danapoint1

We were on the 8/21 Greece cruise.  50 customers onboard, half on a Tauck tour.  Service by every member of the staff was beyond excellent.  Tender at every port.  The swim deck was open in at least 3 ports.  

While the stop in Turkey was missed, it was still great to get back to cruising.  Masks were generally only worn while waking around indoors.  Once you sat down for port breifing (and ordered drink) masks off, and worn only when entering restaurant.

In Veranda at lunch, it is buffet, but they serve you everything and you wear a mask as you walk around buffet stations.  I didn't find any of it obtrusive.

Masks also worn on tenders, and generally on shore when you enter a shop, but not walking around unless you want too wear one.

Covid test before boarding (nerve racking 10 minute wait) and on day 2 (Greek govt required).  Then again if you order it either Thursday or Friday.  You can get Antigen or PCR test, and they have all the required lab equipment onboard (PCR test results in around 5 hours).

According to the Windstar website under shore excursions Greece and Tahiti are excluded from the Windstar only shore excursion rule.  We are going on the 8/21 Athens cruise and keeping our fingers crossed.

Hello all- I was able to fill out the Greece PLF form today and immediately received the QR code for our trip beginning August 15, so at least that aspect of these crazy times seems to be getting easier

Definitely go for the over water bungalow, you will love every minute of your stay.

If the expense gets a little unreasonable, better to go for 4 nights versus 7, but still do the over water. The over water units on Bora Bora can easily go for $1000 per night, so Moorea is a better choice, and both are beautiful. You will also find the food expensive (and IMO just okay) at the hotels.

Both the cruise and the islands are VERY laid back. I dont think we stayed up much past 9pm on the ship or the islands.

Having done this itinerary on WS would not book it unless it included Istanbul and Ephesus. They are two of our favorite ports of all time.

We were booked to go back on Seabourn in October, and cancelled right at the 90 day mark to avoid penalties, and 5 days later they cancelled all Turkey ports due to the unrest so we dodged a bullet.

Would wait until things developed further at this time, its not worth a 5% to me.

Also have sailed both WS and PG- would not go back to PG, nothing in particular, just like the WS atmosphere and intimacy much more.

wolverineinOH is spot on regarding life onboard the Windspirit.

We did the PG and then a week on Bora Bora, which was fabulous, but very expensive from the resorts to food (breakfast $100 for 2). Would think from our ships visit that Moorea would be a good option. Otherwise every where you go is unbelievably beautiful. Bora Bora gets my vote as the most beautiful place I have ever seen (and thats after visiting 93 countries).

If you scuba dive its incredible everywhere.

We spent a night in PPT, rented a car and drove around the island. Had fun but no big deal, a lot of the drive you only see homes built on the ocean blocking the view. Otherwise its just a city. Probably would be good to have a day room booked if your flight is one of those leaving at midnight.

Have sailed 7 times and can honestly say we noticed no difference between decks 1 and 2 other than you are closer to the water looking out the porthole, where we were normally only while sleeping. Certainly not worth paying even $100 more IMO.

More important to us is to locate forward to avoid gangplank noise (deck 2) and engine thruster noise when docking. Our preference is to book in the high 130's or low 140's.

Have a blast!

Not a big deal tbmrt, you might hear a few doors close, but during sleeping hours you should be fine.

Have stayed several times in the forward cabins on deck 1- They avoid the noise from the Boarding and disembarking process and the side thrusters/motors when docking that cabins in the rear of the ship are exposed to. I would avoid 154, 157 & 155 due to people talking at elevators, and if I remember correctly there is also a crew door in that area where the noise of crew coming and going would be heard. 147 would be perfect, and I would not take an upgrade unless it was a suite (very unlikely).

Have fun

Staying in the city would be best if you can find the room you want for free. From the airport to the city takes 35 minutes to an hour depending on how you go (cab or train). You will enjoy the city a great deal more if you don't have to transfer back and forth each day.

Getting to the port (from 1-1 1/2 hours, can be done by private transfer, shared transfer, or train (cheapest) from Termini station (or a few others). Train requires a long walk with luggage or you can take a cab to the port bus stop- where you will transferred to the ship. Most are cheaper than Windstar direct, private transfer being fairly close from my experience.

From a cost & ease of transfer basis the rome limo cab shared at $69 milepig recommended would likely be best. The train is under $20 for 2 plus a little for the cab, but you due have to haul your luggage to from and in the train stations.