WINDSTAR’S WIND SURF –
CRUISE OFF THE BEATEN PATH

We were in St. George’s, Grenada, having just walked through the busy tunnel to get to the other side of the city’s hill, when we saw a blind man standing at the corner feeling around with his white cane, but helpless against the traffic hurtling by. Another islander walked up and offered his help, the two walking away with the rescuer’s arm around the blind man’s shoulders. That is the kind of simpatico and friendliness that we found in exploring islands of the southern Caribbean on Wind Surf.

The 312-passenger sailing ship was sailing out of Barbados on a seven-day cruise to mostly small islands and their friendly little towns and secluded bays not usually frequented by cruise ships. Our cruise was roundtrip from Barbados going to Bequia, Dominica, Pigeon Island off St Lucia, Mayreaux in the Grenadines, St George’s in Grenada, and Charlotteville in Tobago. Those who were lucky enough to take an extra week for the alternating route also went to St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Guadaloupe and Iles Des Saintes.

We flew to Barbados and to make sure that we did not miss the boat because of a delayed flight came in a day early. We stayed at the Savannah Hotel, a 98-room moderately-priced hotel midway between the airport and the pier with rooms opening onto a lovely waterfall and pool and just steps to the beach.

Coming in early gave us a chance for dinner that night at the beachside Lobster Alive with some of the biggest lobsters we have ever seen plus tastes of other island treats and a jazz trio. Next day we took a guided tour of the east side of the island, visited Orchid World, saw an original windmill-powered sugar mill still in operation, visited a church, looked at waves crashing onto beautiful rocky shores and had a Sunday buffet lunch of local dishes at the Naniki Restaurant hosted by Tom Hinds. The restaurant has a sweeping view of the countryside. Jazz buff, tropical flower grower, as well as restaurant owner affable host Hinds is about to open a wholistic medical retreat on the land that will include rainforest herbal remedies and other traditional and complementary treatments.

After lunch and more touring we boarded the ship and checked out our cabin -- much greater storage than most ships, enough indeed for months at sea.

The Wind Surf, the Wind Star and Wind Spirit, making up the Windstar Cruises fleet, have all been refurbished and remodeled recently. The upgraded cabins are light and airy. The library has been made into the Yacht Club, with leather chairs and sofas, beautiful wood conference tables with simple and elegant border-stitched leather straight chairs, as well as lounge chairs for putting your feet up to read. There are individual computer stations, a flat-screen TV showing island and ship videos, and DVDs to take to view in your cabin. If you brought you own wireless laptop you could use it in the Yacht Club or in your cabin.

All cabins are outside, some accommodate a third person. As part of the renovation, two new luxury suites were added on the bridge deck, each with a living and dining area, a separate bedroom and a whirlpool tub. Our cabin had two large portholes, twin beds (can be configured to queen), and a well-designed private bath.

We sailed at midnight with a stiff breeze, and by 9 the next morning were in port at the tiny island of Bequia, once an important whaling station, now a delightful out-of-the-way hideaway. The year’s biggest holiday was being celebrated with music, food, games, and crowds of people being happy. We walked the main waterfront path with its pastel-colored houses and restaurants, and had lunch of flying fish at the Salty Dog. Others took a taxi around the island, swam, snorkeled, or visited the turtle sanctuary.

This cruise of the Wind Surf was focused on sports so at nearly every port stop there were opportunities to hike, snorkel, swim, dive, and fish. Also guests could swim and snorkel or use the kayaks and windsurfers off the water sports platform at the stern of the ship.

Our next stop was at Dominica (pronounced Dom-i-nee-ka), filled with hills and mountains, winding roads, and lush fern-filled rainforests. We rode in a jitney-sized bus on a road that corkscrewed its way back and forth up a mountain with hairpin turns, frightening sheer drop-offs, and so narrow that cars had to creep by each other with mirrors folded out of the way and only inches to spare from car to car. Most of the curves had no barriers, or if there, they were only made of bamboo. The ride was breathtaking, both for the vista views and from the sheer fear.

Near the mountain top we went on an aerial tram, six to a car plus a naturalist, and slowly crossed through the treetop canopy and over a river gorge hundreds of feet below. Those who weren’t afraid to look down also walked over a 250 ft. long suspension bridge. Palms here grow 80-100 ft. tall, other trees even higher, foliage is lush and tropical. The rainforest, said our guide, was one giant pharmacy with many herbs; people here seldom go to a doctor, using the local rainforest herbs for both prevention and treatment.  She pointed out, for example, the use of the inner bark of the Richeria grandis tree (Bois Banda) as a tonic, another plant for high blood pressure and Phychotria urbaniana (Blue Wax) for cancer treatment.

