stcruise

On board Wind Surf right now and we booked! I'll check out the roll call. Looking forward to it.

Tom and I are discussing taking this cruise.  We have traveled in Europe/Med/Greece areas multiple times both by land and sea.  Some of our cruises have been duplicate itineraries.  And, yes, I am one of those who plan every day out in advance with both independent and Windstar tours as well as on our own things to do.  Leave home with a folder for each day of the trip.  

This would certainly be different.  The only planning on my part would be flights & hotels.  But as we discussed it - how wrong could it go?  Cruising around Greece with Windstar and just enjoying each day as it unfolds.  Maybe we're getting old or maybe just seeking a new kind of adventure, but we are certainly thinking about it.

Here is the dinner menu and wine list. The complimentary red wine with dinner was actually quite nice.

Have not sailed yet, but will be boarding on Nov 25.  I plan on doing an in depth review (maybe not until I return) and will make sure I provide information on their wine lists.  Not much info on the Azzurra (or Sakara) on these boards - probably because of the low passenger count. 

Sorry, if I caused you any anxiety - I should have been clearer in my post that this was for 2023.  Yes, it is quite a way out, thankful for that.

This is for Star Legend - May 25 to Aug 4 2023.  So definitely plenty of notice.  As of this morning, they still had not posted the new itineraries, so I don't really expect to see anything until next week now that we are in a holiday weekend.  Such is the world of travel these days, need to be prepared for anything!

We originally scheduled this cruise in 2020, which of course didn't happen.  We were hesitant to schedule it for 2021, so we made plans for 2022.  Then because of family obligations, we rescheduled for 2023.  Now it appears that it will be a longer cruise and depending on pricing, not sure if we'll be able to do it.  Won't know until they release the information. 

New_cruiser, I'm sure your trip will be great!  Enjoy and report back after you return.  

Tom and I were booked on the Aug 4, 2023 Norwegian Fyords Cruse.  Received this email on Tuesday:

June 28, 2022

To booked guests: Northern Europe, May 25 – October 2, 2023 departures

Subject:  Cancellations and changes to Northern Europe cruises

Dear,

The conflict in Ukraine has unfortunately upended our plans to sail in Northern Europe and the Black Sea. While we would prefer to leave the itineraries as originally planned, the situation is forcing us to make adjustments in 2023. As a result, we are changing the itineraries in the region to adjust select ports in some situations or change the itinerary completely in other situations.  Unfortunately, this means your cruise as booked is now cancelled. We hope you will consider rebooking one of our newly scheduled itineraries and you may find more information on these itineraries on our website in the coming days.

Due to this cancellation, we will offer you a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) valued at 100% of monies paid to Windstar Cruises. Please allow four to six weeks to receive the FCC certificate. This certificate is valid for 24 months from the date of issue and can be applied towards a future Windstar cruise or you can request a refund if desired. Should you wish to transfer your canceled voyage FCC into a refund, you may do so once the FCC is received. Please follow directions on the FCC and request a refund within 24 months of receipt. Please note Windstar does not reimburse third party (non-Windstar) travel expenses or fees.

If you have questions or need additional information, please visit our website, contact your Travel Advisor or Windstar’s Vacation Planning Department at 800-258-7245. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 6:00am to 6:00pm (PST) and Saturday 7:00am to 3:30pm (PST). Due to increased call volumes, wait times may be longer than normal.

We are sorry for this disruption to your planned vacation, and we look forward to welcoming you aboard another Windstar cruise for a 180 degrees from ordinary experience.

Very truly yours,

Christopher Prelog
President
Windstar Cruises

We had decided to "go big" since it has been so long (Oct 2019) since our last cruise and had reserved #501 Classic Suite which does have a balcony.  Last time I checked this morning, they still had not posted the new cruises. Unsure what we will do - probably depend on the new itinerary and price.

If there is something on the menu that you really enjoy, you can ask if they will share the recipe with you.  I have done this several times and the recipe will magically appear in my room the next day.  I hope they are still doing that!!!

On our first Windstar cruise, husband packed jacket and tie.  Never wore them.  He does pack a few nice shirts (he doesn't like polo shirts) and wears them to dinner.  Have not had the opportunity to cruise in Tahiti, but our other itineraries have been in Europe and Caribbean - no jacket, no tie has been fine.

2 hours ago, r&rd said:

does it apply to existing bookings or only new bookings?

