Suite

Outside

Inside

Royal Caribbean International

Windstar Cruises

Pullmantur

Silversea Cruises

Gay & Lesbian Cruises

Romantic Cruises

Senior Cruises

Singles Cruises

Fitness Cruises

Family Cruises

Cruises for the Disabled

Luxury Cruises

Gourmet Food Cruises

Miami

Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)

Port Canaveral (Orlando)

New York (Manhattan)

Galveston

San Juan

Tampa

New Orleans

Bayonne (Cape Liberty)

Baltimore

Barbados

Houston

Charleston

Jacksonville

Montego Bay

Southampton

St. Maarten

Boston

Havana

Norfolk

Mobile

Cozumel

Nassau

St. Thomas

Barcelona

Martinique

Colon (Cristobal)

Guadeloupe

La Romana (Casa de Campo)

Montreal

St. Martin

Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera)

Venice

Freeport

Los Angeles

Rome (Civitavecchia)

Aruba

Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)

Genoa

Lisbon

Sydney (Australia)

Athens (Piraeus)

San Francisco

Lima

Malaga

Nice

London (Greenwich, Tower Bridge, Tilbury)

Tenerife

Cartagena (Colombia)

Honolulu

Istanbul

Ensenada

Whittier

Manaus

Marseille

Corfu

Monaco (Monte Carlo)

Las Palmas (Gran Canaria)

Cape Town

Vancouver

Bali

Bordeaux

Santos (Sao Paulo)

Dover

Cincinnati

Portsmouth (England)

Stockholm

Copenhagen

Seville

Le Havre

Rio de Janeiro

Panama Canal & Central America

Caribbean - All

South America

Caribbean - Southern

Caribbean - Eastern

Galapagos

Caribbean - Western

Mexico - All

Excellent

Average

Poor

Very Good

Enchantment of the Seas

Vision of the Seas

Wind Star

Zenith

Star Breeze

Star Pride

Grandeur of the Seas

Silver Wind

We did as a couple the same cruise 3 years ago with Pullman`s Zenith and even if we would not expect luxury from this company overall the trip was  nice.

Being in Panama again and counting this is the only option to take a cruise in Colon we decided to show the same itinerary to our kids but what a let down this time..

Starting with the basics - the cabin. Booking rather late the best we could find was a family outside room on an upper floor. Before we had a balcony room and we were ok now as soon as we entered the room we simply wanted to get out of ship and leave. The cabin is tiny even for 2 people and is set up that way you cant simply move not even considering where you would put your luggage as a big suitcase would not fit under bed.

Count they added to this tiny enclosure 2 upper beds over your already crowded floor beds. There was not way all 4 of us stand in the same time in the cabin. Tiny space for dressing and anyway that would have been the place to put your suitcase standing as the only option.

Bathroom even tinier and very very old - the wc seat was really eaten by age ... horrible.

My husband went to reception and didn`t left the place till we didn`t got a better solution - unfortunately they were really full and the only option with had was either 2 inside cabins or a special needs cabin outside- none was not nicer but was more space at least so we went for the outside partial view practically but still higher floor and a window.

Good that cabin had also a bigger bathroom.

Anyway given it was not featured for 4 people my husband spent all this cruise on a metallic camping bed ... seriously can you imagine coming to relax and ending sleeping camping style. I shared the main bed with our 2 kids so not more comfortable either.

Food - much less choice and taste than previously. Breakfast was too basic this time but ok eatable, too little choice in fruit and most of pineapple overdone but pastries were good. Lunch was ok in choice at least everyday was a fish option and this time we ended up eating more in the normal restaurant even breakfast as the buffet was to chaotic.

Dinner was more of let down too. First of all why put a daily menu if always one items - usually the one that was supposed to be best - was missing. First night after the disaster and huge disappointment with the cabin we didn't even ate dinner second we came to find out they gave us the worst table ever so we had to fight for our right to have at least a place where I can eat without being enclosed from all side and having serving stuff over my head all time, We ended up eating an hour late as we had to wait for a table.

Overall from 5 dinners I liked 2-3 starters, 2 deserts and refused to eat once the main dish as it was really bad but fish was mostly ok and at gala the steak was really nicely done. Pverall far from the standard even on Pullmantours. 

The restaurants are really too old for a cruise ship - all chairs showed more than their age - gave up dressing up just looking how bad the chair restaurant looked like.

The personnel tried it`s best but at buffets always you could find the tables and chairs dirty - not to say I even saw a lady putting her pink plastic shoes on the table - personnel should take measures as is health risky especially on cruises.

In terms of bars we didnt even once tried the pool one typically knowing drinks there are not best so we just used the 5-th floor. Drinks were ok I preferred liquors to cocktails as in terms of preparation the quality really depended on who was doing them

For coffee definitely take the one in bar even for breakfast I preferred to go and take away a coffee from there.

