Booked this cruise to celebrate a milestone birthday and because of the hype of the new Explorer. Reading the other reviews, I must say I found the same things lacking. By the fourth sail of the Explorer I thought many of the kinks would be fixed. The service levels were just not as crisp as previous experience with Regent. The entertainment was mediocre at best. The excursions were okay, but again, the tour guides not as good as previous experience with Regent. We found the food very good, however the service in trying to get wine was terrible compared to previously being greeted with the wine selections for the evening. The suite was lovely but on the last day at sea the service disappeared. The trash wasn't emptied. The fruit was removed from the bowl ( really, they couldn't wait 12 hours?) The bed was turned down for the evening by 11AM. room service the morning of departure was rushed and no 5 minute notice that morning. I also found service more attentive when my husband was with me than when I was by myself. Especially at the coffee lounge on 5). It became a comedy of errors one afternoon trying to get a grilled chicken sandwich at the pool grille that finally arrived after a 40 minute wait . the carpet is already showing wear, especially the beige stairs in the main staircase and the pink carpets. One of the large pictures on deck five had a substantial hole during the cruise. Also, the smells in certain hallways, I will also agree with previous reviews, could be nauseating. the dark wood is also showing numerous scuff marks and wear. The baseboards and corners are already gathering dust. I agree with a previous review hats off to Spyder, Giorgio, and I will add Elena and Agus. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we are Regent fans, wanted to try the new ship, and were interested in the itinerary. We loved the new design of our cabin. The closet was a more workable shape, the bathroom huge, the drawer space beyond adequate, and the bed facing the sea delightful. The redistribution of restaurant space between the venues was a welcome change as was the variety of venues offering lunch. Our disappointments, however, have made us question future cruising with Regent. In fact, this is the first time we have not reserved a future cruise (or option) while onboard. The staffing level seems greatly reduced. The bars were crowded before dinner yet there were only one or two servers available. As the waits exceeded twenty minutes before anyone appeared, people crowded the bar to place their own orders. This added stress to the already overburdened bartenders. The wait for waiters in Compass Rose, for tables to be cleared in La Veranda, and for a wine steward to appear in either venue, was equally long. Finally, the Internet access was the worst we have experienced anywhere in the world. The sign-in procedure is archaic and needlessly complex. The long lines waiting for the Internet helper were a good illustration of the problem. He was surly and claimed there should be "three of him" on board. Once on line, the connection is dropped frequently necessitating one to go through the entire procedure again. For several days of the ten day cruise there was no internet service or phone service available at all - and we were never far from land. We have often sailed with Regent for more than thirty days at a time, have advanced status with them, and are very worried that these problems are indicative of a lack of emphasis on customer service with the new management team. Read Less

Embarkation and Disembarkation Embarkation was good and with a time set for embarkation you know what time to arrive. We arrived early due to us stopping in a hotel the night before and had to sit and wait as did other people who arrived early but the systems seems to work and we had no complaints. Disembarkation was easy as we were able to leave the ship any time after 8.15am and were on our way home at 9.00am with little hassle. Because of our disability we use a porter to help locate and carry the bags and they help to load the car with the bags, and for a small time we find that very helpful. Dining We had freedom dining because we like to get ready and dine when we want to as first sitting is a bit early and the second sitting is too late for my wife as she has a stomach complaint. We had various sizes of tables from a two to an eight person and we had a mixture of good company to the boring and rude company, but that’s what you have to plan for. The food was at about the same standard as our last cruise in the summer. In the evening it was always hot, well presented and depending on the size of table swiftly served. I cannot say we had a poor meal at any time although we only used two restaurants. We always had breakfast and lunch in the buffet restaurants and because of the wheelchair I was always asked if I needed help. As I want to stay independent this was always declined yet I was asked every time we entered the restaurant. There are plenty of table to sit at, but some are easier to get access to in a wheelchair. Like everyone one has to take your chances and sit at tables that one can get too. Entertainment and activities We saw a lot of shows and except for the fist comedian we were impressed with the standard. The ships troupe was very good and we viewed most of there shows as they were new to us. The troupe we quite young and had some new members, who we got in conversation with, and they were enthusiastic of the stage as they were on the stage. There was a broad range of show to solo singers to a group of soul sings, two different comedians as well as the singer and pianists situated in several areas around the ship. I would say that there was something for all tastes through out the twelve days. Access to the theatre was easy for those in wheelchairs and scooter and could cater for at least seven wheelchairs at the back of the auditorium on each side with the first four rows at the back reserved for disabled passengers. Port and Shore excursions We had been to all the port except Casablanca and we could get about in most of them with little or no difficulty. Were there was a shuttle bus we used it and was very please with the transport provided. Unfortunately we were told about three day before we were due to go into Casablanca that the disability transport was not going to be available, which meant we could not get into the town but would be stuck at the port area. Although this was a disappointment due to the weather conditions and a very large swell we were unable to get into port. In some of the ports there were some accessible tours but due to lack of take up the one we would have done was cancelled. Overall The ship was very comfortable and with easy access to all areas and although she is sixteen years old and due for a refit next winter, we found her to be well maintained, comfortable, and would go on her again should a cruise arise with port we want to go too. Crew on this ship were very friendly, helpful, and always willing to go the extra mile and even the captain made a special effort to speak to me at the “Peninsula Cub” party to enquire if all was well with us and the cruise. Read Less

