Automatic charity charge?

[BILLP1]

We had ours removed last week on the Whisper. Not one person that we met or dined with on the ship were aware of the charge even after the material and the rubber bands were left in the cabin. There was also a mid cruise update of your account left in your cabin and still no one was aware what the charge was for. When told people that we had met had it removed because of the way it was done...

 

Otherwise high praise for the crew and our first time on Silversea..

[wripro]

Thanks from me too, Dan. I agree that this topic needs to be as public as possible until SS changes its policy.

[NJBelle]

And I thank you as well, Dan. Good decision on your part. Terrible decision on the part of Silversea management to allow this policy to persist. As long as it does persist, we should make sure they are aware of the customers who are displeased with it.

[MARIANH]

How can you bash a DEAD horse to death? :confused:

 

 

By constantly nagging?

[casalin]

Silver Shadow did this in September 2010. I agree that adding a charity donation to the bill is unacceptable, especially when the charity seems a bit vague and related to the shipping line. The amount is small, but I suggest that Silversea should say that they will donate the small amount out of the large sums paid to them.

[rojaan19]

Thanks to everyone who "gets it". This Charity Charge outrage must continue until the company gets it.

 

We've NEVER experienced or even heard of anything like this. What a turn off!

 

 

 

CruisingPashmina - an excellent post - I agree with you 100% !

[Sisterships]

Actually I don't think that Manfredi and Crew really care anyway...

But I can tell you as a loyal SS repeat guest that they are losing money for this charity instead of gaining money..

Last time onboard, the group that I was with would have contributed quite a bit more to this Family Charity if they properly asked for a donation instead of automatically taking a drop in the bucket. I know so many of my fellow guests whom I have travelled with over the years would have embraced this Charity if not the way it was thrown onto them..

Taking my $14.00 probally cost them $100..How stupid..I guess that management does not take the number of guests who have voiced their disatifaction as serious as we do..

There are other ways to solicit and just taking from your special guests is not one of them..

 

Sisterships

[Cuizer2]

By constantly nagging?

 

A DEAD horse is not going to be bothered by some nagging.

[MARIANH]

A DEAD horse is not going to be bothered by some nagging.

 

Hi

 

I was being ironic - its a British thing!

 

Maybe you are not familiar with the idiom " flogging a dead horse". You may wish to look it up on Wikipaedia.

[scandun]

Just got off the Spirit last Saturday. The charity charge was not on the bill at time of embarkation. During the middle of the cruise, a letter was sent to the room which is related to the charity issue. The passenger is asked to fill in a form with room number, name and the choice of to donate or not, and to give to the butler or the reception.

[Cuizer2]

Hi

 

I was being ironic - its a British thing!

 

Maybe you are not familiar with the idiom " flogging a dead horse". You may wish to look it up on Wikipaedia.

 

I understood what you said. I was just pointing out, in subtle way, how irrelevant your post was to this thread.

[brimary]

Just got off the Spirit last Saturday. The charity charge was not on the bill at time of embarkation. During the middle of the cruise, a letter was sent to the room which is related to the charity issue. The passenger is asked to fill in a form with room number, name and the choice of to donate or not, and to give to the butler or the reception.

Progess at last are the owners listening at last!?

[scandun]

Progess at last are the owners listening at last!?

 

I think so, and they also give a good reason for us not to donate, which is they know many of us are already donating to other foundations ........

[Host Dan]

Just got off the Spirit last Saturday. The charity charge was not on the bill at time of embarkation. During the middle of the cruise, a letter was sent to the room which is related to the charity issue. The passenger is asked to fill in a form with room number, name and the choice of to donate or not, and to give to the butler or the reception.

This is good news... Lets see if this "sticks", then I can close the thread! ;)

 

Host Dan

[CruisinPashmina]

Dan, You have been terrific, patient and responsive on the Charity Charge posts. I think ALL of us would be thrilled to have this awful problem behind us. But,only time, and a lot of positive, first hand experiences will convince many of us that FINALLY we are being heard and our opinions are being respected. Again, thank you very much. We are lucky to have you.

[Host Dan]

Dan, You have been terrific, patient and responsive on the Charity Charge posts. I think ALL of us would be thrilled to have this awful problem behind us. But,only time, and a lot of positive, first hand experiences will convince many of us that FINALLY we are being heard and our opinions are being respected. Again, thank you very much. We are lucky to have you.

Wow - that was a nice post! Thanks!

 

Host Dan

[Bon.Vivant]

Just got off the Spirit last Saturday. The charity charge was not on the bill at time of embarkation. During the middle of the cruise, a letter was sent to the room which is related to the charity issue. The passenger is asked to fill in a form with room number, name and the choice of to donate or not, and to give to the butler or the reception.

