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SS Debut of "Priviledged Passage"


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SILVERSEA SET TO MAKE WAVES IN 2007

WITH DEBUT OF "PRIVILEGED PASSAGE,"

A NEW ULTRA-PERSONALIZED AND

ULTRA-INCLUSIVE CRUISE CONCEPT

 

(Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- October 26, 2006) Silversea Cruises has announced plans to offer a groundbreaking ultra-personalized and ultra-inclusive vacation experience. Called "Privileged Passage," this exclusive new style of ultra-luxury cruise travel is set to debut on a select test voyage in 2007.

 

The company, long recognized as a luxury travel innovator and trendsetter with its flexible open dining concept, generous all-inclusive shipboard policy and unique Personalized Voyages program, is planning to take things to the next level by offering guests even greater personal freedom and flexibility in customizing their own cruise experience to suit their personal lifestyle, while incorporating an expanded and enhanced array of complimentary amenities and benefits.

 

The new Privileged Passage concept is designed to showcase an active-lifestyle luxury cruise as a unique, nontraditional vacation experience. The company's goal is to create an environment that allows guests to enjoy everything that has made Silversea a leader in luxury travel, along with a totally unstructured, non-regimented, casual and relaxed onboard atmosphere. Although Silversea already offers tremendous freedom, flexibility and all-inclusiveness, the new Privileged Passage style of luxury-cruise vacationing will push the envelope on luxury travel.

 

"In order to attract more first-time and nontraditional cruisers, we want to completely break the mold of the conventional cruise vacation and change travelers' perceptions about the rigidity and formality often associated with cruising," said Albert Peter, Silversea's chief executive officer. "Due to the unique size of our vessels, we're able to take full advantage of our hardware to offer guests an intimate vacation experience that is truly personalized and designed by the guest to fit his or her individual lifestyle."

 

Added Peter, "By offering a unique cruise option that incorporates everything that Silversea already offers, along with the addition of more complimentary amenities and benefits tailored to an active lifestyle, we're opening the door to many travelers who never thought about booking a cruise before. If this pilot cruise is as well-received as we expect, we plan to offer more voyages of this type."

 

The Privileged Passage program will do away with formal nights and receptions. Guests will not have to worry about packing a tuxedo or evening dress; instead, they'll enjoy the freedom to dress in comfortable casual resort attire throughout the voyage. Guests will find it easier to design their day with extended open hours for the fitness center and spa. They'll also be able to request Early Embarkation and Late Disembarkation at no additional cost. Silversea will also make it easier for guests to personalize their experiences ashore by offering a selection of complimentary tours specially designed to intimately connect travelers to the places and cultures they visit. Other enhancements will include more casual-style entertainment featuring contemporary bands, jazz ensembles and lively mix shows by disc jockeys from around the world.

 

In addition to spacious, ocean-view accommodations (most with private veranda), award-winning gourmet cuisine, personalized service, and warm Italian hospitality, Silversea guests already enjoy a generous selection of all-inclusive shipboard amenities, including complimentary beverages, wines and spirits served throughout the ship, 24-hour room service, stocked in-suite beverage cabinet and all gratuities. Plus, with the line's exclusive Personalized Voyages program, guests can customize the length of their cruise to fit their personal schedule.

 

The Privileged Passage program is set to debut on a test basis aboard Silver Whisper's "Classic Reflections" voyage (4710), departing April 9, 2007. This extraordinary 10-day cruise will sail from Alexandria to Athens with calls in Rhodes, Patmos, and Mykonos, Greece; Antalya and Kusadasi, Turkey; Tartous, Syria; and Cyprus. Early Booking Incentive fares start at $5,605 per person.



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That test voyage is in the middle east, I doubt if many will find it attractive. The lowest fare being $560 per diem is high for that kind of location. Substituting a couple of production shows with disc jockeys is a cost savings measure. With all the grandiose words, all that is really offered is no formal nights, which some folks like and some folks don't!

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Meow,

 

If I recall correctly your first SS experience was heavily discounted, and your diem calculation (now as before) shows that you will make a highly tuned and well reasoned calculated decision with regard to your perception of it's value to you. If I recall you database square footage, diems and I genuinely admire your ability to distil a large amount of data into a decision with respect to relative values of cruises from different lines. There's genuinely nothing wrong with that and I'm merely making the point that there are different potential niche markets within this "top-end" experience.

 

I think - in fact I know - SS are trying to demark a new value-added product that in an ideal world will be set at a less price / discount sensisitve market. In the end there is a trade-off between lowering prices and quality and this is SS's attempt at putting a toe in the water of moving further up market.