They have a fancy bar at 14-th floor which is such a waste of great space as both service and drinks there are poor but the view is great and they could use better that space to make it in something wow.

Shops very average.

In terms of drinks you have some extra option to the already all inclusive last we bought it this time after seeing the overall quality we decided to stay away of it and we didn't miss much.

Common areas another down as the ship is really too old and it showed in too much in restaurants, in carpets, in rooms, in furnitures etc. They have 2 big pools but even with 2 days on sea we didn't spent a second inside pool or on the chairs there. First the pool towels were stinky so stinky you could smell it just being around. People would just sit with their boots on lounge chairs no towel nothing - I think personnel should be strict and impose people use a towel and keep the lounge chair clean for sunbathing purpose not as a rest for dirty shoes. Pool was too crowded.

You have a "VIP" option the waves program that practically a a price gives you access to restricted sunbathing area and some dedicated restaurant space but practically main ship features are still shared so I would not see the value add - just if we would find a superior room we would go for it for the sake of space and higher floor. 

The only thing that still keeps a good standard was the service, most of personnel is nice and smiling. We had a very good cleaning lady - counting she needs to work with such old room - and service in restaurant was also nice most of the serving personnel in restaurant seemed to communicate well. In the 5-th floor bar except one lady that seemed to enjoy more cheating with her college and ignore clients rest of people serving were good and welcoming.

Interesting enough this time I have seen little to no management during day on ship as on other occasions they were more visible.

I gave a point for service and the other one for itinerary itself it is really a good one and pity they cant do more of it..

We decided to take no excursions with the cruise directly as we knew the places but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a very good price offer for 4 combined basic island tour and beach so if you are first time there go for it.

In terms of clients this is almost exclusively from the local region - embarking Colon and Cartagena and it shows in the way how everything is prepared and featured. But language is not an issue they still speak all English. Probably embarking most in Colombia that day is off for many activities on the boat and a bit chaotic in buffets and so on. I remember they had also Dutch groups embarking before in the Dutch islands not the case now practically count clients will be exclusively Central and South America but as mentioned English is still well spoken. Only case when Spanish was a barrier were the shows actually as all talk for jokes for example is Spanish.

The disembarkation in Colon is another negative if you plan to leave Panama same day as the check out and effective depart from ship is very early - you have to leave the ship between 7-8 am - for us was ok as we still had a hotel booked in the city but if you need to leave so early and your flight is at evening you`ll have trouble what to do with your luggage. 

All in one I would not recommend this except the case you really want to go on this specific itinerary and you cant find another option - take a superior room for the sake of space but count even in Waves the ship and common grounds are same.

Very poor since switched to Monarch much bigger and older ship, horrible cabin!

We were looking for a small ship and Wind Star seemed the best choice. We don't care for the mega ships. Star Pride cabins are suites nearly 400 as ft with living area, walk in closet, bathtub mini bar. Lovely lounges are spacious. Entertainment is live music and port talks, a few receptions. Crowd is mellow. No kids. Long days in port with easy on and off as there are only 200 passengers. Wonderful staff and gourmet meals complete a memorable vacation.

There is a full gym open 24 hours and yoga or Pilates every morning. 

Breakfast and lunch are served in the Veranda. Complete buffet breakfast including smoked salmon every day and cold and hot items or order eggs Benedict or eggs any way. Servers are at your beckon call. Luncheon always includes special  item like roast beef or grilled fish and always 3 or 4 hot dishes and many salads, grilled veggies. Dinner served in the lively dining room. Moderate dress code applies. Gourmet dinner always. 4 or 5 choices of appetizer, main course and dessert. Beautiful presentation and impeccable service. Meals are served at specific hours and unlike mega ships, you only eat 3 times a day. Quality not quantity but I still managed to put on 8 pounds in 2 weeks!

All in all, highly recommended.

Best ever experience

We were excited about this cruise, having been on a cruise on the Royal Clipper several years ago and expecting it to be a similar experience. We were disappointed that it wasn't.

Prior to the cruise the admin left a lot to be desired as we didn't get any final documentation until a few days before we left despite having paid in full when we booked. Although loyal Windstar cruisers on CC assured us that we didn't need any paperwork, we did actually really NEED to know which port to go to and at what time!! Fortunately this info did arrive in time and we were otherwise happy with the embarkation process which was very straightforward.

Although our cabin was one of the cheapest we were pleased with it and it compared well with our cabin on Royal Clipper which WASN'T the cheapest. The shower was one of the best we've experienced on a ship! We didn't have a balcony but we were hoping for an active cruise so didn't think we'd miss it. We did!

Our fellow passengers were quite a bit older than we'd expected. We are active 60+ year olds but certainly didn't feel older than the majority.....the reason for this became clear as the cruise progressed.

