Another Transatlantic question (or more)

[O2B@Cagain]

Hurray! Booked my bucket list trip for April. Is there any advantage to port vs. starboard rooms?  I realize the view isn't going to change, but the seas, sunrise, sunset, etc.?

 

Where does Windstar dock in Lisbon? And any hotel recommendations there? 

 

Thank you!

[Griller]

When we embarked in Lisbon this year the Wind Surf was docked just a few yards across the street from the metro (subway) station called Santa Apolonia and was an easy and cheap ride from the airport or in fact pretty much anywhere in Lisbon.

Embarkation began at 1pm. No point getting there earlier.

 

We have no preference for one side of the ship or the other and have never stayed in a hotel there as we flew in the day of departure.

 

As you are going West/East I think the sunrise and sunset will be fore and aft so port or starboard cabin would not make a difference.

 

I know you didn't ask this but we found the cheapest and best flight one way Lisbon/US to be with Norwegian airline.

 

Our other choice TAP seems expensive this April. And the checked bags are even more expensive on TAP. And they weigh your carryon.

 

Of course it depends where you intend flying back to, if you are going to in fact do it at all.

 

Edited December 23, 2018 by Griller

[O2B@Cagain]

Thanks Griller. You flew in the day of a transatlantic departure? Wow! That is brave. We are going two days early to Barbados. Just in case. And we are going to stay in Europe for a bit... I've never had Portugal on my radar, so am having to do some research. I didn't think port/starboard would matter, but we aren't going straight east, just checking with Those in the Know. 😎

 

The Windstar hotel in Lisbon doesn't get the best reviews, so I'm looking for something else...

[Ski Mom 2]

We found an AirBnB for our 4 days in Lisbon prior to our WS cruise beginning there this past September. It was lovely having an entire apartment to spread out in plus we had a lovely little terrace with a wonderful view (see photo attached). We never cooked but the extra space was really nice. 

[O2B@Cagain]

Ski Mom 2: I don't think I'm an AirB&B type. I like a nice hotel in a city I've never visited. Especially when I don't speak the language. 😀 What did you do in Lisbon for 4 days? I've been watching YouTube videos and see the typical tourist stops. Anything you especially recommend?

[wripro]

20 hours ago, O2B@Cagain said:

Ski Mom 2: I don't think I'm an AirB&B type. I like a nice hotel in a city I've never visited. Especially when I don't speak the language. 😀 What did you do in Lisbon for 4 days? I've been watching YouTube videos and see the typical tourist stops. Anything you especially recommend?

Lisbon has some great options for day trips that you should definitely not miss. Cascais, Estoril, Sintra. 

 

And one thing definitely not to miss in Lisbon is a ride on tram #28 which takes you up into the Alfama district.

[Ski Mom 2]

We arrived late in the afternoon and after checking in, we walked through our neighborhood and checked out the many restaurants in the area and then had dinner at one of the seafood ones in the neighborhood. On our first full day, we slept late (a bit of jet lag) and then explored a wider area of our neighborhood. We found a market that had the most amazing sangria and several bars for wine and beer in the afternoon. Another fun bar for cocktails in the early evening and then another dinner close by. We walked everywhere. 

 

On the third day, we met up with WeHateTourismTours.com for a lunch with the locals. It turned out we were the only folks that had signed up so we had our guide all to ourselves. We had a delightful 3 hour lunch complete with wine and discovered all kinds of interesting facts about our host, the city of Lisbon and the country of Portugal. It was one of our favorite moments. Afterwards we took an Uber to the fort and walked all around. We realized we could walk through the neighborhoods back to our apartment so we did. We saw lots of artwork on the buildings, shopped along the way and stopped for another sangria at the market. 

 

On the fourth day we met up with WeHateTourismTours.com for a trip to Sintra. There were about 8 of us in a large van. It was nice to be with such a small group. Afterwards another dinner out in our neighborhood. And the following day we started on our cruise!