 

In any event you shouldn't overlook some of the hints contained in what seems a bit of a lack-lustre announcement for what might be an exctiting move up-market. There are a number of hints that may indicate what might be on offer. For example for a highly personalised inclusive tour for example. Also - there are people like me and my friends who eat sandwiches in a top-end suite with some DVD's rather than face the restaurant looking like a penguin. I've paid top-dollar for the suites (and therefore the sandwiches) and SS want more people paying for a product that is more perfect for them alongside the traditional offerings widely available and competing in a more dicounted environment.

 

The value-add is where their work should be. Let's imagine you receive an invitation to visit a vineyard and a meal at the vineyard in a small group - and that were included. How do you value these experiences?

 

There is a market above the current product and with all of the additional capacity coming on to the seas - I hope SS put some quality effort into moving up-price and up-market.

 

There's room for all of us.

 

Jeff

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Five paragraphs of pap and palaver in that release before they even get near to the point!

 

Count us among those who won't view these changes as appealing - well, maybe a "complimentary tour" but other than that....:mad:

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Not much substance to the announcement, but I think it's a good move all in all. Sea Dream capitalizes on its CCC and that brings people in the door - more appropriate on some itineraries than others - but the Caribbean comes to mind right away. It really is possible to be elegant and casual at the same time. And being able to (more easily) customize the length of a cruise would be a winner for those of us still working for a living! Longer spa hours sounds good - nice option after touring all day. I always thought the extra charges for early and late embarkation etc were a bit silly as well.

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I'll pass judgement on the substance of the new program for when more details are received.

 

But I think what Meow was getting at was the apparent contradiction of trying to sell a certain itinerary (the Middle East) at a premium price in order to debut this new program, when the reality is that the itinerary in question historically is heavily discounted (especially as the departure date approaches) by every cruiseline (to the point of practically giving the trip away) in order to fill the ships because of the current world situation, or at least the perception of the world situation by Americans, who account for most of Silversea's clientele.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

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With all the grandiose words, all that is really offered is no formal nights, which some folks like and some folks don't!

 

They're also offering early embarkation and late departure at no additional cost, plus tours (they didn't say how many) that are bundled into the fare instead of being add-ons. So it's inaccurate to say "all that is really offered is no formal nights."

 

If Silversea does this right, it could be a "unique selling proposition" that will help Silversea capture more of the prospects who are being targeted: first-time cruisers (largely Baby Boomers, I'd guess) who want the type of "casual elegance" that they've come to expect at many upscale hotels and resorts.

 

Also, even if the test is successful, that doesn't mean formal nights will go away. Why couldn't dress codes be tied to the theme of a cruise? Maybe there's a market that would like to dress up in tuxes and ball gowns every night, not just two or three nights, just as there's a market that doesn't want to dress up at all. Imagine an "Edwardian Elegance" cruise on one of the smaller ships: Guests might dress for dinner every night as they did in the waning days of the British aristocracy, and during the day they'd stop at English, Scottish, and Irish ports with complimentary excursions to country houses and castles.

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Designating some cruises "country club casual" would be a smart move & appealing to many potential crusiers who are put off or intimidated by cruiseline dress codes. And, no, these folks aren't looking for toga parties nor wet T-shirt contests--they simply want to be able to relax on vacation in high-quality surroundings.

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The "personalized voyage" feature (getting on/off at any port where the ship docks rather than tenders) has been there for years, so it is not something new. A free excursion is nice, but then you lose the choice of whether to go with them or on your own. Besides, years ago, an included excursion was a regular feature anyway, so it is a resumption rather than addition. As for early boarding, late disembarkation, whether it is useful or not depends on your flight schedule, and in all American ports, for example, late disembarkation is forbidden by law. The male cat has a tuxedo, but he is not longing to wear it frequently, so the subject of formal dress is a "doesn't really matter either way" for us (and presumably to many people).

 

If the goal is to really move up-market, then don't replace the hitherto free sevruga caviar with something less. Don't start charging internet usage by the minute you are on the keyboard (like mass market lines) rather than just the up/down-loading time (as in the past, and in fact it will be better to eliminate internet charges). Publish the 25 white plus 25 red wine list (rather than hide that). Have a more "responsive" food policy (if you want lobster/king crab legs not on the menu, have some degrozen ready to serve all the time instead of require overnight prior ordering, like in most fine restaurants.) Some folks may like more live production shows, rather than disc jockies. Improve the customers relations both at head office and on board.

