Worried About My Starpride Cruise. Any opinions.

I just booked my first cruise for my wife and I. We don't like insane parties, so my AAA travel advisor suggested the Starpride, as an "intimate" cruising experience. We needed to book the trip quickly, as the 1/20/2018 San Juan trip is fast approaching. I felt pressured, but pulled the trigger today, the same day that she made the suggestion.

Now, I'm having reservations, after looking at recent reviews of this ship and seeing so many negative reviews.

Should I cancel this reservation?

Any input would be appreciated.

We are sailing on Star Pride in April for the first time. We've done the big ships and are looking forward to a small intimate and low key cruise where the focus is on the destinations. We've read the reviews but always take them with a grain of salt. Ask yourself what you are looking for on the cruise.

You should not be worried but be excited. Simply put from someone who has been on WS ships 20 times: small ports, extrodinary service, inventive, healthly, fresh foods prepared beautifully, quiet, no wild parties, elegant without being ostentatious, beautiful rooms, no announcements, privacy, friendly shipmates, open bridge, no lines, swim platform, great deck barbecue, wonderful beach picnic, simply lovely. Happy Sailing.

I just booked my first cruise for my wife and I. We don't like insane parties, so my AAA travel advisor suggested the Starpride, as an "intimate" cruising experience. We needed to book the trip quickly, as the 1/20/2018 San Juan trip is fast approaching. I felt pressured, but pulled the trigger today, the same day that she made the suggestion.

Now, I'm having reservations, after looking at recent reviews of this ship and seeing so many negative reviews.

Should I cancel this reservation?

Any input would be appreciated.

I think if you are expecting a relaxing, luxurious vacation with great food, great ports, a great ship, and all your needs taken care of by a smiling crew then you will be very pleased! Things you will not see: lines or queues, bad buffet food, loud parties or discos (except the great party at the deck BBQ one night), or inattentive service. Here are two videos I think you should watch, which match my impressions of Windstar:

1. What to expect when sailing with Windstar:

2. A review of Star Pride:

Enjoy your cruise!!!

I took a quick look at the reviews on this site. Overall the Pride is currently getting 4.5 out of 5 stars. Hard to do much better overall.

I reviewed the 1 and 2 star reviews.

There are 5 1 star reviews, all from 2014 and 2015 sailing. Yes, the beginning of the Pride was rocky. We were on one of the the very first cruises (Singapore to Dubai) and there were issues, but we were a small group and so overwhelmingly repeaters that they scrubbed the Yacht Club reception and just invited the entire ship. The crew was the best, ever, and we found ways to have a great time. You can ignore those 3-4 year old reviews, much has changed, especially with the refurbishment complete (at least for now.) The Pride was the first out, and WS learned a lot, did a greater number of renovations on the other other two and then brought the Pride back in for a 2nd round of work.

There are 3 2* reviews. One is also old. One of the newer ones is primarily complaining about the ports, and about the zodiacs in particular. That is cruise specific. The other seems to be a combination of a cursed voyage (they happen) and and expectation of Luxury that WS never promised. On every cruise there is always one couple who just looks grumpy and when I ask them what they think of WS they say "horrible, there's nothing to do". But, that's the point. Get off the ship every morning and either take a tour or just explore. Then back for cocktails, dinner and bed. What more do you really need?

I was astounded by the comments about the arrogant staff, since nothing could be further from the truth overall. We did have one cruise where the entire crew just looked like they weren't into it and I understood when I overheard two of the senior staff having a bitch fest, but that was an outlier. We now get hugs when we show up dockside, the captain greets us by name, the security person smiles and waves, the person working the reception desk walks out for hugs and the bartender has our drinks ready. The food is much better than banquet, but certainly not haute cuisine. Again, 2014 and 2015 was when WS was emerging from a round of quite bad food and things have improved dramatically. The spa is indeed small, but this is a small ship, what do you expect?

Relax, chill out, set your expectations to an 8, and you'll have a great time.

