Booking New Ship - Seabourn's Letter

[Iamboatman]

There is a sentence which you may not have in your letters which allows those on the priority wait list (that which Host Dan was referring to) to deposit commencing January 15. After those two weeks (ending January 29th) the next round for deposits is permitted. What changes is the priority of those deposited.

 

Sorry if I wasn't clearer.

[ITravelNow]

And if you haven't received a letter you have no priority at all... :mad:

[Iamboatman]

You don't need a letter to have priority. What matters is if you (a) got yourself on the original wait list; (b) your Seabourn cruising history for 2007 and 2008; © having sailed with Seabourn, etc.

 

If you don't have a letter but want to be on either the maiden voyage or maiden year lists, have your TA make the call. Don't worry about the letter.

[ITravelNow]

Thanks Iamboatman...we need to book our "free" 14 day cruise now anyway, so I'll check with my agent.

[Iamboatman]

Thanks Iamboatman...we need to book our "free" 14 day cruise now anyway, so I'll check with my agent.

 

Good luck with that!:eek: (Creative thinking, though!):D

[ITravelNow]

Iamboatsman....actually we really are booking a "free" cruise - we just passed 140 days on Seabourn.

 

This is the response I had from Seabourn when asking about booking the new ships:

 

Good afternoon Mrs. Dolan and thank you for contacting The Yachts of Seabourn,

 

No new information has been received as of today for the new ships.

 

Once we receive updated information on our new ships, we will first post it on our website under the "Press Release" section of the page.

 

Please check our website periodically for any additional information.

 

If you are looking to be placed on a wait list for maiden voyage reservations we will begin taking advance booking requests for the new ships on Monday, January 29th.

 

Please contact us at that time to place you on the wait list.

 

Thank you for your interest in the Yachts of Seabourn

 

 

The Yachts of Seabourn

Reservations Department

6100 Blue Lagoon Dr. # 400

Miami, FL 33126

(800) 929-9595

http://www.seabourn.com

 

That's not what I'd call amazing customer service - I guess they feel they can easily attract new passengers. They'll have many more berths to fill in a couple of years.

[Iamboatman]

Rather than having a private conversation here, if you want to email me at iamboatman@yahoo.com I can try to clear things up for you.

 

But generally I think there is a lack of understanding that you are not going to be booking a berth on a still non-existent ship for a cruise at an unknown time, but rather will be booking into a prioritized wait list.

 

It is something that, for better or worse, really is better done with a travel agent...and definitely not via email.

 

Your TA should still handle any free cruises for you, I would think. But I do not think Seabourn will be permitting the free cruises on the Maiden Voyage. I do not have any official word on that, but I think it makes sense.

[ITravelNow]

I'm not planning to book my "free" cruise on the new ships - that cruise must be completed within 24 months - long before the new ships will be launched.

 

I'm only amazed that Seabourn is clearly encouraging some passengers to deposit for the new ships while leaving other potential passengers in the dark. Their choice - obviously.

[Iamboatman]

I think the concept is to reward loyalty in some small fashion and, in all probability, there will be some special things for those loyal guests. I think the percentage/number of possibly offended past guests would be higher than the percentage/number of never sailed Seabourn potential guests that do not get the first chances to sail the new ship.