 

Indeed, just a return to the yesteryears (we don't have first hand experience but have read enough on this board and elsewhere) will be more practical. The price may go up (and we may not be able to afford except on rare occasions when the discount is deep enough), but we are here discussing the generalities, which apply to most customers!

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SS has been trying to expand its market in Australia and NZ over the past 18 months with aggressive advertising in our Luxury travel magazines and Broadsheet newspapers. Seabourn has not even really begun to make an appearance.

 

 

these folks aren't looking for toga parties nor wet T-shirt contests--they simply want to be able to relax on vacation in high-quality surroundings.""

 

When we mentioned going on SS a few people knew who they were, some even mentioned Oh they look great but I'd have to wear a tux!

Several of these people would jump at this new style of cruise"where they would have been hesitant before!

 

Australians are by world standards casual dressers (mostly due to our climate) and are discouraged by the thought of buying an additional item of clothing to carry which would only be used for 2 or 3 nights. As a nation we tend to travel for longer periods and have limited luggage capacity (20kg is the standard with 7kg of carry on) so bringing clothes that are worn so rarely is discouraging.

 

If SS can get a larger part of their foot in the door downunder (before their major competitor) by taking this strategy then it can only be good for all of us.

 

The other thing that stands out is the popualrity of La terraza on formal nights which indicates there is already a signicant passenger load who do not need formal nights to enjoy their cruise.

 

 

The inclusion of special tours is definitely a highlight. We are not standard tour people but will take one if the offering is "öut of the box" such as the Tower by night on our recent london visit.

 

Many posts ago i suggested the possibilty of specialty cruises appealing to certain client bases. (no kids guranteed being one of them).

Edited to add...

Whilst the price and location may not appeal to some it does take into account some very busy port destinations offered by many cruising companies

I don't really view the selected cruise as "middle east" with a large proportion of it being the Greek islands and Cyprus. Kusadasi is a well touristed venue being the port for Ephesus (yes i know they have had recent terrorist attacks). For me middle east would be Lybia, Syria, Egypt etc places i would think twice about going to.

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The price may go up (and we may not be able to afford except on rare occasions when the discount is deep enough), but we are here discussing the generalities, which apply to most customers!

 

No we're not.

 

We're discussing a group of customers that currently do not have a product available to them that as a group might be fulfilled through the SS's experiment in the area and which SS believe is growing in number and are a potential growing target market; the market being the money-affluent time-poor informal baby-boomers or younger who want the luxury you describe but unlike you are willing and able to pay for it without a blink ie pretty much what SS will try to offer.

 

And realistically your needs will never be fullfiled consistently. High discounts and the quality you seek do not go hand-in-hand. Unlimited Lobster/king crab legs on demand and Sevruga caviar, unlimited champagne and drinks is inconsistant with your budget. Unluckily I think SS have found that it is the people that get the lowest price and highest discounts often upgrading themselves from lines where everything is paid for individually who appear to bring with them the highest costs ie demand lobster, king prawns and Sevruga caviar - and often high drink/champagne costs. SS are seeking out a different group to see whether they exist in sufficient numbers to support a higher quality product.

 

The issue in my view here is not whether there is a market or not - but whether SS have the quality marketing staff to identify the customers for this and make it a success. The sign of failure will be a lack of targetted marketing followed by low-occupancy and resorting to heavy discounts making it a double whammy loss of both higher costs with the same well-trodden discount path.

 

Jeff

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... SS are seeking out a different group to see whether they exist in sufficient numbers to support a higher quality product...

What I mean is that there is no need to "seek out" anything new, that group (to be seek out) already existed five years ago, but due to economic reality, the situation changed. What SS is now proposing is nothing new, it is an incomplete return to the better yesteryears, under a new name. Only time can tell what is going to happen, and all we can do is watch!

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What I mean is that there is no need to "seek out" anything new, that group (to be seek out) already existed five years ago, but due to economic reality, the situation changed. What SS is now proposing is nothing new, it is an incomplete return to the better yesteryears, under a new name. Only time can tell what is going to happen, and all we can do is watch!

 

Well, I agree in the sense of the very broad and obviously easy generalisation that there is virtually nothing in the world that is new - but in your view where does the product they are trying to describe actually exist outside of chartering or existed as you imply 5 years ago. It doesn't and didn't - but SS came closest - and now they are attempting to go for it.

 

I hope it works.

