Star Pride Athens to Venice July 6-15

We have sailed on all of the Traditional Windstar ships many times, and decided to try the Star Pride because of the itinerary. We did a 2 day pre in Athens on our own, and a three day post in Cortina in the Dolomites. Boarding the fully booked ship in Athens was extremely well organized and efficient, and cabins were available early afternoon. First impressions of the ship is that it is a 26 year old ship (which it is!), and that once Seaborne decided to sell it, they stopped doing anything to it beyond what was needed to keep it afloat. Our impression was that Windstar was surprised at the condition of the ship when they took delivery, and that three weeks was not nearly enough time to get the ship Windstar ready. The overall first impression was good, but everywhere you looked, you could see small details that either had been overlooked or to which they had not yet gotten. We had Suite 002, as we were celebrating my partner's 65th birthday, and the cabin was very nice, but showing signs of age. As we expected, the AC in the cabin was marginal, always needing to be set to the minimum temperature, and you had to be careful during the day if you were going out, to keep the curtains drawn to keep it as cool as possible. We have had this same problem on SeaDream, which are ships of the same age. A small fan would have been a great addition. It was also clear that a lot of the trim had been removed to allow for carpet installation, and it had all been reinstalled hastily and a bit haphazardly. Bed was comfortable; shower was awkward, with the "shower" wand in the corner of the bathtub (a Seaborne leftover). The living area was comfortable. One minor annoyance was that they had left the Nexpresso machine in the suite, and the box for the coffee pods. However, upon opening it, we found it with only a few left over pods, and a sticker on the lid indicating "property of Seaborne Cruise Line". When we inquired of our cabin steward if the coffee pods could be refilled, we were told that "we don't have those anymore". We suggested to the hotel manager that if you aren't going to support the coffee machine, take it out of the suite. It's probably still there.

We went up to the Veranda café for a late lunch, and the first impression is of how tight the space is, both indoor and outdoors. We never were able to get a table outside during the entire cruise, except for the two nights that we dined at Candles. The other thing we noticed immediately was that the pool and hot tubs were empty, and that the tiling on the pool deck was really shopworn, and missing a number of tiles. They finally filled the pool at the end of the second day of the cruise, but it was pretty sad. We have heard that they are planning on taking out the pool on these ships and using the space to expand the Veranda café, which would be a great idea.

The other thing that we found odd was the use of the forward observation lounge. It is basically a continental breakfast, light lunch and coffee bar, with seating areas for reading, puzzles, etc, but closes at 5 pm. They should think about making this an evening bar, especially at colder times of the year. At sail away, they do the traditional Windstar music, and the Star bar was crowded. Overlooking the open deck below, one could not help but notice that the originally white awnings at various locations around the ship had mostly not been replaced, and were really dirty and streaked with spilled drinks, etc. This is something that crew should have noticed and addressed.

The main dining room and Candles were both very nice, with a wide range of well prepared meals. Candles offers the same menu every night, and could benefit from the addition of a surf n' turf entrée. The crew was definitely up to Windstar standards, being friendly and helpful, and quick to learn your names. Evenings were pretty quite most of the time, with the most popular venue being the Star bar out on the open deck. Entertainers were better than expected and did a pretty good job. The spa and gym were small but serviceable, especially for a ship of this size.

The cruise featured a mix of tendered and docked ports and the tender operation was pretty well organized with minimal waits. They did deploy the sports platform on three days, and offered the usual Windstar activities. One of the highlights of the cruise was the deck BBQ, which the staff went way beyond in their efforts to make it enjoyable and memorable. We were docked in Kotor Montenegro that day, and the had rain on arrival and cloudy/threatening skies all day, which I am sure gave the crew fits as they tried to decide if the deck BBQ could happen. Luckily, they crossed their fingers and went forward, and it was probably the best deck BBQ we have ever experienced on Windstar. Following the sumptuous meal, the four piece band was on stage (over the hot tubs) and played lively music that got folks up and dancing well into the night while the crew quickly removed all signs of the BBQ. The spectacular sail away was at 11 pm, and could not have been more picturesque sailing down the fjord back to the sea, with the lights of Kotor in the background. Another great surprise was how personable and not stuffy the Captain is. We had the pleasure of dining with him one night, and it was a pleasure to spend several hours of interesting conversation with the Captain and our table mates.

One of the highlights of the cruise was the transit of the Corinth Canal, which is only 13 ft wider than the ship, making it look like a pretty tight fit. The other highlight was an old staple, the entry into Venice. Being a smaller ship, we were able to dock right in town. We did see the towering Regal Princess, which was docked in the mega ship area out by Plaza Roma. It towered over the entire city, not a very pleasant sight. I can see why folks in Venice are up in arms over the larger ships.

