Beware: Molton Brown refillable bottles of toiletries in suite!

[CanAmBrit]

We had a very unsettling experience after cruising on the Sojourn in August that has only recently been resolved.

The day after returning home my husband found an unexplained $161:00 Visa charge to our ship board account. After calling Guest Relations to find out about it, he was told that it would take at least 2 to 3 weeks to get the details. One month later we were told that it was for 6 large Molton Brown bottles of toiletries, 5 bottles of body wash each a different fragrance and 1bottle of moisturizer. 

We had noted the 4 (not 6) large refillable bottles, 1 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 body wash and 1 moisturizer of Molton Brown toiletries in our suite bathroom, along with a note that said we may purchase said toiletries from the store in Seabourn Square but if we wished to take home the ones in the suite the cost would be added to our bill.

 Well, we did not want to purchase any of the products nor did we remove any of said items from the suite but we had been charged for them. (Why anyone would want to transport 6 large bottles of anything in a suitcase by air across the Atlantic is beyond me!)

I wrote a polite letter to Guest relations disputing this charge and asking for a quick reversal of the Visa charge.

It took another 3 weeks for an apology to be issued. We were told that it had been an accounting error. My husband attributes it to the suite attendants because there was no tip but I think someone on Seabourn is selling Molton Brown products on eBay!

The whole episode has left a very sour taste in my mouth and many of my good feelings for Seabourn have been damaged. How can we, or anyone else, prevent this from happening again? Any suggestions are appreciated. Should we be leaving tips even though it clearly says “Tips are not required nor expected”?

By the way, we finally got the money back last week.

 

[Mr Luxury]

It is a shame what has happened but you could be overthinking this a little.

I wouldn't think that a tip would bring this situation about.

Where are you getting the idea that someone on Seabourn is selling Molton Brown on Ebay.

Don't torture yourself and enjoy the next cruise on whichever ship it might be.

[cruisr]

Well if you look for Molton Brown on Ebay there are tons offered there.  It is not out of the question, though unlikely.  It makes me nostalgic for the old Seabourn days where one of each was available for guests and you could take them home.

[skybluewaters]

Large bottles?  Is this something you can request or perhaps it's in the penthouses but not the standard veranda suites?  On our cruise there were only the small 1.7 oz (50ml) plastic containers of Molton Brown products.

[Isklaar]

8 minutes ago, skybluewaters said:

Large bottles?  Is this something you can request or perhaps it's in the penthouses but not the standard veranda suites?  On our cruise there were only the small 1.7 oz (50ml) plastic containers of Molton Brown products.

 

It's not suite category dependent. The small bottles are being phased out across the fleet. It's taken more time than expected because of, you guessed it, Covid. The large bottles were initially introduced at the end of 2019 on Sojourn. 

[2SailingNomads]

I always wondered why certain CD's would make a comment about filling up a suitcase with Molton Brown products during the crew farewell.  And people really do that? We can barely fit what we brought in the suitcase, last thing we need to do is add liquids.

[adoctor]

Yet another example of the counterproductive penny pinching occurring on Seabourn .Someone in Seattle needs to sit down in a darkened room and think about the Seabourn loyal(for now!) customer base and their motivations and expectations. Undertake some market research quickly if you don't understand 

them. Call back Meadows as a consultant ,he understood the market pretty well.

I have one Seabourn booking coming up.It's last chance saloon for me.

[Dunnedg]

Still had the small bottles on Encore last week. Some may call it penny pinching but even the top hotels are moving away from small bottles and instead are installing pump bottles in the shower/bath. It makes sense, reducing waste and tons of plastic going to landfill.

[frantic36]

1 hour ago, Dunnedg said:

 even the top hotels are moving away from small bottles and instead are installing pump bottles in the shower/bath. It makes sense, reducing waste and tons of plastic going to landfill.

 

The resort I am staying in at the moment is a One & Only Resort and definitely top level. The bottles are large pump bottles for the shower.

[Mr Luxury]

2 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

The resort I am staying in at the moment is a One & Only Resort and definitely top level. The bottles are large pump bottles for the shower.

A good screwdriver should have the holders off the wall for you to get the bottles Julie.

[Mr Luxury]

4 hours ago, adoctor said:

Yet another example of the counterproductive penny pinching occurring on Seabourn .Someone in Seattle needs to sit down in a darkened room and think about the Seabourn loyal(for now!) customer base and their motivations and expectations. Undertake some market research quickly if you don't understand 

them. Call back Meadows as a consultant ,he understood the market pretty well.

I have one Seabourn booking coming up.It's last chance saloon for me.

Please contact Josh Leibowitz to tell him of your concerns

He can be contacted on

office of the president at seabourn dot com

He is very approachable 

Let us know how you get on.

