SAILING ON THE
WIND SURF
7 CARIBBEAN DAYS
Shirley Linde recently sailed on the Wind Surf for
seven days in the Caribbean out of Barbados. Here is a report on the trip.
ON THE WIND SURF OUT OF BARBADOS -
Things are looking good in the Caribbean. And they look extra good sailing on
the Wind Surf
. It sails out of Barbados on 7 and 14-day roundtrip cruises from Bridgetown
to such ports as Tobago, Grenada, Martinique, St. Lucia, Nevis, St. Martin, Barthelemy, Iles des Saintes, and Bequia.
We got to Barbados by British West Indies Airlines, and returned by American
Airlines. Others travelled by Air Jamaica. It's good idea to travel the day
before the cruise and stay at a hotel. About 50 people who tried to fly down
on the day of the cruise got stranded at New York and Boston airports because
of snowstorms and either missed the cruise or had to pick it up in St. Lucia.
The WindSurf is the former Club Med I, purchased and renovated by WindStar Cruises
in 1990. The ship has computerized sails that extend automatically with a push
of a button from the bridge. You don't get too much sense of sailing because
the ship is kept on an even keel by some more computers, but it still is a thrill
to get underway, sailing out of port to the sounds of the theme song 1492 playing
as the sails unfurl.
The ship holds approximately 300 passengers and has 154 cabins. All cabins are
outside and have twin beds that can be converted to queen and have a VCR, CD
player, a mini-bar/refrigerator, a ship-to-shore telephone, and a bath with
shower. Cabins have two portholes; suites have four. There are 31 suites (376
sq. ft. each) that have a living/dining area, and some have two bathrooms. Some
cabins will accommodate a third passenger.
I found the cabin well-designed and with more than enough storage space. After
I unpacked I looked for the dining room. There is an open-seating dining room
for dinner with one seating, plus the bistro restaurant. And I learned that
breakfast and lunch are buffet on deck and in the Veranda Restaurant. Later
I explored around the ship and found the fitness center and spa, got from the
library a book on the Caribbean by Janet Groene, one of the other travel writers
on board, and a novel, and found the conference center with a bank of new computers
for passengers to access the internet. I would be here twice a day every day
answering email requests for cruises that came in to the Small Ship Cruises
website, and sending the requests on to specialty travel agencies. After climbing
up and down the stairs to the various decks for two hours, I noticed where the
two elevators were.
The first day out of Barbados was a day at sea so I tried a therapeutic massage
in the spa. Michael, the massage therapist, worked on the tension spots in my
shoulders. Wow, I really needed this vacation! Also on the first day we had
the required lifeboat drill to learn the locations of our muster stations in
case of emergency. (Pay attention. I was once a passenger on a ship that caught
fire … it's a slim chance of it happening but if it does you need to know what
to do.)
That evening the seven travel writers and photographers on board were invited
to join Captain Richard Bridge (what a great name for a captain!) and hotel
manager Francois Birarda at dinner. I had the crispy salmon with Mediterranean
salsa for an appetizer, roasted eggplant and garlic soup with a pistou puree,
a carrot, cucumber, tomato and endive salad, and then broiled lobster with saffron
rice pilaf for a main entree. The hotel manager Francois on my right talked
me into a second lobster. And then there were the desserts. Oh my, the cruise
has just started and I am sure I have already gained weight.
Wind Surf has a Business Center
with audio/video facilities. and a Computer Center with 10 computer terminals.
The lounge and casino have new floor layouts and more game tables and slot machines.
Outside the Veranda
restaurant is a new permanent outdoor barbecue station. In the main Restaurant
there is open seating, and you can dine any time between 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
On Tuesday we arrived at the little island of Nevis, only 6 miles wide and 8
miles long with a population of about 9,000. That is one of the advantages of
travelling in a small ship … you go to places where the big ships don't go.
Some of the passengers explored the newly opened Four Seasons resort with its
beautiful beach and golf course with Mt. Nevis in the background. Others went
kayaking and snorkeling, scuba diving, or hiking. I went on a van tour of the
island to see the local museums with information on Alexander Hamilton who was
born here and Horatio Nelson who was married here and to visit the Botanical
Garden. The roads were bumpy, narrow, and pot-holed, but our van driver had
a new cell phone. The eight-acre Botanical Garden had a wonderful array of plants
and well-kept grounds with charming sculptures of cranes and other wildlife,
and I discovered several plants I had never seen before despite years in the
Bahamas and Caribbean … great blue hanging clumps of flowers called the Poor
Man's Orchid (Pandora jasminoides varigata) and huge weird flowers with bat-like
wings called Dutchman's pipe or Bat Flower.
