#GatheringCRUISES- On the same day of the eagerly awaited Gathering Cruise which sets off next Thursday (18 July) from Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the Wind Surf a 14,745 tonnes cruiseship sporting five masts and each 50m/164 ft-high is due to berth, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Wind Surf has 7 triangular, self-furling, computer-operated sails with 26,881 square feet (or 2,600 square meters) on a Dacron surface area.
The 7-decked vessel has a guest capacity for 310 who are accommodated in 123 de-luxe ocean-view staterooms and a couple of de-luxe suites situated on the bridge deck.
Originally the Wind Surf was launched as Club Med 1 and her sister as previously reported is the Club Med 2 which recently called to Irish ports for the first time to include Dublin Port.
Operators Windstar Cruises are bringing the 1998 built vessel to Irish waters in what is undertood to be also her inaugural visit to Irish waters and this evening the ship departed Portsmouth bound for Dartmouth.
Following her call to the Devon port, the cruise which is a total of 7-nights (with fares starting from around £2,300 sterling per person), is also to visit Falmouth, the Scilly Isles, Milford Haven and Holyhead.
The Co. Waterford coast will in fact be her first Irish port of call where the 162m/535ft vessel is due to anchor off Dunmore East on 16 July. While on the same day the Sea Cloud II, another luxury cruise tallship rigged with three-masts is to call to Dublin Port following her visit to Cork Harbour which is scheduled to call this Saturday.
