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When you book a cruise with Silversea Cruises, sometimes changes to your reservation become necessary. One of the common questions is: how much does it cost to transfer a reservation? In practice “transfer” often refers to changing the name on the reservation, substituting one guest for another, or making other changes. The cost depends on many factors: what kind of change is requested, how far in advance, which region you booked from, whether you have additional components such as air transport, and what fare you purchased. This long, detailed guide explores all the different costs you might encounter, how Silversea defines its fees, how timing affects charges, what regional differences and special cases apply, and what you should do to minimize costs.
Before we talk money, let’s clarify what “transferring a reservation” or “changing a reservation” might mean in the context of Silversea Cruises. The terminology matters, because costs vary depending on the type of change.
This refers to correcting spelling mistakes, initials, matching name exactly to passport, fixing one guest’s name, etc.
Replacing one guest named in the booking with another person (someone else travels instead). This is more substantial than a small correction.
Changing all guest names, or substituting multiple people. Sometimes this may be treated as a cancellation + rebooking.
Although not exactly a “name change,” these are other kinds of reservation changes. They often have their own fees and policies.
If your reservation includes flights, hotels, transfers, visas, shore excursions etc., changes to names or guests may trigger costs in those components too.
Not all name or reservation changes cost the same. Here are the main factors that determine what you might pay.
If you request changes well before final payment or well in advance of departure, fees tend to be lower or in some cases just administrative.
If you request changes after final payment or close to departure, the costs increase and some changes may be disallowed.
Silversea has regional policies that differ. For example, what is charged in the UK, Middle East, Red Sea region, or Israel may be different than what is charged in other parts of the world.
Some promotional fares, discounted or “special” packages, or offers bundled with air or sea, may have stricter rules or higher fees for changes. Very restrictive fares may allow few or no changes.
Changing just a name vs changing suite category vs changing date: each type of change may have different cost structures. Also, if air travel is involved, airline‐imposed charges come into play separately.
Whether you booked directly with Silversea or through a travel agent, or via a third party, sometimes fees may differ or be applied differently.
Here are what Silversea‑published terms (or regional terms) tell us explicitly about name changes, substitutions, or change fees. Because Silversea’s published policies are sometimes vague, or differ by region, this section collects what is known from official sources.
In Silversea’s Israel Terms & Conditions:
For name changes (the substitution of one guest’s details for another), a fee of £50 per name change per booking will apply. This must be requested up to 7 days before sailing. Replacement guest must satisfy all participation conditions. Silversea Cruises
Other changes (ship, sail date, flights) have a fee of £75 per guest per booking. Silversea Cruises
Silversea’s Middle East Terms and Conditions include certain administrative fees:
There is a non‑refundable administrative fee of EUR 100 per person for each confirmed change. This applies to various change requests including those affecting air schedules. Silversea
Name changes after initial confirmation are often not allowed, especially if air tickets have been issued; or changing a name may mean forfeiting seats, or air schedule. Additional airline charges / fees are the responsibility of guest. Silversea
According to Red Sea region Terms & Conditions:
Name changes: Full name changes are subject to approval on a case‑by‑case basis up to 10 days prior to departure. They do not clearly state the fixed fee amount in the excerpt seen. Silversea
Date changes: Permitted up to 10 days before departure with a charge of SAR 500 per reservation plus any price difference (if moving to sail date with equal or higher category) in that region. Silversea
Many Silversea change policies reference an administrative or processing fee for confirmed changes. In Middle East policy, EUR 100 per person is cited as one such fee. Silversea
In Red Sea region, as above, “SAR 500 per reservation” is used for date change in certain windows. Silversea
Bringing together the official sources and what is known from travelers’ experiences, we can estimate typical cost ranges for changing names or transferring reservations on Silversea Cruises.
Minor corrections (typo, spelling, adding a middle initial) often incur low or zero administrative cost if done early enough and before final payment.
In many cases, this might be handled simply with an administrative fee like the EUR 100 per person in Middle East policy, or the £50 in Israel policy. Sometimes even waived for very small corrections depending on policy.
Substituting one person for another (i.e. a full name change for that person) typically costs £50‑£75 in the UK/Israel region (from Israel policy: £50 per name change). Silversea Cruises
In Middle East region, you might see EUR 100 per person as the base administrative fee, plus any additional costs (airline etc.). Silversea
If you request changes close to the sailing date (within 7‑10 days in many regions), fees may be larger, additional airline charges may apply, or the change may be permitted only “case by case.”
