FlyerTalker

Where has your travel agent been through all of this? What are they doing to earn their commission? Or do we have more of an "order taker"? And this is not "insults or negativity". It's cold hard reality.

Where the "scam" word has surfaced. I don't think that cold, hard reality would be appreciated.

You do realize that with dynamic inventory allocation, the old "get the seats when the schedule opens" paradigm is out the window? In many cases, very little award inventory is released at schedule open - that it is held back for yield management to determine what is likely to be the demand for revenue tickets and what's left over for awards.

Perhaps this has changed, but one thing that bothered me is that at SFO, they charge for the baggage carts in the customs area. Complimentary at LAX and DFW. Perhaps Bruce can confirm/deny the SFO situation, since I've tended to avoid returning through SFO - perhaps because it just bothers me to go through that hassle when returning. As for the luggage/security issue at LAX, I've had no problems. Bags usually arrive without delay, there are many carousels to handle the flights, and the bag drop for all airlines is right outside the customs exit. And easy to go through security at any terminal for your onward flight.

So much for posting some assistance.

Absolutely correct. Airlines are flying at over 80% load factors systemwide, with some markets running at almost 100%.

Dates would always help in researching. As Globaliser says, what is your definition of "best"? Are we talking coach, premium economy, business or other? How significant is cabin layout? Inflight service? Connections? FF alliance? And how wedded are you to using Princess as your supplier?

Initial thoughts -- you're on a 773 for more than 13 hours each way. The current config is a lousy 2-3-2 with angled business class seats. Yes, the 777s are set to be given a cabin redo, but that is a) supposed to start this summer, b) with no schedule announced and c) nothing showing actual cabin mockups - just "it will be like the 350 product". You have no assurance what kind of config you will get next year, nor whether or not it will get swapped out at any time. Yes, it may be a "great deal" in terms of price. Is it one in terms of value received? One big thing to remember is that these are not "free flights" (which is what airlines want you to think). They are flights being purchased with an alternative currency that has value. And that you will no longer have that currency if you spend it on this flight. Will you have a better use for those Aeroplan points at another time? Also, are those just AC points, or transferable ones that can be used in multiple programs (Amex, Chase etc)? Further thought. Many carriers have not released schedules for your flight dates. Perhaps you should wait a bit.

Always remember....Blacklane is NOT a transportation provider. They are only a front-end booking service. Everything you can get through Blacklane you can get directly from providers. Think of them as Viator for cars.

Did you pre-request that they have this? If not, then this come down to a simple question of "just how extensively must a ship stock their larder to be able to cater to non-standard requests from guests?" I guess they didn't anticipate your unspoken needs until the ship was sailing and already provisioned. How dare they not FedEx in a supply at the next port. And FWIW, this is the first time I've ever heard of a guest wanting pomegranate juice. So maybe it's not as desired as you might wish.

Well said. There is just something you feel different on a luxury line. It's not just about cabin size, or all inclusive, or butlers or whatever. The atmosphere is different, sometimes quite significantly. And, I will concede that some probably don't notice or care. It's all about the hard quantifiable for them. NOTHING wrong with that. But, no reason to continue this kind of differentiation in that case.

Even when promised something, perhaps having backup contingency planning is in order? As you now well know.

Never said that. You are projecting, IMO. What is important is that Seabourn understand the preferences of their DIFFERENT market segments. It's not one monolithic lock-step group. A smart company knows how to recognize market segment differences and how to address each of those in a unique fashion. They may or may not feel the need to send out surveys to other demographics. Or they may take a different research approach. The presence of, or lack of, surveys does not indicate how much they "care". Obviously.

Completely concur. Somebody put some time into crafting this. And it was crafted, not just thrown together. As for the folks that wanted to list their own separate opinions....that's not what this was for. Send in a letter to express your feelings.

Did it ever cross your mind that, for this specific survey, they may have only wanted the opinions of USA customers? And that they were fully aware of this, going in? Or are things automatically flawed if they don't include your geographical demographic? Example: A survey is sent out, but only to those who are under 50 years of age. Is that necessarily flawed? Or is it a way to determine opinions OF THAT SURVEY TARGET? Why should it matter to anyone outside Seabourn what their survey goals and parameters are? It only matters that THEY know that when evaluating responses.

