The Wind ... 2019 ...

[jollyjones]

Now I have been on the Wind for six days, it’s time I reported on the recent dry dock changes. 

My last four cruises have been on the Muse and Spirit so my first thought was how tiny the Wind is - I had completely forgotten! I haven’t been on the Cloud post change so I don’t know if the Wind has been Museified or Cloudified, but she has changed a bit - not a lot, but definitely a bit.

The dry dock was mostly for behind the scenes stuff - eg air-conditioning ducts being replaced - but they did do some changes to cabins and public rooms. (The air-conditioning seems to be working nicely, thank goodness).

 

The cabins (I’m in an ordinary verandah so I don’t know about suites):
No change to bathroom - still dark and pokey with an uncomfortable scramble into the tub for a shower.
TV - flat screen with interactive programming like the Muse and Spirit.
No change to the electrical outlets so no USB charging port.
Carpet, chairs, table and upholstery changed to navy blue and taupe color palette - similar to Muse but a bit darker. The desk, vanity, bedside lockers, shelves and wood panelling are unchanged and their golden brown colour sits uncomfortably with the new colour scheme - it doesn’t complement it altho’ it doesn’t quite clash. Well, actually the new curtains do clash. They are of a curiously coarse twill, in a beige and cream stripe presumably to match the wall panels, but they don’t, they clash. And they’ll show the dirt badly. They’re a heavyweight fabric - maybe for a feeling of warmth in the Antarctic?
The bed is comfortable - may be new, I can’t tell, the beds are always comfortable to me.

 

The corridors in the cabin areas and the cabin doors have been re-panelled in a beige-ish wood effect which makes the space feel bigger and brighter but the panels are so obviously fake plastic wood that it feels a bit cheap and tacky. Fortunately the corridor carpets are a pleasant navy, turquoise and taupe design.

 

The pool deck, La Terrazza and the Deck 5 and 6 lobbies and the main stairs are unchanged. 

 

The Bar, Panorama, Library, and Observation Lounge have all been changed over to the new colours but they don’t feel much different. The Venetian Room  has the new colors and new tables and seating as in the Muse - an improvement I think but I have heard comments about the seats having too small a seat for some pax seats. 

 

So nothing dramatic, just blue where red used to be.  I would assume that these changes are the first installment of whatever they are going to do when she’s ice-hulled next summer - must be a lot more coming since the pax count is scheduled to drop from 298 to 254.

I have a couple more cruises on the Wind this year and having made the comment that then I’d be done with her since I don’t do expedition cruises, someone said “Oh no, that’s not it, she’ll still be doing classic cruising, just able to go to the Antarctic and Arctic”. This I need to pursue next week for a better explanation!

 

Also next week I hope the demographics improve - I had forgotten how dangerous 7 night cruises may be. We have 258 pax this week, 130 of whom are a group (National Society Daughters of the American Colonists) who tend to stay together so the ‘feel’ of the ship is off. The bars are empty (ish) and the trivia group is tiny!!!

[brimary]

Thanks for your detailed update on our favourite Wind as we have plenty of days booked in 2019 .Glad they are mainly cosmetic for what will be our farewell cruises on the Wind in view of its future use as yet another  Expedition ship in the fleet which holds no appeal to us going forward.Looked out of the window this morning to find a covering of snow on the lawn which is fine but to pay a fortune to sail through snow for 14 days on a cruise holds no appeal whatsoever.These developments will make our traditional cruises on the Wind this year even more enjoyable than usual.

[spinnaker2]

Hello jolly.

lovely to get your perspective on the redo.

enjoy your time aboard.

[Beanjar]

Thank you JollyJones for the informative update. 

We are looking forward to returning to the Wind next month.

Do you know who the CD will be - Colin perhaps?

Who was the Captain?

 

Enjoy the rest of the cruise - I would interested to hear about Samana as that's on our itinerary as well.  

 

[jollyjones]

The CD is Alan, Colin’s not back till Mar 26. 

 

Currently the Captain is Gennaro Arma. 

 

No point asking me about Samana, I’ve given up getting off the ship there, it’s a dump. 

[dusababy]

18 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

The CD is Alan, Colin’s not back till Mar 26. 

 

Currently the Captain is Gennaro Arma. 

 

No point asking me about Samana, I’ve given up getting off the ship there, it’s a dump. 

I suppose if Arma is captain now he will probably be on vacation for the TA in April?   Can you find out please?  Thanks in advance.

[nowornever]

Thank you Jolly.  Great information.  The 7 day cruises are highly suspect but I hope your next one improves.  Are there the usual highly energetic & talented kids on board performing & being nice to the passengers?

[les37b]

Many thanks on the update. 

 

The one thing I was really hoping would be spruced-up was the bathrooms, so its disappointing that's not happened.

 

I agree about Samana. Last year we were taken to the Island resort which 90% wanted to return as soon as they'd arrived and the town itself is grotty and felt unsafe to walk around in. Luxury it certainly isn't and completely different from Gustavia where you are at the moment.

 

Not sure about the other tours on offer Beanjar.

