Very disappointing change in policy

[jozi]

I wonder if there are different consumer protection (or lack of) laws/regulations in UK that drive the policy. And if Brexit changed anything. Or if perhaps this is all just a one off related to other variables that we are not (and need not) be privy to.

 

Surely the main issue here is that it seems that whereas clients in the USA and maybe elsewhere can have reductions applied to their cruises, well before final payment date, those who book in the UK cannot. I believe UK clients pay a lower deposit, but cannot get it back, merely probably have it transferred with some restrictions to another cruise, whereas USA clients can have the whole of their deposit back.

 

On the face of it, unless there is something else behind it, the difference between the OP's situation and that of the American client seems very unfair to the UK client. And it did look as if the allocation of the poorest V1 suite for this cruise, at this early date, seemed rather mean.

 

Hoping to hear the final outcome.

[Isklaar]

I wonder if there are different consumer protection (or lack of) laws/regulations in UK that drive the policy. And if Brexit changed anything. Or if perhaps this is all just a one off related to other variables that we are not (and need not) be privy to.

 

Brexit hasn't changed anything. Yet.

 

Yes there are different consumer protection laws here, certainly not lack of, as I mentioned in my post earlier today.

 

People need to accept that it's Seabourn that made this decision to change their policy here, nothing else has changed. Just Seabourn's attitude to its UK cruisers.

Edited April 12, 2017 by Isklaar
Punctuation!

[marama]

New Management, new ships, new Seabourn. I hope it isn't going to end in tears (for me, anyway).

[Capri73]

Don't feel bad. We(agent who is wonderful)have been dealing with SB for months now.First started when they cancelled our trip for a charter.They did reimburse us but took 4 months to send the check.This was after they said it was sent out months before.They gave us 2 weeks to take advantage of their generous 10% discount for our inconvenience.We regrettably did re book another trip but now would not assign a cabin.They said we could have one upfront on a lower deck.Letters,calls,almost all go unanswered or take weeks to months to answer.

Our trip before final payment was having a sale.They refused to do anything about it. We wanted to cancel but already had purchased our airline tickets.So it seems that US customers are not being treated any better.We are starting to feel that this might be our last trip with SB.Very sad because for the last 16 yrs she has been our cruise of choice.We will have a nice vacation but maybe Windstar will be next. Our trip is 2 weeks on Encore so we will see.

[lincslady]

Thanks, that sort of makes me feel better! Sounds like Seabourn can be equally foul to us all, if they feel like it. What a shame.

[Chairsin]

Capri ,

I guess I am missing something here but as you seem to have a US TA and the sale you mentioned was held prior to your final payment date why didn't you cancel and immediately rebook at the lower fare?

[Capri73]

I hear what you are saying .If we did that we would loose the 10% discount we got from them for cancelling our prior trip.It was a no win situation.

We have made peace with it no choice.I just wanted others to know that SB is no longer the SB we have all grown to love.

[cruising kirby]

Notwithstanding the comments from Seabourn's Sydney office, it appears that there are examples both in the USA and the UK of an increasingly inflexible Seabourn. Taking into account my recent experience on a 28 night Odyssey cruise where service was significantly compromised due to reduced numbers of staff in the bars and restaurants, I am concerned that my wonderful run with the cruiseline may be coming to an end. I have one more Seabourn cruise booked later this year and if service is again not what I expect, I am going to look around for alternatives to try in 2018. I doubt I will go mass market again (even in their suite "enclaves"), but there are mid sized ships around that are a lot cheaper than Seabourn, and if I pay less, I don't have the same expectations.

 

For several years Seabourn has been the only choice for me. I struggle with the notion that times might be changing!

[cruisr]

As I say, the "Carnival rot" is setting in. Death by a thousand cuts..

 

 

Seriously? It's been 19 years this month since Carnival Corp purchased its remaining interest in Seabourn and became the sole owner.

 

Show me one company that hasnt changed its policies and procedures in the past 20 years and it's probably going to be a company that's out of business.

 

Cruise lines are not charities, they are not non profits. They are for profit companies, responsible to their shareholders. In that Carnival Corp (CCL) is doing a great job. As a share holder and passenger I am happy with them.

 

If Carnival did NOT buy and own Seabourn 100% you wouldn't have anything to complain about as they probably wouldn't exist now, at least as we know them.

[cruisr]

New Management, new ships, new Seabourn. I hope it isn't going to end in tears (for me, anyway).

 

RIck Meadows is still the President. IF you are speaking about management changes in the sales department then John Delaney's replacement, Chris Austin, I see that as a net positive. Chris Prelog did also go to Windstar and brought Graeham Cockburn but that is F&B which has nothing to do with revenue management. That department has not changed management.

