Angry newbie

[janecambridge]

We have just been notified that our cruise on November 24th on Silver Shadow has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond their control.But the exact cruise is still going ahead with exact same itinerary with 14 days added to it. Silverseas have had full payment for a year.They have not informed  us of the added days with the suggestion we may want to extend.Being our first booking with Silverseas, we are very disappointed and not very happy.A super itinerary...Is this common??? 

[cruiseej]

44 minutes ago, janecambridge said:

But the exact cruise is still going ahead with exact same itinerary with 14 days added to it.

 

I'm sorry your trip was canceled, and I can understand your disappointment and frustration.

 

I'm trying to understand the situation before offering additional thoughts...I see the November 24 Athens to Dubai trip currently listed, a 24 days cruise. If you're saying there were 14 days added to it, then you were supposed to disembark on the 10th day of this cruise? That's a day in Aquaba (Petra), Jordan, and I'm not aware of cruises beginning and ending there. Could you clarify the length/itinerary of your originally-booked cruise?

Edited September 14, 2021 by cruiseej

[turtlemichael]

There appears to have been a 10 day Shadow cruise from Athens that disembarked in Aqaba followed by a 14 day cruise Aqaba to Mumbai. These have now disappeared off the website as separate cruises but combined into one 24 day cruise. There would have to be some reason for this but I can't guess it beyond some issue with embarkation/disembarkation at Aqaba. Silversea needs to explain as well as explain its treatment of those booked on the separate legs.

[ronrick1943]

I agree, why wouldn’t Silversea work with the customer- Giving some options—-even a discount should they want to cruise.  Odd at best, but management needs to address this asap.

[janecambridge]

This is our booking. Disembarking at Aqaba. 
 

 

BOOKING DETAILS
BOOKING #: SHIP: EMBARK: DEBARK: VOYAGE:
109265-20
Silver Shadow
Athens (Piraeus), Greece Aqaba (Petra), Jordan SS211124010
ISSUE DATE: DURATION: EMBARK DATE: DEBARK DATE
17/09/2020
10 days
24/11/2021 04/12/2021
 

[janecambridge]

We were recently looking at extending our stay for 3 nights at Aqaba. Luckily no payments/deposits had been made to hotels, tours snd transfers. 

[janecambridge]

Just spoken to a customer services gentleman who informed us all Asian cruises will be cancelled in the next few days.Why they have advertised the same cruise with extended itinerary, to Mumbai,I dont know. He was not very forthcoming.

[RetiredandTravel]

5 hours ago, janecambridge said:

Just spoken to a customer services gentleman who informed us all Asian cruises will be cancelled in the next few days.Why they have advertised the same cruise with extended itinerary, to Mumbai,I dont know. He was not very forthcoming.

 

Seems very shady.

 

Did they offer to refund your money?

 

 

[RJ2002]

Regent is also announcing changes today for its 2022 WC.  They've communicated to guests apparently,  but their website is not yet updated.  Playing devil's advocate, these types of changes are a huge effort for the cruise lines.  Probably will take a few days to settle.

 

 

[RetiredandTravel]

I agree that one should expect changes to itineraries but , like in Jane's case, the cruise line should be ready to make you whole if they make major changes.  There are other economic considerations to the purchaser like airline tickets.

[cruiseej]

So is the 24 day cruise Athens to Mumbai also going to be canceled? That's what I thought other passengers booked on the November 24 cruise have reported. If that's what's in the works, but it just hasn't posted to the website yet, then it seems once things get fully in sync there's no major foul or reason for complaint about the cancellation of the 10-day Athens to Aqaba cruise. That is, it will be like the hundreds of other cruises canceled during the pandemic. (But disappointment? Yes, of course! 😉 )

 

But if the full 24-day cruise is actually happening, and they bumped people who were only on the first 10-day segment in order to sell more cabins for the full 24 days, that's something I'm not aware of happening, and would be pretty egregious. (Customers have been bumped due to a ship being chartered, but this sounds different.)

Edited September 15, 2021 by cruiseej

[janecambridge]

We have been offered refund. Our agent said that the silverseas agent told her,  Silver Shadow will probably concentrate on the Mediterranean countries. 

[RetiredandTravel]

 

22 minutes ago, janecambridge said:

We have been offered refund. Our agent said that the silverseas agent told her,  Silver Shadow will probably concentrate on the Mediterranean countries. 

 

 

That's probably the best they could do financially.  Seems the entire Shadow itinerary to Asia should have been cancelled at one time to avoid confusion. 

