First windstar cruise! Questions?

[chefchick]

So excited, just booked wind surf rt Barbados 1/9! We have cruised before on practically every major line but have always wanted to try windstar. So for you experts, a couple of questions:

 

Embarkation day: we are hoping to take a private tour of Barbados then have the driver drop us off at the pier. We will probably have lunch while out but if not is lunch served the first day? At regulAr times?

 

I am assuming this voyage will be pretty full (there weren't many cabins left) will we have problems finding deck chairs or quiet places to chill on the deck?

 

There has been much discussion re: beverage plans. Do you know if they still have the 4 for the price of 3 premium cocktails (grey goose for example) or did they do away with that in leiu of the all inclusive packages?

 

Better question...does anyone have a favorite bartender on board and where do I fnd him or her? :)

 

I'm sure I will have more questions but would love to hear from the of you who have sailed wind surf lately.

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

[6rugrats]

No, IME, lunch is not served the first day. There are snacks when you check in though.

 

I've never had problems finding someplace to sit on any Windstar ship. The premium cocktail packages are still available. You can find the listings here:

http://www.windstarcruises.com/WindstarExtrasDetail.aspx?frame=shopping

 

No, I don't have a favorite bartender; they are all good and pretty much pour the same, if that's what you mean.

[skurvish]

On our recent Italy trip we had trouble finding a lounger, they were all taken quite early. Wasn't a huge problem for us as we are not huge sun worshippers.

 

On a side note I highly recommend you bring your own wine on board if you are a wine drinker. You will have a better selection and quality to your taste versus what is on offer on ship. Not that the ships offerings are poor, just limited. They charge you $15 corkage (and this includes the gratuity) and if you do not finish they will stick the cork back in and save it for you for another night.

[OSU grad]

We boarded the Windsurf and a buffet lunch was being served so we didn't miss lunch. No problem every finding a quiet spot to sit and read. We only drink wine so didn't buy the beverage package but did take several bottles on board with us. We did a private tour of Barbados at the end of our cruise before boarding the plane to come home. I think you will really enjoy this cruise line!

[corriesnow]

whats the beverage package?

[corriesnow]

ok i found the beverage package info is this a per day thing or do you have to do the full 6 days. I plan on being off the boat for a few days?

?

[June Bug]

I read on another thread, (but can't find it now), that in order to board tenders on the Windstar ships, you must climb down a ladder from the ship to the tender boat. What kind of ladder is it? a small incline? how many steps? I can do ok going down, but not so sure about going up :) LOL! Is this true of the larger Wind Surf ship? I never imagined I would be thinking of not getting off the ship, but with arthritis in my joints and lack of hand strength and leg strength, I'm kind of nervous about this aspect.

[laurelguy]

June Bug...not to worry. There are no ladders, ropes, chutes, or poles to navigate. On the smaller Spirit and Star the gangway is a little more narrow, but the crew helps you onto the tender in a very gentle way. The larger Surf is similar. If climbing stairs though is a problem, you may just have to take your time. I think you'll be ok. I brought my 85 year old mother a few years back. And she managed. Are you doing Barbados 12/26? If so, I'll be there! Cheers. My 6th cruise on WS coming up.:cool::cool:

[June Bug]

Thank you soooo much! :) I'm very excited! Any other tips for our cruise on Wind Surf? Its our first cruise on a Windstar ship!

[laurelguy]

Are you on the 12/26 Barbados? If you're new to Wind Star you're going to love it. It's very different. The Wind Surf is the largest of the three but still feels intimate. Usually a 40-65 year old crowd with sometimes a few honeymooners and stuff. Few kids ever. No nightlife to speak of. It's about the day trips, the great breakfast and lunch buffets and a really nice crew. The Brits on the bridge will show you around and it's fun to hang out up there. Relaxing. No pressure. Casual dress. I find it the best cruising experience. :cool:

[dbr1990]

Embarkation day: we are hoping to take a private tour of Barbados then have the driver drop us off at the pier. We will probably have lunch while out but if not is lunch served the first day? At regulAr times?

 

My wife and I just sailed on Wind Surf 10/3 - 10/10 Nice to Rome. Provided you are on the ship prior to 2pm lunch is available. Otherwise snacks will be available.

 

I am assuming this voyage will be pretty full (there weren't many cabins left) will we have problems finding deck chairs or quiet places to chill on the deck?

 

We never had a problem finding a lounge chair either near the pools or on side decks. I don't think you will either this time of year.

 

There has been much discussion re: beverage plans. Do you know if they still have the 4 for the price of 3 premium cocktails (grey goose for example) or did they do away with that in leiu of the all inclusive packages?

 

On our trip there was only the one alcohol package, and it was for anything you wanted. You must purchase it on the first day at the reception desk. There is also a wine with dinner package I believe.

