New to Windstar

[RichardRogers]

Booked WindSpirit last Sept. 06 for March 1 08 sailing. We were just

informed from are TA that we are cancelled. The cruiseline sold all

the cabins to a company sailing. :mad:

Richard

[inaflash]

That sucks! Does the company offer any compensation when something like that happens? An incentive to book a different voyage? You'd think they'd build that into the cost of a charter.. the cost of buying off the other passengers to not ruin the ship's reputation..

 

Anyway, I hope you choose to book another week. It's a terrific experience and it will be worth it. Don't let this tarnish your image of such a unique line.

[klncpa]

I am so sorry to hear that WindStar cancelled your year and a half in advance reservation for a corporate booking of the ship. I am sorry that you'll miss a heck of great time if you're unable to rebook, and sorry for all of us that have had a great time on these boats over the years for the pattern that seems to be emerging with the new ownership.

 

Just curious...other than a refund of your deposit, what do they offer?

 

When WindStar was sold earlier this year, I was not real happy to read that the new owners are in the incentive/charter niche of the market. In the last three or four months, I've read at least four posts on Cruise Critic referencing bookings that have been cancelled for corporate bookings of an entire WindStar ship. I know that one of them was the Rome to Venice sailing the week prior to the 10/7 Venice to Rome sailing that I was on and now this one. There's possibly a third or fourth cancellation of bookings for charter, but either the posters didn't mention dates or I have forgotten them.

 

I feel so sad for Richard. Having booked about a year and a half in advance...there's probably been lots of anticipation as well as time invested in research, planning, and reservations. I would be mad as a wet hen if that happened to me.

 

Does anyone else see a pattern emerging? I really hope not...on our recent trip on WindSurf (which was not a Foremast sailing), more than half of the passengers were alumni, with about half on their third or fourth sailing, some with as many as seven. I would really hate to see the boats that we enjoy so much be inaccessible as the result of unrealibility in honoring bookings due to corporate charters.

 

What do other people think????

[lovecruisingtoo]

Back in Feb. when the sale of Windstar was first announced there were predictions that this would happen in that MAL specializes in incentive type cruises. Looks like the predictions are starting to come true.

 

I know my wife and I book about a year in advance because we use airline miles for the flights. It is not easy to change these reservations and I would be very unhappy if our cruise was canceled after having cruise, flight AND cruise insurance arrangements made for over 6 months. Even if Windstar refunded all my expenses, including the insurance, I would still not be happy because of the time that was spent getting the reservations and doing all the planning.

 

If people perceive there being a possibility that cruises will be canceled 6 months prior to the cruise, they will look for alternate cruise lines.

 

Please do let us know what refund arrangements Windstar was offering. Also, what clause of the Windstar contract did they cite for being able to cancel the cruise. It does not seem to fall within the boundaries of Section A5 of the cruise contract.

[2166RET]

I am so sorry to hear that WindStar cancelled your year and a half in advance reservation for a corporate booking of the ship. I am sorry that you'll miss a heck of great time if you're unable to rebook, and sorry for all of us that have had a great time on these boats over the years for the pattern that seems to be emerging with the new ownership.

 

Just curious...other than a refund of your deposit, what do they offer?

 

When WindStar was sold earlier this year, I was not real happy to read that the new owners are in the incentive/charter niche of the market. In the last three or four months, I've read at least four posts on Cruise Critic referencing bookings that have been cancelled for corporate bookings of an entire WindStar ship. I know that one of them was the Rome to Venice sailing the week prior to the 10/7 Venice to Rome sailing that I was on and now this one. There's possibly a third or fourth cancellation of bookings for charter, but either the posters didn't mention dates or I have forgotten them.

 

I feel so sad for Richard. Having booked about a year and a half in advance...there's probably been lots of anticipation as well as time invested in research, planning, and reservations. I would be mad as a wet hen if that happened to me.

 

Does anyone else see a pattern emerging? I really hope not...on our recent trip on WindSurf (which was not a Foremast sailing), more than half of the passengers were alumni, with about half on their third or fourth sailing, some with as many as seven. I would really hate to see the boats that we enjoy so much be inaccessible as the result of unrealibility in honoring bookings due to corporate charters.

