Is Port-to-Port Going Away?

[jollyjones]

8 hours ago, Tex1 said:

And for solo cruisers, the supplement is also applied to the full cost.  Making D2D even more expensive.

 

But just try getting a 50% solo supplement regularly for a verandah cabin on any other line.

With very few exceptions, that is the usual solo supplement I get on SS.

Apart, of course, from the 25% special fares which are offered on quite a few itineraries - you're not going to find that anywhere else.

 

The one time I sailed Crystal it was because they did a low solo supplement, but it was only on Oceanview cabins, not verandahs. I felt claustrophobic and miserable in the little cabin and tiny bathroom.

 

SB has a regular solo supplement of 75%, the special offers which I don't find to be too numerous, are 50%.

 

I have looked at Regent and others like Seadream and rapidly look away and shudder when I get to the pricing for a solo. The mainstreams, which I worked up from to get to SS, are nearly all 100% which can make them more expensive than SS when you add in all the nickel and diming.

 

I love the whole SS experience now, particularly with the Muse class ships, but I started out cruising regularly with them because they treat solos much, much better than any other line I've sailed, and that's a lot of different lines.

 

So P2P, D2D who cares, it's still better value than other lines.

Full disclosure - I'd never book a non-refundable deposit so I always do D2D but get all the credits because Silver air isn't available from Bermuda, I always do all my air, hotels, and transfers myself.

I don't look at P2P fares. I just tell the CC onboard which cruise I want and see what quote they come up with. Do all my bookings onboard, that extra 5% always helps.

 

 

[ak1004]

5 hours ago, jollyjones said:

 

The one time I sailed Crystal it was because they did a low solo supplement, but it was only on Oceanview cabins, not verandahs. I felt claustrophobic and miserable in the little cabin and tiny bathroom.

 

 

Crystal cabins were not big, but I would definitely not call them claustrophobic. 205 sqft is more than 99% of entry levels cabins on most non luxury lines, including Azamara and Oceania. 

 

As for feeling miserable - matter of attitude I guess.. Our first cruise on Oceania was in inside cabin (160 sqft), we had a fabulous time. Hardly spent any time in the cabin anyway.

 

5 hours ago, jollyjones said:

 

So P2P, D2D who cares, it's still better value than other lines.

 

 

 

Who cares? Apparently a lot of people, when you are required to pay $2-3k per person for the privilege to have a refundable deposit, while it's refundable by default on all other lines. 

[commodoredave]

13 hours ago, SWFLAOK said:

We only cruised on Silversea once before. We enjoyed it, but only booked it because we could easily get to the starting and ending point in Barbados with a roundtrip on Jetblue from Florida where we could drive to the airport and use Jetblue points to fly. We enjoyed our Silver Suite, but hadn't booked again since there we no other "local" cruises we were interested in.

While we're not a new customer, we have always preferred to cruise on Regent, and the reason is the included airfare, pre boarding hotel, and often a free or post 3 night land extension. We've cruised on Regent 6 times so far, and have 2 more cruises booked. One is with a credit taken since we don't need airfare. The credit given was insignificant, and less than we expected. But the business class flights on our previous cruises have been the reason we've kept cruising to destinations that are intercontinental.

Because Silversea offered door to door, and we had enjoyed our 1 previous cruise, we booked the 2025 World Cruise on Silver Dawn. If D2D had not been offered by Silversea, we would have done a World Cruise or 2 Grand Voyages with Regent instead.

The issue is not that Silversea offers D2D. I think it's great that they offer it and I might even use it myself one day in a special circumstance.  The issue is that Silversea is likely to withdraw the Port to Port option, only offer D2D, and financially disadvantage people who don't want D2D. That does not sound like a sound business strategy if Silversea expects to significantly grow its passenger base to fill all the new ships. A sounder strategy would be to keep appealing to people who want D2D or P2P.

[ak1004]

7 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

The issue is not that Silversea offers D2D. I think it's great that they offer it and I might even use it myself one day in a special circumstance.  The issue is that Silversea is likely to withdraw the Port to Port option, only offer D2D, and financially disadvantage people who don't want D2D. That does not sound like a sound business strategy if Silversea expects to significantly grow its passenger base to fill all the new ships. A sounder strategy would be to keep appealing to people who want D2D or P2P.

 

Exactly my thoughts. Many lines offer cruise only or cruise plus flights fares, but typically both fares are refundable and you can get the same incentives with both fares, so it's up to the guest to decide. In case of SS, they basically punish people who select P2P, and charge hefty premium for D2D.

[Port Power]

I wouldn’t like P2P to vanish.  My next SS cruise is D2D, and with no single supplement.  I hear you, @jollyjones!  So my son is coming with me.  The rest of my future bookings are P2P.  My Virtuoso TA has no problem getting the full credit applied but transfers from home are still included.  The single supplements were then only calculated on the cruise fare.

