JME415 Posted July 26 #1 Share Posted July 26 What can one expect if Silversea doesn't actually deliver D2D service? Friends left yesterday and their flight was delayed, causing them to miss the embarkation port. Silversea tacked on another two flights so they could meet the ship in the second port. But they are not being picked up at the airport (late at night) and no hotel is being coordinated for them. They are also not being picked up at the hotel and taken to the port after the overnight. So there are three segments of this "Door-to-Door" package where they've been left to fend for themselves. Since they were in a panic, I coordinated the airport pick-up and hotel. But as a Silversea customer myself, I want to know what they might expect from Silversea given they did not receive the "white glove" D2D experience. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer Posted July 26 #2 Share Posted July 26 2 hours ago, JME415 said: I want to know what they might expect from Silversea given they did not receive the "white glove" D2D experience. Very little, I imagine, given the new RCL culture. They will probably say that they got your friends to an alternate port and they were on their own. Silversea invites such problems by flying people in on departure day. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollyjones Posted July 26 #3 Share Posted July 26 27 minutes ago, Observer said: Silversea invites such problems by flying people in on departure day. And pax accepting such a thing. Crazy. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare taxatty Posted July 26 #4 Share Posted July 26 They may also be informed that those expenses are meant to be covered by travel insurance, which Silversea repeatedly urges acquiring. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carefreecruise Posted July 27 #5 Share Posted July 27 8 hours ago, JME415 said: What can one expect if Silversea doesn't actually deliver D2D service? Friends left yesterday and their flight was delayed, causing them to miss the embarkation port. Silversea tacked on another two flights so they could meet the ship in the second port. But they are not being picked up at the airport (late at night) and no hotel is being coordinated for them. They are also not being picked up at the hotel and taken to the port after the overnight. So there are three segments of this "Door-to-Door" package where they've been left to fend for themselves. Since they were in a panic, I coordinated the airport pick-up and hotel. But as a Silversea customer myself, I want to know what they might expect from Silversea given they did not receive the "white glove" D2D experience. Any thoughts? You don't understand D to D service. Silversea will cover a ride from your home to your local airport and from your local airport back to your house. If you pay for Silversea to arrange air for you, then they will pick you up at the airport and take you to the ship. Or to a hotel if it was included in the cruise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JME415 Posted July 27 Author #6 Share Posted July 27 48 minutes ago, carefreecruise said: You don't understand D to D service. Silversea will cover a ride from your home to your local airport and from your local airport back to your house. If you pay for Silversea to arrange air for you, then they will pick you up at the airport and take you to the ship. Or to a hotel if it was included in the cruise. 48 minutes ago, carefreecruise said: You don't understand D to D service. Silversea will cover a ride from your home to your local airport and from your local airport back to your house. If you pay for Silversea to arrange air for you, then they will pick you up at the airport and take you to the ship. Or to a hotel if it was included in the cruise. The expectation -- and what they claim to offer -- is "white glove" service from your home to the ship. This includes the flight. So if the flight is delayed and the connections missed, they re-route the flights. If those flights make it impossible to get you to the ship before it leaves, the expectation is they will get you to the next port and provide the needed transportation and arrangements. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation given how they market it. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DavyWavey70 Posted July 27 #7 Share Posted July 27 4 minutes ago, JME415 said: The expectation -- and what they claim to offer -- is "white glove" service from your home to the ship. This includes the flight. So if the flight is delayed and the connections missed, they re-route the flights. If those flights make it impossible to get you to the ship before it leaves, the expectation is they will get you to the next port and provide the needed transportation and arrangements. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation given how they market it. That’s when you need the small print not the headline. There’s quite a discrepancy between the two. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted July 27 #8 Share Posted July 27 2 hours ago, JME415 said: I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation given how they market it. 2 hours ago, DavyWavey70 said: That’s when you need the small print not the headline. There’s quite a discrepancy between the two. Absolutely. Anyone who buys a product, solely on the marketing blurbs, deserves to be disappointed. The actual terms and conditions are readily available, and any expectations should be confirmed by the black and white "fine print". Beyond that - everyone should have contingency plans for the times when things go sideways. In simple terms, don't expect everything to be taken care of for you. Take some initiative and know how to salvage a situation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer61 Posted July 27 #9 Share Posted July 27 2 hours ago, JME415 said: I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation given how they market it. I agree, maybe it depends on where you booked as well? T&C,s etc (just a guess not fact!) for those booking in the USA it could well be different to the UK or Australia, these 2 countries do have stronger consumer laws in the event things don't go as planned. On a side note, the door-to-door isnt that great an offer in my opinion, we have a cruise coming up and to add on the door to door verses the cost of booking flights and transfers ourselves is a big difference! I also wouldn't be arriving on departure day, rule of thumb is book to arrive a day before embarkation at least, we usually do 2 days as more often than not the departure port is a good destination anyway, so a couple of nights in a hotel (booked ourselves!!) is our usual preference plus we have acclimatized before getting on board which also helps. