There is a big ad in the travel section today with a list of SS upcoming cruises with 50% discounts. What is going on? Do they really have that many cabins available? We are tempted to try one.We have been on Crystal but prefer RSSC. We have been on the PG, Diamond and Voyager.We think that we would like the smaller size.

Bette, the cruise our group is taking is the 12/6 Whisper, at a 50% discount. With a good travel agent and shipboard credit, this is a very, very good deal. I mentioned the substantial difference between RSSC and SS in my post about changing from RSSC to SS. The savings in a Single Occupancy VISTA cabin is about $700. I have cruised on SS twice, the last time on the Whisper and I can attest to the luxury service and cabin, and food! Class all the way! Of course RSSC is a great experience as well, but usually SS is beyond my price range, and with these 50% off savings it isn't. The ship is about half the size of the Voyager.

Bette, the cruise our group is taking is the 12/6 Whisper, at a 50% discount. With a good travel agent and shipboard credit, this is a very, very good deal. I mentioned the substantial difference between RSSC and SS in my post about changing from RSSC to SS. The savings in a Single Occupancy VISTA cabin is about $700. I have cruised on SS twice, the last time on the Whisper and I can attest to the luxury service and cabin, and food! Class all the way! Of course RSSC is a great experience as well, but usually SS is beyond my price range, and with these 50% off savings it isn't. The ship is about half the size of the Voyager.

Glenda:

What is the price difference when you book a VERANDAH cabin? How about air differential?

We plan on trying SilverSea out at some point. However, we are thinking of SilveSea for the more exotic itineraries as they have had more frequency and variety than has Radisson.

Marc, website pricing for verandahs on these two cruises is identical, except Radisson's port charges have to be added, and Silversea's single supplement is less, particularly for Vista cabins. Airfare is also a lot more expensive to Aruba than to Ft. Lauderdale, but this is not a problem for the ladies. I think they made a great decision to move over. They get an extra day of cruising, and a much better itinerary.

Glenda, is your ship one of the ones that have those shared balconies at Vista priced rates? How much fun to line you girls up in a row and take advantage of one big balcony!

Marc:

I know you're already booked for this fall, but here is a great itinerary with 50% Savings. Isn't it the area you wanted with RSSC next year?

Silversea - Asia - Dec. 2004

It is similar:

One less day, no stop in North Vietnam, less time in Bangkok, does add Kuala Lumpur.

Price will be about same. However, this price wasn't posted 331 days in advance wherein I could get biz or first class with miles.

I agree that the SilverSea deep specials are wonderful. However, until I find a trip I can't do on Radisson, why should I switch. I am sure hoping, however, that Radisson develops long term loyalty perks as exist on SilverSeas and Crystal.

I wanted to do this same cruise for next year. This one ends too close to Xmas for me. I would be totally jet lagged & never get it together for Xmas Eve or Day. And in 2005 they aren't offring the 1 particular port that this one is - Nha Trang. So instead, I will get to try SS Aruba to Aruba. Got to love those AA FF miles & Marriott points. Made trip a lot more appealing to me. Plus I get to add a South American country to my list. Asia will have to wait - although I have been looking at some land tours to Asia for 2005.
My travel folder is growing very thick.

Marc, what long-term loyalty perks that RSSC lacks? I remember free laundry, but you had to have 100 days?

Betty, I know I saw a cruise with that port on it, because I thought of you when I saw it. Maybe it was on Silversea?

SilverSea alao has free one week and two week cruise after so many days. Crystal, I believe has free upgrades and free cruises (I may be wrong on the last part). Radisson gives us ?

SS gives free 7 day cruise after 350 sailing days, free 14 day after 500 days. Unless it is a Vista cruise, returning passengers don't get 5% off every cruise like on Radisson, until they have 100 days. Free laundry (no pressing or dry cleaning) after 100 days. It takes awhile to get to these levels. For the price differential, (other than their deeply discounted cruises), by sailing on RSSC I think I'd save enough every two cruises to take third for the same price vs. going SS all the way.

Olivia, I agree. Just think that if Radisson had something to work towards, you might have waited to sail to Asia on Radisson and thw wowzers may not have been so quick to change. After all, the SilverSea deals sound as good as Radisson, not necessarily better.

One cardinal rule in taking advantage of frequent travel benefits is to try to stay with one provider. Apparently, Radisson is not totally successful, even amongst us devotees, to garner that loyalty. After all, there won't be any shakedown cruises coming up in the near future. We will cross 100 days by end of 05 or first cruise of 06; what is Radisson doing to make sure that we continue to give them ALL of our cruising days vice a majority?

Marc, only the pricing. But perks would be nice, really enough for me to stick it out to wait for an itinerary. If I don't get to see you on a regular cruise, I hope at least I will meet up with you and Arlene, the Dougburns, Margo and others (we already know Marcie will be there!)on the next shakedown cruise, but I may be 80 by then! Maybe before long, there will be a vocal "bloc" of us here who can put the pressure on Mark Conroy to provide loyal customers with some other perks, especially with all the sincere unsolicited good-will we spread!

Olivia

I think that SS goes into Nha Trang because their ships are smaller. If the Song was still around it might have stopped there - I don't know. I imagaine the Voyager & Navigator are just too large - but then again, I am only guesing.