 

We love just exploring and talking to the locals whenever possible. Shopping, drinking and sampling the local cuisine, and exploring the area makes our trips memorable. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by Ski Mom 2

[Doh15]

We did a great food walking tour in Lisbon (I think ours was called Taste of Lisboa, although a friend also found a good one on Facebook).  Great way to get an introduction to some neighborhoods, learn a lot about Portugal, and taste some great food with a great guide. (We also spent a day in Belem and a day in Sintra.)

[milepig]

We stayed at the idesign hotel. http://www.idesignhotel.com/hotel/

 

Perfect for our vibe, very central, we popped for a "Rossio Square view" suite and loved it. Really a bedroom with a small alcove, but it had a peekaboo balcony with a great view. Breakfast was good - central to everything. They were nice enough to deliver a few pastries and pot of coffee to our room when we had a ghastly early departure to make our flight home.

 

We did two "free" walking tours, I can't find the company at the moment, but the instruction was to "look for the orange umbrella" and they leave from a corner of the main square by the river. One was old city themed and the other Alfama - both were great.

 

We also can't recommend the art museum Calouste Gulbenkian  highly enough. Close to the San Sebastiao subway stop, nice collection, modern building, and a a great cafe for lunch overlooking a garden area. As a bonus, there's a huge department store right about the subway stop which is fun to look around.

 

I think WS mostly moors at the spot described above these days, in the past we moored ta a spot west of the main part of the city. 

 

The Port of Lisbon has an especially interactive listing for upcoming cruises. Here's all the WS arrivals for April:

 

http://www.portodelisboa.pt/portal/page/portal/PORTAL_PORTO_LISBOA_ING/CRUZEIROS/PREVISAO_NAVIOS_CRUZEIRO

 

The Quay isn't yet populated but I'm sure will be at some point - the actual form will have only a short code, but if you pull down selection box for Quay on the top you'll see a list of all the options with descriptions.

 

Our favorite place to eat is Pateo 13. Small, local, unassuming, in decent weather they just sort of spill out into the small square outside and take it over. Lot's of local families the nights we've been there, long tables, AMAZING grilled seafood. Not expensive.  It's a bit hard to find, up a couple winding streets but worth the effort. Actually, very close to the Apolonio subway stop that's also close to the cruise port. The Fado museum is very close, and they often have Fado in the evenings, good for a stop after dinner.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pateo+13/@38.7109978,-9.1291509,16z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0xd19331a61e4f33b:0x400ebbde49036d0!2sLisbon,+Portugal!3b1!8m2!3d38.7222524!4d-9.1393366!3m4!1s0xd193475cac50e19:0x1deb43b9ad54381e!8m2!3d38.7117103!4d-9.1277511

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by milepig

[O2B@Cagain]

Okay, it is getting real! I know from some posts here that transatlantics are like fight club- first rule is we don't talk about TAs. 🤐 But does anyone have any words for a TA virgin? Anything I need to think about, different from a regular cruise? Things to pack? This is our second trip on Windstar, so I guess we will see if returning passengers get any goodies... Thanks everyone!

[6rugrats]

You don’t get any “goodies” but that cloth bag.

[O2B@Cagain]

6: I was actually kidding about the goodies. It just seems like it is a hot topic currently. 😆

[msears101]

I have done Transatlantic on the MSY Windstar from St Martin to Lisbon.  

 

It is very peaceful and relaxing. You completely unplug from everything.  I think there were 30 passengers.  About half the passengers were using it as transportation.  About half the people had done the Transatlantic multiple times.  The average age was about 70.  There were only two couples less than 50.  There is no deck BBQ.  The crew are very bored.  You will lots of attention and conversation if it is as empty as mine.  The fellow passengers were also amazing.  I am still in contact with some of them.

 

The clock changes happen about every other day.  You will be out there for 14 days.  You will see a lot of weather.  On our middle day, the ocean (Easter morning) was like glass with man of war jelly fish sunning themselves.  Fantastic.    We also saw some heavy and confused seas.  Sitting in the lounge listening to the piano player - we'd see all sky .... all sea ... all sky  ... all sea.  You get the idea.   I think the boats even though the rock a bit, it is a very smooth natural motion that is not uncomfortable.

