Another cutback

[wren2]

I have disembarked in Lisbon several times and know the port is 20 minutes from the airport. In the past, if there was a wide time gap between disembarkation and flight time, the transfer would include a short city tour. I am currently on Silver Moon, and enjoying the cruise, but was told if I wanted a city tour as part of my included transfer, I would have to pay extra. Everything is very good on the Moon, including the Wi-Fi. It is such a shame when the staff take such good care of you, that head office cost-cutting decisions antagonise you.

[carefreecruise]

There is no cost cutting. The cruise is over and if you want a tour of the town till your flight is ready. You should assume to have to pay for it.

[commodoredave]

I've never had the option of a free excursion on disembarkation day, perhaps because I have never taken the SS air package which likely includes transfers. Regardless, I do think it is an option that passengers should pay extra for if they want it; otherwise people who may not want to avail themselves of it will be subsidizing it. 

[Observer]

I have frequently seen various options for disembarkation. One was a direct transfer to the airport. Another (in some cases with multiple offerings) included sightseeing and even lunch, for a surcharge.  

 

I do not doubt that there is cost cutting in various areas. I do not think that this is one of them.  

[A Tucson Guy]

6 hours ago, carefreecruise said:

There is no cost cutting. The cruise is over and if you want a tour of the town till your flight is ready. You should assume to have to pay for it.

I agree with you 100%.

[ronrick1943]

Never thought about it as we always do are own transfer to the airport.  One would think once off the ship at the end of a cruise you are on your own—unless you have an airport transfer.

[les37b]

Whilst its true to say, transfers to the airport which included a tour, was chargeable. However, when on a late flight (after 18.00), Silversea are meant (expected?) to provide a day room. Only on our Barbados cruise last January, that wasn't provided and a tour was provided that included lunch with no charge. That said, we had originally been allocated a simple bus ride tour and told "that was the only option".... But while at GS I learned of this one and got a place on it. There were about 4 variations so unclear why Id been told its that or straight to the airport at 8

 

I don't think anyone would be impressed being dumped at the airport at 9 am for a 7pm flight (which was then delayed by 3 hours to boot!)

[lincslady]

Seabourn are (were?) good about transfers if you had booked flights with them - to the airport for an earlier  flight, free lunch at a nice hotel if flight after 3 pm. and dayroom if after 6p.m.  But only if they had done the flights.

[Randyk47]

We’ve used Silversea transfers from time to time and have never been offered a free post cruise tour and a couple of times we’ve gotten to the airport hours before our flight.  Don’t see this as a cut in service.  

[tgh]

Post disembarkation arrangements may (now) be linked to the PtoP and DtoD options.

We are DtoD , have an early disembark and a late flight and have been told by SS they will provide either a hotel room or a tour at the ships discretion.
 

[Port Power]

On 9/16/2023 at 3:16 AM, carefreecruise said:

There is no cost cutting. The cruise is over and if you want a tour of the town till your flight is ready. You should assume to have to pay for it.

On Dawn last month, if you had booked and paid for door-to-door, transfers to the airport were included.  If flights were after a certain time of the afternoon, that transfer included a half day tour on the way to the airport.  No extra charge.  (I was not door2door, so I paid for the transfer at the shore excursions desk.)

 

I am going to visit shore excursions here on Muse to check the current arrangements.

[southend]

this is an extract from my cruise documentation/receipt, we are D2D Mumbai to Singapore, Feb24 

 

 "POST-CRUISE TRANSFER: FROM: PIER TO: AIRPORT
TRANSFER ON 29/02/2024
**PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOUR SILVERSEA FLIGHT DEPARTS AFTER 4PM, YO U ARE ENTITLED TO A TOUR WITH DROP OFF AT THE AIRPORT.
IF YOUR SI LVERSEA FLIGHT DEPARTS AFTER 10PM, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU BOOK A D AYROOM, OR A POST NIGHT AS THE WAIT
TIME CAN EXCEED 12 HOURS"

 

seems very clear to me.

colin

 

[lincslady]

Simple - included for a tour, pay yourself for a dayroom - at least it is spelled out for everyone.

[Port Power]

I can confirm that as my flight is at 5:00pm, there is an included transfer to the airport with half day tour. No extra charge.

[johng75370]

On 9/17/2023 at 10:04 AM, Mr Luxury said:

Those days are gone.

Those were the good old days.

Last December we received that benefit from Seabourn when we booked air through them; had a day room at a nice airport hotel and car service for a late flight back from Miami to SFO.  If it has, sorry to see that policy go away.  Would expect Silversea handles it similarly if they provide the air.  

Edited September 20, 2023 by johng75370

[carefreecruise]

On 9/17/2023 at 5:18 PM, Port Power said:

On Dawn last month, if you had booked and paid for door-to-door, transfers to the airport were included.  If flights were after a certain time of the afternoon, that transfer included a half day tour on the way to the airport.  No extra charge.  (I was not door2door, so I paid for the transfer at the shore excursions desk.)

 

I am going to visit shore excursions here on Muse to check the current arrangements.

Correct, the question was "should it be included in the cruise as a free excursion" the answer is still NO. Airport transfers and tours are if you booked with Silverair as part of your Door-toDoor. Ones who arrange their own flights are on their own after the cruise is over. Unless a post hotel is included in the cruise. 

[Port Power]

13 hours ago, carefreecruise said:

Correct, the question was "should it be included in the cruise as a free excursion" the answer is still NO. Airport transfers and tours are if you booked with Silverair as part of your Door-toDoor. Ones who arrange their own flights are on their own after the cruise is over. Unless a post hotel is included in the cruise. 

The OP did have an included transfer. The question was about an included tour with that transfer.  To which I replied there usually is an included tour with the transfer if the flight departs late in the day.  I agree that free transfers (with or without tours) should not be included if the passenger has not booked Door to Door.  In my experience they are not, but can be purchased.

[TheRampantSnail]

On 9/17/2023 at 11:07 AM, les37b said:

Whilst its true to say, transfers to the airport which included a tour, was chargeable. However, when on a late flight (after 18.00), Silversea are meant (expected?) to provide a day room. Only on our Barbados cruise last January, that wasn't provided and a tour was provided that included lunch with no charge. That said, we had originally been allocated a simple bus ride tour and told "that was the only option".... But while at GS I learned of this one and got a place on it. There were about 4 variations so unclear why Id been told its that or straight to the airport at 8

 

I don't think anyone would be impressed being dumped at the airport at 9 am for a 7pm flight (which was then delayed by 3 hours to boot!)

We did a Barbados - Barbados round trip last November. As ever, our return flight to Heathrow was in the evening. A couple of days before the end of the cruise we had a letter telling us that there would be a tour and lunch for us after disembarkation at no cost. We were dropped at the airport at 3pm, but it was far better than being there at 9am.