Seabourn and HAL Convergence

[2SailingNomads]

8 hours ago, nancygp said:

Liars club and name that tune have frequently happened and continue to happen on another lux line I’ve sailed on.  

 

many of the mass market and premium lines have been offering inclusive type packages, some are add on packages. 

 

Nancy

Seabourn has had both Liars Club and Name that Tune since at least 2012 when we were on the Odyssey and I recall going to both with a several other couples.

[nancygp]

17 minutes ago, 2SailingNomads said:

Seabourn has had both Liars Club and Name that Tune since at least 2012 when we were on the Odyssey and I recall going to both with a several other couples.

Good to know and I figured so….have enjoyed them on seabourn the past few years and the other lux line I sailed (crystal)for many years prior to the pandemic…always enjoyable 

 

Nancy 

[OilPainter2020]

Liars Club and Name that Tune were played on my first Seabourn cruise …. the Legend, in 2002. 

[jjs217]

Having worked hard, saved and invested well, we were so happy to have been able to graduate from HAL (in our younger years) to Seabourn (in our older years).  I'm not going back.  Please Seabourn, don't do anything stupid.

[stan01]

47 minutes ago, jjs217 said:

Having worked hard, saved and invested well, we were so happy to have been able to graduate from HAL (in our younger years) to Seabourn (in our older years).  I'm not going back.  Please Seabourn, don't do anything stupid.

 

Seabourn just needs to find thousands more customers each year who are willing to book a cruise at full fare without $1,000+ on board credits and bulk suite sales through discount travel agencies.  Then they can keep going as in the past, but alas that appears to not be happening.

 

I do understand your sentiment, and we agree, but at the same time we are not exclusive to Seabourn nor are we wealthy enough to not care how much a cruise costs.  I have a real mental block of paying more than about $750 per person per day.  It's going to take a lot to get me over that.

 

I am noting antics on other social media pages about Seabourn entertainment staff pushing each other into the pool for the enjoyment of passengers.  Maybe what some of us want just is too far away from what the people who are willing to pay really want to experience?  

 

As for the caviar, I do about one per week definitely not partaking of the unlimited offering and if it was extra cost I would not eat it at all.

 

[jjs217]

18 minutes ago, stan01 said:

I do understand your sentiment, and we agree, but at the same time we are not exclusive to Seabourn nor are we wealthy enough to not care how much a cruise costs. 

I'm not exclusive to Seabourn either.  I also sail the other two major luxury lines and am open to any new ones that come down the pike.  So, there are other options in the luxury market.

[markham]

Sadly, and as anyone who has sailed with Seabourn more than several years can attest, the lack of strategic planning at Seabourn is taking its toll, probably irreparably so. Downgraded service and amenities on our more recent Seabourn cruises.
 

Apart from the 2 new expedition ships, and the terrific crew notwithstanding, there has been virtually nothing to talk about as Seabourn bragging rights. Nothing. And there are no new ships on the horizon, even long term. Whereas Silversea and Regent have plenty to crow about and to attract our business.

 

Oh, wait! Seabourn can brag within the confines of their Seattle office that they are achieving 100% occupancy as a sorta strategic goal. Hoo ha! And that’s why if you book a Seabourn cruise well in advance you will always find on board people who have paid far less than you did with bigger on board credits. I find that degrading. But then I do not work in Seattle.

 

That’s the established luxury market as I see it.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[nancygp]

@markham lots of unhappy long term silversea sailors based on numerous threads and posts on the Silversea Cc board…I would imagine you’ve read about them…..lots of recent changes with many of those SS sailors moving on.   Also, recent changes in regents pricing model..etc.   many changes in the lux sailing market and some are viewed as negative.  As you stated, silversea and regent have new builds and more ships than SB…This is positive…time will tell

 

Nancy

Edited Tuesday at 06:03 PM by nancygp

[markham]

What’s interesting to me about Silversea (which I know pretty well) is that they have a large and varied fleet of 12 ships, than double Seabourn. Some are very old eg Cloud (expedition) and Whisper (classic) which don’t compare at all IMO with their alternatives- Endeavor and Dawn/Muse/Moon respectively. It surprises me that on the “functional” side of these 2 groups of ships that the former still have their fans and that those fans presumably think the brand overall is just fine. That is loyalty for you!

