final cruise documents

[fitty]

I have a question: final cruise documents, are they mailed or are they e-mailed? When should we expect to start looking for them? Each cruise line seems to be different. Thank you.

[Herman The Cat]

Ours have always been mailed. They are sent to the travel agent and then the travel agent sends them to you. Silversea, I believe, ships them out to the TA about 30 days prior to the cruise (though they say 21-30 days). Your TA checks them (or does whatever they do) and should promptly send them to you. For example, our TA notified us on 8/1 that our docs were in and confirmed the mailing address. We received them 8/4. We cruise on 8/27. I think in certain circumstances (i.e., if there is not enough time prior to the cruise due to a late booking) they may send them electronically.

When should you start looking? Check with your TA at the 30 day mark to confirm they are in (and if not have them find out why), and then find out when and how they will be sending them and get a tracking number. Our were sent fedex ground.

Oh--my understanding is Silversea only sends the docs out if the Guest Information Form is complete. They like that to be completed way in advance and send numerous reminders to do so (to the TA who forwarded them to me).

When do you cruise?

 

Hope that helps. :)

[fitty]

Thank you for the information. I guess i have a long time to wait, since we do not sail until Dec. 11th. I had hoped they would send them once final payment was in. Guess not. I was told by someone that the documents were nicely packaged. Not sure what that means.:)

[wripro]

Currently the documents come packaged in a silver cardboard box. Inside you will fins a small zippered leather portfolio containing you ticket, all pertinent information, copies of your itinerary to leave behind for family etc. Also there will be leather luggage tags to attach to your suitcases as well as tags with your suite number. It is indeed a very nice package.

[flyhi120]

We never got a pretty silver box...we got an email and told to print it up...we are leaving OCT 17th out of Singapore...Pattie

[Isklaar]

We never got a pretty silver box...we got an email and told to print it up...we are leaving OCT 17th out of Singapore...Pattie

 

Does this mean that SS is no longer supplying the luggage tags or the labels with the suite number/passenger name on them? How would that work? Did you have to print your own label to put onto the suitcases?

[CASHIPman]

We never got a pretty silver box...we got an email and told to print it up...we are leaving OCT 17th out of Singapore...Pattie

 

Are you traveling on any type of travel industry rate? On the couple of times we were eligible for travel industry rates the documents were emailed.

[dougburns]

We always used to receive our docs from our TA @ 30 days prior to the cruise. However, our TA told me this morning that we probably wouldn't receive docs until closer to the 21 day point. They are trying to have SS ship the docs directly to their customers rather than have the intermediary step. Additionally, they may go to all electronic rather than sending the silver box, since most of the necessary stuff like airline, hotel and ship tickets are e-ticket types anyway. Guess it's all in the interest of cost savings. We leave 18 Oct and our TA said we probably wouldn't have the stuff until close to the end of Sep.

[brimary]

Tough on those who dont do electronic mail

[dougburns]

I'm sure that if they don't have an e-mail address for you the docs will be mailed.

[wripro]

I think sending docs directly to passengers instead of through their TAs iis a mistake. Sometimes there are mistakes in the documents which the TA finds before sending out and need to be addressed.

[DebbieH103]

We are sailing on September 24 and had our silver box about 32 or 33 days out. I'm the agent and the guest, but I sail as a guest. We have the silver box, the zippered case and the nice luggage tags, along with the shore excursion booklet, leave behind itinerary, etc. We have since changed cabins, but like the other times we have changed, we will just cross out the old cabin number and put on the new one. SS takes care of everything, and except for the cruise ticket that comes in the packet, the rest of the items are for your information and to share with those left behind.

[NJBelle]

I am sailing on Oct 1 and got my documents 2 weeks ago - straight from Silversea (so that is about 5+ weeks in advance). At first I thought it was some mistake, since I had always received them from the TA, but I checked with my TA and that is the way they are doing it now (at least for my TA). Still got the nice silver box and luggage tags.....

[silvermom2]

We never got a pretty silver box...we got an email and told to print it up...we are leaving OCT 17th out of Singapore...Pattie

 

 

wow, i'm surprised to hear that. there was a plethora of information sent in that package--not just e-tickets. are you sure you're on a silversea cruise???? you couldn't possibly be expected to download and print all that was sent! leatherbound travel documents, copies of itineraries, and both leather luggage tags and adhesive ID tags w/ your name and suite # pre-printed for luggage delivery once aboard, as well as many pages of excursion info, and faq's, etc. we received ours less than 4 weeks from departure, but it did come federal express directly from ss. i would call back and double check the info you were given.

