Interesting ob cabin assignments

[wesport]

We booked an open booking on the ovation 6 weeks ago for June 7. Our friends booked an open booking one week later. We are silver and they have no status yet. We got a v3  front of ship and they got a v 5 directly in midship. Seems like cabin assignments are related more to time of booking. Happy to be going on the Ovation, no complaints. Just interesting. 

[Kate-AHF]

Well, we booked ob two days ago, and got our assignment last night - V3.  We are silver, this cruise puts us to gold.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Wesport, it has long been noted that guarantees on SB are not allocated according to club membership level. They are completely random, it doesn't matter whether you are silver, blue or not a member, 'tis irrelevant.

[SLSD]

We are currently on Sojourn on our third (technically fourth as one was a back to back) SB sailing.  We booked our OB many months before we embarked and we are in 621, midship but toward the bow.  We are around the corner from the elevators.  We have loved this location--quick to get to the Grand Salon for lectures and show and quick to the elevator when we want to get somewhere quickly instead of taking the stairs. 

[whystayhome]

I booked [and paid for] two cabins on  a Med cruise last October for me and my husband [platinum] and a few months later for my new-to-Seabourn daughter and her husband.  Both  were OB reservations.  We got a V3 and they got a V6. Explain that one!

 

One time, we hit the lottery and booked a guarantee and wound up in an owner's suite. Waiting for that happen again, but not holding my breath.

 

Linda

[wesport]

Seems like the pattern is the earlier open bookings get a lower category than ones made later.   Only Seabourn knows. Have always been curious about this subject. 

[Prunella1]

We booked  June 12th cruise On the Encore three months ago, got our suite assignment yesterday, a V5, and we are Diamond members so very pleased, we always hold our breath but so far we haven't been disappointed, although a few years ago on the Odyssey we got the granny annex to the Wintergarden Suite which would not be most people's first choice.

[MainLineLady]

We have only been on a small number of Seabourn cruises. I’m not sure but less than 10. Can someone tell me how many cruises it takes to be Silver and what that means?

[shyla100]

Hello,

To my understanding when you become a member which is very easy , you can do it on line , the number of sea days is added to your membership (a point for each day you travel example 10 night cruise is 10 points.)

Also money you send in the shop or on tours with Seabourn is also added to your account.

There is a link on your login page were you can see what you are able to get for membership level.

Example a wash bag or Spa, discount on tours and so on.

Hope this helps.

[wesport]

5 hours ago, MainLineLady said:

We have only been on a small number of Seabourn cruises. I’m not sure but less than 10. Can someone tell me how many cruises it takes to be Silver and what that means?

20 nights gets you to Silver. One night per actual cruising, and one for every $500 spent on board. 

[dalliowner]

[vistaman]

On ‎6‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 2:37 PM, wesport said:

We booked an open booking on the ovation 6 weeks ago for June 7. Our friends booked an open booking one week later. We are silver and they have no status yet. We got a v3  front of ship and they got a v 5 directly in midship. Seems like cabin assignments are related more to time of booking. Happy to be going on the Ovation, no complaints. Just interesting. 

those policies are one of the reasons I left SB .

on level 16 i did receive the worsest cabin , people on level 3 a V5  ???

On a first or second cruise you have the chance to receive a so said " commercial upgrade - making you happy so you book again immediately.  ( confirmed by a former employee on SB )

[rols]

11 minutes ago, vistaman said:

those policies are one of the reasons I left SB .

on level 16 i did receive the worsest cabin , people on level 3 a V5  ???

On a first or second cruise you have the chance to receive a so said " commercial upgrade - making you happy so you book again immediately.  ( confirmed by a former employee on SB )

What are 'level 3' and 'level 16', I don't recognise them as Seabourn club designations? If we book a guarantee suite we hope for the best but are prepared if we get one of the few suites on the ships which are less than perfect and we don't expect our status to be a factor at all, if it were, anyone with 50 days sailed would book a guarantee knowing they would get a good suite and that would not be commercial for Seabourn. We've played the suite lottery a few times and it's worked out so far, there are very few oddity suites, but one day we'll get one, and we'll be thankful for the extra 4 or 5 cruises we've be able to take because of the lower guarantee fare and just take it as it comes and enjoy the cruise anyway. 

[vistaman]

3 hours ago, rols said:

What are 'level 3' and 'level 16', I don't recognise them as Seabourn club designations? If we book a guarantee suite we hope for the best but are prepared if we get one of the few suites on the ships which are less than perfect and we don't expect our status to be a factor at all, if it were, anyone with 50 days sailed would book a guarantee knowing they would get a good suite and that would not be commercial for Seabourn. We've played the suite lottery a few times and it's worked out so far, there are very few oddity suites, but one day we'll get one, and we'll be thankful for the extra 4 or 5 cruises we've be able to take because of the lower guarantee fare and just take it as it comes and enjoy the cruise anyway. 

the number of cruises : so on a third cruise and on a 16th

and i had - still have - Platinum  -  very close to Diamond

in a time of IT loyalty easily can be  verified  - those randoms are causing nuisance .

