The Wind before the stretch

[knomad]

Would anyone know the stats on the Wind before the stretch? Our first cruise was on the Wind (then Windward) in 1995. I was wondering how the Windward compares to the size of the ships now. As I remember, she carried about 1200 passengers, but have no idea about length or tonnage. Hope someone can help me!

 

Thanks!

[Druke I]

We were on the Windward before the stretch, and enjoyed it. We were on her sister, Norwegian Dream after the stretch, and thought it somewhat crowded with a less than perfect deck plan.

 

Unfortunately, my reference book (Kludas) is in a box (we are in the middle of a double house move), so I can't pull up the stats.

[Markandrews]

From my NCL Voyages 9-1992 to 12-1993

 

Windward/Dreamward

GT 41000#

Length 624FT.

Beam 94FT.

Draft 22FT.

CS 21KTS.

PAX 1246.

crew 483.

 

As Norwegian Wind/Norwegian Dream

GT 46000#

Length 758FT.

Beam 94FT.

Draft 23FT.

CS 21KTS.

PAX 1750

Crew 814

 

Looking at the 1992 brochure it amazed me that cheapest price for the best suite on board was $2845PP for seven days. We paid less then half that for 7 days in the same suite onboard the Wind last year. It is no wonder things are not like they use to be on a cruise. That explains a lot of the revenue driven activity.

[knomad]

Thanks for your reply - that's exactly what I was looking for.

 

Windward was our first cruise, and the ship seemed so big to us. I remember seeing Monarch and Majesty of the Seas on that first cruise, and everyone talking about them because they were the new "mega" ships. It amazes me how the size of the ships have grown, and what seemed to us to be so big is so small compared to ships these days.

 

I am also amazed by the prices. We had a cabin on the Promenade deck, and, as I remember, it cost about $2300 for the two of us and it was a really great deal. We had a junior suite on Rhapsody of the Seas a couple of weeks ago for about the same price (it was a guarantee). Ten years later, and you can actually get a lot more for the money. You are right, no wonder they try to make it up somewhere else.

[wolfedzaz]

Our first cruise was on the Windward also. We have since been on the Dream and we also liked the ship better before the stretch. We really liked the restuarants in the rear of the ship so we were glad they didn't change those. The mass market rush to cruising has lowered the bar in many ways. Yes, the ships are more glitzy and have more activities, but the attitude of the crews and the cruisers is different than 20 years ago. With the prices going way down many people cruise more often and sometimes expectations unreasonably rise above what the previous cruise was etc. Usually your first cruise was where you set the bar and since you had no expectations, it always seems like the best. I know it has been that way with us. We have really enjoyed every cruise, but we always go back to the way they did it on the Windward. Now many people consider the Wind a dump.

 

We are going on the Star (April 14,05) and this will be our first of the newer bigger ships. We have been on the Norway, which had as many people, but I'm sure this ship is very much different.

 

knomad: We are just up the road from you in Oklahoma. Love to visit with people about cruising and love these threads. Later: Dan

[shoreguy]

Our third cruise was on the Windward in 93, Promenade Deck outside as well. I remember the price very well and like Knomad it was a few dollars short of $2300 and that was 40% off the published fare.

 

The first cruise was on the Seaward in 89 when it was "The Ship of the Year". When we entered the cabin I thought we had a suite compared to the Seaward. I spend a total 24 days on the Dreamward/Windward before they were stretched.

 

I enjoyed the aft pool area that was always quiet and seperate from the party at the main pool. Gave you options. Something that is missing on the new NCL mega ships.

 

You want an adventure we took a repo cruise on the Dreamward into NY in March and hit 40' seas out of Bermuda in that now little ship. 12 hours late into NYC

 

I did an Xmas cruise in 99 on the Dream and it was not the same ship. It The ship was really full and I never felt so crowded on any other cruise.

 

I remember being in San Juan accross from the RCL ships thinking who would want to cruise on anything that big!

[knomad]

I will never forget the cabin steward we had on the Windward. We have not had such a good one since. We pushed the twin beds together, and the next day the cabin steward brought a full size (guess it would have been queen size) mattress and put on the bed so we wouldn't have the split down the middle. I was reading a book while we were on the cruise, and no matter where I left it, the steward found it and put it on my pillow open to the page I had marked. We haven't had such personalized service again.

 

We were assigned to the Terraces restaurant, and we had a table for two. I remember that there were plenty of tables for two, but being our first cruise, I didn't realize how rare that was on a cruise ship.

 

I remember the cold fruit soups. We would come in every day from touring the islands, hot and tired, and those cold fruit soups were so refreshing.

 

Shoreguy, our cruise was a gift from my husband's company for the completion of a major project, and I remember a lot being said about what a great deal they got on the room - almost half price, as I remember. So your 40% off jives with what I was thinking. My friend and I were talking the other day about how we used to think you had to be rich to go on a cruise, and I guess it really was more expensive back then.

 

We got out our pictures last night and looked at them and reminisced about our first cruise. It brought back such great memories!

 

By the way, was the Four Seasons and Le Cafe regular dining rooms, or were they specialty restaurants? We can't remember, so I guess we never ate there.

 

It's sad that the Wind(ward) is now considered to be the Motel 6 of the cruise world.

 

Dan, our best friends are from Lawton. Oklahomians (?) are nice people!

[WazAnOkie]

Check out the postcard pic's of the Wind/Windward and many more at: http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/NCLPCs3.html#anchor476724seeing the pictures like this really shows the difference before and after the stretch. I had found this while looking for things about the Dream prior to our last cruise.

 

And knomad, the correct term is Okie. I was born and raised there, but live near St. Louis now, hence the name on this board.