Status Reciprocity?

[gallivanter]

We are going to be on our first Seabourn sailing and I was wondering if SB will honor our HAL 3 Star Mariner with nearly 170 nights at a similar level the way the airlines do?  For example as an Emerald on One World, I receive similar perks on AA, BA, IB and other airlines.  If they don't I wish they did.......

[galeforce9]

Sorry. No. 

[gallivanter]

Galeforce9

Thank you for the reply

Darn! 

Edited April 22, 2019 by gallivanter

[SKP946]

2 hours ago, gallivanter said:

We are going to be on our first Seabourn sailing and I was wondering if SB will honor our HAL 3 Star Mariner with nearly 170 nights at a similar level the way the airlines do?  For example as an Emerald on One World, I receive similar perks on AA, BA, IB and other airlines.  If they don't I wish they did.......

 

It would be nice, you would already qualify for your complimentary 7 nights😳😀

[texanaust]

MSC will status match.

[markham]

MSC and Holland America are mass market lines so they have a lot in common. 

 

Seabourn is a premium luxury line and has nothing in common with either of them. That includes the prices guests pay per day.

 

Not all cruise lines are alike. Maybe airlines like airlines AA, BA and IB have that in common. If so, then Seabourn is a Netjet charter.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Edited April 23, 2019 by markham

[saminina]

2 hours ago, markham said:

 

 

Seabourn is a premium luxury line and has nothing in common with either of them.

 

Proven so by serving baloney as hor d'oeuvres and the Retreat. 

 

[markham]

Oh dear!

 

Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. Nothing wrong with mass market ship brands since they clearly have a following at their price points. Otherwise they would be less “mass”, right?

 

About baloney, no one is forcing anyone to eat it. But it’s nice to have. Some even like spam and order it off menu. Lots of opportunity to do things like that on Seabourn.

 

 Thing is... there are lots of other choices, too, for the 600 or fewer passengers on Seabourn one class, all inclusive ships versus the mass market ships with their thousands of people, classes, privileges, keycard lounge accessors etc.

 

Then there is the obviously misguided offering (to me, at least) of the Retreat on 2 of Seabourn’s 5 ships. It obviously doesn’t work given that few use it and even the few that do probably do so for novelty value. The $350/day surcharge is not baloney, and would be especially so on mass market ships. But I bet it would work on Disney, MSC and Holland America, but for a lot less if possible, since it purports to offer exclusivity, and given the cruise cost per diem is not going to be much more than $350/day. Further, such upsells are customary on mass market lines and no one would be surprised at such a “retreat” on the big ships. On Seabourn it’s almost an embarrassment, and to me, a betrayal of the brand.

 

So it’s all about different strokes for different folks, ok?

 

Seabourn and its peers e.g. Silversea and Crystal are Netjets standard. Maybe if they were owned by the same holding company their loyalty programs could overlap. Holland America and MSC with Seabourn? Not likely, no sense in it, business-wise.

 

Sorry for any confusion.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Edited April 23, 2019 by markham

[lincslady]

If 'status reciprocity' would mean that qualifying for a free week on HAL or similar would also qualify you for a free week on Seabourn - I don't think so!!  Wishful thinking indeed.

[markham]

It’s more than the free week matter, although that benefit is obviously only going to accrue to those who earned it in exchange for their contribution to Seabourn’s bottom line.

 

It’s the “basis” used to earn the privileges. That’s up for the companies themselves to work out. But if and when they do the basis has to be fair and equitable. For now I would suggest that a day of purchased sailing on Holland America is clearly not the same thing as a day on a Seabourn ship. Anyone can understand that...  Each line has its own program for its own customers and purposes.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[MaggyCan1]

I do so agree with you Markham on the whole concept of The Retreat.   I heartily dislike it as it flies in the face of Seabourn's values, or brand, as you note.    Once the passenger has paid their fare, they are free to enjoy all common areas on the ship at no extra charge.   Obviously the spa and beauty salon are exceptions, but in my mind, they are not common areas per se.   I would love to see SB either get rid of The Retreat entirely and put something else in its place that is free for all to enjoy, or simply open up The Retreat as-is to all. 

[gallivanter]

4 hours ago, lincslady said:

If 'status reciprocity' would mean that qualifying for a free week on HAL or similar would also qualify you for a free week on Seabourn - I don't think so!!  Wishful thinking indeed.

 

No... I was just referring to their matching the On Board Seabourn Club Platinum Status....  Didn't even know about the 7 night cruise! Just realistic thinking though nothing is wrong with wishful thinking!

 

Edited April 23, 2019 by gallivanter

[BuckGood]

On 4/23/2019 at 5:51 AM, markham said:

MSC and Holland America are mass market lines so they have a lot in common. 

 

Seabourn is a premium luxury line and has nothing in common with either of them. That includes the prices guests pay per day.

 

Not all cruise lines are alike. Maybe airlines like airlines AA, BA and IB have that in common. If so, then Seabourn is a Netjet charter.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Azamara honors status on Celebrity and RCCL and vice versa!

