Disgraceful treatment!!!!

[Jade13]

 

·I think everyone who knows the Seabourn product would accept that a seven day cruise with flights and transfers has never been sold for only £1,400 pounds ($2,100) and I think deep down the OP knew that at the time of booking, but was hoping to take advantage of a slip up in advertising, which is fine if you can get away with it I suppose.

 

imaging some scally wag employee putting a price tag of $1 in front of a Ferrari in the dealership…….

 

And as for the poster who quite openly recanted the story of deliberately ripping Azamara off, well, is that a sign of the times, are we morally bankrupt these days? Woohoo I made money off someone else’s misfortune (please, do not say they can afford it, or if you do accept that being robbed in the street by a poor person as acceptable), I remember when honesty was respected, I for one treat others as I would hope they would treat me and it has served me well up to now.

 

 

George.

 

You are so way off.

 

You are comparing a gross clerical error on a sign for a ferrari for $1.00 to someone who has paid in full for a cruise?

[georgie-porgie]

I wasn't trying to upset people, I was just trying give another point of view.

 

 

 

The Ferrari example was supposed to be in the extreme to ask where we draw the line, 1p or a thousand pounds, why not a million while you are at it.

 

Will everyone come back here and apologise to Seabourn if it turns out Seabourn were in no way wrong and it was in fact the TA or even the OP that made the error, I doubt it, people are quick to judge but even quicker to turn a blind eye to their own mistakes.

 

 

I for one would not like to think my whole business future was hanging in the balance because someone made a statement on a forum and everyone believed them and jumped on the "bash the company" bandwagon.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

I am new to this forum and as such have not built up any sort of history which means I can reply without fear of upsetting anyone I know.

 

· I think everyone who knows the Seabourn product would accept that a seven day cruise with flights and transfers has never been sold for only £1,400 pounds ($2,100) and I think deep down the OP knew that at the time of booking, but was hoping to take advantage of a slip up in advertising, which is fine if you can get away with it I suppose. However; as Seabourn have realised their error I am not surprised that they want to recoup their money. I have read urban myths before about stores having to sell goods at the marked price but it is just that, myth, a store cannot be legally forced to sell at an advertised price, imaging some scally wag employee putting a price tag of $1 in front of a Ferrari in the dealership……. I think you can get my point, maybe Asda will give you the extra 10p of the price of a tin of beans but we are talking tens of thousands of dollars here.

· Lets look at the moral side of this, did the OP knowingly try to gain an advantage from an erroneous advert, well I’m sorry but the OP has sailed Seabourn before so they would have had a very good idea of their prices so I think it is probably true to a certain extent, so the moral ground is somewhat thin too.

Seabourn is the enemy and not the provider of what appears to be a much loved product, I agree it is a poor situation for the OP but that doesn’t mean Seabourn should just lie back and lose a fortune because of an advertising error.

 

And as for the poster who quite openly recanted the story of deliberately ripping Azamara off, well, is that a sign of the times, are we morally bankrupt these days? Woohoo I made money off someone else’s misfortune (please, do not say they can afford it, or if you do accept that being robbed in the street by a poor person as acceptable), I remember when honesty was respected, I for one treat others as I would hope they would treat me and it has served me well up to now.

 

To end, I think what the OP wrote in their last post was over the top, I realise emotions are running high but please, lets not get carried away or would everyone have Seabourn ruined because people took what was posted to heart and stopped booking……..

 

George.

 

You are indeed extremely out of order and know little about the product, in the UK I have seen many advertisements for SB around this price point!

I have sailed SB many times and am fully familiar with the product and how the customer has been and should be treated.

 

I and several others, not hundreds of us have been wrongly treated by this incompetent company and am merely suggesting to those on the cusp of booking that there are other options,which I have also tried that are equally as viable. Do we or do we not live in a free thinking country?

 

I stand by the fact that the TA has done all she could, and is indeed astounded at our treatment. This holiday was advertised on seabourns general booking system and was available to anyone who should have made enquiries through their travel agent that day, and the price was queried and double checked and the booking accepted and put on SBs system.

 

If by paying in full and finding my treatment by SB unacceptable makes me some sort of charlatan in your eyes then so be it, I am just grateful I no longer run the risk of bumping into you on such a cruise with your not so pleasant attitude!

