Silver Cloud - September 2009

Does anybody know what has happened to Voyages 1923,1924,1925 and 1926. They have disappeared from all areas of the website i.e. by date, by port, by ship?

Chartered, perhaps?

Chartered, perhaps?

They total about 40 days so I don't think it will be a charter.

As usual the readers of Cruise Critic are very observant. We are in the process of modifying the itinerary of the Silver Cloud to go from London to Reykjavik, then Reykjavik to Montreal, then Montreal to New York, then New York to Barbados. The sailings have been closed off in the Res System until we have the exact new itineraries, as well as to enable us adequate time to contact guests already booked on these voyages (which will actually start today). As soon as we have the exact day-by-day itineraries (and pricing) these new cruises will be in both our reservations system as well as on our website. Since we have not been in Canada/New England for several years we are confident this will be very well received by our guests, so be sure to book early!

Steve Tucker

Silversea Cruises

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region

Steve,

Thanks very much for the info.

Will existing guests be offered the same days and fares already booked.

i.e. are 1923 and 1924 still 15 and 9 days each?

I do not know the exact offers to the guests already booked, nor do I yet know the exact lengths of the new cruises. We have our Operations Department working on getting the ports and day-by-days confirmed before we are ready to announce this type of detail.

Steve Tucker

Silversea Cruises

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region

I do not know the exact offers to the guests already booked, nor do I yet know the exact lengths of the new cruises. We have our Operations Department working on getting the ports and day-by-days confirmed before we are ready to announce this type of detail.

 

Steve Tucker

Silversea Cruises

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region

I hope that UK guests are notified as soon as US guests with the alternative voyages. I would expect Silversea to honour existing fares and days.

Sounds like great itineraries though.

I do not know the exact offers to the guests already booked, nor do I yet know the exact lengths of the new cruises. We have our Operations Department working on getting the ports and day-by-days confirmed before we are ready to announce this type of detail.

 

Steve Tucker

Silversea Cruises

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region

Since the Wind/Cloud are going for drydock in November and next May respecitively, and there will be a change in their deck plans, when will those deck plans be shown on the Silversea website?

What will those month long drydocks involve, a complete change of furnishings and carpet, I heard change of the entire washrooms, besides reduction in vistas and increase in silvers? Will they also upgrade the air conditioning system?

Is there further news on the Spirit, in addition to what was announced more than six months ago? http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=733105 Hope to hear from you regularly!

All guests (including UK) will be notified at the same time. Here are the new voyages:

Voy# Embark Nts Embark Debark

1923 9/19/09 8 London Reykjavik

1924 9/27/09 12 Reykjavik Montreal

1925 10/9/09 10 Montreal New York

1926 10/19/09 10 New York Barbados

To answer your other questions: I will try to check the boards when I can, but I wear many "hats" here at Silversea and I travel quite a lot so there will be lapses where I do not check the boards for a month or more.

Since the Wind/Cloud are going for drydock in November and next May respecitively, and there will be a change in their deck plans, when will those deck plans be shown on the Silversea website? There will be a change in the deck plans and these deck plans are in fact in the new 2009 Atlas. (Both the before and after deck plans.) The 2009 Atlas may be viewed at the Silversea website, but the new deck plans are not yet on the website anywhere else (at this time). The new deck plans are on Page 106 & 107.

What will those month long drydocks involve, a complete change of furnishings and carpet, I heard change of the entire washrooms, besides reduction in vistas and increase in silvers? Will they also upgrade the air conditioning system? All the suites will be entirely redone - from the soft furnishings to the cabinetry (to make room for a wall mounted flat panel TV). The new Silvers are on the deck plans mentioned above. The air conditioning system (to my knowledge) does not need to be redone, although we did have a few issues about a year ago (I have not heard this has been an issue this summer). If it does need servicing I am sure it would be done during this rather extensive 30 day drydock.

We are also adding an entire deck up on the top where the fitness center is currently located. This new deck will have a Spa, Beauty Salon, Fitness Center, and a true Observation Lounge. This changes the superstructure of the vessel and if you look on page 8 of the 2009 Atlas you can see an artist rendering of the new "profile" of the Silver Wind.

Is there further news on the Spirit, in addition to what was announced more than six months ago? Not at this time, but stay tuned.

Steve Tucker

Silversea Cruises

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region

One more thing - the bathrooms are in fact being completely redone in the style we used on the newer suites we added to the Prince Albert.

Steve Tucker

Steve,

Thanks again for the info which is much appreciated.

Another poster has said that they have been contacted by their TA (though it looks like in error). However it shows that US guests are already being contacted whilst we have not. This is despite the fact that I have contacted both my TA and the London Office to see how are two cruises are affected.

Steve,

Thanks again for the info which is much appreciated.

Another poster has said that they have been contacted by their TA (though it looks like in error). However it shows that US guests are already being contacted whilst we have not. This is despite the fact that I have contacted both my TA and the London Office to see how are two cruises are affected.

The notification letter was sent via email or fax to all US and UK agents simultaneously at approximately 6PM GMT-5 (US EST) Sept 25, 2008. I also verified that phone call outs were also made and the UK has completed them as of 1130AM GMT-5 (US EST) this morning Sept. 26.

