Windstar just cancelled the Star Breeze July 3rd sailing

[cabosal1]

1 hour ago, Windstar Cruises said:

Hello all. This is your Windstar PR person here - Sarah. Reading through your posts. Understand the frustration here. Cancelling close-in sailings is tough. But I would like to provide some insights on this for you. We have always said we would have the crew vaccinated as soon as it is available to them. We have been working for months now to source vaccine for crew aboard our ships. It's incredibly complicated. We've had success in Tahiti, Greece and now Italy. The Caribbean has been a tough nut to crack. Some countries simply don't have as much vaccine. And there are rules as to who they can give it to. Policies also change quickly. The BVIs put out their requirements for a fully vaccinated component of guests and crew only a few weeks ago. We will always comply with each country's requirements. And that's what we are doing now. After much work, San Juan has just notified us of a J&J vaccine supply available for our crew, so we will go there next week to inoculate the crew. Unfortunately, that means we must now cancel two cruises. Our team has contacted all affected guests and travel advisors. 

 

I'm on the Star Breeze now. I can't tell you how nice she looks. And the food is amazing. Star Grill and Cuadro 44 will impress you. I love Spanish tapas so that's a highlight for me. If you like steak, then don't miss Candles. The Star Grill recipes from Steven Raichlen are to die for - house smoked pastrami is crazy good plus the brisket. I will have to post some photos soon.

 

The crew is so happy to be back!  We are starting up our fleet in phases. Wind Star is successfully sailing in the Greek Isles this week. Wind Surf starts up next. Here's the schedule:

 

Wind Spirit – July 15

Wind Surf – Aug 8

Legend – Sept 4

Pride – Nov 3

 

I'll try to check in and answer more questions. I am super busy on board with writers (look for articles), a photographer and a video crew. We'll have new visuals for you very soon. 

I’m also on Star Breeze now, however I do NOT WORK for WS so, maybe, I’m more objective.  
Having been on many luxury cruises, though admittedly not during Covid times, I am completely dumbfounded by WS’s Covid response.  Tours and stops cancelled, sub-par food offerings( Quatro 44 not impressive, at all), excursions on St. Martin monitored like we are first graders while regular visitors are allowed full access to the islands many restaurants & shops (which St Martin citizens clearly WANT YOU TO VISIT).  I was informed that this was not a St Martin policy, but a WS policy.  Apparently passengers can’t be trusted off-island, while WS administrators can’t be trusted to get their employees vaccinated ahead of inaugural cruise.  Not holding my breath for reimbursement either.

[Nearpost345]

Hi Sarah, thanks for posting. I’ll start with a minor point. You said the BVI announced their vaccine requirements for passengers and crew a few weeks ago, it was March 11th almost 9 weeks and 6 days ago:

 

Premier's Office 

BVI Ports Authority Ltd 

Topics: 

Marine Transport, Tourism

Release Date:

Friday, 19 March 2021 - 2:15pm

The BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA), reopening of the cruise port has been announced with government approval for June, 2021 for cruise vessels with fully vaccinated passengers and crew.

One of BVIPA’s first expected passenger cruise calls to the Territory will be the Celebrity  Milliennium  of Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Cruises starting June, 2021 homeporting out of St. Maarten.  The regional itinerary includes stops to Tortola, St. Lucia and Barbados.

Mrs. Oleanvine Maynard, Ag. Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority stated that “we are so excited to be part of this new regional itinerary and while the cruise experience will be different than it was pre-pandemic, we are committed to providing our cruise partners and their guests a safe and enjoyable cruise stop.”

The BVIPA and The Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park (CBRTPP) teams will be working diligently with the Ministry of Health and Social Development, BVI Tourist Board, Local Cruise Agents, and the Cruise Lines desiring to call to ensure a healthy return to cruising for the Territory.

Mr. Vance Lewis, CEO, CBRTPP commented “the health and safety of the cruise guests, crew and our local community is our top priority and we will be working very closely with all partners to ensure for a safe resumption of this sector.”

Ship boarding requirements includes for passengers over 18 years of age to be fully vaccinated along with 100% vaccination of crew. Additionally, testing, pre-screening and embarkation measures are in place along with other onboard mitigation measures to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks.

———————————————————

Also can you reassure us that Windstar understands that there is a lag time, commonly considered to be fourteen days, (J&J) between being vaccinated and reaching immunity. I raise this because you should have known that your June 19th cruise was technically ruled out of visiting ports in BVI on June 5th since no one had been vaccinated by that date, yet passengers where not informed of “cruise to nowhere” status until June 15/16th.

