Windjammer Rum Theme Caribbean Cruise

Rum Sail Away with Island Windjammers and RumGallery.com

Windjammer Sailing Adventures First Voyage July 22

Windjammer Sailing Adventures has announced that its first voyage will depart July 22, departing round-trip from Grenada.

The Mandalay, which formerly operated for now-defunct Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, will sail weekly, departing Sunday and returning Saturday, according to the company website.

The cruises will visit “a selection of islands in the Grenadines,” including Grenada, Carriacou, Union Island, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Bequia, St. Vincent and possibly others.

“Remember, ports visited are subject to change ... we go where the captain and the winds take us!” the company website says.

Windjammer Sailing Adventures was started by Charles J. Kropke in the freewheeling spirit of Windjammer Barefoot, which was started in 1947 by the legendary Capt. Mike Burke. That company had legions of devoted fans but ultimately shut down in 2007.

Cruise fares include a cabin/bunk, three meals a day, onboard entertainment, early morning pastries and Bloody Marys, early evening snacks, Rum Swizzles, wine with dinner and 24-hour coffee and tea. Tips are optional with about $75 per person per week is suggested.

Standard cabins below deck with bunk beds are priced at $1,599 per person, based on double occupancy. Fares are $1,699 for Commodore Cabins, larger cabins below deck with bunk beds; $1,799 for Admiral Suites on main deck with double lower bunk and upper Pullman; and $1,899 for a Kings Cabin, a double sized cabin with shower separate from the bathroom.

There is a $400 discount on the second week of back-to-back sail. Port charges are $99 are in addition to the cruise fare. Single shares are available at the per-person rate and the company will pair up with another single of the same sex. Single occupancy is 175 percent of the per-person rate. Third passenger prices are $1,199 for Commodore Cabin and $1,299 for Admiral Cabin.

For reservations, call 888-972-7245, ext. 101, or visit http://sailwindjammer.com/Home_Page.html

Source: Theresa Norton Masek - TravelPulse

Windjammer Cancels January Cruises

Windjammer Barefoot Cruise, the financially troubled sail cruise company, has canceled all cruises in January by the Legacy.

The ship remains in Costa Rica and has not operated for months despite several attempts to resurrect the line by Joey Burke, the youngest son of founder Capt. Mike Burke.

The cancellation was announced on the CoconuTelegraph on the company's website. It said booked passengers can rebook for a later date or request a refund by faxing a request to 305-531-1805.

"We are in the middle of restructuring and we need some more time then expected to get the New Windjammer in place. The New Windjammer is going to be as you Old Salts remember it," the company's announcement read. "As you may know, we are running with a skeleton crew (compared to the recent over-staffed office). We look forward to a jolly Windjammer, again, and want everyone to have faith that we are doing the right thing and support for the future Windjammer to come."

For more information, visit www.windjammer.com.

Windjammer License to Sell Cruise Travel Expires

Well no surprise here! Making my last posting on this subject for those looking for the latest news on this saga. Have also included a consumer website for customers trying to get refunds . . . And no, we do not have any customers involved in this unfortunate situation - Linda

November 20, 2007
Windjammer Barefoot Cruises has let expire its license to sell travel in the state of Florida.

The company had previously registered as a seller of travel in Florida, which requires an annual renewal. Windjammer's license expired on Nov. 9 and has not been renewed as of Nov. 19, according to Terence McElroy, spokesman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

"We are in the process of attempting to verify whether this company remains open and operating and, if they are, we will send a case to our investigation section for some sort of enforcement action to block them from continuing to sell while being unregistered," McElroy said. "On the other hand, if they didn't register because they are no longer selling cruises or out of business, that will probably be unnecessary."

Despite the expiration of the license, Windjammer's website still had a booking icon Monday that would accept payment via credit cards or PayPal.

And and $895 buy now button it's still there today . . . Linda
http://www.windjammer.com/
McElroy said the department has received about 15 complaints from consumers "who are dissatisfied with their service or otherwise unhappy with the service they were provided by this company. We are attempting to mediate them."

Windjammer's four sailing ships have not operated for roughly two months. Joseph Burke, a member of the family that owns the company through a trust, has tried to restart operations with cruises on the Legacy out of Costa Rica.

