After several "big ship" cruises, we booked our trip on the Windstar Star Breeze, leaving Puerto Caldera on January 2nd, with planned stops in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I want to begin by saying that the passengers on this ship overall were great! We ended up with a "table for 8" that included three other couples that were fun, interesting, and full of life. And the crew was wonderful. Everyone was friendly, helpful, generous, and caring. I can not believe how many of them remembered our names and our drink and food preferences.

This was a new itinerary for Windstar and suffice it to say there were some glitches. Our visit to Nicaragua didn't happen as the winds were apparently too strong for the tenders (inflatable Zodiaks) to navigate and our plans for the day were scrapped after several hours of waiting. I don't blame Windstar for this and I commend them for the constant communication with the passengers and their attempts to make up for the disappointment (including free drinks - never a bad idea!). They did their best to create alternate entertainment options for the passengers. The high winds also impacted the plans for the next day's stop, so the Captain opted to visit a different location, which was thoughtful, as everyone was eager to get off the boat and experience the region. They were able to organize new excursions for those interested. The rest of the trip went as planned.

Tendering was generally efficient and easy wherever we went - no long lines like we experience on the larger cruise ships. Read more