Transferring the deposit of a P2P booking made on board to a new booking 150 days prior to start of cruise

[MJN1]

Please, can someone currently on board of any SS vessel, confirm with the future cruise consultant, and ideally in writing (ie. via an e-mail) that the deposit for a P2P fare booked on board can be transferred to a new booking up to 150 days before the cruise departs?

 

As background, I had several discussions with the Future Cruise Consultant on the Silver Dawn during our last cruise:

 

First, I wanted to understand the advantages of booking on board, as this was the first SS cruise after several years of absence. With Seabourn one simply buys a future cruise credit, and gets the discount any time later. With SS you get the 5% discount only when you book on board. However, she explained that, while the 25% deposit for a P2P booking is not refundable (SB will refund you the future cruise credit if not used within four years), one can cancel the cruise booked on board and move the deposit to a new booking, as long as this is done 150 days before the cruise starts. 

I mentioned this in a posting about our cruise, which someone questioned. So I went back to the lady, asked the question once more, and she reconfirmed that the 25% deposit for P2P can be moved.

 

Second, we were debating which cruise along the Norwegian coast to book for 2024, both month and port wise. So she suggested we simply book one of the two now, and if we wanted to change later we could do so and move the deposit, again before the 150 days cut-off.

 

Third, we decided to book, but at the last moment, booked P2P in Euro as that fare was nearly equal to the GBP and cheaper than the USD fare, eliminating any future currency fluctuations. Surprise, the deposit required was now only 20% instead of 25%. So I asked "can I still move the deposit 150 days prior?" and was told, again, yes.

 

We then transferred the booking to our Austrian TA, who in a subsequent telefone call, "clarified" that according to the "small Silversea print" the deposit is NOT transferable! As we have left the ship, I can't reconnect with this specific cruise consultant and she apparently also disembarked at the end of this cruise.

Thus my plea: could someone currently on board pop this question once more and let me know the answer(s). Many thanks!

[Dolcevita Diva]

8 minutes ago, MJN1 said:

Please, can someone currently on board of any SS vessel, confirm with the future cruise consultant, and ideally in writing (ie. via an e-mail) that the deposit for a P2P fare booked on board can be transferred to a new booking up to 150 days before the cruise departs?

 

As background, I had several discussions with the Future Cruise Consultant on the Silver Dawn during our last cruise:

 

First, I wanted to understand the advantages of booking on board, as this was the first SS cruise after several years of absence. With Seabourn one simply buys a future cruise credit, and gets the discount any time later. With SS you get the 5% discount only when you book on board. However, she explained that, while the 25% deposit for a P2P booking is not refundable (SB will refund you the future cruise credit if not used within four years), one can cancel the cruise booked on board and move the deposit to a new booking, as long as this is done 150 days before the cruise starts. 

I mentioned this in a posting about our cruise, which someone questioned. So I went back to the lady, asked the question once more, and she reconfirmed that the 25% deposit for P2P can be moved.

 

Second, we were debating which cruise along the Norwegian coast to book for 2024, both month and port wise. So she suggested we simply book one of the two now, and if we wanted to change later we could do so and move the deposit, again before the 150 days cut-off.

 

Third, we decided to book, but at the last moment, booked P2P in Euro as that fare was nearly equal to the GBP and cheaper than the USD fare, eliminating any future currency fluctuations. Surprise, the deposit required was now only 20% instead of 25%. So I asked "can I still move the deposit 150 days prior?" and was told, again, yes.

 

We then transferred the booking to our Austrian TA, who in a subsequent telefone call, "clarified" that according to the "small Silversea print" the deposit is NOT transferable! As we have left the ship, I can't reconnect with this specific cruise consultant and she apparently also disembarked at the end of this cruise.

Thus my plea: could someone currently on board pop this question once more and let me know the answer(s). Many thanks!

I’m aboard the Nova, will meet with a Future Cruise Consultant and ask. Was planning to ask this based on your previous post. 

[carefreecruise]

First you need to identify if you have a future cruise booked or a floating onboard booking. One will let you transfer your voyage up to two years and the other is only good for six months to identify a voyage. Both are refundable less $500 American dollars.

[MJN1]

On 10/2/2023 at 3:22 PM, carefreecruise said:

First you need to identify if you have a future cruise booked or a floating onboard booking. One will let you transfer your voyage up to two years and the other is only good for six months to identify a voyage. Both are refundable less $500 American dollars.

carefreecruise,

thanks for helping!

We do have a specific future cruise booked (Dawn in Sept 2024). Where do I find in writing that I can transfer the voyage up to two years?

Can you please explain how a floating onboard booking works, as I never heard of that one?

[carefreecruise]

7 hours ago, MJN1 said:

carefreecruise,

thanks for helping!

We do have a specific future cruise booked (Dawn in Sept 2024). Where do I find in writing that I can transfer the voyage up to two years?

Can you please explain how a floating onboard booking works, as I never heard of that one?

An "Open Booking" (floating booking) will be one page sheet and cost $1,000 per person. It will list at the bottom, that it is only good for 6 months, for you to identify a cruise and apply it.

