Live from Silversea Spirit Auckland to Melbourne Feb 12-24

[UKCruiseJeff]

I hate to state the obvious .... but most might not think of it. The intrinsic flaw .....

 

The issue we learned early on is that you never let the employees about who the feedback is being given see or handle in any way shape or form the completed final questionnaires. If this happens, they will almost undoubtedly remove all the worst ones, and sometimes even write some decent ones to help the ratings along. We saw this countless times in the early days and would then never agree to work in that way, and our clients understood this and wouldn't have it any other way .... although there were clear cost implications.

 

We always insisted in the days of manual feedback it was always put into a reply paid envelope and received by us. We received hundreds of thousands a month. Many years ago we saw the last of paper surveys and we pioneered internet surveys in which case the customers helpfully entered the data themselves and our system sucked it into a database. The client never handled it.

 

The mid-cruise survey should always be an operational tool for ship's management to manage problems, However much head office management convince themselves otherwise, they will never have an accurate picture of their problem if they do nothing to prevent the ships collecting and reading and handling the surveys collected at the end of the cruise. It is both impossible to prevent inevitable interference and is common sense really.

 

 

 

:)

[CanadianKate]

I have effected change in bad situations using the mid-cruise questionnaire (which thankfully came on day 3 of a 28 day cruise!) But it took the questionnaire, complaints to the HD didn't solve the issue until it came using the questionnaire.

 

I also effected change by starting a thread here about the new internet pricing and got the old package restored for us. But complaining to on-board staff didn't get action, I had to go very public, very aggressively, for that change back to the advertised pricing (I felt that introducing new packages the day we left, resulting in much higher costs for me was not cricket, especially when they were still offering the former numbers on their website - that is false advertising.)

 

But my complaints here and on the end of cruise forms, plus requests through my TA have not managed to get hypo-allergic products on my cruises. (Yes, I know you all are offered them, but I just get blank stares even when I pull out the cruise calendar and turn the page where they talk about them being an option.)

Edited March 1, 2015 by CanadianKate

[RachelG]

They do now have hypoallergenic toiletries on spirit now. Sabamd is the brand. I know this doesn't help you right now, Kate, but I think it is some evidence they are listening as we had never been offered this before, on 4 previous cruises.

 

I do think filling out the mid cruise form is very effective. My suggestions/complaints were mostly addressed.

[Catlover54]

Here are several photos Mr. Catlover54 took: one displayed here from the White Island volcano helicopter excursion out of Tauranga and a link to more photos from the cruise:

 

[email=""][/email]

 

Here is the link to more photos:

 

http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/randomguy60/library/New%20Zealand%20Cruise%20February%202015

[RachelG]

Very nice pics, catlover. The volcano looks as if would be very sulfuric smelling.

[spinnaker2]

Thanks for the photos cat lover. Just wonderful!

[RachelG]

[RachelG]

[RachelG]

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[RachelG]

[spinnaker2]

Wonderful picture Rachel.

You have a terrific smile.

Guess George was showing us his better side in the picture with the roo.;)

[RachelG]

Thanks, spinnaker. I wanted to take the picture of George and the kangaroo just to show how close we were able to get. We were being quiet and stayed low to the ground (as instructed by our guide) in order to look non-threatening, but the kangaroo did not seem the least bit worried. Of course, he could hop off really quickly anytime he wanted.

[spinnaker2]

Now THAT picture of George hopping off anytime he wanted to would also be most interesting.😄

[RachelG]

Now THAT picture of George hopping off anytime he wanted to would also be most interesting.😄

 

Haha!

 

Though seriously, kangaroos can move very quickly when they want to and have an understandably powerful kick. Our guide did not us getting any closer, just in case.