We had the pleasure of attending a private Indian wedding as set up on this cruise The Indian food menu was “out of this world” and the chef-Nilesh -truly went above and beyond to present us with delicious and different menus every single day! The bar and restaurant crew were outstanding and taking care of our every request To our pleasant surprise the crew gave us an entertainment nite to be part of and have real fun! Every whim was taken care of!! I only wish that there had been a larger pool though the ocean was there too! Every island we docked on had such unique offerings that we wished we had more time to explore all Lastly the beach barbecue on the private island topped it all with the activities one could do all day long We will definitely set the sails with this cruiser in the future! Read Less

The staff and quality of food was outstanding. The suite was large and never felt confining. Double sink vanity, large tub, walk-in closet all made the 8 day experience just like home! Every evening after dinner and drinks, we came back to a cabin that had been picked up and a bed folded down. Fresh water and a filled ice bucket everyday. The wine selection and knowledgeable wine steward was first class! The barbecue out on the deck was beyond anything we expected. The staff always made sure we had a drink. Deck chairs were plentiful and blankets were brought out for those chilly evenings. The duo that sang and played music were very good and entertained our requests making for fun evenings after dinner. The shore excursions were extremely organized and getting on and off the ship was easy and streamlined. Our only criticism, and this is very minor, was that the cabins could use a little updating, especially the bathrooms. But, storage was plentiful, and the laundry service was super and worth the extra money. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary and we had been on 12 other WindStar cruises and had a good experience on all of them. This cruise was different. The food was horrible- repetitive, lacking fresh fruits and vegetables with a high concentration of carbs. For breakfast we had cold scrambled eggs and cold sausages with canned fruit. I even found a hair in my food. Even the desserts were boring - mousse and more mousse and bread pudding every day. The exact same lunch was served two days in a row. The salad bar consisted of the same boring ingredients every day. The service has gone downhill and the ship was very tired looking. After 10 Days only a couple of the wait staff knew our names and they certainly didn’t remember our preferences. The gym was a disgrace with only one properly functioning bicycle and several mornings no towels. The public carpeting was stained with ares of fraying. There were almost no activities on board. We had an extra sea day due to weather and the crew did nothing to fill the very long day. Everything is extra including a mandatory service charge All of this with an exorbitant price tag. On the plus side our cabin was spacious. Read Less

If you are seeking a cruise with Tahitian culture, history and dancing, this one is not for you. We have taken two other Polynesian cruises and the crews were Polynesian. We learned a lot about the islands and their culture and history. The shows featured Polynesians and their dancing. The crew on the Wind Spirit is Asian and Eastern European and knew nothing about the islands. It seemed the cruise director learned everything he knew of the islands from books.This ship should have been sailing in the Caribbean. The entertainment every night was Hot, Hot, Hot, YMCA, and rock, nothing Polynesian. Even the music on the speaker systems was devoid of anything Polynesian. The crew was exceptional in all other respects. the food was good but not great. You pay $9 for a small glass of wine. Tours were excellent but expensive. On two occasions we contacted local tour operators for equivalent tours at less than half the price. The sports platform included a small swimming area and a couple of kayaks. On first and last day we had rooms at the Meridien hotel in Tahiti. Breakfast was included but nothing else. A better choice is the Paul Gaugin where everything except tours is included. We would not take another Windstar cruise. There is much better value to your money elsewhere. Read Less

Chose for the Monaco Grand Prix. The schedule for the Grand Prix was exactly what my husband wanted. It was very well done. However the ship itself did not live up to expectations. The air conditioning didn't work properly either freezing cold or really hot and you couldn't turn off. The Hot water barely worked. The meal in the top restaurant left a lot to be desired as it was a very limited menu and you couldn't delete things you were allergic to even though the menu said you could. Some staff did not appear very competent. There is room for a lot of improvement. The bed was hard, the fan in the bathroom ran all the time so had to keep the door closed all the time. Our cabin steward was fantastic but some of the other staff would rather talk to each other rather than serve. The way the Monaco Grand Prix was handled was excellent and the Saturday night entertainment in the Café De Paris was outstanding. The guest speaker was not really interested in anyone else. The tender service was not well run nor organisation of the people to be loaded. Read Less