[Tillylovesseabourn]

I wasn't trying to upset people, I was just trying give another point of view.

 

 

 

The Ferrari example was supposed to be in the extreme to ask where we draw the line, 1p or a thousand pounds, why not a million while you are at it.

 

Will everyone come back here and apologise to Seabourn if it turns out Seabourn were in no way wrong and it was in fact the TA or even the OP that made the error, I doubt it, people are quick to judge but even quicker to turn a blind eye to their own mistakes.

 

 

I for one would not like to think my whole business future was hanging in the balance because someone made a statement on a forum and everyone believed them and jumped on the "bash the company" bandwagon.

 

Maybe my statements are true, maybe you work for Seabourn??????

[3418ahl]

We are sailing for the first time in September. We got great pricing, plus the $400 "new to Seabourn" credit. So far, I have no complaints!

[LoveBora]

And ofcourse this has only been Tillys problem here on these boards.

Business as usual for the rest of us.

Thank God the ships staff always perform well.

 

I just hope that this attitude at the top doesn't trickle its way down to ship personnel.

[valentijn101]

In my opinion georgie-porgies arguments make a lot of sence and are at least worth considering.

I dont think politely disagreeing with someone is a sign of a 'not so pleasant attitude'.

[Seabourn-nail]

As many of you regulars on this board know this is not the board I participate in.

 

That is correct.... I've never seen you post before on this board.... why now? Just to tell us we should not sail on Seabourn ships.... thank you very much! We can make up our own minds....

Marja (still Seabourn fan...)

[BlueHerons]

"Although Seabourn seeks to verify the accuracy of information on this web site, mistakes may occur. Consequently, Seabourn reserves the right not to honor any published prices that it determines were erroneous due to printing, electronic or clerical error. Seabourn shall have the right to refuse or cancel any bookings made at an incorrect price whether or not the order has been confirmed and your credit card charged. If your credit card has already been charged for the purchase and your order is canceled, Seabourn shall immediately issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the incorrect price.

 

I'm a lurker to the Seabourn threads also because I'm thinking of booking.

 

While I'm not a travel agent, I do have about twenty years in the hotel business.

 

I can tell you for a fact that the above small print is industry standard because when the internet first broke wide open, there were thousands of mistakes that customers insisted that hotels/airlines/train companies/car rental companies, etc honor.

 

You know when you see a $19 round trip flight to Paris from JFK, someone screwed up! Or a $100 per night room at the Marriott Marquis in NYC for NYE.

 

Still, people will try and take advantage of an honest mistake and book the cheap price.

 

That said, and I'm looking at you Georgie Porgie, the OP is not in this group.

 

Seabourn completely dropped the ball on this issue and their excuse is horse *****.

 

How would any other passengers know what the other passengers paid for their trip?

 

Back to lurking on Seabourn.

[Cruise Junky]

That is correct.... I've never seen you post before on this board.... why now? Just to tell us we should not sail on Seabourn ships.... thank you very much! We can make up our own minds....

Marja (still Seabourn fan...)

 

Probably for the same reason I did - to point out that this has happened on other lines and they've honoured it.

[Seabourn-nail]

Maybe the mistake was indeed made by the TA, who is referred to as "she" ..... several times now! I can tell you, I keep a good eye on special offers from Seabourn (penny wise, pound wise...) and I've never ever seen a cruise on a Seabourn "big sister" for less than 1.400-- GBP p.p. for a week without flights. Who else did?

Marja

[Jade13]

That is correct.... I've never seen you post before on this board.... why now? Just to tell us we should not sail on Seabourn ships.... thank you very much! We can make up our own minds....

Marja (still Seabourn fan...)

 

Well, I for one am a Carnival stockholder. And as we normally take at least one Holland America Line (also owned by Carnival) cruise per year (and have been on Azamara, SilverSea, and luxury cruising with Abercrombe & Kent) it would be natural to look at what Seabourn is offering and how they treat their passengers.

 

I also would not look at a cruise in the $2,000.00 range for 7 nights and consider it a gross clerical error (such as $1.00 Ferrari or $19.00 Flight example).

 

The point is that this booking was taken and paid in full.

[Jade13]

Maybe the mistake was indeed made by the TA, who is referred to as "she" ..... several times now! I can tell you, I keep a good eye on special offers from Seabourn (penny wise, pound wise...) and I've never ever seen a cruise on a Seabourn "big sister" for less than 1.400-- GBP p.p. for a week without flights. Who else did?