 

Jeff

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As can be seen from our signature, all of our cruises have been on Celebrity. Celebrity does have a definite dress policy, including formal, informal and casual. My DW and I really enjoy getting dressed up on formal nights, and we think most Celebrity pax do prefer such a policy. It just is part of the cruise experience for Celebrity pax. Sure, it involves packing additional clothes [gowns, dark suit or tux, etc.] but we have never found it to be difficult or a hardship.

 

Not really certain what SilverSeas or other posters here mean by "country club casual"!

 

We do think that it is silly to charge for early embarkation. On Celebrity, we have aways embarked at a time convenient to us. The earliest has been at 11:00 a.m. and with one exception we have embarked between 11:00 a.m. and Noon without any problem. [This despite the notation on our cruise documents that embarkation will commence at 1:00 p.m., and in one instance at 3:00 p.m.] There is no charge for this on Celebrity.

 

So for our very first cruise on SilverSeas, we have elected early embarkation and it is costing us $200.00. Certainly, that is a very small portion of our fare for a Silver Suite, but is a nuisance. Since we are staying in Barbados the night before the cruise, we do not want to hang around a hotel, or have to check our luggage until 3:00 p.m. SilverSeas should get rid of this charge, since it smacks of the "nickel and diming" that we are trying to avoid from Celebrity.

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Charlie wrote in part:

 

. . . We do think that it is silly to charge for early embarkation. On Celebrity, we have aways embarked at a time convenient to us. . . . There is no charge for this on Celebrity.

 

So for our very first cruise on SilverSeas, we have elected early embarkation and it is costing us $200.00. Certainly, that is a very small portion of our fare for a Silver Suite, but is a nuisance. Since we are staying in Barbados the night before the cruise, we do not want to hang around a hotel, or have to check our luggage until 3:00 p.m. SilverSeas should get rid of this charge, since it smacks of the "nickel and diming" that we are trying to avoid from Celebrity.

 

There's no denying that early embarkation feels like "nickel and diming," but we found it well worth the expense when we took a nine night cruise on the Silver Whisper. Although in the Silversea price range, the extra expense is small, it did appear to discourage those who really did not want or need early embarkation. This meant that we had the ship largely to ourselves for a few hours, which was a real luxury. We had arranged in advance with Silversea for my brother and sister-in-law--who were not on the cruise--to join us for lunch on the Silver Whisper. The early embarkation made for a truly enjoyable bon voyage party for our little group.

 

Charlie, you're in for a real treat. Silver Suites are wonderful and the early embarkation will be especially nice with only a small proportion of fellow cruisers taking advantage of it.

 

Bon voyage!

 

--Rich

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Years ago, starting in 1994 when I first sailed Silversea, there was never a problem embarking at noon. If the suites weren't ready we were allowed to sit in the Panorama Lounge and have tea or a drink until we could get in. I'm not sure when this strict embarkation at 3PM started and they began charging for early embarkation, but it goes against the feeling of being a guest rather than a paying passenger.

 

On my last Seabourn cruise we embarked at 11:45 and our suites were not ready so we were invited to go to the dining room for lunch with the in transit passengers. By the time we finished the embarkation process had begun. And it didn't cost me an extra dime.

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On my last Seabourn cruise we embarked at 11:45 and our suites were not ready so we were invited to go to the dining room for lunch with the in transit passengers. By the time we finished the embarkation process had begun. And it didn't cost me an extra dime.

 

I think you'll find it did. Saying you didn't get a seperate bill, ie "It didn't cost you an extra dime" isn't the same as saying it was free. All customers paid for it including you, instead of just the person that enjoyed it.

 

In a way I'll be sorry if they don't charge seperately as we always enjoyed having the ship to ourselves on early embarkation days. Having it included will make the ship busier and make it more difficult to do the excellent job they do of turning it around between passengers.

 

Jeff

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Rich, thank you, and we are really looking forward to our cruise in December on Silver Shadow. My DW loves to have me pull up the video of the Silver Suite for her to watch from the SS website.

 

While we have had six absolutely wonderful cruises on Celebrity this past 3 years, we do get tired of leaving the ship with a $1,000 to $1,500 credit card charge and doling out $400.00 in tips. That is why we are giving SilverSeas a try. We always have a Royal Suite on the Celebrity vessels and alway purchase insurance. We had a great comparison from our cruise on Infinity to Alaska this past September. [Great cruise, and the captain go so close to the Hubbard Glacier, so that almost could of got some of that blue ice for your martini :D.] The point of this comment is that our nine night cruise on Shadow in a larger suite than the RS on Celebrity is costing us in fare including insurance over $2,000.00 less than the fare for Infinity, and no tips and no charges for beverages.

