More Scuba Options in the Caribbean from Windstar

If you love scuba diving, you'll be happy to hear that Windstar's Wind Surf has expanded its diving options in the Caribbean with double-tank dive sites in Dominica, Grenada and St. Martin.

Many cruisers have long thought that the Wind Surf, Windstar's 312-guest motor sailing yacht, offers some of the best diving adventures in the Caribbean.

According to Diane Moore, Windstar's vice president of marketing and sales, "Sailing on the Wind Surf is an ideal opportunity to combine the adventure of diving with relaxation on a luxury ship. If one-half of a couple isn't interested in diving, there is plenty to entertain them while their partner enjoys the diving excursions."

The shores of Dominica are well-known for excellent diving and the ship's stop in Roseau allows for two dives in the Scottshead Marine Reserve. The first dive at L'Abym takes divers to a vertical wall dropping to more than 800-feet in some places and teems with schooling reef fish. The second dive site, called Champagne, is located in a freshwater hot spring offering a unique experience diving with geo-thermal vents pumping up air bubbles and hot water.

In Grenada, two dives in Flamingo Bay center around impressive rocks covered in rock fans, gorgonian bushes, barrel sponges, and coral fingers ending in a sandy white bottom. Divers may see a great variety of marine life here including sergeant majors, yellow stripe grunts, goatfish, lobster, eels and small octopus.

At the Wind Surf's stop in St. Martin, divers will transfer over to the Dutch side of the island where a local dive operator will choose two dive sites. Divers will descend down a mooring line onto the top of the reef. Diving in this area is known for close encounters with reef sharks, nurse sharks, hawksbill turtles, stingrays and possibly dolphins.

Scuba diving enthusiasts can take advantage of Windstar's "Dive the Five" package offered at $350 for five one-tank dives. A Discover Scuba Diving program, as well as a PADI Advanced Open Water Course and Adventures in Diving program are also offered.

The Wind Surf's southbound itinerary roundtrip from Bridgetown, Barbados visits Bequia, Grenadines; Roseau, Dominica; Pigeon Island, St. Lucia; Mayreau, Grenadines; St. Georges, Grenada; and Tobago. The northbound itinerary roundtrip from Barbados visits Charlestown, Nevis; St. Martin; St. Barthelemy; Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe; Iles des Saintes; and Pigeon Island, St. Lucia. The two itineraries are ideal for combining into a two-week cruising vacation.

Windstar's scuba diving program is also offered on the msy Wind Star in Costa Rica and the msy Wind Spirit sailing out of St. Thomas in the Caribbean.

As part of the line's Degrees of Difference initiative, another multi-million dollar investment will be made in all three ships from 2006 and 2007. For the Caribbean season, the Wind Surf will be fresh from a five-week work period in the fall with remodeled bathrooms in all staterooms, two new deluxe suites and the Yacht Club, the new hub of the ship with computers, Internet, espresso bar, books and movies, flatscreen TV and comfortable seating.

Photos courtesy of Windstar Cruises

Pamela Conover Takes Helm of Seabourn

After the sad and untimely death of Seabourn Cruise Line's past president Deborah L. Natansohn (who suffered a fatal heart attack on October 22), the line knew it needed to find an extraordinary replacement. Natansohn had a long-term vision for Seabourn and aggressive plans, including the addition of two new ships.

Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation selected cruise industry veteran Pamela C. Conover to fill Natansohn's shoes as president and CEO of Seabourn. Conover has a history with the brand and was promoted from her post as vice president of shared services at Carnival. She has served as president for three cruise lines: Orient Line, Cunard and Seabourn (from 2001-2004).

A sketch of the newly commissioned Seabourn yachts.

Conover is looking forward to this new challenge. "I am extremely gratified to be offered the helm at Seabourn at this exciting juncture," Conover noted. "Seabourn's two new, state-of-the-art ships will represent the next evolution of the ultra luxury segment, and except for the tragic circumstances I couldn't be happier about returning."

