This was our fifth Windstar cruise and definitely not our last.  The Islands of the Western Mediterranean is only offered once each year, but for those of us who have cruised the Riviera coast from Barcelona to Rome in the past it is a wonderful alternative. It is also an opportunity to visit Spain, Italy and France in one cruise.

For some reason, embarkation seemed more congested than usual. It still was very quick compared to large cruise lines, just more chaotic than we’ve experienced previously. Maybe there were more people arriving by plane that morning (like us) and not really having enough time to do anything in Barcelona other than head to the port.

We were really happy to see so many familiar faces upon boarding – Gusman, Ragam, Erwin, Daddy, Robert. Our cabin attendant, Anang was one of the best we have ever had. After a second cruise with the new cabin design, I can still say I absolutely love it! Very well planned with more storage than we ever need. The only problem with our cabin, 106, was that there was some engine noise. It never really bothered us until the last night when we also started experiencing a very noticeable loud humming sound around 3AM which did disrupt our sleep. I could see the cabin noise as being a problem if the occupants were light sleepers. Read more