We were expecting this to be quite an active cruise......a sailing ship with a watersports platform going into bays where larger cruise ships can't dock. This was exactly what we experienced on Royal Clipper where, if the platform couldn't be put out due to rough seas or for any other reason, the staff took all the water 'toys' onto the beach and guests were able to use them there. There were sailing dinghys, windsurfers, kayaks, snorkelling gear and even an opportunity to try water skiing. The engines were turned off at some point during every sail so we could experience the feeling of truly sailing. Unfortunately, with Windstar the sails and watersports platform are just ornamental. We didn't ever sail without engines and the watersports platform was only in use for one short afternoon. And on that occasion the activities consisted of swimming and there were a couple of kayaks available, but the ship was so far away from the shore that there was nowhere interesting to go with them. We tried one for about 10 minutes then got bored, and one other woman went in one, paddled about 10 metres and then returned!! But even the opportunity to swim would have been welcomed but this wasn't offered more than on that one occasion.. 

Perhaps one of the reasons for this may have been that, if too many activities were offered for free,  people may not have bought the very expensive shore excursions? And the company are making a killing from these!! Virtually everyone on the ship went on one every day.....and the reports back from them generally weren't very good. Though there were occasional exceptions.

The other very expensive extra being pushed by staff were the beverage packages. On arrival on the ship we were told that we only need to drink 4 drinks a day in order to make a package worth it. Not true.........in fact we would have needed to drink about 7 each! The barman tried again when we ordered our first drink. He told us we would be in profit at over 3!! And he was VERY pushy!!

On the plus side, apart from that barman we found all of the rest of the staff to be excellent....extremely friendly, efficient and helpful.

Another big plus was the food which I really couldn't fault. The whole dining experience was excellent.

But our biggest disappointment of this cruise were the changes made to the original itinerary. As I said before, we were expecting a similar experience to the Royal Clipper and we were drawn to the itinerary which offered several islands and bays off the coast of Panama and Costa Rica. Even before the cruise started (and only 2 days after we booked!) we were sent an e-mail to say that one of the islands had been swapped for another day in Panama City. We were unimpressed as were a good number of other passengers. Many people had spent a few days there before the cruise so were really not happy to have yet another day added to the one we already had there. If they DID need to take out the original island then I think more effort could have been made to swap it for something offering an equivalent experience. To make matters worse, during the cruise the captain advised that high winds made it impossible to visit another island on our itinerary. This was then replaced by another port which again didn't offer anything like the experience (the Beach BBQ) we were expecting. It was a small port with virtually nothing to do unless you went on an excursion and with nowhere to swim. And to make matters worse the expected high winds did not materialise!! 

Windstar has a lot of repeat guests and loyal customers but I'm afraid we won't be joining them. We were expecting more of a small ship expedition experience but what Windstar seems to offer is a more traditional cruise ship experience (with expensive excursions, drinks packages etc) on a smaller scale so without some of the amenities you would expect on a larger ship (no balcony cabins, no swimming pool, no casino and only very limited entertainment consisting of one pianist and a not very good vocalist) This isn't what we want though it certainly seems to keep quite a few people happy so I accept that it's 'horses for courses.'

Some disappointing features

Whichever direction your cruise is traveling through the canal, you will be flying into or out of the Pacific Ocean end of the canal, Panama City. Since we were going towards the Pacific, our Embarcation was in Colon, about 1 ½ hours from Panama City.

Windstar notified us a couple of weeks in advance that they needed to do some maintenance just before our boarding, so the Embarkation would be delayed from 1PM to 5PM. They arranged for free coffee and free lunch in a ballroom at the company hotel, the Bristol Panama in Panama City. We were told to have our baggage in the lobby by 3:30PM for placement in a truck, and to watch it being loaded onto the truck. We had already independently booked a single night for ourselves there before the cruise.

I normally book directly with a hotel, but their website would only permit three-night minimum bookings! So I booked with Expedia-AARP for a single night, which was $248 plus taxes. I used their concierge to book a $40 per car private transfer from the airport. Because the Pope was in town (which Windstar didn't bother to tell us!) this worked out very well, and was charged to our room.

Our room, #510, was massive, luxurious, and well air-conditioned. We had a separate huge shower beside our tub. The newish, high-rise hotel has a luxury feel to it, and the desk service was very good. Even though we arrived around 8PM, they gave us paper Windstar baggage tags and the information sheet Windstar had been handing out during the day, before the local Windstar hosts went off-duty. The hotel is in an uninteresting, but very safe-looking corporate area with little to do. The breakfast (included in our price) was fine, but only a step above a good Hilton Garden Inn breakfast. It wasn't at the level of the room, is what I mean. The lunch Windstar had catered for us was very good, a big buffet with hot soup but cold sandwich, salad, and snack platters. We had the whole ballroom to ourselves. You didn't really have to show ID to get in and out of the ballroom.

