We just returned from the Tobin James Wine Cruise aboard the Windsurf. I've travelled on many ships in the past but the service on this particular cruise far exceeded my expectations. The cabins for such a small ship are unusually large, and although there are no balcony cabins you don't miss it. We especially enjoyed the DVD player and slippers. And the closets are so roomy. You would think the larger cruise lines would get a clue. Our cabin steward was wonderful. I gave him the nickname stealthy because we never ever saw him yet no matter what time of day or night we left our room, when we returned it was spotless! And there were no bags of laundry cluttering the hallways. The service was exceptional, from the bar waiters who always remembered which wine you were drinking to the captain who has a wonderful sense of humor. I can't say enough wonderful things about the ship and its crew. And because this was a special sailing full of James Gang people, it was like a huge wine party at sea with 300 of our closest friends. Almost forgot about the food which was simply amazing. The wine pairing dinner our last night had so much food, I could only take one bite of the dessert. The onboard luau was wonderful and the specialty restaurant delicious. My only "complaint" is that they only let you sign up for one specialty restaurant per cruise, to give everyone a chance to experience them.

If you've never cruised on a smaller ship because you thought it was cost prohibitive, I sincerly urge you to try Windstar. There is simply no comparison for the value you received compared to the larger mass market ships.