Windstar vs. Princess cruise

[bakery]

A few years ago, we took a Caribbean cruise with Princess and loved it. We're considering a cruise to Europe this summer and prefer Windstar itineraries. Obviously Windstar is a more upscale line and a much smaller ship (the Wind Surf). Anything else we should consider when deciding whether to book? We'll be traveling with our 14 and 11 year old daughters. They are excellent travelers and are not interested in a kids' program of any kind.

 

I appreciate any comments you might have!

[lovecruisingtoo]

Key is what your family is interested in. If you are looking for the Vegas show type atmosphere, large casino etc., then Windstar is not for you. Windstar does not have any significant entertainment at night but does have a very small casino. There may be a couple of other teenagers on the cruise but would not bet on it.

 

Only you can decide if Windstar would be right for you.

[Ontario Traveller]

We love Princess, and went on our first Windstar cruise (on the Windsurf) a couple of months ago (Caribbean). For us, it was very enjoyable. But there were NO children (neither kids nor teens) on the ship. There is really no entertainment either. And the cabins are tiny. However, for a European cruise, people go mainly for the shore stops. So, if it is a very busy itinerary and you will be off the ship most days, then you and your kids probaby won't care that there is little to entertain you on the ship. They do have books available to borrow and an extensive DVD library to borrow from (free), with an in-room DVD player. There are also IPods (pre-loaded) available to borrow for the cruise (free), and IPod docking stations in the rooms. I think you would all enjoy the food, which was excellent, and I'm sure the friendly crew would look after you very well. Your kids may enjoy the open-bridge policy -- whenever the ship is sailing, you can walk up onto the bridge and talk to the officers there. The Windsurf is a very small ship compared to whatever you were on with Princess, and the crowd is definitely older. (Actually, while there were very few "young" people (20s), there were also very few "older" people (say 70s and up).

 

So, only you can tell if this cruise is for you, weighing what you are after and what kind of experience you want. Hope this helps.

[cruister71]

I think you're trying to compare apples and oranges here. three hundred guests compared to three thousand guests.

 

Windstar ships are small and intimate with an older client base (not too old but not too young either). Children generally get bored on Windstar and spend most of their time onboard watching movies.

 

Due to ever tighter local port regulations the sports platform is very rarely open in Europe anymore so don't count on that for daily entertainment. You dont have to worry about them not being interested in kids programs...there are none on Windstar.

[nuvola9]

Agree with previous replies. Completely different experience between the two types of cruises.

However, if indeed your daughters are comfortable being the only teens (which is likely), and are especially interested in the excellent tour opportunities on shore every day (particularly with the Mediterranean, Italy, Spain, etc. itineraries) and also would enjoy a bit more upscale dining environment in the evening, then actually this would be a great idea.

If above does not reflect who they are, I would not recommend Windstar for them.

By the way, if you do go ahead, best you stick with the larger of the 3 ships, the WindSurf, as it has way more room for them to explore and two pools and hot tubs as well.