 

A "Voyage Confirmation" is a specific voyage and it appears that is what you got. You will only have up to 151 days prior to your Dawn voyage to transfer your voyage to a different date or itinerary. If you make a voyage change, your 5% discount will be applied to the new voyage price.    

[mchell810]

One more thing regarding the Open Booking: If you do not apply it to a cruise in the six months you get the full $1000 back. 

[MJN1]

carefreecruise and mchell810,

many thanks for your posts. Unfortunately, the Future Cruise Consultant never mentioned the open booking option, despite me asking if there is a SS equivalent to SB's future cruise credit.

Yes, the SS way is twice the price of SB and only gives you six months to plan, but it still a reasonable option to avoid the "stress" of planning while on board.

Yes, we now have a Voyage confirmation. However, I still can't find the "small print" which confirms that a) we have up to 151 days prior to your Dawn voyage to transfer the voyage to a different date or itinerary and b) that if we make a change, the 5% discount will be applied to the new voyage price.

Where is this stated, which would also answer DolceVita Diva's similar question a few weeks ago?

[HappyLadyTravels]

I have been informed that NO P2P transfer to another cruise is possible without losing the deposit. Has anyone actually been able to transfer a P2P and transfer the deposit? If yes, who was able to side step the requirements of P2P? Thank you.

[mchell810]

11 hours ago, MJN1 said:

carefreecruise and mchell810,

many thanks for your posts. Unfortunately, the Future Cruise Consultant never mentioned the open booking option, despite me asking if there is a SS equivalent to SB's future cruise credit.

Yes, the SS way is twice the price of SB and only gives you six months to plan, but it still a reasonable option to avoid the "stress" of planning while on board.

Yes, we now have a Voyage confirmation. However, I still can't find the "small print" which confirms that a) we have up to 151 days prior to your Dawn voyage to transfer the voyage to a different date or itinerary and b) that if we make a change, the 5% discount will be applied to the new voyage price.

Where is this stated, which would also answer DolceVita Diva's similar question a few weeks ago?

 

As the above poster mentioned I don't know if a P2P can be transfered -- I know they often have tight restrictions.  If you have a D2D I know you can move the deposit to something else as long as you are outside final payment/ penalty phase -- I have done so. 

 

As for the future cruise consultant not mentioning the open booking: I suspect they get more commission/recognition by selling an actual cruise.  However, that is no excuse to hide that option. 

[MJN1]

On 10/2/2023 at 2:46 PM, Dolcevita Diva said:

I’m aboard the Nova, will meet with a Future Cruise Consultant and ask. Was planning to ask this based on your previous post. 

Dolcevita Diva,

any new insights from your Future Cruise Consultant?

I went with mine line by line through the differences between P2P and D2D fares:

- the 5% on board savings you get for both. The 5% Venitian Society Sailings and 5% for 100days you only get with D2D.

- the % amount for the deposit differs.

However, she stated (several times as I wanted to be 100% sure) that "you can transfer the deposit to another crusie 150 days prior" applies for both D2D and P2P.

I simply want to have a clear and final answer given that also the repsonses above do differ.

 

 

[PaulMCO]

4 hours ago, MJN1 said:

Dolcevita Diva,

any new insights from your Future Cruise Consultant?

I went with mine line by line through the differences between P2P and D2D fares:

- the 5% on board savings you get for both. The 5% Venitian Society Sailings and 5% for 100days you only get with D2D.

- the % amount for the deposit differs.

However, she stated (several times as I wanted to be 100% sure) that "you can transfer the deposit to another crusie 150 days prior" applies for both D2D and P2P.

I simply want to have a clear and final answer given that also the repsonses above do differ.

 

 

What ever she said verbally has no bearing on what are in the terms of the booking and unless you have it in writing the first 15% of any DP belongs to SS.  That is the point of the P to P discount.  If you want a refundable DP you have to do D to D less the air, hotel, transfers and blacklane..

 

 

[MJN1]

On 10/6/2023 at 3:17 PM, PaulMCO said:

What ever she said verbally has no bearing on what are in the terms of the booking and unless you have it in writing the first 15% of any DP belongs to SS.  That is the point of the P to P discount.  If you want a refundable DP you have to do D to D less the air, hotel, transfers and blacklane..

 

 

PaulMCO,

many thanks for finally bringing clarity to this question!

Thread closed...

[Dolcevita Diva]

@MJN1 - Paul is correct. I inquired when meeting with the cruise consultant yesterday.  The deposit for P2P is 25% but 15% is non-refundable.  So you can transfer your deposit to another voyage before the other cancellation penalties kick in, but only 10% would be transferable. 

[MJN1]

Thanks for reconfirming. Now, the deposit in Euro (for Germany, Austria and Switzerland) is only 20%, thus I could only transfer 5%. Also learned from Paul's copy and paste, that my final payment is due only 45 days before cruise, instead of 150.

As Paul said, only trust what you have in writing. SS's response via my TA was basically "Our Future Cruise Consultant explained everything correctly, you simply misunderstood...". 🥴