• WINDSTAR CRUISES •

A Concept is Born: Cruising the Windstar Way
On a crisp November morning in 1986, the first commercial sailing vessel built in 60 years slipped effortlessly out of a French dry-dock in Le Havre. Although the sails seemed a throwback to past sailing vessels and explorers of yesteryear, the Wind Star, with its fully computerized controls, was revolutionary in design.

Recently, a new, refreshing concept in luxury cruising was born, with the addition of two sister ships, the Wind Spirit and the Wind Song. Sailing under the banner of its appropriate "catch phrase" 180 degrees from ordinary, Windstar was created with the vision to offer an alternative to the typical cruise or resort vacation experience on a luxurious sailing ship with unique, romantic cruises, unusual itineraries, deluxe accommodations, and five star service.

Windstar's ships are officially masted schooners, but the designation belies the crafts unique rigging. Everything is operated by a few microchips. Unfurling in two minutes at the push of a button, billowing white sails -- some 21,000-plus square feet of Dacron -- reach into the skies.

There are no sheets or rigging on deck. The huge booms are motor-controlled with high-tech sensor input to trim the angle of the sail. Angle of heel is kept at a maximum of six degrees by a computer-controlled hydraulic stabilizing system in the engine room, pumping thousands of gallons of water from side to side with changes in the wind. Over the years, Windstar has been one of the most decorated cruise lines. For an unprecedented fifth year in a row, Windstar was voted the top cruise line for destinations offered by the Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Survey. The line also received a 1996 Best Cruise Value award from the Ocean and Cruise Society and was heralded as having the most romantic ships afloat by Porthole Magazine.

Today, the sailing ships of Windstar Cruises have called at more than 150 ports worldwide and welcomed more than 170,000 passengers. Perhaps, given the option at the time, Columbus would have preferred a Windstar sail cruise, too.

With cruise itineraries and land packages available by the boatloads, it's hard to find the truly unique and special in the Caribbean these days. Enter Windstar Cruises, which offers Caribbean cruises with refreshing small-ship ports of call, motorized sailing ships, and a laid-back ambiance that makes it seem like you're on your own sailing yacht exploring the Caribbean isles. Plus, Windstar introduced its newest ship -- the five-masted Wind Surf -- on its traditional Barbados-based itineraries.

The five-masted Wind Surf (formerly Club Med I) will embark on inaugural French & Italian Rivieras cruises. Accommodating 312 guests, the Wind Surf adds two major features to the Windstar experience. The ship will carry 31 deluxe suites with convertible twin/king bed, separate living area, and his and her bathrooms. Windstar will debut a comprehensive spa program at sea -- The WindSpa -- which will offer a full array of spa treatments and consultative programs.

Windstar offers three week-long Caribbean cruise itineraries and a special Panama Canal crossing resulting with a total of 39 departure dates aboard the 148-passenger Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Song and the 312-passenger Wind Surf.

Destinations

Canal Crossing by Sail
Two Panama Canal/Caribbean itineraries aboard the Wind Song. Sailing from Puerto Caldera, the Wind Song will cross the Panama Canal en route to Aruba with stops at Contadora Island, San Blas Islands, and Cartagena. The ship continues from Aruba to Barbados on a seven-day segment with port calls in Curacao, Bonaire, Los Roques, Grenada, and Bequia. Both itineraries can be combined into a 15-day Puerto Caldera to Barbados adventure. The Wind Song then sails in reverse from Barbados to Puerto Caldera through the Panama Canal.

Wind Surf Introduced on Barbados Sailing
Sailing on alternating Northbound and Southbound itineraries, the Wind Star will base out of Barbados from January through March to offer weekly Sunday sailing through the islands of the Lesser Antilles. The Northbound itinerary includes Barbados, Nevis, St. Martin, St. Barthélemy, Isles des Saintes and Bequia. The Southbound itinerary stops at Barbados, Tobago Cays, Tobago, Grenada, Martinique, and St. Lucia.

