Want to Try Windstar for 1st time

[Cruisedreamer1]

I would like input on which ship to take for our first cruise. Most likely it will be in the Caribbean. Please give me some advice as to which ship to take so I can focus on their itineraries. Thanks!

[Ski Mom 2]

Windstar has sailing yachts and motor yachts. Those that love the line love them all. Personally I would find an itinerary you find intriguing and try which ever yacht that happens to land on. Sailing yachts have smaller cabins overall but the sails make them in a class by themselves. Motor yachts have bigger cabins that include suites and a bigger bathroom. Both have fantastic crews, delicious food, friendly folks that travel on them and great itineraries. You can’t miss!

Edited May 8 by Ski Mom 2

[Strenz]

We love the sailing ships. Our background,  I have  sailed my entire life as a teen with my father in the Caribbean, my husband loves boats and being on a boat. We started with the Surf in 1999, going on our 30 th cruise with WS. Two have been on the motors ( one before the stretch one after the stretch ) and another on the motor in 2025, Canary Islands.   We think the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Tahiti scream for the sailing ships. When WS started going to Tahiti again we took the Spirit across the Pacific and did the 1st cruise back, it was fabulous, sailing ships were made for the Laguna, incredibly beautiful. I am aging myself, remember  Adventures In Paradise, Gardner McKay. We went to Greenland on the Pride, motor ship, last year it was out of this world. The difference for us is on a sailing ship you do not mind no balconies because the decks are so big even on a full ship it never feels full. There is a different feel for us. We think on the motor  ships, for us, we have to have a balcony even though they are French balconies and the price points are rather high.  We think the sailing ships are more " outdoor ", " fresh air". We think the visuals on the ship itself are so beautiful with the sails. The sailing ships are different, the motors are great but truly sailing is the name of the game for us. However, you can not go wrong  with Windstar Cruises. Happy Sailing, Welcome to WS Cruises. 

[AmateurGO]

Agree completely with Strenz

We are also long time sailors, although mostly small sailboats, and the Wind* ships are just something special.  We are not crazy though, and doing Iceland on a motor yacht (Star Pride) seemed like a good idea.  

I tend to look at the itinerary and timing first, rather than the ship.  But, if there are two cruises with equally likeable itineraries, I would take a sailing ship in the Caribbean or the probably in the Med.  Sailing on the Wind Spirit in French Polynesia was really special, but, sadly, I guess a Wind* ship is not an option there for the near future.

[Strenz]

10 hours ago, AmateurGO said:

Agree completely with Strenz

We are also long time sailors, although mostly small sailboats, and the Wind* ships are just something special.  We are not crazy though, and doing Iceland on a motor yacht (Star Pride) seemed like a good idea.  

I tend to look at the itinerary and timing first, rather than the ship.  But, if there are two cruises with equally likeable itineraries, I would take a sailing ship in the Caribbean or the probably in the Med.  Sailing on the Wind Spirit in French Polynesia was really special, but, sadly, I guess a Wind* ship is not an option there for the near future.

I think WS will lose out a lot in Tahiti it was so magical on the Spirit,all that beauty in the Laguna with the added benefit of the reflections of the sails in the water. Happy Sailing. We love the Caribbean. 

[Misty Morning]

At least the Wind Star will be back in 2027. 

[new_cruiser]

Others have already pointed out that there are sail ships (names start with Wind) and motor yachts (names start with Star).

 

The three Star ships are virtually identical. They have all recently had a major overhaul. All cabins are suites (separate sitting area and bed area). 312 passenger capacity. Rooms have a large window or a French Balcony except those on deck 2 which have portholes.

 

Wind Star and Wind Spirit are twins. They are smaller ships, ~140 passengers. They have no elevators, but only have 4 floors, so that's not a hardship for most people. The staterooms are smaller than the Star ships and have portholes. One is never far from being on deck so that's where you go to enjoy the view.

 

Their cousin, Wind Surf, is larger. Most rooms are similar to those on it's Wind cousins. There are some suites which are double size rooms (they have 2 bathrooms). Wind Surf has the best deck space; not that the other ships are lacking deck space but I particularly like the space on Wind Surf.

 

I'll happily travel on any of the ships, but if the cruise is longer than 2 weeks, I prefer the Star ships for their all suite configuration and windows. If we occasionally want a quiet evening, we can get room service watching the view slide by as we dine. 

[AmateurGO]

I, on the other hand, would take a WindSurf suite (double size) for longer cruises.  (We did this one year over Christmas.)  The two full bathrooms really come in handy sometimes: much better than even a single bathroom with room for two people.  We may be weird (matter of fact, I'm sure we are), but we have never used room service on any cruise or trip/tour.  (Well, I do have to amend that: one cruise, during Covid, we were restricted to our cabin until a test result came back, so we ordered breakfast delivered that morning while we waited for the results).  We tend to spend most of our cruise out on decks or in the "public" spaces.  

[MNgardens]

I've been on all three Windstar sailing ships for the small size and itineraries despite the lack of balcony and dim light from the portholes. For me it is a tradeoff. As an introvert I do not consider deck space to be an adequate option particularly if the weather is rainy or with a very strong sun. I do like being able to bop around the ship easily to get a beverage or snack, get a tender quickly, and no lines for dinner etc. I do like the Windsurf suites with the double bathrooms and seating area. 

I take my first motor ship trip next spring and am looking forward to comparing. The ships that were just purchased have many balcony cabins and they may become our preferred configuration.