Ocean crossings — most commonly the journeys between Europe and North America each spring and fall as ships reposition for the seasons — are one of the most underrated experiences in travel. What’s unusual about these trips is that they’re longer than average (save for Windstar’s Star Collector voyages which combine several itineraries). They spend most of their days at sea, visiting only a few ports of call.
And they often attract well-traveled cruise aficionados, who see these itineraries as a chance to do, well, just about anything.
“First, an ocean crossing is a complete, self-contained vacation,” says John Perkowski, whom I met on a French Polynesia sailing aboard Star Breeze, and who’s typically pretty adventurous when it comes to picking cruise routes. Perkowski chimed in on a vibrant thread, in which I asked travelers to share about their crossing experiences, on the Windstar Cruises Official Yacht Club Members & Fan Club page on Facebook. “My wife Karla and I love that they can be one of the least expensive trips in the Windstar catalog. Now that Starlink is available, you can read to your heart’s content (my iPad gives me access to a world of literature, fiction and nonfiction alike). And, importantly, we love these sailings because of the people of Windstar. If you have even three cruises under your belt, you probably know someone in the ship’s company or fellow travelers.”
I get that. On an Atlantic crossing a few years ago, I likened the voyage, 10 days, one port, to the best kind of summer camp for adults at sea. There’s just so much freedom in how you spend your day, and you can focus on fun.
Most often you’ll find Brooke Harwood on voyages that celebrate European culture or a Caribbean adventure getaway to escape winter’s chill, but they also love an occasional Atlantic crossing (and in fact, like Perkowski, will celebrate their next transoceanic voyage aboard Star Seeker).
Says Harwood, “People used to ask me ‘why would you ever do a crossing?’ Their perception was that it would be boring. It is anything but.”
If you’re considering a crossing, he offers six reasons why they’re so much fun for the couple.
It’s a great way to unplug from distractions at home
The Yacht Club offers a cozy respite on ocean crossings./Windstar
Ever wanted to write a book or hone sketching skills or pursue a hobby that there just seems no time for at home? “I was working on a genealogy project, investigating life in the early 1800s in preparation for an intensive course a few months later,” Harwood says. “I packed all sorts of reference materials, and I used the uninterrupted time to sit back, read, and think about what I was learning.”
There are, he says, so many nooks and crannies onboard the Star class ships, where “you can tuck yourself away, out of the wind and sun, or in the wind and sun. Rarely do I work in our suite. I would often sit in the Yacht Club, go to the theater, which is usually empty during the day, or sit out on the stern when the Veranda was closed for meals.”
There’s more time to make new friends
Meeting people on Windstar voyages is always part of the draw, he says, because the line attracts interesting, and interested travelers. “It’s not just that you make new friends but also that you have more time to really get to know one another, because you’re not dashing off to tour most days.”
That happens especially at mealtimes, he says. “We’ll just sit there and talk and there’s nowhere you have to be, and the crew is exceedingly gracious about allowing you to stay on even as they clean around you.
People used to ask me ‘why would you ever do a crossing?’ Their perception was that it would be boring. It is anything but.
Brooke Harwood
“The joy of this trip is getting to know fellow guests on a more intimate basis.”
Dining is a real highlight
Beyond enjoying shipmates at mealtime, Trish Harwood, who with her husband resides in a small rural town on America’s east coast, shares this: “if you are coming from an area with lots of fine dining, it may not mean as much. But when you’re coming from a rural farming community with a dearth of restaurants, Windstar’s exceptional food and fine service are a real treat. When you are chief cook and bottle-washer all year long, the two weeks of culinary pampering is anticipated for weeks beforehand.
Onboard fun
Harwood’s favorite tradition is the crossing-only build-a-boat contest. You have five days to build a boat of your own design, using anything on the ship except for the life vests or safety equipment. On a trip from Lisbon to Miami on Star Breeze, he scrounged up a FedEx shipping box with a plastic cover, so it didn’t soak up water. He used water bottles to balance the outriggers. A six-pack of stout beer was in the cargo hold.
“We called it Star Puff.”
Seaworthiness was one key contest criteria. “The drill was you built your ship, and it would be tested in the whirlpool. Did it float? Then they turned on the jets and put on the six-pack. And it floated.” Harwood won the competition that sailing.
Another highlight occurred on a sailing on Star Pride between Reykjavik and Montreal via Greenland, in which two ice pilots, Danish and Canadian, hosted presentations on their work. Another plus at that time, after the stretching of the Star Class yachts, was when the captain and chief engineer shared a presentation about that complicated project. “What was so great about that was they spent much time answering our questions, and there were a lot of them,” Harwood says. “It was fascinating to learn how each approached the project from different perspectives and priorities.”
He singles out other events that are still memorable. There was another time when an officer taught a “sold-out” audience how to use a sextant. Or when a junior officer from an African nation spoke about his country’s lack of a maritime history and the cooperation between his country and the Dutch to train young people in maritime skills.
Spending quality time with officers and crew
Spending time on the bridge is a big draw, Harwood tells me. And on crossings, when officers aren’t navigating the ships in and out of ports every day, there’s more time to learn about how things work there. “There are two kinds of people who go to the bridge,” he says. “One is curious and finds it all fascinating, and it somehow becomes understandable. Others come up to share their war stories about crossings, which is also interesting. It’s a way to connect with the experience.”
On Star Seeker, the new bridge is going to be a huge deal, he says, and was part of the impetus for signing up for the maiden crossing.
Beyond the bridge, the interplay with crew members gives you an appreciation for the company beyond the façade and the glitz,” Harwood says “It’s real people working very hard to do something they enjoy, and they’re happy to share it with you. Reaching out to the crew provides a whole different exposure to Windstar that brings us back both to Windstar and transatlantic cruises.”
Extending the trip to include destination-focused exploring
And last, but by no means least, you certainly need not limit this particular experience to the ocean crossing. Harwood says that often he and his wife will tie in a destination-intensive experience around the port of embarkation. A recent sailing from Lisbon, for instance, meant the Harwood’s traveled around northern Portugal, including Porto, Fatima, Coimbra and the Douro Valley. “We actually spent a few days in Barcelona, sailed Wind Surf from there to Lisbon, did 10 days of touring in northern Portugal and Lisbon, then boarded Legend for the crossing, Harwood says.