We booked this hotel for the convenience of the Winstar transfer to the port of Colon. The bus transfer was a bargain at $49 p/p. But EVERYONE's transfer was complimentary because of the pre-scheduled delay. (Credit given on our shipboard bill.)  Because there were several busses, you had to figure out that there was a second Windstar table in a different part of the lobby from the main Windstar desk. That second table had sign-up sheets for seats on busses, leaving every Fifteen Minutes, I think starting at 4:30PM. This is subjective, but I wasn't impressed with the lobby people in Windstar polo shirts. I had the sensation that they are local contractors who wear a different polo shirt every day.

A few people didn't figure out the two tables, and were displeased to be put on the last bus. It didn't really make that much difference, since it turned out that the ship didn't leave the pier until well after we were asleep in bed. (The ship had to be “in line” for the Panama Canal at 4:30AM or something like that.) We were told that the ship had been taken out for routine stability tests, but they ran long and it only tied up at 3 PM. A later version was that the renovation dry-dock company had ordered “location” of the center of gravity, which required an empty ship with no hotel workers!

The transfer included a tour guide who talked a little too much. The modern highway wasn't very interesting. We filled out “old” water sports waivers on bus, which were discarded as we signed the new one on checking in aboard ship! Due to lateness there was no hard sell of beverage package, although there was the later drawing for spa discounts. The square mile around the Colon port looked like a dystopian, post-apocalyptic movie set. The gate at the port that led to the paved driveway wasn't open, so we had to drive ¼ mile on a pot-holed gravel parking lot to get to the terminal. I will say that the terminal was clean, comfortable, and air-conditioned. Baggage screening was here, not on the ship.

It's difficult to understand the formal itinerary for the Panama Canal days. Windstar pays about $31,000 for the canal, of which some 20% is a guarantee that it will be in daylight. We started into the first lock just before dawn, and finished the transit about 13 hours later. In fact, we missed the final exit, to go to the daily Port Talk in the Lounge. In San Miguel lock, one of the lockside electric locomotives seemed to fail, but (we heard) the Captain told the Canal Pilot that he could hold the center of the lock without that tug and we proceeded. There was a huge Pope-pilgrim-tourist crowd at Miraflores Visitor Center watching us.

Because of the Canal passage, the officer's introductions and the Captain's Table (to which we were invited, probably because of 9 Windstar cruises) were put off one night. There were Officer Tables on later nights, but the Captain's Table was empty for the rest of the cruise. Officer Introduction was one of a few nights when there were extensive passed hors d'oeuvres in the Lounge.

It's important to pay attention to the daily schedule sheets and verbal announcements. We were pleased to learn that, even though every port (except the start and finish) were Anchorages, two of the landings were NOT “WET [feet]”. We did use Zodiacs for the dry landings, as for the wet ones. There are variations in the hour that the breakfast room (and less-often, the continental breakfast in the Yacht Club) open. These are intended to assist guests with early excursion departures. Honestly, I prefer to travel with a small box of cereal so I can have a substantial breakfast even in the Yacht Club.

Food was good, normal for Windstar. I thought the seasoning in Amphora was tastier than my memory of some past cruises. Although it was not technically difficult to create, my favorite dessert was Pineapple Carpaccio, which was light and refreshing. We never bothered to book Candles. I was surprised that there were only two dry cereals at breakfast, but when I asked for a bran cereal, they went and got me a huge bowl of Raisin Bran. In view of the age profile, this was a big change! We thought the table service was not as good as other Windstar Cruises. But the one time we were seated in the far rear of Amphora, we happened to get very attentive, prompt service.

I don't mean to sound whiny, but we found that when we offered to share a dinner table (which we are pleased to do), we often ended up at a six or even an eight-top table, with some of the same people again and again. A table for four is the best way to meet new people. I don't know if this was due to carelessness or to save labor. The real issue is that this means you cannot finish eating until after 9PM, even if you come at 7:00. I mention this also because I was diagnosed with Gastric Reflux after our 21-day cruise. I've never had the problem before. We do go to bed early! (Age 67) I'm not judging, but there are a certain number of couples (and quads) on every cruise who will never share a table.

Because we're 9-cruise repeaters, we're used to a 5:30PM reception for that. This time, it began at 6PM, which meant we had to rush off to the Port Talk scheduled at 6:30. By the time we left, at 6:32, there had been no welcome speech with a Reality-Television-like show of hands to determine which couple had the most repeats, and award of a bottle of sparking wine to them. Honestly, we didn't miss the sparkling wine, but we did miss the fuss over loyal customers!

Daylight Passage of the Panama Canal

My husband and I are in our 60s and have traveled around the world creating our own itineraries and arranging our own transportation.  We never thought cruising was for us but in the last few years we have sampled several medium to large ships with friends (Royal Caribbean, Princess, Carnival).  The Panama Canal transit with WindStar seemed a pleasant way to experience a small ship environment.

