The Wind Surf docked in Bridgetown, Barbados.This morning we woke to a beautiful Barbados sunrise. The stress from the previous day of travel had already started to slip away and we were anxious to head to the cruise terminal and board the Windstar Wind Surf at 1:00 p.m.
We walked the beach from our home base at the Coconut Court Beach Resort to the Hilton. The waves at the beach fronting the Hilton are definitely rougher than at CCBR, but there are a few break walls that help slow things down a bit. There is also a surf spot close to the Hilton.
Rough waves near the Hilton, Barbados.We did not walk in the opposite direction toward the Accra Beach Hotel, but we did see the entrance when we drove to our hotel last night.
After some beach time and a walk-round for snapping pictures, we checked out of Coconut Court and hopped in a cab bound for the Barbados cruise terminal. Since it’s Sunday, all of the shops (save one ceramic boutique) were closed. A Wind Surf crew person checked us in and took our luggage and we only had to wait about 15 minutes for a shuttle bus to transfer us to the ship. (It was close enough to walk but with all of the truck and bus traffic, Windstar required all passengers to transfer via shuttle.)This was our first trip aboard the Wind Surf and our first impression was, “Wow!” She really is a gorgeous ship — inside and out. We could’t wait to see the sails unfurl!
Check-in was a bit more comprehensive than on other ships we’ve sailed, but it still only took about 20 minutes from start to finish. Upon boarding the Wind Surf, we were ushered to The Lounge on the Main Deck and were handed a rum punch (thank you!). A tray of tea sandwiches was also available.
To check in, we visited three tables: At the first table, we surrendered our passports and showed our boarding passes and immigration cards. A crewman at the next table swiped our credit card and took our photos for security purposes. We then picked up our room keys at the final table and were escorted to our cabin on Deck One. We booked the first cabin on the hallway — all the way forward — near the elevator. We like this location since it’s easy to get to everything on the ship from here. The one downside is being able to clearly hear the ship’s horn (really only an issue in the evening when you're trying to sleep).
I was worried that the cabin — with just two small portholes — would seem cramped, but Windstar really put some thought into the layout of this room. It actually felt spacious due to the strategic use of mirrors and the dual portholes. (More on the cabin categories in my cruise review that I’ll post to LuxuryCruiseBible.com after returning from vacation.)The ports of call for this cruise include:
Bridgetown, Barbados
Basseterre, St. Kitts
Charlestown, Nevis
Marigot, St. Martin
Gustavia, St. Barthelemy
Basse Terre, Guadeloupe
Iles des Saintes, Guadeloupe
Pigeon Island, St. Lucia
Bridgetown, Barbados
Since our luggage was in our room when we arrived, we went ahead and unpacked and freshened up before heading up to the Compass Rose to enjoy a glass of wine and afternoon tea.Later that evening, we dined at Degrees. You do need to make reservations for this open-seating dining room, but there is no additional surcharge and the food is excellent! I enjoyed a grilled shrimp cocktail, delicious olive foccacia (all of the bread baked on the Wind Surf is excellent), a champagne sorbet palate cleanser, and bacon-wrapped filet mignon with creamed spinach and shoestring French fries. I topped it off with a piece of flourless chocolate cake, accented with pistachio brittle (luscious!).
Our night out at Degrees was fantastic and set our expectations for the rest of the cruise. We can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow! The Wind Surf sails for St. Kitts this evening around midnight. We'll have a full sea day tomorrow. Stay tuned for more information about our Caribbean escape with Windstar.
Photos © Leonard Hospidor. Please do not use without permission.
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