To celebrate my 60th birthday with my family, we booked the Wind Surf cruise and set sail on March 3rd. I had done a lot of research for the trip, and tried to find information of anyone who found that they were sea sick, as I do suffer from motion sickness from time to time. I wore the patch behind my ear, and was prepared with the bands on my wrists, but by the second day I was pretty sick. The rest of my family had a blast - the food was amazing, the crew so accommodating and friendly, but I was suffering quite badly. So much so that the ship doctor had to give me a needle to settle my stomach. In the end, I was unable to partake in any of the planned excursions, and was mostly in the cabin in bed. I would highly recommend this cruise, however if you suffer at all from any kind of motion sickness or vertigo give it a pass. I tried to find information before booking the trip but everything I read was positive for smooth sailing. Suffice to say, if I had read about any sort of sway or rocking of the boat, I would not have booked this holiday! Read Less

We picked this cruise because we are loyal repeat customers, but no longer. It was such a disappointment. The crew were rude and room had no air conditioning. The staff did nothing to help us, the higher up we went with our concerns the worse we were treated. We finally had to get wifi off ship and have the main company help us with the issues. It was so stressful. Many others aboard had similar troubles, poor food, rude comments from staff, poor communication and no maps or names to go with the scenery around us. The ship looked old, dirty and dated and lacked the water equipment they had advertised. With no flippers available, we got stung by sea urchins and cut up on coral. The cruise director said it was our fault for not packing flippers, but the advertisement for this particular cruise promised flippers available for "all". The food was so recycled, it became a bore after the third day. Lots of dry bread at dinner, bread pudding the next day, of course. Very sad experience, last sail for us with this company. Read Less

We choose the cruise because of the ports of call and our previous Wind Star experience (this was our eighth Wind Star cruise and third on the Wind Surf). The cruise is Yachtsman, Caribbean. We were scheduled for: Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Falmouth Harbour, Antigua Soper's Hole, Tortola, B.V.I. Jost van Dyke Great Harbour, B.V.I , Virgin Gorda, Prickly Pear Beach, B.V.I., Gustavia, St. Barthelemy Philipsburg, St. Maarten Because of weather we did not visit Virgin Gorda or St. Barts. We also learned that Wind Star no longer uses Prickly Pear Beach after the cruise started. Instead of Virgin Gorda we spent the day at Road Town, Tortola. A terrible alternative and instead of a special day at the beach, we had a one hour steel band and a rum drink. There had to be a better port of call. It seems the weather was a surprise to everyone at Wind Star. We were to arrive at ST. Bart's at 0800 and leave at 10:00 PM. We arrived at 0700 and the captain decided to leave for St. Maartan at 0800. Since St. Bart's was a highlight of the cruise we thought we should at least wait a few hours to see if we could use the tenders. Communication from the Captain and crew was limited so we never were told the whole story. Again, there should have been alternatives since the weather was forecast. Also, the Wind Surf looks tired and out dated. Worn carpet, inside bright work is dull. Internet and electronic entertainment has not changed in the 12 years we have used Wind Star and it was old then. We feel the ship was under staffed as the crew could not provide the personal service we were used to on Wind Star (70 guests in the bar and one waiter as an example). Slow service in the restaurants and the food is mediocre. Disappointing experience for us Read Less

As usual, an excellent sailing experience aboard the Sagitta, with a great itinerary and a comfortable mix of sailing and island visits. It is so nice to be able to work with a crew who are as professional, safety-conscious, attentive, courteous, friendly and helpful as those on the Sagitta. It was truly a pleasure to see old friends again, as well as meeting new members of the team. It is always great to see them all working as one - helping each other with all assignments and always there for the guests as well. Kudos to Captain Patricio and the rest of the crew. The Sagitta is a three masted schooner, with only 24 passengers. Very intimate and comfortable, with excellent service from the crew. Swimming and snorkeling on island beaches or off the ship. Adventurous hikes or lazy days or shopping on a different island every day. The food is delicious - I gain weight on every cruise. This is an annual cruise for me - two back-to-back 12 day cruises - St Maarten to Tortolla and then back to St Maarten. I will be back: already have the same cruises booked for 2018. Read Less