Pre-cruise and embarking/disembarking was painless.  We arrived at 2 AM a day early in Panama City from Fort Lauderdale.  We stayed at a hotel near the airport because of the time and found it easy and inexpensive ($25-$30) to Uber into Panama City to do a little sightseeing.  Panama is the only country in Latin America where Uber is legal and it is ubiquitous. Transportation from Panama City directly to the cruise port in Colon was by pre-arranged driver (Amber Moon Panama-$90 cash on arrival).  Colon is sketchy.  Our driver was a local and he said he does not walk around parts of Colon, even in the daytime.  The cruise terminal in Colon is very small.  There is a tiny shop with a small selection of wines if you want to buy a bottle to take on board.  Notably missing at embarkation was the assault to start buying extras from the cruise line.  We were handed a lovely cold cocktail or glass of champagne, were greeted warmly, and got our room key within minutes.  No one asked us to take a picture, spend money in the spa, book an excursion, register for an art auction, schedule a special dinner, or tried to sell us jewelry.  We left the cruise at Puerto Caldera by pre-paid driver.  The trip to the airport in San Jose was $130 by credit card - Transportation in Costa Rica.

Windstar is a beautiful lady aging gracefully.  We didn't see a tear, a stain, or a break in any of the furnishings.  If you like warm wood panelling, shiny brass fixtures, and comfortable seating this is the ship for you.  Everything is understated luxury.  Think Hyannis Port rather than Vegas.  The atmosphere is egalitarian and there are no special perks for big spenders.  Passengers are well-traveled and tend to be 40+ and active. The dress code is dressy/casual.  All the cabins, except one, are identical.  There are no balconies.  Plenty of storage room.  Comfortable beds.  A small table with built-in seating.  Plush towels, good sheets, robes, slippers, great toiletries.  The shower is the biggest we've had on a ship. 

On the negative side - Windstar makes it very clear in their literature that there is no elevator on this ship.  There are several decks.  Cabins are on deck 1, the lower deck, or deck 2, one floor up and one set of stairs below the lobby.  If you have ANY mobility issues involving stairs you should book on deck 2.  Not only are there a few less steps but while docking and during the transit through the locks a watertight bulkhead closes off access from part of deck 1 to the regular stairs.  Passengers are then required to walk a circuitous path up, down, and around to get to and from their cabins on deck 1.  

Air conditioning in the cabins is inconsistent.  At sea the room temperature was fine but anchored or at dock the rooms heated very quickly.  We closed our curtains during daylight and we packed a small battery operated fan anticipating the hot, humid climate. The two strategies worked well in making our room comfortable all day.

The food was FABULOUS!  Dining service was impeccable.  By the second day our waiter Alun knew that my husband always orders extra maple syrup for his waffles and pancakes and it would appear magically on the table.  We were saddened to discover that Windstar has eliminated the casino from this ship.  It has been replaced by a coffee bar that provides a civilized afternoon tea after 3 PM with scones fresh from the oven and clotted cream.  The barista Gede soon learned that I like a touch of strawberry jam on those decadent scones and he made sure there was a little chilled jam jar on my plate every day.  Michael and Kevin smoothly handled bar service in the lounge each evening and the pool bar is open during the day.  We enjoy our evening cocktails, wine, and an occasional beer but did not think the drinks package was good value.  There is a happy hour (literally one hour) each night with a limited selection of $5.50 pours and a specialty cocktail for around $9.00 every day.  You can take one bottle of wine aboard for each passenger.

An important consideration in selecting this Windstar cruise is entertainment and activity. Local groups performed on two afternoons.  Windstar partners with the small school in Playa Jimenez and contributes to their education fund in exchange for an excellent show by the kids, several with special needs.  The staff performed at the at-sea dinner on deck and during a great talent show.  There was a pianist and vocalist in the evenings (Ben and Jacqui) who also coordinated all the audio-visual equipment and DJ'd briefings and events.  A professional-quality yoga class was offered each morning by the Spa Director Sue who also led line dance classes two afternoons.  The gym was small, poorly ventilated and offered more form than function.  There is no easy or safe way to jog around the deck.  There were two hosted trivia games.  On the one at-sea day the staff put some boxed games out on tables in the lounge.  There was a large jigsaw puzzle in the lobby that passengers added pieces to occasionally.  Basically, entertainment is low-key and you are on your own for on-board activities.  As previously stated, definitely NOT Vegas!  If you are not content with peace and quiet and can't entertain yourself you will not appreciate Windstar's offerings.

Service was unbelievable.  Cabins were cleaned by elves (Anang).  Eerily, staff and crew were cheerful around the clock.  All of our questions and requests were responded to rapidly.  There was no waiting or lines for anything, ever.

Excursions:  The day on the beach in Isla Parida was fabulous.  Warm water, great lunch, fun water toys.  We took snorkeling equipment from the boat but didn't use it because visibility was poor.

