How does the 5% club savings work

[wesport]

I have a 14 day cruise booked on the Encore in July. I received the Signature Savings Amenities with the cruise. As of yesterday, the 5% club savings was added to the amenities. When I do a mock booking, no 5%discount shows up. The price is the same as when it didn't have the club savings. Is the 5% club savings built into the price ?  Or, do you get that when you book. When My TA called Seabourn, they said they don't see that on their end even though its on their site under my cruise.  Just curious. 

[Ka Honu]

According to the future cruise guy on our last cruise (November 2019) it's already built in (which, given the way their brochures and other pubs are worded, borders on false advertising). There may be a way to find the undiscounted price but I haven't discovered it (even when I log in anonymously using a VPN on a computer belonging to someone who has never sailed Seabourn).

[wesport]

I called Seabourn today, and the rep kind of stumbled when I asked the question. I felt sorry, and said thank you for your time. My question was whether the price in the brochure included the 5%, or whether you would get if for 5% off the published rate. 

[SLSD]

Hmmm...this is all a very good question.  Has anyone asked their travel agent to find out the answer?  It does seem like false advertising if they claim the 5% is built in---especially if you look at the published prices on their website--open to all--including non club members.  

[Thecat123]

I did ask TA  about this 5% when originally booking our next cruise last Sept/Oct  the only trouble was there was a price drop in November after we paid the deposit along with the future cruise discount which should have already been put in place when we first booked 

Only talking with TA through emails I didnt get an itemized invoice so it became too hard for me  to tell if I actually got that 5% discount along with the cruise price being in Australian Dollars on the Seabourn site with us being in New Zealand and paying in NZ Dollars. Became too hard

I just paid what was asked

[Cantara24]

Good question! If you find a straight answer I will buy you a drink on your next cruise! It was on our most recent booking, my TA got nowhere.

 

If you read any of the offers, the words “may”, “on select”, “see terms & conditions”, "not combinable". They have more ways to interpret their offers than Carter has little liver pills. It is astute advertising to get you on the hook, not false but probably at the line … you can bet the legal beagles have well vetted. Actually I give them credit, it seems to work and I believe there is substance behind. I will bet you will never see a quoted price with said discount deducted on your confirmation.

 

Another one is “up to 15% savings on combined cruises”, you never see it in $’s. I’ve actually crunched numbers and am satisfied it is a valid statement.

 

So far for us air credits seem “straight forward” but I’ve come to learn to not take these at face value just as I do when on board and I hear someone bragging about the fantastic deal they scored. I always book via my TA, Seabourn gives us a price if I like it I apply my 5% future cruise discount and look forward to time on board, good service and product and going to places we want to go.

We have never felt we did not get what we paid for.  Will be interesting to hear what others come up with!

Edited January 25, 2020 by Cantara24
typo

[wesport]

When you look at my cruise online, it lists the amenities . Pretty straight forward .  500 dollar air credit. Etc etc.  two days ago they added the 5% club member savings, but the price is the same. May just be a marketing idea???

[SLSD]

Don't be so sure that they have excellent lawyers.  Judging by the website which is not easy to use or pleasant to use, they cut corners when it comes to professionals.  Often, you get what you pay for.  I do find the advertising to be annoying in that it is not entirely clear.  Other cruise lines appear to do the same kind of thing.  

[wesport]

I noticed as of yesterday on the Seabourn site,  the listing of exact amenities on each cruise has been replaced by a generic MAY include the following. 

[jenidallas]

I can confirm that the 5% discount is indeed applied to the current listed price.  I always buy future cruise deposits and have booked sailings with others who have not.  
 

 

I used my last one on the transatlantic I have coming up with my mom and on the invoice from my TA, I can see my mom’s fare listed as the price we were quoted whereas mine has a 5% discount.  
 

Then because my husband and I decided to book our holiday sailing before I could buy another future deposit, our invitee for that shows me at the quoted price and him at 5% off.

 

The deposit amount for the person with the future deposit is also greatly reduced.

[Chairsin]

Jeni I think perhaps you are confusing the Future Cruise Credit 5% discount with the new additional 5% discount Seabourn recently started offering to Seabourn Club members on “select“ cruises (those cruises are listed when you log in and go to the page that details Club benefits). 

[jenidallas]

Ah, yes I am!  I have no experience on the 5% - not sure if I’ve gotten that or not.

[Chairsin]

You might want to go to the Club Benefits page after you log in and see if any of your upcoming cruises are on the list. 
 

