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scrosser
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I wrote about a problem I experienced with Wind Star on their Facebook page. Instead of replying, they deleted the post. They knew they screwed up - GSM inadvertently cancelled the delivery of my lost luggage to the ship. Cost me $150 to hire a taxi to the airport to collect before we left port. WS says not their problem, when it was one of their staff who cancelled the delivery. Be very cautious and hope you never have a problem when traveling with Windstar.

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Susan - you aren't blocked and they didn't remove your complaint. You've got more than one post on their FB page. Took me about 35 seconds to find the the first one.

It starts, "Don't hold your breath, Theresa...."

Edited by 6rugrats
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Nope. They left one, but have now deleted two regarding the lost luggage issue, and I can no longer send them a message, and I can no longer post to their Facebook page

I first posted in October, directly on the WS Facebook page. I also commented on Theresa's post.

Edited by scrosser
Added clarification that Theresa comment was not first post
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I am new to cruising so, please excuse my lack of understanding. It seems like you have a complaint about luggage that was lost by the airline prior to your embarkation.

 

Why would Windstar have any responsibility for that?

 

Wouldn't you be better off to spend some time submitting a claim to your travel insurance for the expense to reclaim your lost luggage instead of complaining on social media?

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I was handling the lost luggage. I had arranged for it to be delivered to the ship. It was the Wind Star guest services manager who took it upon herself to answer my phone (she was not asked to answer my phone, she was only asked to charge it). In answering my phone, she, through a miscommunication with the delivery driver, actually cancelled the luggage delivery. Then, in trying to fix the issue, she said my luggage wasn't even at the airport. I paid $150 to retrieve my luggage because a Windstar staff person had cancelled the delivery, and Windstar says it is not their problem. As soon as she took it upon herself to answer MY PHONE, she screwed up my entire day. All I got from Windstar was wrong information, wrong information and I was actually told by Windstar NOT to go to the airport to get my luggage, as THEY KNEW it wasn't at the airport !!!!! Before sail away, I went to the airport and collected my bags. If I had done as Windstar instructed me, I would have had NO LUGGAGE for the entire cruise. Does that explanation help ?

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Yes, I do have a better understanding having read your explanation, which is more complex than your original posting implied. I don't think anyone could have gleaned all of that from your original post.

 

Why weren't you allowed to check into your cabin to charge your phone there?

 

It's a pity that you had a bad experience, it has to be a bad way to start a vacation when what you likely wanted to do is relax and enjoy.

 

Given how you have described the situation and Windstar's response, I still think you might have better luck making a claim with your travel insurance to recoup the expense of retrieving your lost luggage.

 

I read our policy for our upcoming trip which is fairly basic, but it seems like this kind of expense would be covered.

 

Good luck to you!

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It must have been a misunderstanding. Windstar is usually very helpful. Unlike some other big cruise lines and tour companies, Windstar is sincere in trying to correct any problem. Even though you were out the $150, you had your luggage. You can file a claim with the airline that misplaced your luggage or travel insurance. I have had lost luggage problems on other lines that weren't resolved in a day. I was without luggage on a big cruise line for a week. Cruise was 14 nights. When it finally arrived, several items were missing. While trip insurance did pay to replace the missing items, being without clothes for a week was terrible.

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You misunderstand my issue. I posted with all the detail on the Windstar site. All the info of what transpired. My issue is twofold: having inserted herself into the process that I was handling (charger cord was in lost luggage, so they were charging for me at front desk) and having made the mistake of cancelling the delivery, I hold Windstar responsible for the taxi fare. KLM was following the rules and had arranged for delivery. Windstar CANCELLED the delivery. And having posted their completely inappropriate response to the mistake, they have deleted the post, and blocked me from posting any other information. To me, this shows little integrity. I have done 5 cruises with Windstar, and many of them were great, but they also fell short of their representations, and okay, I said maybe my expectations were too high. Five years ago they would have bent over backward to fix the mistake. This year - it was all my problem. Their "assistance" was appropriate. Their assistance was to cancel the delivery, and then insist that my luggage was not at the airport. THEY HAD VERIFIED. But how, when it was there, and I was able to collect. If you don't think this puts into question their integrity, you should read other postings from other travelers about problems. If all goes well, and you have no complaints, you will be fine. Just be aware, if there's a problem, you are on your own (in true private yacht style I guess). And just to clarify, I held it together for three days, day 4 was the planned delivery, so yes, I was pretty desperate to have a change of clothes, and absolutely crushed when as the day progressed, the errors only mounted until at the last minute, I hired a taxi to the airport

Edited by scrosser
Clarification as to timing
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My mistake. From my limited experience with this board, people typically ask cruising questions and seek advice. I thought that you were seeking advice from other cruiser as to how to recoup your loss, since you couldn't get any help after posting on Facebook. Clearly, that was not your issue(s).