Playa Jimenez - We went to the Blue Osa Yoga Retreat.  One of us had a fabulous yoga hour, the other swam in the beautiful pool, strolled the resort, and walked the sandy beach.  The lunch was gourmet quality and locally sourced. Lots of flowers and plants.

Quepos - Mangrove tour.  Slow relaxing boat ride through mangroves.  Lots of birds.  Nice discussion of area history enroute.  No mammals sighted.

Finally, the whole point of this cruise is the Panama Canal and the natural beauty of the area.  The itinerary and vessel are designed to bring passengers as close to natural habitats as possible.  There are no travel guides or taxis descending on the ship when it docks.  It doesn't dock!  Wet landings are wet.  Getting on and off the ship requires dexterity.  The ports are teeny tiny.  It is hot and humid and buggy.  It is mostly rainforest.  There is no guarantee you will see any or all of the animals/plants you imagine.  It is not a zoo and if anyone can summon or predict animal sightings in the wild they are either planted or illegally lured. Alternatives to excursions arranged by Windstar are limited.  The Shore Director Mariana and Naturalist Diego were a perfect team.  Mariana handled all the logistics of getting on/off the ship, scheduling excursions, coordinating the movement of passengers and staff while Diego, the ship's Naturalist and resident Latin American, made sure we understood the culture and surroundings.  They were efficient and informative.  Unlike any other cruise staff we've encountered they not only explained in their briefings what to expect on the purchased excursions but how to experience each port WITHOUT the excursions!  Astounding! They both demonstrated tremendous patience under pressure from passengers who were either unwilling or unable to educate themselves about the ports and excursions.  Wet landings means YOU WILL GET WET!  No matter how many times Mariana said to wear/bring beach shoes and shorts people still showed up in socks and loafers and long pants.

Blissful Week

I love Windstar’s small-boat (148 passengers) approach to cruising, but I found this particular boat, their flagship, to be lacking and I was also dismayed by several avoidable missteps by the ship’s management. 

The destinations are a wonderful experience.  The Panama Canal, Panama City and Costa Rica in January are absolutely must-do experiences.  The destinations are 5+.

Windstar (really Xanterra, the same folks who service many of the U.S National Parks), on the other hand, was disappointingly lacking in some ways that compromised an otherwise fabulous cruising experience.  The ship Wind Star (the initial ship in their fleet) was commissioned in 1987 and is showing a lot of age.   I find most complainers to be boorish, and, all-in-all I want to like Wind Star for the many positives they bring to a cruise; however, it seemed like this particular ship brought with it a number of issues due to age and lack of attention at the management level. 

Throughout much of the cruise, the deck spa was broken and leaky, requiring days of repair work.  It appeared to be working toward the end, but it continued to make a loud ghastly belching noise every minute or so. 

The cabins are small and manageable, but even the premium cabins have only two dirty portholes for an outside view.  Each cabin has its own thermostat, but they don’t work.  Our first night on board, our cabin (221) was very stuffy.  We prefer about 20 Celsius, but when I adjusted the thermostat there was no response, just the same weak movement of slightly cool air through an overhead vent.  I then moved the thermostat down as far as it would go and no response.  I reported the problem to the onboard reception desk where I was promised that someone would come by and check out the problem.  No one ever arrived.  Finally, once the ship began to move, the room cooled slowly to a reasonably tolerable temperature, but, the thermostat was never inspect and we had no in-room temperature control for the entire cruise. 

We witnessed at least three water leakages within the first week of our voyage, one of which flooded a cabin and out into the hall.  Another occurred in our own cabin (221).  The toilet wouldn’t stop running at 11:00 p.m. and began flooding the bathroom.  No one answered when we tried to phone for help, so, my wife kept flushing the stool while I went out and found help.  Once found, both crew members were very attentive and repaired the problem via a hallway access panel, allowing us to go back to bed and sleep. 

Finally, Cabin 221 is midship upper deck and I selected it months in advance.  It is directly beneath the entrance to the main dining room, which was no problem except one night at 10:00 p.m. when the management directed staff to strip the wooden floor of the dining room entrance and wax it.  I was in bed trying to sleep, and I assumed the movement of furniture and associated noises directly overhead were temporary and would subside, but after an hour, I decided to go upstairs to investigate and found out what was going on.  I apologized, I knew the workers had a job to do but I told them that the noise from their work was keeping us awake.  They apologized and said they would tell their boss.  Apparently, they did, and the noise stopped, only to wake me up when it restarted at 7:00 a.m. the next morning.

