Robisan
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Everything posted by Robisan
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The whole cruising sales models and pricing gimmicks are such an antiquated racket. The worst part is the virtual requirement to pay a +/-10% commission surcharge to TAs (less what you can claw back from the TA in discounts, rebates, OBC, etc.). If you book direct with the cruise line they just pocket the unpaid TA commission and flat out refuse to credit any portion of the unpaid commission back the purchaser.
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"Sail of the Year" has been going on since January and the offers have been, shall we say, evolving. In late January we were looking at the 11-day late March crossing from Miami to Canary Islands cruise on Quest, had the pricing nailed down and decided over the weekend to book it. Contacted the TA on Monday and soon found out that the previous day SB had revised the offer on the cruise, adding $500/pp OBC - and had increased the fare price by $600/pp! The new OBC was promoted as a limited time "sale" offer. Needless to say, we declined their offer to pay $1,200 for $1,000 of OBC and too clever by half Seabourn lost a booking.
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I also didn't know they offer espresso in the dining venues. Thanks! Perhaps we need to compile a Seabourn Secret Menu.
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These two sentences are self-refuting.
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I wasn't aware of this. Thanks! Still, it would be nice to have regular, non-Americano coffee available to go, especially when the dining venues are closed. Ah well, the first world problems of having to make do with cappuccinos.
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+1 on this admittedly small nit to pick. For those simply wanting a regular coffee or tea to go, a busy Seabourn Square preparing time consuming, custom ordered lattes and cappuccinos can be maddening. After 8am there is no other to-go alternative.
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"Available now for past Seabourn guests. Please call [ph#] or contact your travel agent today for pricing. Welcoming new Seabourn guests [date]." Problem solved. This is not rocket science.
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Just baffling why Seabourn would affirmatively turn away people to look elsewhere for their December 2025 travel interests. Why not just disclose when booking will be available to new guests? Encourage people to come back or have their TA's check for them. Tout the early booking benefits of being repeat guests. Etc. Somebody should be sacked for this stupidity.
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Non-personalized listserv emails offering "invite-only" cruises might be peak Seabourn home office.
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I'm struggling with the concept of anyplace serving drinks being an unpopular location.
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As just one example, Costco has certain items that display on their website as 'Member only pricing' and require logging in to verify membership to see the price. I'm pretty sure a freshman IT student could write 'If this, then that' code for Seabourn club levels so that appropriate pricing could be shown (or not shown if the member is not a past pax). While better pricing can usually be obtained from a TA it's very helpful to have the SB website pricing as a baseline to decide whether to bother your TA. Additionally, whether it's TA's doing needless legwork or Seabourn having to devote employee resources to compensate for lack of basic website functionality, we pax pay for the inefficiencies in marginally higher prices (which TA's/Cruise lines set, in part, by the cost of providing services). Home office idiocy, bad management, bad websites, etc. are not cost free and nor is 'you can remedy it later with someone in Seabourn Square' cost free. Finally, as an aside, if they don't want to display prices yet, wouldn't it be better to show it as "Coming Soon!", not as unavailable, or worse, sold out? Lost business resulting in steep discounting later, while beneficial to those getting deals, is paid for by higher prices elsewhere and/or lower quality onboard product.
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Someone should go to the MDR for lunch and order off the room service menu just to see what they say. I would very much like the club sandwich for lunch somewhere other than in my suite. Sadly our next booking isn't until November. ...adding, if they build it people will come.
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"Yes, since it's still being sourced from a 'snack' supplier, I'd like the 32-oz Porterhouse for one, medium rare please." The ghost of TK Grill would be proud.
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Since your cruise embarks in just a few days it would be wise for you and/or your TA to advise Seabourn ASAP that this is a needed medical accommodation (not just a preference request) to best ensure they have adequate supply of what you need earmarked for your use. Additionally, the onboard purified water is delivered in unsealed, reusable bottles, so it's likely not usable for your medical purpose.
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Luggage Forwarding services, yea or nay. Our nightmare....
Robisan replied to shark b8's topic in Seabourn Cruise Line
We use AirTags routinely in our luggage and until this thread never imagined there was any issue or problem with it. Why can't we just have nice things? -
Luggage Forwarding services, yea or nay. Our nightmare....
Robisan replied to shark b8's topic in Seabourn Cruise Line
Can you delay and/or specify the return home delivery date if you want to send some of your luggage home post cruise while extending travel beyond the disembarcation date? -
Seabourn Completes Starlink Installations
Robisan replied to nancygp's topic in Seabourn Cruise Line
Will VPNs work via the Seabourn>Starlink connection to enable access to country specific/exclusive content? -
Look, it's the holiday season and this forum should be a positive place to discuss luxury leisure, not extended discussions of exploitation and inequality. I'll just close with this: That operators may find a reasonable supply of labor with no better options than to accept exploitive employment does not convey absolution to the employers or their patrons. The better answer for cruise passengers is to not patronize a spa business model staffed by low/no pay, hard sell or starve, commission dependent employees, which is antithetical to both the relaxation most want from a spa and the ambiance people expect on a luxury, all inclusive cruise. We are all extremely fortunate that Seabourn vs Silversea et al are the decisions weighing upon us, not whether we have no choice but to continue working for the Steiners of the world.
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Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!
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Which caters more to older passengers: Seabourn, Crystal or Regent?
Robisan replied to dcsam's topic in Seabourn Cruise Line
Indeed. When the Observation Bar dinner hour entertainer recently did a not-tongue-in-cheek lounge version of "Me and Mrs. Jones" I nearly died on the floor laughing. It was a transcendent Seabourn Moment. Top that Regent and Crystal. -
This is not an issue of nosy customers or unprofessional staff. This all came to light as a result of the operator's ham-handed scheme to raise prices and profits without raising the list tariff rates by shifting employee costs to a newly instituted 18% gratuity - on sailing line where all other (and all prior) gratuities were included in the fare. Some customers citing tradition (and gratuities included marketing promises) refused to pay, resulting in staff not being compensated for work. Now you may say 'not my problem, I pay fairly for good service, sucks for them, they can always work elsewhere, etc.' but it's fair to ask: Do you think those customers who were queuing up for gratuity refunds unrelated to the service received would want the staff who provided the service to go unpaid? How are they to know what is occurring without someone on staff finally speaking up and reaching out? Employers and employees are not the only parties involved here. Seabourn customers also have agency too, for without them there is no business. Now you may say 'I pay a fair price for the services I purchase and if they are rendered in exploitive sweatshops that doesn't concern me.' From my interactions, most Seabourn customers have some conscience, empathy and sense of human decency such that whenever possible they'd prefer to not patronize sweatshops, notwithstanding the fact that some less fortunate people find themselves employed there. So, I say bravo to the brave staff who spoke up for themselves. There has always been a strong bond between Seabourn staff and passengers, for it is the staff that makes experience, not the Home Office heads and beancounters, who should be ashamed to be part of what's apparently occurring in the spa.
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Also note, if the pay structure is similar to what's described in the video above then some of that $90/day will be withheld to cover room and board on the ship. In the video the withhold is $70/day.
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Perhaps you might want to watch the video in post 18 above and reconsider.