 

Thank you for sharing your experience. After hearing about it, I now will be sure to pack our carry-ons with a couple of changes of clothes , swimsuits and charging cords, in case our checked luggage is lost or delayed.

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I went all the way up the food chain. It was fellow Windstar passengers who told me I should post the issue to their Facebook page and also on Cruise Critic. It just floored me that after their GSM answered my phone and inserted herself into the situation, Windstar did not start accepting responsibility for what happened. I can't/won't travel with a Company that has so little integrity; and I think this is clearly evidenced by their deleting my posts and blocking me from their Facebook.

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If you " went all the way up the food chain" and still don't have a resolution to your satisfaction, and you aren't willing to file an insurance claim or did not buy insurance, is seems that you have only one option left. Since you sailed, you accepted Windstar's Passage Contract. That leaves you with pursuing arbitration. There are two sides to every story and in arbitration both parties could tell their side and the arbitrator could decide the matter. If the arbitrator was to decide in your favor, you would likely get some reimbursement and the retribution that you have explained that you are seeking by posting on Social Media.

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I understand your disappointment in Windstar's response to your complaint, but I think your disappointment should be in the management's refusal to acknowledge their fault and compensate you. Your disappointment should not be in the response of their Facebok page administrator. I say this because I am the Facebook page administrator for a nationwide organization and one of our guidelines is to nip negative posts in the bud so that we don't get everyone's dirty laundry aired on our Facebook page. It isn't the appropriate place for it, and it can also get out of hand.

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Sometimes the old adage of "you get more flies with honey than vinegar" applies to travel mishaps like this. I find that when I am civil to people and try to avoid placing blame, things go my way. We were on a Rome to Venice sailing last year and the airline lost the luggage of a lovely couple. Windstar gave them some basics from the shop, other passengers pitched in with "here, you're my size" clothing, and three days later their luggage showed up. They were good spirited and grateful and bought drinks for their new friends. Complaining on Facebook or any public forum is the new adult form of bullying and sometimes it backfires. Make a claim with your travel insurance company and move on.

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1. The passage contract does not address their liability when their staff cancels the delivery of luggage.

2. My posts on the Facebook page were polite but factual. I thought others contemplating traveling with Windstar should be warned.

3. I am well aware that corporate and not the webpage administrator controls what happens. My two posts were deleted ( so you can not read that they were polite and factual), and I have been blocked! Be aware, that WS only wants positive posts. My one post simply stated that according to corporate, passengers should not expect the masted ships to sail (use actual wind power for propulsion). Since WS likes to show pictures of the sails raised in all their promos, I was addressing my own false assumption that that meant they were sailing vessels. I thought future guests might like that clarification - deleted by Windstar.

4. It was other Windstar guests who told me to post on Facebook and Cruise Critic. Aren't these forums for sharing information that might be useful to others? Instead I'm called a bully for simply providing information? Jeez. The issue isn't money. I had travel insurance. I was a pleasant and polite guest until the WS GSM inserted herself, and then gave me consistently wrong info, and WS corporate says that was appropriate. Wow. I don't know HOW anyone can say WS gave appropriate assistance. I must have missed the small print in the Passage Contract that said "and if the airline loses your luggage, we reserve the right to refuse it's delivery to the ship".

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Windstar motor sailing yachts sail. We crossed the Pacific on the Wind Star to Tahiti and we were so ahead of schedule that we sailed with out motors for two days and the captain was so skilled we sailed almost into into Papette Harbor, it was thrilling. I have been on 2 trans Atlantics and both times we were sometimes under sail only. I have been on the Sailing Ships 19 times and most of all the cruises they have spent some time Sailing only. In May Venice to Rome no. The sails are up to assist the motors not only for looks but they are beautiful. A motor sailing ship is exactly that. We have never been disappointed. Sorry you were. It would be very difficult to be under sail only in busy sea ways and going into tiny ports. I think the sails add to the beauty and the wonder of being on the water. Sailing my entire life. Happy Sailing.

