Wind Surf

The 1989-built (as "Club Med 1") cruise ship Wind Surf is the last of the three Windstar sailing yachts, together with the fleetmates Wind Spirit and Wind Star. These cruise ships are 4-masted schooners, uniquely designed for tall sailing cruises.

History - construction and ownership

Windstar Cruises is a luxury brand operating a fleet of smaller-sized ships (mega-yachts) with capacity up to 310 passengers. The company call at 150 ports throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South Pacific, Asia, Europe. Currently, Windstar is a subsidiary of Xanterra Parks and Resorts (USA's largest national and state park concession management company).

The 310-passenger ship Wind Surf was built as "Club Med I" and served as a "motor sailing yacht" alternative for the French resort company. It is amazingly crafted with 2320 m2 (25000 ft2) of computer-controlled sails and a ballast-water stabilizing technology that keeps the vessel leveled during navigation.

When Windstar Cruises acquired the ship in 1998, its passenger capacity was reduced to 78 to make room for new onboard facilities, such as a large spa and an alternative dining venue. These additions are not available on the company's smaller ships Wind Star and Wind Spirit.

The following YouTube drone video shows the ship approaching Portrush Northern Ireland on June 26, 2017. Unfortunately, the sails are down.

Decks and Cabins

Wind Surf staterooms (171 total, in 7 grades) include 21x Suites and 150x Oceanview Deluxe cabins. All staterooms are with modern amenities including fully-stocked minibars, Wi-Fi Internet, smart HDTVs (infotainment system), spacious wardrobe (with electronic safe box), phone (direct dial), large bathroom (single-sink granite countertop vanity, WC-toilet, L'Occitane bath products, rain showerheads, luxury towels), premium bedding sets (top-quality pillows and linens), fresh fruits and flowers.

The boat has 6 decks, all of which are passenger-accessible and 4 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The speciality restaurant on Wind Surf was transformed into an elegant French Bistro. During the day, dress on board is casual. In the evenings, expect "country-club casual" attire, with men wearing collared shirts and women in pantsuits. There are no formal nights onboard Windstar Cruises ships. No tank tops or bathing suits are allowed at dinner.

Follows the complete list of Wind Surf restaurants and food bars.

• AmphorA Restaurant (ship’s dining room, open-seating; offers 5-course gourmet dinner menu which is changed daily; along with onboard-made bread, in all ports of call the executive chef goes to the local markets to shop for fresh ingredients)
• Candles Cafe & Veranda (a smaller “dining room” which offers buffet-style breakfast and lunch, as well as a la carte menu through the wait staff; its indoor area is called “Candles Cafe” and features floor-ceiling panoramic windows; the outdoor seating area is called “Veranda” - in the evenings, it transforms into “Candles Grill” al-fresco steakhouse).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

One would think that a "motor sailing yacht," full with 5 masts and 7 sails, and with a guest capacity of only 308, would be a small and comfortable little cruise vessel. But Windstar Cruises' Wind Surf cruise ship is surprisingly large, feeling much bigger inside than any passenger would expect. To make finding a way around simple, all entertainment and dining areas are on the top three decks.

Restaurants are located forward, indoor and outdoor bars are facing aft. The casino and main lounge are midship on the Main Deck – there is the famous Yacht Club, functioning as a coffee bar, library and Internet cafe. The Surf ship’s fitness centre is a deck higher. Most of the public areas feature expansive sea views, though the spa, which is an exception, is tucked away on Deck 2 aft.

Follows the complete list of Wind Surf lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• The Marina (retractable water sports platform for water skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling, kayaking; the ship provides a banana boat, waterski boat, sea kayaks, Sunfish sailboats, wakeboards, boards for windsurfing, paddleboards, scuba diving and snorkeling equipment, plus Zodiacs; the steel cage forms a swimming pool in the sea)
• Lounge (ship’s theatre/main show lounge for live evening entertainment); Library
• Stella Bistro; Compass Rose Bar; Terrace Bar; Nautilus Room
• Yacht Club Sandwich & Espresso Bar
• The Signature Shop/Boutique Shop (sells duty-free luxury fashion clothing and accessories)
• The Casino (with blackjack/roulette gambling tables, slot machines)
• WindSpa (operated by Steiner; has a treatment room, Sauna and Beauty Salon. “Spa Under the Stars” program offers spa treatments out on the deck)
• The Fitness Center (with free weights, exercycles and treadmills; offers complimentary exercise classes)
• Pool Area (with one swimming pool, two whirlpools, the sunbathing area served by the Pool Bar).

Itineraries

Wind Surf itinerary program is based on Caribbean cruises leaving roundtrip from Saint Maarten Island (Port Philipsburg) and also Mediterranean and Baltic Sea cruises, with Transatlantic repositioning crossings between Europe and the Caribbean Sea.

Wind Surf cruise ship was built with a modern design, but still features sails on masts that are handled via a sophisticated computer program. This is relatively bigger tall ship with 5 masts, while Wind Star and Wind Spirit have 4 masts each.

Wind Surf has a complicated history in and out of Windstar. The company had plans to order two sailing ships with two times bigger passenger capacity. However, Holland America Line (the previous owner of Windstar Cruises) cancelled these plans. The building project, supported by the French government, resulted in two new ships for the Club Med cruise line under the names Club Med I and Club Med II. In 1998, Windstar bought back Club Med 1, and renamed it to "Wind Surf".

The yacht's design is based on smaller 5,350-ton motor sailing yachts constructed by the French shipbuilding company "Societe Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre". Among those are the Windstar sail ships Wind Spirit and Wind Star and also Club Med 2.

In 2012, Windstar Cruises completed an extensive (18-month long) ship refurbishment project for renovations of company's all three sail yachts - Wind Surf, Wind Star and Wind Spirit. Works included overhauls of all passenger staterooms, dining venues, public spaces, as well as new sails.

In 2018, Windstar Cruises offered booking of a 51-day "Grand Mediterranean" back-to-back cruise (itinerary July 7 to August 27, 2019) from Lisbon to Barcelona. The itinerary combined 6 smaller itineraries (7- to 10-days each) and visited a total of 40 Mediterranean ports (in Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Malta, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, Monaco and France). The cruise was listed as one of the company's "Star Collectors Voyages" combining shorter itineraries. These deals are inclusive of complimentary laundry package (per stateroom) throughout the voyage.

Wind Surf drydock refurbishment 2019 review

During the ship's 20-day long drydock refurbishment (November 8-28) at Navantia Shipyard (Cadiz, Spain), the vessel's passenger capacity was increased from 310 to 342. The project also included suite modifications (decks 3 and 5) and redesigning the wellness complex (spa and gym).

On Deck 3, the 12x aft-facing suites were resized (halved) as on Club Med 1. All the 3x Bridge Deck suites were redesigned and fully renovated. The forward-starboard Bridge Suite was renamed "Officer's Suite". The WindSpa was moved from Deck 2 (aft) to Deck 5 (midship).