Tell me about Windstar...how does it compare to Celebrity?

Looking at 7-day Windsurf out of St. Maarten for a milestone anniversary cruise.

The price point is very reasonable compared to some other lines we've looked at; we've sailed Celebrity and Royal Caribbean before and are looking for something that is more of a step up.

Important to us:

Food, ambiance, service, ports of call, enrichment.

Not so important:

Entertainment, late nights, shopping.

We're early 40's. Thanks for any advice you have!

We're early 50's late 40's couple. Sailed 4 time with them and would have done another one but went to Celebrity (due in part to the canadian $ loosing 40% VS US$). That being said. Your list is right on.

Food: Comparable to Celebrity. However the deck BBQ on Wind Surf is not to be missed and the private event on St-Lucia quite fun. Candle restaurant during the evening near the pool is romantic.

Great service, Great crew (second to none), Open bridge Policy. Great port of Call. Enrichment (not only the destination but the other guests experience and friendship). Like a capitain said once. "On the first dinner on the cruise we need 150 tables for 2. On the last day, we need 1 table for 300." All walks of life.

Entertainement: It's there if you want want but not comparable to the other big line. Late night at the Compass Rose can be fun. Shopping minimal on board or most port. Yhat's OK I have enough watches . LOL

Have a great time (I"m Jealous :-)

dandee2

P.S": Photo take last week in St. Lucia. We took a taxi from Castrie to go hiking on Pigeon Island. Wind Surf was there. You take a 5 minute tender to the pier.

St. Lucia - Pigeon Island National Landmark by patrioteqc, on Flickr

St. Lucia - Pigeon Island National Landmark by patrioteqc, on Flickr

My wife and I have done more than a dozen cruises on Celebrity and RCL. Just did our first Windstar in Dec and going again in 8 weeks.

To me the main difference is a 10 to 1 factor. 2000 pax on the bigger ships and 200 pax on Windstar (ok, 300 on Windsurf). That multiplier just adds to confusion and delays and less attentive service no matter how hard the bigger ships try. We enjoyed Celebrity, especially when we brought our daughter but now we are completely "on board" the smaller ships.

The ports accessible by the smaller ships also allow for a more unique experience. The staff personal service is amazing. The cuisine is very good.

The best part (as the above poster stated) is that the cruise seems like a casual country club event among friends. Relaxed and at ease. Not at all a party atmosphere but exactly what we were looking for in a vacation (also mid 50 and late 40's).

Cheers (and thank you Dandee2 for the picture of Pigeon Island, we will be there in exactly 8 weeks)

Mark

Hi Mark

Also had the photos of the lunch event at Pigeon Island but did not want to spoil the day with the advance screening LOL.

The greatest wifi can be found a few step from the beach at this bar. And don't miss the sailaway past The Pitons and get a great photo opportunity on the front of the ship.

St. Lucia - Sailing through the sunset by patrioteqc, on Flickr

St. Lucia - Pigeon Island National Landmark by patrioteqc, on Flickr

That is like comparing apples to oranges. Windstar has only 200-350 people. The casino and gym are very limited and small. The entertainment is basically non existant. There is one restaurant and one bar.

Celebrity is 10x more in everything from passengers to activities to amenities.

It all depends what you want. I prefer small ships when touring and sightseeing for the convenience. For the caribbean where there is nothing to do and nowhere to go, I prefer the options of a decent gym, numerous areas to relax and sun, multiple bar and restaurant options, a large casino, lots of activities available, and good entertainment.

I am elite+ on Celebrity and like it. Celebrity does a nice cruise. You share the ship with thousands of other people. Celebrity has lots of venues and choices. Food is good, cabins are nice, and service is good. I also like Windstar. Experience is very different on Windstar. The small ship with few people is ideal. No lines, no wait for service anywhere. Service on Windstar is outstanding. Food is also better on Windstar. No massive buffets with hoards of people. Breakfast and lunch are in the Veranda. On a windstar ship, you are seated at a table with a white linen tablecloth. You can select from the small buffet or order off the menu. The waiter will get you anything that you want. Dinner ( no assigned or reserved tables) is served in AmphoraA or in a specialty restaurant. No surcharge. I love Candles dinner served on deck when the weather is good. Windstar has no big time shows. Small time ship board nightly entertainment is charming. It reminded me of a riverboat atmosphere. Windstar is relaxing. I am looking forward to my next cruise on the Windsurf in July. I am also booked on Celebrity in May. With the price of Celebrity cruises going up and Windstar prices going down, I will on Windstar.

Looking at 7-day Windsurf out of St. Maarten for a milestone anniversary cruise.

 

The price point is very reasonable compared to some other lines we've looked at; we've sailed Celebrity and Royal Caribbean before and are looking for something that is more of a step up.

 

Important to us:

Food, ambiance, service, ports of call, enrichment.

 

Not so important:

Entertainment, late nights, shopping.

 

We're early 40's. Thanks for any advice you have!

Can't speak to the sailing vessels, but we recently returned from a cruise in Central America wishing to compare WS to our totally positive experiences on a similar size power vessel, the Paul Gauguin. If interested:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=525426

For dandee 2, in your post above...i am just beginning to look at windstar for the very first time. In your photo of the ship, there is another in front, to the left of it. For size comparison, do you know if that other ship was from a cruise line...and which one? Thanks!

For dandee 2, in your post above...i am just beginning to look at windstar for the very first time. In your photo of the ship, there is another in front, to the left of it. For size comparison, do you know if that other ship was from a cruise line...and which one? Thanks!

That is one of the 2 SeaDream Yachts. Holds just over 100 pax. It or its sister ship seems to be in the same ports during the Winter Carib runs.

Cheers

Tiki_Man got it right. Seadream. :-)

Dandee2