Review: Windsurf Barcelona Lisbon Sept 10th

[Sans Souci]

Just returned from one week on the Windsurf - which was our 10th cruise with Wind Star on their various ships.

From the advertising for Windstar one appreciates that the emphasis is on '180 degrees from Ordinary' - and the pleasure of experiencing the peace and tranquility of a sailing ship.

From our first delightful trip on WindSpirit in 1999 the concept appears to have changed, and whilst one admires young talented musicians, the fact that younger folk appear to enjoy super amplified music from 20" loudspeakers in a small low ceilinged area, this procluded any opportunity to sit quietly in the Compass Rose bar and enjoy the sails, the sea and the stars. In fact, on every occasion we visited the Compass Rose bar in the evening it was empty - even of the ships officers who normally congregate there for a evening refreshment , commented that they were unable to hear themselves speak.

Sadly, the music is also relayed by speakers to the lower Pool Bar so it was impossible to find a quiet spot. In times past, one did not go on these vessels to be entertained!

 

The wine list is something of a shambles - with whites and reds being mixed together, and as always prices for local Spanish wines which can be obtained ashore for a few €'s are over exaggerated. Despite the $10 corkage charged it still makes it attractive to obtain your wines ashore.

The ship is going in for 'a mid life refit' in November and it is showing signs that it is ready for it!

It must be said that the ship does not give the impression as being as 'happy' a vessel as in the past. No one was on hand to bid the departing passengers farewell - unheard of in the past. As several American fellow guests commented - "it seems to be be just a matter of nickels and dimes now" and that is sad

 

Overall - food was good, and the service was excellent and a pleasure to be welcomed back by the delightful staff from Indonesia and the Phillipines.

[cruiseroo]

the fact that younger folk appear to enjoy super amplified music from 20" loudspeakers in a small low ceilinged area, this procluded any opportunity to sit quietly in the Compass Rose bar and enjoy the sails, the sea and the stars. In fact, on every occasion we visited the Compass Rose bar in the evening it was empty - even of the ships officers who normally congregate there for a evening refreshment , commented that they were unable to hear themselves speak.

 

You're right. Times have changed and it is a shame that there's nowhere to escape on a smaller ship like this to peace and quiet. It really would be nice to have a bar with no music at all so you can sit and talk. Maybe when they refurbish something like that can be done?

 

In defence of the musicians, their control the volume is dictated to some degree by the requirements of their superiors who want passengers to be drawn to the lounge. If passengers don't hear the music, they won't even know there's entertainment there. So the music has to be heard on the deck as well as in the room. And yes, that makes the room louder.

 

The fact that the room was empty on occasion can be attributed to the fact that most people don't even discover the room until half way through the week. I can tell you the duo finds this very dispiriting: it's horrible having to perform to an empty room for hours hoping someone will find you. If the music isn't turned up, how will they find you? So management wants the levels up so they can be heard outside on the deck too.

 

On the flip side, yes, there are many younger cruisers these days who DO enjoy the music in the Compass Rose and don't find it too loud. It's impossible to please all passengers at all times when the crowd is such a mix. I'm sure if your cruise had only been seniors, levels and style of music could have been adjusted to cater to those who only want quiet background music. But even on the deck, some passengers do enjoy hearing the music. I have video footage of them out there enjoying themselves and dancing on the deck. You can't do that if you don't hear the music.

 

So I guess it's always going to be different strokes for different folks: you cannot please all the people all the time. Entertainment is aimed at the majority in this case, and from what feedback we've had, the majority loves the entertainment in the Compass Rose.:)

[laughoutloud]

this procluded any opportunity to sit quietly in the Compass Rose bar and enjoy the sails, the sea and the stars. In fact, on every occasion we visited the Compass Rose bar in the evening it was empty - even of the ships officers who normally congregate there for a evening refreshment , commented that they were unable to hear themselves speak. Sadly, the music is also relayed by speakers to the lower Pool Bar so it was impossible to find a quiet spot.

 

I can agree with this. I was disappointed not to able to take that quiet, romantic, after-dinner stroll around the deck that so many here have enjoyed. It was too windy up front & too loud at the stern. Instead of nice background music, it was more like a "show." The musicians were very talented and the sound level is probably not under thier control; I just feel it was the wrong style of music for the type of cruise that Windstar is trying to promote.