 

Better question...does anyone have a favorite bartender on board and where do I fnd him or her? :)

 

Absolutely!! Mike in the lounge is SUPER. He and his partner Ed took such good care of us. I made friends with him right away. Slipped him a 50 on the 1st day, and they dropped whatever they were doing to get what we needed when we walked in the room for the remainder of the cruise.

p.s. the bar crew will act different when their mgr is near. He is a little rough, and many people thought the same.

 

Overall, Winstar did a supurb job. Our experience was fabulous

[dbr1990]

. No nightlife to speak of. It's about the day trips, the great breakfast and lunch buffets and a really nice crew. The Brits on the bridge will show you around and it's fun to hang out up there. Relaxing. No pressure. Casual dress. I find it the best cruising experience. :cool:

 

On our crews this month, the nightlife in the Compass Rose bar was great

[chefchick]

Thank you for your thorough reply. There is so little info on these windstar boards as opposed to the mass market ones that it is great to hear a first hand view.

 

We are very excited about our upcoming wind surf cruise. I'm afraid we will be spoiled forever :)

[andyonli]

Hi,

 

We are preparing for our 6th Windstar cruise this winter. We've never had a problem finding deck chairs. There are lots of places to sit, either with others on the ship, or by yourself. there is also lots of sunny and shady spots.

 

I don't know anything about beverage packages - we just order as needed.

 

If you check in early, there usually is a buffet lunch.

 

We really love this cruise line. I hope you do too

[andyonli]

laurelguy...are you on the 12/26 barbados to barbados?

[dbr1990]

Thank you for your thorough reply. There is so little info on these windstar boards as opposed to the mass market ones that it is great to hear a first hand view.

 

We are very excited about our upcoming wind surf cruise. I'm afraid we will be spoiled forever :)

 

You won't want to sail on the large ships again after experiencing this wonderful ship.

I can't say enough about the ship and the staff

[c&d]

I am confused or a little slow here.

 

Someone mentioned a dinner package. I assumed dinner was included in the price of the cruise, I read somewhere about wine being served with dinner. Now for my stupidity is wine a extra charge with dinner?

 

What is included in the cost of a windstar cruise as someone mentioned the brochure on line is not ver informative

[Bevo1]

We are sailing on the Windstar on Jan 15. Wine question? Is there a place you can recommend to buy wine prior to sailing off the coast of Costa Rica? The 15.00 corkage fee-if you don't drink the entire bottle the first sitting and they save it for you do they charge the 15.00 again the next night? Can you bring a partial bottle to the table if you have had a glass of wine in our cabin?

[OSU grad]

There is no "dinner package". There is a drink package. All meals are included in the cost of the cruise but not the drinks. I hope this helps.

[jeff7813]

If you have time...go to the Harrison Caves...or the rum factory in Barbados before you board the ship. And depending on your flight out when you return...you might also have some time to take a tour. The Windsurf docks very early and you have to be off the ship by 8:30am. Windsurf did have an excursion that took you around the island and then took you to the airport. We had stayed at the Butterfly Beach hotel before the cruise and we just went back to the hotel to hang out before we had to go to the airport.

 

We just returned from the Windsurf cruise that sailed on 12/12. There are 3 specialty restaurants on the ship in addition to a sandwich shop and the main restaurant. No extra fee to eat in the specialty restaurants...but you'll have to make reservations. We did order sandwiches one day when we were going ashore...they were wonderful...and they're free! And every evening in the lounge they serve hors d'ouvres before the restaurants open at 7:30pm.

 

Have a wonderful cruise...you will just love it.

[6rugrats]

We are sailing on the Windstar on Jan 15. Wine question? Is there a place you can recommend to buy wine prior to sailing off the coast of Costa Rica? The 15.00 corkage fee-if you don't drink the entire bottle the first sitting and they save it for you do they charge the 15.00 again the next night? Can you bring a partial bottle to the table if you have had a glass of wine in our cabin?

 

No, you won't be charged the corkage fee twice; they will keep your wine for you if you wish and bring it out the next meal. If you bring your own wine to dinner from your cabin that you opened yourself, I don't know if they will charge the corkage fee; I've never been charged one, but YMMV.

[ShirleyZ]

Hi Jeff7813, this is a question for you. We are also staying at the Butterfly Beach hotel prior to our jan 2 cruise. How did you like the hotel? We were thinking of renting a car? did you? Any suggestions for our day in barbados? Shirley

[gnld]

Going on our first Windstar cruise, leaving this Saturday! Do men wear sport jackets sometimes at night? Maybe to the specialty restaurants or at a Captain's Welcome Party? Trying to gauge what to pack.

Gary

[6rugrats]

I have seen sport jackets, but you will also be fine if you leave it at home.

[tomstur]

My wife and I have purchased the All Inclusive Beverage Pkg on both Windstar cruises we have been on. That way, your not worried about what you ordered, how many you ordered, it includes a bottle of wine every night, and also includes as much from your cabin mini bar you care to drink. We go through tons of bottled water which is also included. I highly recommend it. In fact, just booked the 2/27/11 Windsurf and added it to our package! Can't wait! It's so nice to have bartenders bring or pour you a drink without even asking!