Family of 4 traveling with two teens. Looking into long-term sailing and just getting our feet wet in the sailboat world. This cruise was extremely relaxing with enjoyable ports of call and a stellar staff. With only 14 total passengers on our trip (not including 10 staff), the small size of the ship was great for getting to know our fellow travelers of varied ages. The smaller boat size also allowed us to moor just off-shore of our stops (St. Maarten, St. Barthelemy, Nevis, St. Kitts & Anguilla). With no wi-fi on the boat, unplugging from technology was a good thing for all of us. Even my 17 year old daughter said it was our best vacation yet, and we've literally travelled around the world. The food and service were excellent. Just about the only negative thing I can think of was that our cabin on the lower deck smelled a little musty, but I guess that's life at sea. That being said, I highly recommend, and my family and I would all definitely go sailing again with Island Windjammers. Read Less

We had teenagers on the trip and thought some of the activities would be enjoyable. Once on board the ship and located in our cabin things were going well. We then went to our first meal and it was a disaster. The crowds were overwhelming and seats to eat were hard to find in the dining room. The food was not tasty and the desserts were extremely dry and tasteless. The main shows were booked up on the first day so we were unable to attend. The sales on the ship are a scam. They had a 75% off sale on watches. I bought a watch that showed an original price of over $700. I bought it for $150. When I got home I looked on amazon and found the identical watch and model number on sale for $79. I feel this is fraud and should be reported to appropriate authorities. Since the cruise ship is not based in the US, I doubt there is much I can do but report this kind of activity on sites such as yours. The ship had too many people in reference to the facilities on board. The pool was so crowded that you had to try to pick some off hours to get in the pool. All in all a crowded, congested experience, with tasteless food, and included being ripped off in their watch sale. Read Less

While this was not our first time cruising my wife and I are 51 and 45 both have lived in Europe, the US and South America, it was our first time on Windstar - WindSurf. In short, it was a fantastic cruise and I could not have asked for anything more. We selected Windstar because of the Conde Naste review articles describing the smaller more intimate ships and also the promise of getting into smaller ports. Our cruise was the "Yachtsman's Caribbean" which sailed out of St Maarten - Philipsburg. We got on the boat around 4pm and set sail at 7pm promptly. First port was Antigua we arrived early in the am and the captain intended to anchor at a smaller port near Shirley Heights but it was too windy for the tender boats to safely load passengers, so we went around the island to the city of St John and docked there in a protected harbour. The island excursions tour was fun - but I suggest taking a taxi on your own over to Shirley Heights for the Sunday BBQ party and stay as late as you can becasue the Sunday party was so much fun, we wanted to stay until they closed the place down. got back on board late around 10pm and were still hungry but the main restaurant had closed and we were sweaty from dancing - the Executive sous chef saw us looking hungry and came out and offered to prepare a meal for us - it was delivered to our room just as we got out of the shower. Just one of many examples of the excellent service we got on the cruise. The cabins appeared to have been recently remodeled and were very well appointed - like staying in a 5 star hotel; wood trim, granite counters in the bath and on the desk. Most of the service staff was Indonesian and they were so intuitive and responsive to anything you wanted, that yo had to be careful wheat you said. Once I casually mentioned to the cabin steward that the bed was a bit more firm than I liked and when we came back from lunch, they had swapped the mattress and put a pillow top on it. A rare level of luxury and care. next stop was Sopers Hole a very small harbor and a wonderful little island with long empty beaches straight out of the magazines THIS is what we came for ! The excursion tour guide was Donovan and he had lots of fun toting us around in the back of a 4x4 from beach to beach. He sidetracked to a local Rum distillery and we all got lubricated. next day was Jost Van Dyke which is a smaller island and the captain said there were more people on the ship than live on the island ! Another perfect score. The tender boats ran every 20 mins so you could come and go as you pleased and explore the island. That night while anchored nearby, The staff prepared a huge on deck bbg with lobster, ribeyes, ribs, paella and of course deserts. the dinner was followed by a line dancing party on the top deck and all the crew, officers and service staff (including some of the cabin stewards ) came out and did the Whip and watched me nay nay. : -) it was BIG FUN and it was a level of intimacy with the other passengers and crew that you just don't find many places. Nexts ports were Virgin Gorda - definitely go see the Baths and swim on the beach there, and then while there, the crew went over to the uninhabited island of Prickly Pear Beach and set up another bbq beach party for us and also some volleyball nets and took all the watersports stuff: kayaks, sailboats, etc etc so we could spend the day on the beach. Volleyball was crew and passengers again. One day/night was spent sailing at sea and we thought it might be a bit boring but the crew had plenty of activities if we were up for it or you could just hang out by the pool/hot tub and sip on a cocktail. We did both :-) The second to last port was a stop at St Barts and while the refined paris of the Caribbean was certainly beautiful and impressive, after spending a week on small undeveloped beaches and tiny ports, we were a bit disoriented by the sight of million dollar yachts, celebrities, hotels for $3200 a night and topless french models parading up and down the beaches. Many of us agreed, we would have traded that for a second day at Jost Van Dyke. If you do go to St Barts, and want to experience it, then head over to Nikki Beach which is a beach and 4 star restaurant by the Eden Hotel. For lunch at Nikki Beach, we spent about $125 per person - and I might offer that the food on the ship was every bit as good or better and the service was WAAAY better on board. Another place to go on St Barts is La Plage which is walking distance from Eden Rock as well. Overall I will say that Windstar is now our favorite and we will be returning for another cruise as soon as possible. I would describe it as an affordable luxury cruise for those who are looking for a more intimate or romantic experience and who want to see smaller ports with fewer people. Read Less

