Live from Wind Star October 29 Barcelona to Bridgetown

[mariners]

We are at the Seventy Hotel in Barcelona, a fabulous hotel in a great location, and will board the Wind Star tomorrow. Hopefully, the internet onboard will cooperate some of the time and I will be able to post while onboard.  We are thrilled to be cruising Windstar again and look forward to seeing some new ports as well as sailing another crossing. The weather has been wonderful in Barcelona  and the forecast appears excellent for the first part of the cruise around Spain, Morocco, and Portugal.  Yahoo!  We will be sailing again!  

[mariners]

We are onboard. Boarding began shortly before 1:00 pm.  We had to fill out a health questionnaire and show proof of vaccination. As there are only 104 or 108 passengers onboard, it was a very quick process.  
 

Service is fantastic!  Dinner was one of the best meals we have had on a ship.  The Greek salad was filled with the flavours of fresh vegetables, feta cheese, and a wonderful, light dressing. The brazino was perfectly cooked, and was completely boneless.  We had an extra side of broccoli and cauliflower which I would recommend. 
 

it’s an early night for us as we adjust to the time change.  We do have a time change tonight and that will give us an extra hour of sleep before arriving in port tomorrow. 
 

It’s been a great first day and we are very thankful to be onboard. If anyone has questions, I’ll try and answer them.

[LTCOP]

Have a wonderful cruise!

[avalong]

Looking forward to following along. Enjoy!

[giraffeluver]

Never cruised on Windstar, should be interesting to find out how you like the ship.  It has always been my dream to sail on a large sailing vessel.

[mariners]

Thank you LTCOP, and avalong.  giraffeluver, I hope that you gain some useful information from my posts. 

 

My apologies for the delay in posting.  Today's post is mainly an overview of the ship.  I have begun to write more details about our sailing, but will have to wait for sea days to write more.

 

For those people who are interested, I wrote a review on the Wind Star after our trans-Atlantic crossing in 2017.  That review, posted on Cruise Critic, described the layout of the cabins onboard the ship.  The cabin layouts, with the exception of the suite, are all the same.  The difference in the cost of the regular cabins is based upon the location of the cabin on the ship.

 

There are no elevators onboard so individuals who prefer to reduce the number of stairs climbed should choose deck 2.  Deck 1 is an excellent choice for passengers who enjoy climbing the stairs and/or being closest to the ocean.  Deck 3 has the reception desk, Amphora (the main dining room), the shop, the lounge, the Yacht Club Café, the spa, and is also where the gangway will be located for getting on and off the ship.  Deck 4 has a tiny pool, a hot tub, the pool bar, the Veranda Restaurant (breakfast and lunch) that changes into Candles (reservation only) restaurant at night, the Bridge, and is also where the “deck walks” take place.  There is a small upper deck with deck loungers that one can enjoy above Deck 4.

 

The Yacht Club Café is a great addition to the amenities onboard.  One can choose different coffees and teas, smoothies/yoghurt, fresh fruit, light snacks/sandwiches, and some tidbits such as sweet pastries.  It is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

In the Veranda Restaurant, breakfast is usually from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  Lunch is offered from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. 

 

Amphora is open from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.  One can choose to join other passengers, or dine alone.  Reservations are not needed.  A dress code is in place, but appears to be a suggestion, and not a requirement as quite a few people are dressed very casually.  (What clothing other passengers wear does not matter to me. Rude behaviour, and/or offensive clothing, neither of which I have seen, does matter.)

 

Candles, on Deck 4, offers dinner by reservation from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m.  The menu is different than the menu in Amphora.  The evening we dined at Candles, everyone was seated at outdoor tables.  We love the experience of dining on deck.  If the weather cooperates, the moon and the stars provide the perfect setting for a romantic dinner onboard.  We have seen some evenings where people have dined inside the veranda rather than outside on deck. 

 

Service onboard has been outstanding!  Every crewmember and staff officer you meet always has a smile (one can “see it” depending upon whether or not they are wearing a mask; however, their eyes “smile” even if you can’t see their mouths). 

