Awful customer service, terrible communication, safety issues, Diamond Member says goodbye!

[CruiseNYC123]

Extremely disappointed Diamond Member and wondering if anyone else is bothered by the "new post-COVID" Seabourn".  Based on a disastrous booking and customer service experience, I came to the realization that Seabourn is not equipped to handle a cruise of this magnitude.

 

I was originally booked on V326, Iquitos to Manauas on the Venture.  Obviously a trip to South America can be logistically difficult and I paired the pre-cruise and post cruise with other journeys on the continent.

 

On 12/6 I received an email that the port in Iquitios, the embarkation point, "poses a substantial risk to safely and effectively operate the voyage and a substitution start point for the journey is required"

As a result, the cruise would be starting in Santarem which removed the most interesting part of the journey.  The email stated that by 12/28 I would received an updated itinerary.  12/28 came and nothing and nobody at Seabourn knew about the issues nor were any supervisors available.

 

On 12/29, I received an email that "Due to unforeseen delays, new itinerary details and your booking confirmations will not be sent out until Jan 6, 2023."

 

On 1/2 I got in touch with someone from Seabourn who seemed vaguely aware of the issues.  They advised me that I should go ahead and rebook my trips which bordered the beginning and end of the cruise and that everything would be ok.  I went ahead and rebooked my other trips which I was told I would be reimbursed for.

 

On 1/6 I received no email with the new itinerary and was rudely told by Seabourn that "I should be patient" and was given no additional information.

 

On 1/10 I received a generic email stating "While we had anticipated having updated booking confirmations and the full revised itinerary available for guests and travel advisors by January 6, 2023, our work to finalize your bookings is taking longer than planned. We apologize for not meeting the deadline we communicated and regret any inconvenience this may have caused.  At this time, we anticipate that we will have a finalized itinerary and updated booking confirmations sent out by Wednesday, January 18, 2023."

 

On 1/18 I got the final email "We are reaching out to follow up on our previous correspondence regarding your 10-Day The Heart of Amazon Expedition on board Seabourn Venture in 2023 (booking #CD9G5M).  Seabourn Venture will be undergoing dry dock maintenance to conduct repairs to the ship’s stabilizers. Regretfully, our options for dry dock time and locations were limited, and we have made the difficult decision to cancel your voyage.  Your booking will be automatically transferred to Seabourn Venture’s March 29, 2023 expedition, a 9-Day The Heart of the Amazon itinerary sailing roundtrip from Manaus, Brazil (voyage V323)."  Then I was downgraded from the Grand Wintergarden Suite to the Penthouse Suite without being told, and had to learn by logging on to the website.

 

The kicker is that Seabourn will now be including Iquitos, the supposedly unsafe to navigate port, in its March 29 cruise (which will apparently also not include a stabilizer).  At this point I have no faith that Seabourn can handle the logistics, safety or customer service aspect of an expedition cruise.  Nobody at HQ knows what is happening with the ships.  Rather than deal with tens of thousands of dollars in rebooking my other South America trips, I have decided to cancel Seabourn's Ramada experience with a Four Seasons price.

 

Calling Seabourn to arrange a refund to my payment was even more frustrating.  As the payment was made via a wire transfer they were unable to confirm the return wire instructions so in around 10 days or so, I will see if my $110,000 payment is refunded or I should take Seabourn to court.

 

If anyone has the email of someone who has the authority to make decisions at Seabourn that would be great, otherwise I wash my hands of what has become a discount cruise line.

[Mr Luxury]

officeofthepresident@seabourn.com

 

The buck stops with him

[bitob]

Can’t your travel agent resolve this for you ?

[Cantara24]

I am betting the OP booked direct with Seabourn and probably via website. Prove me wrong please, but I would absolutely not book anything on Seabourn without using a TA. Unfortunate but their Seattle office is useless, and that has nothing to do with Covid.

[Covepointcruiser]

Farewell Mr. Diamond, Seabourn will miss you.    I don’t think your experience had anything to do with Seabourn Post COVID.    It has everything to do with a stabilizer break down on a brand new ship and their attempt to get it fixed.    I don’t understand why this makes Seabourn a discount cruise line or are you just having a “moment”.

[CruiseNYC123]

42 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Farewell Mr. Diamond, Seabourn will miss you.    I don’t think your experience had anything to do with Seabourn Post COVID.    It has everything to do with a stabilizer break down on a brand new ship and their attempt to get it fixed.    I don’t understand why this makes Seabourn a discount cruise line or are you just having a “moment”.

Does not excuse awful customer relations at all

[CruiseNYC123]

49 minutes ago, Cantara24 said:

I am betting the OP booked direct with Seabourn and probably via website. Prove me wrong please, but I would absolutely not book anything on Seabourn without using a TA. Unfortunate but their Seattle office is useless, and that has nothing to do with Covid.

