New Cruise Award Protocol

Did anyone else get the letter from Pamela Conover?

Here is the new cruise award protocol:

Starting January 2010

140 days = free 7 day cruise

250 days = free 14 day cruise

Awards can be booked on Odyssey after April 24 2010....

How does everyone feel about this? :confused:

Well I am very glad I have already booked my award 140 day....14 day cruise! :D Maybe the "loyalty" to Seabourn will drop off a bit! :( Would take me a very long time to get enough days to qualify again....so might just have to try some other lines!

So glad that I will be over 200 days after my next Seabourn Cruise, closer to 250 than 280!

Host Dan

DH and I have just been discussing this new rule and we thought about some people who were on both our cruises with us........they will also be on the Copenhagen to London cruise we are doing next year (September 2009) At the moment they would be 13 days under the 140, so with the 2009 cruise they qualify..........but for only 3 months???

Will travel on the Odyssey before April 2010 count towards award days?

At the moment they would be 13 days under the 140, so with the 2009 cruise they qualify..........but for only 3 months???

Hi Lorraine

I haven't had the letter yet but I would expect that if your friends have earned their 140 days by the end of 2009, they will have two years to enjoy the 14 day complimentary cruise. It is only if you haven't reached 140 by then, that you will have to meet the new targets.

Well I am very glad I have already booked my award 140 day....14 day cruise! :D Maybe the "loyalty" to Seabourn will drop off a bit! :( Would take me a very long time to get enough days to qualify again....so might just have to try some other lines!

GrannyLorr, I was just on Regent, and they offer just free laundry service and internet connection after 300 days - Seabourn still holds my heart!

Leslie

Free internet after 21days and free pressing once a week on formal night for men or ladies

I haven't had the letter yet but I would expect that if your friends have earned their 140 days by the end of 2009, they will have two years to enjoy the 14 day complimentary cruise. It is only if you haven't reached 140 by then, that you will have to meet the new targets.

The letter doesn't say anything to that effect. It does in fact state that they chose the Jan 2010 date to allow as many people as possible to still book their 14 day cruises prior to that date.

So glad that I will be over 200 days after my next Seabourn Cruise, closer to 250 than 280!

 

Host Dan

That is one way of putting it Dan!

You don't expect a 14 days free cruise after 250 days, if you already had 14 days after 140 days, do you? Or are you just joking?

I suppose they give you the choice: either 7 days after 140 or 14 days after 250. I have not received the letter yet. But what will happen to those guests who reach 250 days?

I don't like this change in rewarding at all!

I think Seabourn had a few too many people reaching 140 days lately.

Marja

Pretty interesting. Seabourn appears much more generous than Silversea. On SS you need 350 days for 7 days, 500 days for 14 days, and then another 7 day sail for every 150 days thereafter. Their best perk is the free laundry after 100 days. Both SB and SS have very high rates of returning guests and they are looking at the future!

That is one way of putting it Dan!

You don't expect a 14 days free cruise after 250 days, if you already had 14 days after 140 days, do you? Or are you just joking?

I suppose they give you the choice: either 7 days after 140 or 14 days after 250. I have not received the letter yet. But what will happen to those guests who reach 250 days?

I don't like this change in rewarding at all!

I think Seabourn had a few too many people reaching 140 days lately.

Marja

Good question Marja,

I didn't think that the "free" cruise was just a 1 time thing.. Is it?? Can someone chime in that might know for certain?

Host Dan

We have been very "lucky"--we had 114 days on the Sea Goddess when Seabourn bought them--they said "Thanks a lot but no transfer of cruise days"--now we have 99 days on the Seabourn--they change the deal! With our luck we sure aren't going to Las Vegas soon! I wonder how many days credit we got there? I'll bet they know, and they won't change the deal! Don

That is one way of putting it Dan!

You don't expect a 14 days free cruise after 250 days, if you already had 14 days after 140 days, do you? Or are you just joking?

I suppose they give you the choice: either 7 days after 140 or 14 days after 250. I have not received the letter yet. But what will happen to those guests who reach 250 days?