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare drron29 Posted July 27 #10 Share Posted July 27 I can usually get better air fares by doing myself or if I can't get our TA who specialses in flights. He sources some amazing fares. We would never arrive on the day of departure. just too risky. Also only ever book late afternoon or evening flights out on day we disembark. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Port Power Posted July 27 #11 Share Posted July 27 3 hours ago, JME415 said: The expectation -- and what they claim to offer -- is "white glove" service from your home to the ship. This includes the flight. So if the flight is delayed and the connections missed, they re-route the flights. If those flights make it impossible to get you to the ship before it leaves, the expectation is they will get you to the next port and provide the needed transportation and arrangements. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation given how they market it. I am so sorry for your friends. I hope they have learned from this that they need to fly into the port city at least a day early. Silversea will book earlier flights if requested. There was no hotel included in the D2D booking, so no reason SS would pay for it. Also the transfers from airport to port are group transfers, not an individual vehicle. At least their new flights were supplied at no further cost. Hopefully their travel insurance will compensate due to the missed connection, unless the cost is less than the excess. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tothesunset Posted July 27 #12 Share Posted July 27 A company that cares about its "esteemed" guests would move heaven and earth to ensure the comfort of its guests in extraordinary circumstances. That used to be Silversea. A company that cares only about its bottom line and pays only lip service to customer care is behaving somewhat cynically. Are we still pretending SS exists other than as a branding exercise? 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markham Posted July 27 #13 Share Posted July 27 Let’s get real. How can Silversea “take care” of guests whose travel problems are entirely out of Silversea’s control and can be associated with the passengers’ choice to arrive same day as the cruise? You make your bed and that bed might as well have you in it the day before the cruise starts- or longer. Should Silversea monitor your choices and require you stay at least one night? And pickup your luggage a week earlier and ship it to the cabin? Are you willing to pay for that, insurance and all? Then fine. There are specialists who advise and sell solutions for first time cruisers and long-distance travelers ie travel agents and luggage forwarders. Try to get open-ended indemnities from them around events that are out of their control. There will always be some elements of risk. You do your best and take responsibility for your choices. One supplier at a time. That may mean leaving any particular cruise line for good. But you may find that there are magical solutions elsewhere either. Happy and healthy sailing! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markham Posted July 27 #14 Share Posted July 27 That last line should read “…there are no magical solutions elsewhere either”. Happy and healthy sailing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JME415 Posted July 27 Author #15 Share Posted July 27 11 hours ago, Tothesunset said: A company that cares about its "esteemed" guests would move heaven and earth to ensure the comfort of its guests in extraordinary circumstances. That used to be Silversea. A company that cares only about its bottom line and pays only lip service to customer care is behaving somewhat cynically. Are we still pretending SS exists other than as a branding exercise? I agree! SS has three levels of service, billing their top-tier as a a swaddled experience. I imagine there are older travelers who select this because they don't want to deal with any hassle. They want the knowledge that they will be cared for. In the example I gave, I was able to get on my computer and make some arrangements for my friends because doing it on their phone was difficult. For elderly travelers, even more so. So when SS says I'll get you to the port late at night but then you're on your own seems like they aren't living up to their bargain. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JME415 Posted July 27 Author #16 Share Posted July 27 13 hours ago, drron29 said: I can usually get better air fares by doing myself or if I can't get our TA who specialses in flights. He sources some amazing fares. We would never arrive on the day of departure. just too risky. Also only ever book late afternoon or evening flights out on day we disembark. I agree on all the above! I've only done the P2P and prefer to handle my own logistics. Before the three cruise levels were introduced, I had an experience that reminds me why I want to be in control. My first SS cruise, they forgot to pick up the charter group in Tromso! It took them quite awhile to get a bus. Apparently, it was a local holiday and nothing was scheduled. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tothesunset Posted July 27 #17 Share Posted July 27 11 hours ago, markham said: Let’s get real. How can Silversea “take care” of guests whose travel problems are entirely out of Silversea’s control and can be associated with the passengers’ choice to arrive same day as the cruise? You make your bed and that bed might as well have you in it the day before the cruise starts- or longer. Should Silversea monitor your choices and require you stay at least one night? And pickup your luggage a week earlier and ship it to the cabin? Are you willing to pay for that, insurance and all? Then fine. There are specialists who advise and sell solutions for first time cruisers and long-distance travelers ie travel agents and luggage forwarders. Try to get open-ended indemnities from them around events that are out of their control. There will always be some elements of risk. You do your best and take responsibility for your choices. One supplier at a time. That may mean leaving any particular cruise line for good. But you may find that there are magical solutions elsewhere either. Happy and healthy sailing! I think you misunderstand. It was not the passengers' choice to arrive on the day of the cruise - it was the flight SS arranged as part of the D2D booking. An honourable company would have ensured its customers were properly looked after when the flight that SS arranged was delayed. At least that's what would have happened when Silversea was a company, not a punchline. