Itinerary Release/Extension (2023)

[clo]

35 minutes ago, alithecat said:

We booked a January 2023 Antarctica cruise this morning. We want to go to South Georgia and there is nothing we want in 2021/2022 -- only the first cruise of the season in November, and a very expensive holiday cruise. 

 

We don't want to take the risk of paying everything up-front and were very disappointed to find out that the "minimal deposit" now is 25% of the full price. Still quite a bit of real money to risk. I thought Silversea had lowered their deposits but it looks like they raised them back up for 2022/2023.

 

This link shows a $1000 reduced deposit. I don't know if the deposit if that or if 25% is reduced by $1000.

 

https://www.silversea.com/best-luxury-cruise-deals/double-bonus.html

 

I was in touch with our SS rep and he said this goes into effect on 12/10.

[alithecat]

Clo: when you look at that link, and click on Discover More, it only shows the 2021/2022 season not the new ones.

[Marylebone37]

33 minutes ago, clo said:

This link shows a $1000 reduced deposit. I don't know if the deposit if that or if 25% is reduced by $1000.

 

https://www.silversea.com/best-luxury-cruise-deals/double-bonus.html

 

I was in touch with our SS rep and he said this goes into effect on 12/10.

Had the same issue today. Thought I could book a newly announced 2022 itinerary with the reduced $1K deposit.  The headline link/verbiage says: From now until Dec 14, 2020 take advantage of $1,000 reduced deposits per suite and receive $1,000 to spend onboard on virtually all Silversea cruises. 

 

Upon reading the fine print terms and conditions, however, it says:

Reduced Deposit is valid on all suite categories and for all 2021 voyages until 31 December 2021, excluding World Cruises and Grand Voyages. Cancel and re-books do not qualify.

 

Pretty misleading. So instead of the $1K deposit I was planning on, they want me to pay a $26K+ deposit for the Northwest Passage cruise in August, 2022 on the Wind.  No go on that in these uncertain times! 

[Marylebone37]

Here is the link:https://www.silversea.com/terms-and-conditions.html

 

Scroll down past clause P.   The 31-December-2021 expiration date (for the $1K reduced deposit) is in the Double Bonus paragraph immediately thereafter.

[clo]

2 minutes ago, stines said:

Pretty misleading. So instead of the $1K deposit I was planning on, they want me to pay a $26K+ deposit for the Northwest Passage cruise in August, 2022 on the Wind.  No go on that in these uncertain times! 

Nor we.

 

I've already begun an email convo with my SS rep so I'm going to shoot off an email to him this evening and see what's what. Thanks for your input.

[Marylebone37]

Just now, clo said:

Nor we.

 

I've already begun an email convo with my SS rep so I'm going to shoot off an email to him this evening and see what's what. Thanks for your input.

Please let us know what transpires.  Thank you.

[clo]

4 minutes ago, stines said:

Here is the link:https://www.silversea.com/terms-and-conditions.html

 

Scroll down past clause P.   The 31-December-2021 expiration date (for the $1K reduced deposit) is in the Double Bonus paragraph immediately thereafter.

I AM however planning on booking in December. But that's for a cruise almost two years out. No way would I pay 25%!

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, alithecat said:

...very disappointed to find out that the "minimal deposit" now is 25% of the full price.

 

Are they not including the $1,000 OBC either?

[alithecat]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is very disappointed with the 25% deposit. I would rather be on the Silversea Cloud, but am seriously thinking of switching to the Seabourn Quest for Antarctica in Dec, 2021. If the Covi-19 vaccine roll-out happens according to plan, this cruise will go ahead. Seabourn advertises a $500 deposit on this cruise until Sept. 2021.

[clo]

36 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

Are they not including the $1,000 OBC either?

Here's from the site referenced above:

 

"

Double BonusOffer valid on new, individual bookings made between 1 November, 2020 and 14 December, 2020. To reserve a cruise, guests benefit from a reduced deposit of USD 1,000 / CAD 1,250 per suite. The deposit will be converted to a shipboard credit of USD 1,000 when full payment of the booking is received. Guests not going for Early Booking Bonus can have this favorable deposit converted into ship board credit if they pay in full within standard 120 days prior to departure. Reduced Deposit is valid on all suite categories and for all 2021 voyages until 31 December 2021, excluding World Cruises and Grand Voyages. Cancel and re-books do not qualify. The promotion is capacity controlled and can be removed at any time. Single supplements apply and vary by voyage. Other restrictions may apply. Ships’ registry: Bahamas and Ecuador."

[CruiserFromMaine]

I was quite interested in the 2023 grand Pacific voyage, but not with a 25% deposit to put down over 24 months in advance. Too many unknowns still. I’ll wait till closer, knowing I might not have the best selection of suites to choose from. 

[brimary]

18 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

Yes, I thought the prices of all the new itineraries were a good 20% higher than I might have expected.  I know that SS are probably suffering more than they admit but I, for one, won't be rushing into any bookings. Certainly not when the future is still so uncertain. 

Couldn’t agree more.The per day costs indicate a massive percentage increase on our last six cruises in 2019.Too expensive and too much uncertainty in the World to  consider next SS cruise,not to mention the 25% deposit.Realise they have to recover lost funds probably to stay alive but do not kill the incentives gained over 22 years of loyalty to SS.Not for us yet!