 

What would happen if you book two cruises on different ships with a week on land in between?   You are not flying home and back again.

[Dolcevita Diva]

I would not like Port to Port to go away - it’s some of the T&Cs we’d like to see change. 
In addition the the non-refundable deposit, the other differences such as reduced on board discount for future bookings, etc. just come across like Silversea’s version of the airlines’ basic economy fares (in fact, I’m surprised that they did not stipulate that P2P fares be guarantee rather than assigned cabins).    

It’s just that after a lifetime of extensive business travel, I have a very large pool of frequent flyer miles and it’s silly not to use them when booking a vacation. The  savings from booking my own air using miles means more $$$ available to book additional cruises!  😁
 

I’m OK with the non-refundable deposit for some voyages where P2P offers a substantial savings, as travel insurance would likely cover any changes. But Silversea has always treated all guests equally regardless of fare booked in the past and these new differences in the T&Cs (eliminating the fare guarantee, reduced credit for onboard booking, etc.) based on the type of fare booked are troubling.  

[commodoredave]

Received this message from Silversea today. Does this mean P2P will no longer be offered after November 30, or just that the special fares will expire on that date?

 

RESERVE YOUR SUITE TODAY FARES INCREASE ON 1 DECEMBER 2022

Silversea’s Door-to-Door All-Inclusive fares are unmatched in cruising, featuring more quality services and amenities than any other line – including transfers directly from home. These limited-time fares will expire on 30 November 2022, so be sure to book a voyage to your dream destination today to secure the best fares and suite selection. Our Port-to-Port All-Inclusive fares are an ideal option for those who prefer to make their own pre- and post-cruise travel arrangements, offering an average savings of 30% on select itineraries. Book now as Port-to-Port fares expire on 30 November 2022.

[ak1004]

They send exactly the same email every quarter as far as I remember, at least since our booking in January 2022. Just means fares will increase, not necessarily on all sailings.

[Nemanoxer]

Not even talking about the money, I am not into D2D because I am too tall to fly in Economy Class and not Musky enough to do Business or First.

 

The flights SS would give me would never fit.

[chaunceyb]

We booked the Greenland cruise on Silver Cloud departing July 14, 2023 and Port to Port was offered which we chose as we always do our own air on United.

[Dolcevita Diva]

On 11/21/2022 at 10:19 AM, ak1004 said:

They send exactly the same email every quarter as far as I remember, at least since our booking in January 2022. Just means fares will increase, not necessarily on all sailings.

I’ve also noticed that sometimes after the “booking deadline”, they will add the low single supplement or port-to-port options to some voyages that apparently hadn’t met their advance booking targets. 

[cruiseej]

Well, not only is Port to Port apparently not going away, it seems Silversea is doubling down with a new promotion for significant savings when you prepay a P2P cruise:

 

INTRODUCING PORT-TO-PORT PREPAID LIMITED-TIME OFFER WITH SAVINGS UP TO 20%

At Silversea, we believe choice is at the heart of true luxury and invite you to discover a new way to explore the world with indulgent savings beyond compare – Port-to-Port Prepaid. An extension of our Port-to-Port All-Inclusive fares, this exclusive offer is available across a wide selection of Classic ocean voyages and Expedition cruises with additional savings of up to 20% when you book by 28 February 2023.

[taxatty]

13 minutes ago, cruiseej said:

Well, not only is Port to Port apparently not going away, it seems Silversea is doubling down with a new promotion for significant savings when you prepay a P2P cruise:

 

INTRODUCING PORT-TO-PORT PREPAID LIMITED-TIME OFFER WITH SAVINGS UP TO 20%

At Silversea, we believe choice is at the heart of true luxury and invite you to discover a new way to explore the world with indulgent savings beyond compare – Port-to-Port Prepaid. An extension of our Port-to-Port All-Inclusive fares, this exclusive offer is available across a wide selection of Classic ocean voyages and Expedition cruises with additional savings of up to 20% when you book by 28 February 2023.

Terms and conditions:

 

PORT-TO-PORT PREPAID

Cruise must be booked between Dec 12, 2022 and Feb 28, 2023. Guests benefit from a savings of up to 20% on Port-to-Port fares. Payment must be made in full within five days from the booking date. In case of cancellation penalties are 100%. Offer not valid on Top suites. Voyage to voyage are not allowed. Combinable only with Port-to-Port fares. Not combinable with Groups. Not combinable with any other promotion including but not limited to Events Certificate, Suite Upgrade, discounts, etc. Offer applies to new, individual bookings on the Offer Cruise, which must be booked during the Offer Period. Offer is capacity controlled, availability varies by sailing, and suites may sell out. Offer is non-transferable and applicable only to the Offer Cruise. Changes to booking may result in removal of Offer. Offer is subject to availability and change without notice. Booking cannot be cancelled and rebooked under this Offer. Silversea reserves the right to cancel the Offer at any time, correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions, and change or update fares, fees, and surcharges at any time without prior notice. Single supplement may vary by voyage. Ship’s Registry: Bahamas.

