last minute booking with SB

[oceandream]

Hi. 

I would like to read about your experience in booking directly with Seabourn. Any advantages in booking with them? and at the last minute ?Thank you

[Hlitner]

We did a relatively last minute Odyssey booking (last October) although we never book direct with a cruise line.  Why?  Using our favored cruise agencies gets us OBCs that we would not get if booking direct.  The truth is that our travel professionals know what they are doing, can interact with the cruise line's computer system, and have their contacts at the cruise line.  

 

By the way, our favored cruise agencies all have online booking engines tied directly into the cruise line systems.  So, if we book a SB cruise using our cruise agencies system it will immediately flow through to the SB system (some refer to it as Polar) and issue a booking number.  We can immediately go into SBs system and see our reservation.

 

Hank

[highplanesdrifters]

No advantage booking directly. A good TA is worth their weight in gold. @Hlitnerhas it right

[AnnieO2019]

We booked our first Seabourn cruise with a Travel Agent (in UK) and got no OBC or any additional benefit. Seabourn then sent us an email and allocated us a Cruise Consultant in Seattle who we have booked directly with ever since. (4 more). Despite the time difference he will phone me whenever I ask via email and can find out questions about Flight Ease, the best deals available, excursions and any other questions I might have.

im not sure if TAs work a bit differently in the U.K. compared to USA or Canada but I’ve regularly checked some of the main cruise TAs over here and have never found them offering a better deal than we have got by booking direct

[markham]

How very odd. For 20 years I have used the same cruise specialist TA and received approximately 10% off Seabourn fares every time. There are 2 such TAs and both are very good. Mine is at the end of the new Elizabeth Line if that helps you narrow the field, and I am surprised you have not learned the name from another UK passenger from one of your past cruises.

 

I am very happy with their service, BTW, and generally ask at the time of booking for air inclusive quotes, and they deal with Seabourn online which makes things as simple as if Seabourn were doing it all. Just much cheaper. I know Seabourn's fares and prooduct and get exactly what I want- that savings. Besides, if there were a problem between myself and Seabourn, I take comfort that my TA, Seabourn's largest, would be on MY side to assist. That cannot happen with a direct booking.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[lincslady]

Yes to the above.  If you type in Seabourn UK on line you should see prominently the name of the main Seabourn Agent in the UK.  Not only do you get about 10%off the current price, but they answer the phone promptly in person.  

[margbem]

55 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Yes to the above.  If you type in Seabourn UK on line you should see prominently the name of the main Seabourn Agent in the UK.  Not only do you get about 10%off the current price, but they answer the phone promptly in person.  

We use a different UK TA but the same comment as above applies to them too.

[MJN1]

We booked next week's Quest cruise only three weeks ago on a whim triggered by a regular SB e-mail. We have in the past always used a US agent as the published US$ fares were usually better than the ones based on the Euro or GBP. However, this time  -  to our big surprise - the GBP based fares on SB's website were significantly cheaper. And thanks to a posting several months ago we found "Her Majesty's" TA and the booking was favorable completed over a weekend simply via a few e-mails. Their follow-up since then has been absolutely splendid. And for the first time ever, SB tried to entice us thereafter with an up-sell "upgrade" to their top-suites.

[Tallante]

On 6/19/2022 at 9:15 AM, margbem said:

We use a different UK TA but the same comment as above applies to them too.

 

On 6/19/2022 at 8:19 AM, lincslady said:

Yes to the above.  If you type in Seabourn UK on line you should see prominently the name of the main Seabourn Agent in the UK.  Not only do you get about 10%off the current price, but they answer the phone promptly in person.  

You reckon?  I called them twice on my return from the Encore.  Waited at least 20 mins to talk to an Agent.  They eventually solved one problem but I asked them about tours in Venice from the ship.  They promised to find out and call me back, that was 10 days ago and still waiting.

[lincslady]

If it the same Agent I was referring to I am surprised - but I haven't cruised at all for a few years, so things may have changed for the worse.

[markham]

So you decided to wait 10 days and maybe lose out on a discount of something like 10 on top of whatever the fare was originally? If  that’s the case and you do not want to call this TA back, then why not call Seabourn, get the low down on Venice tours, and book directly. BTW, I cannot imagine waiting 20 minutes to talk to this TA’s sales consultants, but that could be remedied by calling again slightly later. 10% is 10%, after all.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!