Pudgesmom

I called today about an existing booking after creating an account for returning cruisers on the site and having the booking not show up. It told me I had no existing reservations, just like others here. I asked for the call back option and I received a call back in about 5 minutes. The agent told me the only way to see my reservation was to log in as a new customer with res number and name. So…just like it was before. Except I had to waste some time figuring out how to get there on the site.

Although it’s hot outside, all indoor spaces are air conditioned. I hope you have a great time on your birthdays!!

I believe they do not take any luggage before check in. I think people are busy getting the ship turned and ready. Your hotel can hold your luggage after check out until you need it

We have sailed many times on both types. We prefer the Windsurf (sailing ship) for good weather itineraries because of the incredible amount of deck space available and how it is apportioned throughout the ship. We usually book a suite on the third floor for longer but for week long sailings we are fine in a standard room. They are exceptionally well designed and an open deck is a few steps away. As far as the sails go, expect to spend most of your time under engine power. For colder sailings, we love the larger cabins on the motor yachts as we love to sit by the cabin window. The outdoor space to me is not as good. I don’t care for the pool sort of down in a more enclosed area. We don’t see much difference between the food or service on any of the ships. Food is very good to excellent and service is always perfect. Staff will quickly learn your name and favorite drink. Tendering is not a big deal on these little ships. There just aren’t many people to move! Small size to us is a huge plus. You can be seated in main dining at any hour it’s open. Except right at opening, when you might wait for a few couples in front of you, usually you’ll be seated right away. There is a tremendous amount of information here. I can’t get the search function to stay on the Windstar forum on my phone, but it seems to work well in my desktop. Hope you have a great trip!

In my opinion, Windstar has “missed the boat” on beer. There are so many wonderful IPAs, lagers and pale ales available today. The beers on the ship are pretty much limited to the old American standbys. I like a good lager, not the watered down American beers. They used to have Grolsch sometimes, but it was not available on our cruise in March. I think this is an area for vast improvement.

So good to hear you’re home and on the mend!

I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through this. We were in Indonesia on Ponant (French ship) last fall. My husband had some medical issues that would have probably cost close to $1000 on any other ship. French medicine? $88! And the doctor stopped by twice to check on him in our cabin. You will be in good (and affordable!) hands if you seek treatment in France. Get well soon!

What is your itinerary?

Check your emails. They send it straight to you, not your TA, although maybe they get a copy too. There are multiple answers here on this thread and others, including one already linked here which is on this page. I will link it again. There is also a search function you can use.

Laundry package is the best $133 you will spend on your vacation!

Pools on cruise ships are always small. Water is very heavy and the pools are usually on the top deck. Those two factors can affect the balance of the ship when the water starts sloshing around. On a tropical cruise, I prefer to spend my time in the ocean, maybe just use the pool to cool off.

I guess those people won't be traveling on Windstar! 😉 We have traveled on two other small ship cruise lines, and they had the same procedure as Windstar. They have done it on every one of our 10 or 11 Windstar cruises. Its never been a problem. If you are late enough to miss the ship sailing, they will return your passport to the agent at the dock.

@Strenz hi- always love your posts and we love Windstar, and especially Windsurf, as much as you do. I have an off topic question for you. I’ve seen you post a couple of times that you “don’t want to pay for others.” It’s in reference to addons like the drink package. Could you please explain your thoughts behind this? Thanks!

Thanks so much for posting. How did you find the shore excursions? Do they have onboard lecturers?

I would say no, not worth it. We have cruised quite a bit, however only once on Regent and Ponant each. We sailed on Regent in the second to highest category, and Ponant on the second to lowest. We are an active couple in our mid-60’s. On Regent, we were very disappointed in the pre-cruise hotel, shore excursions and overall atmosphere. In our case, the average passenger was late 70’s to early 80’s. The food was very good to excellent. The main dining room was the overall winner, with the Italian restaurant only so-so. We don’t go to shows so can’t speak to that, but found the lounge entertainment very dated. Included shore excursions were mostly bus rides or slow walk abouts. Our butler was delightful. We did enjoy being able to choose daily where to have dinner. The ship, Splendor, was inwardly focused and lacked the outside venues and deck space we prefer. The library was spectacular. Our Ponant cruise differed slightly from normal in that the ship was fully chartered by Abercrombie and Kent and the language used aboard was solely English. The food was outstanding with just one or two dishes missing the mark over two weeks. Passengers were closer to our age. We loved the ease of getting on and off the ship. (No meeting in a large room to have your number called.) Our excursions were uniformly fantastic. Note here: A and K ran these with their personnel and some ship people, so may not be a good comparison. Entertainment was adequate. We loved the daily lectures on topics germane to the region. (Indonesia) We personally prefer the smaller ship atmosphere (700 vs 200). While we enjoyed the Regent cruise 1 1/2 years ago, we would not book with them again. Value (to us) was not there. We have already considered Ponant again since our sailing last fall and hope to travel with them again in the near future. Of course, everyone is different!

On a side note, they have some delicious coffee drinks with alcohol. They are included in the beverage package, or individual pay. Great late afternoon pick-me-up if you’re so inclined.

@LAFFNVEGAS thank you for posting about your trip. We abandoned the massive ships years ago, but I remember your helpful posts on the HAL board. I’m happy you had a chance to experience Windstar.

Take a small sprayer of air freshener or perfume. The bathrooms are small and your traveling companion will thank you.

Usually just walk up and show your passport.

That’s a really nice floor plan. Thank you very much for sharing the photos. It seems to have one window instead of the normal two. Did you find it to be dark at all?

I can’t speak to the smaller ship, but have sailed many times on the Windstar ships. Compared to a large ship, you will notice an enormous difference. The food is great, service superb and there are never any lines for tenders, food, or anything else. There is a board here where you can learn more about Windstar. Have a great time whatever you choose. 🙂

The last two weeks of August are prime vacation season on the East Coast. There will be plenty of children as others have said. Washington, D.C. is a ghost town before school starts the day after Labor Day. We moved to Texas years ago and it was a shock to see the kids back to school in early August. Are you aware that is hurricane season?

If you take it to the dining room, you will pay a small corkage fee. They also aren’t crazy about bringing your already opened bottle to the bar to drink. However, we often walk around with a glass from the cabin.

There is another configuration to the cabins, which we prefer. It reverses the seating and sleeping areas, for a lovely living space next to the big window. Especially on colder itineraries, we find we use it quite a bit. It can be a bit tight with the two doors. Anyway, hope you have a great cruise! ( We are Windsurf people, but get it’s not for everyone.)

I’ve always disliked buffets. When on vacation, I want some to come to me, take my order, and deliver it. I carry too much food around at home!