N ~~ fe } t 4 ¢ + H os ‘ ‘ b s SPR —~ neg 48 - Sunday, December 4, 1988 - North Shore News ate : . t vt THE WIND Spirit offers a wu ele mique cruising experieace. Sailing cruiseship offers alternative I. HAVE. seen the future, and it’s a sailing ship. It's the Wind Spirit, a cruise vessel with four masts, six sails and 440 feet of fun. There’s a swim grid for water sports galore and no dressing for dinner. It does not have birgo, photographers who take your pic- ture three times a day or a mid- night buffet. But it does have engines capable of pushirg the vessel along at 10 knots should the wind not be coo- perating, although a sistership has been clocked at 12 knots under sail David Wishart alone in the Caribbean. In short, it is completely dif- ferent, and not surprisingly at- tracts the sort of clientele not normally seen on cruise ships. In a word, it is a young crowd. And the men loved it. Men who admitted they had to be dragged - on board left with tears in their eyes. The Wind Spirit, latest vessel in the three-ship fleet of Windstar Sail Cruises, carries 148 passengers in 74 outside cabins. In the sum- mer she cruises the Mediterranean and in winter months moves to the Caribbean. Passengers on the cruise I sampled, seven days roundtrip from Monaco, were mainly American, but with a score or so of Europeans, including a couple from Monaco who booked a cruise after seeing Wind Spirit leaving Monaco harbor every Sunday night. Indeed to see the vessel, lit | up and under sail, has become a major attraction in a resort that is not easily impressed. Dinner is in the restaurant be- tween 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tables are not assigned — rather, guests can go when they want, sit where they want and dine by themselves: or with whomever they wish. As the ship is run like a private yacht, with passengers free to visit the bridge at any time, friendships occur easily and it was not long before couples teamed up for meals. . Quality of food and presentation were excellent, and although the service could be a little ieisurely, this never appeared to be a pro- biem because most passengers were inclined to linger in the elegant dining room. e While young, the waiters were not inexperienced, and the wine stewards raised no objection to some passengers who preferred to shop ashore for wine rather than souvenirs, and drank their pur- chases with dinner. As it turned out we were on a bit of a mystery cruise. After leaving Monaco and visiting St. Tropez, Corsica and Elba, the captain decided to give Giannutri a miss because of inclement weather. In- stead we sought the shelter of Por- to Stefano on the Italian coast, which turned out to be a delightful little fishing village. Passengers went ashore and ex- plored the shops, the fish market, discovered an enchanting little harbor and sampled Tuscan wine. The next day, when guests thought they’d wake up in Viareg- gio, their ship sailed into the bay at Portovenere, which has a pictur- esque waterfront of pastel buildings, a promenade with a magnificent old church on a bluff at the end, a castle, medieval alleyways and little shops with local people rather than hordes of tourists. Many passengers took advantage of a day’s excursion from Por- tovenere to Florence. The next day we picked up the planned itinerary with a visit to Portofino, where several passen- gers walked up to the Splendido for a memorable lunch at one of Italy’s most elegant hotels. There are few more memorable sights than the view of Portofino from the Splendido’s restaurant, perhaps from the very table where Ingrid Bergman, Rossellini and Bogart sat, although not necessari- ly all at the same time. Others spent part of the day on the swim grid, which offered waterskiing, sailing, jet-ski rides or just’ swimming in the glorious Mediterranean. Finally, there’s Monaco and the decadently hilarious Folie Russe cabaret at Loews Hotel, then the Cafe de Paris at 3 a.m. for a nightcap. Along the way it would be useful if the casino would conveniently cough up the $2,500 to pay for the cruise. But that was what you brought the man along for, was it not? - accepted. A COMMUNITY SERVICE | _ Piease give where you see this sion. Over 1500 needy North Shore families will go without Christmas this year unless we help. ‘ in cooperation with the North Shore News, the North Snore Christmas Bureau and the West Van Santa Claus Fund, the businesses listed below have g-nerously offered to act as food depots. Your donation of food, or a cheque made out to one of the charities below will be gratefully < - Donations by cheque can be forwarded directly to: The North Van Christmas Bureau, or The West Van S7.ata Claus Fund Box 86081, Box 9134 . North Vancouver, V7L 435 West Vancouver. V7V 3N3 North Vancouver Depots: . A Shade Better - North Shore Credit Unien Salvation Army 1705 Marine Drive 3131 E2gemont Blvd. 105 West 12th (Lonsdale) Bay City North Shore Nissan Sports Experts 972 Marine Drive 1160 Marine Drive 1325 Marine Drive Beaver Lumber ; Dave Buck Ford Stong’s 915 West Ist St. 879 Marine Dr. 415 Dollarton Highway _ Buy Low Foods Dick Irwin Sussex Realty 730 West 14th St. 845 Marine Drive 2996 Lonsdale Ave. Capilano Nurseries Henley & Associates Sutton Realty #101-123 East 15th Imperial Centre . 2747 Mountain Hwy. 102-145 W. 15th Avenue © North Shore Winter Club 1325 East Keith Road 705 West 3rd (Marine Drive) Central Auto Parts 817 West 1st Crest Realty Lonsdale Quay Petro Canada 650 Westview Shopping Ctr. 123 Carrie Cates Court 1245 Lonsdale Ave. North Shore Credit Union Lumberland Mr. Munchies 399 Dollarton Hwy. 1160 East 3rd St. (Main St. 180 W. Esplanade North Shore Credit Union Mitten Realty Time Out Sports 940 West 16th St. Queens Cross 2989 Lonsdale Avenue West Vancouver Depots North Shore Credit Union Stongs 2080 Park Royal South 2491 Marine Drive West Van Furniture Petro Canada Lynn Valley Shopping Centre Petro Canada 1980 Marine Dr. 1247 Ross Road North Shore Credit Union 1080 Marine Drive Alabaster Box 6685 Royal Avenue Horseshoe Bay Bell Realty ; 1582 Marine Drive 2196 Marine Drive 1381 Marine Drive Windsor Meats Hemisphere Realty 1819 Marine Drive Caulfeild Village Headland Drive TE VOICE OF MHOSTTH AND WEST VANCOUVER: ‘north shore. For a happier Christmas SUNDAY ¢ WEDNESDAY + FRIDAY