Another group drove through the mountains and hiked to a waterfall, then visited the wellness village of Watten Waven for a soak in one of their hot mineral baths. Others swam in Titou Gorge to a cave and waterfall or took a rowboat ride up the Indian River to view wildlife.

Next day our shore time consisted of a walk around Pigeon Island at the northern point of St. Lucia, a national park that consists of a fort and walking paths. For those interested in more adventure there was scuba, deep sea fishing, a 4x4 ride through the jungle, a zip line adventure through the tree tops, or a catamaran trip along the coast to Soufriere and a visit to a volcano.  We passed the peaks at sunset as we sailed away. The spa had several specials for a Ladies’ Night so for many the relaxing day also included a relaxing evening.

The next day was an easy one also – kayaking or windsurfing, or swimming or lounging on the beach in a sheltered cove at the tiny (1.5 square miles) Mayreau in the Grenadines. Lunch was a big barbecue consumed at picnic tables nestled among sea grapes, frangipani and other trees.

Grenada was busier. You could go river tubing, take a tour around the island, view underwater life from a clear-bottom kayak, or go shopping for spices. Grenada is major producer of nutmeg, cloves, cocoa, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla. The main town of St. George’s sits on a hill so streets are steep, and there is a tunnel you can walk through to get to the other side. Much construction is underway as islanders repair recent hurricane damage. We took the little jitney busses to get around town for a dollar or two. Many guests went to Grand Etang National Park with its waterfalls, wild orchids, and lake set in the crater of an extinct volcano.

In the evening Captain Mark Boylin and Hotel Manager Geert De Meyer had a reception for repeat guests (about 40 percent of Windstar passengers are repeat passengers). One person has been on 90 cruises!

The important thing, said Boylin when we interviewed him, is the Windstar ethos. “We will always keep our casual elegance“, he said. “Our ethos is relaxed and friendly, our design to go to smaller less frequently visited ports”.  The company calls it “pampering without pretense”. There are no formal nights on Windstar ships, no costume parties, no requirements for suits and ties.

Boylin has been with the Wind Surf since 2000. He trained as a teen-ager on square-rigged sail training ships including the famous Lord Nelson and Golden Hind, knew since the age of 5, he said, that he wanted to go to sea.

Small Ship Cruises presented Boylin and De Meyer with a copy of Bird Songs from around the World (Chronicle Books) for the Wind Surf library.

Our last island visit was Tobago, a friendly West Indian island. Most guests explored the miles of deserted beaches or hiked in the virgin rainforest known for its waterfalls and tropical birds. Others explored the village along the oceanfront where we found dogs and chickens in the street, a rooster that thought he was a seagull, a beautiful beach you could walk to, and an internet service in a laundromat where you could inexpensively check your email while getting the wash done. Tobago is taking steps to attract more cruise ship traffic, expanding a dock in the capital city and planning for new facilities on the Northeast Coast. About 60 percent of the island is natural rainforest.

In addition to the Wind Surf seven-day sailings roundtrip from Barbados, Windstar Cruises also offers sailings from St. Thomas and from Costa Rica, and 14-day cruises that transit the Panama Canal with ports of call in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. In summer all three of the Windstar ships go to Europe with cruises in the Med, the Greek Isles, and Croatia. In between are 14-days of leisure on transatlantic voyages.

                                                              


YOUR DAYS IN BARBADOS

The cruiseline offers a morning tour of the island after the cruise, but you need to spend not hours, but several days before or after the cruise to appreciate the history and culture of this island. The island is clean, the people friendly, the shopping good, and the culture interesting. The island has taken care to preserve its history and architecture. Government offices are in well-preserved 17^th Century buildings, the Barbados National Museum is in a renovated old prison, and colorful frangipanis provide color everywhere among the old historic buildings.

Really good things to do:

The coastline. Take a drive around the coast.

Harrison’s Cave. Go through the beautiful underground caverns in an electric tram with a guide.

George Washington House. He slept here, for two months at age 19, the only place he ever visited outside the U.S. during his life. He came with his brother Lawrence who needed treatment for his tuberculosis.

Oistins. The principle fishing port, and the scene of weekend fish frys and steel bands.

Polo and cricket. Or choose golf, tennis, sailing, fishing, diving.

St. Lawrence Gap. Clubs and restaurants, quiet in the day, jumping all night.

Concorde Aviation Museum. The Concorde used to fly between London and Barbados, now is on exhibit. You can go aboard, see the cockpit, even try flying it in a simulator.

Shopping. Broad Street is the main shopping street in Bridgetown. Show your departing airline ticket for tax-free prices.

And take time to relax on a beach and watch the sunset with the waves washing in.

                                -- By Shirley Linde
                                    Most photos by Jeanne Croy

Search:: Books  Popular Music  Classical Music  Video	Enter keywords...