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EnCompass®
The AAA Companion |
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September | October 2004
Volume 78 Issue 5
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Feature Article
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| Kip and Charlotte, two Wind Spirit passengers, do what comes naturally aboard the small ship. |
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By Jeff Miller
A warm Caribbean breeze wafted through my wife's blond hair and flickered the candle at our table. The grilled snapper was done to perfection, the wine was cool and crisp, and only a few steps away the people-watching was world-class.
Later, we strolled hand-in-hand through narrow streets until we found ourselves back at the little harbor, where strings of festive colored lights outlined the French Caribbean village and its sidewalk cafes. After taking one last look to stamp the evening in our memories, we turned and boarded our launch and headed out to the Wind Spirit.
After taking a handful of large ship cruises (1,500 passengers or more), my wife and I wanted to see what a small, luxury cruise was like. Would a ship of 148 passengers have enough amenities/activities? Would it provide us with a vacation experience different from those on large cruise ships? Would the ride be rougher than on large ships?
We chose the well-established Windstar Cruises primarily because of the sleek, majestic look of its four-masted motorized sailing ships. They radiated luxury and seemed to beckon us to walk those decks and lean on those teakwood rails as canvas sails billowed above. We chose the Wind Spirit because its Caribbean itinerary (St. Thomas, St. John, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke) included ports we had not seen.
The difference between small and large ships was evident the moment we walked up the gangway on St. Thomas. There to greet us was Captain Andrew Walsh, and Hotel Manager Herman Souffree. By the end of the day, they had personally greeted every passenger. The captain was an affable Englishman more comfortable with private conversations than public speaking, but was very accessible, especially with Wind Spirit's open bridge policy. We continually saw him throughout the cruise and he always seemed ready to chat.
Unfortunately, such personal contact did not extend to our room steward. It became our private joke that we only saw him accidentally, usually as he was entering someone else's cabin. There was none of the personalized service — including afternoon treats and fresh ice — we had come to appreciate on larger ships.
Admittedly, it could have been our steward, but the lack of attention might also be due to Windstar's "tipping not required" policy, which is contrary to most other cruise ships. While that's a nice touch we appreciated, it might also take away some motivation for providing exceptional service.
Regardless of the steward, we quickly came to love our room. It was well designed (especially the bathroom), had a queen bed, and felt spacious. We were fascinated to find that all the rooms were the same size and shape and none had balconies — something we greatly enjoyed on large cruise ships.
Additionally, we had never had a room where the water line was only a few feet below the portholes. Initially, it was a little disconcerting, especially when the ship was moving and water washed over the portholes — we felt like submariners ready to dive! dive! dive! But we quickly came to enjoy the unique perspective, especially when anchored — the blue of the water and green of tropical isles filled our room with color.
We found the overall ship to be designed as well as the cabins, with everything proportionately similar to larger ships — a stern pool/bar area, a nice bow deck, indoor lounge, casino, fitness room, library (with complimentary CDs and videos), informal cafe and well — appointed restaurant.
Dining every evening was different than on large cruise ships. A "smart casual" dress code means tuxes, ties and evening gowns are left at home. Meals were definitely cuisine, not food, and some of the best we've ever had.
As far as activities were concerned, everything was low key. At certain ports the ship's stern (rear) water-line platform was lowered and passengers could do water sports like snorkeling, wind surfing and swimming.
Guided shore excursions were few and routine. The ship's hotel manager explained: "We purposely kept organized activities to a minimum — we want people to set their own pace, determine their own schedule."
For us, this meant true relaxation — on large cruise ships we were in constant fear of missing something from the always — filled daily program. On the Wind Spirit, many passengers went their own way at each port, opting for self-drive exploration, or simply taking a cab to a resort and renting an umbrella for a day of beach relaxation.
The differences between large ships and small ships were also evident at St. Martin. Famous for its split personality — one side Dutch, the other French — it's a favorite of most cruise ships. All the large ships, however, stop at the deep-water port of Philipsburg, filling the Dutch capital with wave after wave of passengers. Understandably, because the town has grown to serve the crowds, it has a noisy, hurried, wall-to-wall people atmosphere.
Happily, the Wind Spirit can anchor in the shallow-water harbor of Marigot on the French side. The charming town, with its French architecture and Parisian-looking sidewalk cafes, is often times blissfully empty of tourist groups. Marigot is also where my wife and I spent the enchanting evening mentioned earlier. That meal was only possible because the ship didn't depart Marigot until after midnight — large ships usually depart ports in the late afternoon.
Another special island the Wind Spirit stopped at was tiny Jost Van Dyke. One of the 50 islands that make up the British Virgin Islands, it's a green dollop dropped in an azure sea. Its claim to fame is that a Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition was shot there, specifically around the open air bar called Foxy's. On the morning the Wind Spirit anchored offshore, we were shopping in the bar's gift shop when a man dressed in only a t-shirt and shorts began playing guitar. In short order a group of us were thoroughly entertained by the witty, knowledgeable musician who sang little ditties of political satire or made up songs about where we were from. As we said goodbye, we learned he was the owner — Foxy Callwood.
Altogether, my wife and I found the luxury small-ship experience definitely worth it — in the casual, open seating dining, in the ports not available to large ships, and in the general ambiance of relaxation.
For some, the biggest downside to the experience would be how the motion of the ocean is much more pronounced on a small ship. Windstar ships have a water ballast system and stabilizers which reportedly limit listing (the slant of the ship) to 2-3 degrees on average. Nevertheless, we still felt the sway of the ocean much more than on a large ship. In addition, the four-story Wind Spirit has no elevators, which means the ship could be difficult for seniors with mobility problems.
On our cruise we were surprised at the age range. Only about 10% were 65 and above, while the majority of the passengers were 35 to 55. Most of them felt the same way we did — that the positives of the cruise easily outweighed any negatives.
In fact, Marnie, a Connecticut woman in her late 40s, summed up the feeling many had: "This is what people expect cruising to be like before they cruise. Then they get on the big ships and find out that's not the way it usually is. They have to come aboard a ship like this to find the real pleasures of cruising."
Jeff Miller is editor of EnCompass.
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Planning Your Trip
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Wind Spirit and her sister, Wind Surf, have eight Caribbean departures through the end of 2004. For more information about the company, the ships and the itineraries (for 2004 and 2005), visit your AAA Travel professional, click on www.aaa.com or visit www.windstarcruises.com.
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