We flew to Barcelona five days before our cruise and stayed in an apartment we rented. We had used miles to upgrade to Business Elite on Delta, and the extra for the upgradeable ticket was definitely worth it, as we were rested and able to hit the ground running when we landed in Barcelona.

We boarded the Wind Star on October 20 at about 1:30 PM. We immediately saw some of the cruise from our May 2006 trip from Istanbul to Athens, and, amazingly, they remembered us by name!

Embarkation was smooth; we were handed champagne and appetizers and shown to our cabin, where our luggage had already been delivered. The cabins are small, but very well-designed, with plenty of cupboard and drawer storage, but not quite enough hanging clothes space. The bathrooms are well-laid out and although big enough for only one person at a time are efficient. Read more