Thank you,

Steve Tucker

Silversea

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region (USA)

The notification letter was sent via email or fax to all US and UK agents simultaneously at approximately 6PM GMT-5 (US EST) Sept 25, 2008. I also verified that phone call outs were also made and the UK has completed them as of 1130AM GMT-5 (US EST) this morning Sept. 26.

 

Thank you,

 

Steve Tucker

Silversea

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region (USA)

Hi Steve,

Thanks again for the info.

I have not heard anything from my TA despite emailing them. After reading your post I have emailed them again but despair of hearing now till next week.

Whilst I appreciate you cannot comment on individual offers, can you advise me if offers are being made in line with original costings etc? We are booked on 1923 and 1924 which previously totalled 24 days and now total 20 days.

Thanks very much for your time and attention. You are the only person who I am getting anformation from.

Thank you kindly Mr Tucker. Probably due to my rudimentary computer skills, depsite following your instructions (getting the e-brochure on Silversea website and clicking 2009 atlas), I still get only the 2008 version! I have e-mailed Silversea a while ago asking for a "hard copy" of the 2009 atlas, and am still waiting for it. I am wondering why they don't automatically send them to Venetian members since we have just cruised the Panama voyage just last December!

I'm booked on 1923 & 24. Looking forward to the new schedule, but cannot see the urgency in resolving anything within the next thirty days. It's not like you need to charter a plane this far out, and booking a commercial flight is not going to happen.

We have more than flights to take into consideration.

On the Silversea website somehow when you click on both 2008 and 2009 they both open the 2008 Atlas. So it is not your computer skills at all - this is an error on our website which I am having corrected ASAP.

As for the post from the UK about being contacted - hopefully you have heard from your agent by now. As stated, they were all contacted before end of business Friday. I am not familiar with the specifics of the offers.

Steve Tucker

Silversea Cruises

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region (The Americas)

I do have the 2009 atlas, and I was happy to hear that both new current and upcoming deck plans were there for Cloud and Wind, as I tend to just look at the deck plans on the website. I enjoyed flipping back and forth with my book last night.

On the Silversea website somehow when you click on both 2008 and 2009 they both open the 2008 Atlas. So it is not your computer skills at all - this is an error on our website which I am having corrected ASAP.

 

As for the post from the UK about being contacted - hopefully you have heard from your agent by now. As stated, they were all contacted before end of business Friday. I am not familiar with the specifics of the offers.

 

Steve Tucker

Silversea Cruises

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region (The Americas)

Finally got the info and was really surprised and extremely disappointed not to be offered the new cruises.

The offer made of 10% came with strings attached which do not reward loyal Silversea cruisers. Venetian society discounts and 100+ days discounts as well as combined cruise discounts tend not to apply if used with a Silver Sailing. Since all these discounts are normally used together it is making the 10% offer almost non usuable, plus it has a tight expiry date on it.

Since I only booked the second cruise last month I am finding this most unacceptable and it is not predisposing me to rebook.

We have been loyal to Silversea since 1995 and would have expected to be made at least comparable voyages.

I would appreciate your comments.

So it's "we have cancelled your cruise. For your troubles, we will deduct 10% on a future booking. The 10% is not combinable with other discounts." Yes, ?? Thanks for posting the not too good offer.

You really expect Mr. Tucker to comment?

So it's "we have cancelled your cruise. For your troubles, we will deduct 10% on a future booking. The 10% is not combinable with other discounts." Yes, ?? Thanks for posting the not too good offer.

 

You really expect Mr. Tucker to comment?

The 10% is combinable with other discounts but only up to 50%. So if you are looking at a cruise with 40%/50% Silver Sailing and then a 5% Venetian Society plus 5% for 100 days discount and then a discount for back to back cruises you are losing discounts which have always been applicable. We were receiving all these discounts on our original two cruises so I feel penalised by not being able to combine them all now.

We try to handle each case individually when we change itineraries. If your desire is to stay on those voyages, or if you have other voyages you wish to move to that were not offered, I suggest you have your travel agent contact our reservations department with a suggested solution that you feel would be fair. I can assure you that we will do all possible to try and make our guests happy -

Steve Tucker

Silversea

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region (The Americas)

We try to handle each case individually when we change itineraries. If your desire is to stay on those voyages, or if you have other voyages you wish to move to that were not offered, I suggest you have your travel agent contact our reservations department with a suggested solution that you feel would be fair. I can assure you that we will do all possible to try and make our guests happy -

 

Steve Tucker

Silversea

Director of Sales and National Accounts, Eastern Region (The Americas)

Steve,

I appreciate you responding. My TA has emailed twice and phoned once today and hasn't had a response yet!!!

With the economic downturn I would have expected Silversea to want to retain as much business as possible. Alienating loyal customers by not allowing all applicable discounts to be applied is not the way to go.

I am interested in the new voyages and I have also looked at some Prince Albert II voyages but would not be able to use the 10% discount as well as VS, 100 days, SS and combined cruises.

Steve,

In response to your suggestion that I advise Silversea what is fair....I think that Silversea should have offered us the revised voyages 1923 and 1924 for the same fare that was agreed for the original cruises. This is despite the fact that those two voyages total 4 days less but we could probably disembark 4 days or so after Montreal.

If this was put to Silversea do you think it would be accepted?