Responsiveness?

Question for those who have experience with Star Clippers.

For the last few months I have been trying to get an answer from the company regarding a cruise that my DW and I are interested in. (A Panama Canal sailing that starts in the Pacific, hops down to the canal, and ends in the Caribbean. Saw it for January 2014.)

I have tried asking my travel agent... they cant get an answer. I've tried e-mailing the company... they dont respond. I tried mailing the company, no response. I even tried calling their reservation line. No one knows when or if that sailing will be repeated in 2015.

Now I have been following the Cuba thread here, where most of the passengers are commenting on poor followup (or NO followup) with problems, and I begin to wonder... Is this typical with this company? If so, I'd love to know so that I dont waste a precious vacation next year on a trip with management that does not care about their passengers...

I replied to one of the early Cuba postings as I am booked on a cruise Jan 2015. I was unhappy with peoples experiences, so e mailed Monaco and had an instant reply. They have responded a number of times and I am happy that they will sort this out in future, seems dealing with a fledgling state-run tourist industry is not easy.

Seems the US office in Miami cannot respond to any problem re the Cuban cruises. They cannot even mention it in blogs in the US.

The e mail address I used was

info.monaco@starclippers.com

This will be our 3rd cruise with SC, first on the Flier, they are lovely ships. To me the itinerary and shore trips are just extras. We usually only take one tour and prefer to wander about on our own or stay on the ship.

The sailing and tall ship experience is what SC are all about. I have read peoples grumbles on the Cuba thread. Seems to me most wanted to see Cuba. In that case they needed to spend time pre and post cruise, as we will. A few hours in port in a tour group is no way to really get to know a country. Sorry this is in small print, no idea why!

Regarding the cruise from Panama to Cuba, my research showed it to be a repositioning trip, with the wind from the NW, its not a good place for sailing in a northerly direction.......could mean bashing into seas and wind to keep on schedule. In the Caribbean downwind sailing is best, its usually force 6 and that's not great when you need to go into it. We are sailors, so we know!

Ional, you are wrong most people on board wanted to have the usual SC experience on the Cuba cruise, which is not going on tours but pulling into remote coves and enjoying the natural surroundings with a chance to swim and snorkel. Many also enjoy the sailing opportunities. We experienced neither. About 80% of the passengers were 'repeat' customers, so had a clear idea of what SC should have offered.

With regard to responsiveness, the SC UK office is purely sales and marketing. All decisions are made by Monaco HQ, and in this instance have handled things very poorly. We are all still waiting for a sensible response from them.

Apuleius, I wasn't suggesting all was well, it very obviously was not for you guys on the first few cruises. However some posters did moan about the half day seeing Trinidad as not enough, no time in Cienfuegos etc. No one has commented recently, I wish they would!

I am worried that the ports and infrastructure regarding landing places, beaches etc are just not ready for SC. The e mails I had from Monacco were sympathetic to your complaints. They seemed on the case to try to improve for next year.

I do wonder how passenger numbers will be filled without the Americans.

I suspect SC may not be raking in the money at the moment, so maybe that's why they are not forthcoming with better compensation.

This has not been typical with this company....but it sure seems to be an issue now. You could check out Windstar re its tall-ship sailings for Costa Rica. We've done both Star Clippers and Windstar in that area. Don't know about a thru-canal sailing for either, but did enjoy sailing the west coast areas.

Question for those who have experience with Star Clippers.

 

For the last few months I have been trying to get an answer from the company regarding a cruise that my DW and I are interested in. (A Panama Canal sailing that starts in the Pacific, hops down to the canal, and ends in the Caribbean. Saw it for January 2014.)

 

I have tried asking my travel agent... they cant get an answer. I've tried e-mailing the company... they dont respond. I tried mailing the company, no response. I even tried calling their reservation line. No one knows when or if that sailing will be repeated in 2015.

 

Now I have been following the Cuba thread here, where most of the passengers are commenting on poor followup (or NO followup) with problems, and I begin to wonder... Is this typical with this company? If so, I'd love to know so that I dont waste a precious vacation next year on a trip with management that does not care about their passengers...

We always talk to:

Rachel Savino

Cruise Consultant

Star Clippers America

760 NW 107 Avenue, Suite, 100

Miami, Florida 33172

Rachel.Savino@starclippers.com

Res: 800-442-0551 Ext. 3008 Fax: 305-442-1611

Adm: 305-442-0550 or 800-442-0553

http://www.starclippers.com

She is very responsive, knowledgeable, and seems to be very nice.

We always talk to:

 

Rachel Savino

Cruise Consultant

Star Clippers America

760 NW 107 Avenue, Suite, 100

Miami, Florida 33172

Rachel.Savino@starclippers.com

Res: 800-442-0551 Ext. 3008 Fax: 305-442-1611

Adm: 305-442-0550 or 800-442-0553

http://www.starclippers.com

Thanks. Still have not pulled the trigger... Now looking at either a Star Clipper cruise or it's "polar opposite", a Hurtigruten trip up the coast of Norway in January. While SC looks much warmer and relaxing, we are just Soooo tired of the Caribbean. (WAY too many Caribbean cruises over the years.) Thats why the west coast of CR looked so interesting.

Hi Fred

Having just returned from our second Norway cruise, all be it on a larger P&O ship I can tell you the scenery is fabulous, We commented last week how nice it would be to take a smaller ship or one of the Hurtigruten vessels to see some of the more remote places along the coast and also to travel further north.

We have enjoyed a Caribbean cruise in the past but there is something amazing about sailing ninety miles inland between towering snow capped mountains

Steve