# Sailing the Grenadines on Tradewinds



## Sunshine Wanted (Jul 14, 2009)

Hi everyone.  I recently returned from the most wonderful trip to the Grenadines.  We sailed with Tradewinds and absolutely LOVED IT.  Fantastic vacation - island hopping on a luxury yacht with a captain and first mate who cater to everything you want?  Who could ask for more!  I have written a review under the resort review section as well.  Also, if anyone has questions about this type of experience, I'd be more than happy to answer.  It is SO FUN!

I have posted a detailed report on Traveltalkonline under the Southern Caribbean section.  This link is directly related to the Tradewinds sailing portion (part 3), however we were gone 3 weeks and spent some time on St. Vincent and Bequia (parts 1 & 2), and a great deal of time on Grenada (part 4).  Feel free to read the other parts if interested.  :whoopie:   Love it and can't wait to go back!  Next summer... BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS.

http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1028158&an=0&page=0#Post1028158


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## Dave&Linda (Jul 18, 2009)

Glad you had a great trip and was hosted by Paul and Jan. We too were down there with them in late-May (our second time with TW in SVG) and also had a super trip. You'd never know the crew has only been with TW for a few months. BTW, did they mention there are indeed sharks around the reef in the Tobago Cays? We saw five of them, and they were not nurse sharks! Dave


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## Sandy VDH (Jul 18, 2009)

I like sharks.  I woundn't be too worried about seeing sharks.  They are a sign the reef and surrounding ocean are friendly.

Paul and Jan were great, I had them too in March.


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## Sunshine Wanted (Jul 18, 2009)

*Can I go back NOW????*

Wish I could go again - like right now - missing paradise greatly!!

Funny we all had Paul & Jan!  They were terrific and worked so hard to make sure you were happy, content, well fed, and had absolutely everything to your liking.  Great people - started the week as our crew, ended the week as friends.


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## Dave&Linda (Jul 22, 2009)

When we were down there we taught them how to play "Apples to Apples" and upon return sent them a copy of the game for the boat. Got a note from Jan that the package arrived yesterday. If you haven't played the game, get a copy for your next trip. Its a hoot!


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## Sunshine Wanted (Jul 24, 2009)

Sounds like fun!!  Have not heard of that one...


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## Carol C (Aug 22, 2009)

I see you all are owners. Do you love Tradewinds or what? What are all the various Tradwinds routings...and do you have a favorite? LOL, you make me want to find an exchange right now!

So, let me ask you if there is a no-smoking policy onboard? That's the only thing that would preclude me from exchanging; I'd hate to even be downwind outside on deck. Also how is the food and is it worth the extra charge?


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## shagnut (Aug 22, 2009)

The food is good and you don't have a choice, eat it or starve!! I've been on 2 of them and if I were ever to buy another ts it would be with TW. The AI is a little high since I'm paying for 2. Kelli loved it but said it wasn't something she'd like to do every year.  * I would" I love the snorkeling.  shaggy


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## dchilds (Aug 22, 2009)

Carol C said:


> So, let me ask you if there is a no-smoking policy onboard? That's the only thing that would preclude me from exchanging; I'd hate to even be downwind outside on deck. Also how is the food and is it worth the extra charge?



I've seen the crew smoke at the stern, which is down wind from the rest of the boat when anchored.

If you have any food dislikes or allergies, you can let them know in advance, and they will fix something different on days that you would have issues.  The meals are very good, better than bar food, not as good as 4 star restaurants.  The AI fee includes unlimited drinks and paying for the crew. 

Trade Winds is the most relaxing vacation we've ever had, and we love it.  Our next trip is to the BVI in 5 weeks.


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## Pat H (Aug 23, 2009)

What are the AI fee and the expected tip for the crew?


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## dchilds (Aug 23, 2009)

*AI Fees and Tips*



Pat H said:


> What are the AI fee and the expected tip for the crew?



Owners pay an AI fee of around $800pp (it keeps climbing), and a $200 tip is normal.  For really amazing service we tip up to $350.  For example, the boat has "standard" soda, beer, wine and liquor, and we asked our first crew if we could go provisioning with them to purchase our prefered drinks.  Not only did they let us go, they paid for them.  We have not had similar luck since then, so Trade Winds may have stopped future pratices.

The AI fees differ based on how you got the cabin.  I think RCI exchanges are something like $895pp, as are RCI "last calls" for $400+fees, but I don't know if that changed.  As an owner referal, the fees are something like $2450/cabin (2 people), which seems expensive, but is much less expensive than the owner's total cost, once you include purchase price and maintenance fees.  It might even be less than the RCI exchange, once you include a portion of your timeshare purchase price, your maintenance fee, and the RCI membership and exchange fee.