 

Our cabin attendant quickly learned our preferences, and has done an amazing job working around our frequently changing schedules as well as providing little extra touches to make our cruise even more enjoyable. 

 

The bar staff, without exception, are visible and frequently checking to see if there is anything one would like.  As well, they put out glasses of ice water on the pool bar for those people who are walking laps.  They often set up special events, and each day has a “Drink of the Day”.  Evening drinks also have themes (the regular bar menu is always in effect) such as Sangria, Mojito night, etc.  They also remember your cabin number.

 

The Port Talks have been given the evening before the port arrival.  The Destination Manager has given an excellent overview of the excursions offered through the ship as well as information for passengers who want to experience the port independently.  Printed maps highlighting areas in port are provided at Reception.

 

Reception is open from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.  In Room dining is available 24 hours a day.  The Medical Centre is open for two hours in the morning and two hours late afternoon.  The hours change depending upon whether the ship is in port or at sea (at least, that’s been our experience).  Housekeeping is available 24 hours a day. 

 

We are having a fabulous time, and love being onboard!

[Pudgesmom]

We love transatlantics! We haven’t done one on the Windstar yet  but have done four on the Windsurf. We are both looking forward to your posts. (As much as you can get service!) 

 

All of ours have been west to east. Clocks were changed at noon, which worked great for us. We recently traveled on a much faster trip which changed clocks at midnight. We were exhausted the entire cruise.

 

Please report on your time changes when you can. Thanks!

[mariners]

Pudgesmom, we have had two time changes since getting onboard in Barcelona.  One of them was as a result of daylight savings time.  We also put the clocks back one hour to change from Barcelona time to Lisbon time.  I will post when we change the time on the crossing.  I love gaining the extra hour sailing in this direction.  I am sure that it is much easier on the crew, too!

 

Just a quick update today as we have arrived in Lisbon.  The weather forecast for today is not the best and there is 100% chance of rain with a possibility of heavy downpours, and thunderstorms.  At 9:30 a.m., the weather is still partially sunny, but the water is choppy and the clouds now reflect the change in weather we are expecting to experience later while in port.

 

Yesterday was a day when we knew we were at sea.  The ocean swells were as a result of a previous storm.   It made walking around the ship interesting, and going up and down the stairs was a workout (according to my Apple Watch).  

 

For those people who were on deck early in the morning yesterday, they had a display put on by dolphin, whales, seals, and a variety of birds.  Unfortunately, I missed most of it and hope that there will be a repeat at some time on the crossing.    

 

What I did get to see, video, and take photographs of, were the constant changes in weather conditions throughout the day.  Once I am home, I will upload photos and videos.  

 

Although there were many magical moments, a highlight was the sun peeking through the clouds, and the reflection it created on the water.  It was as if we were sailing on a moonlit night rather than sailing during the day.   Absolutely magnificent!

 

[mariners]

Pudgesmom, we turned the clocks back one hour last night.  

 

Our arrival in Lisbon was on time, and those people disembarking the ship lucked out as the rain had not yet begun.  Those people embarking in Lisbon did not have the same luck. 

 

Initially, there were intermittent showers, and, some of the time, intense rainfall.  Just in time for the sailaway, the rain stopped, the clouds parted enough for the sun to shine through, and passengers were able to be out on deck and enjoy their last glimpse of Lisbon.   As there are only 69 passengers onboard, there was a lot of space for taking photographs from wherever one wanted on the deck.

 

The weather quite quickly deteriorated, and the waves increased in height.  The portholes on deck one were closed.  The swells created a side-to-side rolling motion that made it impossible to walk in a straight line.   (No, that was not the result of drinks.) That night, most passengers and crew with whom I spoke had great difficulty sleeping.  Despite securing items in the cabins, there were lots of items that came tumbling down.  Thankfully, all of the breakable items stayed in place.

 

We had a couple of rough days at sea as a result of the low pressure system off the coast of Greenland.  Yesterday, November 10^th, and today, November 11^th, have been, IMO, perfect.  We still know we are at sea.  The sails have been up and increasing our speed by approximately 1 knot for much of the time.  The ship is gently rocking but one could safely walk or jog laps on deck early in the morning (my choice), or later in the day. 

