Silversea Shenanigans Onboard Silver Muse

[Will Work for Tiramisu]

Back in the day, in SoCal, I used to do some surfing.  Catching and riding a wave, standing up on the board, and maybe carving a bit, isn't an automatic thing.  Researching, scheduling and executing travel reminds me of that experience.  The default is you go splat, and the wave gives you the washing machine experience.  But if you can negotiate the ever changing surface of water, wind, wave dynamics, dolphins emerging next to you - it is more fun than anything.  As with travel.  Silversea and all the others are businesses, riding their own waves.  I'm constantly looking over my shoulder for a good swell, or a good combination of cruise line/destination/amenities/price.  If it looks good, I paddle like hell.  Even your place in the "line up" (where surfers congregate to catch waves) changes constantly because of currents.  You have to constantly adjust travel expectations, based on every changing conditions.  I mostly make arrangements directly with person at the cruise line, and make our own flight/hotel deals.  Its not surfing, but it is similar, and can be a lot of fun, and result in wonderful life experiences. 

[highplanesdrifters]

12 hours ago, Will Work for Tiramisu said:

Back in the day, in SoCal, I used to do some surfing.  Catching and riding a wave, standing up on the board, and maybe carving a bit, isn't an automatic thing.  Researching, scheduling and executing travel reminds me of that experience.  The default is you go splat, and the wave gives you the washing machine experience.  But if you can negotiate the ever changing surface of water, wind, wave dynamics, dolphins emerging next to you - it is more fun than anything.  As with travel.  Silversea and all the others are businesses, riding their own waves.  I'm constantly looking over my shoulder for a good swell, or a good combination of cruise line/destination/amenities/price.  If it looks good, I paddle like hell.  Even your place in the "line up" (where surfers congregate to catch waves) changes constantly because of currents.  You have to constantly adjust travel expectations, based on every changing conditions.  I mostly make arrangements directly with person at the cruise line, and make our own flight/hotel deals.  Its not surfing, but it is similar, and can be a lot of fun, and result in wonderful life experiences. 

 

That was a really good analogy. 👍

[tnm6217]

I'm back home now and wanted to send an update on "Champagnegate" 😉

 

Sadly, nothing was ever resolved onboard. After two days, guest relations directed me to talk with future cruise since they are the point of contact for VS matters. I spoke with Elena, who was very kind, and she agreed that it didn't appear the upgraded champagne was an exclusion under Status Match. She reached out to "marketing at corporate" who apparently told her there are multiple exceptions that aren't listed, and the Champagne was one of them.

 

On the last night of the cruise, I met another couple who are 150 day sailed VS members who are now 350 day VS members through Status Match. They also tried to get the upgraded Champagne and were turned down. That night I also learned there were 1,000+ bottles of Duval Leroy onboard, but they wouldn't let me have a bottle despite specifically asking. One of the bartenders also tried to order one for me earlier in the cruise (she was aware of Champagnegate) and they delivered the Monopole to her bar instead of the Duval Leroy requested. 

 

I went back and read through everything again and I know I'm not wrong about being entitled to the upgraded bottle of Champagne. I saw that there is a mandatory arbitration clause for any issues under the VS program, and I may move forward with arbitration to show corporate that these "little" things matter to their guests. I'm still just shocked that this issue could've been easily resolved onboard for a very nominal cost to the company.

 

The whole situation left a bad taste in my mouth. I've felt more accommodated on far less expensive cruises, so I don't plan to keep SS on my list of potential cruise lines in the near future. Thanks to everyone for their input and affirmation on this issue...the guest experience matters!

[Gourmet Gal]

It’s really a shame that such a little thing can spiral into such a major issue that can derail the enjoyment of your vacation.  It’s really just one mediocre champagne vs another.  I learned a lot reading this thread.

 

Good luck with your arbitration.

[UKCruiseJeff]

20 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

It’s really a shame that such a little thing can spiral into such a major issue that can derail the enjoyment of your vacation.  It’s really just one mediocre champagne vs another.  I learned a lot reading this thread.

 

Good luck with your arbitration.

 

Spot on.

 

It’s an accomplishment to go to these extraordinary lengths to try and attract and succeed n attracting the very highest top-notch value cruisers in the whole industry - worth their weight in Gold! - to then do your level best to ensure exceptionally cheaply that they never, ever return and who then explain to others why.  Whilst at the same time upsetting some of your most valuable existing customers.

 

And then to tell customers that their most senior on-board management on a ship has no autonomy or discretion to use common sense and simply resolve simple issues on board, 

 

Priceless,  bewildering and potentially hopeless.

