Short review of March 1 Windsurf cruise

[westchestermom]

While I wish we could have stayed, we have returned to reality! Our March 1 cruise on the Wind Surf was amazing and converted my husband to small ship cruising (as I had hoped!). We flew to St. Maarten a day early and flew through immigration. I had read stories about horrors at the airport, but we experienced none of it. Soon-to-be friends (we met on the ship) did have issues arriving Saturday. Their plane arrived in plenty of time, but they were held on the tarmac waiting for a gate. I think they were the last to board, and it was quite close to sailing time. If at all possible I recommend heading down a day early. It also allowed us to get in vacation-mode before sailing.

 

We stayed at the Psannagrahan Hotel on the board walk and it was wonderful. Our room was in the new building overlooking the beach and it was enormous. Literally, it was bigger than any apartment my children have lived in post-graduation in NY. Walking the boardwalk, and just sitting at the outdoor bar at the hotel, talking to new acquaintances and being very well taken care of by Janet, the bartender, was a great way to decompress. We walked over to a very well-stocked liquor store and picked up a couple of bottles to enjoy on the ship. In the end, we only finished one of them. We didn't drink as much as we might have thought and the prices on the ship were so reasonable we didn't feel the need to be walking around with glasses from the cabin all that often.

 

On Saturday we had breakfast, hung at the bar until around 1 and then took a quick cab ride over to the dock. We dropped our luggage and headed to the ship. What a difference from the large cruise lines....it all felt so personal and friendly. We boarded about 1:30pm (being greeted at the gangway by the Hotel Manager and one of the First Officers) and were dropping our carry-ons in our cabin 30 minutes later. We grabbed lunch, enjoyed the sun and headed out to the deck to experience our first sail-away to the sounds of 1492. It was everything all experienced Windstar sailors promised!

 

I'm not great at remembering all the details, but I don't think there was anything that stood out as unacceptable or needing extensive improvement. If pushed, our only negative comment was that the dessert/pastry options were not of as high a quality as the other culinary options. Not a big deal and probably kept my weight gain to a minimum! We enjoyed the dining options, especially the opportunity to eat by ourselves or join new friends. The food was good bordering on great. We second others' recommendation that you try and book Candles on a night in port. The winds while sailing seemed like they would be an impediment to enjoying the atmosphere on deck. The ports on the Yachtsman's Caribbean itinerary are built for pure relaxation. The only excursion we did was to the Baths and we booked that because it was just easier, transportation-wise, and it deposited us directly at the beach barbeque! On all the other islands we headed to a beach and relaxed. The deck barbeque and the beach barbeque were outstanding...both created environments that felt intimate and special, though not at all contrived.

 

Beaches were plentiful and easy to access. I can't even remember the names, but all were beautiful and cabs were readily available at all the docks. On Jost Van Dyke, a lot of people headed to Foxy's the night we arrived but we had lunch there the next day after enjoying Painkillers at the Soggy Dollar on the beach. If we were to do the same itinerary someday, I'd check out the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda. We never made it off the ship in the evening because we were exhausted, in a good way, every day.

 

On the ship, I used the gym (small but very well-appointed), lounged (my husband loved getting coffee every morning at the Compass Rose and just sitting on deck), and relaxed. Without the pressure of set dining times we were able to keep to our usual routines and not feel forced to eat earlier or later than was comfortable. For us, that meant dinner about 7:30pm, with time for a stroll or post-dinner drink before heading to the cabin by 10.

 

One of the things that drew us to Windstar was its reputation for attracting friendly, open passengers. From day one that was obvious. We met great people from all over and even became good friends with a few. There were just a couple of younger, single people on our cruise, but they seemed to find each other and have a great time. By younger I mean 20-25 or so. The crew was AMAZING, and so friendly. It was nice to have our cabin steward greet us by first names in the hallways.

 

As for the cabin, I was concerned about the size and lack of balcony, but it was wonderful. We were on deck three mid-ship and I'd say it was perfect for us. Yes, the cabins are small, but so well-appointed and designed that it didn't feel claustrophobic at all. The mini bar was replenished (without asking) with soda as my husband drank it (!) and the bottled water was used everyday - the choice of still or sparkling was a nice touch. And, on the advice of many on this board, we took the laundry package. What a great convenience. Next time I'll pack 1/2 as much.

 

Departing the ship on Saturday was a breeze. We put our bags out the night before, woke up and had breakfast before departing around 8:45am. We grabbed a group cab at the dock and headed to the airport to check our bags. We then walked over to the Sunset Bar at the end of the runway and met our friends from the ship to watch planes dive bomb the beach on approach to landing! After enjoying a few last drinks we walked back for our 2:25pm flight to NY. The airport was a ZOO. The departure gate for our flight was downstairs and the mass of humanity seemed to just cram in to the small space. There was a snack cart, but few chairs and people were sitting on the floor. We were bussed to the plane and boarded via an outside staircase. Thank goodness it was close to on-time. On arriving in NY customs/immigration were a breeze and we headed out into the freezing day (by Caribbean standards!) where snow still covered the landscape.

 

There will definitely be a next time. We loved the Windstar experience and look forward to trying the smaller ships or even the new motor yachts. Now to find time to head off again. At least the weather in the northeast has improved...at least for today.

 

I want to thank all the posters who helped with my many questions and I am happy to return the favor.

[Snow cat]

Glad you enjoyed it, and are now converted like many of us!

[stcruise]

Great review. I am so happy you enjoyed your first Windstar cruise. Tom and I have only been on the Wind Spirit and Wind Star, maybe we'll experience the Wind Surf next year.

 

Please consider posting this in the Member Cruise Review section also. Sometimes people go to that section to look at reviews and completely miss the ones posted here.

[Katbird93]

Thank you for your wonderful review. So glad to hear you had a great trip and loved Windstar as much as the rest of us!:)

[Swinden]

Great review. My wife and I were on the same cruise and had the same experience. The only item we will change on the next cruise, we would not take the drink package.

[Capette]

Great to hear. I just finished my 7th on Carnival and there was a Windstar at one of the Ports. I have always been interested in a smaller and more intimate ship. Can I ask about the cabins. How is the view as I have always had a balcony on Carnival? Did you feel claustrophobic. And can I ask about the price. Is it comparable? Tks in advance

[dandee2]

Price don't vary much from what you see on Windstar web site. You may get a "special" from a cruise specialist but if you get more that 100-150$ from the "official" Windstar site, let me know. :) Windstar will advertise the rebate on their site. Get on their mailing list also.

 

Price are NOT comparable from other big name cruise line. You will not get a $399 cabin. Cheapeast I remember was about $1400 in the Caribbean. Windstar brings you to destinations were the big guys don't go. Jost Van Dike (BVI) is worth the trip (for me anyway)

 

Seriously, never felt cramped in the room. Almost never there. Ate breakfast and lunch outside on the deck. Only 2 flight of stairs at the most. Great crew and great guests.

 

2 porthole per cabin except suites that have 4 (2 cabins joint together). Fine for us.

 

Cheers

[westchestermom]

I agree with everything Dandee said above. I was a bit worried about the cabin but we really enjoyed the space. Outdoor space is close by and to be honest, we didn't spend that much time on the balcony on our last big ship cruise. I really can't speak to prices because I haven't looked at the big ships in the past 10 years. We took this first Windstar cruise because I love being on the water and my husband said he'd never sail on a mega ship again. :)