 

Yes, Silversea regulars have commented in recent months on RCI cutbacks and changes in the former Silversea management. Yet, at the same time, there has been considerable buzz about the stunning Nova and Ray to report, even though there have been a couple of oddities in their layouts and some cuisine issues. Either way, up or down, Silversea has a strategic plan and a story to tell.

 

I do not know Regent yet but have been discouraged to book their older ships and tempted into booking the newish Splendor. Now, that is some story by all accounts!

 

Yes, time will tell but it is revealing itself based on what we can all see. The 100% fill ‘em up Seabourn practice mentioned above is depressing IMO.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[SLSD]

Here's another example of  how HAL management is affecting Seabourn.  We all know that there has never been a corkage fee on SB.  Why would there be?  They should be happy if people have their own wine and they do not have to supply it.  

 

Today in another social media group, someone was commenting on a wine tour on an excursion.  There was a note in the text about the excursion that any wine purchased on the excursion would be "exempt from the corkage fee."   Evidently, someone read this on the SB website.  So--evidently HAL is now writing all the information on the SB site and whoever wrote this does not know that there has never been a corkage fee on SB.  Plus, I am willing to bet that the excursions on SB are the same as the excursions on HAL--so it was just a cute and paste situation.  

 

I see less and less attempt to differentiate SB from HAL.  Or else, this is just careless work by the person responsible for inputting information on the SB website.  

Edited Tuesday at 08:44 PM by SLSD

[Sunprince]

5 hours ago, markham said:

And that’s why if you book a Seabourn cruise well in advance you will always find on board people who have paid far less than you did with bigger on board credits

We were always told (sold) that if you book early then you secure the the best pricing available.  I agree that is no longer true in most cases with highly popular or unique itineraries being the exception. Seabourn is in fact dumping unsold cabin on discount TA websites. On top of that they have so many “sales”, we no longer know what the real price is.  
 

We normally take a month long holiday in November and had not made any advance plans this year.  By monitoring the discount websites we found a South America/Antartica Seabourn cruise at a substantial discount. We booked very late, and it was probably not our first choice. But it is a unique itinerary and we will go and enjoy.  
 

Am I contributing to the “problem” by taking advantage of special pricing, or am I finally getting smart and learning to play the game that Seabourn is now engaging in?  

[Sunprince]

2 hours ago, SLSD said:

So--evidently HAL is now writing all the information on the SB site and whoever wrote this does not know that there has never been a corkage fee on SB. 

I think this is all part of something very weird going on…I posted separately that I received a “welcome guide” email for Antartica (my cruise), followed by a “correction” that it should have been an Amazon guide (I’m not on that cruise), followed by an “Oops” ignore the correction email.  Then today I received another email indicating my waitlist request for he Belmond Hotel in Rio had cleared, quoting me a rate of $1500USD for 1 night.  I did not ask Seabourn for a hotel as I had booked my own, at a rate less than 1/3 of Seabourn’s. 
 

Long story short, someone at Seabourn or HAL is smoking something as they have absolutely no clue!

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, Sunprince said:

 

Am I contributing to the “problem” by taking advantage of special pricing, or am I finally getting smart and learning to play the game that Seabourn is now engaging in?  

We once took advantage of special pricing through a discount travel agency when the offer came to me by email.  It was the itinerary we wanted and the price and other add ons included(flights, hotels, meals, tours in embarkation city all for less than the simple cruise fare offered by SB) simply could not be beat.  It remains the very best deal we have EVER had on a Seabourn cruise.  By the way, there were 160 people in the discount TA's group--all receiving this great deal.  That's 80 suites. 

 

There is no real price.   

