Silver Spirit dock on time?

[stpie]

Hello to veteran cruisers! We are new to Silverseas.

 

May I ask, does the ship generally docked at the time stated on the website?

 

I posted in the Northern Europe thread, but I ask because our departing flight is 12:25pm, and the Silver is supposed to dock at 8am in Stockholm at FRIHAMNEN on a Friday. Will this be enough time (I'm sorry for asking like other posters)? Silverseas recommends a 1pm or later flight if that day.

 

Are there any special things I could do to ensure an early exit from the ship? I imagine I should arrange for taxi transport rather than the ship's transfer to airport.

 

Thank you in advance!

[les37b]

My experience is the ships generally arrive a little before time but not by much. Obviously you won’t be allowed to leave the ship until it’s cleared customs and immigration, so I’d expect the earliest you could get off would be 8.30.

 

If you speak to your butler I’m sure he will arrange to have an early departure for you. Time it takes to the airport is another matter. Not one I’ve used.

 

 

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[MBP&O2/O]

Equally, we have an 08:00 arrival San Juan and a 12:00 flight. I presume this is OK as the TA sanctioned it. I hope it is as there is only the one flight per day[emoji3]

I will be asking for priority disembarkation for peace of mind.

 

 

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[beaujolais]

If you go to Destination Services with the Departure Details Form that will be put in your suite a day or two before departure and request to be among the first off the ship they will fix it up for you to be in the first group

Taxis should be available and at that time of day catching a flight at that time will be no problem

[UKCruiseJeff]

You are cutting this quite fine and should make it. Also, factor in unlikely but possible things like the single flight may be routinely "over booked" by the airline and the last "passenger" is "bumped".

 

With little or no traffic it can take 45 minutes to an hour. Suggest you pre-book a taxi with Taxi Stockholm which has a good reputation for reliability and don't chance on joining the taxi queue.

 

https://www.taxistockholm.se/en/

 

EDITED: This is the type of situation where it is probably better to have an SS package if it isn't too late as they will be responsible transportation, getting you to the flight in good time, and for the risk if anything goes wrong, rather than you.

Edited January 30, 2018 by UKCruiseJeff

[CruisinPashmina]

I suggest you skim thru my post “ Sydney port to airport”. If things can go wrong, they MIGHT.

 

Check on the distance from the port to the airport...I remember it was quite a long ride.

 

If you have options for later flights, I would jump on it! Good luck and Bon Voyage.

[stpie]

Thank you all so much for the reassurance. I am selfishly wanting to fly out the same day because I know I will want to get home.

 

CruisinPashmina, I just read your account. Oh my goodness, that is sobering. I will look for more flights.

[MBP&O2/O]

Oops .... spoke too soon[emoji46]

 

Our 12:00 noon flight has just been amended to early evening.

Option 1 is to delay disembarkation to as late as possible and spend the time loafing around the airport as there isn’t enough time or desire to wander off into San Juan.

Option 2 is to cancel the flight, lose the money, and sort something else out.

Airlines attitude? Tough ....

 

What really annoys me is that they don’t refund the money even if they resell the seats! Did I read somewhere that in the UK they are looking at this issue and telling the airlines that if they recoup the money with another sale then they will refund the original purchaser. I probably imagined it.

As it stands they can do what they want ... quite legally as well!

 

Rant over.

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Oops .... spoke too soon[emoji46]

 

Our 12:00 noon flight has just been amended to early evening.

Option 1 is to delay disembarkation to as late as possible and spend the time loafing around the airport as there isn’t enough time or desire to wander off into San Juan.

Option 2 is to cancel the flight, lose the money, and sort something else out.

Airlines attitude? Tough ....

 

What really annoys me is that they don’t refund the money even if they resell the seats! Did I read somewhere that in the UK they are looking at this issue and telling the airlines that if they recoup the money with another sale then they will refund the original purchaser. I probably imagined it.

As it stands they can do what they want ... quite legally as well!

 

Rant over.

 

 

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I think you may be missing an obvious option.

 

If your original flight time has substantially changed from the original departure time, have you tried simply to ask the airline or if through an agent, the agent. for a refund?

[MBP&O2/O]

I asked the TA about it.

The original flight was at 12:00 noon and the rescheduled one is

set for 18:00.

