Need Experienced SS Advise

[Sued]

We are what we consider loyal SS customers...have been sailing with them for about 10 years on about 15 voyages. We have sailed with no others and while not high end (owner suite) spenders we always sail Veranda. So I like to think we have spent a good bit of money with them - and I would add have always enjoyed and appreciated what they provided us.

 

We are booked for a trip in June - 2 back to back - Greece/Istanbul. It is fully paid for. I have run into a situation with my work that forced me to ask Silversea to consider assisting us by moving from the June commitment to something similar in August. Knowing we are inside the 'window' we acknowledged that since it is a cheaper cruise, we are fully willing to pay the full price we have committed to with the current June itinerary. Additionally, keep in mind we also have a sailing booked for November.

 

My husband contacted SS and they told him must come through the travel agent. We complied, travel agent contacted and was told an absolute no. We then called the Venetian Soc. office. The fist person my husband encountered kept cutting him off telling him he had to go thru agent. Husband then asked to speak to supervisor. Pleasant man named Kim (sp) heard him out and said he understood and will looked into but will get word back through the travel agent. My husband also reiterated clearly, we are not wanting any price reduction...and we do have a cruise in November that might be in jeopardy.

 

24 hours later call back from our agent. Will not transfer $$s. End of story.

For us to cancel we would loose 50% around 15K.

 

We are quite frankly astounded Are we missing something here? Is this really worth it to them to lose a consistently loyal customer ? I just cannot see the downside to them. And so much goodwill and loyalty in jeopardy.

 

So therefore, was hoping those intimately familiar with SS might help us make sense of it. We will obviously cancel November and look at alternatives. My next stop is Seabourn to see if they are more interested in investing in a long term new client.

 

Thanks all for listening...appreciate any feedback you might have to give.

[oregon50]

A battle best fought by a good travel agent. In the US, SS has new and hungry reps calling on these people. Let them slug it out for you.

[Seafairer]

I agree with Oregon50. This calls for strong travel agent intervention. Please don't try to handle any part of it yourself. Your agent already has a relationship with Silversea's regional rep. And if your agent is affiliated with a major consortium (like Signature, Virtuoso, etc.) he or she has a lot of extra clout. Even though SS's first and second responses were a firm "no," there's always room for flexibility. Please tell your agent to get into the ring and fight like Rocky.

 

If the SS rep runs into a wall (very likely), your agent will write a strongly-worded letter to the next level up, right to the President if necessary. Your loyalty, the length of your relationship with Silversea, and your intention to cancel your November booking carry weight. Not to mention the likelihood that the next 10 years' cruise dollars will, sadly, have to go to a different cruise line.

 

It's a shame Silversea no longer offers their "Reassurance" program, which allowed us to cancel at any time for any reason. It sure made early bookings a lot more attractive.

 

Keep your chin up, Sued, and let your travel agent fight this out, right to the top if necessary. Best of luck.

[duct tape]

I agree with all of the above...let your TA fight the battle and win the war. I think the whole thing has been mishandled unless I do not have all the information. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Stumblefoot]

This is not good at all Sued. Something just doesn't seem right here and I feel your pain.

 

While I certainly would be upset with Silversea too, it would be my TA that would really be taking the brunt of my dissatisfaction. What is your TA doing on your behalf, beyond answering the telephone and listening to SS's answer of "no"? To me, your beef should be with the TA for not resolving this issue to your satisfaction as the SS reps are merely just following company policy. Find out immediately what steps your TA is going to take on your behalf.

 

Lastly, did you purchase trip insurance? If so, does your policy include "Required to Work" coverage. It's been a money saver for me, because like you, I too am in a profession where my schedule is fluid. It completely covers me and family in case I have to work during the time I'm scheduled to travel. It even covers mergers and acquisition activities. The only stipulation is that you didn’t know you’d be required to work when you purchased your plan.

 

Good luck and do let us know how it turns out.

[Sued]

Trust me there is nothing more I could share. This is the whole story...so far. Couple of thoughts though based on your response...first, again we have a strong loyalty to a travel agent we have been with for 30 years. She is not a large operation so doubtful she has the leverage that some of the larger ones you mentioned do. Second, the other thing that disappointed and surprised us is that SS avoided at every turn working with us personally..I mean the Venetian Society..are they not meant to be advocates? But that is another days discussion.