Edited Wednesday at 12:31 AM by SLSD

[stan01]

Next on the chopping block per reports elsewhere:  coffee and snacks

 

Seabourn Square closing at 6 PM for the night

Observation Lounge no longer has early riser coffee service

 

 

[whogo]

Do not worry that Seabourn and Holland America will be the same. HAL will always stay ahead on the downhill slide.

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, stan01 said:

Next on the chopping block per reports elsewhere:  coffee and snacks

 

Seabourn Square closing at 6 PM for the night

Observation Lounge no longer has early riser coffee service

 

 

As of late August, there was still early riser coffee, tea and pastry service in the Observation Lounge.  

Edited Wednesday at 03:48 PM by SLSD

[Covepointcruiser]

Coffee and pastries still available on the Venture for early risers in late September.

[nancygp]

16 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Coffee and pastries still available on the Venture for early risers in late September.

I’ve read on another site that they’re currently available on the quest.   This was the case on the sojourn in late July and august.

 

Nancy

[stan01]

1 hour ago, nancygp said:

I’ve read on another site that they’re currently available on the quest.   This was the case on the sojourn in late July and august.

 

Nancy

 

The reported early risers closure in the Observation Lounge was on Ovation in mid September.

 

Maybe they are doing a trial period to see how many complaints they get.

[SLSD]

3 minutes ago, stan01 said:

 

The reported early risers closure in the Observation Lounge was on Ovation in mid September.

 

Maybe they are doing a trial period to see how many complaints they get.

Hopefully many complaints.  I'm an early riser and sometimes I get dressed and go to the Obs Lounge very early.  It has always been such a serene place to have a cup  of tea (I'm not a coffee drinker) with a small pastry.  There are always people there like me--who just want to see what can be seen.  Great memories.  It would be a HUGE mistake to discontinue early riser coffee/tea/ pastries.  If that is done, it is truly no longer a luxury experience (at least for me) .  I recognize the financial straits and the imperative to cut here and there--but this is such a subtle but important experience.  

[nancygp]

29 minutes ago, stan01 said:

 

The reported early risers closure in the Observation Lounge was on Ovation in mid September.

 

Maybe they are doing a trial period to see how many complaints they get.

Yes,I’m aware of this…I’m sure we both read this same info on another site 

I will be sailing on a different seabourn ship in the near future and will see firsthand if the obs bar is open for early morning coffee and pastries.

 

I'm not convinced the sky is falling 😂😂

 

Nancy

Edited Wednesday at 07:38 PM by nancygp

[stan01]

28 minutes ago, nancygp said:

Yes,I’m aware of this…I’m sure we both read this same info on another site 

I will be sailing on a different seabourn ship in the near future and will see firsthand if the obs bar is open for early morning coffee and pastries.

 

I'm not convinced the sky is falling 😂😂

 

Nancy

 

We will be on Ovation in November, and hopefully we will simply be able to get morning coffee with warm refills in the Observation Bar rather than having room service deliver a carafe at 6:15 and another at 7:15 every morning.

 

[Robisan]

58 minutes ago, SLSD said:

It has always been such a serene place to have a cup  of tea (I'm not a coffee drinker) with a small pastry.  There are always people there like me--who just want to see what can be seen.  Great memories.

Observation Bar early morning is the place to be on port sail-in days. For me it's an important part of the cruising experience. Plus DW won't be happy if I wake her early with room service, so really it's an essential part of the cruising experience.

[SLSD]

7 minutes ago, Robisan said:

Observation Bar early morning is the place to be on port sail-in days. For me it's an important part of the cruising experience. Plus DW won't be happy if I wake her early with room service, so really it's an essential part of the cruising experience.

I totally agree--there is nothing to compare with beautiful early morning sail-ins and being there in the Obs lounge.  I also have a spouse who does not like to rise early. This last August I decided to deal with his ire and woke him up early for the Nordfjord.  He was grateful.  We both were in the Obs  Lounge and there was nothing better in cruising.  

[2SailingNomads]

On the Encore last month there was no early risers in the Obs Bar and Seabourn Square did close at 6 (I just looked at a copy of the Herald to confirm the Square closing time).