[CruisinPashmina]

Dear Dr. Jones...oh, boy..I am disappointed by your report. I’ve been waiting for your opinion because I really trust your opinion. I know you to be both very fair and to be a committed SS sailor. I had hoped for a much bigger/better renewal. I guess it was too much to expect that the bathrooms would be remodeled. I think the tub/shower combos are not only difficult to get in and out of, but, possibly dangerous...especially for an old lady like me. I have 27 days booked in May on my favorite little ship...wish more had been done to update her, but new showers or not, it will be a wonderful trip..of that I can be certain. When they play Rule Britannia as the ship sails past Tower Bridge, nothing else matters.

[jollyjones]

17 hours ago, nowornever said:

Are there the usual highly energetic & talented kids on board performing & being nice to the passengers?

 

Yes there are.

And one upside of the big group on board therefore small regular pax count appears to be no actual children pax. Not even teenagers. The demographic is old for a 7 nighter.

 

I should also mention that there is a fairly new to SS Cruise Consultant on board who so far has been extremely efficient. She's a young thing (well, they're all starting to look young to me) from Stoke on Trent - very pleasant, I wish her well. Cara Pepper by name.

Edited January 20, 2019 by jollyjones

[Tothesunset]

2 hours ago, jollyjones said:

 

Cara Pepper by name.

Shame she's not South American or she'd be a Chile Pepper. 

 

(I can hear the groans from here, thank you.)

[UpstateJan]

Good one Tothesunset!   It's Sunday morning, 2 feet of snow, and then a couple hours of sleet & freezing rain, back to snow now .... I'm looking forward to our March 24th cruise on the Wind.

 

Jolly, thank you so much for the update, and the crew list.  

 

Jan

[MHF]

I don't board until November but thanks for the update!  As long as service and food remain good I will overlook the clashing curtains.

 

Do you suppose the "plastic wood" is a RC thing or a "will hold up better in the cold" thing?

[Emtbsam]

The plastic wood is no doubt a fire thing.

[the_dylaness]

[the_dylaness]

The new 738

[les37b]

Many thanks... Any bathroom piccies?

[nowornever]

With the sofa, 2 chairs & coffee table, it looks very overcrowded...does it feel that way?  I might ask them to remove one of the chairs when we board. It looks like an accident waiting to happen.  Thanks so much for posting these photos & HAPPY BIRTHDAY...belatedly.  

[Tothesunset]

5 hours ago, the_dylaness said:

The new 738

Thanks for those pictures. We will be in 738 for the TA Apr/May then again next March for Cuba so they are of especial interest.

[Stumblefoot]

On 1/19/2019 at 5:39 AM, jollyjones said:

I have a couple more cruises on the Wind this year and having made the comment that then I’d be done with her since I don’t do expedition cruises, someone said “Oh no, that’s not it, she’ll still be doing classic cruising, just able to go to the Antarctic and Arctic”. This I need to pursue next week for a better explanation!

Thanks for the update Jolly and glad to see you safely ensconced on the Wind.

Anyone want to take the opposite side of my bet that while the Wind may do "classic" cruising after she's converted to an "expedition" ship that the prices will remain the same as an expedition voyage?

[rojaan19]

Stumblefoot -- thats not a bet -  its a given  !!!!  😡

[Silver Spectre]

On 1/20/2019 at 2:20 PM, Tothesunset said:

Shame she's not South American or she'd be a Chile Pepper. 

 

(I can hear the groans from here, thank you.)

Or maybe even a Red Hot Chilli Pepper

[les37b]

6 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

TAnyone want to take the opposite side of my bet that while the Wind may do "classic" cruising after she's converted to an "expedition" ship that the prices will remain the same as an expedition voyage?

 

I think the reply is something along the lines of what a bear does in the woods! 

 

As others have intimated, the ship is being taken away and given to a different target audience. I'm sure SS have done their sums and have their expectations, which I presume is the acceptance that Loyal customers will be looking at alternatives which don't come with loaded "expedition" prices for a non expedition cruise.

 

Its been fun and just hope my 2 sailings booked - including the final one prior to dry dock (yes, I know - a gamble!) - will be enjoyable and something to treasure.

 

Have to say, looking back to the photos I uploaded a couple of weeks ago taken last September, I cant say I can see much difference at all from what the_dylaness just posted . Even the pictures on the walls are the same!

[jollyjones]

As I look through the door of the Silver Suite next to me when it is being cleaned, it doesn't seem like anything has been done to it - not new carpet or anything. Maybe these suites are destined for a different future next year? There are only three on the ship and I don't see why they weren't spiffed up too. Obviously 738 wasn't either - the carpets, curtains and furniture in the regular cabins are now quite different. 

 

Dusababy - Captain Arma is only on for another couple of weeks then he is off for three months so it sounds like he won't be back till after the crossing.

 

I'm quite sure Stumble is correct about the pricing for the Wind 2021 and beyond but since her first few posted cruises look very 'expedition-ish' , it's impossible to tell.

Edited January 22, 2019 by jollyjones

[jollyjones]

PS - What a difference a day makes ...

 

As the Colonial Daughters tottered ashore on their walkers on turnaround day yesterday and the new group embarked, the average age dropped at least thirty years, the bar staff started smiling as they had something to do, and the decibels went up ... and up ... and up ...

 

Gonna be a much more lively cruise!