This was our 7th Windstar cruise, but first time on the Surf. Travelling with us was my mother (88 years old) and two of her friends (both in their 80's). For that reason, we decided the Surf was the best option since it had elevators. We chose the Yachtsman's itinerary because it was the least likely to experience any roughness. I can report that we only had one evening with slight rolling for a few hours. My mother, who can be prone to sea sickness did just fine! Pre-cruise we stay at Alicia's Inn in Philipsburg for one night. Based on price and only a one night stay, it was fine. Friday evening we ate at Toloula Mangos and Saturday's breakfast was at Barefoot Restaurant. Both had lovely views of the harbor. The breakfast at Barefoot was especially good and reasonably priced. Tip for any future cruisers. Just a short walk will take you to Caribbean Liquors & Tobacco, located at 8 W.G. Buncamper Road, Philipsburg, St.Maarten. Not an extensive selection, but what they did have was nice and very reasonably priced. We purchased five bottles to take on board with us. Boarding Time!!! The port area is just a short taxi ride. Checked in our luggage, wandered the shops, then caught a cart to carry us to the ship. Embarkation was as efficient and easy as expected and before we knew it we were shown to our cabin. Luggage hadn't arrived yet so we took a quick walk around the ship and made our way up to the Veranda for lunch. By the time we made our way back to our cabin the luggage had arrived. Our cabin was clean and comfortable. While I prefer the cabin design of the Wind Star/Spirit, it was very functional with more than sufficient storage space. Bedding was luxurious and the bed very comfortable. Always love the l'Occitane bath products. Our cabin attendant, Dian, was attentive and the best we have ever had on any cruise. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the dining and selections offered. The dishes that didn't totally please were few and far between. In addition to the usual selections, one night there was an Indonesian entree and on another an Indian entree (Biryani). The Biryani was especially good and spicy!! We also dined in Stella Bistro and Candles. Again, both venues were great. While the beach BBQ was fine, the deck BBQ was especially good on this cruise. The daily selections for both breakfast and lunch in the Veranda were varied and fresh. If we had any complaint about the food, for some reason the deserts did not seem as good as we've previously experienced. Not bad - just not as good. The service, overall, was exemplary. The Veranda staff took my mother under their wing and treated her like royalty. This made the trip very special for her. I'd like to give a shout to Nova and Esther for their remarkable attention to my mom. Our cabin attendant Dian was also the best. The only Windstar excursion we participated in was the St. Bart's snorkel. The snorkeling was not very good, but the catamaran ride was great! So no complaint. Disembarkation was too quick and easy - we stayed aboard as long as we could. From there we took a taxi and spent the day at Mary's Boon Resort which is just a short taxi drive from the airport. Had a lovely lunch on the beach while trying to figure out if and when we would be able to get home - we were dealing with the East Coast snowstorm. In summary, we had a fantastic cruise! We were a little worried after our less-than-stellar cruise aboard the Legend last June - but Windstar came through with flying colors!!!!! This cruise showcased the Windstar experience we have come to know and love. Read Less