Our cruise was the "Splendors of Southern Spain", embarking from Lisbon, Portugal, ending in Barcelona, Spain. This was our 10th Windstar cruise, most of which have been on the Wind Surf. Highlights of the cruise were the private excursion to see the beautiful Spanish "dancing" stallions, the excursions to The Alhambra and to the Tio Pepe winery, and the fabulous island paradise of Palma de Mallorca. Our cruise began with a 2-night stay at the 5-star Tiara Park Hotel in Lisbon, conveniently located near a small park where the "Hop On, Hop Off" tour buses are located. There were 70 other Windstar cruisers at the hotel, and we met several nice folks before ever boarding the Wind Surf. The hotel itself featured a clean, modern design, with spacious rooms and excellent wi-fi service. We took our meals in the hotel dining room, where the food and service was first rate. Two buses picked up all the Windstar guests and got us to the WInd Surf early in the afternoon. Check in on the ship was seamless, and after a short lunch, we found our bags already delivered to our cabin #224, near the aft of the ship. It wasn't long before we had touched base with several of our favorite crew members, including Nova (waiter) and Angeline (bartender). A few other crew members heard that I was on board, and tracked me down in the Compass Rose just to say hello. It's this kind of warm personal service that sets Windstar 180 degrees from normal, indeed. The ship's captain was Vladimir Delgado from Panama, the youngest captain in Windstar's fleet. We have previously sailed with several excellent captains, such as John Clark and Peter Harris, both now retired. Captain Delgado raised the bar to a new level, with his enthusiasm and gregarious personality. My wife and I had the pleasure of dining with him one evening, along with a few other guests, and greatly enjoyed his company. Unfortunately, our favorite entertainers, Craig and Nikola from the "Rain" duo, were not on board, and apparently we missed them by just a week or so. Their replacements were Erik and Caycie, who were also quite good. There was also a new band on board called "SeaScape" that were a big improvement over "High Society" and others. Even the amateur show put on by the crew was much improved! I have often been critical of the on board entertainment in the past, so this was an encouraging trend. Another aspect of the shipboard entertainment is the music played in the Compass Rose lounge, which can often be wildly uneven. Accordingly, I brought on board an iPod loaded with close to 1000 smooth jazz & vocal offerings, and donated it to the ship's Hotel Manager Nick Bulger. Unlike several earlier cruises, Nick was very supportive of my efforts, and we collaborated on the music for the remainder of the cruise. Many passengers complimented both of us on the music, but perhaps the most appreciative were the bar staff, who saw it as a welcome change. Nick later invited us to join him for dinner, and sent a very nice bottle of wine to my cabin, as well. The Wind Surf was in great shape, as were the cabins and public areas. A big surprise was the internet service, which was greatly improved. If there was any downside at all, it was that some of the shore excursions were rather pricey. As always, it was sad to leave the ship in Barcelona, but we will be back at earliest opportunity. Can't wait! Read Less

Really, my only complaint is that this ship does not cater for solo travellers. Until I met someone to eat with, I was eating by myself and reading a book! they were shocked when I ask if I could not join with other people. There is a very well equipped gym in a small room so no place to lay on a mat especially as each time I was there, the fitness instructor was giving either a class or personal training. One exercises looking out to the port or the sea. Lovely! Embarkation was at 13:00 hrs. and I got there at 13:30. Hardly a queue. Very easy. Someone showed me to my cabin. I went to the buffet where they were serving lunch. There are three restaurants and managed to get bookings in the two smaller ones. The best was Candles Restaurant...grilled meat and the veal chop was excellent, as were the vegetables. Actually, all of the restaurants were good, though Candles was my favourite. I had the buffet for lunch every day. A tasty selection. I think I and two Australians were the only non-Americans on the ship. Every evening there was a briefing about the following day's tours and the city. Very helpful. I enjoyed the cruise but for the first two days felt very isolated, especially at dinner. And for that reason probably will not cruise on this line again. Read Less

First off all we really liked the cruise and will sail again if cruise itinerary will match our plans. We liked itinerary, customer service, newly offered cabin, food, how yacht was maintained, officers and specially captain. He was just fantastic. We all loved him. A few small things that can be easily corrected: when we arrived and got in our cabin, in a few hours we realized that air conditioning was broken, cold wind was blowing without stop and temperatures were at 62 F. Stuart tried to place the towels on the register; however, that did not solve the problem. We also contacted reception a many times, they kept sending people, however, they appeared and disappeared without explanation if they can fix the problem. Only at 2 am we were visited by one of officers Margozhata and she offered us to move to different cabin. Actually she saved our cruise (thank you!). Why it was done by customer service at the beginning? Margozhata also helped us to load our stuff on the cart and at 3 am we were moving to different cabin losing almost entire day of cruising. In addition we did not receive keys for a new cabin, contacted reception, were promised to send a stuart; however, we had to call again next day in order to get them. Second - communication problems with travel agent. Very seldom we received answers to our questions on time. We understand, that agent is traveling; however, they have to have a replacement. I believe that in the future we will try to book directly with a cruise line. Read Less