Non-refundable deposit

[avalong]

 

I was considering Silversea for the first time and discovered that the port-to-port itinerary I was researching has a non-refundable deposit. I've never heard of such a thing and it was definitely a deal breaker. Is this a new policy? If so, how are you repeat customers reacting to this? 

[audobon_tx]

SS are trying to force the door-to-door option, which you have no doubt also discovered is much more expensive even if you take an airfare credit.

[FauxNom]

I'm willing to live with non-refundable for a cruise that's not years out in the future. The price tradeoff can be pretty significant and I tend to not book unless I'm really sure anyway. If it gets too uncomfortable, there's always trip insurance.

[avalong]

Yes, I forgot about trip insurance. I always insure the deposit anyway in order to get the pre-existing condition waiver. Something to think about. 

But  still, the policy seems draconian and out-of-step with the rest of the industry.

[cruiseej]

4 hours ago, avalong said:

 

I was considering Silversea for the first time and discovered that the port-to-port itinerary I was researching has a non-refundable deposit. I've never heard of such a thing and it was definitely a deal breaker. Is this a new policy? If so, how are you repeat customers reacting to this? 

 

Yes, it's a recent change, when they created the port-to-port and door-to-door options. I think many people are quite put off by the non-refundable 15% deposit. Covering this with trip insurance means you need to purchase trip insurance at the time of your reservation, and that cost is not refundable. And not all reasons for cancelling a cruise are covered by trip insurance. I very likely will not book a cruise with those terms and conditions. 

[jwh]

I called Silversea earlier this week to ask about a 2024 cruise .  Was told there was a 25% deposit which was 'refundable' with a credit for future cruise  up until 150 days before sailing.  These conditions are totally unacceptable for a cruise over 2 years out on a ship which is not even built yet!   I was looking forward to SS being my new cruise line of choice (I am a Crystal refugee), and have booked for 2023 but unless booking conditions are relaxed for 2024, our existing booking may be our first and last cruise on SS.

[Stumblefoot]

I’m not following.  What’s the problem?  
 

Until recently, to get the best price people paid 100% of the fare two years in advance to secure the exact suite they wanted.  It was that way for years.

[Observer]

1 hour ago, jwh said:

I called Silversea earlier this week to ask about a 2024 cruise .  Was told there was a 25% deposit which was 'refundable' with a credit for future cruise  up until 150 days before sailing.  These conditions are totally unacceptable for a cruise over 2 years out on a ship which is not even built yet!   I was looking forward to SS being my new cruise line of choice (I am a Crystal refugee), and have booked for 2023 but unless booking conditions are relaxed for 2024, our existing booking may be our first and last cruise on SS.

 

Things may be different in your part of the world, but I think you misunderstand the refund policy. With door to door bookings, there is a 100% cash refund (less administrative fee, see below) for cancellations 151 or more days before embarkation.  It is not a future cruise credit. However, there is a $250 per person administrative fee charged against each cancellation.  This fee can be applied to a future cruise booking.  

 

I too would be very upset if the only refund was in the form of a future cruise credit

[jwh]

34 minutes ago, Observer said:

 

Things may be different in your part of the world, but I think you misunderstand the refund policy. With door to door bookings, there is a 100% cash refund (less administrative fee, see below) for cancellations 151 or more days before embarkation.  It is not a future cruise credit. However, there is a $250 per person administrative fee charged against each cancellation.  This fee can be applied to a future cruise booking.  

 

I too would be very upset if the only refund was in the form of a future cruise credit

Happy to call them back to see if someone else gives me a different response, however I did question it to get clarification and the Silversea rep repeated as I have written above.  25% deposit, not refundable for cash and only FCC up until 150 days before sailing.   

[ronrick1943]

For us I really don’;t have a problem—people that book a cruise should be penalized for cancelling -they are holding a suite for months and than cancel for something else.  Maybe someone that really wanted that cruise and suite didn’t book because it was sold out, only too be opened after other plans were made.

[brittany12]

ronrick seems too severe. People often change plans for very good reasons out of their control. Not just cruise hopping.. Free cancellation way out on the runway has always been the rule for all cruise lines. Recently imposed admin charge is new and not objectionable..

[Observer]

3 hours ago, brittany12 said:

ronrick seems too severe. People often change plans for very good reasons out of their control. Not just cruise hopping.. Free cancellation way out on the runway has always been the rule for all cruise lines. Recently imposed admin charge is new and not objectionable..

 

The imposition of an administrative charge is hardly recent or new. It has been in place for many years. Previously the charge was $200 per booking, rather than the current charge per guest.  

 

I fail to see why Silversea is being attacked for offering a reduced rate with more severe cancellation penalties.  Airlines and hotels have been doing this for years, with nonrefundable rates.

[brittany12]

Not all cruise lines impose  admin fee. SB did not. Still does not. SS in old days didn't either.

[SandJCruiser]

Let's understand this for what it is.  A nonrefundable deposit would presumably be in place to protect the cruise line against financial loss due to cancellation by the customer, by incentivising the customer not to cancel.  The illogical part of this is that the cruise line is at far greater risk of loss when there are outside vendors, hotels, airlines, etc. involved than when it's just the cruise itself.  Thus it would make more sense for the nonrefundable deposit to be on the door-to-door fares, rather than on the port-to-port.  Ergo, this is clearly a penalty on the customer for taking the P2P, less expensive option.  Silversea wants to sell D2D and make the extra profit on the extras, which, as we have seen, are in many cases grossly overpriced.  Money grab, nothing more, and an insult to their customers, IMO.

[Observer]

10 minutes ago, SandJCruiser said:

  Ergo, this is clearly a penalty on the customer for taking the P2P, less expensive option.  Silversea wants to sell D2D and make the extra profit on the extras, which, as we have seen, are in many cases grossly overpriced.  Money grab, nothing more, and an insult to their customers, IMO.

 

Would you feel the same way about an airline that sold a nonrefundable fare that provided for no free checked bag, boarding in a later group, and lack of access to the more comfortable seats at the front of the plane/aisles? Or about a hotel that offered a nonrefundable advance purchase on certain categories of room, not including the highest categories?

 

As I posted when this was first announced, I am not pleased with the changes in pricing.  But I think they are consistent with practice in other parts of the travel industry.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Observer

[SandJCruiser]

Not to quibble, but in my experience, the hotels and airlines usually offer all levels of service at either a refundable or non-refundable price, and the customer can choose which option he wants, based upon his needs and the level of risk he wants to assume.  Not quite the case here, where your choice is either pay the exorbitant cost of the extras, or be forced to take the risk on your deposit.  True that the choice is yours, but neither of the two options are particularly palatable when you have to pick between risking substantial loss or willingly being ripped off.  I wouldn't  have a problem if they offered both D2D and P2P at either of two price points, one with a refundable deposit and one without.

[Jimmycruiser]

On 3/19/2022 at 11:06 AM, SandJCruiser said:

Not to quibble, but in my experience, the hotels and airlines usually offer all levels of service at either a refundable or non-refundable price, and the customer can choose which option he wants, based upon his needs and the level of risk he wants to assume.  Not quite the case here, where your choice is either pay the exorbitant cost of the extras, or be forced to take the risk on your deposit.  True that the choice is yours, but neither of the two options are particularly palatable when you have to pick between risking substantial loss or willingly being ripped off.  I wouldn't  have a problem if they offered both D2D and P2P at either of two price points, one with a refundable deposit and one without.

I agree their cancellation policy is not defensible and is not similar to either airline or hotel cancellation policies and I am also turned off as none of the other luxury cruise lines I am considering to replace Crystal penalizes you for choosing a lower cost option.