Silverseas business class airfare

[Colgal]

Anyone taking advantage of the cruise promotion that includes business class airfare to Europe?

 

We are fine with the cruise price but trying to book a business class upgrade is getting interesting. Our TA is working with Silverseas on the air booking

and we are trying to fly from Phx to Lhr and then Bcn on British Airways. They are routing us through IAD- a long cross country flight- with United - and the air

differential is negligible in comparison.

 

We will also have to pay a surcharge with any of these fares. I have never done an air inclusive before and am trying to figure out the process- would appreciate hearing frommany other cruisers who have gone this route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[carefreecruise]

Done it a lot when we first were cruising with Silversea. Don,t worry, they take care of you and pick you up at the airport also. You may not get seat assignments right away but it all will work out. Fist you have to like to routing, that can't be changed. 

[alithecat]

Yes we are using Silversea business class for our Amsterdam to Dublin cruise. They routed us on a non-stop going out, but via LHR back. This is because Silversea doesn't have a contract with all airlines. We are flying KLM out and BA back. We had to pay an extra $150pp deviation fee, to stay over extra days in Dublin. Once we were booked Silversea gave us confirmation numbers and we were able to log on to the airlines websites and select our seats.

 

The fare includes pick up at the airport, overnight in a hotel, and transport from hotel to ship. It's a much better deal than we could get on our own. Plus, and this is a big advantage, if anything goes wrong with the flight, Silversea will take care of you.

[nowornever]

We're also using the business air for 2 upcoming cruises but couldn't do non stop... not a bad schedule, just not one we would have chosen.  It was very painless though.  If you're using a travel agent, she or he can smooth it out for you.

[Colgal]

Thank you for the responses. Our TA did not mention a hotel or transfers so we will inquire about that as well.

 

The only available flight that offers us a leg from the US to Europe is an Iberia or KLM flight out of LAX.  A flight from PHX requires a stop on the East coast and we are not interested in a 5 hour domestic flight befefore boarding for Europe. We will also be required to book and  pay for a roundtrip between PHX and LAX in order to fly nonstop to MAD or BCN-an additional unexpected cost in addition to the upcharge for business class. Disappointing and unexpected .

 

 

[rpfarris]

ColGal, do you live near Phoenix?  I live south of Tucson, so I'm flying from Tucson to Barcelona, and I'm routing through Atlanta.  My original airline was Delta, but I have miles on AA so I asked my TA to switch to AA which she did, for the ~$150 deviation fee.

 

The point being that you don't have to fly Iberia or KLM.  You can take a hop to TUS and get a new set of airline choices.

 

BTW, I'm cruising 3914 - 3919 on the Shadow, are we going to be shipmates?

 

[Colgal]

2 hours ago, rpfarris said:

ColGal, do you live near Phoenix?  I live south of Tucson, so I'm flying from Tucson to Barcelona, and I'm routing through Atlanta.  My original airline was Delta, but I have miles on AA so I asked my TA to switch to AA which she did, for the ~$150 deviation fee.

 

The point being that you don't have to fly Iberia or KLM.  You can take a hop to TUS and get a new set of airline choices.

 

BTW, I'm cruising 3914 - 3919 on the Shadow, are we going to be shipmates?

 

Hi rpfarris- we are from phoenix and about to blow off the Spirit cruise. We have been trying to get air since Monday and the SS travel agent responds once a day to our TA’s questions and requests. 

 

The back and forth has cost us two flights so far and now SS wants us to take a flight from LAX to BCN that will get us in about midnight. Not acceptable, particularly since we are paying out of pocket for our PHX to LAX airfare, as well as an upcharge for deviatiin etc. Can’t figure out why we aren’t allowed to speak to the travel person at SS directly. All this week there have been errors and now the availability of their ration of seats in business class is declining.

 

We are totally exasperated and  plan to shut this down if we do not get a reasonable response by this afternoon. Highly unlikely we wil pursue SS again after all this.

[rpfarris]

1 hour ago, Colgal said:

Can’t figure out why we aren’t allowed to speak to the travel person at SS directly...

