Just back from Windstar and Windsurf trips

[Mands&Ian]

We will be on the Windsurf on its way back to Lisbon in March. I'll be interested to see how many passengers are on board after reading these comments. Its our third Windstar, first crossing.

 

If it helps at all below are the numbers for the last three eastbound crossings. Perhaps someone, or several people, have the corresponding data for the westbounds?

 

Eastbound, Barbados - Lisbon, crossings;

 

2009 - 40 (or possibly 43, there was some confusion)

2008 - 81 passengers

2007 - 146 passengers

 

If you enjoy sea days then I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time. I've got a tiny, perhaps a minute long, video clip taken late-morning just outside the Compass Rose. Apart from the sound of the sea and the waves moving in the pool there's hardly a sound to be heard :-)

 

Mands

Mands

[brazzleman]

That's interesting, thanks for the numbers. There does seem to be a disparity between the westbound and eastbound crossings. Possibly because of the greater cruise population in North America? There's a clear advantage in doing a repo back home rather than away from home.

 

For comparison purposes Wind Surf's eastbound crossing had just 40 passengers, against your westbound 112.

 

Glad you enjoyed the trip,

Mands

 

I remember someone mentioning that the fall crossings typically are warmer than the spring crossings due to ocean temps - don't know if that's true, but sounds reasonable.

[Pudgesmom]

 

If you enjoy sea days then I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time. I've got a tiny, perhaps a minute long, video clip taken late-morning just outside the Compass Rose. Apart from the sound of the sea and the waves moving in the pool there's hardly a sound to be heard :-)

 

Mands

Mands

 

This sounds like heaven to us. I keep trying to talk myself in a Kindle, because we are planning an extra suitcase JUST for books, but I can't do it. Then a couple of days in Lisbon before heading home. It turns out we arrive on Easter Sunday, so that will be interesting, to say the least.

 

BTW, you have a fabulous blog - I missed about 20 min of work time while perusing it. :) Thank you for the information.

[Mands&Ian]

This sounds like heaven to us. I keep trying to talk myself in a Kindle, because we are planning an extra suitcase JUST for books, but I can't do it. Then a couple of days in Lisbon before heading home. It turns out we arrive on Easter Sunday, so that will be interesting, to say the least.

 

BTW, you have a fabulous blog - I missed about 20 min of work time while perusing it. :) Thank you for the information.

 

There were a surprising number of Kindles onboard during the crossing. 4 or 5 I think, so 10% of the passengers or 20% if both halves of a couple were using it. There's also an onboard library and people do drop off fiction books as they finish them. If you're prepared to take a gamble that might cut down on suitcase weights some!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the blog. Hopefully work didn't miss you :-)

Mands

[Carraig]

My wife and I sailed on the Windstar from Istanbul to Athens in late May of this year....it seemed that everyone was walking around with Kindles, so much so that when we got home I went and bought one.

 

It was our first Windstar cruise, and we loved it. The ship was fantastic.

[sealord]

With regard to transfers in Barbados, I just came back from Transatlantic on the WindSurf 11/23/09. I stayed at the Divi Southwinds roughly midway between the dock and the airport, and the total taxi fare was $45US(25 to the hotel and 20 on to the airport). The ship wanted $39 pp for a bus transfer, so a single taxi transfer would probably have been less than that, and certainly more convenient.

 

We have an early flight out of Barbados ... American at about 7:30 AM. The ships starts disembarkation around 4:30 AM ... do you know if there are taxis there at that hour? The Windstar website recommends four hours from disembarkation to flight, and we have only three ... thus our concern. :eek:

[Surfgirl]

Some of you had mentioned the lectures... Just saw this news release regarding lectures on Wind Surf's Mediterranean sailing April 4, 2010 from Lisbon.

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/windstar-cruises-signature-collection-host-series-welcomes-jay-schuppert-of-cuvaison-estate-wines-78237862.html

[Psoque]

Hi -- We've just come back from two wonderful cruises: Windstar from Civitavecchia to Barcelona, and then after a few days in that city we boarded the Windsurf from Barcelona to Lisbon. We really had a great time on both ships, and it was so interesting to compare the two. We were especially pleased to see that the service and ambience were pretty much the same as we remembered from when we had last cruised on Windstar. These were our 8th and 9th cruises with the Winds, and I can assure you that they are in good shape and that the crews are as pleasant as in the past. Please let me know if you have any specific questions. I will say that my only disappointment was with the excursion staff on both ships -- although very pleasant personally, we found the port talks to be frequently inaccurate and often out of date. The ship's excursions are also greatly overpriced. But other than that, we thoroughly enjoyed the ships and the ports we visited.

 

We were on Barbados RT cruise recently on Wind Surf, and we agree completely with the fact that that the shore excursion arrangement by the ship was in general very poorly done. For that matter, I had no clue what purpose did the "hosts" really play on the ship, other than to give some loose structure to the day. The hosts appeared friendly and helpful, but we did not find them to be capable. It was very clear to us that the hosts were not very well versed in any of the ports particularly, and their advice were not consistently helpful. Also, by putting those two amateurs as equivalents for "cruise directors," on the ship, the we did not know who to go for questions and problems, since there was no clear "go to" person in regard to our cruise. Maybe this is intentionally arranged to diffuse the passengers.

[aliceind]

:p Just returned on Windspirit from Lisbon to St. Maartin, This was our 12th fall crossing and it was as good as any. Only 42 passengers. Excellent food, service, etc. no signs of any Windstar Co. problems. Ship was clean and well maintained. Employees very happy. Rough weather first coup;e of days but no sea sickness I was aware of.

[lkakers]

Thanks, Aliceind! Great to hear!

[sealord]

:p Just returned on Windspirit from Lisbon to St. Maartin, This was our 12th fall crossing and it was as good as any. Only 42 passengers. Excellent food, service, etc. no signs of any Windstar Co. problems. Ship was clean and well maintained. Employees very happy. Rough weather first coup;e of days but no sea sickness I was aware of.

 

I have done three 'conventional' cruises transatlantic, but I don't have a very clear idea of what it might be like aboard a Windstar doing the same trip with 42 passengers and no 'organized' entertainment. Or is that not correct? I do have a Kindle that will hold 1500 books. :rolleyes:

[Mands&Ian]

I have done three 'conventional' cruises transatlantic, but I don't have a very clear idea of what it might be like aboard a Windstar doing the same trip with 42 passengers and no 'organized' entertainment. Or is that not correct? I do have a Kindle that will hold 1500 books. :rolleyes:

 

People make their own entertainment.

 

There are usually lots of readers on board, both Kindle users and us paper-type books. The Surf has a card school running outside Compass Rose pretty much every day. Last crossing I was on over 50% (in other words 20!) of the passengers played in a golf tournament. People bring kites to fly. Some folks play bridge, or backgammon, or work on monster-sized jigsaw. Some spend far too much time listening to live music in the Rose, and then sleep late the next day ... just 'cos they can. I've seen a guy writing his novel on board. People sunbathe or swim in the pool or enter Wii competitions or sit and watch the movement of the sea. Dolphin, and shark, watching. Gossiping. Sleeping. Relaxing.

 

You know, that sort of stuff :-)

 

Mands