mariners

Roy, it's great that you are back posting. Although healing might be taking longer than you would like, positive memories from the past, and hope for the future, helps people to heal. Wishing you all the best.

Norwaylady, Celebrity lists the following information in the question section: What do I need to do if I’m traveling with a minor and I am not their parent or legal guardian? Adults who are not the parent or legal guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child's valid passport and visa (if required) or the child's government-issued birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy) and an original notarized letter signed by at least one of the child's parents. The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child. If a non-parent adult is a legal guardian, the adult must present a certified Certificate of Guardianship with respect to the child. We sailed numerous times with our grandchildren on a variety of cruise lines including Celebrity. We have been asked to produce the notarized letter by US Border officials, Canada Border officials when we returned, and, a few times, by the cruise lines including once by Celebrity before they would allow us to board the ship. We were never asked for the letter in a port of call, but that was just our experience. In choosing the cruise, we always looked at what options there were for things to do in ports, whether we wanted to stay before or after the cruise, the size of the cabin or to get adjoining cabins with a connecting door to allow for more privacy, and read reviews of passengers who had taken children of a similar age on a cruise on each cruise line. Regardless of what we chose, our grandchildren loved every cruise. What a wonderful gift for your grandson!

To me, the price comparisons are no longer the greatest factor in making my decision to cruise between Crystal (old) and Crystal (new), or any other line. Now, it's the passengers who comment on CC who believe that it is necessary, for whatever reason, to denigrate a cruise line to make "a point" either against an individual or individuals, or the cruise line itself. I have had the privilege of sailing on the majority of luxury lines and, also, those lines that don't fit the "luxury" category. I have participated on the CC site for years and have experienced how beneficial the site can be as a resource for cruising. I look forward to posts from passengers who want to compare the new Crystal to the old Crystal, and not posts that compare them to other cruise lines. IMO, those posts are posted to create conflict rather than provide information that would help one make a choice between cruise lines. Although I am on "hold" before booking a Crystal cruise, I have other cruises booked, and am reading the threads on all of the cruise lines that are possibilities. (As I side note, I have previously compared Regent, Crystal, and Seabourn, but hope that I did it in such a way that it explored what I found positive and not so positive about each cruise line).

Host Jazzbeau, I'm not sure what type of hotel you would choose, but we stayed at the Coral Mist Beach Hotel and the beach location was lovely. The air conditioning worked well, the balcony view was great, and there are different dining options, as well as a grocery store, close by. That being said, the kitchen needed updating, the bathroom was okay (think more budget motels), and your late arrival means that you won't have room service to order drinks and/or food. As well, by the time you factor in the hotel price, taxi costs, tips, etc. unless prices go down, it would be quite a bit more expensive than the Windstar option. We did hear quite a few not so positive comments on the Accra, but that might be a moot point as who knows where Windstar will choose for 2025. We saw some lovely hotels on the group transfer, but they charged a significant amount more, as did the other hotels I checked out before our cruise.

For those people who are taking back-to-back cruises, you can choose to buy the AI for one of the segments, and not the other. We did that when the first segment was port intensive so, to us, it didn't make sense to buy the AI for either of us. On the second segment, which was a 14 day TA, it did make sense for me to purchase the package as I prefer hard liquor, and some cocktails. My DH, who drinks mainly wine made good use of the "wine by the bottle" offerings they had onboard. This approach worked well for us.

Roy, I am just getting caught up on CC. I'm sorry to hear that you have been ill, and hope that you are gaining strength every day. I've always loved viewing your sunrise and the occasional sunset photos, and following your travels. Wishing you all the best.

Flash G, I hope that you get some answers to your question. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending upon how one looks at it, we are older than Generation X. However, we have family members who fit in that demographic, who love to cruise, and would have loved to sail on the "old" Crystal except they were too busy focussing on their careers, and children, at that time. They now have the flexibility to travel at different times of the year, and they have the finances that allow them to travel however they wish. The "new" Crystal could be a good fit for them depending upon what they choose to offer. I look forward to reading the replies in response to your question.

