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Disappointed with new Star Pride Gems of the Leewards itinerary


CoralReef
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When we booked, there was only one sea day, in the middle of the cruise. The new itinerary has two sea days, and they are the first and last days.

 

I don’t love sea days, but one (mid-cruise) can be restful. Now those days are just wasted. Ironically, Windstar’s website Overview tab for this cruise still says:

By departing from magical San Juan instead of from Florida, your Caribbean cruise vacation begins earlier, on day one.”

 

I think they did a good job replacing ports, but we never would have booked this cruise with the first and last sea days. Bummer.

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We are on the 10 day version of the Gems of the Leeward Islands at the end of February, 2018. I am very happy with the changes.

 

A couple of new islands for us, along with some new stops on islands we have previously visited. We seem to be avoiding most of the hardest hit hurricane areas. I guess since the islands near Puerto Rico have been hit hard, they have to add sea days to accomodate porting from San Juan.

 

Here is our new itinerary...

 

 

Saturday, February 24

Departure San Juan, Puerto Rico 10:00 PM

 

Sunday, February 25

At Sea

 

Monday, February 26

Arrival Gustavia, St. Barthelemy 8:00 AM

Departure Gustavia, St. Barthelemy 6:00 PM

 

Tuesday, February 27

Arrival Falmouth Harbour, Antigua And Barbuda 8:00 AM

Departure Falmouth Harbour, Antigua And Barbuda 10:00 PM

 

Wednesday, February 28

Arrival Les Saintes Terre-De-Hau, Guadeloupe 8:00 AM

Departure Les Saintes Terre-De-Hau, Guadeloupe 6:00 PM

 

Thursday, March 1

Arrival Pigeon Island, Saint Lucia 8:00 AM

Departure Pigeon Island, Saint Lucia 5:00 PM

 

Friday, March 2

Arrival St. George'S, Grenada 8:00 AM

Departure St. George'S, Grenada 10:00 PM

 

Saturday, March 3

Arrival Bequia, Saint Vincent And The Grenadines 8:00 AM

Departure Bequia, Saint Vincent And The Grenadines 5:00 PM

 

Sunday, March 4

Arrival Anse Mitan, Martinique 8:00 AM

Departure Anse Mitan, Martinique 5:00 PM

 

Monday, March 5

At Sea

 

Tuesday, March 6

Arrival San Juan, Puerto Rico 7:00 AM

 

The Sea Days replace Vieques and Jost Van Dyke. Also we dropped SXM. The last three stops were newly added. Like I said, it looks like a good trip to me.

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I am on the 10 day over Xmas and New Years. Only reason we booked this WS cruise was for the overnight in JVD for NYE. Anyone have any updates on a revised cancelation policy? I think I may want to rebook this for another time.

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They told me there were no revisions to the cancellation policy. Not happy that they would make material changes to the entire concept of the cruise, without offering any leeway or compensation. I know the port changes are not their fault, but neither are they the customers’ fault. We all booked based on factors that mattered to us, and if they can’t deliver on those, it would be basic customer service to offer some concession.

 

We are far enough out, I think I can cancel for $50 per person, IF we can quickly figure out somewhere else to go (not so easy this year), IF Delta will rebook us, and IF I can roll the trip insurance to a different trip.

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It looks like this is your first Windstar trip. You won't be disappointed....and the sea days are lovely on these ships. We view the caribbean trips on Windstar as R and R. and do them every year as a way of relaxing during the cold winter months.You can dine outdoors at night and the suites are lovely. The European trips are busier with lots of hiking around in the ports. This is a great itinerary! St Barths and Antiqua are 2 of our favorites. By the way, Delta is waving the change fee.

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It looks like this is your first Windstar trip. You won't be disappointed....and the sea days are lovely on these ships.

 

Yes, it is our first Windstar, and I am glad to hear that the sea days are lovely. I was already apprehensive about one sea day on such a small ship with no balcony, so the added sea day (especially on the first day) was very disappointing. Thanks for the encouragement.

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Any day on a Windstar cruise is good. Sea days are especially nice when they hoist the sails. Love to sit on deck while the ship sails. There is something serene about sailing quietly. Since the ships are small, you can find seats everywhere. Enjoy the sea days.

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Any day on a Windstar cruise is good. Sea days are especially nice when they hoist the sails. Love to sit on deck while the ship sails. There is something serene about sailing quietly. Since the ships are small, you can find seats everywhere. Enjoy the sea days.

 

Agree, but no sails on Pride. That said, the old Seabourn little sisters are, in my opinion, the finest cabins at sea. I do not like what Windstar did with the pool. But, with the ship moving, it is comfortable to sit on deck and enjoy the views. We love sea days.