Minor decorating and upgrade work continued throughout the cruise, suggesting that Windstar realized that the three week makeover time they allowed was far too short, and that work remains to be done. Overall, this was a very good cruise experience, thanks primarily to the excellent crew/staff on board that made it a Windstar experience. It was clear that they really want to make this work with the new ships, since two more are on the way. The Star Pride is definitely not the Wind Spirit, but I think these new vessels (to the Windstar fleet) can make a niche for themselves with Windstar cruisers. Yes, we did miss the sails and the slightly more casual feel of the sailing vessels. However, with some continued effort to finish the makeover, including the small details, and if they can take lessons learned from the conversion of the Pride to the other two ships, as they take possession of them, they could actually pull this off.

Would we sail on one of these again? Hmmmm. Probably not before trying another cruise on one of the refurbished original ships. My sense is that Windstar is going to need to discount the new additions to the fleet until they completely finish making them over, as a way of enticing their client base to try the new product. Another thing that they might consider to set these ships apart is making them all inclusive, which would support the higher pricing. If you are thinking about trying this ship, we encourage you to do so, and to approach it as a new cruising adventure on a cruise line that you know and love.

I sailed on the Pride many times when she was Seabourn Pride, including her last crossing before the turnover to Windstar in Barcelona. I assure you that the ship's upkeep was NOT neglected from the date of sale until turnover. The usual cleaning, polishing and finishing work continued up to and during the final cruise. If Windstar continues to market its new acquisitions using comparable pricing as Seabourn it should include what Seabourn did in its pricing: all gratuities, soft and hard drinks, wines included.

As is often said on Cruise Critic: JMHO.

Thank you very much for a wonderful review, fair, great suggestions, nice comments. It helped for the into Venice cruise is high on my list. We have sailed on the Windstar ships 15 times and we very much want the company to stay alive, we have never wanted to go with any other company we so enjoy the experiences. I hope they take your suggestions into consideration. Happy Windstaring in the future and thanks again. Susanne

Nice job...sounds like you give it a 6 or maybe a 7...we're going Wedneday Rome to Venice on a cruise I did a few years ago on Surf..great itinerary on ANY ship. Your remarks echo what many are saying. We're up for a new experience (12 WS cruises under our belts)..but will probably miss the deck chaise hanging over the stern watching the billowing sails...let's see how it goes. We're in Classic Suite 2 as well. That coffee machine better be outa there. Cheers!

Great review. We have been on Windstar numerous times and am looking forward to seeing the new ships. I just hope WindStar reads the review and takes your comments to heart. We are planning on taking the Legend cruise to the fjords next August but are holding off due to both the pricing and the not too positive reviews of the Pride.

Just out of curiosity, I called Windstar to see about booking a BS cabin for the fjords cruise and they said that NONE of the BS cabins had been reserved yet. This should be sending a strong message to management that they need to do more / better refurbishment prior to putting the ships in service.

Thanks for the review. My daughter and I will be sailing on Wednesday on the Rome to Venice itinerary. We have been on the windsurf twice in the caribbean most recently this past march. We have also sailed sea dream and this is what I am thinking the ship will be like. I am very apprehensive about the upcoming trip on the pride due to the negative publicity about so little deck space. Your comments about not being able to get a seat outside at all except for reservations at candles is also bothersome. I really would like to enjoy the outdoors more especially on our sea day. I know it will be hard not to compare the windsurf to the star pride but just hope we are not totally disappointed in this ship

Thanks indeed for the review…we have never sailed Windstar and I gather their passengers are a loyal bunch. I'm trying to decide on Star Pride for a Vietnam trip in Jan 2015. Love the itinerary but very apprehensive by the poor ship reviews.

In May (this year) we were on the Silversea Discoverer in the Kimberley, the "new" expedition ship for Silversea. It was rebadged in Singapore in Dec/Jan and had only done 3-4 trips by the time we sailed on her. We were disappointed in the supposed refit. The public rooms were fine . . . and while I expected small cabins (it's an expedition ship, after all), the cabin we had was not painted properly, had many scuff marks, you could see where they were trying to re-do things but hadn't quite got it right (for example, a curtain separating the cupboards and bathroom from the bedroom area had been removed, but the curtain rings etc had not. It was just very sloppy and NOT what we expected from Silversea, especially considering the very high price we paid. I posted a full review if anyone is interested.)

My point is, I'm now loathe to try another newly rebadged ship that has had only a superficial refit, rather than a full one…

However…the Crystal itinerary is not nearly as good as the Windstar.

Quite a nice dilemma to have, but a dilemma nevertheless

The way I look at it is that the new (to Windstar) ships were very popular when they were with Seabourn (Legend 93% approval, Pride 76% approval for example). So most cruisers must have been happy the way there were.

