Chipshot from Michigan

Passengers can spend plenty of time with officers on the ship's open bridge.  Wind Surf received a suite of impressive new navigation technology.  Come sail away (I wonder whether Virgin will use that song).

Not as many here but far more mailings than necessary.  Windstar isn't the only guilty party.  Lindblad and Star Clippers also grace our mailbox more often than necessary.  Heck, I'd spend several months of every year cruising if I could.  Reading about it is no substitute.

We got distracted by a cabin issue during embarkation (a white powder on the floor that was never identified) and never returned to the desk to make reservations.  I can't imagine what logic to apply in choosing a date.  Amphora's menu always had selections I found desirable.

2 hours ago, O2B@Cagain said:

Is this going to be like Candles? Where you get one reservation/trip then more if there is availability?

None is likely to be the case if you don't sign up the first day or two.  After that, second reservations are apparently permitted.

Day-to-day dining spontaneity would be more luxurious in my opinion.

I call the practice "dumpster-view" when booking hotel rooms.

Shame on Windstar for not taking the opportunity to rise to the occasion.

Thanks.  Burst shooting is often the best way to capture images of bow-riding dolphins and other unpredictable events.  I had my camera strap wrapped securely around my wrist and hung the whole kit out over the rail.  200-300 shots yielded about a dozen keepers.

We did not see any sloths in Costa Rica and Panama.  Fortunately there were plenty when we plied the Peruvian Amazon with a different line.  My son is in charge of the Go-Pro.  He has produced some terrific time-lapses.  I have a little Fuji waterproof for snorkeling and places such as the Baths that has produced surprisingly good results over the years.  Having a macro lens along also paid off.

I agree the canal IMAX was good. We received separately a good explanation of how the new, larger locks use less water and no longer have mules.

Nice report.  No need to apologize for its length.

I enjoyed the Canal museum.  Worth it if you have an hour or so.

Did you have good sunsets?  Did any dolphins "bow ride"?  Did you find 300mm was enough lens?

Any collared shirt is fine for men.  Just use your judgement.  I wore my old (very old! but still in fine condition) Wind Song shirt to dinner at Amphora and just about every waiter commented (favorably) on it.

Some people on our cruise thought Windstar oversold the refurb.  I'm not sure what was done to the cabins (other than the ones that were converted from suites).  Some apparently received new carpeting.

1 hour ago, minidonuts85 said:

I don’t recall this seating area outside of Amphora pre-refit. 

The space came in handy when things got backed up at the maître d's podium.

Ahem, https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2707871-windsurf-refit/

1 hour ago, Strenz said:

Anyone who reads CC Windstar know that we love WS cruises. We love the sails and have never been disappointed in the amount if  time they are up during the day time, it is most if the time. Honestly not been in the gym for we love the fresh air and I walk the decks. We also do not complain, we are grateful that we can be on such a beautiful ship, great food, fabulous service, for a person with such an awful  back,  mattresses great. So much of life is subjective what is the point of complaining and life is too short  to send pictures of stains and not working signs. No, it is not right to be a chair hog it is simply selfish and rude. Hope you all can have a happy sailing experience. 

What's wrong with sharing facts?  Interest was expressed about the re-fit, and information was provided.  That's why we're here, isn't it?  Windstar should be defending itself, not relying on contented passenger to do its lifting.

Fanboy defense?  I see that in car forums, too.  Selectively responding and making poor assumptions.  Playing the non-judgmental card?  Fine.  I hope you're not one of the boozers who buys the drinks package and makes sure to get their money's worth.

I spent a fair amount of time on the bridge and spoke with several officers about the sails.  They are used primarily for cosmetic purposes now because there is no interest in committing personnel to controlling them manually.  Things were different in 1998 when we first sailed on the Surf.  There used to be a contest where the guest who came closest to guessing the amount of time spent sailing won a prize.

The port briefings on our 1995 Wind Song cruise were entertaining and fascinating.  This time around was lackluster, featuring the excursion assistant reading from a PowerPoint.  Really?  I probably shouldn't have been surprised by the poor turnout.  Recent Windstar passengers knew better than to attend.

If you and others are willing to accept Windstar's faults, then it has no incentive to improve.  And if your standards are that low, by all means sit in your corner where no one will bother you.

