Automatic charity charge?

[billcrooz]

The gracious staff at the Rreception Desk have no problem removing the charge from your account! They are also the ones, besides the guests, who have been put in an awkward position!

 

 

perhaps the gracious staff should convey the comments of the passengers to the ungracious corporate "genius" who thought this up !:mad:

[duct tape]

I do believe that the feelings of some of the guests have gone to the appropriate path.

[cechase]

Have to agree with duct tape. If I had first been asked, then I would consider making a donation to a worthy charity. But when faced with a fait accompli, which requires action on my part to reverse the same - no way.

 

And I am not a scrooge, am going out the door right now to donate my old Inogen One portable oxygen concentrator and all the accessories to Care Chest of Sierra Nevada which distributes medical and handicap devices to people who can not afford them. The donation is worth $2,500-$3,000 which is the amount being paid for these used devices. Would rather have someone else have the opportunity to travel and be mobile as I am. [Have the very new and revolutionary Inogen One G2]

[CanadianKate]

Finished updating the passenger information for the September cruise and didn't have space for all my special requests (they came to 222 characters and it only gives me 100 to work with) so I sent them to my travel agent who forwarded them to SilverSea. She reported the following:

 

I checked with Silversea on removing the charitable donation, which was something was not aware of myself, and this can only be done onboard. We are also checking with Silversea about this policy and will advise you of the outcome.

 

Coincidentally, there was a request in my email today that I fill in a Venetian Society survey and in the comment area of that I objected to the charity charge.

 

I figure the more streams reporting that customers are unhappy, the better chance we have of having this changed.

[Guest summersbreeze]

Just got our docs for our upcoming cruise. There is a notification that we will automatically be charged a few dollars for a charity that Silversea is involved with. Though, I'm all for donating to charity, I thought it was odd that we were told our contribution is automatically added to our shipboard account and we can remove the charge by visiting Reception during our voyage. Is this something new? I have not encountered it on any other cruiseline that we've sailed on. The name of the charity is Maruzza Lefebvre D'Ovidio Foundation.

 

I should think that if you go to the Purser's Desk and ask, they will remove the automatic deduction.

I believe we should all be allowed to make the choice where our "donations" are to go.

[msrieski]

We just returned from the June 29th PAII cruise and we were not charged the charity fee; it never appeared on either the prelim bill or the final. We did not ask to have it removed -- it simply wasn't there even though the brochure about it was included in our cruise documents. Perhaps Silversea has quietly changed its mind.

[cruzemaven]

We just returned from the June 29th PAII cruise and we were not charged the charity fee; it never appeared on either the prelim bill or the final. We did not ask to have it removed -- it simply wasn't there even though the brochure about it was included in our cruise documents. Perhaps Silversea has quietly changed its mind.

 

Sounds promising...I'll let you know. We're going on this Saturday.

[taxprofessor]

I should add that it appears from the website that -- as far as US persons are concerned -- the "automatic contribution" will not be deductible for Federal income tax purposes (absent either a US "feeder" organization, or qualification as a US Section 501©(3) tax-exempt charity).

[TLCOhio]

From our experiences, talking with staff and veteran SS cruisers, it seems that the word has been passed upward to top management. Hopefully, they will "get it" and fix this mess. Because I spoke out in a direct question/message to Ft. Lauderdale staff prior to our cruise, the ship people knew I did not want to be hit with this secret fee and they did not post it to my account. They knew my position without needing to ask on-board to get it removed. Clearly these boards reflect that customers are smart and that management needs to fix both this problem and the 3% credit card scam/confusion.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For more details, visuals, etc., on our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Keith1010]

Terry, I am glad to know that they are getting the message on the charity item. Next, they need to make it right.

 

Keith

[TLCOhio]

Terry, I am glad to know that they are getting the message on the charity item. Next, they need to make it right. Keith

 

THANKS, Keith! Just to clarify, the "they" I was suggesting would be on the ship and in Ft. Lauderdale. Whether in Monaco and/or within the ownership family is another, totally different question. It seems that the top Silversea management is smart and savvy on most issues. Taking on family/ownership members can be a "sensitive" and highly "delicate" issue. Hopefully, it will all work out, soon.

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For more details, visuals, etc., on our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Silver Spectre]

Does anyone know if this has been 'killed' yet

[laurielovestravel]

Just off the Shadow August 6th. The process was as described on these boards, including the bracelets delivered to the room.

[kpercy]

Does anyone know if this has been 'killed' yet

 

Afraid not. Off the Spirit on the 7th Aug.

 

I went down to reception to have it removed but I suspect the majority leave it on.

[TLCOhio]

Afraid not. Off the Spirit on the 7th Aug. I went down to reception to have it removed but I suspect the majority leave it on.

 

Sadly, most don't read these boards, nor know that this little hidden "rip-off" is there. I think they have told the staff to just quietly take it off, smile, don't argue with the customers, etc., for fear that more people will figure it out and/or get mad at Silversea. It's not the fault of the staff.

 

Then, there is the little, added 3% charge on your final ship bill for credit card processing that hits many US customers on the ships. Another rip-off!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For more details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[jgrahamiii]

Afraid not. Off the Spirit on the 7th Aug.

 

I went down to reception to have it removed but I suspect the majority leave it on.

