The Yacht Club

The Yacht Club is the name of both Windstar's loyalty program AND the lounge with the windowed walls all around it.  (This has, on occasion, made for some confusing conversations.  You know, because the Yacht Club party is held in the Lounge, while there's private party in the Yacht Club.)

I have already turned in my mid-cruise comment card.  (I'm making a point of only suggesting things that can actually be resolved mid-cruise.)  But if I could have another card, I would suggest posting the Yacht Club hours and offerings by the door in the Yacht Club.  Or on the bar itself.  Because while its daily hours are listed in the app for each mealtime, certain nuances are in fact discovered when you're there.

For example, it has a "Continental Breakfast" until 11:00, and Lunch from 11:00.  Except, it only has a single employee in there, and it takes her about 10 minutes to do the food changeover.  So, really, it should be Breakfast until about 10:55 and Lunch from 11:10.  Which is not a major distinction, but is a significant one if you overslept and are trying to grab a quick muffin before Trivia.

(We started today down by one and tied on today's TV Trivia.  Tomorrow is General Knowledge.  I'm already preparing for questions on General Mills, General Electric, Modern Major-General....)

The listings also say the Yacht Club has lunch from 11:00 to 5:00, but fail to mention that scones magically appear at some point in the afternoon (I found them today at 4:00ish) and also that EVEN COFFEE WON'T HAPPEN after 5:00.  The club itself is still open but the service is closed, while the Yacht Club flips into a bar for evening hours.  I don't know how many times I watched the nice lady explain that folks had to go elsewhere for their coffee (and/or alcholic beverage) needs while I was quietly munching on my scone today.  Part of this problem comes from folks familiar with the Yacht Club on other Windstar ships - where it is pretty much the coffee shop straight through.  But here, it turns into a bar at night, and the staff gets an hour to do the conversion.  So, yeah, signage.

I also would rip the sign off the bathroom wall in the bathroom outside the main restaurant.  That sign is a little graphic showing that the door opens outward.  The door actually opens inward.  (There's another sign that suggests you open the door with your "paper towel," but these bathrooms provide little fabric hand towels, so that sign, too, is a bit misleading.)  Ah, the fun of being on a maiden voyage.

Had a nice little exercise in the gym today.  MUCH easier to walk on the treadmill when you don't have to keep a death grip on it for fear you'll go flying off at the next big wave.  The ocean is substantially less choppy (waves of only 2 meters, rather than the previous 3-4) and I even risked swaying my arms a bit while walking my mile.

Today's photo is from my table at lunch, in the little covered outdoor area in the back of the restaurant.  And also the back of the ship.  I'm not exactly sure WHY the deck is constructed with that little place to walk out right in the dead center.  I think of it as the Selfie Spot.  Or the place to pretend to be Rose and Jack (even though that was on the bow and this is the stern).  I also think of it as The Place I Won't Be Taking A Selfie Because I Didn't Bring A Strap For My Phone And Would Rather Not Have It Fly Off While We're Doing Thirteen Knots.