Me, too, and I am also not David! First, I checked the address to ensure it came from Celebrity. Then, I thought that Celebrity might have chosen an advisor for me. Nope. The content is addressed to me, it's just the title that is an enigma.

cruising from Florida, we had back-to-back cruises on the Solstice in January/February. The differences between the cruises was huge, and I am well aware that other Celebrity cruises will have different opinions than mine. That being said, this is what worked for me/us: a) the best and healthiest, IMO, food onboard was at The Spa Cafe and Juice Bar for breakfast and for lunch. Please note that you cannot get water, coffee, etc. and will need to pick up your drink of choice before you get to the venue. As well, there are few tables, and there will be a wait time to get some different foods as they make them fresh. However, you can always get the food and go outside to the pool deck, take the food to your cabin, or find a different place to sit. b) if you want to have a bottle or alcohol in your cabin onboard (not the wine you are permitted to bring), I suggest ordering it ahead of time. This might no longer exist as an option on your cruise. It was very difficult for the staff/crew to provide this choice onboard. This cannot be ordered, once onboard, through anyone except guest services. It was difficult and frustrating for everyone. c) if you would like any "heat" to your food, such as Sambal, hot sauce, etc., make sure the wait staff know. Ask them to bring it with your food. As well, it was "hidden" on our cruise in the Oceanview Cafe at dinner but was available at lunch at one station. d) if you like coffee, Cafe Al Bacio is well worth the price. If you drink specific tea, bring it with you. Options might be limited and they do run out of some teas before a cruise has ended. e) let your dining room staff know if you want to make it to a specific show at a time that make serving dinner difficult. They will do whatever they can so that you can finish your dinner in a timely fashion. f) if you are on set dining, arrive at dinner when it's "your time" as the dining staff will be maxed out and you will need to flexible and enjoy a prolonged dining experience if you arrive late. g) if you want extra ice, facecloths, soap, etc., you need to let your stateroom attendant know. They will do everything they can to meet your needs/wants. h) new crew all tried really hard to meet passenger expectations. Some of the crew had worked for other cruise lines but found the transition to Celebrity difficult as passengers had different expectations. I did not meet one crew member who did not try to make my cruise the best ever! i) check out the shore excursions before you book. If you want an excursion that is really active, do not choose a panorama, or an excursion that would fit "all passengers". j) although the Martini Bar makes, IMO, the best martinis, it was packed after 4 p.m. and many people were dressed for dinner. If you dine later, and there was no hope of getting service at the bar or a table. One needs to be flexible, be prepared to have a longer wait time/and/or choose a different venue. k) depending upon your itinerary and how full the ship is on your sailing, none of the above recommendations might matter. When the ship was less that 1/2 full, we could not have asked for more. On the second segment, life was very different. My heart went out to the crew who were obviously stressed. Our same wait staff in the dining room could not keep up with the number of tables they served, etc. We are back onboard close to the end of the year on a different ship. When possible, I will try to give other future passengers information that would be, IMO, beneficial,, Wishing everyone a cruise of a lifetime.

Vagabond Knight, my apologies for the late response to your question. The taxi to San Pedro during the Friday night rush hour was $75.00 USD including tip. Uber was offering the trip at $85.00 USD when I checked. However, your experience might be different as there were also other large ships at LAX ports and I believe that Uber prices are based on supply and demand. Our return trip, by Celebrity bus, was $35.00 USD each. I am sure that we Uber and other similar rides would be much cheaper as it took us almost no time to get to LAX. Still, I'm glad we went the Celebrity route as I didn't want any issues with getting to the airport, had never been to San Pedro before, and wanted a relaxing (as much as it could be) end to our holiday. If we were to arrive at LAX on a Friday night at rush hour, my choice would be to stay close to the airport and take transportation the next day to the port. I'd also book my hotel well ahead of time as prices definitely go up closer to the cruise.

We made it home late last night. The disembarkation from the ship was easy and the ship was cleared early. Unfortunately, our names, despite the luggage tags and disembarkation information we were given, didn't make it to the list of passengers with airport transfers. I'm not sure what happened but, in the end, they wrote our names down on a piece of paper, and we were allowed to board the bus. Despite individual arrangements being less expensive, we would choose the option of taking the ship transfer again. As there were two ships (or more) in port, Uber/taxis/etc. appeared to be backlogged and there were lines of people waiting for their rides. I don't know if it's an ongoing issue, but there were problems at LAX as they did not have enough people for baggage handling. Our flight was delayed for over an hour after we were onboard as they did not have anyone to load the baggage on the plane. Luckily, our next flight was also delayed so me made the connection, and quickly cleared Canadian customs and passport control. Our luggage made it home with us! I will write a more detailed review once I have finished the laundry, paying the bills ...