The internet is working so I can get on and check and answer important email
(75 cents per minute so excuse my brief answers).
I definitely am going to gain weight. There is the bread pudding after every
lunch for which the cruise line is famous, and the afternoon tea and ice cream
offerings, and the appetizer snacks at cocktail time. And that hotel manager
who keeps saying "Have some more".
I have a chance to check out the bridge (on most small ships including this
one the bridge is open to passengers at any time). The controls for furling
and unfurling the sails on the five masts and controlling the booms were quite
impressive.
Wednesday is St. Martin day. The south half is Dutch; the north side is French.
We anchor out at the French side. The internet is down again so I search about
the town for two hours looking for an internet café of some kind. On this island
you can shop on the French side, take an island tour or go to the Dutch side
and participate in a race on a shortened course with former America's Cup 12-meter
yachts including Dennis Conner's 1987 America's Cup winner "Stars & Stripes"..
Click here to read more about
the race.
That evening there is a party for passengers who have been on other Windstar
cruises in the past. It was impressive to learn how many were repeat passengers
- the return rate on Windstar is very high. Also tonight is the Filipino and
Indonesian crew show with song and dance.
The next day we anchored off the island of St. Barth's, very French. Prices
are high in restaurants, hotels and bars. Shops are expensive, but I found a
shop at the end of the yacht basin with hand-painted shirts and reasonable prices.
The taxis wanted more than the ship said we should pay so we got four people
together, rented a car for the day, and drove around the island. Crowded roads.
Steep hills. Wild drivers. Great scenery. Other people went horseback riding
at a ranch or went on a catamaran snorkeling tour. Some people skipped the tours
and played at the ship's watersports platform windsurfing or exploring in kayaks.
That afternoon I went to the spa for a shampoo and blow dry to repair the week's
damage. Be sure to ask for prices before you get anything done at spas on ships
… a simple shampoo and blow dry cost a ridiculous $40.
Tonight three of us requested a table for eight and told the dining room captain
seat others with us. This is a good technique to get to know fellow passengers
rather than always sitting at a table with your own group of people.
On Friday morning we came into Iles des Saints, a group of eight small islands
off the coast of Guadeloupe. We took the tender into the village of Bourg on
the island of Terre de Haut, a charming laid-back friendly island (population
5,000) with many offerings for sale by local artists. I spent most of the day
taking pictures of the doors and windows of the buildings and walked for miles
enjoying the people and local color. I could spend more time here.
Friday night I have dinner with the ship physician and a couple from New York.
We talk about the many people who came aboard with colds or got them mid-cruise.
(Why do cruise ships keep the public areas so cold?!) And we talk about how
people often come on board ships without knowing what medical facilities there
are or whether there is a physician on board. If you are going to be far at
sea or on a cruise for a long time and have a chronic illness you should see
your physician before cruising. And be sure to bring along any medication you
are going to need. The ship medical facilities are only for emergencies and
common respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, and there are no extensive
pharmacy supplies.
On Saturday … the last day already! … there is a barbecue at the beach at Pigeon
Island with lobster and ribs. The name Pigeon Island comes from the redneck
pigeons raised as a hobby by early resident Admiral Rodney. We walk around the
grounds, actually a reserve park that is part of St. Lucia, climb the hill for
a great view, and check out the ruins of the old fort that was there. Other
people sail in a catamaran, take a helicopter tour, or go to Soufriere's volcano
or go horseback riding through the hills and on a nearby beach. At sunset the
captain sailed us close to shore so that we could see the twin towering Pitons,
two volcanic peaks right on the coast of St. Lucia that rise out of the water
to more than 2,400 ft.
On the day of debarkation many flights did not leave until afternoon so there
was time for a tour of a local cave. Many passengers stayed over for a day or
two to enjoy Barbados.
The Wind Surf also cruises in the Mediterranean from Nice to Rome on seven-day
cruises with stops in Portofino, Portoferraio, Portovenere, Monte Carlo, Bonifacio,
Cannes, and St. Tropez, and also between Rome and Venice. Then after an autumn
cruise from Nice to Lisbon, she cruises 14 days at sea back to Barbados.
With early booking on any itinerary you can get a saving
of 25 to 50 percent. Port charges are extra. Shore excursions are not included.
Bring your passport, leave your ties and high heels at home.
Click here to book a trip on the Wind Surf.
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