By Isae Wada
PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten -- "There are three things that float
on water," explained Capt. Neil Carmichael to the 85 passengers
aboard the Polynesia, the legendary tall ship he skippers. "There
are boats, there are ships, and" -- the captain pointed to a nearby
big cruise ship -- "there are pieces of s---."
Afterwards, as the song "Amazing Grace" boomed over deck
speakers, passengers joined the Polynesia crew in hoisting the
sails. The big cruise ship dwarfed the 248-foot schooner sailing
past, but that didn't stop Capt. Neil from barking his command for
the cannons to blast away at its nemesis. In time, the cruise ship
faded into a speck on the horizon, and the Polynesia sailed forth
onto its next island adventure, thus beginning another week in the
French West Indies with Windjammer Barefoot Cruises.
A Unique Line
Windjammer is fond of calling itself a unique cruise line and,
based on my experience, it delivers. The carefully restored
Polynesia, like its five and soon to be six siblings (The Legacy is
to join the fleet in October), makes the most of its small size,
anchoring in out-of-the-way harbors that the larger cruise ships
can't even access.
The line prices its one- and two-week voyages for cost-conscious
travelers and, as a result, doesn't offer much in the way of luxury
amenities. Instead, the emphasis is on camaraderie, adventure and
fun. And after I stopped worrying about where to get my next
manicure, I came to relish the casual 'barefoot' ambience.
A Scotsman with an obvious passion for the rich tradition of
pirates and sailors, the captain said the Windjammer experience is
rarely found on traditional lines. "The big cruise ships aren't
about going out to sea," he said. "This is about the romance of
setting sail under the stars in the Caribbean and discovering all
the out-of-the-way places, which are getting harder and harder to
find."
Hidden Treasures
For our sailing we headed straight for one of those out-of-the-way
places, Crocus Bay on Anguilla, after leaving St. Maarten. The
small stretch of beach featured respectable snorkeling, a
restaurant and bar -- Roy's -- and a short taxi ride to the
island's famed beaches. As with other spots off the beaten track,
Windjammer's relationship with the locals at Crocus Bay allowed for
contingencies and permitted our festivities to proceed, despite
inclement weather.
While passengers dove off the ship's plank in the late-afternoon
rain, the captain placed a call to Roy's to gain permission for the
group and a steel band to move under the restaurant's veranda for
the evening. Crocus Bay was one of many undiscovered jewels
typically featured on a Windjammer itinerary -- schedules that
often change daily, depending on the tides and the winds.
Capt. Neil described tiny islands near Anguilla where passengers
used to take over entire cays. But the islands had been stripped of
their palms in a hurricane, prompting the move to Crocus Bay,
another treasure.
The Atmosphere
My week with Windjammer was not without reservations. Having heard
stories about wild, all-night parties, I envisioned a booze cruise
with a bunch of rowdy GenX-ers. The truth is, those cruises do
exist at Windjammer, although with less frequency, veteran
passengers told me.
The tone of the cruise, I was told, is partly set by the ship's
captain. The Polynesia has the reputation as one of Windjammer's
party ships, which could be attributable to Capt. Neil, whose bawdy
morning lectures, called captain's storytime, often elicited hoots
and hollers from passengers. Then again, the Polynesia's reputation
also could have been based on the fact that it hosts many of the
line's singles' and other themed cruises. With 64 to 128 passengers
on each cruise, chemistry is undoubtedly a factor.
Our group was lively and energetic, quick to help hoist the
sails, participate in excursions and to get a chuckle out of games
like crab races or treasure hunts during cocktail hour. We also
were a varied lot: ages 6 to 60, with singles, couples,
honeymooners and families. There was a time when you wouldn't have
seen a child aboard a Windjammer ship. Having built a staple of
repeats out of baby boomers, however, the line has necessarily
changed its policy as its passengers started having children. Many
of the passengers said they wouldn't consider bringing their
children with them out of concern that they'd be bored without
child-designated activities. But at no time did the children on our
cruise seem bored. One family with three children insisted that
Windjammer fared better than the traditional cruise with a family
program that they'd taken the year before.
Windjammer continues to be a favorite among single travelers and
not only for its singles' themed cruises. Our group included
several women and men traveling solo. A former travel agent,
Barbara Russell, who was on her 16th Windjammer sailing, said she
often sold Windjammer to single clients with a lot of success,
citing the on-board camaraderie.
On Board
It would be tough to go hungry on Windjammer, with three full meals
and two snacks prepared daily. Hefty breakfasts are preceded at
6:30 a.m. by Bloody Marys and pastries. Lunches tend to be informal
buffets or beach picnics. Two seatings for dinner on board often
feature chef's choice creations, such as grilled swordfish or prime
rib, with complimentary house wines. On some evenings we headed for
the beach for bonfire barbecues.
The Polynesia's bar was stocked with passengers' favorite
libations. The line also provides reasonably priced rum, wine, beer
and local fruit concoctions, as well as plenty of nonalcoholic
drinks.
My sister Sylvie Wada, my cruising companion for the week,
believes a large measure of the praise for Windjammer belongs to
its friendly, family-like crews. Windjammer's officers are
primarily from the U.K., U.S. and Australia, and the crew from the
Caribbean. Our steward, Ingrid, was never without a smile and a
pleasant word. She'd been with Windjammer for 11 years. The chief
steward, Popeye, has served the line for 10 years.
A Historical Excursion
Each port-of-call offered the best guides in my experience
traveling throughout the Caribbean, where consistency and service
are not always guaranteed.
On the quiet island of Nevis, we were absorbing guide Jim
Johnson's encyclopedic knowledge of flora during a rain forest
hike, when we witnessed an eruption on nearby Montserrat. We
watched in awe as an enormous mushroom cloud emerged from the
volcano. Later, at a beach party on Nevis near the Four Seasons, we
were covered with a fine volcanic ash that fell from the sky. When
we boarded the ship that evening, the vessel appeared to be covered
in a blanket. We set about collecting some ash in film canisters,
wondering aloud how we would explain the fine powder to customs
officials.
The volcano erupted again the next day, this time so violently
that anybody left on Montserrat was forced to wear a hardhat, since
it was raining rocks. A few days later, the ash from Montserrat
caused flight delays throughout the Caribbean and prevented many of
us from making our connections through Miami.
Certainly the crowd-pleaser of excursions was offered at St.
Maarten: a 12-meter regatta with the opportunity to crew on the
Stars and Stripes and other famous yachts that competed for the
Americas Cup, for two thrilling hours.
At St. Barts, where you can never be too rich or too thin, my
sister and I surveyed the island's St. Tropez-style beaches in a
red convertible. We people-watched at this home-away-from-home to
rock stars and jet-setters. Although it was off-season we are
convinced we spied the French actor Gerard Depardieu. On St. Barts
that evening, I joined the captain and two other couples in making
the most of the island's excellent cuisine at Jungle, which
features a Thai-influenced menu.
Journey's End
While perusing the captain's log toward the end of my voyage, I
stumbled across an excerpt that perhaps best describes Windjammer's
appeal. It was written by Jeanette Drusbach, daughter of Big John
Gier who, having made more than 90 sailings with the line, is a
true "jammer" (the term staffers sometimes use for Windjammer's
many repeat guests). His daughter wrote:
"No one recognizes him anymore as Big John. He is bent over,
shuffles slowly, wears suspenders and often forgets where he is.
But when the canons boom, the sails are hoisted and Amazing Grace
is played, my dad comes to a renewed spirit filled with the
memories of happy crew employees, island journeys and friendly
shipmates. If you sail with Windjammer as did my dad, you, too,
will be young at 82."