On the CC board here is what one TA stated she received via email today from RSSC.

"Please be advised that for 2006, RSSC is currently revising the standard 5% Seven Seas Society savings and will apply to LIMITED (emphasis added) 2006 sailings. As part of this change, we are going to be launching a new and improved Seven Seas Society which will be announced in the near future."

Is it just me, or are the words "select 2006 sailings" on the web site meant to be interpreted in a more benign fashion than the wording that was sent to the TA's, i.e., "limited 2006 sailings"?

I'm fine with the concept of improving SSS benefits. But what are they? Do they even know? Seems like "ready, fire, aim", i.e, they wanted to increase fares (for most sailings) as of May 1, 2006 w/o telling us the benefits of the new and improved SSS because they themselves DON'T KNOW what they will be. Why else keep it a secret?

RSSC is a line that is undergoing great pressures, e.g., financial, management, and the dynamic relationship of subsidiary (RSSC) vs parent (Carlson). WE LOVE RSSC. We don't want RSSC to change, but it will (and is changing). Is it going to be better? Its so good now its hard to imagine, but surely everything can get marginally better. Could it get worse? I suppose it could, it can certainly get more expensive (and is).

I agree with Ngaire that most people don't care about what happens from a business perspective, they only care about their on-board experience. But business "doings" can affect the longer term cost of a cruise and their on-board experience.

The luxury cruise market is also changing ...it used to represent 10% of the overall cruise business, now its 5% (due to the faster expansion of of the mass market cruise business).

We're hopeful, but the times they are a changin'.

Please don't take this as a slam against RSSC. It's not. I only hope that RSSC stays the same or improves.

What is really needed is for RSSC management (whomever that may be) to CLEARLY articulate their new vision for RSSC.

Sorry for the rant...

BTW, we are booked on a B2B in September with RSSC and have no plans to change.

Bill