This was our 1st cruise on a smaller ship. Really liked the size vs.the bigger ships. Windstar was 1st class from beginning to end. Personnel were friendly, polite,professional and fun. Food was excellent. Excursions were accurately described and fairly priced. The Sports Deck off the rear of the ship is an extra bonus and very enjoyable. The day on the private island was fun; and the deck party/celebration was amazing! The Panama Canal experience is most impressive and educational, and the ship does a good job presenting it. Pre and post hotels (in San Jose and Panaa City) were 4 or 5-star -- very nice. We were very satisfied and would recommend Windstar and this particular itinerary highly. P.S. while in Panama City, we hired a taxi to give us a personal, sight-seeing tour of the city. His name is Eric A. Singh; 507-6040-9459. He was great! Very fair, informative, clean/comfortable car and a real gentleman. Read Less

When I received an email that Windstar was offering a sizable discount on certain cruises during the holidays, I investigated their sailings to Tahiti and the Caribbean. Since Tahiti gets a lot of rain in December and January, we opted for a Caribbean cruise. The Wind Surf sailing worked well with our schedule. We boarded in St. Maarten and noticed four cruise ships in the cruise terminal - P & O, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and then the Wind Surf. It was the smallest of the ships, yet the only one with masts to set sail. What makes a Windstar ship special is that they visit some ports that the big ships don't, so when you are in port it is not packed with cruise passengers. The embarkation was easy. There were no lines. We walked right up and gave the staff our information. Golf carts were nearby to whisk us to the Wind Surf, however we elected to check out the shops in the terminal before boarding the ship. Once we did, again without a line to wait in, we showed the crew staff our documents and passports. Then we walked over to the waiter staff to make reservations to the more intimate dining at Stella Bistro and Candles. Candles is so cool, because it is steak and seafood al fresco dining. We received our room card to check out our staterooms 255 and 253. Both were identical except 253 had two twin beds and 255 was made into a king. What was different is that 255 was next to the water tight metal door. At arrival to every port and when we sailed away, three buzzing alarms sounded and the doors came down right next to our room. Early in the morning, it woke us up. Another bug-a-boo about 255 was a constant rolling sound and boom when we were at sea. I had to sleep with earplugs and a pillow over my head, yet still would wake up to this sound. I called the reception desk three times. Our room steward Etti did everything she could to help soften the noise. She put pillows near the porthole covers and talked to the room steward who worked above our room. An evening steward checked out the sound and said it was the wake hitting the hull as we sailed. He said it was the sound he heard on the first level. The pound sound could be the waves, but not the rolling sound before the boom. Other than not sleeping well at night, I loved the cruise. Here is what I enjoyed - 1. BBQ lunch in St. Lucia's Pigeon Island. It's quite a spread. Sail, paddle board, snorkel, waterski and hike to the top of the fortress. 2. The yoga class with Jonathan at St. Lucia at the park while listening to the waves crash was memorable. His 6 pm Pilates class was also a good work out. 3. Pink Beach in Barbuda. Others enjoyed Coco Beach. 4. Free motion sickness pills at the reception desk. My daughter needed a pill at least once a day. 5. On Sunday The Veranda offers Brunch from 9 to 1 p.m. There is such a variety. 6. The crew are extremely friendly from Indonesia and the Philippines. Andi, Nova, Uud and Russ in the dining areas were terrific. Etti our room steward was wonderful. There was a blind couple on the ship and the staff were so helpful and accommodating. 7. Two juccuzi tubs on the back of the boat next to the pool. The tubs are small, ideal for two or family of four. At sunset when the ship is ready to set sail is the best time to be out on deck. 8. Taking the River Tubing Adventure in Roseau, Dominica. A bus picks up passengers and takes guests on a 20 minute drive to the forest. Each guest receives a yellow inner tube. There are seven guides that help guide guests down class one and two rapids. The guides sing and tell jokes at various stops. It's a sumner camp feel and fun floating down among bamboo trees, papaya, coconut. At the end of the journey, guests receive a cup of rum punch, water or Soda. They also have a plate of fresh fruit from the area - coconut, grapefruit, papaya and sugarcane. 9. Dining at Stella Bistro for a French dinner. Reservations are required and can be made on the first day of the cruise. The lobster Thermidore, escargot and Creme brûlée are delicious. 10. Popcorn and a movie. Guests can select a DVD from the media library and go back to their room to order room service. There is 24 hour room service. Popcorn comes warm, slightly buttered and salted in two separate bowls. They make crudités and dip and quesadillas too. 11. Be sure to see the crew talent show. It's very entertaining to see your cabin steward sing a Maroon 5 song, your favorite bartender juggle and pour colorful drinks, and the cruise director and four other crew members perform a synchronized swimming skit. 12. Dinner at Candles is quite an elegant al fresco affair. The grilled steak and seafood restaurant. 13. Al fresco BBQ dinner on deck. All the guests sit outdoors on the wood deck under the masts. There is a roasted suckling pig, lobster tails, king crab legs, chicken, salads, and a large dessert table. Sitting under the stars, while listening to a live band, we visited the buffet a few times. After the dinner, the crew encourages the guests to line dance out on the deck. Visiting St. Bart's and anchoring near the millionaire and billionaire yachts. 14. Playing board games after dinner or seeing the musicians perform in the evening. 15. Walking to Shell Beach in St. Barts and snorkeling near million dollar yachts. Read Less