Sorry for the delayed response. We just arrived home late last night and had no access to CC onboard the ship. In fact, we had very intermittent internet for the last few days of our cruise and couldn't even send texts. Cabo is a tender port, and the tender goes to a pier. I'm not sure what you mean by "secure port area" so I'm providing information about the port itself. There are two types of tenders going from the ship. One is a Celebrity tender and the other is a local tender. On the local tender, there is a request for tips and a tip jar is circulated amongst the passengers onboard. When either of the types of tender arrive at the pier, there are Celebrity tour operators right there for people who are going on tour. If you are not going on a Celebrity tour, you have to walk past a "security" area where they check bags to make sure that you are not bringing food ashore. As soon as you pass that area, there are numerous vendors trying to sell different excursions, and entice you to shop at whatever shop they are representing. There is no shopping until you are off the pier so there is no port building or what I would consider a secure port area. If this doesn't answer your question, please let me know what information would be beneficial. We were in the port twice as we were on a back-to-back. IMO, other that the fabulous sea life, it's not a port where I would choose to spend much time and I hope that someone else who enjoyed the shopping experience will post to provide you better information.

My plans of writing a live thread for this segment won't work. I have not paid for the upgrade for the internet and I cannot even get CC to load, let alone sign in and post. I also cannot access any of our e-mail accounts, airline information, or even the Celebrity website to look at future cruises. I tried multiple times in the middle of the night, and I still couldn't get the service. I can, however, get and send text messages, access news websites all over the world, access a different cruise site of which I am a member, and a variety of weather, weekly shopping flyers at home, and some other sites that I really don't care about but wanted to see if they worked. This segment has a totally different vibe than the previous segment. The passenger count is about 80% of full occupancy according to the crew and officer with whom I spoke. It’s also a very lively group, and the bars are hopping, and lots of people are enjoying a variety of entertainment. The crew have been struggling with the massive increase in passengers, but I have already noticed that they are settling into new routines, and I think the frenetic pace and stress levels should improve over the week. It's unfortunate that there are not more crew onboard as they really do have too large a number of passengers to provide service to and some passengers are very unhappy and are quite vocal. I have no issue with people vocalizing issues, but I really dislike it when passengers are rude to the crew. Although I can't stop it from happening, I do let the crew know that they are welcome to have a supervisor speak with me if that is their choice. Food has been hit and miss. Even though the menu is the same as last week, the presentation, and flavours are different. Hopefully, the kitchen will also adjust to the larger dining groups. We are still having a great time. On a side note, we had a fabulous display of dolphins, and whales (including breaching) on the sail in to Cabos at lunch time today. What a fabulous welcome!

