The sailing ship Wind Surf is the largest vessel in the Windstar fleet. Built as the Club Med I in 1990, she came to this company in 1998. Built in the same French yard as the original Windstar vessels, she boasts five masts compared to the Wind Star's and Wind Spirit's four. She measures 14,745 tons and takes up to 312 passengers. Sails are computer-operated and have a role that is more decorative than functional when compared to the Star Clipper's. However, Windstar's accommodations, food and service are of a higher standard, and command a higher price. The Wind Surf received a major refit in late 2006.
First known as Windstar Sail Cruises, the company got its start in the mid-1980s but the company did not fare well enough to continue at an independent entity. Holland America took over the firm between 1987 and 1988 and moved the company to HAL's Seattle headquarters in 1994 and renamed it Windstar Cruises. The company added the Wind Surf, the former Club Med I, in 1998. One of the three original ships, Wind Song, was lost by fire in Tahiti in 2003 and scuttled. In 2007, Windstar Cruises was sold to Ambassadors International, owners of Majestic America Line, also of Seattle.
The Wind Surf attracts passengers aged 40 and up who come for the casual, yet sophisticated, outdoor life aboard and ashore. Some, newcomers to cruising, would never consider a mainstream megaship. Most are Americans but some European and Australians find their way to the Wind Star ships. Gratuities are included in the prices.
The Wind Surf spends mid-April to mid-November in the Mediterranean on 7-day cruises, variously based in Lisbon, Barcelona, Nice, Monte Carlo, Rome, Dubrovnik and Venice and providing quite a range of ports, appealing especially to Wind Surf loyalists. Following the European season, the ship sails transatlantic to Barbados were she is based to make 7-day cruises on two distinctly different southern Caribbean itineraries until April, when she heads back to Europe. The Caribbean is more watersports- and beach-based, while the Mediterranean is culturally oriented to the destinations.
Public rooms include a reconfigured main lounge, bar and adjoining casino. The Yacht Club becomes a new social hub with comfy chairs, books, computers, Internet and expresso. Wireless connections are available throughout the ship. A fitness center, spa, two pools and sports platform are on hand for a wide variety of activities. When the weather cooperates, the main restaurant is used for dinner only, with open seating at a wide window of hours. Dress is always casual. Additionally there is a reserved-seat Degrees (formerly the Bistro) two decks above (no extra charge) that operates as a steakhouse four nights a week, and with French, Italian and Indonesian specilaities the other three. The indoor-outdoor Veranda is for buffet breakfast and lunch, and the Compass Rose for snacks. An outdoor grill serves omelets at breakfast and hamburgers and the like for lunch.
As with the smaller ships, cabins are roomy (188 sq ft), and those on Deck Three have been combined into 30 suites (376 sq ft) that have a separate living-dining area, bedroom and two baths. Cabin amenities are TVs (two in the suites), VCR and CD player (available from the library), stocked minibar and refrigerator (stocked upon boarding), a safe and plentiful storage space. Additional two suites on Bridge Deck measure 495 sq ft, and two more suites were added up here in late 2006. All baths, soft furnishings, mattresses and amenities have been renewed. Suites have loaner iPods with pre-selected music and docking stations.
In essence, the Wind Surf is simply a larger version of her siblings, with the addition of suite accommodations. Whatever Windstar ship is chosen, the casual lifestyle is most appealing. The choice is then the southern Caribbean or the Mediterranean. Lovers of sea go for the two-week transatlantic crossing with no ports to interrupt the rhythm of life aboard.