I have a June 2022 booking - called and they applied it.  Of course, I incurred the normal administrative change fee of $50/pp which will be offset by a $50/pp credit.

I'm happy! 

Windstar Cruises just announced:

SEATTLE, WA, March 12, 2020 – Small ship cruise operator Windstar Cruises announced today that the company will temporarily suspend operations worldwide for cruises embarking March 14 through April 30, 2020 due to the unpredictable environment surrounding the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
“After much thought, we believe we are making the most responsible decision we can during this coronavirus pandemic,” said Christopher Prelog, chief operating officer of Windstar Cruises. “This worldwide pause in the operation of our fleet of small ships is an effort to curb the spread of the virus and keep our guests, crew and the communities we visit, safe and healthy. We look forward to resuming operations again on May 1 with a return to offering our 180 degrees from ordinary vacation experience.”
Windstar will temporarily suspend operations of all sailings embarking on March 14 through April 30, 2020. Cruises will begin operating again according to schedule on May 1, 2020.
Windstar Cruises regrets the cancellation of travelers’ vacations. Guests on cancelled cruises will receive the choice of a Future Cruise Credit valued at 125% of all monies paid to Windstar Cruises or a refund equal to the amount paid on the Windstar booking. Guests will have 24 months to book and embark on any available Windstar cruise using their Future Cruise Credit. Windstar Cruises will protect Travel Advisor commissions on the affected bookings.
Windstar’s reservations team is reviewing all affected bookings and will send a letter outlining details to guests and travel advisors with canceled cruises. The reservations team appreciates the patience and understanding of guests and travel advisors as they work through this process.
The staff, executives, officers and crew at Windstar Cruises look forward to hosting travelers again this spring aboard its fleet of six small yachts carrying 148 to 342 guests in scenic and cultural destinations around the world.
Media Contact:
Sarah Scoltock, Windstar Cruises / sarah.scoltock@windstarcruises.com Sally Spaulding, Percepture Public Relations /sspaulding@percepture.com René A. Mack, Percepture Public Relations / rmack@percepture.com

Last year on Wind Star sailing from Rome to Barcelona, we had much the same experience as Ski Mom 2.  We brought back several bottles of wine from tours (independent, not Windstar) and they just waved us through.  It's probably not guaranteed, but they do seem to be fairly lenient if it's just a couple of bottles (we had the case we ordered shipped). 😁

We also used Treviso car service for our family of seven.  We were going the opposite direction (airport to cruise port) - the price was 70 euros for a comfortable van that held all of us as well as all our luggage.  Very personable driver.  Highly recommend.

12 hours ago, wildcat68 said:

Now, I was about to pop on a 14 day Caribbean but $135 per day extra and the bar prices has turned me completely off Windstar.  ($59/day plus 15% X 2)  Much of their product is great, but being fleeced after ponying up pretty big bucks to ride their boat has given me a poor taste.  That will be it for us.

We usually do not buy the packages since we don't drink enough to justify, but we have a family cruise coming up on Celebrity, so out of curiosity I checked to see what their prices are.  Three different packages priced at $49/$59/$69 per person per day plus an added 20% service charge. 

Of course, keep in mind that Celebrity also does NOT offer free water, soft drinks or specialty coffee drinks.  They also have packages for those priced at $22/$18/$16/$9 per person per day plus the 20%.  I was surprised to see that the one at $16 was for water!!!  It is premium water, but still seems a little high for water!!

When I requested a price adjustment on our upcoming cruise, I was "charged" the $50/person fee. However, I was given a $50/person OBC to offset the charge. I felt that was fair.

Short answer - yes, you can take them with you.

Longer answer - I prefer my own mask & snorkel, so I pack them. I put things in the mask and around it - doesn't weigh much and doesn't take up much room. I then check out snorkel fins from the ship, I'm not as picky about fins and they can take up a lot of room and weight.

Received a bag once early on (1st or 2nd WS cruise), but it didn't have much in it, just the tags to put on for boarding the ship and maybe our docs. It wasn't that memorable. Have not received one since.

I, actually, do not have a problem with a non-compete clause by cruise lines for a vendor. It is the vendor's business decision on whether to sign the agreement or not.

Here is what can happen (my personal experience) if there is no non-compete clause. Morocco port, Windstar cruise - probably the one and only time I will ever get to visit. Did a lot of research, found a highly rated tour guide and booked him in September for our April cruise. Had another couple (from Australia) who were going to join us. Verified the booking was OK about two weeks prior to cruise.

