Presindent Interview on Cruise Industry News

There is an interesting interview with John Delaney, president of Windstar on the future of of the line. Not a lot of detail but a few little few things:

“We had the Pride there sailing short itineraries, turning in Ho Chi Minh City, which, frankly, didn’t do that well,”

“While our one ship year-round in Tahiti does quite well, we need to look at the rest. From May to October the rest of the ships are in Europe. To me that is a little risky. There are many parts of the world we sail in that we can do good business in. With our ship sizes we can do some very differentiated, wonderful itineraries,” Delaney explained.

http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-magazine/feature-magazine-articles/16201-winter-2016-2017-windstar-upscale-and-boutique.html

I think Canada has been taken for granted by WS marketing wise. With greater population than Australia (34M vs 23M), seems like nobody I talk to knows about WS in my neck of the wood. But many of our French speaking friends knows about Club Med 2.

On one of my WS Wind Surf cruise in the Carribean, we were 5 canadians.

I agree, we go to Quebec all the time, my husband is a Fr. Canadian, no one knows about WS up there. Yes, they do know about Club Med and I have been asking WS since 1999, the first time with WS, when they will buy that ship. I think at most we have seen on one cruise no more that 4 couples either Fr. or Eng. Canadian. I was on the first back to Tahiti cruise and we met two couples from Australia and they said WS had no marketing in Australia and it was difficult to make reservations. It seems to me Australia, New Zeeland and Asia would be prime marketing areas for Tahiti. I even wrote the then President of the company my observations and suggestions. Selfishly, we want to see WS succeed because we so love the cruises our 20 th in May and we just reserved a b2b in Jan 18. I hope they do not give ip Europe. I have not done the Sicily to Malta yet! Each one in Europe we have done has been fabulous. It looks like this new president is working hard and on top of things, I hope so. Happy Sailing.

sailed on Star Breeze end of nov. 2016 Barbados to Aruba. 161 on board with 61 American,59 Canadian,balance made up of Brits and South Americans. Canada seems well represented on our 3 Windstar cruises.

That is great news, thanks. Happy Sailing

sailed on Star Breeze end of nov. 2016 Barbados to Aruba. 161 on board with 61 American,59 Canadian,balance made up of Brits and South Americans. Canada seems well represented on our 3 Windstar cruises.

Canadians seem tuned in to the Caribbean. We're just back from Roatan, Honduras, and it seemed like 2/3 of the people on our flight to/from Houston were carrying Canadian passports.

On our recent trans-canal, we had Brits, Australians and Swiss on board, and in conversation they all said the only found WS since they were researching Panama Canal, and the itin turned up. Zero marketing from WS or a TA had reached any of them.

Canadians seem tuned in to the Caribbean. We're just back from Roatan, Honduras, and it seemed like 2/3 of the people on our flight to/from Houston were carrying Canadian passports.

The rest of the canadians are in Cuba right now :D

The rest of the canadians are in Cuba right now :D

Smoking all the cigars and drinking all the rum. :mad:

Thanks, ricflyer. I find these topics fascinating, and it's fun to speculate. I think the new president observed in a recent article that the sailing ships were ideally suited for warm-weather itineraries, whereas the motorized yachts could explore some remote places, some of which are in less warm regions. I'd certainly agree. I think it's a given they will devote plenty of time for exploring the Caribbean from late November to early April. I agree with Strenz, it would be a shame to see them cut back on the European options. I think they'd be wise to continue with at least one ship in the Mediterranean from April through October. And the President is clearly happy with the market for Wind Spirit in Tahiti.

So assuming Wind Spirit will stay put, I guess the big question is what would he want to do with the Wind Surf and the Wind Star in the heat of summer? If not Europe, where would he want to shift his marketing attention?

I love the idea of sending the Wind Surf into New England and Canada. And there is that untapped market for Australia and New Zealand. I think either one would have tremendous potential, maybe in alternating years. In effect, the Wind Surf could become a platform for around-the-world sailing. Any takers?

Unfortunately, the Windsurf's masts are too high for it to get to Quebec City as the max clearance of a major 735Kv electrical line going across the St-Lawrence river just downstream from the city is only 150 feet or so (same as all the bridges between Quebec City and Montreal. They would need to use the the motor yachts.

The Wind Surf would also not get under Cape Cod's bridges. I hope the Surf stays in Europe in the summer. We crossed the Pacific on the Spirit it was calm and glorious. I fantasize about taking one of the sailboats around the world! I have faith that WS's great itineraries will continue. Happy Sailing all.

And I'm not sure if the sailing ship can dock in an American or Canadian port due to newer environmental law. Those ships were designed in the early 80''.

Unfortunately, the Windsurf's masts are too high for it to get to Quebec City as the max clearance of a major 735Kv electrical line going across the St-Lawrence river just downstream from the city is only 150 feet or so (same as all the bridges between Quebec City and Montreal. They would need to use the the motor yachts.

A major electrical cable spans the St. Lawrence? That's a shocking revelation. :D Oh well, so much for Dano's big theory. Well, it will be interesting to see where Windstar decides to branch out. The article does drop a big hint that they've been devoting a lot of resources to Europe and are wondering if there might be better options out there. I'd love to be a strategist for the cruise line.

I guess we would have to rule out Alaska as a destination if the ships would not meet the American/Canadian environmental requirements. I was hoping that the Star Legend was going to cross the Pacific from Japan to spend the summer in Alaska. Too bad. Visiting Alaska via a Wind Star ship has so much appeal!

Interesting discussion. We were talking about Canada cruises with someone at Windstar recently. We would book tomorrow, being Windstar regulars. The sailing yachts would not be able to get into Montreal, but the motor yachts would be perfect. We remember seeing one of them some years ago when owned by Seabourn, in the Cape Cod Canal! Strenz, you should do the Sicilian Splendors trip. It is fabulous, and we loved Malta. We are doing b2b on Feb 4 on the Surf. We really need to meet at the cape. Tried to find you! Donna

Hi Donna, I would love to meet you as well. We must live very close to each other as I am in South Orleans. My email is sstlulu@gmail.com.

I thought before that referring to the CC Canal they were referring to the sailihg ships. I also saw a Seabourn in the canal. At least I thought it was. May we are doing Venice-Rome, my dearm is to leave Venice by sail. I have seen that Sicily trip to Malta and it seriously talks to me. There is a Caravaggio painting in Valetta that is on my life painting to see list and I am crazy over Sicily. Thanks for the advice. Next winter we are on the Surf for a b2b. I adore the Caribbean and WS that is my vacation time but in May it is a trip! Please send me an email and I will write back immediately. Happy Sailing