June 19th Star Breeze Cruise is now a "Cruise to Nowhere"

[sail2day]

6 hours ago, cabosal1 said:

Currently onboard Star Breeze.  Next week crew goes to PR and will receive J&J vaccine.  We do not get free WiFi.  We are sailing round & round St Martin, no shores.  Why all pax vaccinated, but not crew is BIG ???

Our first WS cruise and certainly not impressed.  BTW, no word on refunds $ either.

I agree! The fact that all crew are not vaccinated is a huge mistake. Windstar should provide free WiFi and open bar.

[saminina]

On 6/16/2021 at 11:49 AM, themutis said:

Wow a free cruise 🙂 what could be wrong with that!

Five days later and I think you can see that free is not always free.

 

So many things wrong with this picture.  Not the least of which is having to pay for WiFi while being held captive.  

[HuliHuli]

1 hour ago, saminina said:

Five days later and I think you can see that free is not always free.

 

So many things wrong with this picture.  Not the least of which is having to pay for WiFi while being held captive.  

From what I read, everyone was offered the option of not sailing and a full refund or FCC, so they are not "captive."  If they felt they needed WiFi it's simple, just buy it.

[sail2day]

1 hour ago, HuliHuli said:

From what I read, everyone was offered the option of not sailing and a full refund or FCC, so they are not "captive."  If they felt they needed WiFi it's simple, just buy it.

I think they should get comped. 

[Barrycat]

Sail2day

In what sense of proportion is getting a free cruise, albeit an abbreviated cruise, are the 90 passengers on board the Breeze already not being “comped”? Free WiFi, open bar, how about laundry, ask for free shoe shining, why not? Yes Windstar screwed up big time but they took 90 people on a cruise with no revenue and cancelled two subsequent  cruises. I think they have paid handsomely for their stupidity.

Windstar was not obliged to compensate the Breeze passengers with a free cruise, they could have offered less. Then the “never satisfied “ group would really have had something to complain about.

 

[marinaro44]

6 hours ago, Barrycat said:

Sail2day

In what sense of proportion is getting a free cruise, albeit an abbreviated cruise, are the 90 passengers on board the Breeze already not being “comped”? Free WiFi, open bar, how about laundry, ask for free shoe shining, why not? Yes Windstar screwed up big time but they took 90 people on a cruise with no revenue and cancelled two subsequent  cruises. I think they have paid handsomely for their stupidity.

Windstar was not obliged to compensate the Breeze passengers with a free cruise, they could have offered less. Then the “never satisfied “ group would really have had something to complain about.

 

Agree completely.

[Strenz]

I agree with Barrycat as well. Those passengers agreed to go, they could have cancelled. WS was ridiculous but why moan it is in the past, hope WS learned however, what is more relaxing and beautiful than sitting on a lovely ship in the middle of the Caribbean. Reach into your better self and enjoy the moment instead of using the negative energy of in the moment misery. I remember Tall Ships Amsterdam 2015, sure there were errors mostly caused by the harbor master, one would  have thought by the reaction of some of the passengers the world would end when in fact it was one of the most   wondrous  experiences of our sailing days. I feel badly for the crew on this trip. Let's hope happy sailing ahead. 

[Redtravel]

Covid has certainly been a test for service industries.  How companies treat clients during shutdowns have varied from good to bad.  Those that have compensated clients for lost services will be eventually rewarded. They will earn the trust for future business.  Those companies that cut back will feel the affects way after the pandemic.  This applies to all types of businesses, not just travel. The cruise industry faces many problems.  Short change guests and they will remember it.  Treat them well and they will return.  Offering those guests stuck at sea some amenities on the cruise will ease their stress…..free drinks, WiFi, laundry.  

[FLbeachbaby]

1 hour ago, Strenz said:

I agree with Barrycat as well. Those passengers agreed to go, they could have cancelled. WS was ridiculous but why moan it is in the past, hope WS learned however, what is more relaxing and beautiful than sitting on a lovely ship in the middle of the Caribbean. Reach into your better self and enjoy the moment instead of using the negative energy of in the moment misery. I remember Tall Ships Amsterdam 2015, sure there were errors mostly caused by the harbor master, one would  have thought by the reaction of some of the passengers the world would end when in fact it was one of the most   wondrous  experiences of our sailing days. I feel badly for the crew on this trip. Let's hope happy sailing ahead. 

I think the disconnect might be the difference between what they were told would happen and what may be actually happening once they set sail. I read that WS said they could not get into SOME ports, that their experience would be like chartering a private yacht and stopping in small coves etc. We have not heard much about the current onboard experience.

 

People that "agreed to go" were already on their way to their vacation,  then had to make a decision based on an email or call about what to do in a VERY short amount of time, after planning for months, after taking off of work, potentially losing flight and hotel money, after jumping through all the hoops to even get to St. Maarten. It's easy to say how great it is "sitting in the middle of the Caribbean" but a lot of work and planning went into this and people were excited to finally get sailing. Imagine the giddiness of being on the Inaugural sailing. My hope is that those cruisers are being treated so extravagantly that they don't even miss not being able to stop at a port.

 

I certainly won't tell people how they should feel but will be watching closely how everything plays out and will keep an open mind as to whether I will be cruising with them this summer. 

