Scathing Reiews of Star Breeze

I know I should stop reading reviews (especially from first time posters) since I am booked and leaving in September. But the last two reviews of the Star Breeze are really, really awful! I think they are from the same voyage so I am hoping it is more of a blip. But as a newbie to Windstar, I am starting to think I should have stuck with Seabourn. On a positive note, I have met some very nice people on this site who we will be touring with, so that is wonderful. But....oy!

I think there is some suspicion because it was the same room so one couple wrote both reviews. Makes one wonder! I was on the Star Breeze and i thought she was beautiful. We had an Indian chef and the compliments of the food was universal on the ship. I wrote a review of this ship as well. Our sliding glass door worked just fine, great to have a small walk in closet, spacious bath room. I was mystified by this review for our experience was 100 % the opposite. Happy Sailing you will have a great time.

It's pretty obvious that the 2 reviews were posted by a "couple" as they were almost identical. Maybe written by one person and posted by two? We have sailed WS for two "special event" sailings in the past two years as well as 6 other regular cruises. When reserving for a cruise where there is a special event included there is a great possibility that everything will not go quite according to plan. The ship and its 200 - 300 passengers (depending on which ship) is a drop in the bucket to hundreds of thousands or millions (Sail Amsterdam) of visitors in port for the same event. If you sign up for one of these, in the case of the reviewer, the Grand Prix, you need to expect some bumps in the road (no pun intended) on race day, sail in day, etc. The negative language that both reviews contained makes me so happy I did not run into either of these miserable people on any of my cruises. I am sure if the room "smelled from vomit" (highly unlikely) they would have been moved in an instant. I have been on the Legend, not on the Breeze, but since they are identical, I can say the closets are not a danger! We have never been hungry on any WS cruise. Dinner is not served until 7 p.m. Food is available until around 4:30 or 5:00 in the Yacht Club. Room service is available 24/7. Cocktails and some light snacks are served in the lounge prior to dinner. Cutting back the food to save money is ludicrous as well as some of the other remarks, too numerous to count. I watched the Grand Prix from start to finish on race day getting up early in the morning to do so. The harbor was packed with boats, yachts, cruise ships, etc., much like Sail Amsterdam was last year. If you go to an event like that you need to have patience and understanding that WS is but an ant in the ant hill! As for the rest of the complaints, they are pretty much ridiculous. There are always Indian chefs on board and the food is always really good to excellent - a matter of preference and very subjective. And if you like Indian food, there is generally an offering of such as one choice each evening and sometimes lunch. We look forward to that as much as anything. But - there is also fish, steak, veal, lamb, vegetarian, etc. so the choices are unlimited. Please go with the expectation that you will have a wonderful time, see beautiful ports, and meet some very interesting people. We have made some lifelong friends on WS cruises and hope you will too. BUT - if you only love Seabourn and think WS should be identical, then you probably should have booked with Seabourn. I read their forums and frankly, the complaints that I read sound like they come from a bunch of "entitled" people. It's funny but I considered Seabourn just for a change of pace until I started reading their forums and decided I didn't want to sail with people who complain about towels not fluffy enough or the champagne not being the proper temperature. We are very "go with the flow" travelers. I am a total perfectionist in "real life" so it must be the sea air that turns me into a laid back and perfectly satisfied passenger. Seriously - you two just need to relax and have fun as I'm sure you will!

thank you both for taking the time to respond. I feel much better about our upcoming cruise. Like life perspective is the key. And FYI, when we were on Seabourn we met lovely people, we never heard any complaints, the staff was top notch, the towels were actually quite fluffy and they had an incredible attention to detail. It was the "fanciest" cruise we have ever taken, but it was not stuffy or snobby. Maybe we got lucky, I dont know. But I would suggest you give it a try

Wow. Reading this is tough. WS is fantastic. We've done 14 cruises with them. All over Europe....Caribbean..every Xmas...Yes, they've gotten bigger with the 3 new sail-less ships..new crewmember shakedown...unfortunate grounding last year...but we have ALWAYS had a ball. Food is good..not gourmet...excursions are well put together...all in all a wonderful cruise. There are always complainers and we ignore the loudmouths...HAVE FUN!! By the way we're doing Tahiti 8/5 and can't wait.

