Back to Wind Star cruises

Finally decided small is better. Over the years I have felt the bigger the ships got, the more watered down the cruise experience. More people, less social, more lines and more onboard distractions. There was a time a simple steel drum band by the pool was oh so special, now its rock climbing walls, bumper cars, rope courses, over worked crews, and rude people. Phones, pads, e-readers, children left to run wild and now scooter drivers speeding (no disrespect to mobility challenged people).

My most favorite cruises have been those on smaller ships, including RSVP charters that at one time were on "buckets"....but what great fun!

Having just gotten fed up with NCL (sad after seeing the great service on the GetawaY0, I have booked Windstar cruises Wind Surf.

Having watched many you tube videos on the Surf.....the mental picture is one of what cruising was , what I fell in love with. Beeing close to the sea, not looking down from 12 to 15 stories above. Social gatherings on board....and actually seeing the same people more than once in week. To be on a ship/ vessel and not an immense hotel with a bow and stern stuck on.

To each their own, for me its back to cruise basics. Although I have booked the Koningsdam (the biggest HAL yet), I am anxious to be on a 300 pax ship. The water platform......fantastic.

I look forward to this trip as I haven't been on this line since 1996 on the Wind Song in Tahiti (an Atlantis charter). For those that have sailed Star Clipper line will understand my excitement. Wind Star although more a motor sailer, just seems like an elegante experience......more of what I fell in love with decades ago.

If anyone reading this post has had experience on the Wind Surf or other Windstar vessels....I would appreciate hearing your opinions good and bad....

Small ship selection is minimal, but I am hoping this niche will eventually grow. I see Star Clipper is finally building again and I hope to sail their next ship which comes out in 2017. Then to figure out how to afford Europa 2:cool:

So Wind Surf......I count the days:D:D:D

You should also look into the three new Windstar ships which they have taken over from Seabourn and carry only 200 passengers. They have been renovated and might also offer you that small ship experience which you are looking for. Or check out the newer Seabourn ships which carry only 450 passengers.

There are far more small ships than you realise. But some are only 2 star. We have taken the attitude its more about the destination and the people and consequently have great memories.

Thanks for mentioning the new additions to the fleet. I am already checking them out and hope to try one next year when they return to the Caribbean. I did notice an April 2016 sailing from Colon to St Maarten that looked interesting but the air transportation could be too pricey. I may call Windstar and see what they have to offer.

I also am interested in a Greek Island cruise, one of my favorites but will have to put that off a while as I am sailing HAL's new Koningsdam in August of 2016. Yes a big ship, but its sailing to Norway, a region I have not visited.

In the meantime I will be reading the reviews of the Windstar motor yachts hoping to see positive comments.

PS...I hope someday to read that Wind Star has purchased the Surf's sister from Club Med...to grow the fleet even more.

Tom

Thanks for the comments. I agree that there are more smaller ships about and they do interest me. I find however trying to make reservations or even get information on possible bookings difficult at times. Some of the European lines do not offer bookings to North Americans nor work with North American travel agents. I was interested in the P&O next additions Aria and Eden sailing down under only to find I could not make reservations from here in the US. It would be possible through an Aussie agent if I could find one. I have looked into Blue Lagoon cruises in Fiji.....which maybe a possible choice for me. I see you have sailed the Paul Gauguin....loved her. Sailed a 7 night and a 10 night....stunning experience. I did see the Sun Princess will be sailing a Papua New Guinea itinerary....a trip I have on my bucket list. Although the Sun isn't a small ship, she holds a special place in my heart and would love to see how she is as an "old girl".

Thanks for your comments.

Too many ships, not enough money let alone leaving the dog:(

All the best.

Tom

Too many ships, not enough money let alone leaving the dog:(

Haha! That's exactly what we always say.

We agree about the big ships. That's why we split our cruises between Celebrity and Azamara.....so we can get the benefits of big ships and smaller ships every other cruise or so. Personally, Azamara is a small as we are willing to go and Celebrity is as big, so it's the best of both worlds. Good thing we aren't going to have kids so we can afford Azamara's escalating prices!

