SecretFruity

12 hours ago, milepig said:

Oh man. It all just piles up. I hope WS survives this!  

I "think" that if and when it is safe to cruise, and if they can hang in, Windstar and the other "small" cruise lines will get more business than they can handle.  I hope we are not priced out of that market.  

minidonuts85

Thanks for that info.  I had no idea about those California ports.  I wouldn't be surprised if the other ports on that cruise will close as well.  I'm hoping things will change by June and we can re-book.   No regrets cancelling but really sad.  We were looking forward to it so much as we haven't been able to travel for a couple years.  You made the right decision in my opinion. 

minidonuts85

I think you did the right thing. 

We cancelled the June 16th cruise since we haven't made the final payment due in one week. I'd rather keep the money and hope to re-book when and if things change.  Who knows, maybe the virus will be gone by June and the Star Breeze will be ready and we can re-book.  If not, another time in the future.  Good luck to all of you.

My TA thought if we don't cancel and take the credit, our "all in package" should be part and parcel of the future cruise.   If the future cruise does not offer such, then it would be fare only.    So, that should be true for the OBC as well.  But all this is speculation at this point.  

2 hours ago, SecretFruity said:

OK, now the June 16 cruise says "Call for Availability".   And, you can't make a booking for any cruise, something is up with the entire website.  

Nevermind, its back now

OK, now the June 16 cruise says "Call for Availability".   And, you can't make a booking for any cruise, something is up with the entire website.  

Thanks for the updates.  We made a $200 deposit, the final payment due March 18th.  We won't be making the final payment if we don't hear anything by then.  CanadianKate, it is a generous policy, if one is able to cruise in that year (no one has a crystal ball) and, if you can find a cruise and cabin that matches your credit, i.e. will you have to add money or settle for less given the cruise and cabin you wish, a match to match may not be easy to find.  In our case, our premium cabin included the "all in package" and I guess we will lose that too, since the policy says "fare only"

good thing, because I'm sure people who are booked before June, were complaining

My TA advised to wait until it gets closer to Final Payment time on March 18th, and I am under no obligation to pay 

I will contact my TA and respond when I get an answer. 

They better not charge my card for the final payment on March 14 (coming up fast) unless we get some answers here. I see red flags and I agree they better get their act together and get transparent quickly. Wouldn’t you think they are reading these posts?  

I wonder when we'll find out.  I will lose my airfare I guess, we booked first class so it was expensive.

Wow!  I guess it would seem like being on your own yacht.  And, as long as the people were fun and nice.  Maybe I need an attitude adjustment!

Spanky My

I agree with everything you say.  Our final payment is due on March 13th.  I spoke with my TA, and he advised that we go for the cruise credit which Windstar is offering which will give us a year to re-book a cruise and I'm inclined to agree. You may want to consider purchasing refundable airfare, as well as non refundable hotels on either end if needed.  He said we would not lose our Trip Insurance premium, if we re-book in one year.  I'm just going to hold tight until mid-May and see what happens.  It's all a roll of the dice though, because who knows what could happen to preclude us from booking a cruise in the coming year.  Very frustrating.   I too wish they would give more information of how things are going.

Less than 40 guests does not sound like much fun

 I'm beginning to think the cruises in June will be cancelled by Windstar.  Three possible reasons, 1.) Star Breeze will be further delayed,  2.) the future of Coronavirus and travel restrictions, 3.)  if the cruise doesn't fill book enough because people are afraid to travel, wouldn't Windstar have to cancel?  Like you say "Arrgh.."

Hmm. Not sure I like that.  We booked an expensive suite, I would want what I pay for.  As for the chefs however, they must already be lined up and ready to go I would think. That said, we're not going for the James Beard reason.  We want to stay stateside this year, and we love the West Coast and the itinerary.  Are you going to cancel and get the credit, or just cancel and get your money back? 

I'm beginning to think the 6/14 sailing won't happen either, and if it does, I'm with you regarding a new sailing post refurbishment.  What were the issues you had with the other line post refurbishment?  The same sailing we are on for 6/14 (The West Coast) is being offered 9/16, but I think the weather will be cool once we hit San Francisco, because one of my favorite things to do on Windstar is the al fresco dining, breakfast, lunch, and Candles at dinner.  Delays with the Coronavirus, things are just not looking good!  We have a few months, so I guess we'll wait and see.

Makes sense.  Guess we just wait and see for June 16th

I wonder what that means by "redeployed" and why.  Different itinerary or she won't be ready?  And why would it be "redeployed" and where, as these sailings are not in the impacted virus areas?  

This is good news hopefully.  We are booked for a June 16 cruise on the refurbished Star Breeze.  We booked a very expensive suite, with the "all in package".   Not sure the "all in" package will be included if re-booking.  And, I certainly hope this credit is the amount paid for the suite you booked, and not just the lowest cost suite.   Also wondering at this point if the Star Breeze will even be ready for June 16th.  We made a small deposit, and our booking payment is due March 13th, so we stand to lose more money cancelling altogether (15% for 120 days out) of a contractually binding full payment, rather than opting for the travel assurance policy which, who knows what can happen within a year.  Either way we will loose our airfare, and I suppose our Trip Insurance premium.  That said, kudos to Windstar for instituting this policy.

Has anyone been on the Windstar James Beard West Coast cruise from San Diego to Vancouver?    We are not foodies in particular, but want to stay stateside this summer and love the West Coast scenery, so we are considering it.  How would you review it?  How were the ports and were the main towns accessible to visit without going on an excursion?  Is the scenery beautiful?  

Thanks.  We tend to run from things like "suckling pig tart" or "black ink squid" etc.

Does anyone know anything about the James Beard Windstar Cruises?  We are really not big foodies, but we like some of the itinerarys.  Would this cruise be too focused on food, and would the regular menu be available for dinner, or just the special James Beard dinner?