We were on the breeze in April and it was a straight down the middle Windstar experience. Mostly great crew, many known to us- we had so many hugs when boarding people were staring at us. We had the same good Indian chef. Breakfast can seem repetitive and lunch has never been their high point, but most days we're off ship anyway.

I do always laugh at the concept of pre-dinner munchies since most days you might see one person with a tray, often empty. But, dinner is right around the corner...

The only cutback we noticed was that only wine was on offer the Yacht Club reception. In the past it was a full cocktail event. Maybe the BBQ had fewer options, but there was still far more than anyone needed.

Go.

We also felt that lunch was a week spot, but as mentioned, we only ate on the ship 3-4 times during the cruise. We were usually back onboard in time for afternoon tea (I'd be gutted if that ever went away, scones with clotted cream and jam should be a food group!) which was just enough to tide us over. As was mentioned, there is always room service, and we saw it delivered to the pool deck a few times.

I have never understood the comments about breakfast being repetitive. Eggs any way, breakfast meats and charcuterie, cheeses, yogurts, fruits, eggs Benedict, waffles, pancakes, French toast, cereals, oatmeal, pastries, toast, English Muffins... maybe I am missing something, but unless someone is looking for a traditional English or Japanese breakfast it seemed pretty inclusive. Maybe not everything on that list every day, but at least a couple times in a week.

As anyone who reads these posts we are devoted WS people on so many levels. 19 cruises, all sails except last December the Breeze, adored it. I think food is subjective. I am a great cook, I know a lot about food, I am adventureous eater. My husband a great cook not an adventureous eater. He loves breakfast I am not a breakfast person, I love the WS lunches, I love the speciality restaurants on the WS my husband prefers the main dining. So in fact for us it is all wonderful. I love the bath products and port holes he loved the French balcony on the Breeze. Go with an open mind and heart. It is a wonderful experience and be happy that you can embrace the good and I feel sorry for people who can only see the negative, they certainly miss out in life. Happy Sailing.

thank you both for taking the time to respond. I feel much better about our upcoming cruise. Like life perspective is the key. And FYI, when we were on Seabourn we met lovely people, we never heard any complaints, the staff was top notch, the towels were actually quite fluffy and they had an incredible attention to detail. It was the "fanciest" cruise we have ever taken, but it was not stuffy or snobby. Maybe we got lucky, I dont know. But I would suggest you give it a try

Thanks for the comments on Seabourn. Yes, it's all perspective and personal experience. People cross the ocean yearly on the QM2 and rave about service and food. We did it once because James Taylor was the entertainment. He was fabulous. The food was mediocre at best and service non existent. So there you go! Wish we were on your cruise. Sounds like you're up for a good time!

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I really love this virtual community! Thank you. Also, Indian is my favorite food so if there is some Indian flavored options (even on a cruise through Italy) I will be thrilled! We both love breakfast and it seems like there are lots of options. This is our longest cruise so I imagine at some point it will all seem repetitive. I have never found lunch on any cruise to be a highlight, so thats fine

I really love this virtual community! Thank you. Also, Indian is my favorite food so if there is some Indian flavored options (even on a cruise through Italy) I will be thrilled! We both love breakfast and it seems like there are lots of options. This is our longest cruise so I imagine at some point it will all seem repetitive. I have never found lunch on any cruise to be a highlight, so thats fine

We're doing b2b 15 days on Surf in September. We've done b2b before and have not been bored with the food. My husband big breakfast eater and loves the choices. Lunch is fine. Always lots of choices. Hamburgers only thing I think they could really step up their game on. Last cruise lovely Indian (maybe Indonesian?) food at lunch as well as dinner. My happiest lunches are the wraps in the Yacht Club. Love them!

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The wraps in the Yacht Club are a HUGE pet peeve of mine. I have food allergies and there was not a single wrap I could eat! Had they just left the toppings off and allowed people to add their own, it would have been great. I'd be happy to sub mustard for pesto for example.

That's a shame. I think a note to the Chef would have produced some custom wraps. Have you ever taken the galley tour offered on each sailing? It's enlightening and fun. Closed shoes required! When I told Chef we were on b2b he offered to "cook special" for me so I wouldn't get bored with same menu for two sailings. I'm sure they will accomdate you if you make a request in advance.