Example: In Red Sea region name changes are allowed up to 10 days before departure, but full name changes subject to approval. The fees may be relatively higher, though exact amounts are often not clearly published. Silversea
If your reservation includes Air / Sea packages, changing a name may involve airline‐imposed fees and possibly re‑issuance of tickets which can cost significantly more. Silversea’s policy often places all airline charges for name changes fully on the guest. Silversea
If suite category is changed, or other components like hotel, land adventures, excursions etc., also need changes, those components may have separate fees or cancellation penalties.
Here are some concrete examples derived from policies and real cases, to illustrate what different change types might cost.
Guest wants to replace one person on the booking with another, 7 days before sailing.
Fee = £50 per name change per booking. Silversea Cruises
Fee = £75 per guest per booking for changes such as ship, sail date or flights. Silversea Cruises
If initial confirmation has occurred and air tickets issued, name change is generally not allowed. If allowed, administrative fee per person ~ EUR 100, plus cost by airlines. Silversea
Date change permitted up to 10 days prior; charge ~ SAR 500 per reservation plus the price difference if moving to a later date or higher category. Silversea
Name changes allowed up to 10 days before departure, subject to Silversea’s approval. The policy does not in the public excerpt specify a fixed fee amount. So cost may vary depending on route, ship, region. Silversea
Beyond just change fees or name substitution fees, there are several related costs you should anticipate. Airline Charges
If your reservation includes flights, changing the name (or substituting a person) might require the airline to reissue a ticket, charge change fees, or impose fare differences. Silversea’s policy states that any additional costs incurred by the airline for name changes etc. are the full responsibility of the guest. Silversea
If you change to a different sailing date, or upgrade suite category, or move to a higher fare period, there may be price differences. The new booking or changed components may cost more. Silversea’s policies often require that the replacement date/category be “equal or higher” for acceptance, and that you pay any extra. Red Sea policy is an example: date change plus price difference if changing to similar or higher category. Silversea Loss of Promotions or Discounts
Sometimes promotional fares, loyalty benefits, residency rates etc. are tied to the original booking or original guest. If a name change or substitution occurs, those benefits may be forfeited, and the booking re‑priced at the normal rate. Israel policy explicitly warns that if promotional conditions are applied, after change those must still be satisfied, or you lose the benefit. Silversea Cruises
If you think you might need to change a name or substitute a guest, here are strategies to help keep fees low or avoid them altogether.
When you make the reservation, use the exact name as per passport. Provide full passport details immediately. The fewer corrections after booking, the lower the chance of extra fees.
Look up the Silversea policy for the region you booked from (Middle East, Israel, Red Sea, etc.). The fees differ and sometimes name changes are disallowed in some policies. Knowing your region’s specific rules helps avoid surprise costs.
Name substitutions or changes are often permitted only up to a certain number of days before departure (for example, 10 days, 7 days in some regions). Don’t wait beyond that if you want to make the change. Doing so may lead to higher fees or refusal.
If your booking includes air, hotel, excursions etc., check with those providers what their name change policy is. Sometimes airline fees will dominate the cost; sometimes changing just the cruise portion is easy but flights will be costly.
If you booked via a travel agent, they can help negotiate or find out the least expensive way to make a change. Sometimes agents can help you understand whether the fare you booked allows substitution, whether fees can be waived or reduced under special circumstances.
If there is a fare or program (like “Reassurance” or optional protection) which offers more flexibility or refunds or cruise credit in event of changes, those might cost extra upfront but reduce penalty risk. Silversea has a “Reassurance Program” that helps with flexibility around cancellations or changes. Deluxe Cruises
Here is a condensed summary of what you might expect to pay, depending on your type of change, region, and timing.
Minor name correction made well in advance: little to no cost, or a small nominal fee.
Guest substitution (one name replaced) in Israel: about £50 per name change if done up to 7 days before sailing. Silversea Cruises
Other changes in Israel (ship/date/flights): ~ £75 per guest per booking. Silversea Cruises
Middle East change requests: ~ EUR 100 per person for administrative/processing fee for some changes. Silversea
Red Sea region date change close to departure: about SAR 500 per reservation plus any fare difference. Silversea
Close to departure, air included, name substitution: potentially high airline fees + same or higher administrative fees from Silversea; sometimes the change may be refused or treated as cancellation if policy disallows.
There are some areas where public Silversea policy is vague, or where variation is likely. For your specific booking, you will need to clarify:
Exact fee for a full name change in your region – policies often talk in terms of “admin fee per person” but amount may vary.
Whether your fare type allows substitution – some promotional or discounted fares may prohibit substitution.
What the airline’s change or re‑issuance fee will be – if your booking includes flights, airline fees may exceed cruise line administrative fees.
What the cut‑off date is for your reservation (when the smallest changes are permitted, when fees increase, when name changes are disallowed).
Your ultimate guide to cruise adventures. Discover amazing destinations, find the perfect cruise, and create unforgettable memories on the high seas.
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