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  • 5 weeks later...
They told me there were no revisions to the cancellation policy. Not happy that they would make material changes to the entire concept of the cruise, without offering any leeway or compensation. I know the port changes are not their fault, but neither are they the customers’ fault. We all booked based on factors that mattered to us, and if they can’t deliver on those, it would be basic customer service to offer some concession.

 

We are far enough out, I think I can cancel for $50 per person, IF we can quickly figure out somewhere else to go (not so easy this year), IF Delta will rebook us, and IF I can roll the trip insurance to a different trip.

 

You are lucky you were far enough out to cancel. Unfortunately, my daughter was not. She is 39 years old and cannot fathom days at sea on such a small ship. The revised itinerary is not acceptable to her and she does not feel safe to travel to San Juan with the current situation. However, instead of working with her and providing excellent customer service, Windstar decided to cancel her reservation and keep her entire deposit. They were not willing to transfer names or give them a future cruise credit which would have cost them nothing and meant more $$$ in their pocket. As a travel agent, I will not be selling a product that does not stand behind their customers.

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You are lucky you were far enough out to cancel. Unfortunately, my daughter was not. She is 39 years old and cannot fathom days at sea on such a small ship. The revised itinerary is not acceptable to her and she does not feel safe to travel to San Juan with the current situation. However, instead of working with her and providing excellent customer service, Windstar decided to cancel her reservation and keep her entire deposit. They were not willing to transfer names or give them a future cruise credit which would have cost them nothing and meant more $$$ in their pocket. As a travel agent, I will not be selling a product that does not stand behind their customers.

 

As a travel agent, and knowing how specific your daughter’s requirements were: no sea days, and specific no -go ports, I’m surprised you did not advise her to get cancel for any reason insurance.

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Agree, but no sails on Pride. That said, the old Seabourn little sisters are, in my opinion, the finest cabins at sea. I do not like what Windstar did with the pool. But, with the ship moving, it is comfortable to sit on deck and enjoy the views. We love sea days.

I also like the star ships. I did a b2b on the star legend recently. It was excellent. It was port intensive. Only one sea day. I would have liked a few more sea days. Regardless, all the ships are good.

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You are lucky you were far enough out to cancel. Unfortunately, my daughter was not. She is 39 years old and cannot fathom days at sea on such a small ship. The revised itinerary is not acceptable to her and she does not feel safe to travel to San Juan with the current situation. However, instead of working with her and providing excellent customer service, Windstar decided to cancel her reservation and keep her entire deposit. They were not willing to transfer names or give them a future cruise credit which would have cost them nothing and meant more $$$ in their pocket. As a travel agent, I will not be selling a product that does not stand behind their customers.

Unclear. Windstar didn't decide to cancel her reservation, she did. It was her choice. If she cancelled during the penalty phase, she pays the penalty.

If you are a TA, you certainly understand this, and understand a cruise line always has the right to change the itinerary.

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This is also one reason I like to book at the last minute - less time and possibility for changes to occur prior to departure. Just Monday, I booked the Pride Caribbean Treasures cruise leaving next week, 11/25. I used miles for airline tickets and have no concerns about flying into San Jaun. The one challenge - and it could be a significant one if booking a hotel on your own - is if you want a San Juan hotel stay prior to (or after) the sailing. There are several other posts on the CC San Juan forum where hotels are cancelling individuals' hotel reservations that were made far in advance. Because of the flood of FEMA staff, mainland electric company workers, and a decreased hotel supply, it's a challenge to find a hotel room in San Juan. Some people are flying in the day of the cruise for that reason, and some are scrambling to find other hotel arrangements, but if you book your hotel via Windstar, you'll be fine. Windstar is using the Sheraton by the Convention Center. Also if you have to cancel or change airline reservations because of the hotel shortage or cancellations in San Juan, the airlines are willing to waive the penalties. They understand that this is a long recovery process and it isn't business as usual yet.

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This is also one reason I like to book at the last minute - less time and possibility for changes to occur prior to departure. Just Monday, I booked the Pride Caribbean Treasures cruise leaving next week, 11/25. I used miles for airline tickets and have no concerns about flying into San Jaun. The one challenge - and it could be a significant one if booking a hotel on your own - is if you want a San Juan hotel stay prior to (or after) the sailing. There are several other posts on the CC San Juan forum where hotels are cancelling individuals' hotel reservations that were made far in advance. Because of the flood of FEMA staff, mainland electric company workers, and a decreased hotel supply, it's a challenge to find a hotel room in San Juan. Some people are flying in the day of the cruise for that reason, and some are scrambling to find other hotel arrangements, but if you book your hotel via Windstar, you'll be fine. Windstar is using the Sheraton by the Convention Center. Also if you have to cancel or change airline reservations because of the hotel shortage or cancellations in San Juan, the airlines are willing to waive the penalties. They understand that this is a long recovery process and it isn't business as usual yet.