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I really love this virtual community! Thank you. Also, Indian is my favorite food so if there is some Indian flavored options (even on a cruise through Italy) I will be thrilled! We both love breakfast and it seems like there are lots of options. This is our longest cruise so I imagine at some point it will all seem repetitive. I have never found lunch on any cruise to be a highlight, so thats fine

Don't set your Indian food expectations too high. The menus are really set by corporate, (each menu has a little code on it) and the crew actually jokes that they get the same Amohorae meal every itin since the day for the "dine with the captain of other staff member" is always the same, so same menu.

There are always specials and this is where the captain can riff a little. We had one fantastic Indian spiced soup. You need to say SPICY, I MEAN IT and ask them to bring hot sauces or it will be bland. Currys can also turn up on the lunch buffet, but again you'll need to ask for spice to add.

So glad I saw this thread.

We are thinking of booking a last minute Spain trip in July on the Star Breeze. We have been 4 other times, always on the sailing ships so this will be different. When I started reading the reviews, kinda stopped me mid-planning.

That's a shame. I think a note to the Chef would have produced some custom wraps. Have you ever taken the galley tour offered on each sailing? It's enlightening and fun. Closed shoes required! When I told Chef we were on b2b he offered to "cook special" for me so I wouldn't get bored with same menu for two sailings. I'm sure they will accomdate you if you make a request in advance.

 

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We had three executive chefs and two guest chefs in two weeks due to a changeover in staff.

We did take the galley tour. I was amazed at how organized it was. I also noticed that they had several areas where they were preparing food for the six or so of us onboard with food allergies and/or special diets, including a celiac and two vegans. They had sheets with our names, cabin numbers, and specific dietary needs.

I went back and read the reviews that sparked this with some care. There are shreds of truth. The veranda where breakfast and lunch are served on the Pride/Breeze/Legend just doesn't work well. The awkward serving space is too small and the buffet lines are in the middle of everything leading to people tripping over each other. The kitchen is open, but I never saw a washing up area. Ice cream got a laugh from us - signs not reflecting what was on offer and often wrong and the ice cream melted, so get something else!

Service was laughably inept, by the last morning we just took what they delivered that wasn't our order and ate it. We survived. This is the odd thing. Veranda sevice on our last three itins has been horrid and with no manager in sight. But so what, how badly can you ruin breakfast!! Well, there are the raw eggs, and the deep fried bacon. Eggs are solved by ordering from the waiter. Bacon, well, just get something else.

We did eat at candles aka the veranda and did not experience any of the issues described. Coffee has been and continues to be horrid, but they'll make you something decent in the Yacht Club.

We have never, ever, smelled or heard anything from the neighboring cabins. There is always a line of people greeting on arrival. Always. Hot water? Plenty. Clean cabin? We had issues on arrival on one itin - stains on the coffee table and leftover soap in the shower - we called and it was instantly corrected. Things happen.

O my goodness! We love WINDSTAR having been on 14 voyages. They are all light years away from our original sailing ships....the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria!!!

We did b2b on the Breeze and I agree that the Veranda situation is not the best. However, our service was impeccable and our breakfast orders always right and always perfect. Maybe because we had Alfredo and Ludmilla looking out for us. :D

I don't understand the complaints about lunch. Yes, the a la carte menu was pretty boring but I was happy with what was on the buffet. Loved the Caesar salad.

Cabin always clean although we had a few issue. All taken care of promptly (if you want details, see my personal blog below June 4th post)

Could Windstar have given the ship a bit more of an overhaul. Yes, I think so. Especially when you look at things like the doors of the elevators. But the things that mattered to us ... cabin/itinerary/service/food ... were great.

I feel sorry for the original posters Who obviously spent their time on the Breeze looking for things to complain about. My advise is Chill. We spent a week on the Breeze in Costa Rica, and although there were some problems we had a great time, even though a few others on the same cruise published a litany of complaints. Thankfully we are glass full people and don't regret any of the five WS cruises so far with two more reserved.

There is a blessing hidden in the original posters comments. I doubt we'll be seeing them on a Windstar cruise in the near future.

