Table Of Content
Deck 3 suites feature sofas that fold out to make a bed and are considered suitable for families. There's also a central curtain within the cabin that can be closed to give added privacy on each side. In 2018, Windstar Cruises offered booking of a 51-day "Grand Mediterranean" back-to-back cruise (itinerary July 7 to August 27, 2019) from Lisbon to Barcelona. The itinerary combined 6 smaller itineraries (7- to 10-days each) and visited a total of 40 Mediterranean ports (in Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Malta, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, Monaco and France). The cruise was listed as one of the company's "Star Collectors Voyages" combining shorter itineraries.
Wind Spa & Fitness Center
The facility was perfunctory, but included a rear-projection TV screen for presentations. One of our favorite things about Wind Surf was all of the teak exterior decks. This was where the lifeboats were located (preventing much of a view) and, to the aft, the pool.
Deck layouts, review of facilities, activities, amenities
But we loved the abundant teak decks, were pleasantly surprised by the dining, and we appreciated the easy-going ambience and attitude of fellow guests. Although it’s not suited for most families with young kids, we’re hard-pressed to think of a better cruise option for a honeymooning couple. One would think that a "motor sailing yacht," full with 5 masts and 7 sails, and with a guest capacity of only 308, would be a small and comfortable little cruise vessel. But Windstar Cruises' Wind Surf cruise ship is surprisingly large, feeling much bigger inside than any passenger would expect. To make finding a way around simple, all entertainment and dining areas are on the top three decks. You can slip past the crowds to discover smaller ports and get to know the local culture on more intimate excursions.
Windstar launches high-speed Starlink Internet across its global cruise fleet
If your preference is to wear them, you won't look out of place. At Candles alfresco restaurant, a smart-casual dress code applies. In the evening, don't be afraid to embrace the yacht-club feel of Wind Surf and invest in boat shoes, collared shirts and linen-wear.
Cabin Review
Works included overhauls of all passenger staterooms, dining venues, public spaces, as well as new sails. Wind Surf is a small ship with many intimate spaces and a dearth of crowds, yet it still offers ample dining options and spacious public areas. On our full-to-capacity-sailing, the only time the ship felt crowded was at breakfast, when you would occasionally find yourself dining with fellow passengers due to a lack of free tables. There's an excellent choice of evening mealtime options -- four if you count room service -- and not once did we wait for a table or run into overcrowding. Wind Surf cruise ship deck plan shows a total of 171 staterooms for 342 passengers (max capacity is 376) served by 178 staff-crew.
Onboard Experience
On any day, our 342-guest flagship, Wind Surf, the world’s largest sailing ship, draws admiring glances as she glides majestically into port with her tall sails billowing. During their cruise, you will find the perfect setting for ‘making an entrance’ in the beautiful reception area – and, appropriately, that’s only the beginning. Onboard, enjoy the variety of spaces Wind Surf has to offer including a pool with accompanying pool bar, large lounge, Terrace Bar, two whirlpools and a Nautilus room. Even though the line is now owned by Ambassadors International, crew members will still come from the same Indonesian and Philippine sources as they did before. The mostly Dutch officers have sailed with Windstar for years; they’re especially delighted by the sight of repeat customers. There’s an unusual amount of fraternization between crew and passengers.
Bridgetown, Barbados
Daily (Candles Grill opened at 7 p.m. nightly, preventing evening access for bathers). We so wanted to love Candles Grill, an al fresco steakhouse sitting next to the pool, on the aft deck. We arrived just before sundown and the open-air setting was unique—one can certainly take in the fresh air and sunset colors, with the waves lapping gently at the boat. But there’s no kitchen here, just the grill, and so most of the food (if not everything) that is not grilled is pre-prepared; alas, this constrains the results. That said, if we were lucky to be dining with a friend on their personal yacht and this was the meal they offered, we wouldn’t have any complaints. But compared to what Wind Surf does at its other dining venues, Candles doesn’t seem to aim very high.
