38 CRUISE PORTS & DESTINATIONS l SEPTEMBER 2016

PROFILE

hat a difference a decade makes. Ten

years ago Ports Direct was providing coach

and taxi cruise transfer services to the industry.

Fast-forward to 2016 and the company now has more than 1,000 Mercedes cars at its disposal around the UK which take passengers straight to their ship in style.

Managing Director Karl Lapage said: “We initially started the company after being approached by Voyana Cruises in 2006, who asked if we could provide a transfer service to them.

“We developed a system which included coach transfers to and from the ship, plus a taxi service collecting people from home and taking them to the closest of the 71 coach pick-up hubs around the country.

“After operating the service for a first year we felt that it wasn’t right for the industry so we dropped the coaches and used three to eight-passenger seat vehicles so passengers could stay in the vehicles for the duration of the transfer rather than changeover mid-journey.”

Karl added: “We now offer a shared door-to-door service to Fred. Olsen, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, P&O and Voyages to Antiquity to the ports of Southampton, Dover, Harwich, Tilbury, Liverpool, Avonmouth, Glasgow and Port of Tyne. We also offer private transfers from anywhere in the UK to just about anywhere else in the UK.

“Last year we supplied more than 1,000 Mercedes car transfers to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises during 2015 for a special promotion they were running on Anthem of the Seas and Celebrity Eclipse.”

Ports Direct is an ABTA member and as well as routine bookings the company steps in when passengers need an

unscheduled service.Karl said: “When Fred. Olsen

passengers were returned home early due a problem on Black Watch we were on standby to get people home as smoothly as possible.”

Chris Hutchings, Passenger Manager, at Fred. Olsen Cruise Line, said: “Ports Direct worked closely with us, in the

“We’re a family feel firm that really cares”

Clear signage when meeting passengers

Attentive service from port to home

Karl Lapage

interest of our guests’ convenience, to redirect guests’ cars to the most suitable airport or seaport, when, during a recent and unfortunate incident on board 804-guest ship Black Watch, guests had their cruise curtailed and had to be flown home to the UK from Madeira.”

Karl said: “We pulled out all the stops to react quickly and meet passengers at all sorts of times, day and night. We are a family-feel business and we really care about what we do.”

n Ports Direct has more than 5,000 agents registered to make bookings and they can earn a commission from 10% to 15%. Agents can register for an online account at portsdirect.co.uk/agent For details call 0843 0843 003 or email info@portsdirect.co.uk