[joe_90]

We have today received the silver box with all the info about excursions and ship berthing details for our cruise. 3127 & 3128

 

They seem to have changed the document wallet from red to a lovely deep black with silver lettering.

 

Needless to say we are delighted to be at the starting grid for 5 weeks of holiday cases need to be packed now:)

 

john & joy

[Randyk47]

I think sending docs directly to passengers instead of through their TAs iis a mistake. Sometimes there are mistakes in the documents which the TA finds before sending out and need to be addressed.

 

I actually don't mind not having a TA in the middle but on the other hand we usually book with an Internet TA to get the discounted fares so it's not like we have a full service TA. We typically cruise with Holland America and have gotten quite used to their on-line registration, documents, etc. Admittedly it was a big change when Holland America went away from mailing documents and took some initial adjustment but we actually like it now. That's not to say we're not looking forward to receiving our first Silversea documents and those will be coming directly from the line as we booked with a Silversea cruise consultant.

[wripro]

Let's hope you never get caught in a volcanic ash situation where you are stranded, or have any other mishap occur while you are away. Who will take care of you then?

[Randyk47]

Let's hope you never get caught in a volcanic ash situation where you are stranded, or have any other mishap occur while you are away. Who will take care of you then?

 

Me, myself, and I. Been there, done that. :) I'm not going to pay somebody hundreds or potentially thousands of dollars to do virtually nothing for me that I can't do myself.

[Randyk47]

Me, myself, and I. Been there, done that. :) I'm not going to pay somebody hundreds or potentially thousands of dollars to do virtually nothing for me that I can't do myself.

 

After having a couple of cups of coffee this morning I was rereading my quoted post from last night and thought I should maybe soften my post by adding that I'm not against TA's. It just happens that my wife and I are very experienced travelers and not just domestically and not just cruise based. We actually enjoy researching, planning, and executing our own travel arrangements. Sure, in regards to cruising it's meant we've settled on an Internet based TA where we've gotten some substantial discounts over the years. On the other hand, fully understand and appreciate that there people who don't have the time, experience, or desire that we do and want to rely on a TA, hopefully a good one, to make all or most of their arrangements for them.

[wripro]

I don't know what kind of TA you have ever used but it doesn't cost you a red cent. The cruise line pays the commission, not you. And in many cases you can get a better fare from a TA than you can directly. But to each his own.

[Randyk47]

I don't know what kind of TA you have ever used but it doesn't cost you a red cent. The cruise line pays the commission, not you. And in many cases you can get a better fare from a TA than you can directly. But to each his own.

 

Huh? Of course it cost me a "red cent". Where do you think the cruise line gets the money to pay the commission? From the fare of course. If I go with a discounter then they in essence rebate part of their commission to me in the form of a reduced fare. I typically save 12% over the published fare but in turn I don't get nor to I expect a full service travel agent or agency.

[CanadianKate]

Randy, I'm interested if you've found an agent that will discount Silver Sea or are you referring to your Holland America cruises? (I'm looking for an answer but not an agent's name because that is against the rules here.)

 

My first trip, I checked with the cruise specialist in our area and her price was exactly what Silver Sea was but she threw in a limo for the airport transfers at home. So I booked through her.

 

On that cruise, we met a couple from a city 200 km from us and they used an agent who is 400 km from us but deals over the phone and email so we don't have to go in to see her. She is a cruise specialist in a big city and we get a nice ship board credit (or can use the money to arrange port tours through her.) But in terms of a discount, it is only about 4%.

 

I don't arrange air fare from her because I can do better myself and quite often we've tacked a business trip on one end of the cruise. For our next cruise we are using the 'free' air from Silver Sea because it was far better than anything I could arrange myself. They got us with 'our' airline alliance so we'll have our lounge and baggage benefits.

 

As for who will take care of me in case of a disruption... I've got credit card travel insurance, other travel insurance, my agent and Silver Sea all working for me but to be honest, I suspect push comes to shove, I'll be taking care of myself and that's OK.

[Randyk47]

Randy, I'm interested if you've found an agent that will discount Silver Sea or are you referring to your Holland America cruises? (I'm looking for an answer but not an agent's name because that is against the rules here.)

 

Yes. The same TA I've been using for my HAL cruises came through on Silversea with the typical discount.

[lilant]

We never got a pretty silver box...we got an email and told to print it up...we are leaving OCT 17th out of Singapore...Pattie

 

 

our SS box was them same too. zippered travel carrier, leather luggage tags, a nice SS debossed box to keep it all together. very nice.

 

anthony

[meow!]

... leather luggage tags, a nice SS debossed box to keep it all together. very nice.

You mean leatherette .. PVC made in China!