Windsailer

Does anyone know of a way to check cabin availability for Star Breeze cruises without calling WindStar or a travel agent? TIA.

2 hours ago, new_cruiser said:

We haven't been to Tahiti but the Windstar dress code is the same everywhere. I don't do dresses or skirts so I wear slacks (e.g. khakis) and a polo or other top that's nicer than a T-shirt. 

That's exactly what I do. Nice slacks and a nice blouse. That works for me. 

So which companies will cover pre-existing conditions if purchased on the day before Final Payment is made? (rather than 14 after the Deposit is made) Thanks in advance!

I have been to Las Caletas twice. Once on HAL and once on NCL.. The island is very nice. However, the HAL excursion was not private, it included people from hotels. And it seemed like the food was better on our NCL excursion. 

I have cruised to Alaska 5 times, twice on NCL and three times on HAL. The most important things to check are the ports the cruise stops at (I really like Sitka) and especially the length of time the cruise stops in each port. A 8am to 5pm stop is obviously better than a 1pm - 5pm stop. 

Any recent Aegean Odyssey cruisers out there who can let us know the current condition of the ship? Would much appreciate it! 

It was on a Thursday and the flight was at 10:50am. 

It's certainly "do-able". We were on the Getaway in July of this year.  We arrived back in Copenhagen on 7/4, did self-embark (carried all our luggage with us) and were off the ship at 7:30. There were many taxis and it took about 25 minutes to get to the airport. We were on British Air and their check-in counters didn't open until about an hour after we got to the airport. After checking in, going through security and then border control (get in the line on the far left - it's much faster) we were at the gate with enough time to spare to get a coffee at the little stand. 

Does anyone know if the AO is going to ready to go for the cruises in September? Other than the engine has anything else been done to the ship? And on a related note - is Road Scholars going to make any changes to the ship (cabins, food, dining options) before it takes over the ship in 2020?

We had a Retreat Cabana on the Eurodam on our cruise from FLL to SEA several years ago. It was great and we used it every day - even on the portion from San Diego to SEA even though it was a bit chilly. 

Actually, yes, you can make it work. We did it just last week. Our flight was at 10:50. Did self-embark and carried our own luggage off. Left the ship at 6:55 AM, taxis were readily available, got to the airport at 7:30. We were flying British Air and had to wait until around 9am for the counter to open. We were close to the front of the line, checked our bags and got boarding passes. Security line was a bit long but made it through easily. Same with Boarder Control.  (Take the line on the far right - it seemed to move more quickly) We were at the gate with about 45 minutes to spare. 

Left the Getaway this AM. Account as of 5am today showed $60 in refundable credit (post taxes refund) and $11 in non-refundable OBC. At 6am decided to get a fancy drink at Starbucks to use up some of the latter credit. Previous drinks had been charged against the non-refunable credit. Assumed the $60 would be refunded to my credit card. Go to leave the ship and can't get through security. They sent me to the Front Desk. Turns out they HAD to refund me in cash, and wanted to give me $51 - the $60 less the cost of my drink. I suggested they use the $11 I had left in non-refundable credit. They said Starbucks charges were only again the refundable credit!!! After some discussion they changed their mind and I got my $60 in cash. Back to security. Still Can't get through. Finally security called the Front Desk and I was let through. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth....and not a great start to my trip home.

Thanks! Really appreciate the comments and suggestions. 

Between Taste, Savor and Tropicana which is best? Less crowded? Do we need reservations? This is my first time on an Away class ship so am looking for answers! TIA. 

6 hours ago, whogo said:

I did not realize anyone paid any attention to the chefs. I order whatever sounds best on the menu, never bothered to read any info about the culinary council. The chefs all annoy me by stacking food, maybe fish on top of grits with a couple of green beans on top of that with a sprig of something else. I like my food served side by side on a plate.

I completely agree. I know the concept is so that you have everything in one bite but I can easily do that if the food is side by side on the plate. Also,  if one of the food items isn't very good,  if it's stacked it taints all the rest of the food. 

Probably the only way we will find out how this experiment turned out (in HALs eyes) is if and when the $10 surcharge shows up on the menus again. 

7 hours ago, elklemi said:

Similar to Windstar in they stop at small out of the way islands, very good food, excellent service, beach BBQ,  

Differences are only one restaurant, smaller cabins (nicely appointed) smaller Star Flyer 360 ft and 170 passengers, less space on deck and no separate place for sandwiches all day (they have appetizers on deck from 5-6 PM), they sail more than Windstar as this is a sailing ship)

I used Utube to get an idea of their ships as there are many views on their trips, Windstar is similiar to a cruise ship altho smaller scale and they can get into small ports or islands.