 

PS> My husband & I are from the younger generation...

[cruiseroo]

I can agree with this. I was disappointed not to able to take that quiet, romantic, after-dinner stroll around the deck that so many here have enjoyed. It was too windy up front & too loud at the stern. Instead of nice background music, it was more like a "show." The musicians were very talented and the sound level is probably not under thier control; I just feel it was the wrong style of music for the type of cruise that Windstar is trying to promote.

 

PS> My husband & I are from the younger generation...

 

Fair enough. Maybe Holland America should use this duo on one of their larger ships where "shows" are expected and appreciated.

 

If you're referring to the tribute show they do, yes, that's a "show", only one hour, one night of the week, and something new the duo suggested for the Windsurf to liven things up. Apparently it worked. Since the duo started the tribute show, the Compass Rose and the bar especially, has benefitted from the increased income and packed room the show generates. Obviously they're not going to cut out something that is now generating 4 times the income than it did before. ;) And even more obviously, a lot of passengers do like it.

 

Incidentally for any others who take this cruise and don't like shows, don't attend the tribute show. It's impossible to sing Tina Turner quietly. It might be better to visit the Compass Rose earlier in the evening when the duo offers jazz and middle of the road; a lot gentler and more laid back. Lots of seating room I understand, both inside and out as it's never as well attended as the tribute and karaoke nights.

 

I think it's not entirely accurate to leave the impression that the Compass Rose has been converted into a show venue: that takes place only one hour, one night a week.:)

[lovecruisingtoo]

I am glad to say that this transformation has not taken place on the Star. You can still go in the lounge for a nice quiet time. The comments reaffirm why my wife and I like the smaller ships so much.

[little britain]

It might be better to visit the Compass Rose earlier in the evening when the duo offers jazz and middle of the road; a lot gentler and more laid back. Lots of seating room I understand, both inside and out as it's never as well attended as the tribute and karaoke nights.

 

Having just also got off the Windsurf I can only agree with the OP about the sound levels in the Compass Rose. Unfortunately the early evening 'middle of the road' music was also played at a very loud level which also prevented us and others from having a quiet drink in the bar and probably explains why there is "lots of seating room"!

 

Having read your other posts I now realise that Cruiseroo is the singer's mother so I appreciate your concerns over any comments that you feel may be directed at your daughter's talents - but I do seriously believe that this venue is far too small for this type of sound level. Perhaps you could pass these comments back to your daughter and they could try a lower sound level for a few days and see if there is a favourable reaction? Just a suggestion...!

ps: I'm young too and in fact just off to a rock concert tonight with 65,000 others....so not adverse to a bit of noise in the right place at the right time!:)

[cruiseroo]

 

Having read your other posts I now realise that Cruiseroo is the singer's mother so I appreciate your concerns over any comments that you feel may be directed at your daughter's talents

 

Thanks for your addition to this post and I'm going to make this comment my last. Yes, I am the singer's mother, but no, I do not feel that any of the comments I've read here were directed at her talents, only at the music levels, something over which the duo has little control. When the duo first took this job, management determined what was too loud, too quiet and just right and the levels have been set that way for months with the exceptions you'll read in the comments below.

 

Since this thread started, I have been in touch with Victoria and Andrew, and naturally, it's been hard for them to not take these comments personally. Musicians are a sensitive lot, especially when a passenger writes in his parting comments to "Get rid of singers in Compass Rose - too noisy", the first and only comment of this kind in 4 1/2 months on the Windsurf!

 

Fortunately for Andrew and Victoria, there's not a lot of passengers who would agree with that directive, given that the comments on them for 4 1/2 months have been so overwhelmingly positive and their ratings from passengers have been well above the required standard for ship musicians. Thus they can read this thread and still feel proud of the work they are doing and the pleasure they are bringing to the majority of Windsurf passengers.

 

What is really interesting though is the feedback they received last week and in all the weeks prior that is in sharp contrast to what has been posted in this thread. Here's what other passengers have to say about the entertainment and the entertainers in the Compass Rose:

 

-Compass Rose musicians outstanding

-Compass Rose - fabulous vocalist. Great experience.

-The musicians in the Compass Rose were accomodating and great.

