Live Voyage Preview: to the Baltic with Windstar

Our Live Voyage Reports are easily the most popular feature on From the Deck Chair.  Comprised of daily written updates direct from the ship itself and illustrated with first-hand photographs, it’s the next best thing to actually being there in person. And in July, the fun starts all over again.

Windstar Cruises' classic Wind Spirit at Civitavecchia, Italy on May 7th. Photo © 2011 Aaron Saunders

We’re excited to announce we’ll be sailing and reporting live from Windstar Cruises’ elegant hybrid sailing ship, the 1988-built Wind Spirit as she sails from Stockholm to Oslo on a weeklong voyage beginning Saturday, July 30^th.  Our exciting coverage will begin the day before, on July 29^th, as we make the trek to the Baltic from our home base in Vancouver.

So where do our travels take us, both physically and on-line?  The full itinerary, both here and onboard:

• July 30 – Stockholm, Sweden
• July 31 – Visby, Sweden
• August 1 – At Sea
• August 2 – Warnemunde, Germany
• August 3 – Copenhagen, Denmark
• August 4 – Aarhus, Denmark
• August 5 – Gothenburg, Sweden
• August 6 – Oslo, Norway

While you might normally associate Windstar’s sleek, white-hulled sailing ships with the warmer climates of the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, we think the Wind Spirit is perfectly suited to the Baltic regions.  After all, she’s small enough to be able to get prime berthing locations in nearly every port, and her abundant deck space and low passenger count means sailaways and scenic cruising are jostle-free.

Standard staterooms aboard Wind Spirit boast a decidedly nautical feel. Photo courtesy of Windstar Cruises

Windstar also offers some pretty cool features, like their recently-announced bicycle rental program.  Guests can  have the use of one of Wind Spirit’s four bicycles for $39 for a half-day or $59 for a full-day; something that’s bound to be popular in Baltic ports like Visby and Copenhagen.

But what fascinates me most about Wind Spirit is the fact that she is, at her heart, a sailing ship.  Sure, she has a motor-driven propeller to ensure she meets her published schedule should Mother Nature choose to not cooperate, but when was the last time you saw a five-masted ship, let alone sailed aboard one with all the comforts of larger cruise ships?

Check out the inviting aft pool area! Photo © 2011 Aaron Saunders

I saw Wind Spirit in person for the first time back in May, berthed in Civitavecchia, Italy.  It’s no stretch to say I’m excited to see her again in Stockholm in six weeks, and I hope you’ll join me as we sail to some of the most picturesque ports in Northern Europe.

Stay tuned – our Live Voyage Report coverage aboard Windstar Cruises Wind Spirit begins Friday, July 29^th!

More information on Windstar Cruises’ Wind Spirit can be found on their website, or by visiting the detailed Windstar overview on our sister-site, The Avid Cruiser.