Michael & Omar

It's funny, but I think of Azamara as a big ship.

I did a cruise on the Wind Star over Christmas a couple years back down in the Windward Islands. I have to say it was one of the best vacation experiences I have ever taken. Not to sure about how gay friendly the crew would be, but never had any issues with the passengers.

My partner and I have done 2 Windstar cruises, in 2013 on the Wind Star from Athens to Istanbul and more recently on the Star Pride out of Singapore. Both were amazing and we are now hooked on Windstar. There was only one other gay couple on the Athens cruise and we were the only gay couple on the Singapore cruise, but it was a non-issue. Due to the low passenger count you quickly learn who the fun/liberal types are and it is easy to meet people and have a great time. We've had no issues of anti-gay attitude from passengers and certainly not from the crew who are phenomenal. Some of them even remembered us by name from the Athens cruise!

Since we like the small ship experience, we are trying the Source Events charter of the Royal Clipper out of Venice this Sept. We are counting the days! If a future gay charter books a Windstar vessel we will certainly consider it but would not hesitate to book another standard cruise with Windstar.

We are looking at the Legend's Iceland cruise for next year. They are starting that route this June, waiting to hear any feedback

The good thing about a l,one like Windstar is that you get a sophisticated clientele to whom it is not important if you are gay.

Thanks for starting this thread! My husband and I are counting the days until our Baltic Sea departure on Wind Surf on July 18, 2015. We'd previously tried Celebrity and I hated the size, the queues, the noise, everything. Even the fact that the ship was big enough to have a dozen other gay couples proved to be a negative: it was like being back in high school again, surrounded by "mean girls"! And since we're both in our early 40s, we're way too old for that. :p

By contrast, trying Windstar was like coming home. There were plenty of other young couples -- albeit straight ones -- on our Aegean itinerary, and after a while those of us under 50 got a reputation as being the "cool kids"! Quite a step up from our Celebrity experience. ;)

The ships were exactly what we were looking for: no cheesy entertainment, no jostling for expensive reservations at mediocre onboard specialty restaurants, no fights for a deck chair by the pool. Admittedly the cabins are tight and the portholes small, but because the ship is so cosy and welcoming, we find we spend much less time in our cabin than we did aboard Celebrity.

We'd definitely consider the new all-suites Windstar ships once the reviews are a little better. It sounds as if they may still be working out the kinks though.

Does size really matter? :D

When it comes to cruising it does but it means your selections over a smaller cruise ship translates to a more sophisticated clientele which means more money to pay for it. But after being with my other half for over 26 years and just reaching 50 last year I figure its well worth the money. I don't need large crowds, rock climbing, ice skating, movies under the stars.......I like small open minded groups, good food and a place to sleep at night. I prefer sea days over private islands.

Windstar sounds fascinating. We're gearing up for our first ever expedition voyage to the Arctic in 2016 on a ship with only 132 passengers. While I cannot afford that type of travel every year its certainly more interesting to me. And if we're the only gay couple on board? I don't think it will be an issue.

Dealing with Wind Star cruises on the phone has been wonderful. I just received a beautiful brochure in the mail and will wear it out long before this Decembers cruise. I am already considering another Wind Star cruise in 2017, in March perhaps on one of the former Seabourn ships doing Colon/Panama.

I also see that in the month of November they sail a Canary Island cruise which is an area I have wanted to see. Cant imagine the flight connections required to disembark in Tenerife and fly back to Florida.

As for the comments about size......for me smaller is better. I started sailing on small ships and have grown to dislike big ships...less social and to much of a rat race. The best cruises for me have been on smaller ships...even as small as Star Clipper line. I was on the Royal Clipper for my birthday and got a birthday kiss from the Matre D in the dinning room. Someone too a picture of the moment and you can see my hands clenched...I didn't know what to do in the moment. Try that on a 4000 pax ship...they would keel haul me:D

Been watched you tube videos of Wind Surf......love everything I see.....December cant get here fast enough.