 

The Captain has informed us that we will have rain again tomorrow and the waves will increase again.  As before, this is not as a result of us sailing through a storm, but is the result of weather systems that are miles away.  

 

For those people who are interested in the different options for passengers onboard on a 14 day crossing on a Windstar small ship, here are some of the daily programs:

 

November 9^th

7:30 a.m. Walk a Mile on Deck 4

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. - the onboard Cruise Consultant is available for discussing future cruise adventures

10:00 a.m.  Wii Golf in the lounge

10:30 a.m. Guest Lecturer Joe Novitski

2:00 p.m. Trivia

2:00 p.m. Limoncello Bar with the Bar Team (charges apply)

5:00 p.m. Maui Jim Presentation with the Shop Manager

6:00 p.m. Cocktail music with the Wake UP Duo

6:15 p.m. Captain’s Welcome Reception

6:30 p.m. Talk with Destination Manager – on the crossing she gives talks about what is happening the next day and provides additional information that is not included on the daily program

6:45 p.m. Cocktail music with the Wake UP Duo

8:15 p.m. Live music with the Wake UP Duo

8:45 p.m. Name that Tune followed by music from the Wake UP Duo

9:00 p.m. Specialty Coffee with the Bar Team 

 

November 10^th

7:30 a.m. Walk a Mile on Deck 4

8:30 a.m. Yoga in the lounge

10:00 a.m. Intro to Boat Building (an onboard competition between passengers)

12:00 – 4:00 p.m. Wind Star Bridge open for Bridge Tours

3:00 p.m. Mojito Madness with the Bar Team (charges apply)

5:00 p.m. Larimer Presentation with the Boutique Manager

6:15 p.m. Cocktail Music with Wake UP Duo

approximately 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Passage of Island of Porto Santo 

6:30 p.m. Talk with Destination Manager

6:45 p.m. Cocktail Music with Wake UP Duo

8:15 p.m. Live Music Wake Up Duo

8:30 p.m. Movie Trivia with Ship’s Officers followed by dance music with Wake UP Duo

9:00 p.m. Special Tea Cocktails with your Bar Team

approximately 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. Passage of Island of Madeira

There are also other activities to participate in whenever one chooses:  Sudoko puzzles, jigsaw puzzle, table size chess game, reading, watching the ocean for wildlife, chatting with fellow passengers, dozing on deck lounges, etc.

 

Now, I’m off to spend time on deck watching the ocean and enjoying the outdoors.  Hopefully, the dolphins and whales know they have a captive audience waiting to see them.  

 

[Strenz]

How nice of you to write all this. We, here, on Cape Cod can relive our crossings " sans" the huge waves, our three gratefully both ways Atlantic and one to Tahiti were are as if the oceans never had waves, we were indeed lucky. Happy Sailing, WOW 69 luckily people. 

[mariners]

Strenz, the crossing is fantastic.  The waves have been a bit of an issue as they are coming from the side at that makes it more difficult for some passengers and crew to sleep.  We are surrounded by beauty and each day is different.  We are elated to be two of those 69 people.

 

The meals have been very good to excellent.  A variety of regular dishes such as hot dogs, Bratwurst, hamburgers (chicken, beef, vegetarian), and a fish of the day are offered at lunch in the Veranda.  One can also choose the “main of the day” such as roast lamb, stir fry, or pasta dishes.  A variety of salads, bread, cheese, hot vegetables, meat dishes, etc. are offered buffet style.  Desserts range from baked goods to fresh fruit.  

 

Dinner in Amphora typically offers a few appetizers, a couple of salads that include a traditional Caesar salad (with or without anchovies), a choice of two soups, a large assortment of entrees including at least one vegetarian choice, and about five desserts.  There is also an “always available” menu.

 

The grilled, skin on fish, both at lunch and dinner have almost always been cooked to perfection.  Frequently, there is lovely, crispy skin that, for me, enhances the flavour of the fish.  For those passengers who prefer their fish cooked “dry”, they should order it extremely well done, and the kitchen will oblige.  