Marja

 

Did anyone take/keep a cut and paste of this advertisement? I thought TA's had insurance that would cover these type of errors?

[Jade13]

 

You know when you see a $19 round trip flight to Paris from JFK, someone screwed up!

Seabourn completely dropped the ball on this issue and their excuse is horse *****.

 

How would any other passengers know what the other passengers paid for their trip?

 

Back to lurking on Seabourn.

 

Right, a $19.00 international flight ad is a gross clerical error. A $2,000.00 plus rate on a 7 night cruise is not, and point is booking was accepted and paid in full.

[georgie-porgie]

I am sorry you have taken this so personally, it wasn't intended that way but I suppose re-reading my post it comes over slightly like that but there was no need for your brusque reply, is this the tillylovesseabourn forum now, dear dear.

 

I have never seen a Seabourn cruise advertised for that price and I look regularly and that was why I spoke out - £1,400 for seven days, flights and transfers included seemed too good to be true to me, $400 referral obc, $100 stockholder obc, $300 Amex obc and the cost of the flights, please, you must have had an idea it was not correct, using the TA checked excuse is nothing more than an excuse, I never called you a charlatan and never would but the words came to you very quickly didn't they. I am just saying what others are probably thinking.

 

 

 

Also, I just can't get over why everyone is queueing up to debase Seabourn, some of these posts verge on the slanderous, with nothing more than the word of one poster, reading the other threads on this board people complain of slow responses from head office, missing obc's and changes from Champagne to Prosecco, not out and out deceit.

 

 

Please, a little restraint or else no-one will be sailing on Seabourn as it will go bust.

 

 

 

George.

 

 

PS Regarding the comment about me working for Seabourn, really, come on for goodness sake.

[ironin]

[Duplicate post - see below]

[ironin]

Did anyone take/keep a cut and paste of this advertisement? I thought TA's had insurance that would cover these type of errors?

 

I, too, have been following this thread with interest, and I, too, hope someone has access to a copy of the original advertisement that can be posted here for all to see. If it was in a daily paper, for example, the approximate date the ad appeared might be helpful.

[Seabourn-nail]

I am sorry you have taken this so personally, it wasn't intended that way but I suppose re-reading my post it comes over slightly like that but there was no need for your brusque reply, is this the tillylovesseabourn forum now, dear dear.

 

I have never seen a Seabourn cruise advertised for that price and I look regularly and that was why I spoke out - £1,400 for seven days, flights and transfers included seemed too good to be true to me, $400 referral obc, $100 stockholder obc, $300 Amex obc and the cost of the flights, please, you must have had an idea it was not correct, using the TA checked excuse is nothing more than an excuse, I never called you a charlatan and never would but the words came to you very quickly didn't they. I am just saying what others are probably thinking.

 

 

 

Also, I just can't get over why everyone is queueing up to debase Seabourn, some of these posts verge on the slanderous, with nothing more than the word of one poster, reading the other threads on this board people complain of slow responses from head office, missing obc's and changes from Champagne to Prosecco, not out and out deceit.

 

 

Please, a little restraint or else no-one will be sailing on Seabourn as it will go bust.

 

 

 

George.

 

 

PS Regarding the comment about me working for Seabourn, really, come on for goodness sake.

 

Before I will leave this alone, I have to say this GP..... it is quite a coincidence that you just join CC and especially this Seabourn Board, when we most needed you.... this being your 8th post;)!

Have a nice weekend all!

Marja

[georgie-porgie]

I do seem to have jumped in with two feet don't I.

 

I can assure everyone that I have no ulterior motive, I have no connection whatsoever with the travel industry and certainly not with Seabourn.

 

 

I am just an interested party who likes to debate things correctly and look at both sides of the story, at the end of the day it's just my two penneth worth and nothing more, hardly worth getting hot under the collar about.

 

 

 

George.

[merryecho]

Georgie, and a few others, do not seem to grasp the point that, if SB made a mistake in their advertising, they are free to refuse the booking. Tilly did not demand that they honor their ad, she actually asked them if the price was correct! They said it was, and took her money.

 

Big difference between the Ferrari dealer refusing to sell you a car for $1, and actually selling you the car, then, once you sell your old car and remodel the garage, telling you owe him another $200,000. And PS, 1,400 GBP is $2,257 today, not 2,100.

