Heads Up Silversea Hotels

[dudesdynamos]

Heads up for people booking pre or post cruise hotel in conjunction with a Silversea cruise. Apologies if this information has already been mentioned.

 

Try booking the hotel directly rather than through Silversea. For example, for the Captain Cook in Anchorage Silversea's price was $299 per person. Booking directly through the hotel the price was $310 for the room, which in our case would be two people. After talking with the hotel and Silversea it seems the prices are for the exact same room and conditions. We have found similar situations on other cruises we have taken on Silversea. Not an enormous amount of money and some people won't care, but why put the extra money in Silversea's pocket when we could use the difference to buy a few nice bottles of wine.

[carefreecruise]

Youi are completely correct. One additional item included in the Silversea hotel charge, transportation to the ship and a person at a desk to make recommendations for dining and things to do.

[MrsWaldo]

Youi are completely correct. One additional item included in the Silversea hotel charge, transportation to the ship and a person at a desk to make recommendations for dining and things to do.

 

Except that if you are on the passenger list they will help you out anyway! (not the transport)

 

Other factors to weigh in are checking in/out at your own time so less queuing. Room more likely to be ready earlier (can't have pax perceived to be more important)

[unfathomable]

Always worth checking. We used SS for hotels in Hong Kong and Singapore late last year and got a good deal, but YMMV.

[wripro]

NEVER NEVER NEVER book hotels through the cruise lines unless you have lots of cash laying around and no match to light it on fire with.

[onetravelbug]

We booked our own hotel in London this coming September, which is the same hotel that Silverseas uses. We just asked our TA to add the transportation from the airport and from the hotel to the ship as a separate item. Wripo is correct the saving is substantial and you still have the option to add the transportation with Silverseas, or go it alone. The saving we will have from doing it ourselves is going to pay for our tours of the London area four days prior to joining the ship in SouthHampton.

[mrscrab]

If you stay independently at the hotel SS use you cannot "hop on" the transport being provided by SS to the ship. This happened in Perth a few years ago, the passenger was hoping to be included but he was left behind and had to take a taxi to the ship even though there was room for him on the SS mini bus.

[wripro]

With the money he saved on the hotel room he could have helicoptered to the ship.

[onetravelbug]

You can pay Silverseas for the transportation to the ship from the hotel. At least that is what my TA says. Still much cheaper than booking the hotel through Silverseas. I will double check with my TA, but have done this on many cruise lines without any issues.

[onetravelbug]

Here is the update from Silverseas and my TA. As long as Silverseas offers a hotel package for the same number of days prior to sailing you can book and pay Silverseas for the airport to hotel transfer (Their hotels only). In our case, we will have to do our own transfers from the airport to the hotel because we are arriving four days prior to sailing and Silverseas does not offer a four day pre-cruise hotel package. This is all based on you doing your own air and hotel reservations. So as long as Silverseas offers a one or two or three day pre-cruise package at their hotel and that matches the same number of nights you will arrive early you can take advantage of their transfers.

 

We did purchase a Silverseas transfer from the hotel to the ship for $59/person. Considering the distance from London to SouthHampton that is probably a fair price, and it makes sure we arrive at a reasonable time before sailing. Sorry, I don't know the airport to hotel transfer prices in London.

 

The only trick here is you must reserve your transfers from Silverseas prior to sailing. You just can't show up and expect to buy a transfer. I would also urge anyone thinking about doing Silverseas's transfers to reserve them early. They will take care of their air/hotel guest first, and only sell left over space as it is available.

 

Hope this helps clarify Silverseas's policy on transfers for their non air/hotel guest.

[wripro]

I hope you realize that SS's transfer is in a bus. A BUS!!!! For that money you can probably get a private car, leave when you want and get there when you want. Even if the car costs a bit more it's so worth it.

[UKCruiseJeff]

$59 for a bus trip from London to Southampton is a stonking price! My son lives in Southampton and he does the odd National Express (coach) trip to London for around £6 or so.

 

Sensible people will have a few nights in London, then transfer down to the New Forest or Southampton a day or two before and take a leisurely taxi to the ship unflustered and relaxed for lunch on an empty ship and before the bedraggled and sad looking crowd arrives from the airports and London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[oregon50]

Yet the bus will be full, or nearly full. Different comfort levels. So many good options that people miss. Two days in a Southampton hotel not being one of them.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Yet the bus will be full, or nearly full. Different comfort levels. So many good options that people miss. Two days in a Southampton hotel not being one of them.

 

 

What's wrong with spending a night pre-cruise in the New Forest or Southampton rather than be on the bus?

 

 

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[MLeh]

Looking at the cruise ship schedule for Southampton (http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/live_information/shipping_movements_and_cruise_ship_schedule/cruise_ship_schedule/) those embarking on the Whisper in August might find a range of accommodation available locally while those on the Muse will have a few other ships providing competition.

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Looking at the cruise ship schedule for Southampton (http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/live_information/shipping_movements_and_cruise_ship_schedule/cruise_ship_schedule/) those embarking on the Whisper in August might find a range of accommodation available locally while those on the Muse will have a few other ships providing competition.

 

 

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There's bags of free accommodation available on 10th September as there are around 100 hotels around Southampton and 500 in Hampshire.

 

People arriving the afternoon before a cruise to board the following morning are probably best placed in Southampton, and those planning a couple of nights and want to look around would probably be best placed in a New Forest hotel or in Winchester or perhaps Salisbury.

 

 

 

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[MissSophia]

There's bags of free accommodation available on 10th September as there are around 100 hotels around Southampton and 500 in Hampshire.

 

People arriving the afternoon before a cruise to board the following morning are probably best placed in Southampton, and those planning a couple of nights and want to look around would probably be best placed in a New Forest hotel or in Winchester or perhaps Salisbury.

 

 

 

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For pure indulgence it would have to be Chewton Glen of course.

[turnip eater]

http://www.harbourhotels.co.uk/hotels/southampton-harbour-hotel-spa/

 

Due to open later this year.