Some newbie-type questions

Hi. Some beginner questions if you don't mind:

Does the Star Breeze have a hair dryer in the cabin bathroom?

Can one exit and return to the ship more than once a day? In other words, can we do a shore excursion for a few hours, come back to boat for lunch and relaxation, head back out to land for drinks and/or dinner?

If we got the last cabin on a sailing does that mean we got a crappy cabin?

I'm sure I'll have more but appreciate in advance anyone who chooses to reply. Thanks.

All Wind Star cabins have a hair dryer so leave yours at home.

You can exit and return to the ship as many times as you want during the hours you are in port (and the tenders are running).

I think a "crappy cabin" is all relative 😀

I wouldn't worry about "crappy cabin" you won't spend much time in it in any case.

In terms of coming and going - absolutely! We often do just this. I'm more of the walker of the two so we'll often come back from a tour (either ship or private) go onboard and Mrs. Milepig will take a nap while I go back out to walk around town. Off ship for dinner is usually not possible since many WS itins have a fairly early departure time. I do remember a glorious late sail out of Rhodes where almost the entire ship went back into town for dinner.

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If we got the last cabin on a sailing does that mean we got a crappy cabin?

No, someone could have cancelled and that cabin became available. You are in cabin 135? I have no experience with this ship, but I don't see why it would be a "bad" cabin.

On your deck, some of the cabins in the bow are oddly shaped, but you're in a standard window suite, so it should be lovely. Plus you are in the middle of the ship so you should have a very smooth ride.

A word on the hair dryer. I still bring my own as I don't like the ones on the ship or in hotels. I have a FY Iheat mini from JC Penney. It's tiny, light, dual voltage, ionic.

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My wife was not happy with the hairdryer supplied on the Windsurf (too hot, too cold, not strong enough?) She mentioned it to the cabin attendant, and another one was provided.

We were in 131 on Star Breeze last May and have no complaints.

Thanks everyone! I bring a flat iron, prefer not to schlep the dryer too so that's good news that there's one on board already.

As for the on and off, to add to my earlier question: there are a few late departures on this cruise, Seville comes to mind, maybe Granada. I'd totally want to partake of local cuisine whenever possible, but this trip isn't cheap! Do people usually eat meals on the boat? On the one hand, duh, it's already paid for. On the other, mealtimes in Spain aren't going to coincide with standard mealtimes. And is the food good enough to justify missing an in-town meal?

I'm the foodie, my husband not so much. Thanks in advance, you guys are great.

We are headed out on our first Windstar cruise in May and are pondering the same question on eating off the ship. The plan we came up with was to try and do some kind of lunch in port. We figure that will give us a taste of the local cuisine while still getting dinner on board. Sorry I can't offer any first hand knowledge of the ship's food quality but the question struck a chord with our planning.

I like the food on Windstar very much, with the exception of lunch. The selection of stir fry type foods and salad bar never seems to hold much appeal for me. The one thing they really miss on is the burgers. I don't know why the burgers taste like something straight from 3 months in the freezer and then overcooked in a microwave when every other meal tastes so fresh.

I often just take a small sandwich from the coffee bar.

Taking lunch off the ship is a great idea, imo.

We generally eat lunch locally after researching restaurants unless we're on a private tour in which case we ask our guide to pick. Some of the Windstar sponsored tours include nice lunches. Dinner on the ship is generally the only option unless you are leaving a port late at night which is unusual. Food on board is very good. I think you just have to make some decisions along the way and then be flexible. We've had marvelous food experiences both on and off the ships.

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Agree with Pudgesmom. Lunch is my least favorite meal onboard which is another reason to enjoy the local cuisine. Also agree on the Yacht Club sandwiches. They are a treat to take to a beach or just eat onboard as an alternative to Verandah lunch. The burgers are pretty dismal!

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Great news, lunch off the boat was my plan for sure, thanks!

And thanks for the smooth ride comment up thread, my husband is apprehensive about motion sickness so this is good news. He felt it on our one other cruise (one of the Disney behemoths) and I'm going to get him pressure bands for his wrists.

You guys are great, thanks so much.

Non drowsy dramamine starting about 12 hours before boarding keeps the evil spirits away. After 24 to 48 hours the ear and brain have acclimated to the motion and he shouldn't need anything. Works for me and I have had problems with nausea my entire life. My problem now is acclimating to land. It's called disembarkment syndrome and it's real!

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Great news, lunch off the boat was my plan for sure, thanks!

 

And thanks for the smooth ride comment up thread, my husband is apprehensive about motion sickness so this is good news. He felt it on our one other cruise (one of the Disney behemoths) and I'm going to get him pressure bands for his wrists.

 

You guys are great, thanks so much.

I think he'll be happy with the wrist bands. I thought it was all voodoo until I tried it. It works.

Non drowsy dramamine starting about 12 hours before boarding keeps the evil spirits away. After 24 to 48 hours the ear and brain have acclimated to the motion and he shouldn't need anything. Works for me and I have had problems with nausea my entire life. My problem now is acclimating to land. It's called disembarkment syndrome and it's real!

 

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Retired US Navy and have never experienced sea sickness. But, then again, I have sea fairing ancestors and guess it's in my blood. You are correct about the disembarkation syndrome. When going on shore, after a long cruise, it took me a few hours if not a full day to get oriented to dry land. Believe it all has to do with the inner ear fluid and the leg muscles having to relearn the mechanics of walking. :D

Just a brief reply, will do a full report later. First night in the boat was declared one of the worst nights ever experienced by MANY of the 200 guests. Crew was sick, officers were sick, apparently pretty unusual but it was major.

Hubby took some stuff from the ship doctor ( name escaping me, you'll all know it), wore the bands, and managed it as well as anyone. Rest of the time he held up pretty well. Thanks all.