Could you please explain why there was a delay?
 

You have  a very tough job at the moment, I respect that. Transparency and answering the phones will help take the pressure off you and Windstar

Edited June 24, 2021 by Nearpost345

[Windstar Cruises]

45 minutes ago, sail2day said:

Sarah,

 

The cancellation of my cruise is just part of the problem. The much more important issue is the lack of customer service. The only communication I had from Windstar was an email this past Monday notifying me that the July 3rd sailing was cancelled. I proceeded to call Windstar Tuesday and Wednesday in order to obtain further information on my airfare reimbursement that was purchased through Windstar. I have called multiple times and have yet to receive a call back. Communication is an important element in customer service. I’ve had none with Windstar. 

Hi Sail2Day: Yes, sorry to hear that. We have a small team right now, but that is too long. I will contact our team on your behalf.  Please send me your name and contact info to PR@windstarcruises.com. 

[Nearpost345]

Hey cabosal I’m sorry about the difficulties you’re encountering, I tried to private message you but it’s disabled at the moment.

Can you advise if Hubert, the awesome French Dining Room Manager is onboard ? 

Thanks

[Windstar Cruises]

1 hour ago, Nearpost345 said:

Hi Sarah, thanks for posting. I’ll start with a minor point. You said the BVI announced their vaccine requirements for passengers and crew a few weeks ago, it was March 11th almost 9 weeks and 6 days ago:

 

Premier's Office 

BVI Ports Authority Ltd 

Topics: 

Marine Transport, Tourism

Release Date:

Friday, 19 March 2021 - 2:15pm

The BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA), reopening of the cruise port has been announced with government approval for June, 2021 for cruise vessels with fully vaccinated passengers and crew.

One of BVIPA’s first expected passenger cruise calls to the Territory will be the Celebrity  Milliennium  of Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Cruises starting June, 2021 homeporting out of St. Maarten.  The regional itinerary includes stops to Tortola, St. Lucia and Barbados.

Mrs. Oleanvine Maynard, Ag. Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority stated that “we are so excited to be part of this new regional itinerary and while the cruise experience will be different than it was pre-pandemic, we are committed to providing our cruise partners and their guests a safe and enjoyable cruise stop.”

The BVIPA and The Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park (CBRTPP) teams will be working diligently with the Ministry of Health and Social Development, BVI Tourist Board, Local Cruise Agents, and the Cruise Lines desiring to call to ensure a healthy return to cruising for the Territory.

Mr. Vance Lewis, CEO, CBRTPP commented “the health and safety of the cruise guests, crew and our local community is our top priority and we will be working very closely with all partners to ensure for a safe resumption of this sector.”

Ship boarding requirements includes for passengers over 18 years of age to be fully vaccinated along with 100% vaccination of crew. Additionally, testing, pre-screening and embarkation measures are in place along with other onboard mitigation measures to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks.

———————————————————

Also can you reassure us that Windstar understands that there is a lag time, commonly considered to be fourteen days, (J&J) between being vaccinated and reaching immunity. I raise this because you should have known that your June 19th cruise was technically ruled out of visiting ports in BVI on June 5th since no one had been vaccinated by that date, yet passengers where not informed of “cruise to nowhere” status until June 15/16th.

Could you please explain why there was a delay?
 

You have  a very tough job at the moment, I respect that. Transparency and answering the phones will help take the pressure off you and Windstar

Hi NearPost35,

 

The two weeks I mentioned wasn't based off the BVI announcement you posted here. Sorry, I wasn't clear on that. We've been in  our own negotiation with the port and authorities there and originally had permission to visit (no unvaccinated crew off ship) and that changed recently - not even two weeks ago. Crew is to be vaccinated in San Juan on June 28 in time to visit BVIs with a fully vaccinated crew. But I do want to make sure everyone understands that the vaccine is one part of the safety plan - one layer. We are also social distancing, wearing masks indoors and when unable to distance outdoors, practicing good hand hygiene, more frequent sanitization of facilities and cleaning the air with HEPA filters and UV-C lights in the HVAC system. 

[Nearpost345]

O.k. Sarah, I see the rationale now, thank you.

Are you able to disclose whether or not Hubert is on board. He is usually the Star Breeze Dining room manager?

 

funnily enough I speculated on all this on June 16th in another thread

—————————————

”

Is it possible that The BVI had a last minute change to covid protocol that blindsided Windstar. It’s hard to believe there was a vaccine requirement the whole time and Windstar missed it.

