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Disgusting customer service / worst travel experience of my life


DOfir
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Let me begin by saying this was to be my dream vacation. My last vacation was 5 years ago. I work incredibly hard and when I finally chose to take the time I sought out Windstar.

I explained my needs and my concerns. I was a solo traveler and wanted a luxury experience.

I explained that bedding and the sleeping arrangements were very important to me. I sleep with a CPAP and require a minimum of a double size bed as I sleep in the center. With proper electrical hookup bedside. I needed a fully equipped gym with cardio equipment so I can run the morning otherwise I get anxious. A well appointed spa.

I was assured that the motor boat class of Windstar had all of this and more. A luxury cruise in every sense of the word filled with pampering amenities.

The Windstar Star Breeze boasted of beautifully appointed accommodations, exceptional public areas, 2 luxury dining rooms, full spa and gym facilities.

Upon boarding I quickly surveyed the situation and my heart sank.

My stateroom 226 on the #starbreeze From Edinburgh to Dublin

The bedside plug was damaged. I was unable to get power to the CPAP machine. The adapters would not work it took 3 trips by maintenance until they found a workable solution which was an extension cord across the room.

The bed is 2 singles pressed against each other. Something I was specifically was assured was not the case!

The bathroom mirror vanity was cracked and held together with silver tape.

The white Marble was stained completely yellow around the toilet from years of urine on porous stone.

The DVD player did not work.

I went to the spa to book services. I was delighted to see acupuncture. Was told that was not a service provided on this ship. Why was it on the menu of services then?

I took a tour of the spa. I recoiled upon opening the steam room door due to the smell of mold that was overwhelming, it was small and musty.

I went to the gym and was shocked to discover outdated equipment. An old rower, a basic exercise bike and 2 treadmills. The ceiling is maybe 6’5 the treadmill is a step up making it impossible to be used without hitting my head. I am 6’.

At this point I spoke with both the guest services manager and the General Manager. I asked what were my options of disembarking. They informed me that it was my choice but no refund would be offered.

I went to the buffet. Again dismayed, the food was basic and below anything I was accustomed to. I inquired about the buffet because that was another issue I had and was assured by the booking agent that there were full service restaurants available all day.

We left the port and set sail. I asked about internet and that it was imperative that I was able to get basic work done with my home office and was assured that it would work throughout he ship. Upon signing up the reception informed me that it was unlikely to work in my stateroom and it was an additional $275.00. Not only did it not work in my stateroom it never worked at all as well as the computers in the library! One computer was out of service. Every passenger I spoke with complained about it.

The library filled with books left behind by other passengers. A selection of DVD’s from the 90’s

There was no real bon voyage celebration - some flag thing with no fanfare or pomp. No champagne toast, no little waving flags nothing.

The lounge singers provided bad renditions of popular songs.

If it weren’t all so sad it would have been funny. It was all like a late night basic cable skit.

I went to dinner in the below deck restaurant. It was all mediocre. The ambiance, the service and food.

I went to bed distraught. The seam in the middle of the bed, the hard pillows, the scratchy sheets. I tried to hold back tears. I was a grown man.

Day 1 at sea. More bad lounge singing, a lecture about a detox treatment for sale.

I went for my massage in an intensely claustrophobic treatment room. I asked about the overhead florescent tube lights. He informed me that there is no way to shut them off. Florescent lighting trigger my migraines. His solution was to put this eye mask on. I don’t want anything on my face especially something like a beanbag that isnt clean and used by others. The massage was amateur at best.

I went to dinner at Candella - the converted buffet. That stayed exactly the same other then then it being night. Not a candle electric or otherwise, not a flower, not twinkling light. A blank room. The steel buffet set up remained. A night cafeteria with a new name. A lipstick on a pig. This was supposed to be the special steak house?

I ran into the GM - I expressed all my disappointment, pointed out all the ways that this ship could be elevated and he admitted that is would be decommissioned at the end of season and completely redone.

This would be the reason that this ship was so completely and totally outdated a floating holiday inn and no where near a four season as I had been led to believe.

I went to sleep with stomach pain, sad and frustrated. I prayed that in the morning the excursion would be a bright spot.