RELAX!!! Windstar cruises are excellent. They are very different from the huge mass market ships. While they don't have lots of bells and whistles like skating rinks and rock climbing walls, they have gorgeous cabins( Star ships are all suites), exquisite food, and fabulous service. They are small which allows them to get into ports that the huge ships cannot enter. Recently, I was on the Star Legend. We went up the river and docked in Seville. 5 minute stroll and we were in the center of town. The mass market ships dock in Cadiz and have a 2+ hour drive to get there. I would rather sail on Windstar than any line. After you sail on Windstar, you will want to do it AGAIN.

We have taken only 1 WS cruise - a 13 night on the Surf in the Caribbean - and absolutely loved it. When we got an offer (that we couldn't refuse) for the Pride TA we were all in. I have NO DOUBT we will have an amazing time. 13 days at sea on a beautiful ship and, if our Surf experience was any indication, an awesome crew. I work in the hospitality industry and my business relies on reviews. Trust me when I tell you - as someone previously said - to take the bad ones with a grain of salt. Someone will always find something petty to complain about. Go with the majority: if everyone says the food is great, then it probably is. One person shouldn't put a damper on your vacation. Discover for yourself.

When I see posts here (especially about Star Pride) related to "bad reviews" I am often surprised how folks seem to mostly be looking comments from very early in Windstar's ownership. And frankly, there are a few reviews that tell me far more about the writer than they tell me about Windstar or the Star Pride.

If you are looking for an "amusement park" cruise experience, Windstar is likely not for you. If you are looking for a "luxury resort" experience, you have come to the right place. We travel on Windstar to be part of an overall travel experience related to our destinations and the people we shared them with. The "people" included our fellow guests and the crew. We were not left wanting in any regard.

The only guests we have met on Windstar who voiced any displeasure were a small extended family group who said they were expecting more nightly entertainment. Those folks said their favorite cruise line is Princess, for that very reason. We found the best evening "entertainment" to be wonderful conversations (usually in the Yacht Club) with new friends.

The comments I most often make to people about why Windstar is now my first choice is simple, with two key points: Windstar seems to truly attract the travelers I am most likely to select as my traveling companions. Every staff member aboard Windstar makes me feel like I am dealing with "long-time colleagues" not nameless "service personnel". If you prefer to be referred to as "sir" or "madame", Windstar may not be for you. If you enjoy being called by your first name all day (as we do) you are going to feel at home on Windstar.

If I have not already said too much for you, my review from August 2016 can be found at: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=545323. I went back to look at today and would not change anything I said.

Loved your review Del Rio. We too appreciate the lure of the sea and the warm fellowship of our traveling companions. I intend to be quietly at the rail each morning as we enter port, something I personally find almost mystical. I also look forward to making friends for the week and offering to be 'tour guide' at St. Barts for some folks who haven't been there before.

Also looking forward to the water platform in warm protected bays. I hope that Windstar will have 2-3 young people dedicated to the watersports experience. That was one thing we truly loved about Star Clippers. Recall vividly those kids working very hard to make that part of the trip memorable.

We just came back from a Star Pride "Caribbean Treasures" cruise (was originally supposed to be a VBI centered cruise). Overall a great experience, but the ship itself has serious maintenance issues. The food was a solid, but not high for the most part. Ports were great. Staff and service was top notch. They instantly knew our names and bent over backwards to please. Entertainment was very low key, but fit the spirit of this cruise well.

The maintenance issues... The pool was out of commission for almost the entire trip (it never worked right even when it had water in it), and so was the Jacuzzi on the bow. The Jacuzzi by the pool was out of commission for a couple of days as well. Sure could have used a dip on the pool on that hot sea day...They had issues with burst plumbing on deck 4 which basically flooded a large part of the hallway and some cabins. People had to be moved and they spent 4 days fixing and cleaning it up with large noisy fans. Also, some of the wood on deck is starting to rot. This ship is showing it's age, and is in bad need of a refurb.