Review of Wind - Barbados to San Juan

[Tothesunset]

Thanks for taking the time to post this comprehensive review. We board the Wind in 15 days so your review was timely for us. 

 

Shame about the group of 60 neanderthals - the Wind is normally so cosy and civilised that to suffer such a large group reverting to the laws of the jungle is most unfortunate. 

[Sunprince]

14 hours ago, les37b said:

Thanks for posting your review.

 

Must ask you the name of the airline...... so I can make sure I never make a booking with them! I trust you have been given a refund of your fare? And like you, I would have not been impressed with the Hotel messing up. Upgrade? Compensation offered?

 

Glad the cruise itself went well. Hope you didn't drink all the booze! (3 more days before we fly off to meet the Wind.) Shame about the noisy passengers. I know I'd not have been happy about them. I wonder how much that SS make on these large group bookings. It sounds like it costs them a fair bit in compensation for complaints that it makes you wonder if its really worth their while doing so.

 

Was it easy to get on the Spirit? I guess it would have been. We managed to get on the Whisper in Saigon last April when we were on the Shadow.

 

Les, the airline was Air Canada. Their customer service is terrible.  I am still waiting for refund of he fare difference, god only knows how they will calculate it.  They offered small additional compensation and basically said not to contact them for anything else as it would not change.  

 

Our TA prearranged the visit is it to the Spirit and our name was on a list at the gangway. We just gave up our Wind key cards and they handed us a visitor pass to board the Spirit, so it was easy.  I didn’t like leaving my key card because it had my name and passport number printed on it (is this unique to SS??). But it was securely held.  

 

Enjoy your cruise

[Sunprince]

13 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

Thanks for the review and the photos. I’m glad you were not bothered by the smoking.

 

Thanks, I also forgot to mention that smoking was not allowed anywhere on the outside deck of La Terrazza. It was only outside of Panaroma that was entirely a smoking zone.  

 

[Silver Spectre]

Just now, Sunprince said:

 

Thanks, I also forgot to mention that smoking was not allowed anywhere on the outside deck of La Terrazza. It was only outside of Panaroma that was entirely a smoking zone.  

 

It looks like the rules changed since our trip on the Wind last year, and in this case for the better.

[Sunprince]

9 hours ago, nowornever said:

Thank you, Sunprince.  Should you decide to do another Silversea, you do not have to cook your own food at Hot Rocks!  In fact, I wouldn't even dream of it...that's one reason we love cruising...NO COOKING !  They will be happy to do it for you.  I'm sure others love to DIY but it's sort of like handing me a washboard & soap & saying, "here, why don't you do your own laundry."  uh...no thank you.  

 

So very sorry about your initial travel woes.  Seems like that's getting to be the norm now & what a shame.  I do hope both the hotel & the airline compensated you.  If not, please shame them everywhere & with everyone you can.  

 

Could you tell me about the electrical outlets in the cabin?  110? 220?  Is there one by the bedside?  Did you take a power strip?

Hi, there are probably more 220 outlets than 110 which is what we were using.  There is a 110 at the desk area in the living room, and another by the mirror directly across from the bed. But you had to unplug the clock to use it.  I don’t recall what is by the bed but if there are any it would be 220 outlets.  

[les37b]

Don’t contact them again eh! That sounds a bit like a threat. Disgraceful. They would not get away with that in the UK and you would certainly have recourse to take things further without too much trouble. Did you TA arrange the flights?

 

Yes, we had to hand out Shadow card in too when we visited... but a surprise to see so not pre organised.

 

We've no SS dual docks this time... always nice when that happens.

 

Echo Silver Spectres sentiment re smoking. In open spaces behind panarama isn’t a problem, but hope they’ve extended the ban to all locations people are eating.

 

 

 

 

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Edited April 15, 2019 by les37b

[brimary]

Thanks for your detailed review of your Wind cruise which was reassuring as we join mid May at Tower Bridge.Sorry about your unfortunate experience of the large group of adults whose behaviour was worse than the children aboard.We had a similar experience on a Caribbean cruise on the Wind with a large charter group of 87 who ruined the cruise.Compensation duly followed but we vowed not to do any 7 day Caribbean cruises again on the advice of the Captain of the Wind on our cruise who inferred that this type of short sunshine cruise was the main target for charters  and large groups to fill up half empty cruises.Makes economic sense for SS but not their regular clients who expect Quality Cruising on a small ship.

[nowornever]

Thank you again, Sunprince, for answering my question about the outlets.  Great info & I can plan on  plug adaptors.  Safe travels with whichever cruise company you choose in the future!

[jimdee3636]

As brimary said, above, this kind of horrible experience is most common on: a) 7 night cruises; b) in the Caribbean. And that's why I will never again go on such cruises, although---truth be told---my own experiences on Silversea on similar cruises have been problem-free. I just don't want to risk it. This board is full of stories of loud, obnoxious, drunken groups that have ruined cruises for everyone else on board. You sort of accept that possibility on, say, Carnival, but you shouldn't have to on Silversea.