[labrasett]

We all need to cut SS some slack, they are probably running around like headless chickens trying to keep up wih the various countries' requirements vis a vis covid in addition to the fact that a passengers nationality and point of origin also has to be taken into account.  Nothing like this has ever happened before and hopefully when we get out the other side of the current situation nothing similar will ever happen again but you can never say never.  In the meantime patience is key to sanity.

[ronrick1943]

51 minutes ago, labrasett said:

We all need to cut SS some slack, they are probably running around like headless chickens trying to keep up wih the various countries' requirements vis a vis covid in addition to the fact that a passengers nationality and point of origin also has to be taken into account.  Nothing like this has ever happened before and hopefully when we get out the other side of the current situation nothing similar will ever happen again but you can never say never.  In the meantime patience is key to sanity.

True, however with something like this (Covid), this is the time for a Company to shine—-good communication is important in a timely matter.  People have made arrangements that could be costly to them.

[Observer]

29 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

True, however with something like this (Covid), this is the time for a Company to shine—-good communication is important in a timely matter.  People have made arrangements that could be costly to them.

"Timely" may well be the operative word.  Premature communication with "current" information that might well change in this fluid environment could also be costly.

 

From what I know -- which is more than a little but certainly not everything -- Silversea shone in dealing with guests whose travels were rudely interrupted by Covid eruption.   

[ronrick1943]

55 minutes ago, Observer said:

"Timely" may well be the operative word.  Premature communication with "current" information that might well change in this fluid environment could also be costly.

 

From what I know -- which is more than a little but certainly not everything -- Silversea shone in dealing with guests whose travels were rudely interrupted by Covid eruption.   

Very true, but communication is still very important when doing business———doesn’t make any difference if it’s goods news or bad news.  Being informed is important to very one.

[safari111]

Ok There were 2 segments from ATH-AQA and AQA TO Bom SS CANCELLED BOTH !

THIS is about impugning SS. Why is there now same ship , same itinerary ATH-BOM. ? Why did SS cancel? Only honest for SS to come forward. 

 

Labraset this wasn’t about covid!

[Host Jazzbeau]

If they cancel the combined voyage when IT gets to it, I’m expecting a bunch of apologies from those so quick to allege malfeasance. 

[audobon_tx]

The 24 night cruise is not showing on a few of the large TA sites I follow.  The 10 and 14 once did but when they disappeared nothing replaced them.

Edited September 15, 2021 by flyingshoes

[janecambridge]

We fully understood the cancelling of our 10 day cruise. But to find out a few hours later that it was advertised with extended days, for people to book, pay deposits/full payment and organise private tours etc. Was simply astounding. On the roll call, the passengers doing the original 24, had not been told that the 1st leg was cancelled. 
At this point in time we cannot give any slack to SS. The cancellation does affect us due to personal commitments around the cruise dates, but as I said we were expecting it and understand it. But beyond that it is not acceptable for new bookings. 
 

[bitob]

I am pretty demanding when it comes to communication from any service business.

 

But COVID is a big exception.  There is way too much uncertainty and al the cruise lines ares struggling to be "smart" about itineraries.  I have had so many cruises changed and cancelled I've lost count.  I am just going with the flow.

[RetiredandTravel]

35 minutes ago, bitob said:

I am pretty demanding when it comes to communication from any service business.

 

But COVID is a big exception.  There is way too much uncertainty and al the cruise lines ares struggling to be "smart" about itineraries.  I have had so many cruises changed and cancelled I've lost count.  I am just going with the flow.

 

Correct.  The same applies for land based trips, we are on our 3rd iteration of a Germany/Austria trip, two cancelled in 2021 now shooting for June '22.   One has to anticipate the chance of schedules changing, its also important cruise line handle the changes correctly.

[cruiseej]

On 9/16/2021 at 2:23 AM, janecambridge said:

We fully understood the cancelling of our 10 day cruise. But to find out a few hours later that it was advertised with extended days, for people to book, pay deposits/full payment and organise private tours etc. Was simply astounding.

 

The part that's confusing me is that I thought I've read posts in other threads saying the entire 24 day Athens-Mumbai cruise has been canceled (even though this isn't yet reflected on the website). Is that incorrect?

[janecambridge]

Cruiseej 

It could well be now.They said in a few days they will be cancelling all of Asia.It is still possible to ask for a quote on their website for the 24 Days.

 

MEDITERRANEAN CRUISES

ATHENS (PIRAEUS) TO MUMBAI

VOYAGE NUMBER #SS211204C24