Photos courtesy of Seabourn Cruise Line

Windstar Changes Its Tipping Policy

Windstar fans who've booked a cruise for this winter/spring have been receiving word from the cruise line regarding a change to their tipping policy. Here is an e-mail that Windstar has been circulating:

"We are changing our policy. Our crew works very hard to make sure that every aspect of your cruise meets the highest standards. This includes those crewmembers who serve you directly, such as wait staff, beverage servers and the stewards who service your stateroom each day. There are also many others who support their efforts whom you may never meet, such as galley and laundry staff. To ensure that the efforts of all of our crewmembers are recognized and rewarded, a Hotel Service Charge of $11 per passenger is automatically added to each guest’s shipboard account on a daily basis. If our service exceeds or fails to meet your expectations, you are free to adjust this amount at the end of the cruise. In addition, a 15% Beverage Service Charge is automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine purchases. These charges are paid entirely to Windstar crewmembers, and represent an important part of their compensation.

In terminals, airports, ports of call and on shore excursions, we suggest that you extend gratuities consistent with customary local practices.

Implementation of this policy takes place on the Wind Spirit and Wind Star December 9, 2006 and the Wind Surf December 16, 2006."

Crystal Syphony's $23 Million Dry Dock Refurb

Ah, to be a fly on the wall aboard Crystal Cruises Symphony during her nine-day, $23 million dry dock refurbishment at BAE Systems Norfolk Shop Repair on the Elizabeth River in Virginia!

In less than two weeks, a team of 1,295 people (750 contractors and 545 Crystal crew from 40 different countries) will renovate 411 staterooms, create an entirely new nightclub and casino, redesign the shopping boutiques, update the Bistro Cafe, and install new computers and wireless Internet access in the ship's Computer University@Sea. It's a whopper of a job, and that's not even taking into account all of the technical tweaks being made to the ship's hull, rudders and propellers.

These upgrades are part of Crystal's long-term plan to keep the Symphony an exciting and relevant option for cruisers. Remember, the line spent nearly $35 million refurbishing the Symphony over the past few years. Now add another $23 million and you've got one stunning ship!

The last round of upgrades two years ago included the creation of a Feng Shui-styled spa, the Vintage Room, an expansion of the ship's Computer University@Sea, redesign of the specialty restaurants and a complete refurbishment of all penthouse staterooms and suites.

Symphony's November 2006 dry dock tackles the following improvements:

• Refurbishment of 411 staterooms with new Murano glass bedside lamps, Rubelli fabrics, leather headboards, LED reading lights, new 20-inch flat-screen TVs, and newly designed bathrooms with contemporary oval glass sinks and granite countertops. It takes workers about two days to reinvigorate each stateroom and every day the crew should complete about 40 cabins.

• Complete overhaul and redesign of the Tiffany Deck (deck 6), the main entertainment area on the Symphony. You'll find new color schemes and lighting that will help guests shift moods as the day moves to night.

The Tiffany Deck includes...

• the new Starlite Club with an open environment, Swarovski crystal-studded walls and panoramic sea views.

• the new black and silver motif Crystal Casino with black jack, roulette, baccarat, Texas Hold-em and slots.

• Luxe, a sophisticated nightclub with polished aluminum Phillipe Stark bar stools and glass Bizzaza mosaics.

• new boutiques and shops.

• the recreated Bistro Cafe with new decorative tiles, wall finishings and upholstery in warm earth tones.

• new computers and wireless Internet service in Symphony's Computer University@Sea.


Crystal Cruises vice president of marine operations, Knut Aune, oversaw the complex dry dock operations. "The whole thing here is planning, planning, planning," Aune told The Virginian-Pilot. "To prepare for this has been months." And, indeed, Crystal Cruises jump-started the Symphony's makeover on October 20 when contracted workers boarded the ship in New York to begin work on stateroom upgrades on Deck 7. The Symphony's New England cruise for that week was purposely undersold so work could begin without impacting guests in a negative way.

Waiting in Virginia were 140 shipping containers packed with the materials for the changeover, including lamps and mirrors, carpet, and more.

It's truly amazing what will be accomplished aboard the Symphony in a mere nine days! I look forward to sailing her soon to see the improvements in person!

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises