Just how good are Silversea Special Offers?

Like all of us who signed up, I get regular special offers from SS for their cruises. I'd like to ask if anyone on this forum can give me some idea just how good they are? In particular this week there are offers of varying $$$ off a number of cruises. However the site is careful not to say whether the prices given for those cruises are pre or post offer. I'd be interested in knowing more - but here's the catch - you have to ask for a quote after which you will be contacted. I don't want to be contacted actually, I just want to know what the deal is. One voyage in particular gives a cruise I am already signed up for at (more or less) the price I paid back in June, so for it to be a genuine 'Offer' I would expect the deduction to be applied to this - but as I already mentioned, SS are not saying upfront.

So my question for all of you experienced SS Venetians out there is, have you ever picked up a good deal this way? Are these offers really worth it?

If it is a pricing offer (i.e. $$$ off), the price shown on the website includes the discount. Any other offer is separate from the price on the website. Hope this helps!

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Well, it does for me thank you although it still gives no idea of what suite category the price refers to. I can't speak for the OP, but this instance the price shown for one cruise was only a couple of hundred off what we paid a few months ago - which does not make it look very special at all! I think I see some smoke and mirrors at work here.

The whole purpose of the pricing and packaging team within the marketing department is to make every person that is currently thinking about a cruise and looking at "today's offer" feel that not only are they getting a better deal than anyone that bought before, but it is also better to buy today, than if they delayed. The company succeeds if you buy today, in order not to miss out on "today's time limited special offer". Then they have succeeded, in all they set out to achieve.

If a customer consequently discovers someone else got a better deal and feel miffed, then that is of lesser consequence to them than if they hadn't taken the customer's cash in the first place. People might believe that they have been misled or badly treated and vow to not repeat that "trust" again. But the company can always make another offer on another cruise and on another day in the future and hope and mostly succeed in that the customer will do exactly the same thing again.

I think most people understand the game that is being played and are willing and canny participants and simply do the best they can at any given moment.

:)

The 'Early Booking Bonus' worked on me. I paid 'in full' by the date specified... assuming the fare would go up after that date. I didn't consider they would simply extend the offer and subsequent 'expiry dates'. :o Duh!

Live & learn.

Me too. Ce'st la bleedin' vie. :D

The 'Early Booking Bonus' worked on me. I paid 'in full' by the date specified... assuming the fare would go up after that date. I didn't consider they would simply extend the offer and subsequent 'expiry dates'. :o Duh!

 

Live & learn.

Know what you mean but think positive.The early booking bonus of 10% is 9.9% better than leaving the money in a Bank paying 0.05%!!

Enjoy your cruise.

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Here's ny take on special offers" They're like buses. As soon as one departs another one comes along.

Here's ny take on special offers" They're like buses. As soon as one departs another one comes along.

So true! As for the 'Early Booking Bonus' - yes, us too, paid in full ..... I think that the cruiselines are rather more adept than I am at playing this game. Thank you Stumblefoot for clearing up the confusion over the pricing - left deliberately opaque, I am sure!

No matter what the 'Special Offer', you're paying the going rate.

No matter what the 'Special Offer', you're paying the going rate.

Only a couple of days to go to see if yours gets a price hike and seeing if paying up front (albeit 30 days earlier than you might have hoped) pays off and puts a smile on your face.

Always worth checking.... you may have got added a booking incentive you can claim. I mentioned they’d done that on mine, which I actually wasn’t eligible for because there was a cost change (the EB offer disappeared.) Luckily booking direct with my usual consultant paid off and I got my upgrade for a nominal extra fee which m was fine with.

120 days to go... restaurants opened for bookings... sail away on informal night already booked for La Terrazza

My 10% 'off' Early Booking Bonus has now 'expired' - the pay in full by date - twice: Oct. 31 & Dec. 28. The 'fare' is still the same... and the EBB is now extended to Feb. 28.

The bus just keeps going around the block.

My 10% 'off' Early Booking Bonus has now 'expired' - the pay in full by date - twice: Oct. 31 & Dec. 28. The 'fare' is still the same... and the EBB is now extended to Feb. 28.

 

The bus just keeps going around the block.

It’s all about supply and demand. The more popular cruises get a price hike, the least popular stay static for longer. If a promotion doesn’t achieve targets it continues or gets extended along with fresh offerings, though more often with an increase in price to cover that.

It’s a game on both sides with a decision to play or not. I have 3 cruises in mind for my next trip. No offers on any of them other than the EBD which ends on the 28th Feb.

The choice.... book now and pay in full knowing it might be extended without an increase. Book now and gamble for an extra month or so with the cash in my bank account.... or leave it until I’m on my next cruise and gain an extra 5% discount... but with the gamble there might be an increase that eats that discount and more.

I have actually made a decision to wait and see, mostly as I am undecided on which to take. I did think about removing the gamble by booking now and cancelling once on board if it’s to my advantage but expect that’ll be frowned upon and not allowed. Plenty of busses and different directions to chose from.

Look on the bright side. If it keeps being unpopular, you may get a free upgrade or onboard spend and like the game after all.

Special offers are like buses. One leaves and fifteen minutes later another one arrives!

Special offers are like buses. One leaves and fifteen minutes later another one arrives!

One could suggest, going round in circles.

What offers do they have on Seabourn? Deals to include port taxes or is that too all inclusive? LOL

I did think about removing the gamble by booking now and cancelling once on board if it’s to my advantage but expect that’ll be frowned upon and not allowed.

It's their game and they set the rules. Why not remove the gamble by booking now and paying the deposit. Once on board, cancel and have the $200 cancellation fee applied to a new booking for the same cruise at 5% less than when you embarked.

They may frown upon it... but so what?

Call me crazy, but... I don't mind the 10% off if you pay before xx/xx which we have done on 4 upcoming cruises. The fares will probably not go down. The money is spent, and now the cruises will be "free". Unfortunately my way of thinking has resulted in several episodes of upgrading the cabin since we no longer had any more payments to make. So long as we live long enough to take all the pre-paid cruises, we are happy. Chacun a son goût.

Or even .... "à chacun son goût". :D

Your philosophy is correct ...... happy new year!

The only concern I have with prepaying is the ramifications of insolvency.

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The only concern I have with prepaying is the ramifications of insolvency.

 

 

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It is a shame you can't use a British credit card which would mean you needn't worry. :)

The only concern I have with prepaying is the ramifications of insolvency.

Me too... I had to declare bankruptcy after giving Silversea all the money for my cruise a year and a half before sailing. ;p

The only concern I have with prepaying is the ramifications of insolvency.

 

 

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Pay with citi prestige and your covered for that.

And get points.

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My fancy credit card gives me points and provides travel insurance and all the good things, but hidden in the terms and conditions for “goods or services not received” are the words “on your statement in the preceding 60 days” which means that a cruise prepaid a lot further in advance would not be automatically refunded, but would have to be processed under the travel insurance aspect. I’m not so concerned about losing the money as the headaches involved in dealing with it. My use of the word “ramifications” was quite deliberate.

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Best offers we came across in 20 years of SS cruising happened three years ago.We booked early as normal on a Tower Bridge To Reykjavik round trip ,14 days each cruise.We paid approx £6.000 pp for each cruise.

Arriving at Reykjavik we noticed a queue of some twenty people waiting to board in a separate queue.Upon enquiry we were informed they were hoping to go on the next cruise at £800 pp if there were suites available.We saw at least three couples on the next cruise who had taken advantage of this last minute ‘turn up and go cruise’.!!

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