SILVERSEA Cruises is increasing prices by less than 2% for its 2000/2001 brochure in a bidto remain competitive against rival luxurycruiselines – last year the company raised its prices by 5%.
Vice-president of sales and marketing Steve Odell said the nominal increases in its latest brochure were due to exchange rate fluctuations.
“The market we are operating in is very competitive,” he said. “For example, Seabourn’s prices are now a lot cheaper than ours.”
Odell said Silversea planned to continue its policy of offering early-booking discounts, but it would not be slashing prices to off-load capacity a few weeks before departure.
Instead, it is trying to woo customers by offering added value items such as airline upgrades and inclusive land packages .
In Silversea’s Cruise Atlas, which covers the period from January 2000 to May 20001, the price of a verandah suite on a 12-day voyage on Silver Cloud starts at £5,690 per person.