The Breeze, Windstar cruisers, tell me about her please.

[Lois R]

😃Hello Windstar cruisers, after looking at Windstar for a long time, I have a cabin on hold on The Breeze for May 2022.

 

The itinerary is San Diego to Vancouver........I love the Pacific Coast and haven't been in quite a few years.  I have been sailing Silversea over the past 5 years and prior to that Celebrity for many, many years.  So been on Mass Market and Luxury.......Windstar has been on my radar for a long time.  I know the Breeze has recently been in a drydock.......what can ya'll tell me about the line and the ship?😃

 

Thanks so much!!!

 

 

[Essiesmom]

There are a couple of ‘live from’ threads on the second page.  EM

[RemPuck]

Hello @Lois R!

 

I've been a lurker on the Silversea board and have been watching your adventures in Greece and Alaska this summer.  

 

We've only been on Star Breeze (and Windstar) once (a second trip, to Alaska, was a Covid victim), but we've got a trip this December on Windsurf and are still trying to get to Alaska on Star Breeze.  Our Star Breeze trip was pre-stretch.

 

It was a fully booked cruise, but there were only about 210 passengers.  The crew were calling us by name by day 2.  If I arrived at a bar for cocktails, I was not only offered my regular drink, but asked if my husband was on his way and if they should get his regular drink ready, too.

 

The food was fantastic, the deck party a blast, our fellow guests easy to meet and spend time with (with so few passengers and a 10 day trip, we became friends with many very quickly and easily).   The room (a French Balcony) was very spacious, and the bathroom was BIG.  (And all the bathrooms are new post stretch and look incredible.)

 

Things can be a bit "quiet" in the evenings, but the Pool Bar had a duo playing in the evenings and we enjoyed nightcaps there regularly.

 

I can't comment on the newly added restaurants (though if you read reviews from earlier this summer, they sound to be very good). Beverages and gratuities are not included in the regular fare, but there are good deals with the "all in" package (beverages, gratuities, wifi and laundry for a very good price). And they do fantastic work on laundry!

 

I do hope you'll make the leap.

[Lois R]

Hi Rempuck, thank you for the detailed reply. I do appreciate it🙂....the gal I spoke with on the phone was really nice and she said she would hold a cabin for me till the end of the week (she was very kind).

From what you posted I think I would enjoy the atmosphere.  Will give it some serious thought for sure.🙂

[Pudgesmom]

Lois R- I’m sorry to hear you did not

take any of the other Windstar cruises discussed here over the years. I hope this time will be a go.

Edited September 21, 2021 by Pudgesmom

[Lois R]

37 minutes ago, Pudgesmom said:

Lois R- I’m sorry to hear you did not

take any of the other Windstar cruises discussed here over the years. I hope this time will be a go.

Hi😃 yes, I will say I have thought about it but ended up either on a river cruise or have gone on Silversea multiple times.......once I started sailing with them I loved it (A LOT)😀

[Second seating]

We love Windstar and our Baltic cruise 2018 was on the Star Breeze before the change. It was a little dated but was one of my favorite ships! Our 5th cruise with them was cancelled due to Covid last December but we have the Bordeaux to Amsterdam booked next May. Great food and the service is wonderful!!!

 

Second seating

[Lois R]

Thanks for all the replies........will have to look for something later in the year (2022)......something just came up and I can't go in May.  I will keep searching👍

[HuliHuli]

On 9/20/2021 at 1:39 PM, Lois R said:

😃Hello Windstar cruisers, after looking at Windstar for a long time, I have a cabin on hold on The Breeze for May 2022.

 

The itinerary is San Diego to Vancouver........I love the Pacific Coast and haven't been in quite a few years.  I have been sailing Silversea over the past 5 years and prior to that Celebrity for many, many years.  So been on Mass Market and Luxury.......Windstar has been on my radar for a long time.  I know the Breeze has recently been in a drydock.......what can ya'll tell me about the line and the ship?😃

 

Thanks so much!!!

@Lois R:  You might like reading my review of the Star Breeze July 31 sailing at https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=682006.

 

Cheers and happy sailing.

[Lois R]

25 minutes ago, HuliHuli said:

@Lois R:  You might like reading my review of the Star Breeze July 31 sailing at https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=682006.

 

Cheers and happy sailing.

Thanks for the link😀 sounds like you had a fantastic time!!!!👍

[HuliHuli]

13 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Thanks for the link😀 sounds like you had a fantastic time!!!!👍

Indeed we did! 🍹

[Mocamps]

Hi Lois, we also like Silversea a lot though we’ve only been on expeditions.

 

But we’ve now been on two Windstar cruises and are booked on a third next month. That will be our second this year!! On our first (Panama) cruise we were disappointed as we were expecting more of a Star Clippers experience where the sails actually work and they sail the ship with no engines.That’s a magical experience!! And we loved the water sports on Star Clippers.  Windstar wasn’t like that - much more of a mini version of a bigger cruise ship with most people going on ship excursions, the sails were mainly ornamental and much less adventurous than our expeditions with Silversea.

 

But then we went to Greece with Windstar this summer, mainly because the price was so reasonable. And we had an awesome time!! There are many similarities with Silversea, the small ship experience, everyone getting to know each other, the staff greeting us by name and like long lost friends. We still did our own thing and didn’t go on ships excursions but we just felt really at home. We didn’t drink as much alcohol because it isn’t All Inclusive but we felt better for it and that’s probably what keeps the prices lower. And now we’re off to Tahiti and I’ve got a nice warm feeling about going with Windstar! 
 

We were meant to be going to the Antarctic with Silversea but they seem to have got themselves in a bit of a mess with itineraries at present and ours was eventually cancelled. We do still have FCC with them and I’m browsing their itineraries but I’m just as excited about Windstar now. Just mix and match!!