[Dunnedg]

2 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

A good screwdriver should have the holders off the wall for you to get the bottles Julie.

Or just take some empty bottles with you and fill them up😂.

Radisson Edwardian Hotels in central London are using large pump bottles (good quality stuff my wife tells me). Sure Sofitel was the same last month at Heathrow.

[Mr Luxury]

1 minute ago, Dunnedg said:

Or just take some empty bottles with you and fill them up😂.

Radisson Edwardian Hotels in central London are using large pump bottles (good quality stuff my wife tells me). Sure Sofitel was the same last month at Heathrow.

Ceasars Palace in Dubai pump bottle also.

It is so much easier than trying to find how to get the cap off a small bottle when you have water running down your face and it's early and you haven't had your first coffee yet.

[hoosier74]

I've been longing for pump bottles, particularly in the shower.  I find it a huge pain to keep flipping the top back and squeezing the tubes with soapy hands.  And inevitably after a week or so the top won't close so it leaks.  LOVE the pump bottles and love the care for the environment.  And I really don't want to take anything home.

 

And yes, most of the top drawer hotels we have stayed at lately have the pump bottles.  

[commodoredave]

On 10/31/2022 at 9:25 AM, Mr Luxury said:

Please contact Josh Leibowitz to tell him of your concerns

He can be contacted on

office of the president at seabourn dot com

He is very approachable 

Let us know how you get on.

I agree. I had two issues on our last Seabourn cruise and Mr. Leibowitz dealt with them in quick order. I have great respect for him.

[Astride]

On 10/31/2022 at 5:18 AM, Dunnedg said:

Still had the small bottles on Encore last week. Some may call it penny pinching but even the top hotels are moving away from small bottles and instead are installing pump bottles in the shower/bath. It makes sense, reducing waste and tons of plastic going to landfill.

I'm all for waste reduction & saving the planet but I think cost-cutting is the motive behind this shift. Seabourn saves money by promoting a good image of itself as an environmentally friendly corporate citizen. It's a win-win situation for it. 

[jondfk]

I have no fundamental objection to the large bottles (I'd never bother taking bottles large or small home).  What I do object to is non-functional large bottles.  While refillable, the pump mechanisms certainly don't have an infinite life and I've yet to encounter a hotel or cruise line that has any sort of system in place to confirm the dispensers actually work properly.  Moreover, most of the time (in my experience), complaints that the pump doesn't work simply can't be corrected because there is no plan for replacing them . . . ever.  

 

[vistaman]

On 10/31/2022 at 2:47 PM, hoosier74 said:

I've been longing for pump bottles, particularly in the shower.  I find it a huge pain to keep flipping the top back and squeezing the tubes with soapy hands.  And inevitably after a week or so the top won't close so it leaks.  LOVE the pump bottles and love the care for the environment.  And I really don't want to take anything home.

 

And yes, most of the top drawer hotels we have stayed at lately have the pump bottles.  

I simply do hate it - at least a small piece of soap is appropriate 

i was in  4 upper class hotels  in Spain and canaries  - last  time in one of the 3 top hotels in Barcelona 

dispensers as well - at 400 € basic room as a single - not classy at all 

was in an average hotel in Hamburg in summer  small toiletries and a soap  at 210 € 

a big bottle of Molton Brown is in europe between 28 and 34 € 

[Redtravel]

Took cruises on 2 other lines this summer. Both used to have small bottles of shampoo. They both had large bottles attached to the wall.  It’s happening in hotels too.  It’s ok if the bottles are refilled regularly. Nothing worse than getting wet in a shower and finding the shampoo container empty.  

[frantic36]

4 hours ago, vistaman said:

I simply do hate it - at least a small piece of soap is appropriate 

 

Seabourn do provide soap as well and provide more as needed. 

[Mr Luxury]

8 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

Seabourn do provide soap as well and provide more as needed. 

Apparently there is also soap in the laundry room wherever that is.

[frantic36]

3 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Apparently there is also soap in the laundry room wherever that is.

 

🤣You know where it is you just refuse to go there. Even Keith goes there to press a jacket or shirt at the last moment on the odd occasion.

 

Hope all is good with you and your family. 

 

Julie

[frantic36]

For any who might judge the above comment as elitist. We do our own laundry and house cleaning when at home but our cruises are an escape from reality and that is part of the joy.

 

Julie

[lincslady]

I personally think the large refillable bottles are much easier to cope with in the shower etc. and have no objection to them at all - obviously providing they are kept filled up, and are clean.

[Mr Luxury]

5 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

🤣You know where it is you just refuse to go there. Even Keith goes there to press a jacket or shirt at the last moment on the odd occasion.

 

Hope all is good with you and your family. 

 

Julie

I honestly have never been.

I send it all out,well who wouldn't when you're at that exalted status level 😁

All good here in London,away for Christmas