Seize Your Someday promotion

[Host Jazzbeau]

Planning to book a cruise for Jan. 2025 which falls under the "Seize Your Someday" promotion offering a choice of:  (1) free Easy Stay hotel night with breakfast and transfer to ship; or (2) $100 pp OBC

 

Anyone have experience with Windstar Easy Stay hotels?  We plan to fly in the day before embarkation but based on current airline timetables we would arrive BGI around 10 pm, so would go straight to hotel and want late checkout.  Still, it's hard to find a decent hotel in Bridgetown Barbados for less than $200.

[Strenz]

The WS hotels are  nice. We are staying in the Borg in Reykjavik with the "pick your perk " for the 3 rd night, we are going in 3 days early. We choose the Borg then found out it is a WS hotel so we took our perk. The Borg for us is about $300 no breakfast, the $ 200 for the perk is a good value with breakfast and bus to port. We love the Savoy in Rome it is one of 2 hotels in Rome with a roof top bar, porch, the sunsets over the St. Peter's dome, gorgeous, people are lovely, great location, that is a WS hotel. Of course what you pay WS is a lot more than going on your own which we do. Frankly we would not stay in any other hotel in Rome. In Barbados their hotel was, think it still is, Accra Beach Hotel ( spelling might be off ) nice hotel, great pool. beach walk to lovely restaurants. Always cheaper to reserve on your own but the perk makes for a great value. Is your 2025 a typo or are the schedules out? Happy Sailing

[6986]

We’ve stayed at the Courtyard Marriott a few times pre cruise. It’s across the street from the beach but they don’t have any facilities there. If I remember there was a nice concrete path along the beach to walk along toward town. There are some restaurants and a little plaza with a small grocery and wine store walking distance. That Marriott has a small pool and they have a walk up counter to order food which was pretty good. I don’t remember the cost for a taxi to the ship being that bad. This was all pre pandemic. There is a hotel called Coconut Court on the beach by the Marriott that we were going to try this year pre-cruise but we had to cancel our trip unfortunately. 

[Snow cat]

With respect to your question about Windstar hotels in Barbados, this year it was Accra. We did not stay there, but definitely heard a lot about it from those who did. The reports were all consistent.  As we didn't stay there I am hesitant to be specific.  I have no doubt you will check recent reviews.😑

[6rugrats]

41 minutes ago, Snow cat said:

With respect to your question about Windstar hotels in Barbados, this year it was Accra. We did not stay there, but definitely heard a lot about it from those who did. The reports were all consistent.  As we didn't stay there I am hesitant to be specific.  I have no doubt you will check recent reviews.😑

Yes, some pretty scathing reviews lately!

[mariners]

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.  

[Lvwindstar007]

Don't know if Windstar uses the Savannah Hotel close to the port area but it was nice and quite a few of us on a Regent cruise to the Amazon back in 2018 used it prior to boarding.   We also liked the Hilton Barbados on the west side beach.  Very nice

[Host Jazzbeau]

I was going to use the Hilton Barbados, on points, so I took the OBC option – but the current Thankful for Travel promotion allowed me to add the pre-hotel night without giving up the OBC [I don't know how – my TA did this for me:  another reason to use a good TA!].  So we're now listed as staying at the dreaded Accra.  We will plan to have as late a breakfast as they allow and then head to the ship for boarding at 1pm.  How bad can it be?

 

Today's question is:  do Windstar promotional pre-night stays include transfer to the ship?  [It was specifically listed in the earlier Seize Your Someday promotion, but isn't mentioned in this Thankful for Travel offer.]

[r&rd]

Yes, pre cruise packages include porterage, breakfast and transfers to the ship

[Host Jazzbeau]

15 minutes ago, r&rd said:

Yes, pre cruise packages include porterage, breakfast and transfers to the ship

Thanks.  What is 'porterage'?  [I saw this term on the Windstar website, but am not sure what it applies to.]

[oakridger]

[Host Jazzbeau]

OK, let me be clear:  I know what the word means.  I want to know what it means in terms of a service that Windstar is including in my pre-cruise hotel.  [Tips to the bellman at the hotel?  Transporting my luggage from the hotel to the ship?]  I was pretty sure it didn't include the hotel cocktail pianist playing 'Night and Day'!