They were part of an initial "ranking" of various cruise features that you started off the survey with. Later questions with them being an important variable serve as a check-value to measure the internal consistency of participants answers. Further, surveys often include irrelevant questions to test the validity of the overall responses. This survey was a combination of ranking and A/B questions. Running a number of A/B questions can be used to develop preference matrices, which can be cross-tabbed with the ranking results.

Not silly. I've been involved with a number of survey/group sessions where non-disclosure agreements were part of the package. They obviously didn't want to have wide dissemination of what they were asking, and yet when their "loyal" customers ignore the company's wishes, it isn't far fetched for the reciprocal feeling to be "who needs these people that can't respect our wishes". IMO, there were a number of well-placed red herrings in these scenarios. Some were put in to test for response consistency, some to measure against the initial "ranking" of features. Anyone who believes that all were being seriously considered is unlikely to have ever been on the drafting/evaluating side of customer research.

And someone at HQ will likely say "See, they won't keep a confidence. Why bother running options past them."

You get the Flybus+ service to your hotel. Or, a taxi if you wish. All explained at their website. Research. Which we all should do before every trip we take. Not at all difficult with internet resources at hand.

In January, it's almost always pitch dark. 😀 Some hotels are continuations of the bus from the airport. And I have always been able to find someone who will help with luggage if needed.

It seemed to me that they were floating ideas that seems to reflect approaches that Regent, Viking and Oceania use. Since they requested that we not discuss the substance and specifics of the questions, I will honor their wishes and say no more.

99.99% that you will be flying through Hamburg (HAM). There is no commercial airport in Kiel.

KEF is super easy for getting to town. Almost everyone uses the Flybus or Flybus+ service. Private transfers at KEF are mostly used by folks who enjoy setting Benjamins on fire. (Meaning you'll pay about 10x the Flybus) With both the SS transfer or the Flybus, you'll be on a nice bus for a comfortable ride. One nice thing about Flybus is that they run pretty much continuously, plus they have excellent wifi onboard.

And just how does the involvement of a cruiseline make a difference with a separate supplier picking up and delivering bags? Cruiselines sell airline tickets. Doesn't do a thing to make sure your flight is on time. I'm firmly against shipping luggage. If a problem arises, I'm right there to be involved in the situation, at baggage claim. Directly with the company that will correct the situation. Remember that all of these luggage companies are merely freight forwarders - they aren't the people actually moving your bags from A to B. So one more layer in the process. And if you don't want to handle the bags yourself, there are plenty of porters at airports and hotels and cruiseports. For those arguing "peace of mind" -- I just check my airline app and see that the bags have been scanned onto my flight.

Yes. When, all things considered it is the best alternative. And that would likely be when it's being given to me at no cost. Remember that Viking uses "free air" as a method to discount cruises without actually discounting the cruise itself. I would need to know what is included in such offer, what are my options regarding travel on different dates, with different carriers and/or routings. Also what kind availability and cost for moving to either premium economy or business (depending on the flights). I'd only fly in day of cruise if there was an easy set of "next few ports". As for standard "cruise air" -- I have rarely found it to be a better deal overall FOR ME. I can usually get a better "value" from my own choices. And note, I didn't say better "price". Big difference. Now, a few caveats due to my personal situation, so folks will know where I am coming from. I have no worries about getting an airline credit if situations change. I will somehow use them. Even credits on foreign carriers -- due to code shares and alliances, one could use foreign airline credits to buy flights on USA carriers for USA domestic routes. Next, my financial situation is such that I don't need to worry about deferring air ticket payments until cruise payments are due. Somewhat ties in with the first part -- it's just moving it from cash to a future flight or flight credit. I am also particular about the carrier and aircraft configuration I'm going to be flying. To me, it is NOT a commodity purchase. There are great differences in product and I want what I want. I also prefer some airports over others. Finally, my airline status on various carriers and on different alliances, and thus the benefits accrued, have a significant factor. Now, for others, they may have different priorities. And that is completely fine. Just so that folks know what they are buying, and understand why they are making the choice they make. So, to sum up for the original question: There is no one blanket answer, either for myself or for others. Which makes the process both fascinating and frustrating. 😀