However, several scheduled departures were cancelled at the last minute, leaving some passengers scrambling to find a hotel in Costa Rica. Calls to Joseph Burke and the Windjammer office were not returned by press time.

For more information, contact the state of Florida's Consumer Services Division at 800-HELPFLA within Florida or 850-922-2966 outside Florida or visit http://www.800helpfla.com/

Source: Modern Agent

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises Sinking

This is such a bad situation for a company once known as a premier cruise line. I posted on Windjammers situation previously, but now there are even more cancelled cruises, and pleas of just wait til we can get our act together. Well, that's just unacceptable with millions of their customers dollars at risk. Thinking about taking a Windjammer cruise - I think not! Linda

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, which has not operated a cruise in roughly two months, cancelled three more cruises scheduled to depart on Nov. 17, Nov. 24 and Dec. 3.

Passengers booked on those cruises - and the company has many loyal passengers who made reservations despite the ongoing financial troubles - received a notice signed by Danny Walsh, Windjammer's operations manager and director.

"There are just so many difficulties, obstacles and legal issues that stand in our path to continue with enough time for these cruises to sail," according to the memo, posted online at www.JammerBabe.com.
"We truly apologize for the extreme short notice and for the inconvenience for lack of a better word. We are working quite often 16-hour days to get the ships home and the Legacy sailing.

Please, please, please understand we are not giving up and Windjammer will sail again. We are pretty certain that the target date of Dec. 8 will allow us to prepare the vessel and the company to restore our normal semi-professional, Windjammer-style charm."

The memo said those who do not reschedule a cruise would be issued a refund "in a short time. It's your money and you will get it back. Regrettably, Windjammer will not be able to cover any additional air or hotel charges incurred and associated with a re-booking.

Also, if you request a refund, we are unable to cover any air costs if you request a cruise refund unless the flight was booked through us. Even if we wanted to we do not have access to funds yet. We are focusing everything on proper service and logistics beginning with the Legacy."

Windjammer's last scheduled cruise on Nov. 3 -- billed as the relaunching of the company with one ship, Legacy -- was cancelled at the last minute, leaving some passengers to scramble for accommodations in Costa Rica.

Windjammer has four sailing ships, which are all docked at ports in the Caribbean and Central America.

The company has refrained from issuing press releases, has not returned calls to Travel Pulse Daily, and did not post a notice of the latest cancellation on its website.

However, the website still appears to be accepting payment by credit card or PayPal and is advertising an $895 fare.

Read this article:
Windjammer Barefoot Cruises - An End to An Empire


Also read this letter from one of their "customers"

Windjammer Reportedly Cancels Nov. 3 "Restart" Cruise

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises has apparently cancelled the Nov. 3 departure of the Legacy, a cruise billed as the restart of the financially troubled line.

Two members of the Burke family, which owns the company, have promoted a $399 offer for a weeklong cruise on Legacy as part of the "Windjammer Restart" program.

The discounted fares were purportedly to be used as "startup money for food, fuel and wages." The company's four sailing ships have been laid up in ports in the Caribbean and Costa Rica. Joseph Burke, the youngest son of founder Capt. Mike Burke, has been joined by Danny Walsh, Capt. Burke's grandson, in trying to resurrect the line.

While company executives have not responded to phone or email messages left by Travel Pulse Daily on and off for two months, Joseph Burke and Walsh have posted messages on a website of devoted fans in recent days -- most recently to promote the Nov. 3 cruise.

However, on Nov. 1, a memo apparently signed by Walsh said the Nov. 3 cruise is cancelled. "We would like you to know that we will be sailing on the week of the 17th," the memo reads. The message invites passengers already in Costa Rica to board the Legacy. "Feel free to call to rebook, we will cover air charges," the message states.

However, the company's website, which on Oct. 31 included a PayPal link for booking the $399 fare, did not include any notice of the cancellation on Nov. 1.

Several travel insurers are no longer covering Windjammer voyages, and ASTA (American Association of Travel Agents) has issued a cautionary alert to its members.

For more information, call 800-327-2600 or visit www.windjammer.com.

Source: Modern Agent