I kept short notes on this cruise of information that I thought might be of interest to some people who read this thread. I hope that anyone else who was on this cruise will chime in or create a separate thread if they prefer. We took this cruise as we got an offer from the Blue Chip Club. We chose to take this segment in a balcony cabin, and did not purchase wifi or a beverage package. We also did not pre-pay tips. There are, according to the officers with whom I spoke, approximately 700 passengers onboard. Of those passengers, at least 80 of them have remained on the back-to-back for this new segment. The itinerary for the first segment was not one that we would have chosen, but it ended up having some highlights that we enjoyed, and we love being on a cruise ship so it worked out well. My first recommendation is not for this cruise specifically, but is for flying into LAX and the transportation from LAX to any destination outside the airport. The International Terminal where we landed does not have pick up by taxis, uber/lyft, group transport, etc. at the present time. One has to take a bus to a huge parking area and get the transportation at that area. It took us almost 20 minutes to arrive at the parking lot once we were on the bus. There, we chose to take a taxi as the other prices were high. Each type of transport has its own line and area to wait. Little did we realize how expensive the taxi, or any other transport, was going to be to get to San Pedro. It ended up that the cost for the taxi and the other transportation was exactly the same. We hit Los Angeles during rush hour on a Friday night. If that timing happened to us again, we’d stay at an airport hotel and travel to San Pedro the next day. The ride was well over an hour and, much of the time, the car travelled at 5 miles an hour or was at a complete standstill. However, it was an easy ride to the port the next morning, and Uber was a great deal (less than $10). We arrived a bit early as we thought it would take longer to get the Uber and also to get to the port. Arriving early was not an issue. A porter took our luggage as soon as we got out of the car, and we were directed to the check in area. There were plenty of seats and boarding for passengers began exactly at 11:00 a.m. The first passengers for general boarding were Aqua Class, Concierge Class, and Blue Chip cruisers. It was very easy as all one had to do was show the boarding card through the App, or a printed copy. There was a quick check of the completed boarding material (health check), and passport control. Unfortunately, the person who checked us in told us we could not go and pick up our cabin cards or drop things off in our cabin until after 1 p.m. Instead, we could have gone directly to our cabin, taken the cards from outside our door and placed our luggage in the cabin (which is what I had read on CC but figured it was just another change). Still, it wasn’t a hardship as we just lugged our carry-on up to the Sunset Bar and they served us our first drink by confirming our cabin number on our boarding pass. Great service! The lunch buffet has lots of different selection including: American, Mexican, East Indian, Carving Station, Salads, Breads, Cheese, processed meats, Pasta, Pizza, Stir Fry, and others. The cheese, for those people who enjoy cheese, is mainly processed sliced cheese and offerings are quite limited. I saw many people who chose pizza add additional toppings from other stations on their pizza slices which I think is a good work around if the set toppings are not what you like. Dinner menus have been posted by other people and I suggest that anyone who would like to know what is offered check out those posts. Most dinners have been good, a few really good, and one not so good. However, what we like, other people might not like so I’m just going to make a couple of general comments. If one likes spice, it will be necessary to ask for additional spice, and add as much as one would prefer. There are very limited choices for anyone who has lactose intolerance. Although our wait staff were knowledgeable about dietary restrictions, there was only so much they could do given the menus. The dinner buffet is definitely limited, but worked well for the couple sitting at the table next to us. They preferred the food in Oceanview Café and did not care for most of the menus in the main dining room. IMO, it would be beneficial for them to provide more options so that not all of the salads are pasta salads/Caesar salads and have healthy dressing as a choice (not high fat/high milk/high cream/etc.). For those people who enjoy eating a lot of carbs, there are usually a decent selection of foods that would meet that criteria. Service is excellent and tables are quickly cleaned. Although I only tried it one time, I would not recommend the late breakfast in Oceanview. There is a limited number of choices, and almost everything is filled with fat and grease, or dried out because it has been sitting there for so long. The fruit was still good. Many bar staff appear to be fairly new and each bar has different selections. When serving wine, the bar staff should know the correct names of the wines and not just say that there are a couple of red wines, and a couple of white wines. We could see them learn over the last week, and really try to remember the different types as well as what a passenger was drinking. I have no doubt that within the next couple of cruises that the issue of not knowing wines will change. Cellar Masters is as good as ever and remains the best place to go for passengers who want the best selection and the most knowledgeable sommelier. Mixed drinks are more difficult. As I previously stated, if one explains exactly how they like a drink, most of the time the bartender will make it to those specifications. However, with some wait staff, they continue to learn English and things are lost in translation. A smile, and more of an explanation, usually make things right and is, IMO, helping the individual learn a job that is new to them. I’m sure there are people who think that is not “our” job and crew should have been trained ahead of time, but, the way I see it is that the world has changed for everyone. I want to see travel continue in the future, and I believe in the “walk a mile in my shoes” philosophy of life. Now, changing to the ports, Catalina Island was wonderful. It has an amazing amount of things to do for such a small island, but just wandering around is also interesting. Prices are quite high and most shops had similar items. The Catalina Island Conservancy had some unique t-shirts, sweaters, puzzles, etc. It supports island treks, camping, enjoying nature, and taking care of the environment. There are public washrooms on the pier and they are clean and well kept. Cabo is a tender port. Celebrity uses both Celebrity tenders and local tenders. If you are on a local tender, they pass around a tip bag for passengers. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to load some of the tenders before they leave, and then it’s another 15 minutes or a bit longer to Cabo. Timing depends upon the number of people, the time of the day, and the waiting for one tender to load/unload before the next tender can dock. We were there at the same time as a Disney ship and I can’t imagine being there with more people. The hustlers were out in full force. The weather was great, and we enjoyed walking around outside of the harbour area. Now, San Diego was a highlight for me. Coming into port, the ship was surrounded by dolphin. In my estimation, there would have been hundreds of them. They were beside the ship, and out into the ocean as far as one could see. They all put on a show just by doing what dolphins always do – play in the waves. Not only did I get videos of them, but I have still photographs that are great because I couldn’t miss getting a photo. Of course, San Diego and the docking location is great. There’s lots to see walking around the area, and there are shuttle busses to other areas if people choose. Now, I’ve written as much as I’m writing today. It’s time for me to go back out and enjoy the ship. We have our new key cards, and can’t wait to enjoy this next segment. How lucky we are to be onboard again!