 

We saw whales, dolphins, flying fish and a couple of tankers.  Life is a different pace on a Transatlantic you look forward to the noon update from the captain letting you know where we are, how far we have gone, and how far to go.  The Internet is pretty bad (about 10 years ago).  On a clear night, the stars are amazing.

 

If you are worried about medical emergencies. We had one.  An 89 year old lady broke her leg and they handled it.

 

Because of weather and currents were behind schedule.  They were worried we'd be up to 14 hours late.

 

The most interesting thing is that when I got off the boat I had sea legs, I could still feel the boat moving (standing on solid ground. It lasted for a couple of days.

 

Yep I loved it.

 

I have also spent time in Lisbon.  It is a great city, and I am a country person and avoid cities ... but Lisbon is an exception.  I second WriPro's opinion.

Edited April 6, 2019 by msears101
Added info on Lisbon.

[Strenz]

Bring plenty of books. You need to be able to enjoy solitude but mostly to enjoy the beauty and the serenity of the ocean. We have done 2 crossings on the Atlantic one each way and the Pacific with the Spirit when it returned to Tahiti.

There were little activities, more on the Pacific.  We read, we finished a white line print, my husband watched a movie every afternoon, really a lot of nothing. We have been fortunate only calm seas. We loved it, total relaxation. We made such good time  crossing the Pacific the captain sailed without motor for two days, glorious. Have a wonderful time. We are insular people but we did meet some lovely people. Happy Sailing. 

[O2B@Cagain]

"About half the passengers were using it as transportation."

Well, it's a lot cheaper than first class airfare. And no jet lag! 😉

 

Books✔️

 

White line print??

[O2B@Cagain]

We had a great time. Your advice here was very helpful. I totally get that a large number of passengers only do crossings. Most of them have already seen the world, but love the cruise experience. We met some interesting folk from all over the world. 

 

A couple of other things: We were offered the new all-inclusive package for $89/day per person. No way could we justify the cost. Although I had decided not to take the laundry package, I cratered at the last minute. They did a wonderful job, but I'm not sure it was worth the $192, but oh, well. Part of the joy was disconnecting from the internet.

 

We did not purchase the drinks package. We had cocktails before and sometimes after dinner, a glass of wine or beer at lunch, and a bottle of wine at dinner and only added on about $75 a day for both over the trip. If you have the package, you are limited to certain wines by the glass and certain spirits. I also wonder if people drink more to get their money's worth... Guess it all depends what you want.

 

We loved the noon update by the third officer on the bridge. We loved visiting the bridge and talking weather, navigation, and gin. LOL. We only saw one tanker, far off on the horizon, no whales, but also no islands of plastic. Wonderful relaxation.

 

In Lisbon, we stayed at http://www.corposantohotel.com/en/hotel-corpo-santo. It was perfect for sightseeing. Great staff and comfortable rooms. Maybe not as good as Star Breeze rooms, but...

 

Would I do it again? Yes. I would like to try one from east to west, maybe after they test out the stretched ships a bit to make sure they don't snap in half. 😉

[Strenz]

Glad you had a great time. We have done East and West and the Pacific when the Spirit headed to Tahiti. We like sailing  best from Europe to the Caribbean, better weather warmer. I have never been so relaxed. I love the laundry but have never been charged more than a package. We can’t wait for our next but we have 2 WS cruises ahead of that. My motto better 14 days at sea than 6 hours in economy or any other class. Happy Sailing. 

[msears101]

Glad you enjoyed it. When my schedule allows, I will also do another TransAtlantic on Windstar.  They are a fantastic way to relax and unplug.

[O2B@Cagain]

Reviewing my notes, I forgot a couple of points:

We were on starboard and had morning sun. Port had the sunsets. This is because you are not going straight east, but northeasterly. Also we opted for deck 4, a bit aft. I have to say that when there was a bit of motion, others on higher decks complained about it and we were fine. We also heard from people on deck 6 that it took a long time to get hot water and ours was instant on. Not sure if this was because of the low occupancy or what. Just in case anyone wanted to know.😉

 

I'm sure everything will be different after the stretch...