I woke up early with mild pain and cramping, nauseous and a little weak. I went to the ships doctor seeking pepto bismol. I wanted to make sure that i wouldn’t be queasy on the off board excursion. He immediately started to question my systems, I explained to the best of my ability the situation. He said in order to continue I would need to pay I think $150. He chose to ignore my request for Pepto and let me know if he were to examine me and he suspected that I might have a bacterial or viral digestive illness that he would immediately quarantine me. Not upon clinical diagnosis but suspicion. That lab results would be sent out and until their return minimum 3 days and an all clear I could be locked in my room. At one point as I attempted to leave his office he stepped in front of me blocking my exit. An aggressive move and perceived threat. I told him to move or call security. He moved out of my way.

This threat of possibly being locked in the cabin with no open window induced such a state of panic that went into a state of fight or flight. I reiterated all this to the guest services director as I was attempting to get my passport back, I was visibly distraught.

He commented that it was for the best I leave, that if I was ill it’s was best for the other passengers as well.

To be clear, my stomach issue resolved itself the same day.

That aspect of the ships protocol is highly disturbing. I left the ship immediately.

I took a 4 hour cab back to Edinburgh.

I am utterly and totally disgusted. Anyone of the above reasons are a justifiable cause to leave the ship.

I sent all this to Windstar Customer service. Their response was simply that they ever claim to be a luxury cruise line and that my expectations were too high. No credit, no refund and the blocked me form all social media. Feel free to contact me for proof and pictures.

DO NOT CHOOSE THIS CRUISE LINE!

#windstarcruises #windstarcruise

:mad:

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Sounds like a cruise vacation may not be for you. After a rough start, things changed on board our recent Windsurf cruise, and it turned out to be a great trip. I would rate Windstar an “almost luxury” line, which is fine by us.

 

You really need to do more research next time on what the ship offers, and find something that will meet your needs. You could probably find something, but at 2-3 times the cost.

Really pleased to see you've written this.

 

Food on our Star Pride cruises has been excellent.

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Sam Ting glad you are not looking on WS now with such negative views anymore. You should have given WS a chance instead of berating everything about WS with such crass language initially. Always step back and comtemplate before hitting the send button. DOfir I am suspect since you were shut down by social media and you have only one posting. Tragic for you that you can not see the good in anything. You must be a very unhappy person. Happy Sailing

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Dofir- sorry that you weren't pleased with Windstar. Maybe it's not for everybody but gotta say it's my favorite. You had a long list of gripes with your cruise. In my eyes it always reflects well on the poster to add some positives to the list of complaints. Makes the complaints more believable personally. The glass seen half full vs half empty is what I refer to. Agree with the poster above- maybe cruising is just not your cup of tea and a land vacation next time. Best wishes.

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Let me begin by saying this was to be my dream vacation. My last vacation was 5 years ago. I work incredibly hard and when I finally chose to take the time I sought out Windstar.

I explained my needs and my concerns. I was a solo traveler and wanted a luxury experience.

I explained that bedding and the sleeping arrangements were very important to me. I sleep with a CPAP and require a minimum of a double size bed as I sleep in the center. With proper electrical hookup bedside. I needed a fully equipped gym with cardio equipment so I can run the morning otherwise I get anxious.

:mad:

 

So sorry that you didn't enjoy your cruise. If you would like to try another cruise, I advise you to post and research on the Disabled Board on Cruise Critic BEFORE your cruise. Other cruise lines have special needs departments that specifically deal with CPAP, etc. Good luck.

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Sounds like a cruise vacation may not be for you. After a rough start, things changed on board our recent Windsurf cruise, and it turned out to be a great trip. I would rate Windstar an “almost luxury” line, which is fine by us.

 

You really need to do more research next time on what the ship offers, and find something that will meet your needs. You could probably find something, but at 2-3 times the cost.

 

I have to say that I really do admire people who are open-minded enough to change their minds based on further evidence rather than defend to the death their initial impressions. Kudos to you Sam Ting.

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I have two small comments:

 

1. The buffet breakfast and lunch also have made-to-order items. It took us a couple of breakfasts to figure this out.;)

2. You are right that the treadmills are placed in an area without much head room.

 

 

 

Sorry 'bout your bad luck.

 

Unfortunately, the ceiling height of the fitness center has to be the same height as the adjoining cabins. It was built in what would have been cabins. There is no way to make it higher in its present location. That is too bad for the taller passengers, however.

