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Wind Spirit - Things I wish I had known

SailingHigher

By SailingHigher,
in Windstar Cruises

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SailingHigher

SailingHigher

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I learned so much useful information here planning for our trip to Tahiti. Here are some things I wish I had know before our first Windstar cruise on Wind Spirit:

 

  • Music in the cabin wasn’t an option without planning ahead. The TV has very limited channel selection and no music channels. There are no bluetooth or auxiliary speakers. I regretted not bringing the small speaker I usually take on trips.
  • The cabin doors and one wall in the cabin work very well with magnetic hooks. These are inexpensive and easily found online. We were pleased we brought several for our hats, beach bag, etc. 
  • I’m not sure the crew has enough time to thoroughly clean the cabins each week on the turnaround day. I spent an hour wiping small amounts of grime on surfaces down low and up high throughout our cabin. The a/c vent had not been scrubbed in a long time, but our cabin steward jumped on that as soon as we mentioned it. Some passengers may find disinfectant wipes useful to have with them.
  • The complimentary snorkel gear is not high quality, but it is adequate. We found the fins to be a bit marginal. They tend to be bent due to long term storage standing on end. I regret not bringing my own flippers.
  • Other passengers taught us to call room service while on deck to have snacks in the afternoon or at sunset. Menu items will be delivered anywhere, but the passenger must call. It was more comfortable to enjoy such items on deck than in our cabin.
  • About half way through the cruise, the ship had a $49 laundry special for as many items as one can shove into one of the nice laundry bags. Everything was clean and folded in our cabin the next day. I’m glad I did not purchase the daily laundry option.
  • And most importantly, the wifi service remains quite awful. When it worked, it was an unreliable, slow hassle throughout the cruise for our iPhones, iPad Pro, and a Macbook. I wouldn’t consider unlimited wifi on this ship a desirable feature of the all-included fare. Renting a portable hotspot would have been a much better option. After a few days, we turned off wifi and relied entirely on mobile phone data, which was great in every harbor and during transits from island to island. If you need to connect to the office or reach those at home, I would not count on Wind Spirit wifi in the cabins or on deck.

 

Fantastic cruise product. Terrific service and dining. Comfortable cabins. We’re hooked and will sail on Windstar again.

 

PS - Two of the sails on Wind Spirit are busted but they should be fixed in the next few weeks.

Edited by SailingHigher
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makai 7 Great Review Rare

makai 7

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Thanks for the tips!  Cleanliness of the cabin(lack) is a little disconcerting, but I have seen this in many “better” hotels and other cruise lines.

 Was the cabin furniture comfortable?  In decent condition?

And, how is the shower?  Their website selectively omits and photos of the bathroom.

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SailingHigher

SailingHigher

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Yes. Decent condition. Bed was a bit hard but fine. Suitcases store easily underneath. 
 

Our cabin is 236. The shower is fine every day, though at 8:30 am yesterday the temp was lukewarm. By contrast, the water in our sink is only warm, never cool. It was odd to use for my toothbrush. That oddity has been verified and reported to the ship’s engineers. 


There are some water issues with condensation and leaks this week. The worst was in Candles (aka Veranda) last Friday night. It was too windy to dine al fresco. During the meal, water accumulated about 1 to 2 inches deep under our table. (It took a day or two for my wife’s shoes to dry.) We reported the leaking and the waiters said it happens from time to time. There was no rain and no rough seas that night. Very strange. 

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coolbluegreenseas

coolbluegreenseas

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5 hours ago, SailingHigher said:

The complimentary snorkel gear is not high quality, but it is adequate. We found the fins to be a bit marginal. They tend to be bent due to long term storage standing on end. I regret not bringing my own flippers.

 

Thank you for that piece of information. I am going on one backpack as I am taking the road less traveled to reach LA for the flight to Tahiti (I am on the East Coast). I will not bring my fins, but my snorkel and mask just might make it provided there is room. Otherwise, I will just deal with what they have.

 

 

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coolbluegreenseas

coolbluegreenseas

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2 hours ago, Piaa said:

@coolbluegreenseas - you are going on a cruise with Windstar to Tahiti with only a backpack??? PLEASE tell me how (my husband will love you forever 🤣)

 

 

Thank you for the ear to ear grin today. How do I go on one backpack? A willingness to do laundry and bring clothing that can double from day into night. For example, I have a black skort that easily can be used for a daytime excursion with a tee shirt and sneakers. Take that same skort, pair it with a dressy blouse, evening sandals and voila, a night time outfit. In general, most of my stuff can double from day into night depending on the accessories. Also, I roll my clothes so it takes less space. Furthermore, I make a list of must have and likes. If the likes do not make it, so be it. But, the biggest thing is the willingness to do laundry. I am taking the train from Chicago to LA and before I get on the plane for Papeete, I will do a load. I plan on using the service onboard. I absolutely hate carting around lots of bags and if I buy anything that can be shipped, I do that, too.

 

So, lay out what you think you want to take, and compare the size of the bag. Begin the cull that way. Also, you will find half the stuff you thought you need you do not need at all.