A top highlight is an optional sailing regatta aboard the actual U.S. Stars and Stripes or Canadian True North America's Cup yacht racers in St. Martin Windstar's most popular Caribbean shore excursion. Other optional activities include bird watching in a Tobagon rain forest, snorkeling colorful reefs from a catamaran in St. Lucia, and visiting the homes of St. Martin's patron French artists.

Windstar Virgin Islands
Sailing the northeastern Caribbean between November and April, the Wind Spirit mixes the turquoise seas and splendor of the Virgin Islands with nearby St. Martin and St. Barts. Departing Sundays, the ship will sail out of St. Thomas to St. John, St. Martin, St. Barthélemy, Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Jost van Dyke.

Shore activities include a tour to Virgin Gorda's spectacular Baths for swimming and exploration among the granite boulders, sea caverns and tunnels, a snorkeling adventure on St. John, and a horseback foray on St. Barthélemy. Windstar Cruises announced that it would position its ship the Wind Star from the Mediterranean to Costa Rica and the Caribbean instead of Southeast Asia.

Windstar attributes the change to unforeseen political unrest and economic instability. The Wind Star will position from the Mediterranean in November to Barbados and then through the Panama Canal en route to Costa Rica. There she will join the Wind Song offering weeklong itineraries with Sunday instead of Saturday departures. The cruise will include stops at Coiba Island, Panama, Drake Bay, Playa Flamingo, Tortuga Island/Curu Nature Reserve and Quepos, Costa Rica.

In April, the Wind Star will transit the Panama Canal east to Barbados to offer 7-day Caribbean itineraries throughout the summer and early fall. The ship will offer alternating North and Southbound Caribbean itineraries including among others the islands of Nevis, St. Martin, St. Barts, Tobago, Grenada, Isles des Saintes and Martinique.

Known for it upscale yet relaxed on-board atmosphere, Windstar operates three 148-passenger sail cruise ships and one 312-passenger sail cruiser, the Wind Surf.

Windstar Sails Armada into the Mediterranean for Summer
If you're wondering whether cruise lines think the Mediterranean is going to be popular next year, you might want to ask Windstar Cruises. Windstar will position its entire fleet across the Mediterranean for the summer with 107 departures that include the introduction of a new ship, the Wind Surf, and a new itinerary in the Italian Amalfi coast. "We've had strong demand for our Mediterranean cruises from retail passengers as well as our corporate-incentive market," said Richard Meadows, vice president of marketing and sales for Windstar Cruises. "So, we've made some strategic moves to capitalize on that demand yet offer distinctive itinerary options from both the western and eastern Mediterranean."

Amalfi, Italy, Among Most Beautiful Regions
Topping its array of Mediterranean offerings is Windstar's new Italian Amalfi coast itinerary aboard the Wind Song. Considered among the most beautiful regions in the Mediterranean, the Amalfi Coast boasts a dramatic landscape of cliffs and green forests dotted with small Italian-flavored towns that seem to cling to the rocks. Even as recent as 20 years ago, some villages were only accessible by boat.

Departing Sunday from Civitavecchia (Rome) on 7-day sailing's, the 148-passenger Wind Song visits Ischia Island, Capri Island, and Amalfi, Italy, Ajaccio, France, and Livorno, Italy. A selection of shore excursions will include tours to Florence and Pisa.

Surfing the French & Italian Rivera
Windstar begins operation of the 312-passenger Wind Surf along the French and Italian Riviera. Sailing round-trip from Nice, France, and the Wind Surf calls at Cannes, St. Tropez, Portofino, Portovenere, Portoferraio and Monte Carlo on the seven-day itinerary.

The newest Windstar ship will feature 30 deluxe suites with a separate living area, convertible twin/king bed and two bathrooms, and a comprehensive spa program at sea -- The Wind Spa -- offering a full array of treatments and consultative programs.