 

uki er... Jeff, when we have embarked early on Celebrity, the vessel has never been crowded - since there is a very early rush, then people meander on until as late as 5:00 p.m. With one exception, our suite has always been ready, and the exception was that we had to wait until 1:00 p.m.

 

I agree that it is nice to be on the vessel early before the crowd - however, how can there be much of a crowd with only 386 passengers?

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Charlie asked:

 

"I agree that it is nice to be on the vessel early before the crowd - however, how can there be much of a crowd with only 386 passengers?"

 

Well, you're right. One of the luxuries of Silversea cruising is that you are rarely in a crowd on the ship. The only times we experienced crowding was walking around the "lobby" area when main boarding was happening, and on the night of the pool buffet. Other than that, we found all areas on the Silver Whisper very pleasantly uncrowded.

 

Still, the early boarding experience was delightful, since it felt like we had the ship to ourselves.

 

--Rich

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uk1,

 

When I said it didn't cost me an extra dime I meant that I didn't have to pay $200 for early embarkation as I would have on Silversea in order to enjoy a nice leisurely lunch in the dining room. According to your logic those who do not elect early embarkation on Silversea are paying for something they will not receive as they cannot even board until 3PM.

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I am wondering what your opinion is on the following announcement by CEO Albert Peters today (edited to save space and get to the point).

 

"In order to attract more first-time and nontraditional cruisers, we want to completely break the mold of the conventional cruise vacation and change travelers' perceptions about the rigidity and formality often associated with cruising," said Albert Peter, Silversea's chief executive officer..."

 

The Privileged Passage program will do away with formal nights and receptions. Guests will not have to worry about packing a tuxedo or evening dress; instead, they'll enjoy the freedom to dress in comfortable casual resort attire throughout the voyage. Guests will find it easier to design their day with extended open hours for the fitness center and spa. They'll also be able to request Early Embarkation and Late Disembarkation at no additional cost. Silversea will also make it easier for guests to personalize their experiences ashore by offering a selection of complimentary tours specially designed to intimately connect travelers to the places and cultures they visit. Other enhancements will include more casual-style entertainment featuring contemporary bands, jazz ensembles and lively mix shows by disc jockeys from around the world.

 

The Privileged Passage program is set to debut on a test basis aboard Silver Whisper's "Classic Reflections" voyage (4710), departing April 9, 2007. This extraordinary 10-day cruise will sail from Alexandria to Athens with calls in Rhodes, Patmos, and Mykonos, Greece; Antalya and Kusadasi, Turkey; Tartous, Syria; and Cyprus.

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Interesting concepts...

1. Regarding formal nights going away...I wouldn't mind this on voyages that may be considered more casual in nature, i.e. Caribbean, Oceania but on other trips, it's sort of a nice touch.

2. Complimentary early/late disembarkation? I think this should still be an option available at a surcharge. It's difficult enough for a ship to "turnaround" in a short period of time. To try and do this with ostensibly two sets of passengers (early embarkers/late disembarkers) on board would be a challenge!

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THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR MANY OF US WHO HAVE SAILED ON SS IN THE PAST. WE ARE DUE TO RETURN TO THE WHISPER IN EARLY MAY..IT WOULD BE FABULOUS IF SS COULD CONTINUE THEIR 'EXPERIMENT' OF 'CASUAL COUNTRY CLUB DRESS, EARLY EMBARKATION, ETC. ON MORE THAN JUST ONE CRUISE..RUNNING A 'STATISTICALLY VALID' EXPERIMENT WOULD WARRANT THEM RUNNING THIS KIND OF CRUISE FOR MORE THAN JUSTONE SAILING....

HAVING A NON FORMAL ATMOSPHERE ABOARD THE SS WOULD CREATE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS...FIRST CLASS LUXURY WITHOUT HAVING TO PACK FOR FORMAL NIGHTS...ATTEND OR NOT ATTEND RIDICULOUS CAPTAIN'S RECEPTIONS.....PLEASE ...PLEASE SILVER SEA.....CONSIDER RUNNING THIS PRIVILEGED PASSAGE AS A PERMANENT FIXTURE...

CURIOUS AS TO WHAT SOME OF OTHER SS PASSENGERS THINK ABOUT THIS CONCEPT?

 

PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!

 

THANKS!

 

DRJW

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