[cabosal1]

Yes, we knew we MAY miss some/all pots.  But flights, hotels, employer’s, Covid tests, etc are not so easy to cancel it re-schedule.  
Onboard now and no free WiFi or drinks.  Constantly told to mask-up/ social distance.  Finally allowed escorted tours into St Martin, which we could have freely explored pre-boarding.  
As first time WS cruisers. VERY DISAPPOINTED AND UNIMPRESSED.  We do luxury cruises often.  Even if free this is NOT WORTH IT!  ( No reimbursements yet. Not holding our breath).

 

 

[themutis]

Hoping that the requirement to "Mask UP" while onboard is dropped after the crew is fully vaccinated.  We no longer need to mask up at home (although I still do when going to the grocery store). 

 

Can't envision sitting in a lounge chair with my mask on 🤔

[Nearpost345]

I don’t know if passengers are entitled to an  explanation from Windstar as to what disconnect occurred regarding the crew vaccine process, but  moving on is a lot easier to do when the offending party “opens their kimono” . I think folks will continue to snipe  at Windstar while they appear to be concealing facts about their mishandling of the vaccine.

 

As far as I can tell Windstar have put someone in charge of getting the crew vaccinated who does not understand how the vaccine works. That’s a helll of a mea culpa to have to make, I kind off sympathize with them for shirking it.

[Nearpost345]

Mutis, I believe masks may be removed while you are seated, unless Windstar have implemented something stricter than the usual covid safety protocols.

[cmyawn]

42 minutes ago, cabosal1 said:

Yes, we knew we MAY miss some/all pots.  But flights, hotels, employer’s, Covid tests, etc are not so easy to cancel it re-schedule.  
Onboard now and no free WiFi or drinks.  Constantly told to mask-up/ social distance.  Finally allowed escorted tours into St Martin, which we could have freely explored pre-boarding.  
As first time WS cruisers. VERY DISAPPOINTED AND UNIMPRESSED.  We do luxury cruises often.  Even if free this is NOT WORTH IT!  ( No reimbursements yet. Not holding our breath).

 

 

Cabosal, Did they tell you, before you had to decide whether to cancel or take this cruise, that over 150 of the crew was NOT vaccinated? To not tell you would seem...borderline criminal!

[FLbeachbaby]

39 minutes ago, themutis said:

Hoping that the requirement to "Mask UP" while onboard is dropped after the crew is fully vaccinated.  We no longer need to mask up at home (although I still do when going to the grocery store). 

 

Can't envision sitting in a lounge chair with my mask on 🤔

Bad tan lines with masks 😷

[cmyawn]

On 6/16/2021 at 2:49 PM, themutis said:

Wow a free cruise 🙂 what could be wrong with that!

Well, I guess if one of the 150+ unvaccinated crew was COVID-positive, infected you, and you died, that could be pretty wrong. Unlikely if you are vaccinated, but still possible.

[Nearpost345]

1 minute ago, cmyawn said:

Well, I guess if one of the 150+ unvaccinated crew was COVID-positive, infected you, and you died, that could be pretty wrong. Unlikely if you are vaccinated, but still possible.

Where did you hear the number 150 from?
Thanks

[cmyawn]

22 minutes ago, Nearpost345 said:

Where did you hear the number 150 from?
Thanks

I read 177 crew, with "only a handful" vaccinated.

[Nearpost345]

OK thanks, was it a news piece or something a passenger said? Sorry for the cross examination, it’s just that it’s a shocking statistic if it’s accurate.

[FLbeachbaby]

23 minutes ago, Nearpost345 said:

OK thanks, was it a news piece or something a passenger said? Sorry for the cross examination, it’s just that it’s a shocking statistic if it’s accurate.

From an article written here on Cruise Critic June 16- so anywhere between 18-30 ish crew were vaxxed according to this source. 

 

However, the ship may have nowhere to go as fewer than 20 percent of the 178 crew members onboard have received COVID-19 vaccines, and as a result Caribbean islands are turning the ship away.

[cmyawn]

23 minutes ago, Nearpost345 said:

OK thanks, was it a news piece or something a passenger said? Sorry for the cross examination, it’s just that it’s a shocking statistic if it’s accurate.

This article had the 177, and said less than 20 pct were vaccinated. I know I saw on some other news article it was "only a handful" but don't have the time to search right now. Nonetheless, a lot of unvaccinated crew. I would not be on that ship right now for any amount comps or refunds!

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/ab/agents/variation-a/news/6226/

[FLbeachbaby]

27 minutes ago, Nearpost345 said:

OK thanks, was it a news piece or something a passenger said? Sorry for the cross examination, it’s just that it’s a shocking statistic if it’s accurate.

Here is the one mentioning the "handful" and 177 crew.

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/environmental-health/windstar-cancels-star-breeze-cruises-get-crew-vaccinated

[FLbeachbaby]

2 minutes ago, cmyawn said:

This article had the 177, and said less than 20 pct were vaccinated. I know I saw on some other news article it was "only a handful" but don't have the time to search right now. Nonetheless, a lot of unvaccinated crew. I would not be on that ship right now for any amount comps or refunds!

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/ab/agents/variation-a/news/6226/

I got you. Just posted it.

[Nearpost345]

Thanks all for that. I guess we’ll never know why they didn’t update travelers June 5th. when the two week immunity build would start in order to make a June 19th cruise itinerary viable 

[ridethetide]

4 hours ago, FLbeachbaby said:

Bad tan lines with masks 😷

Reduces the risk of skin cancer on the nose, however!!!