[oregon50]

The Venetian Society is not a club that operates on behalf of passengers. I understand sticking with a small time TA because you like them. Now tell her to get off her behind and get with the program, there is real money involved and she has been collecting $$$ for thirty years. Now you need help. Even if she has no other clients booking SS, your track with the company is enough to get them to move in your favor.

And staying out of the battle is sound advice. Good luck!! I think you will win the war.

[sloopjohnb]

Sued, I'm astonished at your tale of woe. We have approx 100 days with both Silversea and Seabourn and, while I can't remember ever having had to contact Silversea with a problem, on the two occasions I had cause to contact Seabourn with a concern, I addressed it, both times, to an appropriate, named, senior officer at the company's head office and the problems were resolved to my complete satisfaction. While I don't exactly disagree with the suggestion that your travel agent should be sorting this for you, if I were in your position, I'd be writing to the top. Perhaps a contributor to these boards can give you a name.

[Seafairer]

Sloopjohnb, I respectfully disagree about writing directly to Silversea's President. While there's always an outside chance it could work, the odds are against it. Sad truth is that many letters to Silversea just go unanswered (evidenced by many CC posters). With a November cruise on the books, the clock is ticking. The agent should be able to resolve this quickly.

 

Sued, I suggest having an open discussion with your agent. Explain nicely but clearly that you need her, as a travel professional, to handle this. She's a pro who's been in the business for decades and knows she has to do this for you, out of loyalty if nothing else. Ask if she's a member of a travel consortium (she may very well be) and if they'll stand behind her. Then let her handle it. Please don't be concerned that she's not a big operation (she may be bigger in some respects than you realize). She still has leverage and probably sends other clients to Silversea - no doubt based on your own long-term satisfaction with the line.

 

Oregon50 is correct about the Venetian Society. Its purpose is to provide and promote the benefits of Silversea's loyalty program, not act as ombudsman. A cruise line won't advocate for you in a dispute - that's the travel agent's job. I hope she secures the outcome you hope for.

[Sued]

Does anyone have an email address for Ellen Bettridge?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Does anyone have an email address for Ellen Bettridge?

 

 

Really sad to read of your account .....

 

The email address they use are the domain silverseacruisesdotcom and they use the first full name with no gap or dot and then the final initial ........... ;)

 

I hope you get it resolved.

[Sued]

Thank you Jeff. I will give it a try. Really feeling quite bad about it all.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thank you Jeff. I will give it a try. Really feeling quite bad about it all.

 

I wish I could say something clever to make you feel better. Sadly I perfectly understand that there are situations that fall outside the cope of insurance but are still imperatives.

 

FWIW I strongly suggest you make your note short and to the point and however upset you are resist the temptation to say things like "i'll never book again etc .....". Just ask for a one off special consideration to help you attend to the needs of your business.

 

The very best of luck. Please tell us how it pans out.

[Seafairer]

If I'm reading correctly between the lines, it looks like your travel agent doesn't want to be in the picture, and I'm very sorry about that. I hope you have luck in going at it on your own.

 

If this is the case, I hope you'll find another agent who can work for you as you have the right to expect. There are too many experienced, competent professionals out there for you to have to suffer unnecessary anxiety and financial loss. Silversea and other lines have lists of recommended agents on their websites. Call a few for a phone interview. See who best "gets" what you're looking for, who really listens to you, who you feel comfortable with. Ask which consortium they're a member of, and what that generally means for their clients when booking cruises, hotels, etc. Don't worry about their location - with today's communications, your ideal agent could be across the country. And if you do recoup your payment, you might even be able to transfer your November booking to your new agent, which would be nice.

 

I apologize for being presumptuous here, Sued. I'm just so sorry that your agent isn't doing her job for you, and it's making me mad.

[TLCOhio]

Agree, this is a travel agent's job and duty (and opportunity) to push and help you in your hour of need. The "bean counters" at Silversea can be challenging and not very bright about "customer service". At the end of our July 2010 Norway cruise, while still on the ship, I had to get on the phone with the money people in Monaco to straighten out a a "mess" that they had made. It got solved, but it was like, at times, talking with a brick wall.