58 minutes ago, honumaui said:

We are boarding Feb 18 in Cozumel. I was looking forward to a spruced up ship. We did a back to back on her a couple of years ago. . Oh, well...as long as the sails work, the food and service are great and our room is comfy  i will be happy.  Have never been in the fitness center and probably never will.  We cruised on the Pride, New York to Montreal and our cabin definitely needed an update but the cruise was great.  Same for our Alaska cruise  on the Legend. We have cruised the Med. on Regent and chose them because of the all inclusive and business air. They do a great job on their tours esp for oldies like us who don't do well independently in Europe. I would compare the food and service on Windstar as good as Regent but Regent beats them on accommodations. I wish Windstar had their beds.

• The food was very good.  Book a table at Sandals at your earliest opportunity.  While everyone should have an opportunity to eat there, repeat bookings are allowed even if some haven't.
• The sails work but only in manual mode.  They are rarely up for long after sailings.
• Having only one working treadmill on a ship this size was disappointing.
• You may wish something else had been put in the new fitness center's prime location.
• Plenty of outdoor seating allows deck chair hogs to indulge in selfishness.
• We loved the Yacht Club Café.
• I have never seen so many jigsaw puzzles done during a cruise.

Here are some fitness center shots.  Nice space but a lot of inoperative equipment (please note that I avoided posting pictures of people).

Useful information, though straying a bit off-topic?

Anyway, my two cents.  PassageWeather.com is another valuable resource.  Leeward Islands or Virgin Island to Dominca for this area.

https://www.passageweather.com/

US residents shouldn't need their passports in Puerto Rico.

1 hour ago, minidonuts85 said:

The captain this week is Remi. He plans to stay for “awhile” but didn’t give us a timeframe. 

Yes, Remi Eriksen.  Are his wife and daughter still aboard?  He was the most aloof and haughty captain we have ever experienced.  I wonder what he is like when they are not along.

Staff Captain (a large ship title?) was far more engaging and appeared to be significantly more involved with the ship's operation.  It was he who spearheaded cleanup of the bow area.  The two cadets were very engaging.  They have bright futures ahead of them.

1 hour ago, dandee2 said:

We also seldom unpack except for some clothing item that we hang in the cabinet.

 

Our strategy for a one-week or longer cruise is that the empty suitcase under the bed becomes the take-home laundry bag.

We try to leave space for the cabin stewards to work and don't expect them to tidy our stuff continuously.  I imagine some of the messier cabins were characteristic of their occupants.  Wind Surf's cabins live larger when they're not cluttered.

Chuckling about the finicky bottles.  Loading a Wind Surf shower wire soap dish with shampoo, conditioner, bath gel, a bar of soap, and my customary small bottle of Dr. Bronner's often led to a bit of juggling.

The carry-on three-ounce liquid limit interferes with peoples' ability to bring their own toiletries.  While some purchase them at their destination, that isn't always practical and is usually wasteful.

17 hours ago, avalong said:

Ugh, we'll be in 136 at the end of March. Hope the stinky stairway issue is resolved by then. 

I forget to mention another problem we had with cabin 136.  At embarkation there was an unidentified white powder on several surfaces.  Housekeeping addressed it and acknowledged the cabin should have been completely clean before we arrived.  Damage was confined to slowing down our unpacking and getting on with enjoying the ship.

Cabin doors were often left open, and I was surprised to see how many passengers (mostly kids and young adults accompanying their families?) were living out of suitcases despite the ample storage available.

I requested either lobster or crayfish and got lobster.

Beach day at Straw Hat.  Highly recommended!  They had lobsters waiting for us.

I liked the look of the Frangipani Beach Resort.  My wife was smitten by the Four Seasons.

We should have made a right turn instead of a left when walking down the beach

21 minutes ago, avalong said:

Ugh, we'll be in 136 at the end of March. Hope the stinky stairway issue is resolved by then. 

Fortunately the smell did not permeate either of our cabins.  I think it's "stack effect", and if memory serves has been a longtime Wind Surf feature.

The worn/stained carpet picture was in 134.  I don't recall whether 136 had new carpet (some cabins do).  However, it did have temperature control issues and was often freezing.  We had visits by the Hotel Manager (Andreas Pitsch, a gem of a guy) and other officers.  Apparently there was a limit to what they could do.  Design choices made 30+ years ago.

We had a smooth ride and no complaints about vibration or noise.  Lotta stairs to the upper decks (where the views are much better), though.  Forget about waiting for the elevators.  You can consider the stairs part of your daily fitness routine.  Just choose a different flight when closed watertight doors don't limit you to Delta.

Have a great cruise!