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Booking Advice Needed


Katie Lynch

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My husband and I are interested in taking our 2nd cruise ever - first time ever on the Star Clipper line. I am wondering if there is a preferable way to book a cruise - I have contacted a couple agents about it, one never returned my call and the other simply quoted me the price listed on the Star Clipper web site. I also went online with Cruise Compete and got the same info. How do most people book this line? Is there any difference in pricing if you go to a different agent? Can you book airfare separate from the cruise anymore? All thoughts and advice more than welcome!

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how did you book directly with them? When I go online what I read is to use a travel agent and you can put in your location to have names of agencies brought up on the screen. Please tell me more. Thanks very much!

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Katie:

 

This should help you:

 

U.S.A. Canada & Latin America

Star Clippers Americas

Marketing, Sales and Reservations

760 NW 107th Avenue, Suite 100

Miami, Florida 33172

Phone:(305) 442-0550

Fax:(305) 442-1611

Reservations: (800) 442-0551

E-mail: info@starclippers.com

 

Again, their staff are VERY helpful and were VERY patient with us. A surprise bonus is that we are flying into Malta and wanted to spend an extra day there before the cruise. My wife spoke with a Star Clipper staff member who is from Malta, so we got great information.

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wonderful! thanks very much I will call them today.

 

Get on Star Clipper's mailing list.

Ask about their specials, they offer some significant Advanced Purchase Discounts and or include airfare. When you're a Boat US member you get 5 or 10% extra discount of the discounted price.

We received a total of 45% off regular advertised prices on a Greek Island cruise May 2012 which we booked January 2012.

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She's with the Star Clippers reservation team. Rachel knows the ships and the cabins and is very helpful.

 

(305) 442-0550 should get you through to her.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

My wife handled the reservations and had great things to say about all of the Star Clipper reservation staff she talked to: Rachel (from Malta), Gabby, and Carolyn.

 

Sparks post is great advice. We took advantage of early booking discounts too, for our cruise in THREE weeks!!

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She's with the Star Clippers reservation team. Rachel knows the ships and the cabins and is very helpful.

 

(305) 442-0550 should get you through to her.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

I just booked the March 2013 Panama Canal cruise and Rachel assisted me. She was great. Definitely give her a call!

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Get on Star Clipper's mailing list.

Ask about their specials, they offer some significant Advanced Purchase Discounts and or include airfare. When you're a Boat US member you get 5 or 10% extra discount of the discounted price.

We received a total of 45% off regular advertised prices on a Greek Island cruise May 2012 which we booked January 2012.

 

How do you get on the mailing list. We have cruised with Star Clippers before

but have not received any of their special offers..... or are they just kept for our 'friends' over the pond;)

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Meldreth - Fred Olsen Travel, Ipswich are Starclippers main agents in the U.K. The Starclippers (at Fred Olsen) office is Olympus House, 2, Olympus Close, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 5LN. Tel:- 0845 200 6145

 

When booking we go to and use the Fred Olsen Travel shop at 20a, Upper Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1EB. Tel:- 01473 232929.

 

Excellent service from both. Being in Cambridge you, like us, seem to be within easy reach of Ipswich.

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The answer to your question is "no". We have been on the Clippers several times and are booked on the Star Flyer/Baltic for the last two weeks in August - Oslo - Hamburg and then Hamburg -Southampton. We have never tried a "last minute" booking and do not know what, if anything, that would produce. I have felt for some time that our friends "across the pond" (we have some too) do sometimes get better deals than us - maybe it is more competitive out there - even allowing for variations in the sterling/dollar/euro exchange rates. In a more general sense I have felt for many years that because of our island status we do less well than some of the people in mainland Europe when it comes to flights, travel etc.

 

Back to Starclippers. We have had the brochured early booking discount, and the repeat passenger discount - might have had a bit more on one occasion

 

One also sees "packaged" holidays including a Clipper component advertised by various travel agents. In so far as it is possible I have worked my way through several of those and doubt that there have been any, or any significant, reductions for the Clipper element (apart from what is available as described above) - maybe just a shaving - ??? by the agents reviewing their commission aspect to land the business.

 

Some say you get what you pay for. On one of our Clipper trips about three years ago we were late in to Port on the final day due to very adverse weather. About 30 people, including us, missed our flights. Starclippers rebooked everyone at their (Starclippers) expense and for those who were delayed for a day they provided 4/5 star hotel accommodation and every cost, including extra fares, meals, accommodation, drinks, transfers was paid for by Starclippers. I later learned that "our" person (name remembered) at Fred Olsen Travel, Upper Brook Street, was "in the loop" when the new arrangements were being organised and they did what they thought was right for us. Excellent.

 

On what other "cruise line" can you be "on the bridge" (the open part) talking to the Captain/Officers/Crew. Also we have been on board when the owner and his wife (once), the owner (once) and his wife (once) were also on board. Very sociable and with interesting conversations.

 

Yes, I know the "discount" thing can niggle a bit sometimes but we still go back. Lastly perhaps I should add that I have no commercial connections with Starclippers - we are just satisfied repeat passengers.

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