You can only be a referal once.  Owners get nothing for refering someone, but they do get 1/2 a week if the referal buys a membership in Trade Winds.

We purchased a 12 week membership, and we go at least once a year, and we take advantage of RCI deals, and Trade Winds specials like their last minute bonus weeks.


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## Sandy VDH (Aug 23, 2009)

The AI food is great.  I am always amazed that the cook and get all of that cooking done in a galley that size.  I usually love all but perhaps 1 meal on the entire cruise. 

They do take your requests and likes and dislikes, allergeries etc.  They do what they can about getting your requests for soda and drinks etc, but at some locations availaiblity is an issue.  My husband drinks Diet Coke ONLY.  He is diabetic and needs something sugar free.  Diet coke is sometimes hard to come by and is also very expensive.  More than beer for sure and can be $2 a can.  We scoured the entire island looking for diet coke and ended up with 4 cases for the week, and it turns out there were 4 or 5 people on board that preferred diet coke.  I love Ting, a carbonated Grapefruit drink, but it is not always available.  Provision is a challenge on some islands.  BVI is better, SVG and Belize is likely the hardest.


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## Dave&Linda (Aug 25, 2009)

Carol C: I think I'd be correct to say that without a doubt most, if not all, TWCC owners do in fact love the deal. Right now you call sail out of and around the British Virgin Islands, Antigua, St. Martin/Maarten, Belize, Bequia (St Vincent and the Grenadines), Greece, Turkey, Red Sea, and Panama. We have been on eight cruises (seven to the Caribbean and one to Greece) and have never had a bad trip or met fellow shipmates, to include members, RCIers, or referrals, who did't enjoy themselves. As for smoking no problem as long as you sit on the stern. Many crewmembers do smoke and it is no big deal. I think the best way to go is via a referral as somebody already mentioned. Getting an RCI trade can be difficult and there are plenty of TWCC members on TUG who would be willing to sponsor a referral as we have no quota or restrictions on who we can refer.  [Out of compliance info. removed.]


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## jtridle (Sep 2, 2009)

Dave&Linda said:


> Getting an RCI trade can be difficult and there are plenty of TWCC members on TUG who would be willing to sponsor a referral as we have no quota or restrictions on who we can refer. Let me or others know if you are interested. Dave & Linda



If we were to be referred by you or someone else, can you get us more than one cabin on the same boat, same trip?


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## cerralee (Sep 2, 2009)

*I am sooo jealous!!*

The tradewinds cats are the ONE trip I really want to go on.  If I remember right Shaggy went on one on her own.  I keep trying to talk the hubby into going but he will not go on a boat for love nor money.  Now trying to talk the daughter into going, she graduates in December-wouldn't that be a lovely grad present (for mom-getting her through college deserves something)!!  If not, I want to go it alone-or at least seriously consider it.  Is everyone else on board usually a couple or are there single trippers that go on these?

Lee


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## Sandy VDH (Sep 2, 2009)

I have gone by myself one, other wise I usually go with my husband.  I have seen a solo passenger of 4 of my 11 trips.  So it does happen occassionally.  I have had to same solo passenger of 3 of the 4 trips that I have had, not planned but we keep running into her.  Solo is not really an issue, as it is a community dinner and the cat itself is not huge, so you spend lots of time with others.  As a matter of fact it is one of the better choices for solo travel, as there is always someone around, as people usually only nap, change or sleep in their cabins, not much else.


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## Sandy VDH (Sep 2, 2009)

jtridle said:


> If we were to be referred by you or someone else, can you get us more than one cabin on the same boat, same trip?



Not sure, but I think so.  It would actually be two referrals,  one referral for each cabin.  Who is planning on occupying the second cabin?


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## shagnut (Sep 2, 2009)

Yes, I went solo once and had a blast. If you need a travelmate I'll be glad to go!!!   Of course I've got a reputation as a crazy roomie  The only thing I guarantee is you will have a fun time.  shaggy


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## dchilds (Sep 3, 2009)

Sandy Lovell said:


> Not sure, but I think so.  It would actually be two referrals,  one referral for each cabin.  Who is planning on occupying the second cabin?



You may need to contact Trade Winds independently, to find out which cabins are available, and each get the same week.  It's best to hear they have two cabins left on one boat.  They may tell you they have two cabins for a week, but that doesn't guarantee the same boat.

We take advantage of last minute and other Trade Winds specials, so we're actually behind on our usage.


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## Sandy VDH (Sep 3, 2009)

dchilds said:


> We take advantage of last minute and other Trade Winds specials, so we're actually behind on our usage.




So am I, of our 16 weeks we have sailed we have actually only used 8 of our alloted cabins.  We have used 6 Late Breaks and booked a whole yacht, for cabins 25% off (so paid for 3 and got 4 cabins) and also got the extra cabin free because it was the Royal cape, so that accounts for the other 2 cabins.

