Cloud missing from the Website?

[Silver Spectre]

Yet another example of SS management failing loyal clients.They should learn about service to clients from their own wonderful staff on board their ships!!

 

I am not sure that they even care if you are a regular World Cruiser or have in excess of 1000 days with them.

[Mayflower1]

Whilst I share your sentiments Brimary, I can also fully appreciate the Business point being made by Oregon50.

 

I have come to expect some Schedule changes from Silversea but regrettably the number seems to be increasing every Year. The 2016 Voyage Collection Brochure is now littered with changes and this trend makes it very challenging to book early with confidence.

 

The other aspect here is the unconnected manner in which the various Offices of Silversea seem to make decisions - This leaves loyal clients unable to obtain meaningful information on many Issues.

 

I believe that in spite of what is said, loyalty only goes one way in the present difficult Business world.

 

I will post any further information when received.

[TLCOhio]

Appreciate the update Mayflower. The Olympic Games are from August 5 to 21, so I wonder why the Cloud would be out of action from end June to mid September? I am reluctant to pull the pin on my cruise (25% deposit paid) only because I'm still in disbelief that it may be cancelled. Since I have booked direct with Silversea, I also wonder when they would have the decency to tell me? Millie

 

Appreciate the good "probable" info/guess on the mystery of the Silver Cloud going to Rio for the Olympic Games. High-class temporary hotel there?? The gap from July 7 to Sept. 16 seems BIG, but there is time need to get the Silver Cloud from the Med to Rio. And, then back after the Aug. 21 end of the these games there. Clearly, SS should have let booked customers know ASAP. BUT, given some of the challenges in Brazil with their Olympics preparation short-falls and disorganization, it might have been a fairly recent need to provide this type of "quick fix" for added, housing supply there.

 

Look forward to hearing the "rest of the story" when things all get finalized. Since airline flight cannot get be booked till 330 days out, maybe SS assumes and/or hopes they will not inconvenience those scheduled earlier not too much. Clearly, things should have been handled in a better manner by SS. I would not be happy if this type of change messed up my schedule plans.

 

I just called the SS reservation line. Their words to me were that they did not know anything now, but thought something might clarified in a week or so. Stay tuned!!??

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 23,800 views for these postings.

[brimary]

No fifty loyal clients could possibly match the spending power of one good charter. It's a good business decision. If they never see you again, it's not a great loss.

 

Thanks for your kind words!

[Mayflower1]

Unfortunately Terry you have completely vindicated my worst thoughts about how Silversea operates. My information is not ' Probable ' or a ' Guess ' - it comes from Silversea themselves !!!! ( clearly they may themselves be unclear or guessing but its the best we have at the moment ).

Edited June 7, 2015 by Mayflower1

[MillieRyan08]

Dear Mayflower and others... I have established that Mayflower, you would be totally correct in that a new itinerary has been posted on the silversea website showing the Cloud now going from Rome to Lisbon on 8th July 2016, I presume en-route to Rio! My cruise, which was departing Venice for Rome on 18th July is now an impossible task. My TA (Silversea rep) has still not contacted me at all. Of course, now I should call her to at least get my deposit back. But I am tempted to see how long they take........

Thanks once again for the info, who needs the agents when we have CC!

Cheers, Millie

[Mayflower1]

Good morning Millie - So sorry that you are affected by the repositioning of The Cloud, as I am in September.

 

I would be inclined to wait a while to see what SS offer by way of compensation ( it will usually be a discount on another SS Cruise ), but fully appreciate that in doing so you may miss other opportunities on other Lines.

 

My Agent is now talking to SS concerning my situation and I will Report back when matters are settled. I may decide to now take the new Cruise out of Lisbon but its not ideal. Whoever thought Holiday Planning was easy !!!!!

 

I am pleased that I have been of some use to you and wish you well in your future Plans - hope that we may meet up sometime.