Most disappointing was the fact that the original itinerary called for a day of snorkeling on an island just off the Panama coast.  This was cancelled a couple of months before our sailing date.  When I phoned about this, I was assured that Windstar would find a suitable and equal substitute.  However, the day that we boarded, we were  told the alternate landing site had not worked out, and we would be staying in the Panama City port of Balboa a second day.  Just about every passenger had arrived in Panama City for the trip and many had already seen Panama City prior to the cruise, so adding a second cruise day in Panama City WITHOUT any excursion was a true breach of contract on behalf of Windstar.  The weather was beautiful and the sailing conditions excellent, but Windstar had not done its due diligence over the months prior, leaving their guests to fend for themselves during Day 2 in Panama City.  What was the compensation offered by Windstar?  An open bar one evening.  My wife and I don’t drink.  Thanks very much.

To further compound Windstar’s negligence, they offered no suggestions of how their passengers might spend the extra day, despite the fact that a wonderful Smithsonian wildlife refuge and a fantastic Frank Gehry-designed Bio Museum were both within walking distance of the port.  We did both and ended up having a day well-spent, but no thanks to Windstar!

Some excursion descriptions appeared to be intentionally misleading.  For example, the descriptions for both Corcovado and Carara National Parks led guests to anticipate hikes through trails plentiful with some of the most diverse fauna (birds, mammal, reptiles, etc.) in the world, when, in fact, Windstar personnel know full well that the chances of such sightings are very low.  I understand the disclaimers not guaranteeing sightings, but the descriptions are written to infer that no sightings are the exception, not the rule.  The diverse wildlife does exist within these two parks, but primarily in the interior, not as commonly along the perimeter trails that are open to the public, and certainly not at mid-day!  Prime time for wildlife sightings in these parks is within 1-2 hours of sunrise or sunset  (5:45 am.  and 5:10 pm. in January.  When were we present in the park?  9:45 am – noon.  The absolute worst times to see wildlife, and we indeed SAW NOTHING except for a couple of lizards at Carara.  We did see a Macaw at both Corcovado and Carara, and in both cases the bird was too far away to see well even with a sighting scope.  During the dry season, the hours of operation for Costa Rican national parks are 7 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., so, even though these hours prevent Windstar from having guests at the parks during prime sighting times, to fulfill the expectations Windstar creates with its customers, their excursions should be at the parks at 7:00 a.m. ready to go.  Windstar’s current approach is intentionally deceptive and misleading and certainly not worthy of a company that wants to be regarded as a step above their competition.  

Old ship needing work, a last-minute downgrade to the itinerary and a failure to provide useful information to their customers are all marks of a cruise company with some serious management flaws.  

On the good side:  Windstar offers small boat sailing catered to older customers.  Their waitstaff and room attendants are first class.  Of course, staff members are standard cruise personnel comprised of young people from economically-deprived countries who are worked to the bone, but they each work as hard as they can to provide the highest quality personalized service possible.

I have now sailed Windstar twice.  Will I cruise with them again?  Quite possible, but I would not want to return the ship Wind Star, and, if I return, it will be with a jaundiced eye and less loyalty than I felt when we agreed to cruise the second time following a very pleasant initial cruise in the Caribbean.

Great Staff, Poor Management, Older Ship Needing Upgrades

We've cruised with Silversea about a dozen times.  Unfortunately, this one is at the bottom of the ranking list.

We convinced another couple to join us.  For three days after reporting it, they endured a fire alarm that went off several times a day and water leaking through a ceiling light fixture.  I finally intervened and helped get them moved to another suite.  I made it very clear Silversea had embarrassed me as well as themselves.  They don't seem to care. To be fair, some compensation was made but too little, too late.

That same friend was taken to task (discreetly) for wearing bermuda shorts at an on-deck venue after sunset.  This, despite a group of four sitting at the bar similarly dressed (to whom nothing was said) and the specific admonition in the daily "Chronicle" that shorts were not permitted within indoor venues.  I doubt my friends will sail with Silversea again.

During the trip, we were informed they had "run out" of buffalo mozzarella cheese, Perrier, Pelligrino, Sapphire Gin, Tiki wine, all French rose wine and Amarula.  On a six star ship??

Menu was fairly repetitious and two dinners arrived cold.

Individual staff were attentive and friendly.  Our cabin steward and butler were excellent but overall, where the answer to any request used to be "right away" this time there were excuses why it could not be done.  In general, service was at least one tick off.   And, once again, obtaining service on the pool deck was an exercise in frustration.

The ship well kept but old and tired.  Time to let it go.

We will avoid sailing on the Wind.  We are going to give Silversea about one more shot then move on.

Disappointing, Embarrassing

We chose this cruise because we wanted to see the Panama Canal and we wanted to go somewhere for Christmas.  The dates and itinerary on Windstar fit that desire.

Getting to Colon Panama is easy from Panama City.  But Colon itself is digusting so dont look to do anything but go to the pier.

