Windstar Cancellations as of 2/24/2021

[minidonuts85]

:(

 

Here is the link to the updated notice

https://www.windstarcruises.com/travel-health-advisory/

 

Summary

New timeline for resumption of operations:

Wind Spirit – June 10, 2021 – Tahiti
Star Breeze – June 19, 2021 – Caribbean
Wind Star – June 19, 2021 – Mediterranean
Wind Surf – June 29, 2021 – Mediterranean
Star Legend – July 4, 2021 – Mediterranean
Star Pride – July 14, 2021 – Northern Europe/Iceland

[Petoonya]

So sorry for Zukini😧and everyone else affected by this. Hope that you decide to pick up the pieces and rebook the next best thing.

 

Deb- you going?

[minidonuts85]

@Petoonya i would say unlikely at this point. FP is in April sometime and I might see if I can get the payment date pushed out to see how things are going for the fall. 

[baloothecat]

So disappointed our  May31st Tahiti&Tuamotos cruise was cancelled. Sent  our agent an  email to see if he can rebook us in the fall or 2022. I  then immediately booked us for a week in Napili, Maui in April. It’s not  the same but it made me feel better.

keeping our air to Tahiti booked and our hotels  in Tahaa and Bora Bora we were visiting precruise. If French Polynesia open up, we may just add on nights in Moorea to the other two islands and do a land only. 

[Petoonya]

@baloothecat

If you can bear waiting that long a few of us have already booked the 18 day or parts thereof for Aug 4 2022. The 11 day Tuamotu piece is 8/11/22. The beauty of it that is if independent excursions are allowed by then we'll have our tour numbers rounded out if you're interested in any of them.

 

Our cancelled cruise was 4/29/21. It sure did seem a year ago that COVID would be waning and the cruise would be a go. Fruitless to count on anything at this point I guess.

[baloothecat]

@Petoonya

The problem is the rates are now much higher than when we booked a year ago. Were you guys able to get WS to honor your cancelled booking to 2022?  Any tips? I know others on here have done so for 2021.  That would be awesome to already have  the numbers for  tours etc ! I already have so many of your posts bookmarked  for recommendations and I even booked our hotel stay  at Le Tahaa based on your review of the coral gardens there.    I’m going to email my agent right now  to let him know my preferred date to  change is 8/11/,22 and we will see what happens! Fingers crossed 🤞 Stephanie

[Zukini]

4 hours ago, Petoonya said:

So sorry for Zukini😧and everyone else affected by this. Hope that you decide to pick up the pieces and rebook the next best thing.

 

Yep, only surprised it took this long.  It's actually a bit of a relief, the hemming and hawing was starting to take its toll. We're working with our travel agent to try to get rebooked for next year...I think we're going to cancel the September "backup" cruise, as it's just too short.

[Petoonya]

@baloothecat

Yes you should be able to transfer the super-duper price we got for 2021 to 2022. I did, but it was with the help of someone else here. I'll email you later this evening and give you some ideas. I'd love to see you on our August 2022 cruise. You too Zukini. Sorry to see you miss out this year but glad the stress of it all the arrangements is over for you.

[LTCOP]

We lost our June Athens-Rome cruise with these cancellations.  I knew it was likely to happen, but still always a bummer when it actually happens.  This is our 4th cruise cancelled.  Hopeful for 2022.  i so miss being on Windstar, on a ship, anywhere!

 

Pam

[Zukini]

Well, I believe I'm done with Windstar.  They refused to give price protection to move to 2022, which would have increased the price of our cruise by over $3000.  They were completely inflexible, so I've also cancelled the back-up booking we had made for September of 2021. We do not need to visit French Polynesia so badly that we are willing to be price-gouged to do it.

 

I'm very sad and frustrated that they would not make things right.

[Petoonya]

7 hours ago, Zukini said:

Well, I believe I'm done with Windstar.  They refused to give price protection to move to 2022, which would have increased the price of our cruise by over $3000.  They were completely inflexible, so I've also cancelled the back-up booking we had made for September of 2021. We do not need to visit French Polynesia so badly that we are willing to be price-gouged to do it.

 

I'm very sad and frustrated that they would not make things right.

Awwww. I am so sorry. You and I got such a great deal and it's unfortunate that they would not price protect. Did you push back hard and speak with a supervisor? I hate to be a Karen but at times I will if I'm treated unfairly. We go way back in our efforts to cruise together and I'd loved it if you got to experience this. Hard to let go after so long anticipating.

 

You too @LTCOP

Four cruises is an awful lot. I hope that you are able to rebook. Maybe try 2022?

Edited March 3, 2021 by Petoonya

[Zukini]

1 hour ago, Petoonya said:

Awwww. I am so sorry. You and I got such a great deal and it's unfortunate that they would not price protect. Did you push back hard and speak with a supervisor? I hate to be a Karen but at times I will if I'm treated unfairly. We go way back in our efforts to cruise together and I'd loved it if you got to experience this. Hard to let go after so long anticipating.

I was working through a travel agent, but we pushed back hard. They ultimately allowed a $500pp credit, but that was it.  Figuring in the credit and the 125% FCC for funds already paid, it still would have cost us in excess of $3000 over what we have already paid. It shouldn't be necessary to have to fight tooth and nail to get them to do what's right, but I guess they foresee enough pent-up demand that they can charge what they want and someone will pay it.

 

The idea of sailing French Polynesia on Wind Spirit was a nice dream while it lasted. We undoubtedly would never have considered a trip to FP otherwise. This has left a very bitter taste in my mouth, and I'm unspeakably angry at the way Windstar has treated us (and presumably anyone else in this last round of cancellations).

 

[Zukini]

I'm happy to say that Windstar (with a LOT of persistence from my travel agent) has finally made things right. While I'm not at liberty to discuss the details, we are now booked for May 2022 in Tahiti! 

[baloothecat]

@Zukini

Yay So happy for you! We ended up switching to the Breeze Oct.6th sailing. While it wasn’t the Aug22  sailing with Petoonya that we were trying for , whale season was a big draw for us. We are optimistically hopeful for border reopening and restart of cruising in French Polynesia ⚓️