meow! Posted November 10, 2015 #1 Share Posted November 10, 2015 In previous years, we used to book directly with Silversea snd four months before sailing, transfer the booking to a discount agent and get about 10% rebate/shipboard credit. Now the rules have changed, the booking transfer has to be done within 30 days of the original booking. Now when the booking is transferred, will the discount agent get the entire commission (and rebate 10% thereof), or will the discount agent get only 75% of the fare's commission (with the initial 25% deposit paid to Silversea being non-commissionable), which will mean the final customer benefit reduced to only 7.5% of the full fare? We will appreciate all useful information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted November 17, 2015 Author #2 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Time is passing by. To turn over our reservation to a discount agent, we have to do it within 30 days, that is by 25th November. Somehow for this Muse voyage (perhaps all Muse voyages), Silversea seems particularly slow in releasing the fare details to discount agents, or the discount agents are slow in implementing them. Also, they do it category by category. Up to today, only details on owners suite, grand suite, royal suite and silver suite have been given. The regular basic suites are left without "details" for so long. We hope this is resolved soon, so we poor cats can save what little we can. Any information will be welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare drron29 Posted November 18, 2015 #3 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Surely you can just nominate your preferred discount agent as your travel agent.Cant be worse off than leaving it with SS. Nearly all our bookings are done on board and our TA is notified immediately-but she is not a discount agent but a very good TA who is worth more than a discount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWaldo Posted November 18, 2015 #4 Share Posted November 18, 2015 What happens if you used one agent but want to jump ship to another? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted November 18, 2015 Author #5 Share Posted November 18, 2015 What happens if you used one agent but want to jump ship to another? I have read on the web that since 2012, Silversea has this new rule. If you book with agent A and jump to agent B within 30 days of initial booking, agent A gets nothing while agent B gets 10% commission, of which he/she can share with you. If you jump after 30 days, agent A gets 10% and may share with you, while agent B gets nothing. Agents will get more than 10% either on volume or when Silversea decides to give more. So chances of your getting more than 10% is not that good. For the new Muse, Silversea and the agents are playing difficult, the best offer we have got is a shade under 9% to date, and time is running out. There is also the new rule that if you book and cancel before the penalty period, you still have to forfeit 2 x $100 booking fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted November 18, 2015 Author #6 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Surely you can just nominate your preferred discount agent as your travel agent.Cant be worse off than leaving it with SS.Nearly all our bookings are done on board and our TA is notified immediately-but she is not a discount agent but a very good TA who is worth more than a discount. Even a Silversea's own agent offered roughly 4% shipboard credit, but of course, these apply only to North Americans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted November 18, 2015 #7 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Not sure why you wouldn't just book directly through the agent from the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted November 18, 2015 #8 Share Posted November 18, 2015 My question exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWaldo Posted November 18, 2015 #9 Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) My question applies because I used an agent to book this cruise. I used a different agent for a trip booked a few weeks before the cruise, an Africa specialist, and I was extremely happy with that particular agent as there were a few things went pear shaped which were beyond the agents control and they managed to sort them out without any hassle and some recompense. I am considering doing an onboard booking for Cape Town and as I want to couple it with some land component this would make the most sense, using the African specialist as they are also a SS specialist. Edited November 18, 2015 by MrsWaldo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted November 18, 2015 Author #10 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Not sure why you wouldn't just book directly through the agent from the start. The last time we sailed on the Spirit was in 2010, before the new rules. Then we booked directly with Silversea long before sailing, and transferred it to a discount agent upon final payment. No problem at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted November 19, 2015 #11 Share Posted November 19, 2015 But why not book with the agent in the first place and save yourself the hassle of transferring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_K Posted November 19, 2015 #12 Share Posted November 19, 2015 But why not book with the agent in the first place and save yourself the hassle of transferring? Possibly to get a 5% on board booking discount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWaldo Posted November 20, 2015 #13 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Possibly to get a 5% on board booking discount. Yepppppp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted November 20, 2015 #14 Share Posted November 20, 2015 I understand that. But can't you just name the agent at time of booking onboard and give it to him right then and there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted November 20, 2015 #15 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Possibly to get a 5% on board booking discount. You can still do that. I give them my agent's name, and the booking goes to her but I get the discount. Have done this many times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWaldo Posted November 20, 2015 #16 Share Posted November 20, 2015 From reading one of the posts I was under the (mis?)understanding that your agent for the current cruise will automatically get notification of the new booking. I don't want that to happen..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_K Posted November 20, 2015 #17 Share Posted November 20, 2015 You can still do that. I give them my agent's name, and the booking goes to her but I get the discount. Have done this many times. If that's what you want to do, you can do that. It's possible, though, that you don't yet know who you want to transfer it to. Particularly if you want to shop around for the best perks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted September 10, 2017 Author #18 Share Posted September 10, 2017 Meow...! Time flies, it has been roughly two years now, and our voyage is only ten days away. Form our travel agent's website (cannot be named), we see that barely half a dozen cabins are still left empty, and Silversea appears to be trying "last minute stuff ups". If they print and distribute a passengers list, as in earlier years, then we will know the actual number .. such as 590 passengers plus two cats .. meow!:) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Silver Spectre Posted September 10, 2017 #19 Share Posted September 10, 2017 Meow...! If they print and distribute a passengers list, as in earlier years, then we will know the actual number .. such as 590 passengers plus two cats .. meow!:). SS no longer print passenger lists ( cost savings), except for a full world cruise. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted September 10, 2017 Author #20 Share Posted September 10, 2017 Thank you for letting us know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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