windstar cruises testimonial

A Tale of Three Ships — Windstar

It was a momentous event this October when three ships in the Windstar fleet all docked at the same time in Barcelona, Spain—Wind Surf, Wind Star, and Star Breeze. Before embarking on Wind Surf for my trip through the French and Spanish Rivieras, I toured all three ships.

Each ship showcases well-appointed deluxe ocean-view suites, a hot tub, a semi-formal dinner restaurant called AmphorA presenting course-by-course dining, a casual restaurant called Veranda for breakfast and lunch, and Candles, a specialty seafood and chop house.

I began my tour with Guest Service’s Manager Munaf Bijapure, who escorted me around the Wind Star. Adorned in holiday décor, the ship was abuzz with staff prepping for incoming guests. Clean linens covered the beds, and staff strategically placed fresh flowers and bottles of bubbly in each of the 74 cabins. The ship features one owner’s suite that displays an elegantly decorated and spacious sitting room perfect for entertaining or relaxing.

The Wind Star

 

The Wind Star, a 360-foot sailing yacht with four impressive masts, accommodates 148 guests and 101 crew members. Munaf said, “People return to Windstar cruises over and over due to the personalized service they receive. We can call our guests by name because we have nearly one crew member to every 1.5 passengers.” The teak decks surrounding the hot tub and pool gave a sophisticated feel to the ship. The AmphorA restaurant was light and airy with an upscale ambiance while the Veranda room exhibited a casual vibe. The Wind Star’s small size and limited occupancy create an intimate feel.

The Star Breeze

Star Breeze Cruise Ship

Boarding the Star Breeze, I was awestruck by the beautiful spiral staircase in the entryway and the rich blue and burgundy color scheme. Although not a sailing yacht, this stylish vessel displays a more refined ambiance suggesting a bit more formality. While the ship possesses similar amenities as the Wind Star, what struck me as exceptionally luxurious was the yacht club on the ship. Onboard Cruise Consultant Marie Luca showed me the circular room that was both stunning and sophisticated. It was undoubtedly the place to end the day sipping a glass of cognac.

The Star Breeze is slightly bigger than the Wind Star accommodating, 212 guests and 150 crew members. I love balconies and because this is not a sailing ship, the vessel has 36 balcony suites, four classic suites with verandas, and two owner suites with verandas. Sixty-four ocean-view suites are available to guests without a balcony.

The Wind Surf

The Wind Surf, the flagship and largest of the fleet, accommodates 342 guests and 200 crew members. It boasts two specialty restaurants: Candles, the seafood and chop house, and Stella, a Parisian bistro. Although the Wind Surf is almost double the size of the Wind Star at 535 feet, it is still small enough to get into ports that the mega cruise ships cannot enter.

The Wind Surf is small enough that you don’t get lost but large enough that the elevators on either end of the ship make it easier for guests to get from one level to another. The blue and brown colors play well with the abundance of teak decks. According to Hotel General Manager Julian Petrasuc, the Wind Surf has the largest amount of public deck space compared to any other commercial sailing yacht in the world.

This trip is my first Windstar cruise; but having been on several other ships, I can say that there is nothing quite as momentous as standing on deck with a glass of bubbly in my hand watching the sails be set to music while sailing away in the sunset.

Member: International Writers & Photographers Alliance (ITWPA)
Member: American Writers & Artists Inc. (AWAI)

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