Eastern Med Proves Most Popular Sail-Cruise
Windstar will operate both the 148-passenger Wind Star and Wind Spirit on its popular Greek and Turkish Isles itineraries, increasing departures to 46.

"The Greek and Turkish Isles continues to be among our most desired itineraries, " explained Meadows. "With that kind of success, we're ready to commit two ships to the itinerary and feel confident that we can fill them." Greek and Turkish Isles cruises will depart for a cruise between Athens and Istanbul. Port calls include Mykonos, Santorini, and Rhodes, Greece, and Bodrum and Kusadasi, Turkey.

Positioning Voyages Offer Diverse Itineraries & Good Value
For cruisers looking for great value and unique itineraries, Windstar plans eleven positioning voyages ranging from best-price Trans-Atlantic journeys to one- to two-week jaunts that combine the best of Windstar's most popular itineraries.

A favorite of experienced Windstar cruisers, six two-week Trans-Atlantic crossings set sail. Caribbean to Europe departures are March 29 aboard the Wind Star, April 5 aboard the Wind Spirit, and April 26 aboard the Wind Song. Return trips sail October 10 aboard the Wind Song, October 18 aboard the new Wind Surf, and November 8 aboard the Wind Spirit. With fares starting at 2-for-1 rates of $1,663 per person, inclusive of port charges and taxes, Trans-Atlantic sailing offer the best Windstar fare.

Explore the Diverse Mediterranean From 7 to 15 Days
Several longer cruises can be booked as full 13-15 day voyages or on some sailing as shorter 7-8 day segments of the journey. Itineraries offer a diverse array of Mediterranean ports from Gythion and Monomvasia, Greece, to the Spanish and Portuguese Riviera, including Morocco and Gibraltar.

Cruises aboard the Wind Star include Mediterranean Discovery from Lisbon to Nice (13 days), departing April 12; and Seas of Enchantment from Nice to Athens (14 days with 7-day segments), departing April 25. Cruises aboard the Wind Spirit include Mediterranean Odyssey from Lisbon to Rome (14 days with 7-day segments), departing April 19; Journey through Antiquity from Rome to Athens (13 days), departing May 3; and Seas of Discovery from Rome to Lisbon (14 days with 7-day segments), departing October 25.

The Wind Song sails on Mediterranean Romance from Lisbon to Rome (14 days with 7-day segments), departing May 10; and Jewels of the Mediterranean from Rome to Lisbon (13 days), departing September 27. Windstar's new vessel, Wind Surf, features Mediterranean Discovery from Nice to Lisbon (15 days with 7- and 8-day segments), departing October 3.

An eight-day journey completes Windstar's positioning voyages and features the better of two popular weeklong itineraries: Italy and Greece. The Wind Spirit cruise Historic Passages sails from Athens to Rome and departs on October 17.

Healthy Cruising 180° From Ordinary
These days, a healthy lifestyle and diet is not just for home. More and more people watch what they eat and how they stay fit while on vacation, too. So, with companies such as pacesetter Windstar Cruises, healthy options are a standard now, not an exception.

Healthy Dining: Dine in Casual Elegance -- Lose Your Black Tie
In keeping with the ship ambiance, Windstar guests leave their ties and formal wear at home. By day, shorts and light shirts are the norm. For dinner and later in the evening, woman typically wear casual and sundresses or pant suits and men can be found in a pair of lightweight slacks and a polo or button-up shirt.

Dining is an experience all its own aboard Windstar ships. Joachim Splichal, celebrity chef and renowned owner of Patina Restaurant in Los Angeles created 180 new recipes in his adventurous style for the vessels. Windstar's signature cuisine features such Splichal creations as appetizers of corn risotto with wild mushrooms and basil, towers of marinated salmon with chive creme fraiche and red onion soup, filet of beef with fried potato ravioli and roasted shallot sauce and farm chicken with carrot rounds and lemon thyme sauce.

