We had a delightful 7-day cruise aboard Windstar, departing Feb. 21. We left from and returned to Barbados, visiting Pigeon Island in St. Lucia, Grenada, and Tobago Cays, Mayreau and Bequia, in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The ship was nearly full with about 135 passengers. Boarding and departure went smoothly, in just minutes. No delays in getting to our stateroom, which was small but just fine. Very well organized, with more storage space than we used. Bathroom was small, but fine. A decent shower, no tub. Plenty of air conditioning and hot water. The ship is old, but has been nicely updated and looks wonderful. The public areas and rooms looked almost new, very well maintained and very pleasantly decorated. Service was friendly and good, but not overbearing. No pressure to buy shore excursions, drinks or souvenirs. Breakfast was by menu and buffet, lunch by buffet, and dinner by menu. Selection was excellent, food ranged from very good to excellent. Service was at times slow in the main dining room. We had room service once, and it was good. We were told virtually none of the food comes from local sources, which is unfortunate. Lamb from Barbados, for example, was something the ship should offer. Drinks were somewhat reasonably priced. The chef was available to talk. The captain was usually available to talk at least once a day. The bridge was frequently open. There was little to criticize on this cruise. The ship does allow smoking in part of the main rear deck, and a couple times that was annoying. Smoking needs to be eliminated. The whirlpool was nice but what passes for a swimming pool was in fact a whirlpool size tub. It could be eliminated and a second whirlpool added. We did one shore excursion, which went well. We heard no complaints about other excursions. We used tenders or zodiac boats to go ashore in most places, and there needs to be more emphasis on safety. Passengers in the zodiacs didn't know and weren't told something as basic as to hold onto the rope along the side. There was inadequate staff immediately available had someone fallen into the water. The ship isn't a true sailing ship, like a tall ship. But it has masts and the sails go up most days. When possible, the ship shuts down the engines and sails, which is fun. If you're looking for a cruise on a small ship that visits smaller places and gives you a good flavor of the Caribbean, I'd recommend Windstar.