[Observer]

45 minutes ago, brimary said:

Couldn’t agree more.The per day costs indicate a massive percentage increase on our last six cruises in 2019.Too expensive and too much uncertainty in the World to  consider next SS cruise,not to mention the 25% deposit.Realise they have to recover lost funds probably to stay alive but do not kill the incentives gained over 22 years of loyalty to SS.Not for us yet!

The deposit amount does not greatly bother me.  I typically pay the full amount promptly to get the 10% early booking discount.  

 

But the apparent increase in per diem may be a deal breaker for me.  I imagine that a good deal of that increase is due to the included shore excursions, none of which I will take.  Silversea could easily reduce the per diem for people who asked to opt out of included excursions.  They have done so for years when airfare is included.

 

I talked last night with a couple of Silversea regulars (many hundreds of nights aboard).  They looked yesterday at the prices and are looking at other less inclusive options.  Their TA said that he thinks SS adds this inclusion to boost TA commissions and encourage TAs to book SS.  If a guest books and pays for a $75/pp excursion onboard, the TA gets nothing.  If that amount is folded into the fare the TA gets a larger commission. 

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, Observer said:

Their TA said that he thinks SS adds this inclusion to boost TA commissions and encourage TAs to book SS.  If a guest books and pays for a $75/pp excursion onboard, the TA gets nothing.  If that amount is folded into the fare the TA gets a larger commission. 

 

Absolutely correct and this is how they are selling this marketing promotion to their agents.

[MBP&O2/O]

“Yes, I thought the prices of all the new itineraries were a good 20% higher than I might have expected.  I know that SS are probably suffering more than they admit but I, for one, won't be rushing into any bookings. Certainly not when the future is still so uncertain. ”

Agree whole heartedly. Some look to be horrendously expensive. 

 

I was looking at an ‘all inclusive’ one that had included economy air plus the option to upgrade to business class air fare for £999 .... per person ... per leg. I hope I have  misinterpreted that as when I checked a DIY fare it worked out 25% less than the cost of the upgrade? I have emailed SS to inquire about a cruise only fare.

 

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, MBP&O2/O said:

I have emailed SS to inquire about a cruise only fare.

 

Let us know what you hear.

[les37b]

On 12/2/2020 at 12:37 AM, clo said:

This link shows a $1000 reduced deposit. I don't know if the deposit if that or if 25% is reduced by $1000.

 

https://www.silversea.com/best-luxury-cruise-deals/double-bonus.html

 

I was in touch with our SS rep and he said this goes into effect on 12/10.

 

Maybe I'm being a little cynical, but I certainly booked a cruise which I considered to be majorly overpriced for what it was, because of the nice $1000 OBC. I'm now tied in. I can't get a refund 'cos I used the FCC and bookings going forward won't have this option... My 12 night Tower Bridge cruise has already turned into a 7 night med. If it turns into a 5 night without OBC, I wouldn't be too happy if a further cancellation proved to be that result!

[MBP&O2/O]

3 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

 

Let us know what you hear.

SS have replied ... confirmed it is £999 per guest per leg .... £3996 to upgrade.

(My initial inquiry for the same route 12 months earlier shows a total fare of £3682 !

SS "Cruise Only" discount is £712pp.... which means I could effectively get £1424 off the normal flight price. Even allowing for inflation it makes you think!

They also intimate that should I arrange my own flights they will arrange all transfers and hotels - no costing was mentioned. 🙄

The mail said "

We are able to organise your pre and post cruise stay which means, we organise all the transfers as well. Just let me know.

Should you arrange your own flights, we can reduce the fare by GBP 712 per guest."

 

[Stumblefoot]

Anyone find any 2023 voyages with the 20% savings as noted in the pic?

 

[Tothesunset]

If you're very patient and have no life, friends or pride, you can, as I did, check out each itinerary. Well, I say I did, but I lost the will to live early on in the process. 

 

Smacks of desperation both in marketing and cash raising. 

[Stumblefoot]

32 minutes ago, Tothesunset said:

If you're very patient and have no life, friends or pride, you can, as I did, check out each itinerary. Well, I say I did, but I lost the will to live early on in the process. 

 

LOL Tothesunset!  So, I'll take that as a "no".  I didn't find any either.  I couldn't even find any in the fall of 2021.  

My guess is they changed just a single voyage to 20% off buried deeply somewhere amongst the over 600 available voyages so they could make the marketing claim. 😉

[dawntrdr]

2 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

anyone find any 2023 voyages with the 20% savings as noted in the pic?

Yes, Tokyo to Seward on the Muse 5/6/22; SM220506014.

[Observer]

34 minutes ago, dawntrdr said:

Yes, Tokyo to Seward on the Muse 5/6/22; SM220506014.

 

Excellent catch.  Thanks.  Are there more?  

[dawntrdr]

Lisbon to Dakar,  October 12, 2021 on the Wind.  Then, Dakar to Buenos Aires Oct. 29, 2021.

 

And then from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, with stops at Falklands, South Georgia and what appears to be an eclipse viewing at sea.  Nov. 21, 2021.

Edited December 16, 2020 by dawntrdr
add information

[turtlemichael]

3 hours ago, dawntrdr said:

Lisbon to Dakar,  October 12, 2021 on the Wind.  Then, Dakar to Buenos Aires Oct. 29, 2021.

 

And then from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, with stops at Falklands, South Georgia and what appears to be an eclipse viewing at sea.  Nov. 21, 2021.

Well done! You are on  a roll!