So we are far far behind our planned allottment.  We plan to take the whole yacht again some time in the future when the economy gets better.


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## jtridle (Sep 3, 2009)

Sandy Lovell said:


> Not sure, but I think so.  It would actually be two referrals,  one referral for each cabin.  Who is planning on occupying the second cabin?



Our kids.  I know my husband and I would love this type of trip as we have rented a boat with Moorings in BVI with other friends.  I'm not a sailor as far as enjoying the actual sailing of the boat but my husband enjoys it and he would like to help sail the boat.  He would probably be a little disappointed if he couldn't do that to some extent but I understand that you can help out if you wish with the sailing.  I've just thought it would be a nice trip to take the kids on but some have never been out on a boat so don't know if they would get seasick and some might not want to chance it.  If I could get them all to go we would need four cabins but I doubt you could do four referrals.  And I doubt I could get them all to go anyway.


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## Fletcher921 (Sep 3, 2009)

I wouldn't worry too much about about seasick times in the BVI's.  They are usually so smooth i have never had a problem and I am very prone to seasickness.  The Grenadines were fine when we were there in June a couple years ago - but they can get rocky on occasion.


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## Sandy VDH (Sep 3, 2009)

jtridle said:


> Our kids.  I know my husband and I would love this type of trip as we have rented a boat with Moorings in BVI with other friends.  I'm not a sailor as far as enjoying the actual sailing of the boat but my husband enjoys it and he would like to help sail the boat.  He would probably be a little disappointed if he couldn't do that to some extent but I understand that you can help out if you wish with the sailing.  I've just thought it would be a nice trip to take the kids on but some have never been out on a boat so don't know if they would get seasick and some might not want to chance it.  If I could get them all to go we would need four cabins but I doubt you could do four referrals.  And I doubt I could get them all to go anyway.



What age of the kids?  TWCC is for 16 and older ONLY.  You can ONLY take kids under that age if you actually book up the whole boat.  Or manage to buddy up with another family who is trying to arrange a family cruise for the same week you want.

You can help sail as much or as little as you want.  You only have to complete with other guest who also want to sail.  So DH can get into the action and you can relax.  

You can never take the whole boat on referral, at most tradewinds may allow you 1 referral cabin for each owner cabin, to book up a full boat.


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## jtridle (Sep 5, 2009)

Sandy Lovell said:


> What age of the kids?



Our "kids" are in their 20's to 40 yrs old.  I guess they're not really kids, huh?  Just what I call them.  Thanks to everybody for the information.  I hope we can go sometime in the next couple of years.  Right now probably spending too much money on our two houses now that we are retired and living in FL in winter and NE in summer.  they're older homes but new to us and we have lots of projects always going on; luckily my husband and I aren't afraid to do things ourselves so we do the work if we can.


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## Sandy VDH (Sep 6, 2009)

jtridle said:


> Our "kids" are in their 20's to 40 yrs old.  I guess they're not really kids, huh?



The "kids" could be referred on their own, as they are all adults now, Mom.   You might be able to arrange it as multiple referrals, but again it all depends on availability. Get a member to ask the questions to Tradewinds.


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## Sunshine Wanted (Sep 7, 2009)

*Better late than never...*

Hi there.  Sorry to jump in so late here!  (School has started and I am now absorbed with work.)

Food:  Wonderful food - amazing what they can do in a small galley!  When you reserve your week, they send a questionnaire asking about food likes/dislikes/allergies, etc.  

Drinks:  Open bar, you can have whatever you like.  The boat is well stocked.  

Solo Travelers:  We had 3 cabins on the boat.  My grown son was a single, and my girlfriend who joined us was as well.  She was nervous about going, as she thought she would be the only one not part of a couple.  Obviously, that wasn't true (my son), and once on the boat she did not feel uncomfortable at all.  There was another couple on the boat, and then the captain and first mate.  But truly, you do a lot as a group.  You eat together, float in the water together, snorkel together, play games after dinner together....  Within a few days, the people you did not know prior to starting your sail have become like old friends!

Help Sail?:  Of course you can!  The crew is always open to guests helping, and if you don't know much about sailing - they will help you as well!  We have sailing experience, have bareboated several times as well... but living in Alaska makes it hard to keep your sailing skills up and have sailing practice.  So, TW makes perfect sense for us - we don't have to worry about provisioning, boat handling chores, setting an anchor drag alarm or anything else!  We just go, have fun, enjoy the sailing and can do as much (or as little) as we want!

It truly is a fantastic experience!  We did the Grenadines this summer, BVI next summer and debating about Belize for our next charter.  (although we love the Grenadines and really want to go back there - so debating...)


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