The term 180' from normal is very fitting. We have been on 10 cruise with larger cruise ships and this one was very different. Everyone is so relaxed and friendly and there is no need to get all dressed up. The crew where amazing and worked so hard to make our 2 meal on coral islands so special. The highlight was the dinner at Bora Bora where we watched the sunset as we sipped our cocktails and ate a fest before being taken back to the ship in the dark and have a great view of the ship all light up with her sails up. The accomodation was a little cramped but well appointed. My only grip would be that on the lower levels the engine noise was quite evident. Though we did get use to it and the benefit of being low was the close proximity of the ocean to oir port hole. This was definatley a bucket list cruise and one we will remember for a long time. Read Less

the cruise was very nice. the ship needs a lot of upgrading though. the ports of call visited were good and bad st. john antigua is a dump not worth going to shore. barbuda should be taken off the list. there is nothing there to speak of but a bird sanctuary. st.lucias beach party was great. st. kitts was great beautiful, the best place on the cruise to do your souvenir shopplng. st. barts was beautiful but unless you are rich dont plan on doing your shopplhg there. hats were 40 dollars. in st. maarten and st. kitts the were 5 bucks. just an example of how high prices were. food on the windsurf was the best thing about the ship. room was also nice enough. I just prefer the bigger cruise ships overall. the deck bbq party on top deck was the best event of the whole cruise by far. the setup was really nice,and the food was great.they cooked a whole pig ,crablegs ,ribs ,steak,and more. Read Less

Wanted to visit numerous islands and picked this one due to the inclusion of St. Bart's. Unfortunately, the captain decided to skip St. Bart's and go to another island instead. The lower on the staff totem poll, the better the attitude. Everyone wearing an officer costume seemed to have a poor attitude or just did not really care. Never seen anything like that before. The small ship was expected to be a plus, with only 200 guests, but the captain chose to run slowly on only one engine and the ship pitched all night. Many guests got seasick and Dramamine was the number one discussion on deck. Food was sometimes good and sometimes not so great. Windstar has two charges which are not known before boarding. First, no wine or alcohol is included - it is $650 per cabin - usually we expect to upgrade to premiums for a fee. No problem with that, but should be known. 2nd, there is an $84 per person additional charge for "tips". That is just additional ticket charge and does not change the pay of servicers. We tipped maids, waiters and other help - unfortunately most guests think the tip charge is really tipping. To me that is just Windstar being dishonest. Read Less

Booked this cruise because of the ports in Croatia, Montanegro and Italy. The ship and service turned out to be the best surprise. Prior CC complaints by cruisers were nonexistent on this trip. The ship was well maintained. Our cabin with an ocean view was very large compared to many of our prior cruises. A balcony was not needed The staff were very approachable from the Captain to the deck force. Food was great including the post Kotor sail away deck barbecue. The morning and lunch were informal but dinner was five star food and service. Basically the staff could not do enough for us and our two teenagers on high school break. The two entertainment couples were very good and could play everything requested. This is not a ship which entertains 24 hours a day or takes a hour to get to shore. On and off the ship were a snap. The historical ports were every positive experience we expected. Wind star gets an "A". Read Less