-Compass Rose - music should be louder (:confused: )

-Compass Rose musicians brilliant.

 

-Loved the music. Compass Rose musicians top notch.

-Very good, excellent song choices.

-Truly outstanding performers.

-Tribute show should be in the main lounge.

-Yayat in our room, Chris at the bar, Victoria and Andrew with the

entertainment - Exceptional work!

-We loved Andrew and Victoria.

 

The only complaint out of all those left last week was the one stated above, but another passenger had this to say: "Numerous times we asked them to "crank it" and they had to explain to us that they couldn't due to a "complaint" that had been given to management. Well, in return this took away from our enjoyment of hearing them play!"

 

Point is it all goes to prove what I said in a previous comment: you cannot please all the people all the time!

 

A couple of things Andrew and Victoria did mention in an email bear posting here for others who will be taking this cruise and may want to form their own opinions of the Compass Rose instead of worrying that their cruise will be unpleasant because of the noisy duo:

 

"The CR is not to there to go have a "quiet" drink in - IT'S A BAR!!! If it was there for relaxation purposes, there wouldn't be a stage with musicians, 4 speakers inside and 2 huge speakers outside and downstairs."

 

"Quiet time in the Compass Rose is 8:15 - 9:30 and before 6:30pm. And there's always the Terrace Bar on the stardeck above."

 

"I think it comes down to the crowd...some crowds like music, some

crowds don't...but it sure is hard when we get ..."turn it down" ... "no turn it up" ... "can you guys play outside where everyone is sitting so we can see you" If we were on TV, people could just push the buttons to get what they want, but we're not! Windsurf management established the set volume levels when we first came on board and now I (Andy) control

the volume level based on whether or not I can hear a person's

conversation from the middle of the room, or if they have to lean in to

speak to each other. We try to accomodate where we can: all a passenger has to do is ask us if they'd like it turned down or turned up instead of lodging formal complaints with management. However, we can't keep the volume low if the majority are telling us to crank it up!"

 

"There's always gonna be someone who thinks it's too loud, as well as someone who thinks it's not loud enough. We usually turn it down when asked, but only until those people leave, then it goes back to where it was set in the first place as directed by management. We haven't touched the levels for months now and no one has complained until this week! :confused:

 

I have to agree with the duo on this point too: "If Holland America/Windsurf wanted background music up there, they would

put on a CD. It costs a whole lot less!!" So the duo is delivering what they were hired to do.

 

That's it for me. But if anyone who was on board last week did like what they saw and heard in the Compass Rose, it'd be nice to have a bit of positive added to this thread by someone other than myself and then we can all agree to disagree :) :) ;)

[t2s1m]

I would like to add just a few comments about this thread that somehow now appears to be directed at individuals rather than the concept.

 

People go on cruises for many reasons and will typically select the destination first and then the cruise line for what it has to offer. My wife & I have been fortunate enough to have cruised several times but our experience pales in comparison to your 10 cruises with Windstar alone. Assuming that this has taken place over several years then you are probably correct in saying that things have changed. It is a fact of life that things change and companies that do not adapt to these changes will fail. The unfortunate side effect of this is that passengers returning to a ship may find nothing familiar, particularly if the ship has been in for a refit.

 

The loss of somewhere quiet to relax and enjoy the evening is obviously of importance to you as it is to many others and hopefully Holland America and the management of Wind Surf will consider this when the ship goes in for her next overhaul.

 

We were aboard Wind Surf during her Monaco Grand Prix cruise in June and the highlight of our evenings was to join Andrew Victoria in the Compass Rose Bar. At that time the music volume was well within acceptable levels and we had an absolute ball singing along and dancing on the terrace. Their range of music is huge and Andrew could double for Mark Knopfler with his talent on the guitar.

 

Artists typically tend to be very sensitive to everything around them and will feed, not only off the audience, but particulary to the written word. This, for them, makes a bad review a personal attack on their talent; for us other mere mortals it would simply be shrugged off.

 

If Andrew Victoria are listening to any of this out there then I would just like to remind you both, that as entertainers you have terrific and enviable talent. A talent that has been appreciated by thousands of people in Hong Kong and aboard ship, all of whom I'm sure would love to see you perform again.

 

Keep the faith guys........................

