Despite rather spotty reviews regarding Star Pride and the fact that it had a grounding episode last fall, we decided to give it a try. That was based on several factors. First, it fit with the rest of our travel plans and was the right length cruise. Second, we had sailed twice with Windstar on two of their sailing vessels many years ago and had really loved it. Third, the ship had just gone through a major refurbishment. Fourth, an offered package including liquor, tips and unlimited wi-fi was attractively priced. Lastly, the itinerary looked appealing, combining some ports we had previously experienced like Dubrovnik and Kotor with new stops in such places as Rovinj, Split and Giardini Naxos.

It appeared that the ship's refurbishment was still a work in progress. The crew was constantly working on finishing up things such as painting. As a result there was often a smell of fresh paint on certain parts of the deck, a little off-putting if you were trying to nap and relax. There were recurrent problems with the plumbing leading to repeated reminders not to put certain objects down the toilets. There was also often a sewage smell in the mid-ship elevator and one of the aft elevators was frequently out of service. The wi-fi service was at best inconsistent. HOWEVER, all that being said we found most of the ship, including all the public spaces, to be very pleasant and enjoyable.

At 277 square feet the cabin was very spacious with plenty of closet space, a nice sitting area and a bath with twin sinks. However, continuing with the theme of incomplete refurbishment, the carpet was old, stained and not stretched tightly. That needs to be remedied. As a "French balcony" it was really usable only as a sliding glass window. Don't plan to eat breakfast on the balcony. Read more