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollyjones Posted July 27 #18 Share Posted July 27 No, sorry, pax do not have to accept flights that arrive on the day of departure even on D2D. Those who do, IMO, are either extremely trusting or a bit naive. Never, never have I ever been foolish enough to fly in on embarkation day. And I type this sitting in LHR waiting, I hope, to eventually board my eight hour delayed flight. Fortunately not for a cruise. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Tothesunset Posted July 27 #19 Share Posted July 27 31 minutes ago, jollyjones said: No, sorry, pax do not have to accept flights that arrive on the day of departure even on D2D. Those who do, IMO, are either extremely trusting or a bit naive. Never, never have I ever been foolish enough to fly in on embarkation day. And I type this sitting in LHR waiting, I hope, to eventually board my eight hour delayed flight. Fortunately not for a cruise. Yet SS book flights for arrival on departure day. I'm sure seasoned travellers are aware of the dangers so you would think the cruise line would factor this in to the itinerary. Or have contingencies in the event of part of the package failing. Surely it's not up to the customer to advise the cruise line. If the line chooses to book an itinerary which is disrupted by a late flight (they can't pretend it never happens) I would hope they would properly accommodate the customer when the plan fails. I don't understand how the line can just shrug and say "tough" in the OP's case. And I don't understand how it can be excused. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Tillie Posted July 27 #20 Share Posted July 27 Door to Door used to more often than not include one hotel night before embarkation day. That has almost always gone away. Just another way Silversea has gone to cheapening what they offer. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markham Posted July 28 #21 Share Posted July 28 No matter what any cruise line, airline, football ticket sales agent or gas furnace repairman says, request/demand/get the date/location that suits you. It is ridiculous to open the door, your door, to the risk of missing the ship/missing a connection/sitting behind a post/sitting in an unheated house for a weekend when you have options. So in this case it is your choice to pay up for a hotel the night before an expensive cruise and sleep soundly. Happy and healthy sailing! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayflower1 Posted July 28 #22 Share Posted July 28 I am afraid its back to Advertising Hype against Reality. When the much trumpeted ' Blacklane ' Seamless Travel Benefit was launched it was revealing to read that Silversea would not be responsible for missed Flights in a situation where Blacklane failed to get you to the Airport on time ( which could be down to many Issues ). How can this be sold as Seamless Stress Free Travel ? In my opinion Silversea now only delivers a Luxury Experience when one finally gets On Board ( and this does not always happen then due to inconsistencies of Delivery, as has been highlighted many times recently ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Port Power Posted July 28 #23 Share Posted July 28 12 hours ago, Tothesunset said: Yet SS book flights for arrival on departure day. I'm sure seasoned travellers are aware of the dangers so you would think the cruise line would factor this in to the itinerary. Or have contingencies in the event of part of the package failing. Surely it's not up to the customer to advise the cruise line. If the line chooses to book an itinerary which is disrupted by a late flight (they can't pretend it never happens) I would hope they would properly accommodate the customer when the plan fails. I don't understand how the line can just shrug and say "tough" in the OP's case. And I don't understand how it can be excused. It is most unfortunate that guests do have to advise the cruise line! I agree with your statement, and the cruises Iines indeed should remedy the situation, including all costs and transfers, until the guest reaches the ship. But it’s not happening in real life! SS should book flights to arrive the day before and advise guests they will need to book a hotel at own cost. If the customer then says “no, fly us in on boarding day”, Silversea is off the hook. Newbies and the naive (perfect term) will probably go with the itinerary SS recommended. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lincslady Posted July 28 #24 Share Posted July 28 I suppose one could try asking them to book your flight a day earlier and hotel (or do that yourself) and see if they want extra payment, or indeed agree to do it. No doubt they would for the hotel. It is hardly a luxury deal; we have cruised with 'other' lines who flew you out the day before and put you in somewhere like the Grande Bretagne in Athens. No doubt you were paying extra somehow, but it didn't seem mean, which this does. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgh Posted July 28 #25 Share Posted July 28 We have a DtoD coming up, the extra over SS J fee looked difficult to match AND we perceived value in SS accepting some responsibility for getting us aboard and home. IF.. they are now just offering airfares and transfers dressed up as DtoD (pigs and lipstick come to mind) with 0 responsibility for it working.. the balance has changed. SS marketing presents as targeted at newbies who simply would not know the risks..sad... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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