[Laylam]

Laylam

We are talking about the policy in the UK not Australia or the US or anywhere else. What your TA told your for Australia may be correct --- but doesn't affect the OP or other U.K. Bookings. In the U.K. once you book you make a 10 percent non refundable deposit. This is different from the US where your deposit is refundable if you cancel within a few month period prior to the cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Yes, I do understand that Chairsin. We also used to pay a non-refundable deposit (until recent changes to Australian Consumer Law), BUT, have always had price drops honoured. This thread suggests that there has/had been a change in Seabourn's policy, and until we heard from a US resident, and now from Seabourn in Sydney, who knew it only affected UK residents?

Edited April 13, 2017 by Laylam
To make more sense - HOPEFULLY!!

[whystayhome]

I booked our Antarctica cruise more than a year in advance. After a lot of obsessing, we decided to pay more for a specific midship deck 4 cabin than what a veranda guarantee was going for, wanting low and middle. At CHECK-IN, we found out we were reassigned to a V-1 (no notice of the change on line when I left home). I couldn't believe it. Initially, I was told the ship was full and nothing could be done. I repeated ad nauseum that we had paid more for our original cabin than the one we had been reassigned to. After a few hours moving up the complaint chain, an empty V-5 magically materialized. We met the people who had been given our original cabin - they had booked last minute.

 

The lesson: keep complaining

 

Also, Antarctica was the best cruise ever, so no matter what, you'll enjoy yourself.

 

Linda

[marama]

I booked our Antarctica cruise more than a year in advance. After a lot of obsessing, we decided to pay more for a specific midship deck 4 cabin than what a veranda guarantee was going for, wanting low and middle. At CHECK-IN, we found out we were reassigned to a V-1 (no notice of the change on line when I left home). I couldn't believe it. Initially, I was told the ship was full and nothing could be done. I repeated ad nauseum that we had paid more for our original cabin than the one we had been reassigned to. After a few hours moving up the complaint chain, an empty V-5 magically materialized. We met the people who had been given our original cabin - they had booked last minute.

 

The lesson: keep complaining

 

Also, Antarctica was the best cruise ever, so no matter what, you'll enjoy yourself.

 

 

 

Thats appalling but thanks for sharing - I hope it never happens to us but its useful information if anything like it ever does. It seems as though there was one almighty mixup - one wonders how Seabourn can be this disorganised.

[cruisewmn]

When we were booking connecting cabins, the Seabourn agent made a note on our reservations: "do not move". She said that without that notation, one of our cabins could be relocated or upgraded. Now we always ask for the notation regardless of whether or not we're in one or two rooms.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[lincslady]

Yes , this has happened to us. If you do not say 'no upgrade please' when you book, this can occur, and you are - supposedly - given an upgrade, whether you want it or not, with no recourse. TAs should always inform passengers about this, but do not always do so.

 

We managed to get our suite changed as soon as we boarded - the only problem was it was right by a stairway which was often used,noisily, on one of the small ships. Our original suite was occupied, but the kind Hotel Director on board found us another.

 

It is a pity we are not always asked if we want to say 'no upgrade' - I think TAs think we will be happy with them if they appear to get us a better suite before embarkation, but sometimes it is not what you want!

 

Incidentally, we have not heard from the OP on this thread - I have a feeling they have changed their booking to an Alaska cruise?? Please let us know, galeforce.

[rols]

And now what?! I don't get it but then I don't get the design flaws in the Encore such as the Retreat, the Club

 

I've missed a meeting - what's the complaint about the Encore's Club? Search hasn't helped me here.

[Techno123]

Apparently (and from what I have read) the furniture is too big and bulky and there is too much of it which makes the club seem very cramped and the bar tender has to go 'behind the scenes' to make drinks as there is no room to do so at the bar, seemed to be the main issues.

[Ekka]

Interesting that anyone from the UK would even consider visiting Antarctica from southern America rather than from Australia.

 

Have you ever heard of Captain Cook?

[markham]

Ekka,

 

Does Capt Cook offer a competitive alternative to Seabourn Quest's Antarctica cruises from South America?

 

In any case, from London it's less than 15 hours to Santiago via non-stop BA flight and we join Quest in Valparaiso for the Christmas, 2017 to Buenos Aires. How long is it to Australia? Over 23 hours with a stop.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[markham]

And unlike the Encore's Observation Bar which is larger and has more flexible seating, the Club is smaller than that of the Odyssey ships- which is a shame since the ship holds 150 more passengers. Some of them, maybe 30, go to Encore's new Thomas Keller Bar.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[SKP946]

Interesting that anyone from the UK would even consider visiting Antarctica from southern America rather than from Australia.