 

Jeff

 

 

 

Edited June 23 by UKCruiseJeff

[goofysmom99]

I think the Royal Caribbean Group bean counters are to blame.  On a recent November or February Celebrity cruise, I was repeatedly charged for room service which should have been and previously was comped as a loyalty perk.  Not this time.  I called about it for three consecutive days for removal but still charged.  Arter showing the concierge the listed perks on the website (I earned them vs matched) and informing her I was going to post re the loss of this perk on every forum I could find, she asked me to please wait, that they "had to get approval from Miami."  Although the charges were ultimately removed, that was a first for me.  Sounds as though the "not authorized to think/act" disease has spread.  

Edited June 23 by goofysmom99

[drron29]

As I have said before we reaced 350 days on SS and only once have had the upgraded champagne. We have has 12 cruise sectors since covid and not even once on those sectors.

I really couldn't care less. Not much difference IMHO. Just a few dollars at the bottle shop is the difference between them.

I can't for the life of me see why a different champagne should cause so much angst. Not going to us when considering whether we will or won't cruise SS in the future.

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, drron29 said:

I can't for the life of me see why a different champagne should cause so much angst.

I don't think it's the brand of champagne, but rather the promise made and then blithely ignored.  That's what puts me off (for life) from any company.

[Bullswood]

5 hours ago, drron29 said:

 

I can't for the life of me see why a different champagne should cause so much angst. 

As a non-drinker, I'd obviously agree. However I do feel that there are a couple of interesting takeaways from this thread:

a) the lack of attention to detail and speed of resolution - if a service is on the published product specification it should be delivered and only thereafter, if not intended, it should be deleted from the offering. Immediately. Not rocket science, surely? 

and

b) if the above reports are correct, an astonishing lack of empowerment of those on the ship (even apparently at senior onboard manager level) to resolve simple customer problems. That is no way to deliver a top-end customer experience and smacks of an organisation now being micro-managed from HQ (extreme financial pressures?). That is bad for both both staff and customer morale.

[JimDee363636]

A great French writer once said that a person will remember an insult far longer than an injury. @tnm6217 was not injured in any meaningful sense, but she was insulted by the cavalier treatment she received in response to her rather reasonable requests. I'm sure to some, she's making a mountain out of a molehill, and maybe she is, but I think her complaints are valid. Silversea's response (or lack of same) is unworthy of a so-called luxury line.

 

Jim

[tnm6217]

Thank you @Host Jazzbeau and @JimDee363636!

 

This incident was a matter of principle more than the bottle of Champagne itself. The issue could've been resolved on embarkation day for what amounts to a $50-60 market rate difference between the standard and upgraded bottles. Champagne criticism aside, I was told I would receive a certain benefit -- one that the ship was otherwise able to provide -- and various levels of leadership, both onboard and shoreside, refused. Terms and conditions should be adhered to in every situation. It's why they exist, and lord knows the cruise lines don't hesitate to apply them in their favor.

[Gourmet Gal]

Jimdee, you hit the nail on the head…so-called luxury line.  In fact SS is now a wannabe luxury line and it’s beginning to sound as though it’s by design.

[UKCruiseJeff]

2 minutes ago, tnm6217 said:

Thank you @Host Jazzbeau and @JimDee363636!

 

This incident was a matter of principle more than the bottle of Champagne itself. The issue could've been resolved on embarkation day for what amounts to a $50-60 market rate difference between the standard and upgraded bottles. Champagne criticism aside, I was told I would receive a certain benefit -- one that the ship was otherwise able to provide -- and various levels of leadership, both onboard and shoreside, refused. Terms and conditions should be adhered to in every situation. It's why they exist, and lord knows the cruise lines don't hesitate to apply them in their favor.

 

For what it’s worth, I think many providers of services and products could learn quite a lot from thinking a bit out of the square regarding your experience and the way it was mishandled.

 

But I’m not holding my breath.  🙂

 

Jeff

[highplanesdrifters]

18 hours ago, tnm6217 said:

This incident was a matter of principle more than the bottle of Champagne itself.

 

I concur.

 

One gets pushed around by the bean counters to the point of enough is enough. 

[UKCruiseJeff]

41 minutes ago, highplanesdrifters said:

 

I concur.

 

One gets pushed around by the bean counters to the point of enough is enough. 

 

It seems to me that anyone in the OP’s situation had reasonably thought “These people really want me because I’ve spent a lot elsewhere and they have put into place a loyalty matching programme because they absolutely and desperately want the opportunity to show me that my future cash would be better spent with Silversea than my current proven brand.  

 

Then when I took the risk and gave them the chance - they failed and then they couldn’t even be bothered to provide the base level they’d explicitly promised and when I pointed this out - no one seemed bothered or willing or able to resolve it.  I then gave them the benefit of explaining slowly and patiently and clearly to them and they shrugged and walked away.  

