Spirit, June 2020???

[Unibok]

Seeking crowd wisdom: all of the June 2020 Spirit sailings have disappeared from the Silversea website. Any educated guesses why?

[jollyjones]

I've just disembarked from the Spirit and I was trying to book a June 2020 cruise on her. At that time they were all showing waitlist and the Cruise Consultant emailed head office for me - the answer was that they have a charter in the works but not a set date so they can't sell anything to us yet. Whatever cruises end up being scheduled will be released for sale 'soon'.

[Unibok]

4 hours ago, jollyjones said:

I've just disembarked from the Spirit and I was trying to book a June 2020 cruise on her. At that time they were all showing waitlist and the Cruise Consultant emailed head office for me - the answer was that they have a charter in the works but not a set date so they can't sell anything to us yet. Whatever cruises end up being scheduled will be released for sale 'soon'.

 

Ah, thanks for the inside scoop, jollyjones. One of those June cruises was a Venetian sailing. If they charter that one, do you think they would convert another to Venetian? Or is it just a lost opportunity for VS members?

[les37b]

Shortly after the 2020 itineraries became available, about 8 Silver Wind cruises went to waitlist and a call to my TC at Silversea revealed  undecided charter interest. Your post prompted me to look again. It seems they are now all back for sale except one which has now vanished.

 

i know all CL are guilty of this practice of chasing the larger charter customer, but really wished they tell them they need to make their enquiries BEFORE brochures are published and bookings placed by loyal customers in good faith honoured.

 

On that note,  I’ve noticed a change of itinerary for my April 2019 booking.... and no surprises, no advice about the change received. I called my TA (this one wasn’t booked direct) and the agent wasn’t aware and even tried to claim at one point there was no change. (Removing a port to me certainly is a change in my eyes.) I really don’t understand why changes are so difficult to communicate.

Edited November 18, 2018 by les37b

[Silver Spectre]

13 minutes ago, les37b said:

Shortly after the 2020 itineraries became available, about 8 Silver Wind cruises went to waitlist and a call to my TC at Silversea revealed  undecided charter interest. Your post prompted me to look again. It seems they are now all back for sale except one which has now vanished.

 

i know all CL are guilty of this practice of chasing the larger charter customer, but really wished they tell them they need to make their enquiries BEFORE brochures are published and bookings placed by loyal customers in good faith honoured.

 

On that note,  I’ve noticed a change of itinerary for my April 2019 booking.... and no surprises, no advice about the change received. I called my TA (this one wasn’t booked direct) and the agent wasn’t aware and even tried to claim at one point there was no change. (Removing a port to me certainly is a change in my eyes.) I really don’t understand why changes are so difficult to communicate.

They are not done for the guests benefit and therefore are of no interest to the guests 😎

[les37b]

38 minutes ago, Silver Spectre said:

They are not done for the guests benefit and therefore are of no interest to the guests 😎

 

 

I believe you Mrs May. 

[Unibok]

Thanks, Les. I'd also noticed those Wind re-appearances, as well as the re-emergence of a Shadow sailing in the Eastern Med. 

 

These particular voyages matter to me because I'm looking at sailing with 3 other friends on either that Shadow sailing in the Eastern Med (no Venetian discount) or that Spirit sailing to the Norwegian fjords (with Venetian discount). I guess we'll wait a few more months and see how they shake out.

 

Cheers,

[les37b]

1 minute ago, Unibok said:

Thanks, Les. I'd also noticed those Wind re-appearances, as well as the re-emergence of a Shadow sailing in the Eastern Med. 

 

These particular voyages matter to me because I'm looking at sailing with 3 other friends on either that Shadow sailing in the Eastern Med (no Venetian discount) or that Spirit sailing to the Norwegian fjords (with Venetian discount). I guess we'll wait a few more months and see how they shake out.

 

Cheers,

 

Which Norwegian Fjords do you refer?

 

Going back to these "you've booked, no you haven't" cruises. Given most people will have paid in full upfront, it does grate even more that the plug can be pulled at any time for a "bigger fish" or because the Cruise Line decides to go ahead with dry docks that should have been planned better. (I'm not referring to urgent maintenance here, but things such as "stretching" which should have been done AFTER all currently advertised cruises had been published and bookings made. Most of the cruises affected on the stretch were full or near as damn it.

 

[Unibok]

7 minutes ago, les37b said:

 

Which Norwegian Fjords do you refer?

 

 

It was London (Greenwich) to Copenhagen, 12 days on the Spirit leaving June 18th. The itinerary was listed as:

 

London, England (Greenwich)

Sea day

Edinburgh, Scotland (overnight, 1.5 days)

Invergordon, Scotland

Shetland Islands, Scotland

Flam and Gudvagen, Norway (2 stops in one day)

Nordfjordied, Norway

Bergen, Norway

Sea day

Oslo, Norway

Helsingor, Denmark

Copenhagen, Denmark

The four of us love this itinerary, but we also love the 13-day Athens-to-Venice Shadow itinerary with an overnight in Istanbul, leaving May 30th. Perhaps the charter company will be making our choice for us, if they take the Spirit voyage above.

[les37b]

2 hours ago, Unibok said:

 

It was London (Greenwich) to Copenhagen, 12 days on the Spirit leaving June 18th. The itinerary was listed as:

Flam and Gudvagen, Norway (2 stops in one day)

 

 

OK, I'd not picked up in your post it was on the Spirit.... The one I've booked is the reverse of yours (Copenhagen to Tower Bridge) and similar itinerary. 

 

One of the stops is the same as the one I left above. Not sure if that's the norm or not. Catching the Flamsbana it would appear that as soon as you reach the Myrdal, you're back on the train to go back to port and even that's tight, so wonder if the tours operated by SS have you meet back up with the ship at Gudvagen? Given the location of the port to the station and no doubt the markup, its one I will definitely DIY.

 

That said, I'm sure the port timings must be to cater for a return train journey. Hope so.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by les37b

[Unibok]

Great video, Les! Thank you for posting it.

 

Yes, my understanding was that the Gudvagen stop is so that those taking the rail journey from Flam could rejoin the ship later that day. 

 

Aw, now that I've seen your video, I'm really hoping they repost that sailing!!

Edited November 18, 2018 by Unibok

[les37b]

Just to clarify... not my video... but will certainly make one!

 

it is possible to get back to the ship in Flam - but you pretty much end up coming straight back.

 

im sure someone will post the options. (Hopefully!)