Barbara, I have found it best to explain to the crew or bartenders exactly what I would like and they have all tried their best. For example, drinks are made different ways by some of the bartenders and I explain how I like mine made. Our room attendant is fantastic and I just leave a note and he remembers exactly what I like, for example, extra ice. I hope you have a great time boarding tomorrow.

We are in San Diego, and, Bo, I do have the sunscreen on😀. It’s been a great cruise. We’ve found workarounds to most things such as not going to late breakfast as the selection doesn’t work for us. Lots of happy passengers. Lots of unhappy passengers. Each person has to choose what’s the most important things and whether Celebrity still fits the bill. The ship has way more passengers boarding tomorrow so it will be interesting to see what happens with a larger passenger load. I have shorthand notes written from this cruise and will try and get them typed up and posted tomorrow. No photos until I get home though as I can’t get them to upload properly on my cell phone. The weather is beautiful today. I hope it’s the same in San Pedro tomorrow. Thanks to all who have read and those people who have responded.

Glad that you feel better. I have to log off now as I'm using my phone as a hub and it only works well on the balcony (Canadian cell phone issue). It's the middle of winter at home, and I'm not wearing sunscreen and can feel the sunburn starting. Oh, such problems! 🙂

After reading so many negative reports on changes to Celebrity, I was quite concerned about sailing on this cruise. My worries were needless. Yes, there have been some changes, and, yes, most things cost more money. However, boarding the ship has never been easier. The welcome onboard provided by staff and crew (without a drink that I aways wanted and took, but found awkward as my hands were full) was the same as always except for the drink. Perhaps, it was even better as there are only 700, or 800 passengers, on this sailing and we all had individualized attention. The lunch buffet had as many options as one could want (should want?), and the food, with a couple of exceptions (which has always been the case for me) was as good as ever. We have set seating in the dining room at early dining (first time on Celebrity as we always have flexible dining), and we are in a location that works well for us, and they are able to provide distance between diners given the few passengers onboard. The service was excellent, as was our meal. I will write more later in the cruise, or on our next segment when I have internet. Right now, I am using my cell phone as I have cell service when we are in port (Catalina Island which is absolutely beautiful as is our weather). I will not have wifi until the next segment so, if I don't respond, it's not because I am a "troll", it's because I am choosing to disconnect from the world for this segment and just relax and enjoy every moment. My reason for posting is so that some people who might have the same concerns that I had might feel reassured about life onboard Celebrity.

Coconutguy, I hope that you managed to connect with Pudgesmom. I did write to Windstar about the fabulous crew, and our experience(s), onboard the crossing. Windstar's response to me was excellent and, I hope, that the crew onboard the ship were also given the positive feedback. We have not booked anything for 2024 or 2025 on any cruise line. We will definitely be looking at Windstar.

Cometman, I hope that your cruise on Windstar was fabulous! Pudgesmom, our trip was so wonderful that I've started to write a letter to Windstar as I wanted to provide them with more positive, and personalized, information than the follow-up cruise survey allowed. That being said, I am also providing them with information regarding something that I found very disconcerting onboard. One morning, early in the cruise, I was walking through the reception area and there was a woman who was sitting at a table with many Windstar future cruise brochures in front of her. I asked her if she was the "Windstar Cruise Consultant", and she responded, "Yes." (Note: This was during the hours that the daily program had "Come and see your Onboard Cruise Consultant and talk about your future Cruise adventure and your discount for booking onboard, Lobby Deck 3 MID.") We had a fairly brief conversation, and I told her that I would speak with her later in the cruise as I hadn't looked at future bookings. However, shortly after that conversation, I was informed by another passenger that the woman was actually a travel agent and was not the "Windstar Cruise Consultant" who was, in fact, Nadija. I do not know Windstar's policy on travel agents and acceptable practices for travel agents onboard the ships. I am hopeful that, if they don't already have a policy in place, they will put one in place in the future. IMO, misrepresentation of a person's position, high intensity sales pitches to a "captive" audience, etc. by TA's, etc. should never take place. I have never before had this experience with any TA on any cruise, and hope that I will never have the experience again.

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.

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.

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, 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!

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 10th, and today, November 11th, 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 9th 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 10th 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.