[dawntrdr]

I see it's available on some voyages I have booked, but only at 15% (although I cannot cancel and rebook under this promotion even if I wanted to).  I'll stick with door to door for my new voyages for now as I don't want to assume the risk of escalating airfares, or a 100% penalty,  even for an enticing discount.

Edited December 12, 2022 by dawntrdr

[Gourmet Gal]

Wow…100% cancellation penalty.  

[CJANDH]

2 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Wow…100% cancellation penalty.  

Take the low fare and purchase "cancel for any reason" travel insurance. The insurance probably will cost less than the 20% saving. Just a guess. 🤑

[Gourmet Gal]

It seems more like a ploy to sell more D2D by making P2P as unattractive as possible.

[cruiseej]

43 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

Take the low fare and purchase "cancel for any reason" travel insurance. The insurance probably will cost less than the 20% saving.

 

That's probably not a great strategy, because "cancel for any reason" policies only pay out about 75% of your cost. So you'd save 20% upfront, pay the not-insubstantial cost of the insurance, and lose 25% if you cancel. You'd probably come out ahead if you need to cancel by just doing regular P2P without prepaying. (Of course, if you cancel because of a medical emergency, then conventional travel insurance could bail you out.)

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

It seems more like a ploy to sell more D2D by making P2P as unattractive as possible.

People were complaining that the price difference was too great for the difference of flights, transfers and hotels.  Now the price difference is even greater, but what you get is really different so the two 'products' are quite distinctive.  The bottom line is that D2D is the 'real' Silversea product and P2P is just for advertising.

[scseas]

The voyages I have been looking at all went up about 10% from the previously listed port to port prices. So the port to port prepaid is pricing as the old port to port fares, but now with 100% cancellation fee. This is definitely in the wrong direction. 

[pavementends]

5 hours ago, cruiseej said:

Well, not only is Port to Port apparently not going away, it seems Silversea is doubling down with a new promotion for significant savings when you prepay a P2P cruise:

 

INTRODUCING PORT-TO-PORT PREPAID LIMITED-TIME OFFER WITH SAVINGS UP TO 20%

At Silversea, we believe choice is at the heart of true luxury and invite you to discover a new way to explore the world with indulgent savings beyond compare – Port-to-Port Prepaid. An extension of our Port-to-Port All-Inclusive fares, this exclusive offer is available across a wide selection of Classic ocean voyages and Expedition cruises with additional savings of up to 20% when you book by 28 February 2023.

 

Interesting. I had just booked my second cruise with Silversea as a Port to Port. It seems to me that a Port to Port offering prominently displayed is usually a (comparative) bargain. That suggests that bookings are not very strong on those particular cruises.

 

Now I can't ask for the P to P prepaid on my original booking according to the rules. But. The price has INCREASED slightly from what I booked. And on my trip the prepaid discount is not 20% but 10%. So I wouldn't be likely to rebook even if I could.

 

P to P works for me because I want to arrange my own air (call me controlling) and I am only concerned about cancellation for reasons of illness. And that I can cover with ordinary travel insurance.

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, pavementends said:

I am only concerned about cancellation for reasons of illness. And that I can cover with ordinary travel insurance.

I used to think that way too.  But Covid and economics has led cruise lines to cancel entire seasons and regions.  And since I generally have 3-4 trips booked out as far in the future as they allow, this can upset my whole dance card.  When one cruise line cancelled a cruise to the Holy Land but repositioned the ship for a wonderful Spain-intensive itinerary, that led me to cancel another Cruise line's Spain cruise in favor of their wonderful Adriatic-intensive itinerary.  I'm willing to take a small hit if I initiate a cancellation, but not willing to risk 100%.

[les37b]

Circumstances just caused me to look on the SS website and surprised to see the cruise I was looking at has a “20% promotional P2P fare.” This particular voyage (and reason for viewing) is because the embark/ disembark date of the 11 May, there is currently no way bookable yo get to and from Seward.  (Trains don’t start running until the 15th May)

 

There are more voyages in the list, but noticeable the majority involve Seward.

 

So p2p not going away when it suits it appears.

 

Given the unending issues we’ve also had trying to sort flights to London, doing P2P for a Seward cruise isn’t for the feint hearted. I don’t mind a challenge, but on our particular cruise, I’d run a mile from this special non refundable promotion.

[les37b]

i assume this “promotional discount” won’t be available to anyone who already booked a p2p fare under the price guarantee for a refund.

 

 

[taxatty]

9 hours ago, les37b said:

i assume this “promotional discount” won’t be available to anyone who already booked a p2p fare under the price guarantee for a refund.

 

 

" Offer applies to new, individual bookings on the Offer Cruise, which must be booked during the Offer Period...Booking cannot be cancelled and rebooked under this Offer."