Seabourn cancelling

We booked a 2 week cruise to Athens and Turkey for next Aug this past Oct.

Paid our deposit and bought our business class tickets flying from Arizona.It is not easy to fly from here so with some layovers in London we were able to book some decent flights.

Yesterday we got an email that our trip has been chartered so our trip has been cancelled.They offered a 10% credit for a future cruise and a $200 shipboard credit for our inconvenience.

We received all this information before our travel agent.We have been told our travel insurance will not cover our tickets and SB is not saying what they will do.

We called our agent and she said that she just just been notified . SB sent us the email before notifying her.This is now 48 hours and SB is not offering a refund of tickets.

After sailing on SB for a number of years we are not happy .

Sorry to hear that. Other lines have cancelled and replaced Turkey with other ports. But not the whole cruise. I believe you deserve a just refund and fair compensation.

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Hopefully you can change your air for another cruise and, at minimum, Seabourn should pay for the change fees.

As for that 10% credit for a future cruise .... wow, how generous 10%! :rolleyes:

We have been told our travel insurance will not cover our tickets and SB is not saying what they will do.

What reason did your insurance company give? Your air tickets are part of the trip, so shouldn't they be part of your insurance policy?

BTW, was this the 14-day voyage on Odyssey on 26Aug2017, r/t Athens?

Unfortunately most if not all cruise lines occasionally cancel cruises for charters. However, until now, I've only seen that happen >12 months out, when guests can't have booked air yet. Cancelling 9 months out is pretty unheard of, and an August (super high season!) cruise at that. Wow. Seabourn ought to reimburse you for all out of pocket expense such as airline change fees and in my opinion should do better than the 10% credit as well.

Floris

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I have to believe Seabourn will make you whole on your advance air travel arrangements. You booked in good faith and must not be left out of pocket for a circumstance under their control and not your own.

Also, please let us know what cruise this was so we can avoid considering it.

Thank you.

Happy and healthy sailing!

Just to give you some comparison about other cruise lines ....

We've run into this issue twice.

The first was HAL on a 10 day Barcelona to Rome cruise. As compensation, HAL gave pax the option of booking any 12-14 day cruise that same summer, in the same category at the same price paid for the 10-day cabin. They also offered to pay any air change fees. We hadn't gotten our air yet but jumped on the opportunity for a much more expensive North Cape cruise, where we ended up paying literally half the website price.

The second time we were actually bumped from a cruise. It was an Antarctica cruise with Hurtigruten. Our original cruise was Santiago to Buenos Aires. Now it was going to be reverse. They paid all the cancellation and change fees because we had to move our post cruise plans to pre cruise AND gave us the cruise for FREE!

You can see where I'm heading here. Seabourn owes you a LOT more than 10% off your next cruise.

Chartering is a common occurrence with small lines like Seabourn,Silversea and Sea Dream.

You will get reimbursed for your flights and offered another cruise with a discount.

A good TA that deals with Seabourn a lot would be able to tell you all of this and reassure you.

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Azamara cancels cruises on a regular basis. It's their business model. Lol

Insurance won't cover unless you have cancel for any reason. Seabourn should reimburse you for any loss connected with the air but you must mitigate

I have found that even non refundable tickets are sometimes refundable. Speak to a supervisor at the airline. You may be surprised. They might give you a year to rebook

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Azamara cancels cruises on a regular basis. It's their business model. Lol

 

To my knowledge Azamara has never canceled a cruise for a charter within the 12 month flight booking window. That is truly unheard of. They have indeed done many charters further out.

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I am curious what type of charter this is.

Perhaps a tad OT, but Cunard, P&O and HAL have all announced last week (prior to the latest bombing in Istanbul, on 10Dec) that they are cancelling all Turkish ports for 2017, and this cancelled 14-day voyage would have called on many Turkish ports. Not sure if Seabourn has had problems with sales on this one and if that might have had any bearing on the somewhat last minute charter... probably not, maybe just a coincidence...

