Quirky Windjammer Barefoot Cruises (not to be confused with Windstar Cruises) known for their sailing vessels where guests are as much a part of the crew as they are a passenger has been struggling over the last two years. However, it now appears as if the line is now teetering on the precipice -
Last year many travel agents reported that Windjammer had been late paying commissions, often an early sign that a cruise line is having difficulties.
Then there was a labor dispute aboard the Polynesia this past August which delayed embarkation, followed by the s/v Yankee Clipper being detained by port authorities in Grenada after a crew member sued for $9,000 in back pay. The ship has since been released but has been sitting in Trinidad for several weeks.
There was the announcement late last week that they would be canceling all of their sailings, although the Miami Herald reports that two of the line’s four ships haven’t sailed for the last several weeks anyway… No reason was given for the cancellation, and no information was provided about future sailings.
The Miami Herald is also reporting that the line’s shipping agent in Aruba has had to supply the crew of Polynesia with water because the ship does not have sufficient supplies. A group of past passengers, alarmed by reports that crews don’t have enough supplies or the money to return home have begun collecting donations on a message board in order to assist the stranded crew members.
The line has been quiet on the apparently worsening situation, their website which used to be www.windjammer.com is now a parked domain page with Network Solutions, but a mirror site appears to working at http://www.asource.com/windjammer. The mirror site makes no mention of the difficulties that the line is experiencing.
(0) Comments (Leave a Comment)Filed under: Travel Advisories Posted by Michael on 10/01/07
Not a lot of cruise news this week as we get ready for our upcoming Eastbound Trans-Atlantic onboard Queen Mary 2.
Crystal is speeding up internet access onboard, and Princess is adding some Hawai’ian cultural programs to their Hawai’i sailings.
Silversea has snatched up the expedition ship World Discoverer, meanwhile Disney has announced how they will be celebrating the upcoming holidays onboard their ships.
MSC has revised it’s smoking policy, and Carnival is re-affirming their commitment to New Orleans departures.
Don’t forget, US passport regulations get a little tighter today too!
We talk a bit about insurance, however we don’t did too deep - this is insurance after all and not the most exciting of topics.
With us heading out of town this week, there’s no Deal of The Week. But as always when we had out of town, one of our colleagues we be keeping an eye on our phones while we are gone.
Finally a piece from The Arrogant Worm’s Ballad of Dan closes out the show this week. Listen and you’ll know why!
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Filed under: Carnival Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruises, MSC Cruises, Podcast, Princess Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Travel Advisories Posted by Michael on 09/29/07
Just a reminder, the relaxed passport regulations that went in to effect in June expire on September 30.
Starting on October 1, ALL travelers entering the US by plane are required to have a valid passport INCLUDING US CITIZENS!
For US citizens, a government issued ID and Official State Department proof of application for a passport will no longer be sufficient for use as proof of citizenship to travel to the US.
Both airlines and cruise lines consider it the passenger’s responsibility to ensure that they have proper documentation to travel. They will deny boarding if you are unable to supply them with the required documentation for your trip. It is almost unheard of for cruise lines or airlines to compensate passengers when boarding is denied due to inproper documentation, and this situation is typically not covered by travel insurance. Proper travel documents are required for EVERY member of your party, regardless of age.
While a passport is currently not required for US citizens returning to the US via ship, we continue to strongly recommend that you obtain a passport if you are preparing for any international travel regardless of your mode of transport. We are hearing that the backlog of passport applications has eased significantly compared to what it was earlier in the year, and that passports are being delivered much quicker than they had been.
Remember, the US State Department’s foreign travel website travel.state.gov is your best resource for passport and other international travel information.
(0) Comments (Leave a Comment)Filed under: Travel Advisories Posted by Michael on 08/22/07
The following is the latest information we have regarding the effects of Hurricane Dean:
Royal Caribbean: Freedom of The Seas was the first cruise ship to visit Jamaica after Hurricane Dean with her port call in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. At this point no further itinerary changes are expected.
Carnival Cruise Lines: No further changes have been announced since yesterday.
In addition we are receiving reports of serious damage to Puerto Costa Maya, with the port estimating that it will be closed for 6 to 8 months while repairs are completed. The port estimates that they have lost as much as half of the pier after the community was stuck by the full force of the then Category 5 storm. Damage assessments at Costa Maya continue but at this time there are no reports of casualties.
(0) Comments (Leave a Comment)Filed under: Royal Caribbean International, Travel Advisories, Weather and Hurricanes Posted by Michael on 08/17/07
The following information has been released by Carnival Cruise Lines regarding Hurricane Dean:
We are closely monitoring the progress of Hurricane Dean. All of Carnival’s ships will continue to operate at a safe distance from this storm at all times. Our number one priority is the safety of our guests and crew.
We will make some itinerary changes for several departures this weekend in order to provide our guests with an enjoyable shore experience, while operating the ships in the safest and most comfortable conditions possible.
Carnival Triumph August 18 departure - The ship will visit San Juan, St. Thomas, Half Moon Cay and Nassau.
Carnival Imagination August 18 departure - The ship will visit Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau.
Carnival Inspiration August 18 departure - The ship will visit Nassau and Freeport.
Holiday August 18 departure - The ship will visit Freeport and Key West.
Carnival Legend August 19 departure - The ship will visit Key West, Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk.
Carnival Valor August 19 departure - The ship will visit Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
Carnival Conquest August 19 departure - The ship will visit Grand Cayman and Cozumel as scheduled, but the call in Montego Bay will be cancelled.
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