[MillieRyan08]

Thanks Mayflower, I too would love to meet you somewhere, sometime down the track. I assume by reading your posts that are are a Silversea cruiser through and through? I finally received a call from my Silversea rep yesterday to say my cruise was not to proceed, however I was offered a good incentive to take any other cruise in 2016. Good offer and I understood her position,but at the end of the day for us, it was all about the itinerary, not the money, so I will be declining the offer today. Lucky, there is another cruise line with a very similar itinerary, so before that books out I will be jumping on that.

 

I was so looking forward to our Silversea cruise, no words can explain my disappointment. Maybe I will forget about this and give them another try in a year or two.

 

Enjoy your cruising Mayflower, I sincerely hope it all works out for you too as well and that your travel plans have not been too severely interrupted by the cancellations. Its all about change, arghh.

 

Cheers, and the best of wishes,

Millie

[duct tape]

Declining the offer,,,oh my!

[TLCOhio]

I finally received a call from my Silversea rep yesterday to say my cruise was not to proceed, however I was offered a good incentive to take any other cruise in 2016. Good offer and I understood her position,but at the end of the day for us, it was all about the itinerary, not the money, so I will be declining the offer today. Millie

 

Appreciate Millie's follow-up. Glad that Silversea finally did communicate and make an offer. Totally understand Millie's personal priority about "it was all about the itinerary". That is our need and the way that we approach for deciding cruises.

 

BUT, if I am not being too pushy, would be interested in knowing . . . how "good" of an offer they made and whether there was a time-limit on this chance by SS to make up for their changing your schedule?? For how long of a period was this offer available??

 

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 178,920 views.

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

[Mayflower1]

Good Morning Millie - I wish you every success in your search for another Cruise. I have now concluded my discussions with Silversea and will be taking a revised Combination - we are somewhat closer to The Med than you and as such the Itinerary is not so critical. I too was made an acceptable Offer by the Company but feel that it is unwise and unprofessional to discuss this in Public.

[oregon50]

Sounds like fairness prevails. Thanks to Mayflower for reporting and giving hope to others. I understand itinerary driven decisions for booking cruises, but would find it hard to walk from a discount. Another advantage of having a good travel agent. They might be able to negotiate extension of a discount that would otherwise be impossible.

 

brimary.....my previous comment was not directed towards a particular person.

Edited June 13, 2015 by oregon50

[Master Echo]

Dear all,

 

SS clearly had a better offer for the Cloud for the period from early July to mid September, than would have been the case with voyages 1622 to 1627. There have also been changes to the cruises immediately before and after for repositioning purposes.

 

SS is by no means unique in taking up more lucrative charters; Azamara and Seabourn do this a lot as well.

 

As to the brochure being a work of fiction, the itinerary of one of our forthcoming cruises 2617 - Lisbon to Tower Bridge has already had several port changes. some good, some not so good from our point of view. Another thread has referred to itinerary changes affecting the Shadow next Spring. What hasn't been picked up on that thread is that there will also be itinerary changes to the Shadow's programme in autumn 2016; the explanation offered was "due to operational reasons". What is even worse is that some of the "new" Spring 2016 cruises have already been altered yet again, which must be extremely frustrating for anyone caught up in this virago.

 

Also on that thread was a reference of changes to Silver Wind itineraries in the Med in summer 2016. We have decided to add on voyage 2616 (Monaco to Lisbon) to our existing 2617 booking. This itinerary is however an alteration from the brochure which had the cruise starting in Barcelona. What SS have done is build in a four night gap between the ship arriving in Civitavecchia and sailing from Monaco on 21st May. Dry dock or private charter?

 

In the old days, cruise lines brought out itineraries no further forward than 12 months. Some cruise lines today have got full itineraries through to 2017 in order to try and entice people to commit themselves early. The downside is, as we discuss here, things change and this creates considerable hassle for everybody.

 

So you pays your money and you takes your choice! You can play Russian roulette and book well in advance with the risk of itinerary change, or cancellation due to a private charter, or book close to the sail date and get the runt of the cabins that no one else wants, and generally more expensive airfares.

 

Happy cruising to one and all, maybe!

 

Kindest regards

 

Master Echo