I enjoyed both and would sail with Windstar again if they would offer the 0 single supplement but I have grown to enjoy Star Clipper and have sailed on the Star Flyer 3 ties and larger Royal CLipper once, FYI they are now offering 0 single supplement on the Caribbean for next year and some other cruises, check their website for specials if you may be interested.

Thanks for the information. I will check out their specials!

1 hour ago, elklemi said:

I saw an offer for 0 single supplement in Summer 2017 and booked for December in the Caribbean. Enjoyed going to small islands and have been looking for same offer since but no luck.  I have been sailing on Star Clippers since as they still offer 0 single supplement from time to time and I have used this 3 times since and am ready to book another now for 2020 again in the Caribbean.

Interesting. How does Star Clippers compare to WindStar? Would appreciate your thoughts. 

40 minutes ago, cruzin4us said:

I just called Ship Services (because I had nothing better to do) and asked.  My response was this:

 

ME:  Just curious if the $10 for an additional entree in the MDR is still in effect because the trial was supposed to be ending March 31st.

 

HAL:   Well, I'm not sure.....let me go find out for you.

 

ME:   Thank you

 

HAL:  The trial has officially ended as of March 31st and there is no longer a charge for an additional entree in the MDR.

 

ME:  Thank you!

 

While I realize you can get 3 different responses from 3 different people, I just thought I'd pass on the info.   May call later and see what kind of answer I get.   

That's great news! 

11 hours ago, Zoey said:

I sailed on Windsurf a few years ago as a solo. At that time they had a flyer that showed several sailings with different low single supplements (from 25%, 50% etc.). Haven't seen ANY reduced supplements since that time and even contacted an agent and asked about similar offerings and was told there were none. I went ahead and inquired about a quote for a slow-selling, not very inspiring sailing, and was quoted double fare on the lowest category stateroom. I don't think they're really interested in solos sailing with them. 

That's what I was afraid of. I paid double on my first WindStar cruise and hoped that perhaps I could find a less expensive fare on my next one. 

13 hours ago, SeagoingMom said:

Would you please give the source of the HAL statement? When I googled "HAL dining room surcharge," I found other websites quoting Cruise Critic as their source of information!!  My quick search on the HAL website turned up nothing on the subject.

 

We were on Oosterdam recently and the Gala night menu did refer to a $10 surcharge for an extra entree. We did not test the waters.

It was in the News section of CC on March 1st that the CC Editors write. The article quoted a spokesman for HAL as you can see from the article. 

1 hour ago, avian777 said:

 

If this were truly an "either-or" situation, I would be (a little) offended if HAL used "waste reduction" to  justify its actions when its real objective was to increase profits.  However, I know that most corporate actions are based on more than one reason and have more than one objective.  IMHO and based on my experience in business, this is a classic example of a corporation having multiple reasons and objectives.

However, that's exactly what HAL did .

Here's what HAL said on March 1, 2019:

(9:50 a.m. EST) -- In an effort to crack down on food waste, Holland America Line is testing a menu upcharge in the main dining room of four ships.

Passengers sailing on Nieuw Amsterdam, Eurodam, Zuiderdam and Oosterdam will notice the option to order a second entree for $10. First courses as well as starters, desserts and other menu items will continue to be offered on a complimentary basis, in traditional main dining room fashion; there will be no additional fee to order a second starter or dessert.

"Over the years we have upgraded the menu, and we have experienced that guests occasionally order additional main courses they simply can't finish," a spokesperson for Holland America told Cruise Critic. "Holland America Line has made great efforts to reduce food waste and with this we can better determine if guests who order a second entree will truly enjoy it."

One test involves charging $10 for a second entree only on Gala Nights, while a second trial charges $10 every night. Holland America plans to evaluate the results in late March 2019 and make a decision based on its findings."

So feel free to be offended. 

As an aside I do disagree with one comment that HAL made.  Perhaps it happened very, very recently but I haven't seen an upgrade in the menu. 

No. 

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

It depends on how much you want to "Savor." 

Well, if this policy becomes permanent and fleet-wide I will just "Savor the Journey" on another line. If I end up being "nickel and dimed" I'd rather do it on a line like NCL where the fares are significantly lower and I know in advance I am going to be "nickel and dimed" and the quality of the food in the MDRs is similar to HAL. 

As do others, I only order a second entree if the first one is not as described in the menu and is not appealing to me or just tastes bad. Tough as nails steak anyone?  Or on surf and turf night I might order a second lobster tail if the first one hasn't been over -cooked. Many times the waiter will just say - would you like another lobster  tail - without me even asking. If this policy goes fleet-wide I doubt very much if this offer will be made or the waiter will now say "Please have another lobster tail. It will only cost you $10!" How tacky. It really cheapens HAL. What happened to "Savor The Journey"?