 

By the way, which cruise? I am on the August 17th sailing.

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Piaa

Piaa

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@coolbluegreenseas our first Windstar and the September 7th 11 night with 3 days prior and 2 nights post - so excited.  If I can get us to 2 suitcases (1 each) and a carry on I will be happy LOL... I so admire you.  

 

I guess my problem is I don't know how "dressy" Windstar is at night (we usually sail SeaDream and sometimes Azamara or Celebrity ) so I know I will just keep adding stuff as "what's one more dress? OK two more dresses and an extra top but now I need shoes" etc, etc.  The good news is I just chopped all my hair off so that cuts out all my curly hair products so there is half a suitcase right there 😂 

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coolbluegreenseas

coolbluegreenseas

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LOL to the "what's one more dress..." I did that on my first cruise which was Celebrity. My hubby and I had one of those stupid, huge bags and a carry on. I did not end up using half the stuff. I think I really learned how to pack light when I did a Paris/India trip  for 3 weeks on one backpack. My apartment in Paris had a washer/dryer. I stayed with friends in India and used a service.  The way I understand Windstar for dressy would be linen skirts and easy, pretty blouses with dressy sandals. For the guys it would be cool, light weight pants with a simple, neat button down shirt and good shoes. Tasteful, nothing fancy, but still elegant.

 

You might want to start another thread asking about how dressy it really is.

 

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Piaa

Piaa

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1 hour ago, coolbluegreenseas said:

LOL to the "what's one more dress..." I did that on my first cruise which was Celebrity. My hubby and I had one of those stupid, huge bags and a carry on. I did not end up using half the stuff. I think I really learned how to pack light when I did a Paris/India trip  for 3 weeks on one backpack. My apartment in Paris had a washer/dryer. I stayed with friends in India and used a service.  The way I understand Windstar for dressy would be linen skirts and easy, pretty blouses with dressy sandals. For the guys it would be cool, light weight pants with a simple, neat button down shirt and good shoes. Tasteful, nothing fancy, but still elegant.

 

You might want to start another thread asking about how dressy it really is.

 

 

Thank you @coolbluegreenseas - I've been cruising 30 years and still haven't learned that it's OK to wear something more than once at night (but I will be this trip haha)

 

 

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Strenz

Strenz

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In 30 years traveling we have only had travel ons. My suitcase is made of a parachute, 18x 8x 12, I have normal clothes, one pair of shoes, bathing suite and a multi temp sweater.  We have  traveled in cold/hot temps. We use WS laundry, which we love, I think I look nice,  Efficient and never cold. We are unburdened. Very liberating feeling. We have traveled 27 times with WS cruises. I feel sorry for people traveling with giant suitcases. My criteria for purchase is color, washability, simple, warm ( I am chronically cold ). Great feeing of being unburdened. Happy Sailing.

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SailingHigher

SailingHigher

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Another tip for Wind Spirit - Tahiti:

 

Our cabin (#236) ONLY had US-style AC outlets, and they were plentiful. The two European converters (two skinny prongs) we packed were not wasted, however. We spent nights at the Intercontinental Tahiti and St Regis Bora Bora. The rooms at those resorts only had euro-style plugs. The rooms also had USB—A outlets for charging phones and devices. My US cords worked fine, though I needed my two-prong wall adapter’s USB-C outlet to charge my newish iPad Pro. Someday, all gadgets will use all the same wires, but I am pessimistic I will live that long. <grin> 

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JM0115

JM0115

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On 6/20/2023 at 12:15 PM, SailingHigher said:

I

  • Other passengers taught us to call room service while on deck to have snacks in the afternoon or at sunset. Menu items will be delivered anywhere, but the passenger must call. It was more comfortable to enjoy such items on deck than in our cabin.
  •  

What kind of snacks could you order? Do you just tell them where you are on deck?

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SailingHigher

SailingHigher

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3 hours ago, Piaa said:

 

Do you have a link to the one you purchase please @coolbluegreenseas

I bought this model. $20 for two. Has worked well in Europe and Tahiti. 
 

[2-Pack] European Travel Plug Adapter, VINTAR International Power Plug Adapter with 1 USB C, 2 American Outlets and 3 USB Ports, 6 in 1 Travel Essentials to Most of Europe Greece, Italy(Type C) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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mnocket

mnocket

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On 6/22/2023 at 7:20 PM, Strenz said:

I feel sorry for people traveling with giant suitcases.

Interesting.  Why is that?  I understand that light packing is considered a virtue by some, but to me it's not really a concern.  For the most part, my luggage is handled by others.  The only inconvenience is waiting to pick it up at the airport baggage carousel -  a very minor inconvenience as I'm a relaxed traveler who doesn't schedule myself such that I must run from place to place.  An inconvenience to me would be having to worry about laundering clothes in order to dress for dinner, but that's just me.  Everyone is different, so there's really no need to feel sorry for people traveling with giant suitcases.  We get along just fine🙂

 

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