How easy it is to be [perhaps] a bit over critical of ones cruise experience when addressing a throng of unknown readers on a forum such as Cruise Critic. I've always found that a good attitude can make wonderful things happen if a person is unhappy about something that doesn't meet their expectations. It's human nature for people to try harder to please when their efforts are appreciated. If the physical attributes of a ship are not desirable do your homework and choose another ship. There are plenty to choose from. A smile is the shortest distance between two people.

Just got through reading the reviews. Agree that they were probably written by a couple. First I want to say that my wife and I are loyal WindStar Alumni having sailed about 8 times on the line. That being said, based on our prior experience on the Legend, I can believe some of the comments. We had a similar experience regarding disembarkation. Once we were on the dock, it took over an hour and a half, standing in the rain, to get a taxi. The hotel manager showed no interest in helping (in our case they did not even give out water). Immediately after the cruise we even emailed the Captain about our issues and never heard a word back from him. As for dining, at the time the dining room appeared to be completely understaffed. Often took 30 minutes to even get bread and butter or get our drink order taken. One night it was so bad that we had to ask to change tables and servers. The quality of food was just OK. The worst night was when the chef went onshore and bought fresh fish. When it was served, it was severely overcooked. The next day we talked to the chef and he said that he always overcooked fresh fish to make sure any parasites were killed. In our mind, it would have been better not to have gotten fresh fish than overcook the fish.

Did our problems ruin our cruise? Absolutely not - but it did take some of the luster off our praise of WS.

There is a blessing hidden in the original posters comments. I doubt we'll be seeing them on a Windstar cruise in the near future.

How easy it is to be [perhaps] a bit over critical of ones cruise experience when addressing a throng of unknown readers on a forum such as Cruise Critic. I've always found that a good attitude can make wonderful things happen if a person is unhappy about something that doesn't meet their expectations. It's human nature for people to try harder to please when their efforts are appreciated. If the physical attributes of a ship are not desirable do your homework and choose another ship. There are plenty to choose from. A smile is the shortest distance between two people.

I hope you're on a cruise with us one day. Well said.

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We sailed on the Star Breeze from Rome to Barcelona in August. It was our first Windstar cruise, having sailed on Silverseas before. We loved the size of the Breeze and our cabin was lovely. The food, however, was quite mediocre. We aren't big three square meals a day types, usually we had breakfast in our cabin and lunch off the menu, so my comments apply mainly to the dining room. The portion sizes were tiny and for the most part overcooked. The side veggies were repetitive and lacked imagination. The lamb lollipops!! lol, what can you say? Also Hubert the Maitre d' seemed to be challenged in organizing and seating his dining room, but that's a whole other story.

In our opinion, Windstar would be wise to provide another dining option on board the Breeze. Candles is a one off experience for most of the passengers and the dining room is stuffy and not too fun. An outdoor dining option for lunch especially at the pool bar area would be a wonderful addition. Right now you can get a pre-made sandwich at the Yacht Club and then eat in by the pool but the sandwiches aren't too tasty and that menu is too limited. That is one feature of the Silverseas experience that we missed, along with the all inclusive approach, of course. We did find we didn't drink as much on this cruise so that might be a good thing! Our comparison of the costs of the drinking plan and our consumption indicated that we would be better off just paying per drink. In the end, spa services, excursions and drinking adding just over $1500 to the costs of our 6 day cruise.

We thoroughly enjoyed the itinerary and our excursions. It's true that the stop at Livorno rather than Porto Venere was disappointing and the replacement excursions involved too much travel by way of motorcoach so we passed on them and ended up staying onboard for the day.

I do disagree with the posts about the laundry service. I don't think it was worth the money and I would much prefer having access to a launderette and an iron/ironing board as most other cruiselines provide. The pressing I had done was not that great.

All in all we enjoyed our experience, the weather was great, the sea was smooth, our cabin comfy and the ports of call unique-Corsica, Sardinia and Mallorca.

Thank you for the info Jilliboo. We will be off the ship for lunch almost every day. But that is a drag about the veggies and dinner. We loved the food on Seabourn (maybe too much) Im sure we will find something. We are doing the laundry package so we can be away for 2 weeks and just each take a carry on. But I did like the self laundry on Seabourn as sell. We picked this cruise for the itinerary and we are REALLY excited about that. I will post on this board and write a full report when we return