 

The filet mignon at Candles was tender, cooked perfectly (we asked for medium as we had been informed that it would be cooked to medium rare).  The roast beef in Amora, both as traditional roast beef, and as Beef Wellington, was served medium rare, as requested, and was fabulous. 

 

For those passengers who prefer additional spice and/or heat to their food, one can always order spices/sauces to the table.  There is often at least one dish that has some “heat” on the menu such as a Moroccan soup, or a curried entrée.

 

The wait staff and chef(s) want to know how passengers prefer their food cooked, and it is up to each passenger to let the wait staff know if they are unhappy as soon as a meal is first served.   Of course, if one is not eating a meal, the staff always check to see if there is a problem, but that might create a longer delay in the passenger getting the meal replaced.  That being said, as with all cruises, restaurants, and home cooked meals, there are some dishes that “miss the mark”, but, for us, those dishes have been few and far between.  

 

Now, for a comparison to past Windstar cruises with the current cruise.  

 

There have been some supply chain issues including having some alcohol that some passengers expected onboard to not being onboard.  Specific wines that have “always” been served, according to a few passengers, are not available.  However, from personal experience, there are other wines that have been purchased, and brought on board in the ports before we left Lisbon, that are excellent.    

 

There is not as much seafood onboard as on previous sailings.  Shrimp, prawns and a variety of other shellfish are not offered frequently.  The deck BBQ did not have the grilled lobster tails.  The only crab that I have seen has been in crab cakes and there are no crab legs.  Given the massive increases in the price of seafood, I am not surprised.  

 

We have always had fabulous service on Windstar.  The service on this crossing, and the segment prior to the crossing, has been outstanding!  Usually, I have specific crew who I identify on the cruise surveys.  I know how important that is to each member of the crew.  At this point, I don’t know how I can “choose” any specific individual.  We could not ask for, nor want, anything more than what we have received.  In fact, a letter to the Windstar owners is warranted as all of the individuals they have hired deserve accolades.  

 

Our room attendant, Umam, is intuitive, responsive, and has kept our cabin, despite us, in pristine condition, and stocked with everything that we could want or need.

 

The bar staff, whether they are serving glasses of room temperature water/ice water/sparkling water, and/or the alcohol of choice, remember what passengers typically choose.  There is always someone circulating amongst the passengers and offering beverages.  The bar staff also provide afternoon entertainment – Cocktail of the Day, How to Make Cocktails, etc., as well as non-alcohol “healthy” shooters such as ones made with kiwi fruit or pineapple, etc.   At night, they often have specialty nights up on deck with evening drinks.  The regular bar menu is always available.

 

As I have previously stated, the dining staff in Amphora, the Veranda, and Candles are top notch.  At every meal, we are welcomed and treated as special guests by the dining room managers and all dining room staff.  Meals are well paced.  The wait staff have obviously received training in the best ways to serve multiple, different courses so that everyone at the table is served at the appropriate time.  The dining experience is better coordinated than we had previously experienced onboard, and the atmosphere is relaxing rather than frenetic.   

 

I have not observed the regular dining with officers, nor the Captain, similar to previous cruises, but there are hosted tables.  I’m not sure if this is as a result of corporate change, infectious diseases change, or ?, Given today’s politics, I wouldn’t be comfortable dining at a larger table with people I don’t know and have not met.

 

Well, that’s it for today’s installment.  If anyone has any questions, ask away.

 

Cheers!

[J&MSails]

Really enjoying your posts.  I am living vicariously through them.

Who is the captain?  On our Wind Star trip from Civitavecchia to Lisbon our captain was Belinda Bennett and she was terrific.

Thanks 

 

[Cometman]

This is exciting- we get on board the Windstar in Barbados for an 18 day adventure!

[mariners]

J&MSails, our Captain is Captain David Adrian.  The Hotel General Manager is Jason Parker.  The Executive Chef is Jean-Pierre, but he will be leaving the ship in Barbados.  