[Mauzac]

14 hours ago, Chairsin said:

You might want to go to the Club Benefits page after you log in and see if any of your upcoming cruises are on the list. 
 

 

I know my upcoming cruise is on the list but SB won't honour this with cruises already booked which is a shame.  They told me it's only valid at the point of booking

[sanne]

13 hours ago, Mauzac said:

 

I know my upcoming cruise is on the list but SB won't honour this with cruises already booked which is a shame.  They told me it's only valid at the point of booking

They honoured my already booked cruise but this was with a US travel agent. My Australian friends did it too. So it is possible. 

[wesport]

15 hours ago, Mauzac said:

 

I know my upcoming cruise is on the list but SB won't honour this with cruises already booked which is a shame.  They told me it's only valid at the point of booking

My TA called Seabourn to inquire about the 5% club savings on my already booked cruise. Several days ago they added it to my cruise. Clearly stated on their website. She said Seabourn said they saw nothing on their end about the 5% even though it was clearly listed below my cruise. Strange. Two days later, they removed all the Signature savings listed on each cruise and replaced it with the generic your cruise may include. I didn't pursue it as I feel I got a good deal with the amenities I received. So, there is some confusion. 

[Ka Honu]

... and while we're talking about future cruise bookings, the "reduced deposit" is also kind of misleading. The $500 per person "deposit" you pay to reserve your cruise while aboard is not a reduced deposit but rather a "placeholder" fee credited to your account for that cruise. It is strictly a way for Seabourn to get some earnest money so they know that you intend to take a future cruise and will credit you with the Future Cruise Credit 5% discount. You are still liable for the rest of the advertised deposit for that cruise and will be billed accordingly.

 

The same holds true if you don't book a specific cruise but pay the fee so you will be able to get the Future Cruise Credit 5% discount when you make up your mind later. At that time, you will be billed for the deposit then in effect less $500 per person.

 

For example, on 24 November 2019, we booked a future cruise while aboard (as usual) and paid the $500 per person fee (also as usual). The very next day (25 November), Seabourn sent an invoice through our TA billing us $1850 due on 14 December 2019 for the remainder of the $2850 deposit for the cruise. Final payment date is in late March 2020.

 

At best, this procedure is misleading, irritating, borders on false advertising (again), and detracts from the brand image. There is no defensible reason that Seabourn can't accept the $500 as a true "reduced deposit" (great perk for loyal customers) and bill the remainder due on final payment date. 

 

Jus' sayin'...

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by Ka Honu

[galeforce9]

I’m just not sure how Seabourn expects passengers to satisfactorily browse cruises (at a pre travel agent stage), without all the pricing and benefits information for each cruise displayed.  Surely they are doing this as a marketing tool?   The “may include” bit is ridiculous. 

 

For me, one of the major joys of travelling is In the planning!

[Mauzac]

2 hours ago, sanne said:

They honoured my already booked cruise but this was with a US travel agent. My Australian friends did it too. So it is possible. 

 

1 hour ago, wesport said:

My TA called Seabourn to inquire about the 5% club savings on my already booked cruise. Several days ago they added it to my cruise. Clearly stated on their website. She said Seabourn said they saw nothing on their end about the 5% even though it was clearly listed below my cruise. Strange. Two days later, they removed all the Signature savings listed on each cruise and replaced it with the generic your cruise may include. I didn't pursue it as I feel I got a good deal with the amenities I received. So, there is some confusion. 

 

I have spoken to them twice and asked but it is a strict NO.  I'm in the UK but I don't know if that's anything to do with it.  The problem is, I think, the cruise price (of the first cruise of our 2 B2Bs) has gone up by about £1,000 pp, so they quote that and say as the cruise is now more expensive, I won't be receiving any savings.  That also includes 300 hours per person internet, which is part of the signature savings event on my cruise.  They won't give me that either!     The first of the 2 B2Bs , I have just made the final payment, the second one due next week.  

[AllisonJames]

This is a very interesting thread.  AZ has really annoyed me and a lot of other guests by advertising "sales" that do not seem to be "sales" and appear to include price manipulation -- particularly apparent if you have a screen shot of the prices from the day before the "sale" was launched.  It's happened so much with that line that frequent cruisers know to track prices very carefully and to act when they find a price they are happy with.  I realize the cruise lines can set the price any way they'd like but guests ultimately are the ones who purchase and the lack of transparency on pricing and loyalty club discounts in particular really destroys trust with frequent guests.