[bearhall]

This is kind of off subject but,are Chico and his wife still on the Windstar,we enjoyed his music.

[cruiseroo]

I would like to add just a few comments about this thread that somehow now appears to be directed at individuals rather than the concept.

 

People go on cruises for many reasons and will typically select the destination first and then the cruise line for what it has to offer. My wife & I have been fortunate enough to have cruised several times but our experience pales in comparison to your 10 cruises with Windstar alone. Assuming that this has taken place over several years then you are probably correct in saying that things have changed. It is a fact of life that things change and companies that do not adapt to these changes will fail. The unfortunate side effect of this is that passengers returning to a ship may find nothing familiar, particularly if the ship has been in for a refit.

 

The loss of somewhere quiet to relax and enjoy the evening is obviously of importance to you as it is to many others and hopefully Holland America and the management of Wind Surf will consider this when the ship goes in for her next overhaul.

 

We were aboard Wind Surf during her Monaco Grand Prix cruise in June and the highlight of our evenings was to join Andrew Victoria in the Compass Rose Bar. At that time the music volume was well within acceptable levels and we had an absolute ball singing along and dancing on the terrace. Their range of music is huge and Andrew could double for Mark Knopfler with his talent on the guitar.

 

Artists typically tend to be very sensitive to everything around them and will feed, not only off the audience, but particulary to the written word. This, for them, makes a bad review a personal attack on their talent; for us other mere mortals it would simply be shrugged off.

 

If Andrew Victoria are listening to any of this out there then I would just like to remind you both, that as entertainers you have terrific and enviable talent. A talent that has been appreciated by thousands of people in Hong Kong and aboard ship, all of whom I'm sure would love to see you perform again.

 

Keep the faith guys........................

 

Thanks so much for your comments. I will indeed pass this on to Andrew and Victoria. I really think they need to read this ;) :)

[bagheera]

This was our first Windstar cruise so we don't know how it has been in the past or on the other ships, but we really enjoyed the music in the Compass Rose. We are booking another for Feb and would love to see them again. She had a wonderful voice and he was amazing on the guitar.

[cruiseroo]

This was our first Windstar cruise so we don't know how it has been in the past or on the other ships, but we really enjoyed the music in the Compass Rose. We are booking another for Feb and would love to see them again. She had a wonderful voice and he was amazing on the guitar.

 

Thanks Bagheera. I'll pass this on to Andrew and Victoria.

 

We don't know yet if they will go back for another term. This contract was 6 months...a really long haul on a cruise ship for anyone and it's very wearing on a singer's voice to be expected to sing 5-6 hours a day. Given her voice is her life and her career, she cannot afford to ruin her "instument" and on the Windsurf, she has sung through 2 dreadful colds when glands were swollen and she barely breathe for the smoke. The smoking in the Compass Rose has been one of her biggest problems especially since Victoria is asthmatic and has been waking up for months now coughing and spitting up "brown gunk" as she puts it :eek: revolting to a non-smoker. And with a grandmother dying of lung cancer, Victoria is terrified of the same from second-hand smoke.

 

They have several agents looking out for other spots for them and might prefer to have something where they aren't expected to perform so many hours. I don't know of any singer, even famous ones, who are required to sing that many hours, 7 days a week. And in the first few weeks, Andrew's fingers were nearly bleeding from all the playing. I don't think anyone even knew how hard it was to perform sometimes but they are pros through and through and the show must go on. :rolleyes:

[little britain]

I would like to add just a few comments about this thread that somehow now appears to be directed at individuals

Lets make it very clear that none of the posts have been directed at the singer's talents [and mummy Cruiseroo has agreed this fact] but just at the sound levels.....

 

I'll so a full review of the cruise later focusing on everything else but the music!!!;)

[little britain]

My first cruise on Windsurf – I have only cruised with the bigger ships before, like NCL so was looking forward to the same ‘freestyle’ concept on a smaller ship

Boarded in Barcelona after one night at the fantastic Le Meridian hotel [recommended!]

Caught a cab down the Ramblas to the pier – this cost 12€ which is a lot cheaper than the $65 that Windstar wanted for the transfer.

Boarding started at 2pm – a strange procedure – all the photos and credit card taking was done when we were on board sitting in the lounge. At least they served a glass of champers and some canapés when we waited.

