Whats wrong with Seabourn Club??

[Host Dan]

I am so frustrated with the Seabourn Club right now, its not funny. While onboard the Legend, I asked Simon, the Seabourn Club guy how many reward days we had, towards the 140 day "free cruise". He stated 81 days. My count was 96, including the cruise we were on. He promised that he would look into it, and have Seabourn email me the days and voyages they had for us. No email. I then contacted them again via email with the same question posed. No response. I then had my TA contact them (over and over again) Finally they faxed over their records. The 15 day discrepency was apparent. The somehow deducted a 15 day Legend cruise from 2002. It appeared as sailing days, but "0" in the reward day category. I have a list from the Club from 2003 showing the 15 day reward days. They somehow, for no reason, have deducted the 15 days. I called my TA, and she has thrown her hands in the air. Stated I would have to call them. I did, and still no call back! Is this typical? How rude of Seabourn.

CruiserDan

[bldsld]

Dan,

 

I suggest that you tell your TA not to throw her hands up and, instead, to pick up a pen and write.

 

Have her contact Deborah Natansohn, the most senior Seabourn executive, by mail, and tell her the problem. Seabourn seems to be very difficult to deal with since the Cunard departure, as there seems to be much confusion within the ranks, and there have been so many employee departures as well.

 

You can also write to her yourself. I think it is more than appropriate to escalate to a more senior level, or you probably will encounter further frustration. Be sure to include in your letter the efforts that have, to date, failed.

 

And, I suppose we should all be inquiring about our accruals, to ensure that Seabourn has the correct tally.

 

Regards,

Denyse

[adolfo2]

Seabourn's back office operations have NEVER impressed me. It takes several E-mails before any response (if any).

 

The latest scam (I don't use the term likely) is the Seabourn By Invitation Program. Over the past year I have sent in several referrals (different mailings) and nothing for me or the people I referred. All them were obviously "lost in the mail"

 

They checked my records but show nothing from me since mid 2003 and the program is now on indefinite hold.

 

I say we deserve better! :(

[venicecruiser]

Two weeks ago I was told that a "manager" would call me back. Still waiting for that call..........

 

Claudia

[bldsld]

Don't waste your time with email---you'll rarely if ever get a reply. If you don't escalate to senior management, you're going to be frustrated and disappointed.

 

Don't let the front office, which runs from incompetent to a complete mess, ruin the cruise experience, which is utterly delightful. Bypass the broken system completely, and go to top management. They can't fix the problems if they don't know about them, and the front office for Seabourn has been a problem for a long time.

 

Denyse

[cruisinsince75]

I have had the similar experience with the CS department at Seabourn. While I love the the onboard experience their land based CS department has some problems.

 

I recently emailed Seabourn about their referral program. I have some friends that we were hoping to convince to sail with us on Seabourn, but after several days of no answer, I called our club representative. I got a call several days later and my wife had asked her to call my cell phone number to reach me. I got no call. Days later, I finally got a response that they are no longer doing the referral program.

 

Others on this board have also said that this isn't true, that they are still getting discounts for their friends as well as themselves when they book.

 

It's hard to know what they are doing.

[garycarla]

Not sure, but the last statement about people still get the referral bonus can be true even if they have stopped the program. Keep in mind, that many people have open credits coming that took advantage of the program before they shut it down.

 

A great program, but they are paying some idiot (yes, idiot) to run it for them. I did one, and it was approx 60 days from day of referral until they typed a letter and mailed it to me. And then it took almost another month. This is simple stuff.

[bldsld]

It may be true that Seabourn is no longer offering the referral program to new referrals. For those who have already participated and sent in the referrals, prior to the program going on hold, the shipboard credit is still applicable.

 

I don't know why Seabourn is having so much trouble getting this sorted out, but they are. It's really unfortunate, because the front office gives the impression that the line is totally incompetent, when nothing could be farther from the truth once you actually get onboard. It's really a front office problem (is anybody from Seabourn listening??????)

 

Denyse

[Host Dan]

(is anybody from Seabourn listening??????)

 

Denyse

 

I doubt it..

CruiserDan

(still no response)

[adolfo2]

They always claim that the referal request was "never received" even though several coupons were sent in different envelopes & at different times over the past year!

[aaannnthony]

Unfortunately, the Carnival switch of Cunard to CA., leaving Seabourn alone, with much of their senior help waved "bye-bye", administration has suffered greatly.

 

Frank Sansone was the "backbone", the Customer Services leader; he's gone since 9/30, and, need I say more. Your best bet is Ms. Deborah Natansohn, now #1, who's staff was helpful to me when I had a problem with a QE-2 booking in 2003.

[cruisecrazyone]

Are you listening, Seabourn? CruiserDan and CruiserPhil are the "fun foundation" of Seabourn. Give them their correct days now! They deserve a "free" or, as my husband correctly refers to it, 10% discount, cruise now, never mind the missing days. Champagne wishes in your quest for the Seabourn Way!

[bldsld]

I doubt it..