 

You think they’d do at the very least what they promised in order to impress me -  or  more - or at least tried to put it right when it went wrong”

 

This patient effort and advice from the OP should have been worth it’s weight in Gold to SS. These are nuggets to learn from.   It’s feedback about expensive failings from those that “know”.  

 

This is not as some seem to think about “moving on” or the difference between really cheap champagne of slightly more expensive champagne it’s about being bewildered about being asked to give another brand an opportunity to “win them” and then making no effort to make it mutually worthwhile even when it was explained.

 

In fact the whole process illustrated why she shouldn’t have bothered in the first place temporarily defecting from her current brand to give SS a chance.

 

This is from any and every angle or measure showing complete and utter shambles at every level, and at every stage.  It’s hopeless.

 

That to me seems the nub of the issue. 

 

Jeff

 

EDITED:   ….. TNM/OP please forgive my presumptions in putting words into your mouth ie this was merely my personalised take of your experience and frustrations and bewilderments if you get my drift.  etc.  🙂

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 02:24 PM by UKCruiseJeff

[highplanesdrifters]

Just now, UKCruiseJeff said:

In fact the whole process illustrated why she shouldn’t have bothered in the first place

 

Fair point, and I agree. I do however understand the frustration, and applaud the efforts.

 

I catch myself doing exactly as the OP had done, fight for the principle. For the most part I stop now.  Management at the mother ship is in short staffed ever changing chaos. Ones message might get across only to be lost as the person who recieved and acknowledged it is no longer there or in a position to do something. 

[UKCruiseJeff]

I agree!

 

Jeff

Edited Tuesday at 03:28 PM by UKCruiseJeff

[MuseCruiser]

On 6/24/2024 at 1:53 PM, tnm6217 said:

Thank you @Host Jazzbeau and @JimDee363636!

 

This incident was a matter of principle more than the bottle of Champagne itself. The issue could've been resolved on embarkation day for what amounts to a $50-60 market rate difference between the standard and upgraded bottles. Champagne criticism aside, I was told I would receive a certain benefit -- one that the ship was otherwise able to provide -- and various levels of leadership, both onboard and shoreside, refused. Terms and conditions should be adhered to in every situation. It's why they exist, and lord knows the cruise lines don't hesitate to apply them in their favor.

Just as a point of information. I looked up the retail price of the Duval Leroy champagne in the USA on the pro version of Winesearcher.com. It ranges from $29 to the mid $70's with many bottles available in the low $30.00 range. Assuming SS gets it wholesale they would pay somewhere in the low to mid $20 range. There is no champagne called just "monopole" (that means monopoly in French) so there would be a producer making that champagne called "monopole" for me to look up re price. Point is the difference in price couldn't be all that much. 

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 12:10 AM by MuseCruiser

[DavyWavey70]

1 hour ago, MuseCruiser said:

 There is no champagne called just "monopole" (that means monopoly in French) so there would be a producer making that champagne called "monopole" for me to look up re price. Point is the difference in price couldn't be all that much. 

 

 

 

I’m not quite sure I understand your post. Monopole is a Heidsieck brand. Heidseck was founded in 1785 and whilst being a known name in Europe, Monopole Blue Top isn’t particularly well regarded. 

[Lemorvan]

In the UK and France both champagnes are the same price, circa £30. There is minimal difference between the two regarding quality.

Having looked at WineSearcher, again the pricing is similar for both, the much higher priced options for D Leroy are for large format bottles, magnums etc.

[AJCM]

For the little that it’s worth, my contribution is that we recently received the Rothschild Rose champagne and neither of us liked it; irrespective of its price. If that’s what is provided on next year’s cruise, we’ll ask to exchange.

 

We very much appreciated the laundry benefit.

[rojaan19]

3 pages  !!  All you are talking about  is a bottle of wine  !!!

 

 

[Tothesunset]

2 hours ago, rojaan19 said:

3 pages  !!  All you are talking about  is a bottle of wine  !!!

 

 

I know! 

 

Only 3 pages. 

[Texas Tillie]

2 hours ago, rojaan19 said:

3 pages  !!  All you are talking about  is a bottle of wine  !!!

 

 

 

No, this thread is about much more than a bottle of wine. Its about giving an example of how the luxury experience once offered by Silversea has been seriously degraded.

[UKCruiseJeff]

33 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

No, this thread is about much more than a bottle of wine. Its about giving an example of how the luxury experience once offered by Silversea has been seriously degraded.

 

Spot on.

 

It’s also about the total lack of goodwill, integrity, basic nous, issue resolution, delegated extremely basic authorities with the trusting of your own on-site senior management to make their own good judgements and what this and other stuff means for those making choices about who they choose to sail with in the future.  

 

Seems to me to be worthy of thinking of the issues outside of the bottle of wine. 

 

Jeff