 

This is a problem, sadly, where technically and legally, they are "right". Now you, as a good customer, are seeking a favor and a bending of their "rules". Before you make that final, final payment, this is a good reminder that you need to be sure and/or have insurance to cover any later changes in plans. Good luck!! Hope they will bend some.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 103,329 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Seafairer]

Very nice advice, UKCruiseJeff. I'd like to add something: if Sued recoups all or part of her payment, I suspect Silversea will ask her to keep quiet about it, not to tell the rest of the world that they made an exception to their normally stringent policy. So, while we're all rooting for Sued, perhaps we'll have to assume that "no news is good news," if you know what I mean..

[Sued]

just to be clear, we are not looking for money..just want to move dates. I have emailed them directly. We shall see. Thanks to all on here for the encouragement and sage advice.

[newlondon]

Sued, I can't believe there is somene else stuck in the same position I am. I have had the same TA for 10 years, not your 30, but don't get the same service we, or others, deserve because I won't push her about on board credits. She tells me she is a small agency and the owner won't allow her to perk us even though our last cruise was 5 weeks, and 50k. It is difficult to sit with people who are getting top-notch service and be subdeued because the TA is you r friend. I'm struggling with this issue right now.

[UKCruiseJeff]

It is about time someone started a web site where customers posted their cruise requirements and TA's sent private PMs to bid for their business. 50k is a decent budget to shop around with.

[Seafairer]

A difficult situation, Newlondon. Which is more important to you, the credits or your personal friendship with the TA? Has she provided otherwise terrific service?

 

Either way, you might want to discuss this further, just to settle your mind. Your TA/friend will appreciate and respect the opportunity to sit down and review your needs, to learn that you've become uncomfortable with an arrangement you're aware could be more generous. Perhaps the owner could attend the meeting - a $50K booking is nothing to sneeze at.

 

You could also interview a few other agents beforehand. When you have a general idea of how they work and what they'd normally give you, you can share your research with your TA, see how she and the owner respond.

 

Your friend might be as upset as you that the owner won't reward your loyalty with a few perks. But, who knows? He might need every dollar to keep the business going [and employ your friend]. Or not. Maybe the best approach is don't do anything drastic right away: have the meeting, discuss your needs, listen to what they have to say, then just take a step back and think about it. You'll all feel better and you'll be able to evaluate the situation more clearly.

[CanadianKate]

Our local TA provided a limo service for our first SS ship. The driver came 40 minutes early, we were leaving for 6 weeks and had a lot to do to 'shut down' the house and felt very rushed. I was tense and did not enjoy the drive at all.

 

Our current TA provides ship board credits, cash back or arrange private excursions. We take the credit and enjoy the ship ('free' internet, spa, tours we wouldn't normally pay out of pocket for) and continue to give her our service.

 

Besides, we prefer to use our taxi-driver friend. We book directly with him, he comes 15 minutes early and sits out on the driveway waiting for us to come out to him, and we catch up on his news on the way to the airport and get sent on our way with a heartfelt "Have a great trip!"

 

I feel terrible that I don't give our local TA any service beyond buying our annual medical policy through her. But, to be honest, she costs a lot to use and doesn't offer anything that I couldn't do on my own. And some things, like airline bookings, are harder to work with than when booked directly, because I can't make changes without going through her.

[badgerdee]

It is about time someone started a web site where customers posted their cruise requirements and TA's sent private PMs to bid for their business. 50k is a decent budget to shop around with.

 

The cruise compete website does this. We've used it three times to great effect.

[UKCruiseJeff]

The cruise compete website does this. We've used it three times to great effect.

 

All my best original money making ideas were copied from me earlier ....:(

[writer100]

A battle best fought by a good travel agent. In the US, SS has new and hungry reps calling on these people. Let them slug it out for you.

 

I think that's excellent advice.I've never sailed on SS--came close, twice--but have been on Seabourn (5x) and Oceania once, with another O cruise in the offing. The singular thing about Oceania is that the ceo reads the O boards, and occasionally posts. Based on that alone, I think your current impasse would have been immediately resolved there.

Candidly, it is extraordinary for SS not to be more flexible, given the investment you have made with them.But for all the emotional investment cruisers make in their favorite lines, they are run as a business. Sometimes badly, as would seem to be the case here.

[wripro]

The kind of loyalty the OP has shown SS is something to be cherished and rewarded, not taken for granted. SS is making so many silly marketing decisions (imo) like dividing cruises into ridiculously short segments in order to attract customers and yet here they have customers who are pre sold on the product and they do everything they can to toss them away.