 

It's too bad that on a luxury line, one has to walk down to reception to remove a charge to the bill that should not be there in the first place... No matter how nice they may be about it. I'd much rather it be an "opt-in" charge, not an opt-out.

[chicagogal]

I have already noted on our passenger forms (in the same place where you list cabin beverages, etc) on line for our October Shadow trip that we want to opt out of the charity charge. I wonder if this will work? I can let you know.

[ging466]

I have already noted on our passenger forms (in the same place where you list cabin beverages, etc) on line for our October Shadow trip that we want to opt out of the charity charge. I wonder if this will work? I can let you know.

 

Good idea Patty. I've just done the same thing. It will be interesting to see if that works. I might also go to Reception just in case.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[Ainhoa]

Dear Mr Lefebvre D'Ovidio,

 

I note that you will automatically bill us $1 per passenger per day to support your favourite charity (in commemoration of your sister I believe.)

 

I too have a favourite charity. It's Medecins sans Frontiers. Medical volunteers risk their lives in some of the most dangerous places in the world to help people in over 70 different countries. Their administration costs are very low. I am sure you will agree with me that this is a charity worth supporting and that you won't mind if I donate 1% of the cost of my upcoming cruise to this very worthy cause. For your convenience and to save you any costs, I will automatically deduct the 1% from my final invoice. Should you not wish to participate, please indicate your desire to opt out of this very worthy cause by posting to this effect on this site.

 

Yours sincerely

 

etc etc

[Northerncheapo]

After reading about this auto charity charge, I called my TA and she informed SS to remove the charge. We sail on Sept. 25, so I'll see if it happens or not.

 

Although I can appreciate what they are trying to do, they fail to recognize that we all have a favourite charity to which we contribute.

[MHF]

Just received dox for Shadow, Sept. 3 departure. Enclosed was the glossy color brochure, which, IMHO, had to be pricey to produce. We donate to a foodbank which copies their annual report on plain white paper and has one of the lowest overheads...my kind of place!

 

Melissa

[canyonman]

I would have it removed, just on 'principle"...charity is not demanded...it's freely given. If a corporation automatically ADDS it to your bill (then expects you to "opt out") that's demand.

Refuse.

I hate it at every store you go to, when they ask if you want to "donate" to this or that.....they are in business to sell me something...not to collect for charity.

 

Hey thanks for your comments I totally agree with you. I will ask for this to be removed on my october trip. :rolleyes:

[canyonman]

IMHO, I think that some people here are taking this a bit to strong. This is a very difficult time for a lot of people financially, and I am sure that a lot of charities are suffering, in these hard times there are those of us who can manage to go on a SS cruise, is a Dollar a day to charity really going to make a major differance to any of us, yes I know that giving charity should be 100% voluntary,but can you blame SS for trying to raise some cash for a non profit cancer foundation set up in memory of the chairman Manfredi's late sister Maruzza.

 

I might think twice about doing a shore excursion for a $150 plus but the $21 that this will cost I can put up with. My late farther passed away from cancer 12 years ago this week. I am sure everybody on the CC site knows somebody who has lost the battle with this horrid disease.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

I agree with your statement, but they should ask FIRST.

[canyonman]

Stephen, thanks for taking the time to explain this.

 

With all due respect, I truly believe that the better way to do this is to let the guest know that you have a program that is being set up so that guests can contribute to it if they would like and the way the would do so is to turn in a card that they would receive in their suite to the reception desk. I think that is a far better way to do this then to automatically sign the guest up and to say if you want to opt out you can stop by the reception desk.

 

In my humble opinion you are trying to do something that is nice but are doing it the wrong way.

 

I am all for giving to charities and many of us do quite a bit for our favorite charities. But I do think the right approach it to leave it to the guest to sign up for the charity with some type of card as I mentioned. It is true you may end up with less guests giving money than the way you plan to do it, but I think this is the right way to do it.

 

I truly believe what I am saying is very consistent to most of the posts on this thread.

 

Keith

 

Keith you couldn't have said it better. Thank you

[canyonman]

I appreciate that Mr. Tucker commented on this issue and explained the cruise line's position as well as it could be explained, however there really is no way of getting around the fact that passengers are being charged to support the favorite charity of the owners of the cruise line. That attentive passengers can un-do the charge does not change the fact that a charge has been added to a bill for a service that was not rendered and an expense that was not requested.

 

A simpler solution is to just increase fares by $1 per day and then take that money and give it to the charity. The problem is not the money.

 

Companies make donations to charities all the time; if Silversea as a company wants to support this charity, it can easily do so by donating funds from charges it collects. A number of companies do this--"$x of your purchase is being donated to y charity." It can also do what other cruise lines do, which is hold events to raise funds for the charity (I have been on lines that have held walks to raise money for breast cancer research). I suspect with a little effort and thought Silversea could raise more money for the charity through truly voluntary contributions and up-front charges than through this hidden-charge method.

 

Well, that's my take on things. My initial impulse is to make sure that the charge is removed from my account.

 

This is my day, I'm a developer and we have passed this to our buyers when they sale there preperty they must donate to our charity. We no longer required this because it cause us so much PIAN. Dont know why SS is doing this for marketing. Hope they will change. Hope to see you on our next event with SS.