CruiserDan

(still no response)

 

Dan, have you or your TA contacted Deborah Natansohn? I'd attempt to call her and speak with her directly, and, as I mentioned in a previous post, if you are unable to get through, I'd write to her demanding a reply. I truly think you are wasting your time waiting to hear back from the underlings.

 

Denyse

[Host Dan]

I penned a letter directly to Deborah Natansohn today. I'll post the results if and when they become apparent (a little pesimistic am I?)

Thanks for the direction bldsld!

CruiserDan

[Leonid]

For those who want to contact Seabourn by letter or telephone:

 

Seabourn Cruise Line

6100 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 400

Miami, FL 33126

tel: (800) 929-9391

 

e-mail does not work...they are brain dead and do not know it!

[Jane Pond]

Since I am still really annoyed that the Tumi certificate was outdated and I have had no response to emails or phone calls, I decided to add it to the 'pre-cruise' comments on the passenger survey I filled out on the Pride. We will see. I plan, as well, to write to D. Nathanson, since she invited me to do so! <G>

 

Jane in PHL

[aaannnthony]

Jane, what's a Tumi certificate?

[Jane Pond]

Seabourn and Tumi (an upscale luggage firm) have apparently joined forces. They make the holders one's trip documents come in and the luggage tags. There is a $25.00 certificate inside the front flap. I used the one I got in August and bought a small clutch bag. Then, needing a second one for a Christmas gift, I tried to use the one I got for the last trip. The documents were sent to my TA 0n 10/28 and I got them shortly after that. The exp date was 11/1/04. I don't think that's a good advertising ploy.

 

I also don't care for the stiff holder and it doesn't have a change pocket in it, but that's not the main point.

 

Jane in PHL

[aaannnthony]

Thanks Jane, I know the company, but, was unaware of the certificate; we didn't receive one this past year.

 

The luggage tags we received for our February 2004 cruise were a joke.....I posted on another thread a while back.....one of the four popped loose and was left in the limo, and, only two of the remaining three made it to Buenos Aires!

[cruisecrazyone]

As we have all stated here and elsewhere, many times, the Tumi name does not make up for the shabby quality. Seabourn must return to the wonderful leather bifolds and luggage tags of the past. Luckily most of us have saved heaps of them from past Seabourn adventures. Maybe we should have a jumble sale online!

[mcboo]

Cruisecrazyone,

I have to agree. We have saved our old ones and they have lasted for years and will last for many more to come.

mcboo

[bldsld]

Seabourn and Tumi (an upscale luggage firm) have apparently joined forces. They make the holders one's trip documents come in and the luggage tags. There is a $25.00 certificate inside the front flap. I used the one I got in August and bought a small clutch bag. Then, needing a second one for a Christmas gift, I tried to use the one I got for the last trip. The documents were sent to my TA 0n 10/28 and I got them shortly after that. The exp date was 11/1/04. I don't think that's a good advertising ploy.

 

Jane,

 

I don't know if this will make you feel better or worse, but Tumi wouldn't have allowed you to use a second certificate. it turns out only one per household was permitted. Although I don't recall seeing that limitation on the coupon, that indeed is how it worked.

 

I agree with everyone about the Tumi luggage tags. They really lack functionjality---the window is so small, you can't fit a business card in it, and the handwritten address information doesn't fit, either. I use my old Seabourn leather wallets and luggage tags, which are so well-made they will surely last longer than I do!

 

Denyse

[Jane Pond]

Well, I used one in October and then went to use anothe rin December. If there are other rules, they had better be on the form. I can understand not using two certs or combing them if there are two cruisers on the same trip. But that was not my case.

 

Thanks!

 

Jane in PHL (who has plenty of other options, incuding some good Raddison tags-inherited from my parents)

[bgood]

Since this thread is so unusual for this board, I got someone on the thread and phone with me and did some asking. Here are the updates:

 

1. CruiserDan, your letter was received today. They have some research to do with your travel agent, it's a question of how the booking was recorded--you'll get a reply soon ( I know, I know!).

 

2. bldsld and adolfo2: The Invitation program was stopped for about a week, but they realized that that was no answer and they are still honoring referrals made on the proper forms, (the coupons) sent to the office. However, they are going to revise the program and will be changing it soon, so if you have some referrals send them now. FYI they experienced about three weeks of intense activity on this referral program after the new staff took over--nobody can explain that, but it happened. Inquiries are now down to a trickle and they also have learned a lot about it in the interim. So replies and service should be a lot better.

 

From your side, it appears that a lot of Seabourn regulars had/have personal email addresses for favorite HQ staff who helped them in the past. Now some of those people are gone and their email addresses are sort of black holes--so that might ( I say MIGHT) explain some of the mysterious non-replies.

 

At any rate, they assure me that seabournclub@seabourn.com is a going concern with a very qualified person manning it, so try that for any inquiries.They aim to reply within 24 hours.

 

O yeah, and about the Tumi certificates, they have to take it up with Tumi--and will do so.

 

 

Yours for a better Seabourn,

 

bgood

[Jane Pond]

WOW! Thanks! You should be hired by them!

 

 

Jane in PHL