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It sounds like you had a terrible time and I am sorry to hear it. It is a pity that you only joined Cruise Critic after you sailed and didn't use it to help find the best vacation for your needs and expectation.

 

There is a lot of great information here from people who have been passengers before. I think that the reviews are most helpful, but I take them with a grain of salt and paying special attention to patterns of complaints about the things that we care about when we travel. Aside from the food, which is really subjective and the cleanliness issue in the bath which I think that Windstar would/should have addressed for you, most of your complaints wouldn't have been deal breakers for us.

 

I have only sailed twice, but from what I have read, it seems that quarantine of passengers with Norovirus-like symptoms is pretty much industry standard and prudent for preventing the possible spread of illness to other passengers. Inconvenient for the patient, yes, but in everyone's best interest.

 

Although researching on CC might not make our voyages perfect, they do help us to chose the best fit and travel with reasonable expectations, based upon what we have read and heard from other CC members. I hope that if you wait another five years for a vacation, that you take the time to research it first and it turns out to be everything you have hoped for.

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I went to the gym and was shocked to discover outdated equipment. An old rower, a basic exercise bike and 2 treadmills. The ceiling is maybe 6’5 the treadmill is a step up making it impossible to be used without hitting my head. I am 6’.

 

Glad to see this mentioned. A treadmill is very important to DH, and he was dismayed not to be able to use it on Star Pride without hitting his head. I read a ton of reviews before our trip, and none pointed out that the treadmill is unusable except by short people. Thank you for mentioning this.

 

Sorry you had such a bad experience. We mostly enjoyed our Windstar cruise, but we also had some customer service issues. If their customer service was as good as Viking’s or Celebrity’s, we would probably try them again, but it just wasn’t.

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6rugrats, now I feel silly for posting a reply to what is perhaps a fictitious review and in retrospect it does seem quite melodramatic. If it is genuine, you have to feel a little sorry for a guy that admits to being a workaholic who suffers from sleep apnea, anxiety, migraines, claustrophobia, digestive illness and sensitive skin all in the course if less than two days.

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I suspect someone from Windstar read my initial impressions on cruise critic and corrections were made half way through the cruise. (It would be silly if they didn’t) Yes, the changes were that dramatic. The changes made turned our so so cruise into a great experience, without getting anyone in trouble.

So wonderful to hear!

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Its too bad you didn't enjoy your vacation.

 

As for the treadmills, my husband has the same issue. However, it is possible to circle the deck and walk outside, which is what I enjoy. After all, you are at sea, and the fresh air adds to my experience walking for exercise. Port stops are also great places for walking.

 

I use a CPAP too. I've always had to use the plug across the room on the motor yachts. The cabin steward helps me on the first day taping down the cord. Its a bit unsightly but works. They will also provide an extension cord if needed.- I call the office before leaving and they provide distilled water for the cruise.

 

I hope your next vacation is more enjoyable.

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It's clear that this guy didn't research the cruise line before booking. Windstar isn't a high end luxury line, like Crystal cruises, etc., (nor are they anywhere near as expensive as that type of cruiseline) but they certainly are among the nicer cruise companies out there. We've been on windstar 6 times, and always had a wonderful experience. The crew is phenomenal and so considerate - they really are the gems of the whole experience. The food in the restaurants is great and the atmosphere is always beautiful. We love Candles grill and look forward to getting the filet mignon every time. It looks TOTALLY different than the buffet in the morning. they put white table clothes on and little candles on the table, and the crew change their attitude and dress wear to a more formal approach. The people come in nicer clothes to eat... This review is nasty, abhorrent, and seems really dishonest... and the guy who wrote it comes off as incredibly pompous to me. I hope I don't run into you on a cruise anywhere...

Also - yes. EVERY CRUISELINE will quarantine you if you get the norovirus. Keep that in mind when you're planning your next cruise.

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We did back to back cruises on Star Breeze earlier this year. We loved it and it's crew so much that we are going back in November and bringing friends. Sorry you had such a bad experience. I always scour the cruise critic board before we make final decisions. My only complaint is that we booked early and our cruise has become much cheaper, but we are not entitled to the current rate. Still not going to let that spoil our trip.

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