And Marc
Believe me, I am very loyal to RSSC, but I have been wanting to try SS because I do love some of their itineraries - but I will be with the Diamond in particular, until she retires & I will be on the farewell cruise. But this is a great & cheap opportunity to try SS. I am very much looking forward to it. I will never make 100 days. I only have 30 right now & there are still many land tours I want to do. Too many places to go - not enough time or $$$. The usual excuses.

Marc, I know you aren't really a fan of Goldpoints but after 2,400,000 Goldpoints, you get $5000 off a cruise. :rolleyes: Since I had to ask Mark what 5 + 7 was the other day, I don't care to figure out how much you would have to spend at 10 points per dollar spent to get the 5k off.

Even scarier, with those math skills, I daytrade. I have calculators and charts everywhere :)

Betty, you have put me on a mission to find that cruise that goes to Nha Trang! Even if it means you must pay full price and leave next month! If you can find that muskrat/possum (whatever it was), boa, LV trunks uniforms and the rest for Marcie and her staff, I should at least find you the opportunity to see this port, even if it has an $8,000 SS price tage with $1,400 airfare + single supplement!

This Dec itinerary (link by Margo above) does go to Nha Trang; just doesn't work for Betty's schedule.

Olivia

I have even looked at A & Ks land tour to Viet Nam & it doesn't go there. Right now, when I fill out my evaluation after the Dec SS cruise, I will make a suggestion that they return this port for the 2006 schedule. I have a personal reason for wanting to go there, but maybe it has been dropped due to negative comments from past cruisers. Who knows? But once I am a member of the Venetian Society, I will find out. And BOO HOO, no Goldpoints on Silverseas. They are saving me several hundred $$ on the Voyager to Norway this summer. I am a huge fan. But I am charging my SS cruise to my Goldpoints credit card, so I will get something from them.

Karen, I forgot about that perk for Radisson! I have never redeemed a point yet, and I think I have a few, but not quite 2,400,000! I think I will call them in according to Ngaire's "best use" formula which I have long since forgotten.

If you know your goldpoints #, you can check your balance on line at www.goldpoints.com

And be sure to remember to change your email address with them every 3 months - it is worth 500 points.

Marc, thanks to you I won't have to do that search for Betty. I knew I saw it somewhere. Not good timing as most of them are (particularly around Christmas if this is a holiday you celebrate) Betty: we will keep on the look-out for you for future cruises here!

Only up to 100,000 points per cruise for a $400 redemption. Any more than that per cruise and you lose value.

Marc, I think there were some other reasons why we switched in addition to price. But, speaking of price, a Vista SS cabin single occupancy compared to a Voyager cabin is $700 less - including port and taxes. Thats a big difference, and can cover extra $$ spent in airfare. Plus, remember SS is all-inclusive, so that will also save money over RSSC.

I must also be honest and tell you that the problems that some have experienced lately on Voyager with the noise,vibration, and shaking, was also a factor. I particularly remember Dolebludger's experience reported on this Board. A couple of our WOWzers have cruised on Voyager recently, and also reported problems, plus they felt the staff did not take them seriously.

Another reason is the SS itinerary. Do you all remember last year when we were complaining about the boring RSSC Carribean itineraries? Well, our former cruise had a pretty boring one, and no one was very excited about it. The Aruba/Aruba itinerary sounds much more interesting! Given all of these factors, it was not difficult at all to make the switch to SS for this cruise - even with the extra $$ spent in airfare. Also, if I have to spend a night or two before, I'd much rather spend it in Aruba than Ft. Lauderdale!!

Go WOWzers!!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Olivia, Your goldpoints should also be displayed on the left side of the page when you visit the "my cruises" area of the Radisson site.
You must have a nice collection of points by now!

Margo & Betty - We also found that particular Vietnam cruise on Silver Cloud about two weeks ago and made a reservation. Even with the airfare (we were still able to get upgradeable coach seats on UAL), it saved us a fair bit of ka-ching vs. Radisson's all-in pricing on the South Pacific/SE Asia world cruise segments.

One of my very good friends has transferred to Singapore, so we're going a day early to celebrate Christmas with her. That's an added perk for us.

Betty, if you can't make it, let us know if there's anything we can look out for or bring back for you from Nha Trang. Even better, if you hit the lottery or can otherwise make time, come join us!

I'm looking forward to talking with Olivia on VJ7 about her SS cruise as the itinerary is so similar to this one. Cheers, Anne

Karen, thanks. The RSSC website is closed for maintenance, as it was for a long part of the weekend. Maybe they are finally getting their pricing posted!

Well that's odd, it worked all weekend and is also working today for me!

Karen, BTW, those VISTA cabins you mentioned with the shared balconies were all gone! I guess they are pretty popular among those "in the know", and go first....some of us are opting for the Veranda cabins, and as has been pointed out - the pricing on those is comparable to the Voyager.

Glenda, and you're getting not only a day more for the cruise, but a much more enticing itinerary! I hope you will report back to us, as we have too few SS passengers who will give reports, and many here are interested!

jhp,
I wish we were getting an extra day but both the Chocolate and the Silver are Dec 6 to Dec 13. Some of us, because of air scedules are adding a day or two pre-cruise in Aruba. Tough duty, but someone has to do it!