Wanna Cruise the Carribean

[Cruisedreamer1]

This will be our first cruise on Windstar. Which ship should we select to have the best experience?

[Strenz]

We love the Surf because we love sailing. It is our favorite WS ship. We have been on her 24 times and 4 other times on the smaller sailing ships and  2 times on the motor ships.  The Surf is for us. Huge decks so you never feel like the ship is full ( 340 pax), we love: the   Compass Rose being outside for the sail always, eating breakfast and lunch outside at the Veranda, love Candles outside, great cabins, great laundry, great hot water and water pressure, sails, evening walks while sailing. We love it all. Our vote the Surf, each to our own.  We have loved all experiences with WS but our heart is on the Surf. Happy Sailing. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Haven't sailed Windstar yet but have Star Pride booked for 14 days in January in a BS French Balcony cabin.  We would not book the Wind fleet because the cabins are all very small, no balconies, the open decks don't appeal to us, and our friends who loved a sailing on one of the Wind vessels were so pleased that the sails were used once on their voyage!  But what I'm planning for our second Windstar cruise is the new Star Seeker:  bigger cabins, many with real balconies, plus all the other features that make Windstar yachts so appealing.

 

Note that however you book, as a first-time cruiser, if you do a Star Collector [aka b2b] cruise you get free laundry.

[new_cruiser]

I've been on all three types of Windstar ships and love them all. 

I'm fine with the smaller cabins on the Wind ships for shorter cruises as the deck and inside public rooms are never far away and never crowded. However, for a long cruise (e.g. approaching 2 weeks or longer), I prefer the Star ships because the larger cabins with a couch and two arm chairs are nice when we want to retreat or for the occasional quiet dinner in the cabin. Wind Surf does have some suites which are a double cabin providing a similar experience (and a second bathroom) but we haven't been willing to pay the extra for those. 

 

Generally, I pick the itinerary that I want and take whichever ship is doing it.

 

I don't particularly care about balconies. When I've had a cabin with a real balcony on another cruise line, I didn't spend much time on it. I slightly prefer the uninterrupted view from the large windows on the non-balcony Star ship cabins. The French balcony cabins have a more interrupted view because of the framing of the doors. 

 

Note that the two smaller Wind ships (Wind Spirit and Wind Star) don't have elevators. That isn't a problem for most people since they also don't have very many decks: cabins on decks 1 and 2, most public areas on decks 3 and 4.

[Strenz]

I disagree with some of the comments from a writer here because he admitted he has not been on these sailing ships. How does one tell?  On the Surf the cabins are 188 sq feet and the suits are double that, they are actually two rooms one being a living room, one being a bedroom, two bathrooms. On the sailing ships the rooms are really well thought out with lots of storage space, we are very light travelers but very neat people so we don't even use a third of the space. Bathrooms small but very efficient.  As for the sails and this is the truth of the 28 times we have sailed the longest sailing trip 26 days ( crossing on the Spirit to Tahiti and staying for the first cruise ) never once have the sails NOT been up for the entire time. That must have been an abnormally. Having sailed for most of my life abnormalities happen. Then again like food we are all different. I would say last year on our Greenland crossing on  the Star Pride, motor, was great. Before the stretch we jumped on the Breeze for a very reasonable Caribbean trip we liked it but missed the sail, the expansive deck and the sail away. Given I love the expansive decks they were really not used as much for the colder weather of the North Atlantic so having the French balcony and being able to get fresh air was wonderful. I would not go on any motor ship without a balcony because we love fresh air and the privacy it adds to the motor ships. We are doing a 28 day crossing and cruise on the Pride in 25, will be interesting on how we will like it compared to our 3 crossings with the sailing ships. I always find a quiet spot, outside on the  on the sailing ships.We are truly grateful we  crossed the Pacific and cruised Tahiti under sail, Spirit, the crossing was like sailing on ice it was so smooth and   the vistas of the reflections of the sails bouncing off the land to the water is beauty we have never experienced. For that trip we were on deck perhaps 18 hours a day. We would not do the Caribbean on a motor yacht for the weather is so beautiful and the vistas, sailing ships are for us. Truly it is up to your likes, whether you want to try something new or go with what your comfort is.  We like the Surf so much it does not matter where the cabin is. We have had the suits twice when we were upgraded,  a bit pricey for us, they were wonderful. I think  whether it is motor or sail you will get with WS cruises:  great service, great food, great water pressure and hot water, no loud speakers during the day unless there is an emergency,  great laundry, no long lines,  as well as wonderful itineraries, a more personal cruise. Happy Sailing hope it is wonderful for you. 

[Psoque]

We took a cruise on Wind Surf MANY years ago, and we thought the cabins were too small and not very functional.  Maybe I just don’t understand it, but I didn’t think the experience on Wind Surf was any more “sailing” than any other cruise experience.  The ship is impressive to look at, but it really did not affect our experience on board either negatively or positively.