Got off the ship and found the guide with our name on a sign. It was someone different! Was told that our tour guide was requested by Windstar at the last minute and would be doing one of their bus tours. OK - we are go with the flow people, disappointed but did not make a fuss. Morning part of the tour was great - started to fall apart at lunch. He tried to charge us extra for lunch, fortunately we had the emails that clearly stated lunch was included. Then he began parading us through various stores and vendors - again we showed him the emails where we had stated we did not want any shopping. At this point he became angry, threatened to just leave us until we pointed out that our backpacks were in his van. When we asked about the three other places we were supposed to visit, he told us the tour was over.

Upon our return home, I emailed the guide we were supposed to be with. It was only then that I found out he had a contract with Windstar and did all their tours! He knew in advance when he took our booking that he would not be our guide since he knew we were on Windstar, but led us to believe he would be conducting our tour. This was extremely deceptive and had I known I might have taken the tour offered by Windstar. We received no refund, only a promise that should we ever come to Morocco again, he would give us a free tour.

So, this is the flip-side story of what can happen if a vendor does not have a non-compete agreement with Windstar. I would have been just fine with him saying he could not accept our booking - I would have then tried to find someone else or just do the tour through Windstar.

You can find the 7 for 7 Specials by going to the Windstar website and clicking on the Specials tab. Almost (sometimes they have another promotion) every Thursday they post 7 cruises on sale for 7 days. You can also sign up for promotional emails - except I have found they are not very consistent in sending those out.

Also, don't forget to monitor prices - if they drop, take advantage of the price guarantee policy. Especially, check the 7 for 7 specials that are advertised almost every Thursday.

Cannot confirm how it is on the Wind Spirit - but on the Wind Star last November I was able to check out fins only. I have also done that in the past on the Surf. If they say you can only check out entire set (mask, snorkel, fins), then check out entire set but only use the fins.:D Like you, we try to save room in our luggage and fins take up a lot!

Here is their policy:

Guests who purchase a cruise on Windstar will be eligible for reimbursement upon request if the fare published by Windstar for their specific departure and cabin class is reduced after they have made a booking and deposit, and if the request is received by Windstar at least 120 days prior to sailing. The reimbursement will be provided in the form of a shipboard credit, upgrade, fare reduction, or a future cruise credit. Windstar will determine the form of reimbursement, and the amount of reimbursement will be the difference between the fare actually paid by the guest and the published fare on WindstarCruises.com the day the request is received. Guests who select reimbursement will be eligible for any complimentary inclusive features (e.g., hotels, air, tours) associated with the new fare and will forfeit any complimentary inclusive features associated with the original fare. All requests for reimbursement must be made directly to Windstar Cruises at 1-844-211-1897 (during regular reservations hours) at least 120 days prior to sailing.

As many have mentioned, the later you wait to book the more limited your cabin selection will be. My approach has been when I find a cruise I want to book at a price I am willing to pay - I book it knowing it could go up or could go down! I can then make my flight and other arrangements. Our last cruise, the price kept going up, up, up after I booked. On our upcoming cruise, the price came down on their February sale. I called, received the new price and ended up saving about $550. This cruise is not until October, so we are still quite a way out.

Also, keep in mind that dealing with Windstar is not like dealing with a mega-ship with thousands of cabins available. Even their largest ship, Wind Surf, only has around 150 cabins/suites total. While we have never had a bad cabin on any of our cruises, there are certain cabin areas we prefer. So, we book early to try to grab our favorites.

Nothing for the Surf after March yet - I've been watching and waiting.

The photo of the "dinette" area is from either the Wind Star or Wind Spirit. Windsurf staterooms do not have an area like that. I never really checked for the third berth on the Surf, but I do know in at least some of the cabins on the Star and Spirit, it is located over the bed.

Another casual-dressing woman here who packs for Windstar cruises with only a carry-on.

Brought two skirts on my first Windstar cruise - only wore one for our anniversary dinner at Candles. Next couple of cruises - only brought one skirt. Can't really remember if I wore them or not. Haven't packed a skirt on the last few cruises, just nice slacks/pants outfits. Have never felt out of place - once you are sitting down at a table, who's going to know whether you are wearing a skirt or slacks?:D