 

Have you ever heard of Captain Cook?

I've heard of THE Captain Cook, but are you referring to Captain Cook Cruises ? I Googled them and they only appear to cruise in Australia and Fiji.

Perhaps you could post a link please EKKA

[Ekka]

It depends where in Antarctica you want to go, and yes, by far the quickest way to get to some parts of the southern-most continent from the UK is by flying to South America, so do so by all means if speed is important to you and visiting the Commonwealth is less so.

 

 

If you're more interested in speed than in history, that's definitely the way to go. The scenery may be better too, if you don't mind crowds, and if that's why you're going, you'll no doubt be sated.

 

If you are interested in history, particularly British colonial and British Commonwealth history, and want to see a fair bit of the areas visited by early 20th century British and Australian explorers, eastern Antarctica is extremely worthwhile, but it is almost always ignored by the cruises from South America, almost all of which visit the Antarctic Peninsula only.

 

 

 

 

I personally had intended to voyage Hobart to Hobart on the Orion, but then the Australian owner of Orion Expedition Cruises sold out to Lindblad, and the rest is history. Lindblad joined up with National Geographic and you can no longer get to Antarctica from Australia on the Orion, so far as I can ascertain.

 

Perhaps it may be timely to remind people such as markham that Australia - inherited from Britain - is the largest claimant to Antarctic territory, and that that claim was passed on to Australia by Britain in 1933. Since that year Australia has faithfully looked after the largest portion of the continent at its own expense. markham may be interested in learning more about the history of the exploration of Antarctica.

 

 

markham's response was interesting. He or she clearly placed convenience and "what you can see" above what British and Commonwealth explorers strove - against considerable difficulties a century ago, to stamp as British and Commonwealth. One wonders if those who criticise know anything of history.

 

 

 

So far as Captain Cook cruises go, yes, I believe they're based in Fiji, but if you want to see where Lt. James Cook spent most of his time ashore in Australia in 1770, visit Cooktown in North Queensland.

[markham]

ekka,

 

You never said anything about history, heritage or "what you can see". You said "anyone from the UK" as if that were clear enough. It wasn't and that's what's interesting now. So I assumed people from the UK would like a fast flight and that's what British Airways is now offering. OK?

 

Further, many of us have visited the ports of Australia on Seabourn - we do enjoy Seabourn's level of luxury - and also the interior. And we also enjoy South America. OK?

 

So no criticism is intended from me. You can stand down now. I will take you enthusiasm for Capt Cook and your reminders about history in stride. You were clearly in a very generous mood.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[stamfordian]

At CHECK-IN, we found out we were reassigned to a V-1 (no notice of the change on line when I left home). I couldn't believe it. Initially, I was told the ship was full and nothing could be done. I repeated ad nauseum that we had paid more for our original cabin than the one we had been reassigned to. After a few hours moving up the complaint chain, an empty V-5 magically materialized. We met the people who had been given our original cabin - they had booked last minute.

 

The lesson: keep complaining

 

Linda

 

Totally agree Linda. We were booked transAtlantic on Odyssey ex Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale last December. I had booked on board, during our previous cruise in the summer, and had agreed on a firm booking in an A1 (428 or 432 as I recall) as we prefer to be low and midships on a crossing. We received our baggage tags and final paperwork, all showing the booked suite.

 

At Lisbon, they only did the health check before boarding and check-in took place in the Grand Salon, as it used to on the triplets. As we boarded and were checked off by security they said "no, you are in 617." I queried this but the security officer said to ask the check-in staff. They confirmed 617 and congratulated us on our "upgrade"! I said I did not want an upgrade - especially to a higher and more forward cabin.

 

We agreed to go and wait in 617 while they "sorted it out". Eventually, after complaining on the phone to Seabourn Square, then to the Executive Housekeeper (who had been sent to try and pacify us) and finally in person to the Guest Services Manager they said they could not put us back in the A1 as it had been re-allocated, however they could offer us 656 - an excellent midships V5. We decided honour was satisfied with that!

 

If we had not complained - and kept going - I believe we would have been stuck with 617.

 

According to the Cruise Sales Specialist, our computer record stated that the move had been "cleared" with our T/A. I checked with said T/A on return and they stated categorically it had not, as we always book with "no upgrade, unless specifically discussed and agreed with us."

 

So we shall see what happens on Quest in August!