 

Enjoy your cruise. Great planning. We have booked for January and thanks to SWA we have two alternate routes to SJU. We have lodging arranged in San Juan but are fully prepared to implement 'Plan B' that includes an overnight in Orlando and a 6:30 morning flight, as necessary. :cool:

 

I am particularly sensitive to this whole 'my vacation is ruined' mentality that appears on some threads related to Caribbean cruising. My son was one of the initial wave of FEMA first responders deployed to San Juan aboard the SV Empire State. He was responsible for all 'hoteling' on the ship, docked not far from where we will board a beautiful yacht in a couple months. It gave him great pride to assign a comfortable berth on an air-conditioned ship to men and women who had slept on a cot, hadn't eaten anything better than an MRE, and hadn't had a shower in the two weeks prior to his arrival in port. To a person, the response was 'Thank you, Sir. This is perfect.'

 

Perhaps upon arriving in San Juan we can all seek out a member of the military or FEMA and thank them for their service.

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  • 2 weeks later...
This is also one reason I like to book at the last minute - less time and possibility for changes to occur prior to departure. Just Monday, I booked the Pride Caribbean Treasures cruise leaving next week, 11/25. I used miles for airline tickets and have no concerns about flying into San Jaun. The one challenge - and it could be a significant one if booking a hotel on your own - is if you want a San Juan hotel stay prior to (or after) the sailing. There are several other posts on the CC San Juan forum where hotels are cancelling individuals' hotel reservations that were made far in advance. Because of the flood of FEMA staff, mainland electric company workers, and a decreased hotel supply, it's a challenge to find a hotel room in San Juan. Some people are flying in the day of the cruise for that reason, and some are scrambling to find other hotel arrangements, but if you book your hotel via Windstar, you'll be fine. Windstar is using the Sheraton by the Convention Center. Also if you have to cancel or change airline reservations because of the hotel shortage or cancellations in San Juan, the airlines are willing to waive the penalties. They understand that this is a long recovery process and it isn't business as usual yet.

 

I was just looking at the Caribbean Treasures itinerary for March. How did you like it?

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I was just looking at the Caribbean Treasures itinerary for March. How did you like it?

Literally just back tonight. Loved it all! St Bart’s was a short day but that’s okay. Monserrat , did private tour, really good! Beach day St Lucia, food, beach, music all good:D

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Literally just back tonight. Loved it all! St Bart’s was a short day but that’s okay. Monserrat , did private tour, really good! Beach day St Lucia, food, beach, music all good:D

 

Sounds great. I was actually wondering about Montserrat. St Barts is the only one we've been to before so I guess it's ok it would be short, but it is a great place to visit.

 

 

If we go for it I might be back with more questions :)

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Literally just back tonight. Loved it all! St Bart’s was a short day but that’s okay. Monserrat , did private tour, really good! Beach day St Lucia, food, beach, music all good:D

 

If you could shed some additional light on your Montserrat tour that would be great. Did you arrange beforehand? By 'private' do you mean just for your family or do you mean 'not WS arranged'? Did you get into Plymouth and/or the exclusion zone? Cost pp? Thanks.

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If you could shed some additional light on your Montserrat tour that would be great. Did you arrange beforehand? By 'private' do you mean just for your family or do you mean 'not WS arranged'? Did you get into Plymouth and/or the exclusion zone? Cost pp? Thanks.

Hi, we went with Sunny . I think it’s Montserrat tours. Great reviews from trip advisor, which I am going to write a one too. There was four of us 90$ us each. We were in a good sized van.We went to the observatory and the exclusion zone including Plymouth .We also went to his dads coffee shop which if you are interested in any music 70s and 80s, he has tons of memorabilia from the Air Studio that Sir George Martin built on Montserrat. We toured around the island and stopped for lunch .( not included). The wahoo fish and chips were awesome. Turned out that Sunny caught the fish the day before and his friend sold it to the cook! It’s a small island... it was an awesome experience.

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Hi, we went with Sunny . I think it’s Montserrat tours. Great reviews from trip advisor, which I am going to write a one too. There was four of us 90$ us each. We were in a good sized van.We went to the observatory and the exclusion zone including Plymouth .We also went to his dads coffee shop which if you are interested in any music 70s and 80s, he has tons of memorabilia from the Air Studio that Sir George Martin built on Montserrat. We toured around the island and stopped for lunch .( not included). The wahoo fish and chips were awesome. Turned out that Sunny caught the fish the day before and his friend sold it to the cook! It’s a small island... it was an awesome experience.

 

Fantastic. I had also found Sunny and reached out to him even before your response. Thanks for the positive review.

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