[jozi]

19 hours ago, Prunella1 said:

We booked  June 12th cruise On the Encore three months ago, got our suite assignment yesterday, a V5, and we are Diamond members so very pleased, we always hold our breath but so far we haven't been disappointed, although a few years ago on the Odyssey we got the granny annex to the Wintergarden Suite which would not be most people's first choice.

Oh funny, we called it the maid’s quarters.  We liked it though. Cozy, midship, convenient. The dogleg shape of the hallway makes it a little more private.  

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Vistaman, why not just book the room you want? I don't understand those who play the guarantee lottery and then complain about the outcome! 

[kowhairob]

2 hours ago, Tillylovesseabourn said:

Vistaman, why not just book the room you want? I don't understand those who play the guarantee lottery and then complain about the outcome! 

We have never had a bad room , particularly if your on the Encore or Ovation . Playing the Guaranteed Room game is an opportunity to get a better room than what you've actually paid for . Sometimes you hit the jackpot , sometimes not . As Tillylovescruising has correctly stated , if you want a specific category/room then you have to pay extra for it .

[raphael360]

We book OB except when the cruise will be going through rough seas.  We recently went on a 16 day Australian - New Zealand cruise and I knew the Tasmania Sea can be pretty rough.  I paid extra to book a cat V2 (deck 5 mid ship, 543 - I think). This is sometimes called a middle - middle cabin.   Well, the Tasmania Sea did not disappoint and it was a wild 3 days. The lower mid ship cabin work out perfectly.  As the saying goes: The more they pay the more they sway".

 

Over all, the Encore handled these rough seas better than any cruise ship we've been on.

[rols]

2 hours ago, raphael360 said:

We book OB except when the cruise will be going through rough seas.  We recently went on a 16 day Australian - New Zealand cruise and I knew the Tasmania Sea can be pretty rough.  I paid extra to book a cat V2 (deck 5 mid ship, 543 - I think). This is sometimes called a middle - middle cabin.   Well, the Tasmania Sea did not disappoint and it was a wild 3 days. The lower midship cabin work out perfectly.  As the saying goes: The more they pay the more they sway".

 

Over all, the Encore handled these rough seas better than any cruise ship we've been on.

Tasman sea's a funny beast. We too did the NZ->Australia a couple of years ago and were dreading it. However we ran into the most atrocious weather I've ever been in, or ever want to be in, along the coast of NZ early in the trip, which the Ody class ship handled as well as anything could. By the time we got to the Tasman sea, it was like glass all the way across. 

Our takeaway from that is if you cruise between NZ and Australia you're going to get bad weather somewhere .. you just don't know where! I think we were up on deck 6 or 7 during that awful weather, it wasn't too easy to sleep. 

[brenecke]

We are soon to begin our 9th Seabourn cruise.  I guess I fall into the pay and sway category.  My definition of hell (luxury hell, but still) would be to be assigned a mid-ships cabin on decks 5-7.  We are hearty sailors and I always book a V4 on deck 8 (the same suite if possible).  It is all personal preference, but I love having the quick access to the outdoors (and bars...) on decks 8 andr 9 and would feels like a rat in a maze on one of the lower decks.  I always specify no upgrade as a V6 on deck seven might seem like a blessing to some, but would be depressing to me.

 

On our last cruise we came upon an unexpected overnight squall (read dining rooms had already set out glassware for the next morning that came crashing to the floor, bars not storm secured, etc) on the way from Quebec to Newfoundland and although we were rocking and rolling on deck 8 forward during the night we were one of the few up and about the next morning.

[janerlve]

10 hours ago, brenecke said:

 My definition of hell (luxury hell, but still) would be to be assigned a mid-ships cabin on decks 5-7. 

 

Yeah, one of the Winter garden suites would have been a disaster. 🙂

 

 

[lincslady]

Deck 8 is great in good weather - not  much fun in the rain or cold, when walking across the pool deck is not so nice, and you have to go down and up again on the other side to get to the Square, Colonnade,  etc. etc.

[texanaust]

But an OB can be a PH or higher.  I've even seen an OB guarantee get an Owners Suite.  Why Seabourn does this instead of monetizing (at a realistic price) upgrades is anyones guess. 

 

I imagine that not giving great upgrades to loyal club members might have something to do with reminding us that should we really want that V6, we need to pay for it in advance.

[jozi]

31 minutes ago, texanaust said:

But an OB can be a PH or higher.  I've even seen an OB guarantee get an Owners Suite.  Why Seabourn does this instead of monetizing (at a realistic price) upgrades is anyones guess. 

 

I imagine that not giving great upgrades to loyal club members might have something to do with reminding us that should we really want that V6, we need to pay for it in advance.

Not sure what you mean? We often get upgrade offers for a price a few weeks before sailing. We turn them down but I know some people take advantage of the opportunity. 

[texanaust]

22 minutes ago, jozi said:

Not sure what you mean? We often get upgrade offers for a price a few weeks before sailing. We turn them down but I know some people take advantage of the opportunity. 

 

You missed the 'at a realistic price' part.  The reason Seabourn is giving away the suites to guarantees is that they cannot upsell them at $6000pp.