 

To further muddy the waters, why couldn’t Windstar keep non vaccinated crew on board on port days?”

 

—————————

Edited June 24, 2021 by Nearpost345

[Windsailer]

4 hours ago, Windstar Cruises said:

After much work, San Juan has just notified us of a J&J vaccine supply available for our crew, so we will go there next week to inoculate the crew.

So the crew will receive the vaccine on 6/28. And the vaccine isn't fully effective until 14 days after vaccination. So will the July 10th cruise be cancelled along with the next two cruises? If so when do you intend to let those passengers know? 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Windsailer
Clarity

[Nearpost345]

Windsailer, hopefully you noticed the reassuring remarks from Sarah in her next post

[Windstar Cruises]

8 minutes ago, Nearpost345 said:

O.k. Sarah, I see the rationale now, thank you.

Are you able to disclose whether or not Hubert is on board. He is usually the Star Breeze Dining room manager?

Sorry, I can't. 

 

[Nearpost345]

No worries Sarah

[Windstar Cruises]

5 minutes ago, Windsailer said:

So the crew will receive the vaccine on 6/28. And the vaccine isn't fully effective until 14 days after vaccination. So will the July 10th cruise be cancelled along with the next two cruises? If so when do you intend to let those passengers know? 

No, the July 10 cruise is a go. By the time we get to BVIs enough time will have elapsed. 

[MindyJohn]

I've been following this thread since I'm booked for the July 24 sailing.  @sail2dayI hope you've been able to speak with someone.  This morning I made two calls to the number shown on the website and each was answered with less that a five minute hold time. 

 

I am in complete agreement with @cabosal1regarding Windstar's mandated shore excursions.  Being forced to visit these places in a small herd is a big negative when both guests and WS are hoping for dream vacations and rave reviews.  If local authorities are allowing independent visitors it's hard to justify WS's policy.

Edited June 24, 2021 by MindyJohn

[CruiseCritic10]

6 hours ago, Windstar Cruises said:

Hello all. This is your Windstar PR person here - Sarah. Reading through your posts. Understand the frustration here. Cancelling close-in sailings is tough. But I would like to provide some insights on this for you. We have always said we would have the crew vaccinated as soon as it is available to them. We have been working for months now to source vaccine for crew aboard our ships. It's incredibly complicated. We've had success in Tahiti, Greece and now Italy. The Caribbean has been a tough nut to crack. Some countries simply don't have as much vaccine. And there are rules as to who they can give it to. Policies also change quickly. The BVIs put out their requirements for a fully vaccinated component of guests and crew only a few weeks ago. We will always comply with each country's requirements. And that's what we are doing now. After much work, San Juan has just notified us of a J&J vaccine supply available for our crew, so we will go there next week to inoculate the crew. Unfortunately, that means we must now cancel two cruises. Our team has contacted all affected guests and travel advisors. 

 

I'm on the Star Breeze now. I can't tell you how nice she looks. And the food is amazing. Star Grill and Cuadro 44 will impress you. I love Spanish tapas so that's a highlight for me. If you like steak, then don't miss Candles. The Star Grill recipes from Steven Raichlen are to die for - house smoked pastrami is crazy good plus the brisket. I will have to post some photos soon.

 

The crew is so happy to be back!  We are starting up our fleet in phases. Wind Star is successfully sailing in the Greek Isles this week. Wind Surf starts up next. Here's the schedule:

 

Wind Spirit – July 15

Wind Surf – Aug 8

Legend – Sept 4

Pride – Nov 3

 

I'll try to check in and answer more questions. I am super busy on board with writers (look for articles), a photographer and a video crew. We'll have new visuals for you very soon. 

Sarah, for those of us that have had their vacations hopes and dreams canceled by this event, this is truly unfortunate. Not sure there is anything really good about this entire event and for us that have had their trip cancelled and will not be able to book another vacation until next year, the 125% credit is not adequate to cover the cost of the new trip.  

 

[cabosal1]

4 hours ago, Windsailer said:

So the crew will receive the vaccine on 6/28. And the vaccine isn't fully effective until 14 days after vaccination. So will the July 10th cruise be cancelled along with the next two cruises? If so when do you intend to let those passengers know? 

Windsailer, I hear July 10th is cancelled.

[cabosal1]

On 6/22/2021 at 7:45 PM, Nearpost345 said:

Luckily for Windstar the onboard experience is so incredible that it makes up for a the front office’ shortcomings.