I was told that if I cancel it then there is no refund as per the airlines t&c’s which state

 

Non-refundable fares may be canceled up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure time, otherwise, cancellations will not be valid. Upon proper cancellation, passengers can request a credit for future travel on Seaborne Airlines only.

Refunds are not allowed.

Failure to cancel prior to scheduled departure will result in a “no show” classification and forfeiture of fare.

 

I am half tempted to contact them and see what they say but I suspect I may be wasting my time.

 

Mike

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Mike,

 

You need to check a few things.

 

Firstly just double check the flight number hasn't changed. If it has changed it is classed as a cancellation not a schedule change, so a full refund is due.

 

Which airline and what type of ticket did you book and what is the schedule changed from and to?

[MBP&O2/O]

Jeff

 

Same flight number ...

Seaborne Airlines .... San Juan to St. Kitts

Times were 12:00 x 13:15 and are now 1800 x 1915

Economy booking .... no choice ... Fare classed as G (G7)

Booked and paid for 22 May.

Technically I suspect I am stuffed[emoji45]

 

Big sigh required .... or a large tot of Compass Box?

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Mike,

 

I'm sorry - from your earlier comments I'd gained the inocrrect impression you had booked a UK line. What constitutes a "significant change" is up to individual airlines as it has never been mandated and the airlines are all therefore different and most often don't publish the guidance to the public. With BA for example that guidance is over 2 hours whereas Virgin it is over 12 hours. From personal experience BA will often change for flight changes that are even 60 or 90 minutes or so without too much of a problem.

 

You could contact the airline and explain and give reasons that you think appropriate for why the difference is significant for you eg a social or work event back home, but that presumes you could get an earlier flight on an alternative line. This is where schmooze works better than threats or anger and possibly your best chance is using twitter as they like to appear more helpful over social media than in a private exchange. Other than that you are probably stuffed. Just enjoy the bar.

 

This is how vague the CAA is on the issue.

 

 

 

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[les37b]

I asked the TA about it.

The original flight was at 12:00 noon and the rescheduled one is

set for 18:00.

I was told that if I cancel it then there is no refund as per the airlines t&c’s which state

 

Non-refundable fares may be canceled up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure time, otherwise, cancellations will not be valid. Upon proper cancellation, passengers can request a credit for future travel on Seaborne Airlines only.

Refunds are not allowed.

Failure to cancel prior to scheduled departure will result in a “no show” classification and forfeiture of fare.

 

I am half tempted to contact them and see what they say but I suspect I may be wasting my time.

 

It's awful the way companies are allowed treat customers and employees in the US. There really seems to be no protection for the small guy.

 

We did a family cruise out of Barcelona approx 18 months ago. I booked 4 fares outwards with BA on a flight from Gatwick at 7.30AM. Early times chosen because (a) it gave us time in Barcalona on that day and (b) it suited us to avoid the M25 chaos during the morning rush hour.

 

These flights were booked in the first week the fares were available.

 

Approx 3 months later, I noticed in the myflight app they had amended the time to a 12.40 departure. Strangely, when I checked, the budget airline easyJet now had the 7.30 take off spot.

 

I phoned BA and added a little white lie that we were on that flight for a cruise which departed at 17.00 (we were staying 4 nights pre cruise). They ummed and ah'd for a short while and I mentioned that easyjet had bumped BA and now had the flight time I had booked and they simply gave me a full refund without too much fuss.

 

And why should you be held to a situation that you didn't agree to? Obviously if it changed by a smaller amount of time, you've not really got much of a case. But potentially missing a cruise they can't really say much otherwise. I have to admit I did find it amusing that the much ridiculed EasyJet had bumped BA and happy to say, the fare I ended paying was approx half the price, so a win win.

[MBP&O2/O]

I think with airlines that “corporate” really don’t care.

I have written a very polite letter to Seaborne saying that they have changed the flight times, they have inconvenienced me, they have caused me extra expense, none of which I was happy about. I also mentioned that now they have the opportunity to resell the tickets .... double bubble for them. I also pointed out that as an unemployed pensioner I can’t afford this type of hassle.

Since sending the email I found out that company is “restructuring” (posh speak for filing for bankruptcy) and is being taken over by Silver Airlines (?) but of course flights and bookings will not be affected ... oink [emoji200]

 

Mike

 

 

 

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