Embarkation is fine.  The rooms are large.  We were in 315 which is BS-1 category.  There is a Juliet Balcony and big sliding doors which made the room seem larger.  Lots of storage.  However, the bed was certainly not proper.  Its ok that they put two twins together but we could feel the gap.  When i saw that only the sheet was over the two twins, i was told that the mattress toppers were on backorder and they had none. Our cabin steward, Christian, was great.  He really tried to fix it.  The AC works well.  The TV volume didnt work very well.  The movie DVD selection in the library is a joke...they need to fix that.  There isnt much to do onboard but even when there is, it is only announced in the daily paper.  No reminder over the intercom.

The ship is in need of upgrade.  It looks tired but spotless.

Food is ok.  Nothing amazing. Although Candles, the small upscale dinner restaurant was great.  One gets only one reservation therewithout having to pay.

Speaking of paying...beware...you will be nicle and dimes to death.  Internet, drinks or drink packages, shore excursions (quite hit or miss by the way and expensive for what we got).

Until the last morning we never had a dock.  All going ashore was done by zodiac and often it was a wet landing (which often they neglected to tell you in advance).  Getting on and off the zodiac, especially when the water was rough, is an accident waiting to happen. Instead, they should use the tenders.

This is a very small ship.  We had 176 passengers but it can hold about 212.  Many people had no filters and were loud.  Clientele is not of the calibre one might find on Oceania or Crystal etc.  There were numbers of loud foul mouthed drunks at the outside bar and not one crew member addressed the problem.

The pool is the size of a very large bathtub.  Not enough chaise lounge seating.

Yacht Club room was wonderful and a big thanks to Christina there.  She knew all our names!

I really cannot recommend this cruise to any.  Itisnt terrible but just doesnt stack up against the other even when considering cost.

Nice staff but mediocre attention to detail.  Liability waiting to happen.

We chose this cruise because it left from Colon Panama where and we were visiting friends in Panama.  The itinerary was original too.  Colon, Cartagena, Colombia, and the ABC islands.  As I am learning Spanish, this cruise was a great language immersion experience for me too. 

The fact that alcoholic drinks were included in the already low price was also a positive.  However, the service was not as good as on other cruises, the restaurants staff in general do not show any enthusiasm, and seem a bit bored. 

On the first evening dinner, we had a couple of waiters that were simply difficult to deal with.  We requested a change and had a great pair of friendly waiters for the rest of the cruise.  

In the buffet, cleanliness seems to be a problem and the table towels appear to be reused without any wash, with visible stains, and a smell that does not resemble that of a freshly cleaned towel.  As opposed to the formal dining restaurant where all is up to standard or better.

The cabin, an inside one, is surprisingly larger than many other cruise ships, with plenty of storage space.   

When reported, an issues are quickly resolved.  So in summary, this a good cruise ship and line but only if you are not to picky about

Good Cruise but not for the Overly Hygienic

We had a terrific time on this Latin American cultural immersion cruise. There was Latin music to dance to every night. I don't speak Spanish, but all of the Royal Caribbean staff spoke English and we thoroughly enjoyed the Latin American influenced food. The entertainment was excellent, and we loved the acrobatic aerial show in the Centrum. The food in the main dining room was outstanding, and we had a terrific service and wait staff at our table. We had such fun with our table mates at dinners, we were probably annoying the other guests with all of our laughing. Our room steward Zoe was amazing and we loved our junior suite. The only occasional noise we heard was when they rolled carts in the Solarium above us, but it was so seldom that once we knew what it was, we tuned it out. This was my first Royal Caribbean cruise, and I liked that they didn't constantly come over the announcement system telling us the schedule of where we could be and what we could be doing; they give you the schedule the night before, and it's up to you to plan your time and get where you want to go, or not.
I have cruised on Carnival for years and one of my pet peeves was all the announcements. My biggest complaint about Royal Caribbean is that they are selling special meals and "fresh squeezed orange juice" in the main dining room now. I have no objection to the pay as you go dining restaurants, where people can choose to pay for meals if they want to do something other than the main dining room, but in my opinion, the main dining room is part of the all inclusive experience and there shouldn't be "specialty meals" or extra cost food items offered in the main dining room. Before you know it, they'll be charging extra for anything worth having, and you can have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for free. For breakfast in the main dining room, the server asked if we'd like fresh squeezed orange juice and we said yes, and then they asked for our card and said it was $4.95 per glass.
I loved the ship, it never felt crowded. I also have to give big kudos to the guest services and engineering department. A baggage handler broke the main pull up handle off my suitcase prior to boarding. I was very upset as it was a brand new high quality suitcase, but I didn't want it to ruin my trip, so I unloaded the suitcase and put it away and didn't give it another thought until the day of debarkation. I then contacted the guest services to see if they thought there was someone on board that could fix it or even come up with an ingenious temporary fix. They immediately collected the suitcase and it was repaired like new and returned to me within hours. I don't recommend waiting until the last minute like I did, but I was very grateful that they were able to "handle" this for me.

Great Cultural Immersion Cruise - Excellent Ship, Great Staff, Terrifi

Filters

1-10 of 24