Seabourn - Customer Service - eeek!

[tumi]

I'm a little horrified at the experience I just had with the Seabourn customer service line. I have an existing reservation and am fully registered for an upcoming cruise and just called the number to ask about the booking and information that I'm seeing online.

 

After waiting on hold for several minutes (not exceptionally long, but still a wait) I spoke with Ken. It was a very strange call because he seemed to get immediately defensive about my questions. I stated that I was registered and had questions about the shore excursion information that I see online. He somehow immediately identified my sailing as a charter sailing and refused any further information. It was awkward and unexpected. I fully understand that a charter may have limited information; however, this attitude on the phone was unacceptable.

 

I've never had a customer service agent want to get off the phone so promptly. He never asked to review my name, reservation or checkin information. He didn't even wish me a pleasant cruise. He never once thanked me for choosing their ship. I would actually expect a self described "ultra-luxury" line to ask for my full name and booking number and see immediately that this is the second time that I've chosen to cruise with them. I find it unbelievable that he wouldn't have access to that basic detail.

 

To add to the awkward nature of the call, it sounded like I was speaking to someone at home with kitchen noise in the background. There was no offer to transfer me to an excursions desk and he wouldn't assist with a spa reservation. There was no offer to answer other questions about the cruise. All very strange.

 

More than anything else, I would expect superior customer service from Seabourn. Regardless of what the customer service line can do for me, I would expect to hear an exceptional level of phone etiquette when speaking to a customer. I sincerely hope that someone at Seabourn can pull the recording of my phone conversion with their agent. I was so surprised by the attitude of the agent on the line that I could barely think of the reason I called in the first place. Maybe these services should be outsourced to a more friendly set of agents who smile more often and offer recommendations for issue resolution. I'll also add that regardless of what the issue may be, it's not a classy solution to attempt to blame the chartering company. Finger pointing is never a good answer.

[dafne]

We are going on our first Seabourn cruise and have called Seabourn many times to ask all kinds of questions. We have found everyone to be very courteous and helpful.

 

If they are not able to answer a question- they will find out the answer and email me.

[clarky]

Tumi,

 

How frustrating to call the customer service line and get a poor attitude from the person supposedly being paid to help you. Even if this agent could not help you for whatever reason explaining this to you in a pleasant manner and offering you advise on who could help would have left you with a much better impression of the Seabourn brand. Despite any cost cutting on the land side of Seabourn it does not cost a cent more for a customer service agent to be pleasant.

 

Like you mentioned Seabourn holds itself up as a luxury cruise experience and Head Office needs to understand that this also includes the pre-cruise experience when guests may have questions or need help from the land side of the organization.

 

When you get on-board the staff could not be more pleasant and helpful it is a shame this does not carry through the whole organization.

[Emperor Norton]

I'm mildly curious how charters work. If you booked through a charter company wouldn't your communication be with/via them? This doesn't excuse poor behavior on the part of 'Ken'.

[absolutboy20]

I have a feeling that Tumi and I are on the same charter. If that is the case, this charter company is known for being slow in releasing information, and many people end up calling the cruise line directly. This is especially the case on this sailing, we have not even received our booking numbers yet this close to boarding. The charter company currently has three back to back sailings and this cruise is at last of the group. I have a feeling Seabourn is getting a larger volume of calls than their normal sailing, and it appears that their system is limiting the information that they can pull up when it is a charter. But its no excuse for poor customer service even if they are not allowed to release the information. Another surprise on this sailing is that we do not receive any cruise credit towards the Seabourn program, when we have received them on past sailings with other cruise lines. Its unfortunate as the cruise isn't discounted by any means, rather its sold at a premium for it being a charter.

[markham]

Booking and reservation information on your charter cruise? "Cruise points" on your charter? These are questions for the charter company with whom you have contracted. Not Seabourn.

 

I hope you get better and satisfactory customer service from them.

 

Happy sailing!

[absolutboy20]

The Seabourn club points are handled by Seabourn and not the charter company. The earning of reward points is pretty much the same rules as on Holland America where they always credit points on the Mariners Club regardless of it being a charter, but for some reason Seabourn does not.

 

The OP was asking the customer service reprensative about excursions, and except for maybe two of the excursions on the entire itinerary, they are identical to those listed on the Seabourn website. Unless he was asking about those customized excursions, the customer service rep should have been able to answer his basic questions in my opinion.

Edited February 28, 2014 by absolutboy20

[markham]

I don't know what HAL has to do with a charter company's cruise on a Seabourn ship. But if you want to know if you will accrue certain benefits with Seabourn in this case then the question, like all other questions about the cruise package, should be directed the the party with whom you have contracted.

 

Happy sailing!

[Mr Luxury]

The first point of call should always be with the company that chartered the ship and not the cruise line itself.

I see no reason why you would collect cruise mileage points on a chartered cruise.

[Host Dan]

Is the cruise in question the Bali to Singapore cruise?

[mjz]

Is the cruise in question the Bali to Singapore cruise?

 

Yes, correct.

 

Regardless of the fact that this sailing is a charter, the shore excursions are basically identical to other Seabourn sailings that have visited this itineraries

ports. Said excursions are to be scheduled via the Seabourn site, as well as spa treatments. The Seabourn site was happy to take my money for what I've reserved thus far. I had a basic question about an excursion and called into Seabourn, where I received rather terse treatment as well. After being left on hold for 15 minutes, I hung up and will just handle once on board the Odyssey.

 

I sense some frustration between the charter and cruise line respectively. However, I'm confident that the trip will be absolutely fantastic.

[Host Dan]

There is no excuse for the Seabourn to treat guests, such as yourself, charter or no charter. I definitely hope you have a great cruise!

[absolutboy20]

Mark, there was never a question as to why we don't receive Seabourn credit, just a statement that we do not receive credit. I have a feeling that you have never been on a charter, and regardless of whether the cruise is a charter or not, most other cruise lines give credit towards the sailing as they do want to try an entice the customer to book another cruise, charter or not.

 

I am trying to book excursions online as well and had some questions particularly in the private car tour offered by Seabourn, only to have been left on hold.

Edited February 28, 2014 by absolutboy20

[tumi]

I've been on enough of these charters to have a good sense of what the cruise line will do and what the charter company will do. I won't speculate on the specifics. In most cases, I've been very pleased with the experience and could not care less about the politics or relationship between the two companies.

 

My intent was only to point out to Seabourn that there's a lot of room for improvement in this area. It is interesting to hear if others have had less than desirable experiences with the customer service phone line at Seabourn. If I remember correctly when I called the line a couple years ago about my previous cruise, I spoke to an agent who was exceedingly pleasant. Believe me, I set my expectations very low when calling any cruise line about information on a charter. I understand there is limited information for a variety of reasons. Apparently, I still expected a bit more from Seabourn in this particular situation.

 

Everything about the product from this cruise line is desirable to my consumer sensibilities and I want to see them succeed. I really loved my first Seabourn cruise and suspect that I will return again and again as the opportunity presents itself.

 

(Thanks Dan - I couldn't be more excited about this cruise and plan to have a wonderful time!)

[Dolphinfeen]

Çz

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Emperor Norton]

Çz

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Fascinating.:D