Australian dollar exchange rate that was set months ago and if you buy the cruise in Oz with Oz dollars we are paying a lot. By hunting around, and I've booked through the UK twice this year, although there are good deals in the USA for us also, the strong Australian dollar converted to Sterling is saving me about 10 to 15% of what I'd pay here. I've made them aware and had discussions with SS in Sydney and apparently the rates are set when the brochures are sent out and there's no moving them, unlike our dollar which has gone from strength to strength. Maybe it's similar in the UK.:):):D

 

It may be worth asking your office in Sydney to give you an exchange rate adjustment on the brochure price. In the past when sterling and the US rate have been out of sync with brochure prices I have asked for and received up to an additional 10% discount to compensate. It did of course have to be cleared with HO first. If you do not ask, you do not get.

 

Good luck, and please let us know if you are successful.

[Buccaneer_1]

If you do not ask, you do not get.

 

Good luck, and please let us know if you are successful.

 

Asked for when I was doing the early research on prices, discussed at length by phone and email with Sydney, apologized for as not being possible because they were already at the lowest prices despite the UK conversion (and at least 2 US) being much better, and declined. Said they'd look into offshore resellers marketing in Australia - probably not the outcome I was after.

 

Personally I much prefer to use my agent of long standing particularly when she's always been able to offer good deals and we often have complicated flights involved that you can't book through an offshore reseller or via the internet. She can't compete though I'm afraid and, with her knowledge, I've taken this up in a reasonably serious way with Silversea in Sydney. Maybe when the rates settle down or everyone prices in Yuan the differentials will go away.

[Silver Spectre]

Asked for when I was doing the early research on prices, discussed at length by phone and email with Sydney, apologized for as not being possible because they were already at the lowest prices despite the UK conversion (and at least 2 US) being much better, and declined. Said they'd look into offshore resellers marketing in Australia - probably not the outcome I was after.

 

Personally I much prefer to use my agent of long standing particularly when she's always been able to offer good deals and we often have complicated flights involved that you can't book through an offshore reseller or via the internet. She can't compete though I'm afraid and, with her knowledge, I've taken this up in a reasonably serious way with Silversea in Sydney. Maybe when the rates settle down or everyone prices in Yuan the differentials will go away.

 

Sorry to hear that the Sydney office was unable or unwilling to help. That probably implies that the Australian market is still a bit of an outpost for SS. I know it took forever for them to even price in Aus$.

 

Also, apologies for suggesting something that you had already tried hard with.

 

Good luck with bookings in the future.

[Buccaneer_1]

Also, apologies for suggesting something that you had already tried hard with.

 

No worries mate.

 

Also got a good UK deal with Seabourn on a recent China trip but not as good as the Silversea difference. That would support your thought that we're an outpost for SS as Seabourn are now very competitive here with a ship proposed to be based in Sydney from next year (I think).

Regards