We sailed from St. Maarten, March 15th. My wife & I, and this was our 1st Windstar cruise, but maybe our 20th cruise overall. We’ve sailed on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Seven Seas, Oceania, and Princess. The islands we visited were Antigua, Tortola, Jost, St. Barths, and Virgin Gorda. We flew in 1 day early and stayed in Philipsburg, in the center of town (at the Sea View Hotel – not recommended). I would recommend, however, planning to get here at least 1 day early because the airport here is very crowded and unpredictable – all of our flights, in & out, were delayed therefor causing missed connections and re-scheduled flights. It was very hectic. However, once aboard the Wind Surf everything changed. I have nothing to complain about, no negative comments. Checking in was a breeze. We had only a standard room, but it was very comfortable. We were on the 3rd deck which I thought was perfect for this ship – down 1 to get on/off the ship or to get to the water platform, and up 1 flight for the casino, diner, entertainment, reception, and the pool bar. Perfect. The entertainment was very good – 2 choices, the duet who performed at the Compass Rose, or the band who played in the lounge. They were both excellent, but I preferred the duet…they were more than excellent and played songs if requested. The casino was just the right size, and the dealers were friendly and very accommodating. They would open a table for you if asked. It was never too crowded there, so I thought it was perfect. 3 table games (BJ & 3-Card Poker), 1 roulette table, and some slots. Sadly, no Craps table. The gym was very clean, surprisingly a good size for a small ship, and very useable. A trainer is staffed there and is more than willing to assist with questions. He also teaches a few classes – at no charge. The meals were always great. Breakfast & lunch are served up on the top deck. Could either grab something off the buffet or order off the menu. Each day, we’d 1st order room service coffee, then go up to the veranda for something to eat. On the breakfast menu, the chef offered a new daily “chef special Eggs Benedict” along with the standard one. I loved that, they were all very good. And the buffet was great as well. They had 2 Barbeque Parties that were loads of fun. The main room for diner was just as good. Everything was perfect. Once, after a few drinks, I jokingly wished that Crème Brule was on the menu. ….Our waiter went and found it at a different restaurant and brought it to us… Every meal was perfect. We would also order ”late night “ room service, and it was very good too. The bar service was quick & the bar tenders were friendly. At times though it can get crowded at the bar, but unlike other cruise lines – there are not many waiters walking around asking you if you need a drink. Usually you have to go up to the bar yourself, but it’s a short walk. Note/FYI: we did not purchase the drink plan, yet always had a drink in our hand and at times had too much…. Our total ship “bar bill” was $650. The ship “sail-away”, playing the 1942 music…. Was a little less dramatic and inspiring than I thought it would be, I think maybe it was a bit over-hyped to me by everyone to me. For me, maybe the music should be played louder, but I found the best place to get a feel for it was standing under a speaker. But when the sails unravel…it is a little romantic and was nice to watch. It’s a great feeling to be under sail with a ship moving; I’ve never experienced that before. I miss it already. The sports platform was fantastic. It is much better entertainment than any large cruise ship can offer. The guy running it – “PJ” I think – was wonderful. I will say to be careful if you go water-skiing in the ocean….  If you’re getting stiches; request small stitching and additional stiches (this will help reduce the scaring). The port destinations were as good as they could be. Seriously, I would have no problem taking this same itinerary next year. As other reviewers have said – there are always some cabs at each port if needed. Soper’s Hole, Tortola, is one of them – grab a cab and head to a Tortola beach – off the tender there is a nice bar, Pussers, and some shops…but that’s pretty much all. I will cab it next time. Lastly, the crew. I can’t say that they all remembered my name, but many did. Every one of them were personable, friendly, helpful, kind, …. Like the boy scouts… They were truly a great group of employees. I can’t imagine a better vacation. We did get lucky to have perfect weather, and met other couples on the ship with whom we seemed to hang out with. They were all good people and made our trip superb. We met one of the couples on the Cruise Critic forum page (Joymitch) before the cruise then met up with them on the ship. That was awesome in itself and they are great people. Isn’t the internet fantastic!?   Read Less