[raphael360]

On 4/23/2019 at 1:26 PM, gallivanter said:

 

No... I was just referring to their matching the On Board Seabourn Club Platinum Status....  Didn't even know about the 7 night cruise! Just realistic thinking though nothing is wrong with wishful thinking!

 

I’m platinum and you don’t get a lot until one reaches diamond.  A free bag of laundry every 7 days for being platinum. And free drinks!

[2SailingNomads]

As always, well stated Markham! We both agree on the Retreat concept.  And for those complaining about no exchange, well Seabourn is not apples to apples w/ the other lines under the Carnival umbrella.  Those of us, myself and I'm sure Markham and many others on this board who have many hundreds of nights - although Markham has many more than I do - who spent the per diem required to sail on Seabourn would be put off if someone from sailing Carnival w/ enough nights to qualify for Diamond (yes Raphael - it is worth it to get there - but you failed to mention the internet, tour, massage, telephone, Serene Spa day, and revenue wines discount you currently can take advantage of) were automatically granted Diamond, or any of the lower levels.  Nice Netjet analogy 😉

[DavidTheWonderer]

10 hours ago, raphael360 said:

I’m platinum and you don’t get a lot until one reaches diamond.  A free bag of laundry every 7 days for being platinum.

I was on a cruise on a different line (Regent) and a fellow commented on how he now qualified for free laundry.  He said, "The free laundry only cost me 65 thousand dollars."

[raphael360]

10 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

As always, well stated Markham! We both agree on the Retreat concept.  And for those complaining about no exchange, well Seabourn is not apples to apples w/ the other lines under the Carnival umbrella.  Those of us, myself and I'm sure Markham and many others on this board who have many hundreds of nights - although Markham has many more than I do - who spent the per diem required to sail on Seabourn would be put off if someone from sailing Carnival w/ enough nights to qualify for Diamond (yes Raphael - it is worth it to get there - but you failed to mention the internet, tour, massage, telephone, Serene Spa day, and revenue wines discount you currently can take advantage of) were automatically granted Diamond, or any of the lower levels.  Nice Netjet analogy 😉

As platinum you get to pick 3 and only 3 of the list you presented.  I pick:

1.  One free bag of laundry per week 

2.  Free 20 minute Signature Massage and

3.  Comp internet (4 hours) aka 240 minutes. You would be surprised how fast 240 minutes goes by on a 24 day cruise. I’m very close to Diamond though. 

 

I also choose the free drink package - :)

[raphael360]

58 minutes ago, DavidTheWonderer said:

I was on a cruise on a different line (Regent) and a fellow commented on how he now qualified for free laundry.  He said, "The free laundry only cost me 65 thousand dollars."

I had this same conversation with a first time passenger on SB who made the same $100k for a free bag of laundry joke.  It was so funny I forgot to laugh.  I explained The bag of laundry cost 100k but it included 100 “free” days on SB. 

[markham]

BuckGood,

 

What does Azamara have to do with anything? The only distinctive aspect of their marketing of those ancient ships is that they claim to be “azamazamazing”.  And about RCCL and the other mass market line you mentioned, no azamazamazing tie up with them will likely attract me to those lumpy products for their service standards, either.

 

Now that was easy! Sorry, though.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Markham, my thoughts exactly! 🤔

[fudgbug]

20 hours ago, BuckGood said:

Azamara honors status on Celebrity and RCCL and vice versa!

Azamara, Celebrity and RCCL are not even close to Seabourn.

[alwaysonaship]

On 7/10/2019 at 4:05 PM, BuckGood said:

Azamara honors status on Celebrity and RCCL and vice versa!

Well, it is the same company

[rols]

3 hours ago, alwaysonaship said:

Well, it is the same company

which was the point of the question in the original post as Holland America and Seabourn are part of the same company. However Carnival doesn't do it the way RCCL does. 

[rafinmd]

Actually, Holland America is the only line I know of that gives ANYTHING to a first timer who has a single sailing with a sister brand.  It isn't much but somebody with a single Seabourn cruise would get a cocktail party embarkation day in the equivalent of the Observation lounge and a mid-cruise appreciation lunch.  RCCL and it's sisters have a status match but it's only for the upper tiers.  I wonder if Silversea will eventually match with their programs.

 

Roy

[raphael360]

On 4/22/2019 at 3:41 PM, gallivanter said:

Galeforce9

Thank you for the reply

Darn! 

Galeforce9, welcome to Seabourn.  You're going to love it.  I was a long time Celebrity fan until my first SB cruise.  Regarding your club status question, it's really is a moot point.  As I mentioned in this string, your no status is almost the same as my Platinum status.  I get 3 items including a bag of laundry ($45) per week and a free 20 min massage that you won't get.  

 

The reason tier status is SO important with the big box lines is: their basic service is, well, a bed and a pillow.  Seabourn's basic cruise experience is more inclusive than what the other lines top tier double diamond members get.  Free drinks, check.  Free lounge entrance, check. All dining venues free, check. Free coffee barista service, check.  No status, no problem, everything is included (except internet).

 

But what you're really going to miss is: no chains by the inch sales, no bingo, no photographers stalking you, no $5 watch sales.  This will shock you!