New 2014 Promotion - Silver Select

Silversea launched a new 2014 promotion today for the Mediterranean and Alaska. It applies to 26 different voyages. Click this link for details.

Our family booked one of the voyages this promotion applies to last summer in June, 2013. I'm going to be interested to see if Silversea allows us to invoke their Fare Guarantee Programme. For us, the value is the $1,000 shipboard credit and double Venetian society credit.

Funny you put this up. The agent I was referred to by the group I met onboard emailed it to me today, as 4 of the voyages I have booked are on it. (As mentioned in a prior post - I had never used an agent until now but that will NOT happen again :)) This agent is a "Top Gun" with them and has advised he is asking - but their terms say it is NEW bookings only and one cannot cancel and book again as it is monitored. He said that the new management there is NOT easy to deal with, but he said "it never hurts to ask" - which I liked hearing! I'm hoping that a 33 Day combination holds a little water with Silversea. I'll keep you posted.

DC

Funny you put this up. The agent I was referred to by the group I met onboard emailed it to me today, as 4 of the voyages I have booked are on it. (As mentioned in a prior post - I had never used an agent until now but that will NOT happen again :)) This agent is a "Top Gun" with them and has advised he is asking - but their terms say it is NEW bookings only and one cannot cancel and book again as it is monitored. He said that the new management there is NOT easy to deal with, but he said "it never hurts to ask" - which I liked hearing! I'm hoping that a 33 Day combination holds a little water with Silversea. I'll keep you posted.

DC

What " new management ?"

There is always "new management"!

I'll keep you posted.

There is always "new management"!

Where Italians are involved.

There is always "new management"!

Don't know about 'new' management, but the current crop are playing hardball on all the issues that were previously negotiable

Don't tend to use travel agents as I find dealing directly with most travel companies, including Silversea, more effective. Just me, nothing against agents.

I emailed Silversea Friday first thing and by the end of the day had my reply and the shipboard credit of $500 pp.

Sometimes I feel as if I must be in a a parallel universe to those who find Silversea so lacking in so many ways; in any event, they came through for me. I suspect that they also will for you if you meet the criteria of the Fare Guarantee Programme.

jtm - I agree totally with your comment. You are not alone in the parallel universe!

Another agreement this time other side of the pond. We have used Silversea direct Sylvia in the London office is our contact never had any problems.

I case of two Sylvia's this one is a Scot.

Hopefully, with the recent "firing" SS will rediscover the concept of getting even closer rather than more detached from their customers, and come up with the novel idea of named SS Account Managers who look after and pro-actively account manage customers and moving closer to a direct sell concierge approach rather than the arms-length TA model. Cash saved, spent on a better product and having a named Sylvia for each and every customer.

:)

Ex-derivativeTrader,

I am curious if your Travel Agent has been given a satisfactory response yet that met your needs?

After waiting for more than a week to hear back from TA, I finally gave him a jingle. He said that SS was playing hardball and wanted to remove our Virtuoso and Amex benefits if we were to receive the SS promotion. I told him that the Amex and Virtuoso bennies have nothing to do with Silversea. They are being provided by him, the Travel Agent.

So, around and around we go. We'll see how much more time elapses before the next follow-up.

Just a quick note. We booked the Oct 31, 2014, cruise and then transferred the booking to the LA to LA grand cruise. With the new offer we booked the cruise once again and have received confirmed Amex bennies. We were once refused Amex bennies on a SB cruise. We were told the cost was too thin to support the ship board credit and wine. ??

Take care.

We booked the 8/28 Alaskan cruise the day before this offer came out. Called the TA to ask about the possibility of receiving the on board credit. According to SS, too bad, so sad. Read the posted caveats - we don't qualify. Not happy, especially with the TA. She didn't know one day prior that this offer was out there for the next day?! Shame on the whole TA/SS team.

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even more of a shame is that the offer is not available to anybody outside USA and Canada.

SS office in London has specifically refused to apply the offer in any way at all to UK clients, loss of £600 in OBC.

Not a happy bunny.

