Onboard Star Pride

We arrived yesterday in Seydisfjordur and we stayed here overnight. A couple of days ago I went on a tour while Brian stayed back and today is my turn to stay onboard while others go for a hike. They’ve signed up for a waterfall hike!

My son is in need of a haircut so we head to the spa to see about making an appointment. We arrive at 10am and the majority of the crew are beginning a safety drill. Since the spa staff is involved with the safety drill, we make an appointment for later when they are open again. We go back to the cabin and the alarm sounds. The staff rings the doorbell for each cabin and moves our “evacuated” magnet to the front of the door. It is just a drill, and we don’t need to participate, but my son grabs his life vest for good measure. He then proceeds to run it under the sink to make sure the blinking light works. It does.

World Spa

It’s haircut time! This was the easiest haircut with my son. The barber was gentle and took his time. My son actually looked like he enjoyed it. We’ve come very far on the haircut front.

We eat on the ship for lunch. I go to Verandah for the buffet and find flank steak and a variety of vegetables which is perfect. The food onboard has been excellent.

Star Pride Bridge

Windstar has an open bridge policy which means you can enter the bridge and hangout with the crew and maybe the captain too. We visit the bridge and the sign says they are closed. They close the bridge during maneuvering and if they have meetings. The crew hears my son’s voice, and they come to open the door. My son is the only eight-year-old on the ship and the crew give him extra attention which he loves. My son loves the bridge. They let him sit in the captain’s chair, move the steering wheel, and use their binoculars. I try their binoculars too. They are way better than any other pair I’ve ever used. After a few minutes of scanning the ocean for activity, I see a dolphin! The bridge is a must for children and adults who are sailing on Windstar.

Galley Tour

I’m hosting a group and we have a special tour arranged for us. We get to see the Galley! The galley is the kitchen for Amphora and room service. There are seventeen of us who join the tour, and we split into two groups. The galley has a list of faces printed out with special dietary restrictions listed for them. I’m on the board! There are crew members making bread and they let my son press the button for the machine. The machine takes dough and makes several dough balls in a few seconds. It’s pretty impressive! In another area, we see the menu for tonight. There are pictures of each menu and some of the recipes are out as well. The kitchen is of course very clean, but smaller than you’d probably think.

We spend the rest of the day relaxing. My son plays on his iPad, and I utilize the on-demand options to watch a movie. It’s really nice to have some downtime.

Dinner tonight is at Amphora. There is a pork dish on the menu. I kind of recall that I think it’s something I don’t like, but I can’t remember for sure. The nice thing about cruising is trying something new. You can always order more if you really don’t like it. This pork entree is the only meal I don’t like in this sailing. The pork is prepared nicely, but it’s not for me. There is more room for dessert tonight!

Artic Circle Crossing

Tonight we are crossing into the Arctic Circle and Windstar has a blue nose ceremony to mark the occasion. Most of our family isn’t attending because the water is rough. I want to see what it is all about so I enter the lounge. The staff is full of energy and are wearing blue wigs. My husband comes in with my son. My son said he didn’t feel well in my husband’s cabin and wants to go to mine. (My husband’s cabin is forward and mine if AFT. AFT feels so much calmer on this ship.) The lounge is in the AFT as well and we sit together for a little bit. My son who doesn’t typically get motion-sickness conveys that he feels like he’s going to throw-up. Party over. We head back to the cabin and I place motion-sickness seeds on his ears. I get my son into bed and sleeping and we escape any sickness. My motion-sickness medicine and my ear seeds are both working well for me. The ship’s rocking is more than just noticeable. The ship is traversing 3.5-meter waves. I actually find it pretty fun! The front of the ship in particular feels like the little hills of The Big Dipper which was a wooden roller coaster from my youth.

Our day onboard Star Pride has been fabulous. This is an all-suite ship, so I love having so much space in our cabin. No banging elbows when sitting on the toilet. Plenty of space for all six of us to hangout. Walk-in closet and tons of storage. Room service that serves the same food that is served in the main dining room. A TV stocked with movies and TV. My happy place is a quiet room where I can relax and this ship delivers. It’s been a rejuvenating day.