 

Uhh... Why do you think that?  It sounds like your flight issues are more related to your TA than SS.   *My* TA has suggested I talk to SS when things have gotten complicated before.  Did you call SS?

 

For my upcoming trip I wanted to, not only change airlines, but I wanted to fly over a few days early to spend some time in Barcelona.  Essentially I worked out which flights I wanted and let the TA (premium cruises dot com) work out the details with SS.

 

At the absolute worst you can take the credit from SS for the flights and do your own.  That means you have to work out the transfers from the airport to your hotel and the hotel to the ship.  I think you'll find out that it might be cheaper.  If you have any experience with international travel it will probably save you money.  If you look around here on CC you'll find that most people complain that SS's flights are overly expensive.  They *are* very convenient, though.

 

WRT giving up on SS, I'm pretty sure that your angst should be placed upon your TA than SS.  Has your TA worked with SS before?

 

[Colgal]

My DH spent quite a while with a SS rep this afternoon but we could not come to a satisfactory solution to the flights and $$.

 

The air portion for business class is much more than the SS credit and all the flights with better connections are not available....

we would rather switch gears than fly at inconvenient times in addition to paying surcharges. Its just not worth it.

 

Our TA has more than 25 years in the business and has extensive experience with SS... we finally went directly to them (SS) today but their Rep basically offered a few deals that came back to us with little to no improvement,

 

Oh well~ a week lost but I am much more educated!

 

[zqtchas]

I think I would try another TA!

[Lois R]

Hi, I used them for my airfare on both of my SS cruises....it was excellent.....it was the first time I had flown Business Class and it was soooooo nice.....omg......I actually slept for quite a few hours!  Maybe if you are a regular "1st Class/Business Class Flyer" you get used it and it is no big deal, but I LOVED IT and it was so worth the money to pay for that upgrade (for me anyway).  Going from here (east coast to Europe)

is long.....that extra space is so awesome!

[chrism23]

I have booked 8 cruises with Silversea.  Right now I will not book one without the bump to business class.  For an extra $750. pp each way it is a bargain.  Their rate could be as much as 90% reduction if you book the straight rate through the airline or an Expedia-like site.  Also, with Business class you get access to the airline's premium lounges which makes the terminal experience so much more civilized. We fly out of NYC or Boston which makes it easier to book direct flights.  I have found that the air department at Silversea can at times be a little difficult.  We have used the same cruise consultant at Silversea since our first cruise.  With Silversea it is essential to develop a positive relationship with your cruise consultant.  He/she will become your advocate in working out all issues, if they can be worked out, with their air department.  Our consultant is great and has made our experience with them as near as seamless as possible.  

[Lois R]

Quote by Chrism23

"  Our consultant is great and has made our experience with them as near as seamless as possible."

 

I echo your sentiment!!!  My contact is wonderful. I actually have known her personally for over 15 years so maybe I am lucky in that aspect. She has not worked for SS in all those years but we have been friends for that long......but she is the type of person who takes care of all her customers, as she has been in this type of work for longer than we have known one another and yes, she deals with the air dept on my behalf too. 

  

[travelingbagheera]

I will be looking to book for the first time on Silverseas for a 2020 cruise to Europe. To get the Business class upgrade, do you need to book directly through Silverseas or can you go through a TA. I am trying to decide the best way to book. Any help from those with experience would be appreciated. 

[Lois R]

45 minutes ago, travelingbagheera said:

I will be looking to book for the first time on Silverseas for a 2020 cruise to Europe. To get the Business class upgrade, do you need to book directly through Silverseas or can you go through a TA. I am trying to decide the best way to book. Any help from those with experience would be appreciated. 

 

Hi, if you have a Travel Agent that you usually use, I would ask them directly. Or you can call SS and ask them too. I don't know the 100% correct answer but I would think it applies even if you use a Travel Agent. I don't see why it would matter who you book it through......I could be wrong of course, but in my opinion, either way should  not matter. But that is why I say, ask your TA or contact the cruiseline for the totally correct answer.

[travelingbagheera]

Thanks so much. I do not have a regular TA but will call SS for a response. It seems many prefer to use a TA but some I have used in the past were not that good. We book many of our own trips when we travel. I just wondered if booking directly SS would be an okay option.