We had a suite #337 – port side forward – the suites are basically two back to back cabins with a hole knocked between them. No further alterations have been made so you are left with two vanity units, two cupboards, two fridges, two mini bars, four safes and best of all two bathrooms. New décor on the beds is a pretty gold/maroon colour – the beds seemed new and were very very comfortable.

However the woodwork in the room was all chipped and scratched and looked rather tired. This was my impression of the whole ship – and I think it is going into dry dock shortly so perhaps they will give it a good revamp as it certainly needs it. On my previous cruises whenever we docked there was always some poor guy dangling over the side with a tin of paint painting the hull but this did not happen at all – and the poor hull was all scratched and marked as if the captain had had a few troubles in the past trying to park the ship!!!

I took a peek into a normal cabin and these appeared to be very small with no seating area at all – unless you sat on the bed. Because the windows are portholes all the cabins are always quite dark.

Food was generally very good – the breakfasts were vast spreads with separate omelette chef and the waffle chef areas. Lunches were often speciality buffets like Mexican or Greek or Lobster days and these were excellent. There was full afternoon tea at 4pm and on a few evenings they had canapés at 6:30. Dinners were slightly disappointing – there are two restaurants and we ate every night in the smaller Bistro which requires booking on the day at 8am. Menus were simple. The décor in the Bistro was again rather shabby – again I am used to sumptuous dining rooms with chandeliers, ornate paintings, plush carpets, drapes and wallpaper – but the Bistro had faux wood walls, one picture and a few tired looking yukka plants!

One evening they had a Indonesian theme evening which was very good and on another there was a Mediterranean themed buffet complete with sucking pigs. This was followed by the crew show which involved a few dances from their local countries [indonesia and Philippines] and then a few more traditional show numbers like YMCA

On board these smaller ships you tend to make your own entertainment. There is a small pool and 2 Jacuzzis - the chair hogs were in force and it was sometimes difficult to find a chair on sea days. In the evening there was a group who played in the lounge – the dance floor is so small though you could not really dance properly, and there was a duo who played in the Compass Rose bar. The ship had a casino and the usual art auctions – didn’t try either.

Ports of call were Ibiza, Palma, Malaga and Tangiers. I never take the ships tours and tend to do my own thing. In both Ibiza and Palma they laid on a courtesy bus to take you to the town – this ran every ½ hour. In Malaga they did not – caught a cab to El Corte Ingles [the department store] and then walked slowly back to the ship via coffee, the Cathedral and a leisurely lunch. The cathedral is spectacular and well worth a visit.

In Tangiers we just took one of the local guides who met the ship – the cost was $20 for all four of us for a ½ day tour which seemed good value to me.

Weather was good through out apart from a bit of rain in Palma. Even saw dolphins and a whale!

[cruiseroo]

What a wonderful write-up! For someone, like me, who most likely will never get to cruise on the Windsurf...or maybe any ship...I really enjoyed reading your very detailed account of the Windsurf's features. I recently read elsewhere in this forum about the proposed upgrades to the Windstar series and by the sounds of your description, those upgrades are necessary. Thanks for filling us in!:)

[cruiseroo]

This is kind of off subject but,are Chico and his wife still on the Windstar,we enjoyed his music.

 

Hey Bearhall

 

I had a webcam chat with Andrew and Victoria tonight and no, Chico and his wife are no longer there. They are the duo that Andy and Vicki replaced in May. It was a very sudden replacement. I believe Chico's father was ill. :(

[bearhall]

Thanks for the info about Chico, we will be on the Windstar Nov.4th, I guess with new entertainers? I am sure they will still play 1492 when they sail. Thanks Bearhall

[Sans Souci]

I am sure they will still play 1492 when they sail.

I can actually take the credit for introducing the captain of a cruise many years ago to that 1492 music and they then started playing it at sailaway!

[t2s1m]

Thanks for the info about Chico, we will be on the Windstar Nov.4th, I guess with new entertainers? I am sure they will still play 1492 when they sail. Thanks Bearhall

 

I can confirm that the wonderful sound of Vangelis playing the opening music to 1492 were played during the sailaways of the Monaco Grand Prix Cruise in June.

[jsiegel]

I can actually take the credit for introducing the captain of a cruise many years ago to that 1492 music and they then started playing it at sailaway!