Combine that with Windstar's superb service and I am happy to try them and have booked a cruise on the Legend next year. I am also a big Windstar supporter and want to the brand to continue.

Having said that I am taking the comments made by posters seriously, and consider myself forewarned about the ship's shortcomings. Hopefully, the things that can be changed or enhanced by Windstar will be in the newer additions.

Most sensible, Snow cat, and that's pretty much what we have decided too. We are going to give Windstar a go due to the interesting itinerary and the excellent reviews on service and food…. and hope for the best re the state of the Pride. I'll report back after our January cruise!

Think you may have chosen the perfect time to book as I was just on Windstar's site looking at their sale. Looks to me like they've significantly reduced Asia prices!

Hello all. We have been on Windstar around the Caribbean over the last couple of years, but fancied Asia. So we have just booked Star Pride on 28 February around Asia from Singapore for 10 days. We like the itinerary and hope the ship is as good as the Windsurf... just without the sails.

Sandy

I'm trying to decide on Star Pride for a Vietnam trip in Jan 2015. Love the itinerary but very apprehensive by the poor ship reviews.

/QUOTE]

Hi melmike

We too loved the Vietnam itinerary and decided to book the first Vietnam cruise on Jan 5 2015. As Penkzilla pointed out the prices are deeply discounted and I must admit that the costs were a major factor in our decision. We are not going in with unrealistic expectations and hope that we will enjoy the leisurely itinerary more than the typical Princess or Celebrity East Asian cruise with only one or two days in Vietnamese ports.

Derek and Elizabeth

Thanks for your review.

Thanks for the review. My daughter and I will be sailing on Wednesday on the Rome to Venice itinerary. We have been on the windsurf twice in the caribbean most recently this past march. We have also sailed sea dream and this is what I am thinking the ship will be like. I am very apprehensive about the upcoming trip on the pride due to the negative publicity about so little deck space. Your comments about not being able to get a seat outside at all except for reservations at candles is also bothersome. I really would like to enjoy the outdoors more especially on our sea day. I know it will be hard not to compare the windsurf to the star pride but just hope we are not totally disappointed in this ship

We are just back from a cruise on Seabourn Spirit, which I gather has the same layout. It's strange, but we actually thought that there was more outside seating at the cafe on Spirit than on the Windstar and other than a couple of times, there was no trouble getting outside tables.

This critique is kind. We were on the 9day cruise from Athens on Aug 30 2014.

This ship's condition is less than acceptable. As noted here ship looks its age, chipped paint, rusting everywhere, plumbing issues ( we specifically had black water coming from shower at the start of every morning, were told there was nothing they could do about it) No hot water in bathroom sink. Dirty awnings everywhere. Pool dirty. jacuzzis may or may not work. Deck furniture is a holdover from Seabourne days, what an easy fix this could have been. Wifi is poor and ridiculously expensive. Spa has not had a redo, so services feel less Than a pampering. Had to ask to have sheets changed, after a coffee stain was on bed cover for 2 days. Excluding dining and food service staff, there is a lack of attention to detail in other services. Senior staff unavailable to comments.

On a positive note, food services and dining staff excelled, and the itinerary was good, with good tour options. But the poor performance and ambiance of this ship has totally turned us off to Windstar forever. Why Xanterra made the strategic decision to launch this ship in such an ill repair state and then market it as a renovated yacht is beyond understanding from a long term business perspective.

PLEASE.....Keep making comments.

I am at a loss to find a cruise that I am interested in - don't want a big ship and being European, I have visited many of the cities offered by cruise lines in Europe.

We cruised with Oceania on Nautica last year and on Insignia this year and were satisfied. However, now, they don't have an itinerary I like. The only one that I would do is on Riviera - 1200 to 1300 passengers - not sure whether this is my cup of tea.

I thought Windstar would be "the one" on Start Pride or Star Breeze but it looks as if I might be disappointed.

So, PLEASE...keep on giving your opinion.

If you are trying Windstar for the first time I would opt for one of their original tall ships. They really have the wow factor and I think they are hard to beat.

Windstar IS different. The original sailboats are well taken care off. The company is probably having growing pain right and probably don't have enough office people to handle everything (including a web site):o.

You have 3 sailboats itinerary to choose from and if may suggest here, you also have the Club Med 2, which is physically identical to the Wind Surf, that does the Med. and elsewhere.

All of them built by les Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre (Fr) for Karl Andren, a man of Vision.

We're taking Star Pride in March on the 10 day Singapore-Malaysia cruise. I'm hopeful that these exterior cosmetic issues will be taken care of by then. Does anyone have recent pictures of the exterior problems? The pool issue is troubling. I have read though that the interior is very nice and service/food is up to Windstar standards.