Star Collector: Grand Caribbean Adventure
Deck 5 was the Bridge Deck and the Bridge was open to visitors pretty much any time, except during sailaway. There were always at least two officers present, happy to answer questions about the ship. One venue on this deck that got little use during our cruise was the Nautilus Room, a conference room with chairs to seat about 50.
There was also a guest vocalist who performed on a couple evenings. There was also a talented guitar-vocal due that performed in the Compass Rose bar nightly. Built in 1990, Wind Surf is the largest and youngest member of the Windstar fleet of tall ships, offering a unique cruising experience for just 312 passengers. In fact, with its twin, Club Med 2 (owned by the Club Méditerranée all-inclusive resort chain), Wind Surf is the largest sailing cruiser at sea. The ship offers Caribbean voyages out of St. Maarten in the winter and spends the balance of the year in the Mediterranean and northern Europe. It’s not a cruise for everyone, and our journey wasn’t perfect, but—spoiler alert—we fell in love with Wind Surf.
Don’t be; they’re mostly just for show, though they may add three or four knots to the motorized speed if the wind is right. Wind Surf‘s public areas are designed for comfort and feature wood finishes with sand and marine colors for a casual elegant look and feel. Fresh flower arrangements and sailing-related artwork are lovely touches shipwide. To make finding your way around simple, remember that all dining and entertainment areas are on the top three decks, with restaurants located forward and indoor-outdoor bars facing aft. The main lounge and casino are midship on Main Deck, as is the Yacht Club, which functions as library/Internet café/coffee bar. Most public areas have expansive sea views, although an exception is the spa, which is tucked away aft on Deck 2.
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All dining venues and soft drinks are included in the cost of a Windstar cruise. Windstar also includes a handy bus shuttle service into the center of port, where necessary. A daily gratuity of $13.50 per person per day is added to passengers' onboard accounts.
Sail across the Atlantic Ocean with Windstar Cruises' luxurious yachts or sail ships and enjoy a relaxing voyage like no other. When Windstar Cruises acquired the ship in 1998, its passenger capacity was reduced to 78 to make room for new onboard facilities, such as a large spa and an alternative dining venue. These additions are not available on the company's smaller ships Wind Star and Wind Spirit. During the ship's 20-day long drydock refurbishment (November 8-28) at Navantia Shipyard (Cadiz, Spain), the vessel's passenger capacity was increased from 310 to 342. The project also included suite modifications (decks 3 and 5) and redesigning the wellness complex (spa and gym). Also newly enhanced, staterooms have chic leather headboards, arm chairs, linen wall coverings, new lighting features, window coverings, carpeting, new artwork, and stylish bed cushions and bed throws.
We brought an adapter with USB charging ports for a couple of devices and it had a nightlight feature - very useful. You could also just bring a 110 nightlight, but this does multiple tasks. The choice of cabin is a personal one - we were perfectly satisfied with ours, especially as it was in the midship where there is less motion. Tall white billowing sails, sun-drenched teak decks and stunning renovations on the Wind Surf sailing yacht make her more spectacular than ever.
The last option, "Candles," offers an opportunity to dine on the top deck accompanied by views and sounds of the sea for a dining experience unlike any other. The staterooms haven't changed much over the years except for the double stateroom suites on deck 3 and the three larger suites. While we were onboard, maintenance was being done during the day on unoccupied staterooms including changing wallpaper, carpet, etc., but it never interfered with us. There is a dry dock scheduled for 2024, but until then it should be said there are only 3 outlets, all by the desk.
Make your reservations early as it does fill up quickly, By most accounts, there was not much actual advantage to the regular restaurant, except that the accent was more on steaks and chops. Aside from the restaurant and a tiny lounge big enough for a combo and a small dance floor, there really isn’t much to do. Nighttime is great for sitting outside at the tiny bar and making new friends. These are some of the most congenial ships afloat and people do make friends quite easily.
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