[new_cruiser]

6 hours ago, Strenz said:

As for the sails and this is the truth of the 28 times we have sailed the longest sailing trip 26 days ( crossing on the Spirit to Tahiti and staying for the first cruise ) never once have the sails NOT been up for the entire time.

I think you may be talking about two different things though "the sails were used once" was an unclear way of putting it and perhaps out Host misunderstood his friends.

 

My experience on the sail ships is that the sails are up most of the time. But generally they are just helping the motors or sometimes mostly furled and just partly open for pretty. I've not had more than one day on a 7 or 8 day sailing when the motors were off and sails provided all the motive power.

 

I don't have as many days on the Wind ships as Strenz, but I've been on Wind Surf several times including once for 31 days of it's 54-day circuit of the Caribbean and 3 times on the smaller sail ships.

 

Wind Surf does have the best deck space. We were on it for it's only Panama Canal partial transit a year after we had done a full transit on Wind Star and the decks were great for that. (It's masts are too tall to allow a full transit. The space under the bridge on the Pacific side isn't high enough.)

[Strenz]

Hi, Yes, the sails have been up and that is what I meant, sorry for not being clearer. Yes, total sailing, no motors happens about once a week on 7 day cruises sometimes on 14 day cruise 2 or 3 depending of course on the wind. When we crossed the Pacific to Tahiti we were so ahead of schedule we sailed for 4 days nonstop and the Captain was so gifted we partially sailed into Papeete’s   harbor.  Thrilling. We will do our first motor  crossing April 2026.  
We loved the Panama Canal too. We were on the Wind Star we had to stop before the Pacific bridge until low tide then we got under, serious optical illusions, so much fun.Sorry for not being clearer. In the end it is all about passion and comfort level. 
Happy Sailing

[Host Jazzbeau]

7 hours ago, Strenz said:

For that trip we were on deck perhaps 18 hours a day.

I can't imagine doing this.  That's why we haven't (and won't) try the Wind ships.  Chacun à son goût!

[Strenz]

37 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I can't imagine doing this.  That's why we haven't (and won't) try the Wind ships.  Chacun à son goût!

Bien sur, c'est sur que j'ai dis auparavant. Bon croisière, garder le vent à l'arriè!

[Redtravel]

Any ship will be amazing.  I like the Surf.  It has the best public spaces. Lots of places to relax inside.  I love the aft pool.  Cabins are well organized.  Best use of 188 sq. ft.  The bedroom has good floor arrangement with excellent storage. I don’t like the bathroom.  It is small, but adequate.  My favorite cabins are those on the motor yachts.  Standard suites are spacious. The bathrooms are very roomy.  I have stayed on decks 4 ,5, and 6. No preference. I prefer the older cabins with the bed near the bathroom. I like to sit on sofa near the window.  I love the yacht club  located forward. It’s a great place to relax and enjoy the scenery.  Would like to see coffee bar open after dinner.  With limited nightly entertainment, we often go to yacht club. There are usually guests playing games, working on puzzle, reading, or watching the sea.  We love the yacht club coffee.  Wish we could get a coffee there about 10 pm. We have called room service.  On Oceania, Baristas used to close at 6pm.  Lots of guests expressed a desire to keep it open late.  It is now open until 10 pm.  

[Cruisedreamer1]

Thank you for all of your input. I neglected to advise we will probably chose a Caribbean cruise.

[AmateurGO]

Just for the record...  I am also a Wind* person...  Yes, the cabins are a bit smaller, but well laid out and still bigger than cabins on a couple of river cruises we have been on.  If you think the bathrooms are small, you should have been on the Oceania Sirena with us recently... that bathroom was tiny and barely room in the shower to turn around.  Some people were going to the showers in the spa/exercise room because they (the people) were too big to get in the shower!  Plus, we really don't spend much time in the cabin anyway.  We did splurge for the double-size suite on the Surf on a longer 14 day cruise and it was nice, but did not do it on following Surf cruises.

I also like the Star and Spirit (2 and 1 cruise).  I do think the Star* ships are more appropriate for some itineries, such as our Iceland cruise on the Pride.  The open decks of the Wind* ships would not be an attraction in cold climates.

On the other hand, the Star* ships just cannot come close to the "drama" of the sailaway ceremony on the Wind* ships with sails being raised to the music.   And, of course, being on a "sailing ship" in French Polynesia is just something special.  (I'm just waiting for the Spirit to return to FP to do it again.)

[Redtravel]

We tend to book Windstar cruises for warmer places. Outdoor space is excellent. Indoor spaces are limited.  Hope that the new ships have more indoor places to sit. 

[wrk2cruise]

Also if booking for the first time Windstar has a referral program.  If you know someone who has sailed Windstar before you can use their loyalty number and you both receive $100 in OBC per person.

 

If you don't know anyone I'm sure someone on here would gladly "refer" you.