 

Still looking forward to September 4th and at least now I know the crew will be vaccinated.

Sorry, but I find the “onboard experience “ not “incredible” at all, speaking as one currently “onboard”.

[cabosal1]

5 hours ago, Nearpost345 said:

Hey cabosal I’m sorry about the difficulties you’re encountering, I tried to private message you but it’s disabled at the moment.

Can you advise if Hubert, the awesome French Dining Room Manager is onboard ? 

Thanks

Haven’t seen Hubert.

[Nearpost345]

thanks Cabosal1 re Hubert, again sorry it’s going poorly for you.

[FLbeachbaby]

@MindyJohn I too tried phoning Windstar today several times and got a recording with no call back. (I even tried to fool the system by saying I was a travel advisor or wanted to make a new res. etc ) Perhaps since you are in Seattle they are answering ?? @sail2day and I are both from FL and could not get through. No idea why. I just had a question about a shore excursion. Previously, at most, I was #2 in the queue. After a misstep, no one was answering the phone. Why shut it down ? Does not look good.

[MindyJohn]

9 hours ago, FLbeachbaby said:

@MindyJohn I too tried phoning Windstar today several times and got a recording with no call back. (I even tried to fool the system by saying I was a travel advisor or wanted to make a new res. etc ) Perhaps since you are in Seattle they are answering ?? @sail2day and I are both from FL and could not get through. No idea why. I just had a question about a shore excursion. Previously, at most, I was #2 in the queue. After a misstep, no one was answering the phone. Why shut it down ? Does not look good.

Sorry they didn't answer your call yesterday.  I used the 800 number on the website.  Both times I selected options for "guest" and "already booked".  After inputting my confirmation # once I held and after a minute or so got a recording offering the callback option which I used and call came through about 5 mins later.  Second call it said I was #1 in queue so I stayed on.  Sounds like they need to run some tests on their answering system.  My calls were around 8am PDT.

[HuliHuli]

21 hours ago, Windstar Cruises said:

Hello all. This is your Windstar PR person here - Sarah. Reading through your posts. Understand the frustration here.

 

I'll try to check in and answer more questions. I am super busy on board with writers (look for articles), a photographer and a video crew. We'll have new visuals for you very soon. 

Hello Sarah:  It's nice to see you here on Cruise Critic.  It would appear to me that your post comes but a few hours after I wrote you and Chris Prelog in a private message.  Coincidence?  If you have had time now to read my message, this board and the Star Breeze Roll Calls, you can see that indeed Windstar has a loyal following of clients who regularly sing your praises here and share my interest in seeing you and Windstar succeed as you return to the seas.

 

While press interviews and videos are important, nothing can be more important than providing accurate, timely information to your customers about their booked cruises and the operation of their chosen cruise line.  Therefore, I applaud you for coming on CC to help fill what many have felt has been an information void from Windstar.  I hope you (and/or your staff) will spend a few moments daily on these boards answering our inquiries.  One of those questions I have seen by @wesport has been information about what we can expect at embarkation on the Star Breeze, e.g., where do we check-in at the pier, etc.  I'm sure my fellow cruisers will have more questions for you here.  And, if WE can help share your messages here, on the roll calls, or other sites where we communicate, don't hesitate to ask us.  We can be part of your virtual team.

 

Thanks again for posting and best regards, CDR HuliHuli.

cc: @Mimi A, @themutis, @cc cruiser

[FLbeachbaby]

On 6/23/2021 at 8:37 PM, sail2day said:

Thanks! I just wrote them an e-mail.

Good morning- were you ever able to get in touch with WS ? Hoping you have some resolution by now.

[sail2day]

6 hours ago, FLbeachbaby said:

Good morning- were you ever able to get in touch with WS ? Hoping you have some resolution by now.

Yes I was finally able to speak to someone on Friday. Windstar actually called me. It was quite a surprise. 

[sail2day]

Let us see how quickly I receive my refund from the cruise. Time will tell.....

[cabosal1]

They had more than enough time to get the crew vaccinated but couldn't, until pushed, so don't hold your breath on a refund (again, until pushed.).

[sail2day]

On 6/24/2021 at 2:53 PM, Windstar Cruises said:

Hi Sail2Day: Yes, sorry to hear that. We have a small team right now, but that is too long. I will contact our team on your behalf.  Please send me your name and contact info to PR@windstarcruises.com. 

Hi, I received the e-mail for the Future cruse credit and I chose to have a refund. This was done last Friday. Any idea how long the refund to the credit card should take?