We got our first glimpse of the Windstar Wind Surf as we drove up to the Bridgetown cruise terminal. Wow! She's a great-looking ship!
Unlike a lot of today's mega-ships that host thousands of people at a time, the Wind Surf is a 5-mast/7-sail motor-sail-yacht and you'll share her with about 300 other passengers.
Guests arrived to the ship all afternoon, so check-in was a breeze. It took about 20 minutes. The Lounge was set up for this purpose and the crew served sandwiches and rum punch as guests went through the process.
To check in, we visited three tables: At the first table, we surrendered our passports and showed our boarding passes and immigration cards. A crewman at the next table swiped our credit card and took our photos for security purposes. We then picked up our room keys at the final table and were escorted to our cabin on Deck One.
We booked the first cabin on the hallway—all the way forward—near the elevator. We like this location since it’s easy to get to everything on the ship from here. The one downside is being able to clearly hear the ship’s horn (really only an issue in the evening when you're trying to sleep).
I was worried that the cabin—with just two small portholes—would seem cramped, but Windstar really put some thought into the layout of this room. It actually felt spacious due to the strategic use of mirrors and the dual portholes.
Since our luggage was in our room when we arrived, we went ahead and unpacked and freshened up before heading up to the Compass Rose to enjoy a glass of wine and afternoon tea.
Later that evening, we dined at Degrees. You do need to make reservations for this open-seating dining room, but there is no additional surcharge and the food is excellent! I enjoyed a grilled shrimp cocktail, delicious olive foccacia (all of the bread baked on the Wind Surf is excellent), a champagne sorbet palate cleanser, and bacon-wrapped filet mignon with creamed spinach and shoestring French fries. I topped it off with a piece of flourless chocolate cake, accented with pistachio brittle (luscious!).
Those not enjoying Degrees opted for The Restaurant, the Wind Surf's main evening dining facility. The service at The Restaurant is top-notch and the food definitely gets a five-star rating from me.
Here's what we especially liked about the Wind Surf...
• Intimate environment, but not too small
• Top-notch service from all members of the crew
• Terrific food and very creative (and friendly) chefs
• Excellent itinerary
• Comfortable cabin
• A smooth ride just about all the time (leaving and returning to Barbados was rough, but not a big deal)
• The flexibility of open-seating dining
• Very few children on board and just a few (well behaved) teens
Here's a basic summary of the ship's facilities:
DECKS
There are seven decks.
CABINS
There are 123 ocean-view staterooms with queen beds (Windstar can convert them to two twins). Note that "ocean view" means you'll have two portholes in your cabin.
For those who desire a bit more space, there are thirty-one 376-square-feet suites and two Bridge Suites (Owner's Suites), which are 495-square feet.
Each stateroom has a flat-screen TV, DVD/CD players with Bose SoundDock speakers (an in iPod docking station), a small safe, refrigerator, mini-bar, wireless Internet and a marble-outfitted bathroom with L'Occitane toiletries. Windstar also provides a hair dryer, bathrobes, and slippers.
DINING
Windstar offers open-seating dining...meaning you can eat at any restaurant at any time with anyone you wish. It was easy to secure tables for two, but it was also nice to dine with other passengers. Menus are crated by chef Joachim Splichal of the Patina Group in Los Angeles.
The Restaurant: This main restaurant is the largest and most elegant on the ship. The service is excellent and the menu was varied each day of the cruise.
Degrees: This is the alternative restaurant and it seats 124 guests. The menu changes between a steak house, Italian, and French Indonesian.
The Veranda and Terrace: Breakfast and lunch is served here.
Compass Rose: This location serves continental breakfast and afternoon tea.
LOUNGES
There are several lounges and bars, including:
Wind Surf Lounge
The Yacht Club
Compass Rose
Pool Bar
Terrace Bar
ACTIVITIES
There are two pools and two hot tubs onboard the Wind Surf. There's also a water sports platform offering complimentary water-skiing, windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, and snorkeling.
You'll also find a casino, spa/beauty salon, fitness center, library/coffee shop, and game room.
CREW
There are about 200 crew members. The Captain and executive staff are European. The Hotel staff is American and European, and stewards are Filipino and Indonesian.
The ship was built in 1990 (was originally the Club Med I) and is kept in excellent shape. We're looking forward to cruising with Windstar again in the future.
From journal Cruising the Southern Caribbean with Windstar