Great Itinerary and Service

This was our first Windstar cruise and friends had set the bar pretty high. We have traveled on other lines and with other tour groups and were interested in seeing how Windstar would compare. Ultimately we were happy with the cruise and loved being on a small ship but didn't see the wow factor we'd expected. As with all cruises, the food was good, the service attentive and the pillow animals imaginative.

PROS-

-our cabin was quite large and very comfortable. We loved the large bathroom and walk-in closet.

- staff was excellent. We'd never been on such a friendly ship before. The staff went out of their way to not only know you, but to tell you a bit about themselves.

- service was excellent. We had only to smile at a crew member for them to bring over our drink of choice.

- itinerary was great.

- we were concerned about motion on such a small ship but had no problems even under windy conditions

- embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze

CONS-

- there was little to do in the evening. The entertainment, though excellent, did not begin until people were in place. We learned we had to sit down before the music began. Unfortunately most guests did not learn this and the entertainment areas were largely empty.

- the pool deck is not laid out well for lounging. The pool (nicer than we'd expected after reading reviews) was located in a tight space between the stairway and the restaurant, so no room for lounging around it.

- food was well prepared, but there was no regional food served. We really missed this and I'm sure those who couldn't go ashore missed it even more.