[Lois R]

Oh yes, I book directly with the cruise line...definitely OK...…..my contact is wonderful and since she works for the cruise line it should be ok for me to put her name on here...….Lisa, when you call them, ask for her and tell her Lois gave her as a recommendation. 

[travelingbagheera]

Thanks so much. That is great. Will do!

[chrism23]

I just want to add to my original post.  Traveling business class also means you have a dedicated line at check in when boarding, which can save an hour or two of hassle.  It also means might be able to check an extra bag or at least go over your airlines 50 pound limit.  You also board first, thus being assured of ample overhead space.  And you exit first, which is always good. Also, I can't stress enough the importance of getting a GOES card.  This has saved us countless hours by being able to jump screening and other lines.  Last time departing JFK we were able to jump several hundred people in the TSA line.  As said above, all this makes for a more civilized travel experience-which is usually a horror show.  Re: the comments above.  I would stress devoting a relationship with a cruise consultant at Silversea if you might sail in the future with them.   Regent does not really provide this, I got switched to a travel agent at Avoya.  This didn't work.  It was difficult to select cabins, which to me is important, negotiate for added ship board credit, and I didn't even get to airfare when I said I don't want to do business with them.  I have been spoiled by my experience with Silversea, once I got it established.  

[badgerdee]

We took advantage of the business class fare offer combined with our cruise last year. We liaise with Silversea AU direct and  we couldn’t have flown business class to Europe for the price Silversea offered. We were also able to specify the airline we preferred. The hotel pre-cruise wasn’t included. 

 

The routing was perfect - we flew from SYD into LHR, then made our own way to Venice to meet the ship, disembarked in Monte Carlo, made our own way to Paris and flew home to SYD from CDG. We won’t travel BA so Silversea booked us on Qatar (which codeshares with BA - but they ensured we weren’t routed on BA legs). 

 

The experience was so positive that we’ll take advantage of these offers where we can. Good luck!

Edited February 18, 2019 by badgerdee

[Silver Spectre]

Just to throw my two penneth into this, we have used SS Businesses Air on a number of occasions and the first answer has not always been the best. However, a little patience and perseverance has always produced an acceptable result.

[CruisinPashmina]

I always use a travel agent. He negotiates with SS on my behalf...both on the cruises and on the air. I wouldn’t consider booking any other way. Sometimes the SS business class air is a very good option..especially recently, and at other times my agent can do better.

Although it definitely costs more, given a reasonable choice, I prefer purchasing the air, hotels and transfers thru Silversea,. The older I get, the more I appreciate the ease of having this all packaged together.

This is only for the precruise situation. When I disembark, the “party” is over and I always go directly to the airport and fly home. I seem to live about 20 plus hours from wherever I get off the ship and all I want to do is get on a plane and get the long travel ordeal over with . I go Zen..or try to.

Hope that whatever you decide it works out for you!

[Fortunate2]

Last year I was asking the same thing ... TA or direct with Silversea.  We decided to go direct and haven't had a single question or issue that wasn't resolved well beyond our expectations.  Hands down, after inconsistencies from travel agents in the past, we're sold on booking directly with the line.

[Emtbsam]

On 2/18/2019 at 6:09 PM, Silver Spectre said:

Just to throw my two penneth into this, we have used SS Businesses Air on a number of occasions and the first answer has not always been the best. However, a little patience and perseverance has always produced an acceptable result.

Sometimes we use SS Business Air, and sometimes we book our own especially if we are not going straight to the departure port.  This time, we have booked our own tickets on Singapore Airlines (suites class) for $50 each plus a whole bunch of Amex rewards.  I can't wait to try it out.

[dusababy]

22 hours ago, Emtbsam said:

Sometimes we use SS Business Air, and sometimes we book our own especially if we are not going straight to the departure port.  This time, we have booked our own tickets on Singapore Airlines (suites class) for $50 each plus a whole bunch of Amex rewards.  I can't wait to try it out.

Singapore Airlines -- I'm sooooo jealous !!  

You're gonna be spoiled for life. 🙂