Also, Odyssey has the exact, same 14-day itinerary in July, which so far has not been cancelled or "charterized" Hopefully it won't be cancelled, and I wonder if Seabourn will swap out the Turkish ports for that one...

I'm sure it will have been chartered as Seabourn would announce port changes if it was a security issue with Turkish ports.

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We love Turkey and we are fairly fearless travelers. I cannot imagine the cruise lines going to Turkey given recent events. A shame. Istanbul has become unstable. I don't think the same is true of the other coastal ports but once Istanbul is eliminated .......

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Just to keep you all informed . We are 7 days out and they have not informed by email my travel agent about our cancellation.We sent her our letter.She got a call that they would get back to her..They have not responded except to say 10% off future cruise and a big $200 cruise credit. They are really playing a dance at this point.We have sailed with them for 13 years.

We also have to let them know by Dec 31 to take advantage of their wonderful offer.At this point we are out a few thousands dollars for our air tickets.

Just to keep you all informed . We are 7 days out and they have not informed by email my travel agent about our cancellation.We sent her our letter.She got a call that they would get back to her..They have not responded except to say 10% off future cruise and a big $200 cruise credit. They are really playing a dance at this point.We have sailed with them for 13 years.

We also have to let them know by Dec 31 to take advantage of their wonderful offer.At this point we are out a few thousands dollars for our air tickets.

Thanks for the update.

Hope someone can work some magic for you.

Seabourn is not doing right by you.

And hope someone from Seabourn is reading this.

So did you have "cancellation for any reason" travel insurance? I know it's more expensive but this kind of unforeseen situation shows how important it can be. I'd also be interested to know which group has chartered the ship - you may have dodged a bullet!

So did you have "cancellation for any reason" travel insurance? I know it's more expensive but this kind of unforeseen situation shows how important it can be. I'd also be interested to know which group has chartered the ship - you may have dodged a bullet!

No we have never bought cancel for any reason but will in the future.

My agent said she will get to the bottom of this today.

No we have never bought cancel for any reason but will in the future.

My agent said she will get to the bottom of this today.

A word to the wise, don't believe any of the cancel for any reason insurance pays at 100% so be sure to read everything before you buy.

Also, Odyssey has the exact, same 14-day itinerary in July, which so far has not been cancelled or "charterized" Hopefully it won't be cancelled, and I wonder if Seabourn will swap out the Turkish ports for that one...

Well, the above-mentioned July journey has indeed been re-routed. Most of the Greek ports have been preserved, but all the Turkish ports are cancelled, replaced by Malta and Syracuse (Sicily).

We are offered the same as reported by OP if cancelling. If accepting new itinerary, we get $300 per person non redeemable OBC.

Well, the above-mentioned July journey has indeed been re-routed. Most of the Greek ports have been preserved, but all the Turkish ports are cancelled, replaced by Malta and Syracuse (Sicily).

 

We are offered the same as reported by OP if cancelling. If accepting new itinerary, we get $300 per person non redeemable OBC.

Did you purchase your flights?

A word to the wise, don't believe any of the cancel for any reason insurance pays at 100% so be sure to read everything before you buy.

Indeed. Check and double check the small print. I had to cancel a cruise at short notice and thought I had the necessary insurance but I was travelling solo on an annual family policy and therefore wasn't covered. The insurers will use the slightest excuse to wriggle off the hook :(

Did you purchase your flights?

Yes, and I will accept the revised itinerary.

Today SB told my agent they need another 48 hrs before they can say what they are doing.

OK for anyone following this.We have been reimbursed our air travel tickets.It is coming from the company that chartered the cruise not SB.

SB is still only offering 10% and we need to make our change by Dec 31.With the holidays and trying again to find another cruise and air is almost impossible.

Thank god for a great travel agent but I am still disappointed in SB only offering their great discount until the end of the month.She is working on it but does not look promising.Not sure what we will do.