 

Cometman, we have sailed over 100 days on Windstar, and every sailing has been an exciting adventure.  The only passenger complaints that I have heard is about a lack of night life.  As each sailing is different, you might, or might not, have an active night life onboard.  I love the sunrise, the daytime, the sunset, and dinner.  Despite being on a crossing with "nothing to do" according to some passengers, I don't have enough hours in the day or night to do everything that I'd like to do.  I'm sure you will have a great adventure and hope that you will post about your sailing.

 

Pudgesmom, we turned the clocks back another hour last night.

 

I need to correct something that I wrote in my last post.  Last night, the Captain, and other Officers, hosted tables in Amphora, so, as of now on our sailing, they are hosting tables.

 

I hope to post more tomorrow after the deck BBQ tonight.  The internet is intermittent and all postings will depend upon the internet connection.

 

It's a beautiful day at sea.  There have been tons of flying fish this morning.  I'm off to enjoy my day.

[Strenz]

Love your postings. I agree on a trans ocean journey there are not enough hours in the day to do lots of " nothings ". Staring at the sea, reading, napping, leisure feasting, walking laps,  exercise  in the pool, greeting sunsets and sunrises, joining a trivia game, reminding oneself of the grandeur of the ocean. We never get sick of the Surf and our travels and vacations on her 217 days on her and 17 to come. We always feel fortunate. Enjoy the rest of the crossing, keep up the posting. Thanks Happy Sailing.

[Cometman]

We have 114 days sailing with Windstar and 39 more planned for the next year too!

[r&rd]

We will be doing our first transatlantic in two weeks from Lisbon to Miami on the Star Breeze (we weren’t brave enough to try it on a sailing ship!). I have 366 days on Windstar (multiple times on every ship) but I think the transatlantic will be a whole new experience.

[Strenz]

R&rd, You will love  the Trans- Atlantic We have a slogan " rather 14 days on a ship that 6 hours in an airplane ". Happy Sailing

[HuliHuli]

Following your posts @mariners and counting down the days until we set sail on Wind Surf in the spring with @LTCOP.  Meanwhile, we'll board the Norwegian Joy this weekend for a week in Bermuda.  Is there anything better than cruising? .... Yeah, well OK there is that! 😜

[mariners]

Just a brief update we’ve had basically two days without internet and I’ve been unable to sign in.  We’ve had an evening deck BBQ, and a lunch deck BBQ.  Both were excellent.  Yesterday was our only day with rain. The night before, we turned the clocks back again.  The sea is relatively calm. The crew are amazing and service continues to exceed our expectations.  Thanks to all who have posted.  I’ll write more when I’m not on my iPad. Life onboard is as close to perfect as possible except for the internet.  

[LTCOP]

Thanks Mariners for keeping us updated on your wonderful voyage!  I would love to do a trans-Atlantic or Trans-Pacific if I ever retire:-)

 

@HuliHuliCan't wait for our March cruise!!!  We will be doing final payment this week!!! 

 

@CometmanSoon you will be on board!

 

 

[J&MSails]

Mariners,

I forgot to ask if you attended the Joe Novitski lecture on the 9th. 

Did he talk about his book about the building of the Wind Star?

His book was fantastic.

Thanks

[mariners]

How quickly things change at sea!  We are back into rough seas and all portholes on deck 1 are closed until we get to Barbados.  There is a weather system that has created higher waves from wind rather than swell.  We have had some torrential downpours that have created quite a challenge for the crew trying to get rid of excess water.  Still, other than the abysmal internet, life onboard is great.   The crew  show was excellent and there are some very talented individuals,  we had a great Asian themed lunch yesterday.  It’s the middle of the night here and I hope this will post.  For those on the crossing, responding to emails is basically non-existent.  It’s been frustrating for passengers, but it must be terrible for the crew as they would not be able to stay in touch with family.  J&MSails, Joe’s lectures were well attended and I only heard positive comments from passengers. 

[Cometman]

We are in Barbados waiting to board today. We are at. The Accra the Windstar hotel. Rooms are so so. But the Rum is amazing. Enjoy your stay in Barbados. Looking forward to boarding tomorrow.  

[Pudgesmom]

Thank you so much for your travelogue! And I very much appreciate you sharing the time adjustment information. So glad you enjoyed your trip. 🙂