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Strenz

That is all good info. I've done 3 on the Wind Star, and never sailed. I asked Corporate which trip I should be booking in order to actually sail and the response was that I should never expect the masted ships to actually use their sails. Hmmmm. Also heard from other WS guests that they have not sailed as well, including in Tahiti. I know that Alan McAry likes to sail, but he's now on the Star Pride.

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The captain of the Wind Spirit told us they do use the sails when conditions are right, since they can add a knot of speed when the wind is blowing the right direction. But the fact is that the wind changes direction constantly in the Society Islands so it is a lot of work to maximize the use of the sails.

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Strenz

That is all good info. I've done 3 on the Wind Star, and never sailed. I asked Corporate which trip I should be booking in order to actually sail and the response was that I should never expect the masted ships to actually use their sails. Hmmmm. Also heard from other WS guests that they have not sailed as well, including in Tahiti. I know that Alan McAry likes to sail, but he's now on the Star Pride.

We have been under sail on every Wind Surf cruise and also on the Wind Spirit. At the end of each voyage the hours under sail have been totalled and announced at the final evening port talk. We have had 4 or 5 captains and this has been consistent. Going on deck at night under sail is lovely. And the sails help stabilize the ship which makes the experience even better.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

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Capt. McAry, Capt. Clark, Capt. Pinto, to name three I can remember that have sailed without motors. These ships are large think of the sails as helpers and winds and currents are not consistent and the ships have to be at certain places in nearly exact times. Very difficult. Some places are more conducive to sails only as well. Having sailed a lot nerver expect anything just enjoy the wonder and beauty of the ocean. Happy Sailing

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Well I have to wonder why, when I asked WS corporate what trip I should book in order to actually "sail", their response was to tell me that I should never "expect" to actually sail with a Windstar ship. I have not been to the Society Islands; I was asking, since the trips I had been on did not include any sailing, what would be the correct trip to book. They told me that if I wanted to "sail", Windstar was not the correct company ? I wonder why they didn't simply say - best chance is the Wind Surf on a repositioning cruise. That sounds like what Strenz and sb44 are saying. I asked if their was a captain that enjoyed using the sails for propulsion more than some of the others - said they couldn't tell me for "security" reasons.

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Well I have to wonder why, when I asked WS corporate what trip I should book in order to actually "sail", their response was to tell me that I should never "expect" to actually sail with a Windstar ship. I have not been to the Society Islands; I was asking, since the trips I had been on did not include any sailing, what would be the correct trip to book. They told me that if I wanted to "sail", Windstar was not the correct company ? I wonder why they didn't simply say - best chance is the Wind Surf on a repositioning cruise. That sounds like what Strenz and sb44 are saying. I asked if their was a captain that enjoyed using the sails for propulsion more than some of the others - said they couldn't tell me for "security" reasons.

 

The way you phrase your question here makes me think that you got their CYA script out. We had friends who did a Windstar cruise to Costa Rica and reported happily afterward that they actually did get to sail one or two days. Clearly their expectation wasn't that sailing was a given, as your question implied you do. So of course corporate wasn't going to give you an answer that could be brought out as a "guarantee" in the later court suit.

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Thanks to FredT for the recommendation about Star Clippers. As to Jazz's comment, I asked very politely as to what cruises would most likely include some actual sailing. The response was that due to scheduling issues, they used motors. I asked, well surely there must be some cruises that will try to actually sail, at which point they told me that if I wanted to be sure of some sailing, WS was not the cruise company for me. I didn't ask for a guarantee. I asked for a recommendation of cruises that would likely include some sailing since three trips did not include any sailing. I just want people to realize that no matter how pretty the pictures they put up, they don't actually sail the ships the majority of the time. And I believe, they should clarify that situation - sailing rarely occurs due to schedules and weather, unless you travel on a repositioning cruise. The masted ships are pretty, but if you want to have some actual sailing, do not expect to have it happen with Windstar.

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