 

Wow. You should be getting royalties from the recording company. Probably most first time Windstar cruisers go home and immediately buy that album. I know I did. We replay it every so often to bring back great memories of Windstar.

 

Jackie

[LynneM44]

For those of you who have seen a decline in the Windstar services in recent years, suffice it to say that Windstar is owned by Holland American which is owned by Carnival. Carnival is more concerned about the opinions of the passengers on the huge ships, and has let Windstar deteriorate in most of the former good details. We have switched to other small lines.

[llegislate]

I am really excited about my upcoming trip on Windsurf Nov. 5 Barcelona to Lisbon. I look forward to hearing some music but more importantly having a truly enjoyable trip. Anxious to hear more about ports of call, excursions, and the overall experience. Hey Shirley you out there? Want to hear everything about your cruise!!!!!

[bagheera]

You will have a fabulous time. We sure did (Windsurf Sept 10th) We had never sailed on Windstar before so the claims that is has deteriorated I can't really comment on. Since we have only sailed on big ships before this was a real treat for us and you will love it too I'm sure. We are in the process of booking another Windstar for Feb in the carribean. Frist let me say that our experience in Barceona was not good. We had our carry on bag stolen right off the cart 10 minutes after touching down at the airport. We lost 2 ipos, digital camera, noise cancelling headphoes but, thankfully, non passports or credit cards.The next day at the police station we met a couple who had their passports stolen out of their front pocket and a young Irish man who had a drug slipped into his drink at a bar and woke up in a park with everything gone including the shoes on his feet. I am not kidding. The cab driver at the airport did not come to the curb to help us with our bags so my husband was carrying them to the car and I turned to drop one into the street for him and in a split second someone took off with his carryon bag. At lunch one day an a excursion there we five couples eating toghether an we discovered that 3 of 5 had been robbed in Barcelona. Be careful, lock up your wallets in the hotel safe and just take a little cash for what you need. The hotels won't tell you but the police say it's really bad. Now the bad out of the way....If you drink wine ask the desk at the hotel for directions to a wine store and take some wine with you an the ship. You are allowed to take wind and champagne on board. There is a 10.00 corkage fee but you can enjoy it in your room for free . We took 3 excursions. The tapas tour , the Alahambra, and the tour in Tangiers. The tapas was not really worth it , they take you to three places and only the first one was really good. You'd be better on your own. As far as the Alahambra...it's far away so you would have a hard time getting there on your own. It was a long day and the food at the resturant was not so good. I thought it was not worth the 200 dollars , but if you must see it then bu all means go- some people loved it. The Tangiers tour was good. It would be really hard to see it yourself . After the tour ask the guide for a trip to town to shop. The will come back after luch to pick you up. We got a group of 6 and it cost about 20 dollars plus tip. We had a blast, Gotta go now, were going to dinner but I'll post more later,

[luvnorway]

Bagheera - some questions re what you said about Tangier - "ask the guide for a trip to town to shop"

- it was my understanding that Wind Surf docks quite close to the Medina and that La Ville Nouvelle, Place de France etc. is less than a kilometre away

-> assume that (if you don't mind running the guantlet of the hustlers and 'guides'), you could easily wander around and browse and explore on your own

- also, I've read that shops in La Ville Nouvelle close for a long lunch and that on Fridays the souks are closed in the afternoon

 

Any additional information you could provide to clarify would be appreciated.

[little britain]

- it was my understanding that Wind Surf docks quite close to the Medina and that La Ville Nouvelle, Place de France etc. is less than a kilometre away

- I would think that it is further than that - it must be nearly a mile to get out of the dock area and pass the fish sellers! Once outside Tangiers is a surprisingly hilly city. We took one of the guides who met the ship - $20 for 4 of us for a 1/2 day trip. Of course he took us to a shop that did carpets/leathers etc but afraid that they didn't get much business out of us!! I have posted his name and cell phone # on the Europe boards if you want to do a search on Tangiers.

The Alahambra is truely wonderful but I would agree with Bagheera that it is too far to do in a day from Malaga and the Alahambra deserves to have a whole day dedicated to it. Malaga is a nice city with its own mini Alahambra called the Alcazaba so you can get a flavour, and an amazing cathedral. Hope this helps!