This past year, Windstar enhanced its on-board culinary offerings with a healthy cuisine and vegetarian menus for guests watching their intake of calories and fat grams.

Created by light cooking expert Jeanne Jones, Sail Light and the Vegetarian Menu feature complete meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dishes feature such low-calorie delights as Blueberry Blintzes at 139 calories per serving and 4 grams of fat, French Garden Stew with Light Aioli (199 calories/4.6 fat grams), and Lemon Custard Cake (245 calories/5.6 fat grams).

Introducing Sail Light & Vegetarian Menus By Jeanne Jones
Windstar has complemented its "180° From Ordinary" signature cuisine, created by renowned Los Angeles chef Joachim Splichal, with a complete selection of lighter lunch and dinner dishes for passengers sensitive to their intake of calories and fat grams. With an eye toward meeting the American Heart Associations guidelines for healthy eating, Jeanne Jones created Windstar's new Sail Light and Vegetarian menus, which feature several healthy choice options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Jones' approach to lighter menu embraces the notion of maintaining nutritional as well as taste integrity. "We're talking about moderation in calories and fat grams, here, not deprivation in taste and standards," says Jones. She extended that concept to developing a primarily lacto-vegetarian menu for the ships as well. The lacto-vegetarian dishes contain no meat or meat byproducts, however some dishes use eggs in the recipes. Menus will note dairy and egg ingredients and guests may always request to view the recipe before selecting. An author and syndicated columnist, Jones has developed spa menus for Canyon Ranch, the Pritikin Longevity Center in Southern California and the Four Seasons Hotels.

Exercise On Or Off The Ship
Though small by land-based and mega-ship standards, an on-board fitness center sports the same equipment found in today's gyms for passengers who don't want to miss a beat with their regular fitness program. Each is outfitted with new Lifestride treadmills, Lifecycle stationary bikes, dumbbells from five to fifty pounds, mats, and a Cybex Direct Drive 200 weight machine with 25 different weight training exercises to please all but the professional body-builder.

A glance beyond the obvious also reveals some unique off-ship approaches to the daily regime. Many destinations are wonderful fitness grounds in their own right.

Santorini, Greece for example sports a 30-minute climb up 587 steps to reach the town at the top. Passengers who forego the funicular or mule ride are sure to return to the ship feeling invigorated from the climb. In Costa Rica, passengers may take any number of hikes based upon their ability in Manuel Antonio National Park. Day hikes, bike rides, horseback riding and plenty of swimming and snorkeling opportunities are among the many options passengers can choose from to maintain an active lifestyle while sailing. Most cruises also offer golfers a chance to tee it up. The host or hostess provide course information and availability and will reserve tee times for guests wishing to golf.

Windstar = Watersports
Windstar Cruises and watersports are almost synonymous. All passengers can take advantage of the complimentary sports deck for swimming, snorkeling, water-skiing, kayaking, and windsurfing. Plus, optional scuba dives are available on all cruises for novices and experienced divers. Passengers wanting to learn can participate in the resort course and enjoy 30- to 40-foot dives with the on-board dive instructor while on their cruise.

Certification only lasts the duration of the cruise. Among the dives available (and subject to weather and sea conditions) on Windstar itineraries are Shark's Tooth at St. Barts, a home for tropical fish, lobster and barracuda; exploration of a B-17 bomber at Calvi, Corsica; and an adventure at Caño Island, where divers can spot rays, barracuda and an occasional shark.

Spa Facilities: Total Body Health Includes Pampering
A healthy lifestyle doesn't end with exercise and sporting activities. Windstar offers complete spa treatment featuring Terme di Saturnia treatments that include massages with aromatherapy, cleansing facials, after-sun hydrating treatment, foot relief treatment, and manicures.