 

Tilly, I took the liberty of emailing the HA legal dept, simply requesting that they have the appropriate person take a look at this thread, and pointing out the number of viewers.

I received this reply:

"Thank you for your email.

 

I have forwarded the message on to the appropriate personnel for response.

 

If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

Gloria Teves (GTeves@hollandamerica.com)"

 

Let's hope it gets someone's attention!

[HotRoot]

I was worried after reading this thread. I booked a Caribbean 7 night cruise on the Spirit at what I thought was a "cheap" price - $2399 each. The cabin next to me is now for sale for $3099 each. I had my TA check with Seabourn. My $2399 price is still good. I actually switched to a gty. so they can sell my cabin again but for $3099 this time. Of course, I am hoping for the free upgrade.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Georgie, and a few others, do not seem to grasp the point that, if SB made a mistake in their advertising, they are free to refuse the booking. Tilly did not demand that they honor their ad, she actually asked them if the price was correct! They said it was, and took her money.

 

Big difference between the Ferrari dealer refusing to sell you a car for $1, and actually selling you the car, then, once you sell your old car and remodel the garage, telling you owe him another $200,000. And PS, 1,400 GBP is $2,257 today, not 2,100.

 

Tilly, I took the liberty of emailing the HA legal dept, simply requesting that they have the appropriate person take a look at this thread, and pointing out the number of viewers.

I received this reply:

"Thank you for your email.

 

I have forwarded the message on to the appropriate personnel for response.

 

If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

Gloria Teves (GTeves@hollandamerica.com)"

 

Let's hope it gets someone's attention!

 

Thankyou, that is very sweet of you!

 

I however, am pretty shell shocked at the treatment from SB, and their comments from so called guest relations, hope this isnt the shape of things to come for SB guests, but fear it is.:(

[NEOPHYTUS]

Firstly we have only the postings of an aggrieved customer, maybe all is not as it seems. Why is Seabourn getting all the blame when the OP says the booking was made via a travel agent, surely the contract the OP has is with them.

 

Agreed. Lots of snap judgements and final verdicts here, with only one side of the events. In a formal setting, all parties would have a chance to present their facts. As a well-known divorce attorney said:

"There's HIS side of the story, there's HER side, and then there's the TRUTH"

["Wandering Wino's&quo]

Thankyou, that is very sweet of you!

 

I however, am pretty shell shocked at the treatment from SB, and their comments from so called guest relations, hope this isnt the shape of things to come for SB guests, but fear it is.:(

 

I have been reading this thread with total amazement. It is hard to comprehend how cruising aboard Seabourn is almost perfection for most of us, and then reading about the newly relocated customer relations department in action. It makes me wonder who is minding the store. With, shall we say "bean counters" making this type of decisions for Seabourn how much longer will it be until this attitude will be what runs the ships. When that happens Seabourn will become just another cruise line. So sad, while we have only cruised twice on SB, we thought we had found a life long friend in Seabourn. Shame on you in management for not handling this issue in a profession manner and leaving a loyal customer fend for herself.

Unless there is more to the story then meets the eye this shortsightedness will be remembered long after those profits are forgotten

[Chairsin]

Georgie-Porgie,

Let me also chime in that the case you used as an illustration differs in one critical area -- in Tilly's case the Seabourn actually made the sale and accepted Tilly's full payment and them tried to back out.

 

And let me also make a comment about those who claim that we are all "piling on" poor Seabourn. It seems to me we Seabourn alumni can't cut a break -- usually we are highly criticized for being blind to Seabourn's blemishes. Damned if we do and damned if we don't.

 

And finally for those thinking of booking Seabourn for the first time let me again reitierate that ONCE you cross the booking hurdle and actually cruise on Seabourn ship chances are very good that the trip will be terrific. It is a shame that shoreside operations are often make the booking part so difficult.

 

Tilly,

One more idea. There is a travel consumer advocate in the US by the name of Christopher Elliot. Quite often I have seen articles where he has interced on behalf of travelers with problems like this. Perhaps you should contact him. Because while many here are displeased with Seabourn's treatment of you we are, as was pointed out by another poster, a small percentage of Seabourn cruisers. However, having this issue in black and white in a major travel magazine in certainly something Seabourn would like to avoid.