When we where on board in July, the pool was not filled until the second day, and it took forever to fill, the pool is in a very strange location for my taste, there is no laying by the pool unless your in it or stay on the bench alongside of it. On the Starboard side there is a sitting area for four, and a dead end, on the port there is a wheelchair ramp to the verandah. The pool is very old numerous mosaic tiles have fallen off, the waterfall feature doesn't work.

This is what we learned on our trip, in which we were traveling while the main designer for the redo was on board as well as Trimline another fit and finish installer that was doing many projects during the cruise. The pool will eventually be replaced by a larger Verandah Cafe in my opinion very much needed. They will be no pool only Jacuzzis two hot one cold, if they are working. The front of the ship Jacuzzi was nice and warm, but once you sit down you cannot see forward.

Let me close by saying this, we talked extensively to the designer on board and there is a lot of work to be done all while sailing. We also had dinner with the captain who stated that, "ships do not come with disclosures" in other words they got what they paid for.

PS my observations only some people care about small things and I happen to be one.

Always cleaning, it's old you have to, the brass is old, the elevators old, toothpicks, straws, straw tops, napkins etc. littered the ships drainage areas, you cannot use the outside back of the ship while cruising, to much noise and soot from the engines and don't look up. It is nasty.....also half way painted areas around the outside was a joke, someone did not bother to get a ladder and only painted half way up the funnel on one side.

The cruise was great the ship not......it's reminded me of a well used car, beautiful when new not so much now.

Classic suite 02 needs work, not just soft goods.

PLEASE.....Keep making comments.

I am at a loss to find a cruise that I am interested in - don't want a big ship and being European, I have visited many of the cities offered by cruise lines in Europe.

We cruised with Oceania on Nautica last year and on Insignia this year and were satisfied. However, now, they don't have an itinerary I like. The only one that I would do is on Riviera - 1200 to 1300 passengers - not sure whether this is my cup of tea.

 

I thought Windstar would be "the one" on Start Pride or Star Breeze but it looks as if I might be disappointed.

So, PLEASE...keep on giving your opinion.

We leave on Star Pride in a couple weeks, and I am (sadly) not looking forward to this cruise. We loved WindStar way back when. On our last Windstar trip, the Wind Surf was badly in need of maintenance, and the Star Pride sounds like a worse repeat.

After 3 fabulous Oceania Cruises, I am wondering why I gave in and booked on Windstar again.

If you enjoyed the Nautica, you will LOVE Riviera/Marina. The cabins are simply fabulous, as are the dining options and public spaces. We have always taken smaller ships, but the new Oceania ships are a great compromise, offering more onboard options, but maintaining the smaller ship feel.

I chose the Star Pride trip for the itinerary, but I will miss the wonderful amenities (including very good wi-fi for a reasonable price) on the Riviera.

Hope the Star Pride is not so awful as recent reviews have led me to expect. I'll report back after our trip.

I'm so disappointed to hear that there may be no pool in future on these ships. I agree with everything said about location and condition - it's a strange place to put a pool - but how can Windstar think it's ok to have 3 luxury ships without a swimming pool? You need somewhere to cool off. Maybe they could lose the whirlpool in the front of the ship and use that area for a small pool.

I'm so disappointed to hear that there may be no pool in future on these ships. I agree with everything said about location and condition - it's a strange place to put a pool - but how can Windstar think it's ok to have 3 luxury ships without a swimming pool? You need somewhere to cool off. Maybe they could lose the whirlpool in the front of the ship and use that area for a small pool.

On the WS cruises we have been on, the whirlpool has been in use but rarely was anyone in the pool. So based on our experience, losing the pool would not be an issues.

I think it is terrible to lose a swimming pool, what were they thinking? I am in them all the time. I think we will stick to the sailing ships. I would like to support them for we love the company ( 14 times, with 2 more in 2015) with their new ships, perhaps the other ships will keep the pools. Let's hope. Great Sailing Susanne

Found this interesting review (lots of pics)

http://www.johnnyjet.com/2014/05/20-reasons-sail-windstars-new-star-pride-ship/

and this explanation for some of the shortcoming,

"...Physically, the Star Pride is a work in progress. The line only had the ship for 18 days before entering it into service. Some of the public spaces have been renovated to conform to Windstar's more casual cruise style, but others only got partial makeovers. Windstar plans to do the rest of the work in a year and a half, after soliciting feedback from customers who sail on the Star Pride...."

http://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Star-Pride-seeks-to-capture-Windstar-spirit-sans-sails/

Keep those comments coming and address them also to WS ;)