Rp

We booked the 8/28 Alaskan cruise the day before this offer came out. Called the TA to ask about the possibility of receiving the on board credit. According to SS, too bad, so sad. Read the posted caveats - we don't qualify. Not happy, especially with the TA. She didn't know one day prior that this offer was out there for the next day?! Shame on the whole TA/SS team.

 

 

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Welcom to SS board .... sorry your first post is a not a happy bunny one.

You haven't posted your location but if you happen to be in the UK or any other geogrpahic with such a law , remember you have a "cooling off period" so if you qualify for the law and you are quick you could cancel and rebook.

:)

Is this offer unusual for SS? Is it an indicator of financial difficulties? When I booked my last SS cruise the TA said SS never discounts and prices tend to rise closer in to the sailing date.

There is no such thing as any cruise line that does not discount at one time or another.

Seabreezer, chill. Nobody knows anything about SS finances, they are a privately held company. Wripro is correct. All the lines throw around discounts for one reason or another. I have sailed on all comparable lines and it is still my choice for cruising. Enjoy!

Thanks duct tape...I tend to over-analyze! I should chill, must be time for a cruise!

When I booked my last SS cruise the TA said SS never discounts and prices tend to rise closer in to the sailing date.

I've been told that too but find the opposite is true. There are certain cruises (anything from London, or Arctic for example) that sell out immediately. After that, the closer in, the better the rate or perhaps the larger the shipboard credit. But then you aren't getting the cabin location and have to settle for last minute air fare. Probably a toss-up in the long run.

I've never seen last minute fares be more than what I've paid, but then again, I don't bother to track those things closely. I have found that when I have to wait to book, the rates are the same or slightly less if I wait. I don't bother waiting, though, since I'm cruising for a reason and don't want to miss that particular cruise (due to destinations or timing.)

For those who can wait to take just any cruise, I'd suggest waiting. I look forward to the day when my cruise choices can be that carefree. I'm still crossing items off my bucket list and can't afford to veer from that plan.

After waiting for more than a week to hear back from TA, I finally gave him a jingle. He said that SS was playing hardball and wanted to remove our Virtuoso and Amex benefits if we were to receive the SS promotion. I told him that the Amex and Virtuoso bennies have nothing to do with Silversea. They are being provided by him, the Travel Agent.

 

So, around and around we go. We'll see how much more time elapses before the next follow-up.

Unfortunately, with our tickets came communication from our Travel Agent that SS informed him that they will not honor their Fare Guarantee Programme relative to their current promotion for our voyage. While irritated with both SS and my TA for his poor follow-up and communication skills, it won't stop me and my family from enjoying our first voyage aboard the Silver Spirit. We relish with anticipation the exceptional service we will receive once we are on board from the ever wonderful crew members.

Stumblefoot/Brian; really like your half full "tude." As one of our dear cruise friends reminds us when we brim with wonderful anticipation for our next cruise--you are now relishing the "Journey Proud," period just prior to your voyage.

Stumblefoot, to my knowledge, and it maybe inaccurate, SS and Virtuoso split the expenses. I am not sure about AE. I think I remember it works the same way. So, SS does have a vested interest.

With just three days to go before we begin our journey to London in anticipation of our cruise the following week out of Athens, our tickets have finally arrived! They are on a single page within the new Travel Journal. And, while we had never received the famed silver box for any of our previous voyages, I must say, I do like the new Travel Journal. It feels much more personal and luxurious than the cruise documents we've received in the past.

 

Unfortunately, with our tickets came communication from our Travel Agent that SS informed him that they will not honor their Fare Guarantee Programme relative to their current promotion for our voyage. While irritated with both SS and my TA for his poor follow-up and communication skills, it won't stop me and my family from enjoying our first voyage aboard the Silver Spirit. We relish with anticipation the exceptional service we will receive once we are on board from the ever wonderful crew members.

Stumblefoot, just to wish you "Bon Voyage".

I'm really looking forward to reading about your adventures and especially your opinion of Silver Spirit. I may have gone over to the other side as far as cruising goes, but I do still very much like the Spirit, the first cruise ship I sailed on. I think you'll like her too. Can't wait to hear about your trip.