avalong

It will probably be a bit cool & bumpy the 1st few days out of California. Once you're free of the Humboldt current which runs along the coast of California it should smooth out.

Indeed! We would have had to take such a picture the first time we walked through the door!

The Windstar website states that on the Wind Spirit the queen bed can be separated into twin beds "if you prefer." Take a look under "yachts" tab, then select Wind Spirit, then scroll down to read the description of the "gracious staterooms."

Regarding question #2: my husband and I always have done what you are doing: bring our own snorkels and masks and use Windstar's fins. This works out fine. I seem to recall that we went down to the sports platform at our earliest opportunity to get our fins and then kept them in our stateroom for the duration of the cruise. Regarding question #1: I have no personal knowledge of this, but I THINK I recall others on this board saying that the drift snorkel guide would hold your shoes for you. Hopefully someone else with first-hand knowledge (Petoonya?) will comment on this.

Thank you for posting this. I suspect your experience is happening A LOT and we're not hearing about it.

I would love to do this! We did a 3 week driving trip of, primarily, the south island of New Zealand about 10 years ago and loved it. Driving on the "wrong" side of the road was not much of a problem because there were so few other cars and the towns were small and uncomplicated (the most dangerous places were parking lots where we tended to revert to US driving habits). Your trip sounds similar (with the possible exception of navigating out of Dublin...). Thanks for the inspiration!

and a cribbage board! :-)

This sounds wonderful. Did you book the hotels ahead of time or just take your chances that there would be availability in September? How many days was the trip in total?

For a very little while from what I've read. Maybe 3 weeks or so.

Our transatlantic started in New York, then to Quebec City with a few stops along the way, then back out with a few stops in the Maritimes the last being, I believe, New Foundland. Then across to Ireland. Only 3 sea days. Ended in Dover. 19 days. We loved it.

Neither. Think Windstar or Paul Gaughin. Also, you'll want to go in July, August or September when the humidity isn't oppressive as it can be in the months you are considering.

I sincerely hope that the "dumbing-down" of the buffet is a temporary thing due to supply issues or whatever. I really loved it in its previous incarnation. For those of us not blessed with access to New England lobster, the ones that Windstar had were, as they say, better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. 😀

OK, I did some detective work. We were in cabin 123 on our first Windsurf cruise. 123 is on the starboard side. I'm quite certain the head of our bed was toward forward, feet to aft. IF your block of seven cabins is set up like our block of seven was, then cabin number 151 should be set up the same. That's a big "IF," I know.

I know of no such resource, unfortunately. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist somewhere, but I do pretty extensive planning too, and I've never run across this info anywhere. Here's hoping you lucked out!

It was the oddest thing. We were actually at a 2 top and the other couple was at an adjacent, very close, 2 top. It was open seating, not assigned, yet we were seated at the very same table each night right next to these folks. I've perhaps left you with the wrong impression though. My father was born in Scotland and I still keep in touch with family there. I did Highland dancing competitively as a child. So to say that I have an affinity for the British Isles and its people is putting it mildly.

I still remember all the "Thanks Canada" bumper stickers at the time of the Iranian hostage crisis. Not to be overly dramatic, but that will truly never be forgotten. Now, back to cruise issues...:-)

Considering someone "beyond reproach" is a compliment.

Wow, and here I thought the USA was the only conversational punching bag. On our last cruise (pre-covid, not Oceania) we were routinely seated next to an English couple who delighted in bashing the U.S. in the oh-so-refined way that they have. They did it in such a pleasant way that it took a few seconds to realize you'd taken a hit. On night 3 of this I returned fire in an equally pleasant way (in what my daughter calls Jane Austen-style). Never saw them again. :-) By the way, I consider Canada and Canadians above reproach in all things. :-)

We arrived in Tahiti very early in the morning, and my recollection is that the hotel room was ready when were arrived there.

Please do report back!

Petoonya, We too booked with Huahine Nautique (Marc's Motu picnic), but they were so very late picking us up that we gave up on them and, last minute, hopped on a Windstar picnic and snorkeling excursion (the cruise director was in the area where we were waiting and was most accommodating). We had SO much fun. And the snorkeling was pretty good too, but a little blown out (wind happens...). I wish I could remember the exact name of the excursion, but I can't. It included an in-the-water picnic, a demo on how to make poisson cru (sp?), and snorkel time. (Side note: Huahine Nautique pulled up just as we were ready to get on the Windstar excursion boat, some 45 minutes late. We got our money back through our credit card).

For anyone who has experience both pre and post Ponant purchase, I'd be very interested to hear your views on the differences, pro and con.

Aloha1 mentioned she was on 2 btb cruises. Period. No mention of cruise credits .For the love of all that is holy please let this issue die, at least in this thread. This is actually an interesting thread that I would hate to see devolve into the incessant and tedious bean-counting that is sure to ensue regarding cruise credits. Please.

So based on TropicalKerry2002's measurements, the beds are Olympic Queens. ☺️