The on-board spa also uses aromatherapy lotions, soaps and shampoos by Judith Jackson, a certified aromatherapist and leading authority on the topic. Her product line is used by spas worldwide, including the Doral Saturnia in Florida and Ritz Carlton in California. Complete spa treatment brochures are available on-board.

Passengers getting off the new Wind Surf won't be able to complain about lack of opportunities to relax exercise or pamper themselves. The ship's new WindSpa will take up nearly 10,000 square feet to offer services from massage and body wraps to fitness training and yoga. "The Wind Surf will have one of the largest spas at sea despite only accommodating 312 guests," said Richard Meadows, CTC, vice president of marketing and sales at Windstar Cruises. "But the ship is not a spa in and of itself. It's an upscale, casual resort cruise product, with a fantastic amenities spa for guests to take advantage of as they please." "Based upon our recent market research, we think they'll be excited about the options," added Meadows.

With 320 square feet of spa space per guest, The WindSpa encompasses the fitness equipment room, aerobics room, Aqua fit pool, ocean-view exercise space, and the spa/salon/treatment suites.

The WindSpa will offer spa treatments in three areas: health and exercise, pampering and purification treatments. Health and exercise options include aerobics, step-aerobics and Boxercise classes, a complete fitness room with personal fitness trainers available for sessions, an aqua-aerobics pool, body composition, and yoga classes. Pampering will include a Swedish, deep tissue, sports, and other massage services, aromatherapy massages, hair cutting and styling, scalp treatments, manicures, pedicures, hand and foot treatments, facials and spa bath treatments. Purification treatments will focus more on cleansing processes and inner body relaxation with herbal wraps, algae and fango body masks, salt glo loofas, body polishes, hydrating, mineral baths, depilatory waxing, aquameditation and meditation and others.

Steiner Transocean Limited will operate the WindSpa for Windstar Cruises with a staff of ten instructors, therapists, technicians, stylists and masseurs. WindSpa services can be purchased before cruising in packages or on board in packages or ala Carte. Prices for packages will range from US$259 to US$699 per person, depending upon the selection of services. Complementing the WindSpa experience are light and healthy and vegetarian menus developed by Jeanne Jones, a nutritional consultant, author and columnist.

Windstar Cruises- Fun Facts
Windstar is entering its sixth profitable year in a row. Of the more than 30 cruise lines, Windstar only operates six-tenths of a percent of the North American berth capacity, yet is among the top ten most profitable lines. Though sailing time varies by destination and wind conditions, the average time spent under sail is 50 percent of the time. Many think the sails are for ornamentation only. Quite the contrary: The sails are an important source of energy for the ships. By using sail power whenever possible, Windstar's ships conserve fossil fuels.

Windstar Cruises ships were named the most romantic afloat by Porthole Magazine and among the top ten romantic vessels by Fieldings Worldwide Cruises 1997. Not surprisingly, Windstar is a popular honeymoon choice. The line averages about ten couples a week.

The average age of a Windstar passenger is 48. 19 percent of Windstar's guests are between the ages of 36 and 45. 31 percent between the ages of 46 and 55. 42 percent are over 55 years of age.

Passengers consume an average of 1/2 bottle of champagne per guest per week. Wine consumption averages 2 1/2 bottles of wine per guest per week.

Passengers prefer white slightly to red.

Windstar logo jackets by GEAR are the most popular item to be purchased from the on-board gift shops.

Though tastes do change, the most often requested videos in the last three months (as of publication date) are Birdcage, Pulp Fiction, Too Wong Foo Thanks For Everything and the classic Casablanca.

ccasionally, Windstar ships pop up in screenplays or fictional literature. One example is Dominick Dunne's The Mansions of Limbo. Windstar doesn't offer entertainment shows or crew shows on its cruises.

However, an exception is made on Christmas Eve, when the crew and officers gather to sing carols in many languages and read the Christmas story for guests who wish to attend.

Omelets are the breakfast dish of choice for egg lovers on Windstar ships.

The Western Omelet leads the way in requests.

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