 

What do other people think????

 

 

I am booked on the windspirit on 03-08-08 and was told on another post that this cruise had been sold out to a charter, but I have not been advised and my TA is out of town...so don't know if it is mine or 03-01 that Richard had reserved...guess I will have to wait and see...

[RichardRogers]

Thank you for your commets.

As far as a refund and/or comensation nothing yet,

not even our deposit.(made 10 months ago)

Will post when we recieve something from our TA.

 

We also used airline miles for flights and hotel post stay.

Knowing the nightmare of changing those reservations we are still

planning to go to St. Thomas for two weeks, just no cruise.

 

We both feel, like many other things, that customer service should

be deleted from the English language and the business world.

Richard

[6rugrats]

Wind Star is not the only cruise line to cancel cruises when a group books the entire ship. I am sure you will receive your deposit back in full. I don't know if they will offer you any other compensation; you will have to wait and see.

 

It seems as if cruise lines can do what they please and the consumer, in this case, has very little power.

 

Also, see this thread for details about the 03/08 cruise and compensation:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=648950

[lovecruisingtoo]

I sent a note to Windstar asking about their cancellation policy. Note that they DO NOT say they will refund any cruise insurance or air cancellation costs - in fact they basically state they will not reimburse those costs. Here is the actual response they sent:

 

"Thank you for your inquiry to Windstar Cruises. We are more than happy to explain what can take place in the small ship cruise industry.

Most of the time, we try to obtain all of our full ship charter business before we open the cruises to the public. We are aware that canceling a departure because we have chartered the ship can be a major inconvenience and we will try to avoid it as much as possible. Currently we are working on 2009 and 2010 charter business. However, we occasionally receive offers for a full ship charter after we have opened a sailing to the public. If a certain percentage of the ship has been sold, then we will not entertain that offer and will advise the client that departure is not available for a charter. On the other hand, if that percentage has not been sold, we may accept the request for a full charter. If this happens, then we must move the few guests that have booked on that sailing to another departure. If the party can not travel on another sailing, we will give them a full refund on what they have paid.

In our 2008/2009 Sailing Atlas on page 92 of the Terms and Conditions has the following:

“Situations may arise that, in the opinion of Windstar Cruises, make it necessary for Windstar Cruises to cancel, advance or postpone a scheduled departure, change Itineraries or make substitutions involving ports of call, other travel components, vessels or other modes of transportation. These situations may include, by way of Example, concerns regarding weather conditions, issues involving safety matters, alternative business arrangements or charters resulting in the decision to Withdraw a sailing from public sale, or requirements of governmental authorities. If this should occur, Windstar Cruises does not assume responsibility or liability for any losses, inconvenience or expenses incurred by guests as a result. Your full cruise fare will be refunded, however, if the cruise is canceled prior to initial

embarkation”.

Please feel free to contact our office if you have any further questions.

Best Regards

Tony Ventola

Lead, Charter & Incentive Sales

Windstar Cruises"

 

In past, Windstar did not include the words about charters being a reason for Windstar to cancel the cruise. This change shows that they are looking more and more at incentive type cruises for their first priority booking.

 

Based on the number of cancellations that I have seen on the board, I will no longer book on Windstar except possibly a Foremast Club cruise. For those cruises there is probably a low risk of cancellation. I do hope that Windstar survives as it is a great line - but when I have booked a cruise for 6 months or more, I expect to be able to take it. Oceania and Sea Dream are looking better and better.

 

Just my opinion.

[2166RET]

I found out today from my TA that my cruise that I had booked 03/08/08 has also been chartered and I have been knocked off....My TA is going to find out what recourse we have as soon as he arrives back on Monday..gotta wait and see...never been on Windstar and was looking forward to it....at least the wife and I are flexible and maybe can do a different cruise....

[JRarey]

I would look into doing the cruise from Barbados instead. I would insist that Windstar put you on the ship and pay for the flights to Barbados from St Thomas.

