WindStar/Spirit vs WindSurf

Hi.

My husband and I recently changed from large ship to small ship cruising, and we never want to go back! We can't afford to repeat our amazing SeaDream cruise from last year, but Windstar has some really good rates to Europe in the fall that we'd love to take advantage of.

Right now, we're deciding between four itineraries that encompass France, Italy, Spain, and Morocco (various combinations). Two are on the smaller ships, two are on WindSurf.

Does anyone have an opinion on the differences between the ships? We love the relaxed atmosphere of small ship cruising, really great food, getting to know folks. But the appeal of a good gym and music on WindSurf exists.

If we don't decide based on the ship, we'll just pick based on the itineraries, but having never been to any of these towns, that's hard to do! (Plus, I'd love to visit Morocco, but I can't say it doesn't make me nervous.)

We've been on seven windstar cruises with the eight scheduled for July '05. We've been on the Surf only once, about the 4th cruise as I recall. While we enjoyed the cruise and would sail on the Surf again if the itinerary was right, we enjoyed the greater intimacy of the Spirit and Star. One big difference regarding the ships is that on the Surf you can't swim off the sports platform - the shape of the hull causes you to be pulled beneath the ship!! The Surf does have more amenities than the other ships, but that isn't what draws us to this cruise line. Which ever ship you choose I am sure you will not be disappointed. We never have been!!

Just like Ctwolfpacker we've been been on eight Windstar cruises..two on the Surf and the rest on the smaller ships...We did the Surf for the first time five years ago and said we'd stick to the smaller ships..we liked the intimacy and service. Took the Surf two months ago (we were going with another couple who like casinos and spas) and said again..."it was great but we prefer the smaller ships"

Thanks for the replies. We' re down to two cruises. The one on WindSpirit is about $200pp than the WindSurf one. The itineraies are a wash. I have a feeling we'd like WindSpirit better.

One thing I think we'd miss, however, that I read that WindSurf has is after dinner music. Does WindSpirit have a lounge with music/dancing? (Nothing outrageous, I'm thinking of our Seadream cruise that had a piano bar, and a keyboard player in a small lounge that you could dance in.

Rachel

The smaller ships do have a small lounge where the cruise director gives an informative little talk each evening regarding tomorrow's event. There is a musician(s). On our first trips there was a duet/couple who played before dinner, during afternoon "tea", and after dinner. On the last couple or so it has been a single person with a whole lot of computer aided help. On our trip on the Surf we noticed that there was a much larger lounge and there was a "band". Most people call it a night pretty early. My wife, who is an amateur blackjack player likes the casino on the smaller ships. In her opinion the dealers are much nicer, welcome questions, and the other players don't get all upset when they she is not a gambler and is justh having fun!!

One big difference regarding the ships is that on the Surf you can't swim off the sports platform - the shape of the hull causes you to be pulled beneath the ship!!

Could you please elaborate on this? This is the first time I've heard that you can't swim off the back of the Wind Surf's sports platform. What can you do off the back -- dive? kayak? How do you get in the water then if you just want to swim?

Thanks again for all the replies!

We have finally decided on the Windspirit cruise, Nov 5th out of Barcelona.

Found an awesome deal online (can we say end of season :)

Maybe we'll see some of you there!

Rachel

Prior to our Surf cruise on the other ships, when the water sports platform was down, the sports couple would toss a line out with a float on the end and would tie the toys to it. You could then go swimming off of the stern of the ship. When we were on the Surf we were told that this was not allowed. Due to the shape of the ship's hull, the water had a tendency to pull swimmers in the water underneath the ship. Three years ago while on the Spirit at Portofino, the Surf was also anchored. There was a bunch of us in the water around the Spirit, but not around the Surf. Someone in our group asked about swimming off of the Surf and our sports couple told them it wasn't allowed for the reason I gave before. You could do all of the other sports around the ship, they just didn't want anybody directly around the ship in the water. As far as diving goes, these activities always involved boating to some other area. I can't recall having seen anybody diving around any of the boats. Hope this clarifies things.

They have kayaks, small sail boats, banana boat rides and such that you can do off the water sports platform. Also, the motor boats they used to take you to the dive locations were loaded and boarded from the watersports platform. This was very convenient.

I was on a Caribbean trip out of St. Thomas. We usually docked somewhere with beaches in easy reach so people who wanted to swim tendered ashore and went to the beach. On all but one island, there was a beach within walking distance. In the case where there wasn't, a taxi or water taxi could take you to the beach.

We just got off the Surf last night and are now looking for the little mints to majically appear on our pillows. STILL not there.

We did, on more than one occassion, say to one another: "This is a different ship than the Star". A huge plus, and we feel to be a BIG plus, was the cabin layout. I think the 188' size is the same, but moving the closets to the same wall as the head made it possibile to open BOTH doors at the SAME time and left a rather large usable area between them, the cabin door and the desk. Doing so also left the flat-screen tv sticking out enough for me to find... with my head... 3 times. My DW attributes the second and third time to the still lingering effects of the first time.

One thing we missed from the Star is the bow deck n front of the wheelhouse. We're use to sitting out there after dinner, under the stars. No such deck on the Surf. Same for the stern deck and pool bar. Although it was there, it was much smaller and less condusive to just milling around and meeting people.

The staff/crew, however, was that same wonderful group of people we first met on the Star and later on the Song (may she rest in peace). In fact, three servers remembered us from previous cruises 6-8 years ago. Windstar (and HAL) always seem to get the best of the best and the proof is in their service and quality of food. And while we're on the subject of food: wonderful and plentiful, as always. [as a sidenote: if you are travelling in a larger group of 12, the captain doesn't use his table, so getting it every night is no problem... first-come basis]

Scuba was another story. The dive center operates independently of the excursion department and the quality of communications showed. Suggestion #1: sign-up for everything Sunday before sailing, even if you're on the waitlist. I was on a waitlist and got notified somebody had cancelled 5-minutes before the tender left, eventhough I was told I should have gotten a "letter" telling me. Suggestion #2: if your partner isn't diving with you, ask the dive people when you can be "reasonably" expected back. Our 4-1/2 to 5-hr Belize dive (calculated based upon the times provided) actally took 7-1/2 hours and there was nobody aboard that could give my DW that information. She sure could have used that information, and, upon my return I sure wished she had gotten it... let me tell you.

Although I looked, never could find SALEMNM or GONEDOWNLATELY.