Windstar Sail Cruises

Peter S. Greenberg's article, "Override Wimpy Fears" (May 8), represents a misguided effort to address a non-existent problem and, as a result, may have raised needless concerns and questions among your readers. Contrary to statements in the article, I am not aware of any rush of cancellations of European plans by travelers. I am also unaware of any cruise lines that have repositioned their ships out of the Mediterranean this summer. Actually we have, since mid-April, experienced a substantial increase in the bookings for our weekly Wind Spirit cruises from Monte Carlo.

After having been thwarted recently in a bid to diversify into the luxury end of the cruise business, Carnival Cruise Lines--styled as "the cruise line for the masses--said Friday that it now intends to buy Holland America Line's Seattle-based travel and tourism companies for $625 million. Carnival described the Holland America deal as a significant move to broaden its market beyond its present emphasis on discount-priced cruises. Holland America is in the luxury end of the industry.

I was surprised to see that Frank Riley apparently is not aware of Wind Song's Tahiti cruises, as they were excluded from his discussion of cruises in his article on Tahiti (Dec. 27, 1987). The Wind Song, our new 148-passenger cruise ship, has been sailing weekly in Tahiti since July, 1987. These cruises have been very popular and successful, with almost half of our business coming from California. Our third new ship, the Wind Spirit, is on schedule and will have her inaugural on April 9, 1988, from Monte Carlo.

Peter S. Greenberg's article, "Override Wimpy Fears" (May 8), represents a misguided effort to address a non-existent problem and, as a result, may have raised needless concerns and questions among your readers. Contrary to statements in the article, I am not aware of any rush of cancellations of European plans by travelers. I am also unaware of any cruise lines that have repositioned their ships out of the Mediterranean this summer. Actually we have, since mid-April, experienced a substantial increase in the bookings for our weekly Wind Spirit cruises from Monte Carlo.

After having been thwarted recently in a bid to diversify into the luxury end of the cruise business, Carnival Cruise Lines--styled as "the cruise line for the masses--said Friday that it now intends to buy Holland America Line's Seattle-based travel and tourism companies for $625 million. Carnival described the Holland America deal as a significant move to broaden its market beyond its present emphasis on discount-priced cruises. Holland America is in the luxury end of the industry.

While airline takeovers, mergers and route transfers have occupied headlines and newscasts for several months, a quieter but equally long-ranging series of changes has been going on in the cruise industry. It's comparable to Detroit's realization some years back that not everybody coveted block-long gas-guzzlers with tail fins, that a lot of consumers would put cash on the barrel head to buy economical little cars from Japanese firms who had a better grasp on what the public really wanted.

At long last there's a ship for the die-hards who think they'd get bored on a standard cruise, for people who shy away from the big ships, for erstwhile skippers who like to stand on the bridge with the captain. It's for couples who want to be alone together on a remote island beach instead of on a group bus tour of St. Thomas, and for anyone who would rather snorkel or windsurf than play bingo or line up for the midnight buffet.

If you can swing a weekend in Palm Springs or Las Vegas, you can afford a cruise. You can cruise the Caribbean for as little as $50 a day, the Mexican Riviera for $80 a day and the Pacific and Canadian coast for as low as $83. That's almost as cheap as staying home. And you can still tan by the pool, the casinos are lively until late, there's a main stage show and a cabaret or piano bar, and the all-you-can-eat buffet is open often and included in the cost.

Carnival Cruise Lines has reached an agreement in principle to buy Holland America Line's travel and tourism operations for $625 million, it was announced today. The purchase includes all Holland America cruise operations, Westours, Westmark Hotels and Windstar Sail Cruises, said a joint announcement by Mickey Arison, president of Carnival, and Nico van der Vorm, chairman of Holland America Line. Closing of the proposed transaction is expected by Jan.

I was surprised to see that Frank Riley apparently is not aware of Wind Song's Tahiti cruises, as they were excluded from his discussion of cruises in his article on Tahiti (Dec. 27, 1987). The Wind Song, our new 148-passenger cruise ship, has been sailing weekly in Tahiti since July, 1987. These cruises have been very popular and successful, with almost half of our business coming from California. Our third new ship, the Wind Spirit, is on schedule and will have her inaugural on April 9, 1988, from Monte Carlo.

If you can swing a weekend in Palm Springs or Las Vegas, you can afford a cruise. You can cruise the Caribbean for as little as $50 a day, the Mexican Riviera for $80 a day and the Pacific and Canadian coast for as low as $83. That's almost as cheap as staying home. And you can still tan by the pool, the casinos are lively until late, there's a main stage show and a cabaret or piano bar, and the all-you-can-eat buffet is open often and included in the cost.

At long last there's a ship for the die-hards who think they'd get bored on a standard cruise, for people who shy away from the big ships, for erstwhile skippers who like to stand on the bridge with the captain. It's for couples who want to be alone together on a remote island beach instead of on a group bus tour of St. Thomas, and for anyone who would rather snorkel or windsurf than play bingo or line up for the midnight buffet.

While airline takeovers, mergers and route transfers have occupied headlines and newscasts for several months, a quieter but equally long-ranging series of changes has been going on in the cruise industry. It's comparable to Detroit's realization some years back that not everybody coveted block-long gas-guzzlers with tail fins, that a lot of consumers would put cash on the barrel head to buy economical little cars from Japanese firms who had a better grasp on what the public really wanted.

It was masquerade night aboard Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam. In the middle of the parade of California raisins, Raggedy Anns and hula dancers were two elderly women dressed in Japanese kimono and black wigs. One carried a sign that read: "New Owners of Holland America Line." The emcee grinned. "That should be news to Carnival," he said.

A friend of ours telephoned the other day to grouse about writers heaping praise on cruise lines that offer single-sitting meals. Most cruise ships offer two meal sittings because their dining rooms are too small to seat all the passengers at the same time. The first-sitting dinner usually begins at 6 or 6:30 p.m., with the late or second sitting starting at 8 or 8:30 p.m.