I don't like this change in rewarding at all!

I think Seabourn had a few too many people reaching 140 days lately.

Marja

I think you are right Marja. We reach 140 days on our coming June cruise and will use 14 free days as part of 21 day cruise end of August. I know of 3 other couples who will be able to claim this year. Still we all have supported Seabourn over last years. I wonder if the Odyssey is causing the problem with it`s higher prices ?

Good question Marja,

I didn't think that the "free" cruise was just a 1 time thing.. Is it?? Can someone chime in that might know for certain?

 

Host Dan

The "free" cruise is not a 1 time thing. I know that for a fact, because we had the pleasure of enjoying 2 already. In our case I think Seabourn will now start counting from zero again toward 140 days for the one week free and toward 250, if you chose to do two weeks free. I think most people would then take the one week at 140 days, because you never know if you will live to reach 250 days! Or have the money for it - well, some do!

Or we should book enough cruises to reach an additional 140 days before January 2010, which I doubt!

Marja

The "free" cruise is not a 1 time thing. I know that for a fact, because we had the pleasure of enjoying 2 already. In our case I think Seabourn will now start counting from zero again toward 140 days for the one week free and toward 250, if you chose to do two weeks free. I think most people would then take the one week at 140 days, because you never know if you will live to reach 250 days! Or have the money for it - well, some do!

Or we should book enough cruises to reach an additional 140 days before January 2010, which I doubt!

Marja

You would think that they had a system of informing us together ( their website says nothing ) rather than making many second class hearers. :rolleyes:

The Seabourn Club Web site has not yet been updated with the new qualification parameters.

There is one advantage to this new award system: It won't be that difficult anymore to chose a different cruise line for a change! (see my signature)

And the other thing that came to my mind is this "very Dutch" old saying:

"penny wise - pound foolish"! I hope Mrs. Conover understands this saying.

(just refreshed my "Seabourn-nail", but I also do the "Silversea" and "Seadream" nail, unless..............) (teaser!!!)

Marja

(just refreshed my "Seabourn-nail", but I also do the "Silversea" and "Seadream" nail, unless..............) (teaser!!!)

I was going to ask you if you were going to do that! :D

Well stated Marja...as we all know, some of the SS itineries are special..so this takes away the "Golden Handcuffs" so to speak. Lola

Maybe I'm dense but I'm still a bit confused. If we have 140 by January 2010 can we get a 14 cruise anytime? Or do we have to have taken the free 14 cruise by then?

Maybe I'm dense but I'm still a bit confused. If we have 140 by January 2010 can we get a 14 cruise anytime? Or do we have to have taken the free 14 cruise by then?

All 14 day free cruises given after 140 days Seabourn sailing have now to be taken up by end of 2009. If you carry over you get 7 days in 2010 or have to sail for another 110 days to take you to 250 days producing a 14 day free cruise. :)

I don’t post often, but had an odd thought about this change. Maybe Seabourn wants to beef up their 2008 and 2009 bookings. If you are close to 140 days, you might take an extra cruise or two to get to take a free 14 day cruise under the old rules. There might be a lot of people in this situation which could transfer to good revenue gains for the company in 2008 and 2009, which is important during the current economic climate.

We will be at 84 days by the end of October, but I doubt we can fit in another 8 weeks before 2010. Oh well, 7 days is better than no days, and I am pretty sure we will get there eventually. We would have been there already but we cruise on other lines as well as Seabourn (which is our favorite).

Merril

I do not like retrospective changes. Seabourn had the best loyalty bonus in the past and may still do after the change but that doesn't make up for enticing passengers to make bookings over what may be a number of years and then change the rules as they are approaching 140 days. Existing passengers should be grandfathered until there next loyalty cruise and the new rules applied after that.

You don't encourage loyalty by promising rewards on one basis and changimg the rules half way through the game.

I haven't had a letter yet but there will be a fairly swift response to it.

Shame on Seabourn - I hoped this is not an indication of other cut backs to come - put the fares by all means but don't nickel and dime.

You are certainly speaking for a lot of us Harvey 2442...well said!