Passenger to the bridge
Windstar Cruises now offers an exclusive suite among the ship’s officers’ quarters
One of my favourite places to be on any cruise ship is the one place that’s typically off-limits on most cruises — the navigation bridge. It is from this command centre that the captain and his or her officers oversee the safe navigation and manoeuvring of the vessel.
While most lines limit passenger access to this sensitive area for obvious reasons, some smaller cruise lines do allow passengers to visit the bridge — and one cruise line will now even let you book a room in this fantastic hub of activity.
Windstar Cruises (cruise. center/windstar) has added an amazing new suite to its gorgeous 342-passenger hybrid schooner-cruise-ship Wind Surf. And while the entire line’s fleet of six allows for access to the bridge during the daytime hours, only Wind Surf will actually offer the ability to stay right next to the ship’s officers.
The brand-new officer’s suite aboard Wind Surf is located directly behind the bridge, in an area labelled “Crew Only.”
The only public accommodation nestled within the ship’s officer’s quarters, this 242-square foot room had me salivating when I first heard about it. Seriously — I think it’s tremendously exciting.
If you’re like me and find the technical ins and outs of navigation interesting, you probably will be fascinated by this oneof-a-kind accommodation type. I don’t know of any other ship afloat that offers anything even remotely similar.
In the officer’s suite, guests will find nautical decor to complement the bedroom and separate living room. There is also a full bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub, and nautical memorabilia like a sextant, binoculars, a ship model and a print of the Wind Surf herself.
Windstar calls it “the ultimate true cruise enthusiast’s accommodation,” and I’d have to agree.
“We renovated this very unique suite with more of a nautical theme to reflect its exclusive location tucked away just behind the bridge,” said Windstar President John Delaney. “Guests in this suite share exclusive company with the captain, chief officer, hotel manager and chief engineer. It’s absolutely 180 degrees from ordinary with nothing else like it in the industry.”
The new room is now available to book aboard Wind Surf ’s entire 2020 catalogue, but fair warning: expect this room to be super-popular with cruise geeks like yours truly. I promise not to take up residence there all year.
The officer’s suite comes as part of a major refit to Windstar’s largest sailing ship. Every public room aboard the ship was thoroughly renovated and 16 brandnew guest rooms were added, bringing the on-board capacity to 342 from 310. Good news though: Windstar also added more crew cabins to ensure its 1 to 1.5 staff-to-guest-ratio went unchanged.
Also added to the ship were a new state-of-the-art spa and wellness centre run by One Spa World and reconfigured public rooms including an expanded lounge and bar.
Windstar’s greatest strength is its conviviality. No matter whether I’ve cruised aboard its three sailing ships (Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Surf ) or its “power yachts,” the former Seabourn triplets Star Pride,
Star Legend and Star Breeze, I’ve been impressed at how friendly, welcoming and downright charming the Windstar experience is.
The other thing that’s great about Windstar is that it truly bridges the gap between a mainstream product and a luxury product. There are some downright affordable sailings on the line (check out its transatlantic crossings for some of the best deals on the sea), and voyages that traverse nearly every corner of the globe in affordable luxury.
Now that they have an officer’s suite aboard Wind Surf, it’s definitely time for me to plan a return visit.
Happy cruising.
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