We are long time Windstar cruisers. We have been on 15 plus cruises over 25 years. We have been through several owners and have been on almost all the ships. The quality of everything ebbs and flows but the consistently fabulous, warm and friendly crew keeps us coming back. This particular cruise was a standout. So many things have improved....the food was better than usual and in some cases outstanding. The tours and itinerary were really exceptional. We really enjoyed the Concierge tours. They were well worth the slightly higher fee. We also enjoyed the lecturer they had on board. This was a first for us on Windstar and we really liked this extra information about the world we were visiting. I expected St Petersburg to be the highlight of our trip. I loved our days there. We hired a private driver and tour guide which we did independently but the other ports were equally if not more interesting. We had a professor in Poland, a diplomat in Estonia and a former British attaché in Lithuania for tour guides.....all excellent tours arranged by Windstar. Getting on and off is a cinch with only 220 people on board. The ports where a tender are needed can be tricky if you are unsteady on your feet. Never waited in line for anything nor did we have to time our meals to avoid a crowd. We always use the on board laundry service. Even if not included in your package it is well worth the money not to have to bring tons of clothes and they do a beautiful job. We travel with carry ons. The cruise director was terrific and the hotel manager was everywhere making sure all the service was perfect. The Captain was also very personable as was his wife who was traveling with him. As usual, we met some very nice people, saw crew members we met from other trips and even were able to spend time and a few dinners with a couple we had traveled with a few years ago. We are very partial to the motor yachts. The large rooms and French balcony are now a must....the sailing ship rooms are considerably smaller. The Star Pride is a little tired and needs an uplift. We are excited about the planned upgrades for all the motor yachts. We were worried about having more people aboard but after seeing the plans we think the new scheme will enhance our future experience. If you like night life, shows, working out and dressing up, this is not the cruise for you. If you like visiting new places, meeting nice people and relaxing with a drink with new friends, the Star Pride is the ticket! Your fellow travelers will be well traveled, relaxed, interesting and friendly. You can be social or not.....whatever you want to be as everyone is respectful of your space and you never have to eat with a stranger.....unless you want to. The crew is always there to get you anything you want and even things you did not know you wanted! Never little kids, which we like and encourage Windstar not to encourage. Spa is small but I always get a better than average massage. Can’t wait for the next trip.....thinking Australia! Read Less

it was recommended as an exclusive luxury style yacht cruise which would provide more time in ports and access to ports other ships could not get to. In fact, we were at ports after all other big ships arrived and disembarked and had to leave prior to the other ships embarked. The upkeep of this ship is extremely disappointing as the upholstery is torn and frayed, some furniture have broken legs and badly stained. the furniture is from the 80's and it has not been refurbished in some time. it is scheduled to go in for a total retrofit. The menu on all 3 restaurants is very limited and mediocre. There is limited entertainment (one duo playing music), no cruise director to create any kind of activity. it is very boring and lacklustre in every way imaginable. This ship is in worst condition than most ferries that transport cars and people. They do not honour the description of their excursions either. Last excursion said that the bus would drop you off at your hotel with your luggage. That never happened and you were left to fend for yourself trying to get a taxi along with all the other passengers that were stranded. All in all, this is the worst experience I have through all my cruise lines and I have cruised all over the world. I would not recommend this ship for any reason. Read Less

We just returned from a Baltic cruise on the Windsurf. My husband and I are a well traveled couple in our early 60s. We have only taken one "big" cruise boat tour which was to Alaska on another line. I just don't care for ships with 3,000 passengers and all that those crowds entail. The Windstar cruise line fits our needs perfectly. This was our 2nd cruise with Windstar, the first on the Surf. We aren't looking for a lot of onboard entertainment options and appreciate good food and the casual atmosphere. We always choose to have dinner with other passengers and have met some very interesting, well traveled people. On this trip, Windstar had invited a guest lecturer who spoke to the passengers on , "The Romanov Dynasty" and "Deception in WII". (all pertinent in Norther Europe and Russia) These lectures were extremely interesting and very well attended. The 3 excursions we took were enjoyable with knowledgable guides. We did hire a private guide in St. Petersburg (not through Windstar) and were very happy that we did. I heard positives regarding Windstar's St. Pete's tours however they did not go into a few of the sites that the private tour did. Our special event evening was a Russian ballet, "Swan Lake". What a memorable opportunity! Our cabin had been upgraded to a suite (321) which was spacious and we definitely appreciated. Our previous experience was on the Star Pride which was an all suite vessel. (Pride is smaller than the Surf and we actually like the smaller size better) All in all, a very good experience and we plan to travel this line in the future. Read Less

This was our first sailing with Windstar and we were looking forward to the "Luxury" experiences that they advertise. We were sorely disappointed. We are seasoned travelers. This was our eleventh sea-going cruise and we have sailed with other luxury lines, so we know that our expectations were not out of line. We sailed with Crystal twice, and Seabourn four times and never were disappointed. We sprang for one of their more expensive suites - came to over twelve thousand dollars, so naturally our expectations were high. We did like the itinerary - Northern Europe. Sailed from Copenhagen with stops in Northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, then to the North Sea with stops in Amsterdam and Belgium. The shore excursions were very enjoyable, though pricey. The problems were with the service. The staff that deals with the public could not adequately speak or understand English. We have never encountered this before. It was close to impossible to understand some of the waiters. It was very difficult to make our needs and wishes known, to the reception desk, to our steward. Some specific mishaps: a non-existent wake-up call; extremely hard pillows, when I asked for down pillows was given more of the hard ones, asked a second time, same results - ended up sleeping without a pillow for the next six nights; minibar not refilled, then filled sporadically, but charged us as if it had been restocked; whirlpools closed more often than open, info book in room stated they were open until 11pm, were locked at 9pm. Food was only average. Twice I had lamb chops, both times they were tough and flavorless. You could not hear the announcements in the room. I called reception, they said to go our into the hallway if I wanted to hear them. No clock in the bedroom. Safe was located on the very top shelf in the closet at the very back. I had to climb on a chair to be able to open and close it. The door to our patio did not seal well, heard a whistling wind and felt a draft all night. Read Less