Missing Venetian Society Sailings

[swindy]

Has anybody else noticed that the number of Venetian Society cruises in 2005 have been reduced on the Silversea website in comparison to their Atlas. I have noticed that a cruise in July and one In November are no longer Venetian Society sailings and there are probably more.

Would Silversea honour their published sailings?

[cruisinsince75]

We noticed the same thing. Our cruise that we already booked for next November no longer has the Venetian icon next to it. I am sure that it will still be honored however, since it was booked before it disappeared.

 

Anybody else have any ideas?

 

Don

[uk1]

I wonder whether they have it in mind to offer the discounts more tactically.

 

Perhaps they are thinking about a greater use of last minute discounts combined with Venetian sailings offered via e-mail closer to sailing dates on under-subscribed cruises is perhaps better tactics for them.

 

Any discount, with overheads remaining the same, comes straight off of the profit line. 5% could easily halve the profit on a cruise. They have been experimenting with last minute offers - perhaps they want to differentiate more ie wait until all those that book early have booked and then fill at the last minute benefiting from marginal costing and maximum full price bookings.

 

Forgetting "loyalty arguments" but seen purely commercially offering discounts to exisitng customers who may book them just the same, that far ahead may be in SS's minds discounts given without any real return. They already offer early bookers discounts and perhaps they reason it's the same people getting the discounts.

[LaPaloma]

I Hope Its Not Just Last Minute Deals--that Creates Problems Getting Good Airline Tickets. I Always Book Many Months In Advance, And Use Miles To Upgrade My Flights--while The Flights Are Still Available-- We Are Beyond Middle Age, And Economy Seats Just Don't Work Any More.

[swindy]

Fewer Venetian Society savings.....and now I have been informed today that since 1 November 2004, Port Taxes will not be included in the fare but will be added on!!!!!! What Next?

[meow!]

Is that true? We must have been lucky to have booked and made our final payment before November. However, price increases are not unusual: Last April, we went on an Oceania two-week Mediterranean cruise for 2x$3200 including airfare in an ordinary balconied cabin. If you go next April instead, it will cost around 2x$4200 including airfare, which is some $1000 more per person. Silversea is already relatively slow in making price increases. I was wondering whether Oceania cruises were selling a lot better than Silversea such that they could raise prices by so much. Our Shadow cruise next month costs only 2x$1773 "all inclusive", minus 6% rebate from our travel agent, $300 American Express shipboard credit and a free bottle of Dom Perignon, and that is for a whole week cruise and close to home (minimal airfare). This must be a rather rare opportunity to try out this boutique line!

[cruisinsince75]

Just went back and checked my confirmation and it shows that we have the additional 10% Venetian Savings that are no longer showing on oujr November Silver Whisper sailing and there were no price changes at least as of this date on the website.

 

Don

[melbcruise]

So now they are not including port and government taxes in their fares?? I"ve been waiting to book a Med. cruise for next year on board to get the additional savings, and as I've been waiting they have taken away the Venetian savings I would have gotten and added port and govt. fees. Wow! That's a big downer!! Who still includes those charges? Radisson or Seabourn maybe. I know SeaDream yacht doesn't.

[meow!]

I guess most of these "price adjustments" are the result of the sinking US$. With euros steadily rising, the difference has to come from somewhere. To keep its "luxury line" image, Silversea cannot start charging for drinks or collect tips. It tries not to increase prices "outright" in order to look competitive against other lines. It has already tried to cut costs by changing suppliers and staff, and this cannot go too far without jeopardizing quality. So the least "painful" way would be to let customers pay for port charges, taxes and handling fees at the time of booking. How else can they raise the needed revenue?

[Gail C]

>>>>>How else can they raise the needed revenue?<<<<<

 

If this must be done, simply raise the total cost of the cruise and tell me that it is all-inclusive. Don't start nit-picking with addition port charges above and beyond the total cruise cost.

[wripro]

i agree with Gail C. Charge what you have to but make it all inclusive. Does anyone remeber Silversea's first season in 1994 when travel insurance was also included in the cost? Still, they do such a good job I hate to criticize.

[meow!]

If enough customers opt for "increased price all inclusiveness", I guess a wise merchant will listen. However, this will only happen after the managers are convinced by the clientele. We used to be able to take a poll on the old board, can we still do so in this present board? Thank you.

[goeurope]

Has anybody else noticed that the number of Venetian Society cruises in 2005 have been reduced on the Silversea website in comparison to their Atlas. I have noticed that a cruise in July and one In November are no longer Venetian Society sailings and there are probably more.

Would Silversea honour their published sailings?

 

This is just an idle guess, but maybe Venetian Society bookings are now "capacity-controlled" like frequent-flyer seats or bargain airline fares.

[simonv]

Who still includes those charges? Radisson or Seabourn maybe. I know SeaDream yacht doesn't.

Nobody does. Silversea was the only one who included the port taxes. Before 911 the only discounts they gave were early booking and Venetian discount. Now they have to discount to stay competitive. Though annoying, I don't blame them for trying to make profit. They still have the best product, so I hope they are making profit enough to stay in business.

By the way I usually book early, and keep watching the fare. Whenever cruise line offer additional discounts for the itenary, I just ask for it and get it. I have never had any cruise line not giving it. Both Silversea and Radisson gave me onboard discount for the cruise I've booked already before I came on board. They knew if they said no, I'd just cancel the previous booking and book the same on board to get the discount. So try it.

[cruisinsince75]

Nobody does. Silversea was the only one who included the port taxes. Before 911 the only discounts they gave were early booking and Venetian discount. Now they have to discount to stay competitive. Though annoying, I don't blame them for trying to make profit. They still have the best product, so I hope they are making profit enough to stay in business.

By the way I usually book early, and keep watching the fare. Whenever cruise line offer additional discounts for the itenary, I just ask for it and get it. I have never had any cruise line not giving it. Both Silversea and Radisson gave me onboard discount for the cruise I've booked already before I came on board. They knew if they said no, I'd just cancel the previous booking and book the same on board to get the discount. So try it.

 

I don't mean to be difficult, but while I agree with most of this, it is not completely true that Silversea was the only one who included port taxes. RSSC and Sea Dream do not, but Seabourn still does. I just got a quote from them and they were only charging the additional $60 in government fees from what was listed on their website.

 

It is a maze though sometimes to try to figure out what really is the best cruise value.

 

Don

[uk1]

................the other hidden costs:

 

http://www.frommers.com/activities/cruise/article.cfm?articleid=2469&destid=CRUISE