Actually was booked on a prior Seabourn cruise.  Correct, was without a TA as a result.  First and last mistake as clearly a luxury cruise line has a sub par call center.

[SLSD]

15 minutes ago, CruiseNYC123 said:

Actually was booked on a prior Seabourn cruise.  Correct, was without a TA as a result.  First and last mistake as clearly a luxury cruise line has a sub par call center.

 We never book a cruise directly.  We always use a travel agent.  I think many people are in your situation due to the very unfortunate stabilizer issue aboard Venture.  The main issue for. you appears to be poor communication.  Hopefully everything will work out in the end and you will receive some compensation above what you were paying for this cruise.  

[Cantara24]

I don’t think Seabourn has a call centre at all. I think the Reps are Holland America wearing a Seabourn hat when they answer the one incoming line with a Seabourn sticker on it.🙃

[purpleally]

To not use a TA, especially a cruise over 100k, is foolish 

[jdk-atlga]

34 minutes ago, Cantara24 said:

I don’t think Seabourn has a call centre at all. I think the Reps are Holland America wearing a Seabourn hat when they answer the one incoming line with a Seabourn sticker on it.🙃

Not to be contrary, but my direct SB Personal Cruise Consultant is phenomenal. I think that if you build up a solid rapport, just like you would do with an independent TA, you can have a very personalized and considerate support. I have been working directly with her for several years, through several booking and cancellations, and she has always been prompt, knowledgeable and extremely caring. Do I know that I can get better deals, more OBC and perks by using a TA - Yes. Is it worth it to me to give up this PCC connection and attention - No. My opinion is just that and YMMV.

Best, jdk

[kjbacon]

I’m sorry that you are having such a difficult time and I hope that it works out for you. It doesn’t matter how you booked the cruise, it is a SB issue and only a SB issue no matter how the select may try to turn the blame onto you. If it’s not safe to book a SB cruise without a TA, SB should not provide the opportunity for bookings on board, on the phone, or online.

[markham]

We are on Quest now readying the tenders for Puerto Montt, Chile and all is well.

 

About booking cruises, we have always enjoyed discussing future cruise options with the onboard salesperson. Seasoned veteran Chanel alerted us to a special sale onboard of Venture cruises and we booked one with her Seabourn discount for June, exactly what we would have liked that month another year had we not known, in the best possible month for destinations Iceland and Greenland. Chanel gave us the booking reference after helping us select the best cabin in the lowest grade price category, and our TA who could immediately see the booking online took it over, adding his further discount. (We use Seabourn’s largest agent who happens to be located in our home country, the UK.)

 

Anyway, that is is how it works, and it always works well. We have a TA on OUR side should any issue re communications, discounts, refunds etc arise and he has clout, and after more than 20 years of dealing with him on Cunard, Silversea and Seabourn has never let us down or allowed human failures (or whatever) upset the relationship we have with him and the line.

 

May I suggest that we all get back to basics and reconsider who does what about what. Take a breather, try another line, and restore equilibrium. Life is too short. That said, no line is perfect, nor are we. We hate to be disappointed too. But here and now the friendliness and can-do attitude of the crew  of the onboard crew from the captain down the line outweighs any thought or consideration of what they do in head office. We are underway!

 

Chanel has moved over to Venture now and we have a newcomer, but a seasoned sales consultant, in Jacco. He delivers her sort of service but one grounded in his experience from other high end and not so high end lines and these post Covid times. Maybe before we reach Miami in 7 weeks there will be another irresistible offer on an itinerary we like.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Hobar]

1 hour ago, kjbacon said:

I’m sorry that you are having such a difficult time and I hope that it works out for you. It doesn’t matter how you booked the cruise, it is a SB issue and only a SB issue no matter how the select may try to turn the blame onto you. If it’s not safe to book a SB cruise without a TA, SB should not provide the opportunity for bookings on board, on the phone, or online.

When you book onboard, you can designate your own TA.

[Mr Luxury]

3 hours ago, Hobar said:

When you book onboard, you can designate your own TA.

Yes you can.

My TA is on file with myself and Seabourn wherever I book.

[Hobar]

12 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Yes you can.

My TA is on file with myself and Seabourn wherever I book.

Yes, I forgot.   We booked on our last cruise and by the time we got back to the room/cabin/suite, our TA had emailed us acknowledging the booking.  Kinda like the Twilight Zone. 

[mnocket]

Sorry, I'm still trying to digest spending $110,000 for a 10-day cruise!  That's out of my league, but if I was willing to spend $11K/day I think I probably would go another direction.....  maybe not, as I said this is out of my orbit😲