ridethetide

Besides the obvious health benefits to limiting your consumption of animal fats, many who eat plant-based diets, myself included, do so for ethical reasons. I personally would rather that an animal did not die for my dinner. I do not criticize those who choose to eat meat or fish, but I want to maintain the option to be vegetarian at home and when I travel. I applaud WS for adding the plant-based diet to their menu. It might not meet with your approval, but I am certain that it has pleased and will continue to please many WS passengers. I strongly believe that you are mistaken that the plant-based menu items on the WS ships are "ultra-processed" and are simply whipped oils, chemicals and coloring. The good news is that WS now offers menus that will suit the dietary needs and desires of those who choose to be plant-based and will not affect the menus of those who are omnivorous. Happy Sailing!

I found the plant-based menu to be interesting and tasty. I am vegetarian, not vegan and not gluten-free. The only place where plant-based options were missing was in the serving of hors d'oeuvres with cocktails. My recent cruise in Iceland was my 10th WS cruise, and I have always mentioned this lack of vegetarian options on my surveys. I guess nobody has taken my suggestions seriously. The vegetarian meal options, however, are plentiful and delicious.

Most cruise lines celebrate the crossing of the equator, Arctic Circle, or Antarctic Circle. I recently crossed the Arctic Circle on a Windstar ship and received a "blue nose". I imagine that AOV celebrates crossing the Antarctic Circle with a "red nose" ceremony. I will be on the January 4th cruise that crosses so I will see.

Cabin 404 on the Star Pride is is very much at the front of the ship. It also is one of the cabins that has a bath tub, if that matters to you.

All soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea are complimentary. They provide two carafes of drinking water daily, which I found to be quite good. Star Collector voyages are cruises that combine two or more itineraries back-to-back.

I recently sailed on the Star Breeze, and there were no power outlets next to the bed.

We were extremely lucky in that we only had one day where the weather was "Icelandic" (windy, rainy, cold). It was in the 50s and 60s the other days with lots of sun and calm seas. You can't count on that delightful weather, however. I would bring a rain jacket, parka with hood, waterproof hiking shoes/sneakers, waterproof pants, fleece shirt or jacket, sweater, wool socks, warm hat and gloves. I wore fleece-lined leggings frequently. Bring a bathing suit for the hot tub, sauna, and steam bath. Dressing in layers is the best way to go. You will love the cruise. Wishing you smooth sailing.

I did an itinerary from Colon to St. Martin pre-Covid on the Star Breeze or Legend. It included from your list Cartagena, Aruba, and Bonaire. Cartagena was a wonderful place to visit, and Bonaire offered lovely drift snorkeling. I've been to Mayreau, St Lucia and Bridgetown on other Windstar sailings, and loved them. Although I have never been to San Blas, it is supposed to be gorgeous, and is indeed a tourist destination. Perhaps the day at San Blas is the beach party and that's why no excursions are offered. I just recently disembarked from the Star Pride, having done the Iceland circumnavigation. We didn't need air conditioning in Iceland. Food and service were impeccable as always.

Nobody ever stated that I was not allowed to do so. In fact, they wrap the sandwiches up for me to take. How do you know it is not permitted? Where is that stated?

I have often taken sandwiches from the Yacht Club off the ship to eat ashore.

Just disembarked from the Star Pride this morning. Starlink is a huge improvement. I found the service to be quite efficient.

All aboard is 30 minutes before departure.

My TA booked kayaking for our January cruise, but we were waitlisted. The slots fill up early apparently.

We will be on that sailing as well. Can't wait!

I actually loved the sloshing sound and slept incredibly well.

This photo was taken from our cabin on Deck 1 of the Wind Star while cruising from Colon, Panama to Bermuda, a re-positioning cruise that they never have repeated.

I have Speedo brand as well, and they are terrific.

My TA just confirmed that it is the Hilton in Buenos Aires..

You could purchase cloudberry jam or lingonberry jam.

On all Windstar ships they provide L’OCCITANE shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash and soap. Lovely lemon verbena fragrance.

It is actually quite rare to see children as young as 10 years old on any Windstar ship. There are no planned children's activities/entertainment. That's something to keep in mind. Each child, of course, is different, but some might find the time on board boring. To the best of my knowledge, there is no discount for children.

I bring mine and nobody has said anything about it.

Yes, they provide a bag in every cabin whether you use it for the package or piecemeal or not at all. The laundry service is highly recommended.

When we stopped in Montserrat several years ago on the Legend, we not only had quiet seas but the winds were blowing in the direction which allowed us a clear view of the top of the volcano. Apparently, that is rare.

The tour of the buried city was quite fascinating.