Total Nonsense on the Nova - what are they thinking??

[caviargal]

We are headed to Barbados now to board Nova for a ten night sailing.  I pull up my email this morning and see this:
 

"Dear Esteemed Guest,

 

Your voyage aboard the sublime Silver Nova is fast approaching, and we can't wait to welcome you aboard in Bridgetown. Today, we want to share an update regarding your disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale.

 

Due to the timing of Silver Nova sailing near fellow Royal Caribbean Group’s new vessels, Icon of the Seas and Celebrity Ascent, and the unique conditions to celebrate their first reunion with a planned photo opportunity on 13 March, the ship will modify her navigational path slightly delaying arrival to Fort Lauderdale until 11:00 am on 15 March in lieu of the initially scheduled 7:00 am arrival. Although this adjustment will not impact your itinerary in any way, some guests may need to modify post-voyage travel plans in response to this later arrival to Fort Lauderdale.

 

For guests with air arrangements through Silversea, our teams will review all schedules, arrange new outbound flights, if appropriate, and communicate the new arrangements as soon as possible. Air transfers will be modified accordingly.

 

For guests with independent travel arrangements, please reach out to your travel advisor or your air carrier directly if you have a currently scheduled flight departing on 15 March that would be affected by a later disembarkation. We advise securing flights departing no earlier than 5:00 pm on 15 March. Silversea will reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket costs for any change, cancellation, or differential air travel fees. To request an adjustment, guests should email receipts to guestrelations@silversea.com. Refunds and claims will be reviewed and processed within 30 days of receipt.

 

We hope you'll join us to celebrate this first reunion of Royal Caribbean's three new vessels. Please meet on the pool deck (decks 10 and 11) at 6:15 am on 13 March, and let's toast together. Kindly know drone photography and filming will be taking place between 6:00 and 7:00 am that day.

Thank you for your understanding. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to your travel advisor or cruise consultant.

We look forward to delivering the authentic beauty of the Caribbean, the unforgettable landscapes, history and culture. 

 

Best personal regards,

 

Silversea"

This has to be one of the stupidest things I have ever seen a cruise line do!  Do they really think all of us should be trying to change flights/trains/drivers at the very last minute -  or contacting our Travel Advisors to do so - during one of the busiest times of the year in Florida? 

I am appalled that a so called luxury line would put their passengers through this nonsense for a photo op!  It is ridiculous!

Edited March 5 by caviargal
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[PaulaJK]

Well, there appears to be a contest for stupid and for abusive behavior towards passengers. We and many others had already arrived in Capetown when SS cancelled the  

segment Mahe to Dubai w. only  2 days notice. The next segment, Dubai to Athens, clearly couldn’t sail due to long existent geopolitical issues and SS needed the time to deadhead Spirit for its Med season. Ship was full so Mahé, Seychelles rec’d about 600 folks. No joke. We had booked our air independently and suffered very high new airfare charges.
We will not sail SS again…this decision also supported by a less than regular onboard experience.

[Mayflower1]

If it was 1st April I would merely say that SS is operating a Bad Joke Policy - however one must now conclude that those in HO have lost their minds completely.

It is becoming ever more apparent that SS is no longer a serious Luxury Cruise Player and I doubt for its continued success.

[alainciao]

WOW.  unbelievable.  Affecting literally thousands of "esteemed guests".  This is very telling of upper management.

[nfcu]

And this also affects guests arriving for the next cruise.  Wonder what time boarding will begin for them? 5 pm or 6 pm?  What a dumb idea.

[Fletcher]

How can you have a 'first reunion' with something/someone you have never met?  I'd like to say this is shocking behaviour from Silversea but they've been behaving quite badly for some time now.  

Edited March 5 by Fletcher

[fdnycruiser]

Wow!  This is unbelievable, and they’ve just found out about this now ?  All for a photo op. I’m sure everyone will be up on deck at 06:15.  Also, will you still have to vacate your room by 8 ?   Definitely not acceptable 

[Observer]

It is really difficult to wrap one's head around this remarkable announcement.

 

Silversea of course has many guests from Europe and this change may have little impact on them. Most (but hardly all) Europe-bound flights depart the US after 5 PM.  

 

But this is likely to have very unfortunate consequences for passengers flying domestically.  Many guests (like me) book flights long in advance to get nonstop service or, at worst, one connection, aisle seats, etc.  Try getting that on relatively short notice in the midst of the spring vacation travel.

