Island Windjammers - Cruising to success
'Yes, I would recommend this to a friend' is one of the best compliments a company can hear from its customers, and based on customer response cards received by the company, not a single traveler would not recommend Island Windjammers to a friend.
This strong endorsement for the company is also reflected by the many postings on the company’s Facebook page (facebook.com/pages/Island-Windjammers-Inc/90920015468).
“As a young company, we are thrilled with the responses!” said Island Windjammers president Liz Harvey. “We are a company of windjammer travelers with a passion for providing an unforgettable tall ship cruising experience. We are striving to create the fun and fanatical customer loyalty that is associated with Starbucks, Harley Davidson, M&M’s and Ben & Jerry’s.
Having such a high degree of customer satisfaction is unusual for any company, let alone one that provides a service. “Our guests have offered some suggestions to improve,” continued Harvey. “Nonetheless, the week long cruises have met or exceeded their expectations.”
Leading reasons for the high customer satisfaction are the crew, the food and the itinerary. Personal comments from the travelers, in addition to their favorable check-the-box ratings, were common.
“We review the previous week’s cruise feedback from the guests, and discuss what worked, as well as what we might want to do differently,” said Captain Matt Thomas. “It's always a work in progress. The consistency basically comes from hard work.”
Captain Matt added, “The most consistent comment I've received is that the crew is fantastic. The majority of the crew is West Indian. They want the guests to see first hand what a wonderful part of the world they live in. Add to that the beautiful weather, great food, sailing, and beaches, all while being on what feels at times like your own private yacht. It makes for a winning combination.”
Food quality, variety and presentation received near perfect positive ratings, with 99% rating these as a 4 or 5 on a 5 point scale.
Seasoned travelers, (those who have previously been on 5 or more tall ship sailing cruises) confirmed that Island Windjammers' efforts to create a new company that offers the best of Windjammer Barefoot Cruise experience are a success. (Windjammer Barefoot Cruises ceased operations in Fall, 2007.) One traveler wrote, “Best Windjammer yet!” Another traveler commented, “Thank you for bringing back the dream! We had a wonderful time and have fallen in love with these Islands! I will return.”
Island Windjammers operates six-night, all-inclusive cruises from Grenada on the 101-foot brigantine schooner Diamant. The company plans to add a second ship in the next 12-24 months.
For more information, visit: islandwindjammers.com
