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Advance Purchase Program


lhsail
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We have over 50 traditional cruises and one Windjammer in our history. We have been considering a Star Clippers cruise for years. Received a new brochure the other day and noticed a BVI intensive itinerary next February and March that really has us thinking. They are offering an advance purchase program that includes air to St. Maarten from select cities. Houston would work for us, and I'd inquire as to the cost differential to fly from Austin. If anyone has experience with this advance purchase program I'd appreciate your feedback. Also, any experience with using air arranged by them? Thanks.

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I did an ocean crossing on Star Clipper a few years back. I arranged my own flights out to St. Maarten and from Lisbon to London. Many of the Americans on board discussed their arrangements on board during the cruise. This would have been Lisbon or Venice to the US depending on what sectors they had booked. It was apparent that many had booked through the cruise line. Some were offered a specific US home airport which others said they were denied as not available. Flight plans to main land USA included two, three and four flights and some of the passengers were flying to the same US airport by more or fewer intermediate flights.

 

I concluded where flights are included by the cruise line it needs closely looking at as it appeared to me the cruise line would shop about for the cheapest option irrespective of whether it involved a very circuitous routing.

 

On my other line voyage with Star Clippers we arrived late at Hamburg, our final port. My flight had been booked through the cruise line together with free parking at Southampton and taxi transfers from Heathrow back to Southampton where I had my car parked. It was obvious we would not get to Hamburg before the British Airways flight took off and it was getting late at night. The cruise director and reception staff re-booked everybody onto suitable flights we got Easyjet to Gatwick and cruise line had also got my taxi diverted to a Gatwick start and arranged for car park to move my car to security building so I could collect it at 2am and advised my Travelodge I would arrive there at 2.30am to 3am. All went well with what the cruise line had reorganised and I was very pleased with the outcome.

 

In conclusion I would say that Star Clippers will organise flights but you need to get them to advise you in some detail about the convenience of routing etc.

 

Regards John

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  • 1 month later...

We took them up on their offer of free air in Jan. to St. Martin - about $1,000 pp! They send us from SFO-Miami non-stop & then Miami-St. Martin. I've taken other lines air & you *do* need to check/explain what you do & don't want because they will take the cheapest fares usually.

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