 

I would hate for you to miss the Windstar experience. It is my favorite cruise I have ever been on.

 

We are going to try for the Barbados b2b in Fall 2008.

 

Hope you both get a great deal out of Windstar for cancelling on you.

[Snow cat]

I have also been bumped from a Windstar cruise due to a charter, approximately 5 months after I had booked, but a year prior to sailing. The bumping took place in 2006 (although the sailing was in 2007) so presumably that would have been a decision made under the previous ownership.

 

When it happened to me, I did some research and found other postings about "bumpings" so it has happened on occasion.

 

I wasn't particularly happy about it, but in the end it worked out fine for me and I was able to change to the following week and a similar itinerary.

[abenaki]

. Oceania and Sea Dream are looking better and better.

 

I follow the Sea Dream boards as well. You will find that bumping for charters is a big issue with SeaDream. I have never been cancelled on 4 Sea Dream cruises, but it happens frequently, as a very large part of their business is charters.

 

I guess it is a part of the gamble when you choose small lines, as they have to do it to as part of their efforts to make money. I am sure that they weigh the public relations loss of faith in the consideration, but that economically it still must make sense.

[lovecruisingtoo]

 

I follow the Sea Dream boards as well. You will find that bumping for charters is a big issue with SeaDream. I have never been cancelled on 4 Sea Dream cruises, but it happens frequently, as a very large part of their business is charters.

 

I have done searches on the Sea Dream board and have been unable to find anything about their cruises being canceled. Have used search words such as "cancel", "canceled", "charter", bumping" etc and have not found any recent threads that talk about canceling cruises due to a charter booking.

 

Did find a couple of threads about SeaDream pulling out of the South America market for various reasons but there were very few about canceling due to charters.

[Capt. Mike]

Once you sail on Windstar you become alumni and they have several alumni cruises each year with a decent $ savings. We are booked on the Istanbul-Athens in October 08 which is alumni cruise. I doubt they would cancel one of these cruises for a charter but I might be wrong. Anyway your odds may be better on a Alumni.

 

But be warned they book up over a year in advance. We booked 14 months in advance and got the last cabin!

[lovecruisingtoo]

I agree that Windstar would probably not cancel a Foremast Club sailing. The "alumni" tend to fill up these cruises fairly fast so I don't think MAL would cancel the cruise. Would be very poor PR with their most loyal customers.

[RichardRogers]

Our TA spoke with the "rude" Windstar Rep. Compensation would

include $500.00 each ship board credit if used by 2008.

 

It's been 2 weeks and no refund yet on deposit. Which is an

extremely simple transaction to make.

 

Our TA stated that Windstar is no longer a preferred cruise line

they recommend.

 

So no longer new to Windstar, just never will Windstar!

 

Richard

[SailorJM]

This is very disappointing information! We would not expect this, and we certainly will think very, very carefully about booking another cruise on Windstar. We have just gone through the cancelled-cruise situation with Windjammer, and are in the process of getting our money back via our credit union since we used our Visa card. Credit union is working diligently on our behalf, hotel in Costa Rica where we were to catch the cruise didn't charge us, and AAirlines only charged us a small amount for putting our miles back into our account. Windjammer has/is apparently going under (no pun intended), and cancelled our cruise 10 hours prior to our getting on the plane. Then it cancelled ALL cruises, and took its website down. We then discovered Cruise Critic website and will use it for info from now on! We had purchased insurance thru Windjammer, and we have since learned that is a big NO NO! Get third-party insurance for your cruises. At least we DID know to use the credit card. Credit union has actually put the funds back into our account, while it attempts to deal with Windjammer....not an easy thing to do these days since you can't get thru on the phones and can't make contact on website.

 

My point: get third-party insurance and use a credit card for your vacation expenses. You have a better chance of getting your money back.

[Nexi]

The January 26 Costa Rica sailing was an alumni sailing, so nope - your premise that they would not screw around with us is wrong! Unfortunately, the hotel and transportation people in San Jose will now also be affected when we all cancel those arrangements. Windstar has lost our business forever...and we will be sure to spread the word.