I've read the previous reviews of this ship and will not repeat the positive remarks as I agree with all from staterooms to dining and ports. We are looking forward to another future sailing! We are avid cruisers but usually on larger ships. This was a new experience and a very pleasant surprise, primarily due the people on board! At first I thought it was the crew to guest ratio. That does make a difference, there was always someone there smiling and happy to offer you anything you need. BUT. The personalities of everyone on board is very rare. I am not sure how they managed to hire such an exceptional group of people, wow! We felt like we were saying good bye to family as we were disembarking. I wish I remembered everyones name so I could commend them here as they magically remembered ours after a few short hours. I am sorry, I was so relaxed, I've lost my memory! Vishal, Jony and Druv....what can I say? I felt like they each had clones, they were everywhere all day long, our bar tending ninjas! It doesn't matter where the ship is sailing, I want to come on board just to enjoy their happy faces, wonderful company and great conversations! These guys really made our trip special, their smiles infectious. Even taking their time to say good bye and helped me with my luggage to the bus. Merci beaucoup! Muchas gracias!!! Yukti, our superstar Stweardess! What a sweet person, and how she was so stealth-like in keeping our stateroom immaculate is beyond me! Thank you! Christine (I hope I have that right) and Ana at the welcome desk were always there happy to answer our questions:) Also super sweet! Joey and......oooooh, now I have forgotten everyones names, not cool......the team who served ALL of our meals. Incredible, I am wondering when they had time to breathe as it seemed we were dining every hour someone was always there, a different uniform and set up every meal. Their service and smiles were always such a treat and seamless. Next cruise, I am bringing a pen so I can get all of their names and write thank you notes:) hehe! Honestly, this was a trip I will remember for a very long time to come. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again, hopefully sooner than later. Thank you, thank you! Read Less

My wife and I sailed on Grandeur of the Seas (third time) from Jan. 21 to Jan 31 out of Baltimore. We loved the cruise. As usual, the service was excellent and the ship was great. The cabins had been improved since our last cruise (wide-screen t.v., better bedding, etc.). We did notice some aspects had changed. The food selection and quality has declined over the years and , if you are looking for the mid-night buffet and Caribbean cookout on deck...they are gone. That is not to say the food is not good....just not as good as it once was. Overall, while we love the ship, we probably will not sail on Grandeur again as we would like to sail on another ship (we have sailed on 8 cruses). Too bad another ship is not docked in Baltimore as the bus trip from Pittsburgh to Baltimore is great! Less security and hassel found in air transportation. Something to keep in mind, this cruise is traditionally found to be with an older group of passengers. The average age on this last cruise was probably 65 to 70. Lots of walkers and wheelchairs. Read Less

An altogether pleasant vacation experience. This ship is small, that is why we selected her. Her ports of call (except St.Kitts) were devoid of any large cruise ships. On all, but one day we anchored, and tendered into shore to small port towns. Our company in the bays, were yachts of all kinds, from all over the world. There were sufficient cruise sponsored shore excursions, if you did not want to just strike out on your own. They were on a par price wise with other cruise ships for duration, and activities. Service was uniformly excellent, and responsive. Menus were never posted for meals. Breakfast was the same each day, with the usual selections that you would expect, lunches were themed, with the menu items offered based on the theme (asian, mexican, italian, beach BBQ, etc.) and extremely varied and tasty. Dinner was served (as the other meals were buffet style), and everything on the menus (which varied each night) was superb. There was no "lobster night" for reasons (sustainability) which were explained. All sea food was fresh, and local, and the meat dishes were of the highest quality. Liquor was available at your whim, at no additional cost, and included wines were good, but not of wine snob quality. The "PianoMan" was the the entertainment on the ship, and he was versatile, and talented, and had us singing songs with the teen passengers till late in the night. The ship is the former Le Levant, built in 1999. She shows wear appropriate for her age, but has been maintained well, and completely refurbished inside. She has a shallow draft, and even with four stabilizers will roll a bit in seas--like any yacht. If you are prone to motion sickness stick with the floating hotels, but you will never see these islands! Improvements that could be made 1) A few more staff to service cabins, 2) Hamburgers, and hot dogs available everyday, and on the room service menu, 3) upgrading(moving)the embarkation/disembarkationport, 4) sorting out the boarding process. It was not well organized, and if you got to the port area they would not let you in before the appointed 3:00. I did have the opportunity to visit the Doctor for treatment of a pre-cruise broken toe. Dr. Vasili was a pleasant, competent man who showed me the proper way to splint my broken digit, which reduced the pain, and gave me much more mobility. This is a good cruise to take a group on, as you will have a built in circle of friends, and can add more if you find other passengers who are compatible. All in all a different and enjoyable experience. Read Less

