Redtravel

Only discount was for first night if you booked online before embarkation. Never saw anyone offering discounts. Been to all of the specialty restaurants before pandemic. Food in MDR was very good. Saw no need to eat in the specialty venues.

The $75 isn't a big deal. The hidden "terms and conditions" is a big deal. As a loyalty member of many businesses, I have always received any listed benefits regardless of how I booked or at what price I paid. Hidden conditions are the issue.

Heard that Victor left Windstar and went to Viking. Does anyone know which ship?

Know your port before you go. Get info and maps. Ship isn’t good at providing info. Many excursions were canceled. Don’t know why. Be prepared to do ports on your own.

Unfortunately our cruise didn’t have all of the restaurants open every evening. Star grill was never open for dinner. Grill was open some days for lunch with a very limited menu. Grill has mostly big communal tables Not good spacing. Never ate there. Veranda is a good option for lunch.

On Breeze, crew show was the last night. It was excellent. Many people missed it because they were packing. I usually pack after dinner. However, when I saw that the crew show was after dinner, I packed before dinner. Milton, the hotel director, is really good.

Back from cruise. Had 2 days in Victoria. Did just what I said. The shuttle bus from pier passed by some of the big sights. Main shopping street is government st. It is still in decent shape. With the Canadian dollar down, we got some great bargains. The on,y bummer was that the ship had to leave the dock at 5 pm and could return next morning.

Good news. As of October 1, no more Arriv Can entry hassles. We went to Canada on Sept. ArrivCan was a hassle. However, the cruise was worth it.

Just off Windstar. We were told that Victor has joined Viking. What ship? We love that guy.

Expect full ships. In June, we were on Summit. We were told that it would have reduced capacity. It was crowded. When asked how many people on the ship, we were given lots of answers from 1800 to 2300. Don’t know the actual number. What I do know is that it was very crowded. My spouse and I wore masks. My spouse got Covid.

Oct. 1….Canada drops entry requirements. Arriv Can was a huge inconvenience. Glad that it is gone.

We actually had to complete only one ArrivCan form. After arriving in Canada, we asked the immigration officier about doing the 2nd form. He said that once you are IN CANADA, you are in. Never did a 2nd form.

Just off Breeze. Windstar is now very casual. Jeans and capris were worn by many at dinner. For dinner, only saw shorts worn by men in specialty restaurants and at bbq. Never saw anyone at dinner wearing tees, sweats, or sloppy clothing. Never saw a tie or sports jacket. Some women wore casual dresses. Passengers looked comfortable, not slovenly.

Excursions often get priority tenders. Often excursions get canceled. You need a backup plan. Know what you can do in each port on your own. Download maps and transportation info before your cruise. The ship isn’t good at giving you timely info. Often the port talk is given by a person who has never visited that port. Download maps before boarding. The WiFi onboard is unreliable and expensive. we use our own mobile data package WiFi in ports. Check ahead with your mobile carrier for coverage. We have AT&T which has plans that cover international and marine services.

It was only one ArrivCanada form that we had to file. Many people on our cruise also thought that we had to do one form to enter Canada at the airport when staying in a hotel overnight, and a second form to board a ship in Vancouver. When we arrived at YVR we asked the Canadian immigration officer if we needed to do a second Arriv Canada. He looked at us puzzled and said that the form is to Enter Canada, not leave Canada. Once you are accepted into Canada, you are done. Next we had to wait 15 minutes to see if we had been randomly selected for testing. Luckily we didn’t get selected. The info sent to us by WS was confusing. Also, confusing when checking the info on the Canadian government website. One form which was scanned at the airport. Once we embarked, we were never asked to do it again even when we stopped in Victoria.

Be aware of policies when booking. I never book anything if the price is too high. I never discuss how much I paid. Price assurance adjustment before final payment may get you a break. If not, just enjoy your cruise. Wimdstar does a great cruise.

Agree that getting discount from a TA is good. Not getting the $75 OBC wouldn't be a deal breaker. It just came as a surprise. Since our welcome letter and keycard listed OBC, we were disappointed when it didn't happen. Just would like to alert other cruisers not to expect OBC. Also, we are elite plus on Celebrity. We always get the full list of benefits associated with that level regardless of who we book with or what we paid. It would be nicer if Windstar loyalty program stated restrictions in full instead of "terms and conditions may apply.". They fooled me once. Just want others to be aware.

We like Windstar cruises. Previous to pandemic, there was no tiered program. You got past guests discounts which was nice. Often got complimentary upgrades. w

Before getting on the ship, our test results were looked at the pier. When we went to embarkation, in the Compass Rose, there were Canadian officers checking our vaccinations cars and test results. Took temperatures. Next we went to the Lounge. Windstar also checked vaccinations and test results again. Passports were surrendered. Returned in Seattle where we had to go through US customs and immigration. Answered health form too. Got key card. Went to veranda to get lunch and make reservations for specialty restaurants. Not that quick.

Just back from Breeze. New design is good. We stayed in an older suite because we like the bed close to the bathroom. Older suites got new bathrooms, carpeting, and bedding. The rest is the old furnishings which could use some repairs. Had a drawer come apart. It was repaired. Chairs and woodwork have wear. Need to replace some of the old furniture. Saw the new suites. They are nice. They lack the warm feeling of the wood trim. Still prefer older suites.

Just back from Star Breeze. Food was excellent. We were disappointed that not all venues were open. We liked Veranda, Aamphora, and Candles. As for the new restaurants, we are undecided. We ate dinner at Cuodo 44 once. It was pleasant, but crowded. Too small space. Food was interesting. Wouldn’t return. Not our taste. We were really looking forward to eating in Star Grill. Love the chef tv shows. However, we never got to eat at the grill. It was never open for dinner. Lunch menus were too limited. Veranda had a great assortment of items. Aamphora was excellent. Ate at Candles twice. It was superb. The new head chef on Breeze is amazing. New head chef is amazing.

After final payment, you are stuck. Booking assurance cuts off then. Before pandemic, Windstar was excellent at matching price changes up until embarkation. I had some great cuts that saved me money. However, since Chris Prelog became CEO there have been changes.

No need for any of that stuff. It’s travel. Got a receipt and confirmation for air travel, hotel stays, and some cruises. Some cruise lines have gone all electronic. No paperwork. Show up at the dock. Your reservation should be in the system or on a list. Agent checks credentials and puts luggage tags on bags. Off you go. It works for planes. It works for cruises.

So sorry. Dealing with dementia is tough. Don’t do it alone. I hope that you find a support group or have help with caring for your husband. My dad had early onset Alzheimer’s.