 

Scandun: Thank you for the update. But, I’m not sure I understand it. Did you mean that they don’t automatically charge, and only charge you if you fill out the form saying you want to donate? Yet, you said the form asked you to indicate whether you chose to donate or NOT – so do you still have to inform them if you DON’T want to donate? If you are required to state that you don't want it, then that implies that they are still making the charge -- just not at the beginning of the cruise, perhaps. If that's the case, then there's no change. Could you clarify. Thanks.

[merryecho]

Irish bear- thank you for your concern about my legal liabilities, but I didn't say anything the least bit slanderous. The IRS requires US nonprofits to account for how they spend the money they bring in, and online watchdog groups make it easy to for us to check. The SS charity is not listed with any group, and their own site does not say how much of the money is spent on overhead, salaries, and fundraising. If they were to make that info available it would make the charge slightly more palatable.

And, "would the Italian government be involved with something less than 100% above board?

ROTFL!!!

I agree that we should keep the thread active until SS addresses the problem, to inform new CC readers.

[Portolan]

Scandun: Thank you for the update. But, I’m not sure I understand it. Did you mean that they don’t automatically charge, and only charge you if you fill out the form saying you want to donate? Yet, you said the form asked you to indicate whether you chose to donate or NOT – so do you still have to inform them if you DON’T want to donate? If you are required to state that you don't want it, then that implies that they are still making the charge -- just not at the beginning of the cruise, perhaps. If that's the case, then there's no change. Could you clarify. Thanks.

 

The form was an opt-out statement. Had we not either notified them at check-in (as we did) or filled out the form (which we did), the charge would have appeared.

 

Sort of related and maybe mentioned somewhere earlier in this thread: for those concerned about the charity funds being used for the bracelets instead of the actual charitable purpose, don't fret. The "bracelets" are embossed rubber bands.

[Bon.Vivant]

The form was an opt-out statement. Had we not either notified them at check-in (as we did) or filled out the form (which we did), the charge would have appeared.

 

Sort of related and maybe mentioned somewhere earlier in this thread: for those concerned about the charity funds being used for the bracelets instead of the actual charitable purpose, don't fret. The "bracelets" are embossed rubber bands.

 

Thanks Portolan. Some posters were referring to "progress", "good news", and "the owners listening at last" -- I thought something positive had happened. But, it’s still an opt-out not an opt-in situation. So, no change. Or, maybe there’s a change for the worse? – the charge is not there at embarkation (as Scandun said) but they slip it in at the end if you haven’t opted-out. Less time to spot it and react. More likely to be missed by those not up on this, or those that don't read everything that comes to the cabin..

[Portolan]

Or, maybe there’s a change for the worse? – the charge is not there at embarkation (as Scandun said) but they slip it in at the end if you haven’t opted-out. Less time to spot it and react. More likely to be missed by those not up on this, or those that don't read everything that comes to the cabin..

 

I'm not prepared to reread the entire thread, but I'm not sure what is meant by the charge being present at check-in [before]. When you go to reception at embarkation and give them a credit card to imprint, there wouldn't be any charges of any kind at that point. Perhaps only if you decline to give them a credit acrd with some comment like "I won't be charging anything" they've said you'd have the charity charge. Otherwise, I don't see how this would have come up at embarkation. So I don't think this is a change for the worse...just no change.

[Silver Spectre]

My understanding is that the charge is first put on your account during the evening/night of embarkation. It does not exist as such when you first arrive at reception. If you request its removal at this point, one of the receptionists must make a note and arrange to remove it at a later time.

 

I suspect this is a function of how the software has been designed to add the charge on a daily basis.

[brimary]

My understanding is that the charge is first put on your account during the evening/night of embarkation. It does not exist as such when you first arrive at reception. If you request its removal at this point, one of the receptionists must make a note and arrange to remove it at a later time.

 

I suspect this is a function of how the software has been designed to add the charge on a daily basis.

This is what we did at registration on our recent Cloud cruise but it appeared on mid cruise statement and at the second time of asking the charge was removed.The owners appear determined to continue their disgraceful efforts in a more cynical way than before.Dan ...keep the post until this practise ceases.

[scandun]

I did not go to reception on embarkation to remove the charity charge, and I checked my account the first 2 or 3 days which did not have this charge. When I received the letter I filled out the form by choosing not to donate and left it on my table but the butler never took it for two days until I told him to take it, which was almost the last day of the cruise. But thanks to this forum for letting me know this thing before embarkation. Otherwise I might not have paid attention to that letter sent to my cabin and just accepted the charge.

I agree for Host Dan to keep this thread alive so other passengers know about it before embarkation.

[Travelcat2]

Have to stop "lurking" for a moment and just say that in the United States, it is not legal to charge a credit card for any unapproved item. I have not read one post that indicated that anyone was on their "high horse". Most of us would have no problem making the donation if it was properly (and legally) requested.