Windstar cruise is a very nice ship with excellent staff,but not 5 star. We have traveled on Silversea, Reagent, and Tauck river cruises which do a better job pampering you and earn a 5 star. Windstar says they recently renovated but the carpets in the cabins has not been changed. The ships cruise director is not very informed nor does the font desk have much information on the ports .We never had internet connection which has been a chronic problem for this cruise line. The TV selection is bare minimum with no US news station.Also the ship wants to charge for everything even a wine tasting event which I thought they could use to promote some of their on board wines. One small problem especially for elderly guest is a lot of the doorways have a ledge and often you kick it with your foot or trip. It takes a little while to get use to the ledge.Though it sounds like a lot of negatives my family age 14, 16 18 and 20 all had a great time and I would recommend the cruise to my friends and would travel with them again if I found an enticing destination. The food was very good and seemed to get better as the week went on. We ate in all of the restaurants but felt the main dining room was excellent and enjoyed having the same waiter every night. The crew really does a great job. The wines are reasonable priced and a good selection of moderately priced wines. We did not pay for the drink packaged and came out ok. Just remember to budget a 12% fee for tip and 15% fee for drinks. Water and soda included. Read Less

This was our 2nd sailing on this refurbished ship which was an amazing return after 12 years. The ship is a beautiful as ever. From the captain who was very informative, entertaining and "good looking" to the incredible service from all the staff, it ranks as one of the best of over 15 sailings I've been on. I published various public videos on you tube which show the ship and some of the destinations. This is not a cruise for youngsters or the weak/infirm. *Cabins - renovated and enough space and enjoyed the free soda and water throughout. The steward, who were rarely saw, kept the place top notch. *Food dining - we ate at the Restaurant most of the time because they had the best variety but we loved dining under the stars in Candles and on the BBQ night. Breakfast was always delicious and the filet mignon was very good but some of the other beef dishes were tough. The pork and chicken were very good as were the fish dishes and the side dishes and app/dessert. The wait staff went overboard to please and make sure everything went well and you were a happy customer. *Nightlife - the family band playing in the lounge was perfect as was the duo who played on the Compass Rose. Unfortunately we were generally so wiped out that we went to be early many times. *Excursions - well run and complemented to ports. The staff were informative but did not seem to have the detailed kowledge with "inside tips" if you wanted to deviate from their excursions. ** Overall, we will definitely sail this ship, or maybe try another, in the near future. Read Less

Just returned from 14 day reposition from St Maarten to San Jose, Costa Rica. Only 35 passengers with 90 crew, so we pretty much "owned" the yacht for 2 weeks. The good: The crew and officers are awesome. Several remembered us from earlier WS cruises and after 3 days they all knew our names, interests, drinks, etc. The food was terrific, lots of variety and very well prepared, with lots of options. Dinner on deck was picture perfect. We visited amazing spots and had 2 wet landings where we are taken ashore in inflatable boats holding 6 passengers. Great lunch on the beach with the option to water ski, kayak, board paddle and snorkel. One couple did several scuba dives. Had 2 nice dinners with ship's officers which was very interesting. Now the bad: Tis is a 26 year old ship and it shows it's age. Rooms are small with portholes, and are being redone this Spring. Bathrooms are quite nice, good shower and lots of hot water. On deck you se lots of rust, broken fittings and things that just don't work anymore. The ship had 5 sails but only 2 worked. They had 3 small sailboats (2 Lasers and a Hobie) that they did not launch because "conditions weren't right". I have sailed my whole life and that was BS. Very disappointing! The important stuff always seemed to work, such as engine, generators, plumbing, AC, etc, but the ship needs a refit. Bottom Line...You like great food, very personal service, intimate ports, access to the bridge, and quiet evenings this is for you. If you want big staterooms with verandahs, shows, no sea motion, and lots of casino action look elsewhere. Read Less