 

It is difficult to imagine that this crazy decision will stand.  

[pavementends]

NOT a good idea.

 

They have offered to compensate for differential air fare and expenses, which is something. Still, many people will be inconvenienced by this.

[lincslady]

We were once years ago treated a bit like this by Costa - but Silversea??    Appalling.

[Herman The Cat]

Absolutely absurd. Some Instagram influencer’s idea of a great photo op without consideration for guests. It is ridiculous that they would inconvenience thousands of people, with this self-serving gesture, not to mention incur a useless expense. 

 

Such poor judgment without considering the repercussions of the action.

Edited March 5 by Herman The Cat

[WanderingTravels]

Speechless!

[tinaincc]

in the age of AI and Photoshop, how is this even possible. how could they be so dense?

[TakingFlight]

Thank you for letting us know about this situation. I will be boarding Nova on the 15th in Ft. Lauderdale. I will plan to spend a bit more time at the pool or beach instead of rushing to the port to board early. I wonder if SS will alert us as to the later boarding times?

[drron29]

2 hours ago, TakingFlight said:

Thank you for letting us know about this situation. I will be boarding Nova on the 15th in Ft. Lauderdale. I will plan to spend a bit more time at the pool or beach instead of rushing to the port to board early. I wonder if SS will alert us as to the later boarding times?

Almost certainly not.

The Silversea Expert committee of travel agents is meeting on the Muse today. Hopefully our agent relates our experiences with similiar SS shenanigans though nothing as ludicrous as this with the Nova.

[jimdee3636]

@caviargal

You've performed a public service by alerting us to Silversea's insulting behavior toward its customers. I used to like the line and I have a $500 future cruise credit with them, but I'm going to let them keep it and take my bookings elsewhere. Royal Caribbean may have "saved" SS, but they've degraded the SS brand in ways big and small. For me, this clinches my decision to go elsewhere.

 

I hope you squeeze every bit of compensation you can from these idiots. You deserve it.

 

Jim 

[Carolfay]

I disembarked Nova a month ago in Buenos Aires.  During my time on board, I met several of the Grand Voyagers.  To treat them this way is insulting and unconscionable.  To put PR and marketing opportunities ahead of passengers is a slap in the face.  I hope this incident is well publicized and results in some appropriate consequences for Royal Caribbean and Silversea.

[Petwin]

It would be interesting to know if the CEO of Silversea supported the decision to change the NOVA itinerary.  I suspect the order came from above and Silversea management have to “tow the line”

[texanaust]

I'm curious...what is happening to all the passengers on Icon of the Seas and the Ascent?  Are they all being inconvenienced too?

[poinsettiaplate]

I am boarding this ship on the 15th; we were notified yesterday that we would not be able to board until 2 pm.  Most likely you will have to be out of your cabin at the usual 8 am for it to be ready by 2.

 

What a nightmare at the port and at the airport!  Sure hope you get a special copy of this special photo.

[TakingFlight]

My documents also say that boarding is between 2-4 pm on the 15th. I’ve only sailed Silversea expedition ships so I’m not sure when boarding usually commenceson the classic ships.

[poinsettiaplate]

I have gotten on as early as 12:30, eaten lunch in La T, and been in my cabin by 2.  Won't happen this time.  Too many people and bags coming off after 11.

 

Keep us posted if things change again.

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 minutes ago, poinsettiaplate said:

I have gotten on as early as 12:30, eaten lunch in La T, and been in my cabin by 2.  Won't happen this time.  Too many people and bags coming off after 11.

 

Keep us posted if things change again.

My Silversea cruise boarding in Auckland had an announced time of 2 pm, but when we looked in at the port they were already boarding around 12 noon.  But if this delays the real boarding to 2 pm, it would still be in line with the announced time.

[toseaornottosea]

2 hours ago, texanaust said:

I'm curious...what is happening to all the passengers on Icon of the Seas and the Ascent?  Are they all being inconvenienced too?

Just took a peek at the RCL and Celebrity boards.  Crickets.

[turtlemichael]

1 hour ago, toseaornottosea said:

Just took a peek at the RCL and Celebrity boards.  Crickets.

Because they will most likely be unaffected, possibly apart from minor changes to port times. They will be heading for other ports, not disembarkation. I doubt passengers have been told yet.

Edited March 6 by turtlemichael