Considering Windstar for our 50th anniversary - a few questions

Our 50th anniversary is coming up next year. We are thinking about doing something different to celebrate it. We have one cruise scheduled for next summer on another cruise line. We are also looking at a possible seven day Caribbean Christmas cruise on Windstar.

We have been doing some research about Windstar cruises and have a couple of questions.

First question: How often or when are the sails used?

The greatest appeal for us to choose a Windstar cruise is sailing on a ship that uses sails. They are magnificently beautiful!

Second question: Would we be too old for this type of cruise?

I am 70 and DW is 69. We are still active but are not interested in laying on the beach, swimming, snorkeling, or doing zip lines. We enjoy good food, meeting new people, and visiting new places. We have done some cruising as you can see in my signature. We enjoy cruising in full suites.

I welcome any honest opinions offered. Thanks in advance!

To me the wonderful thing about Windstar and other small ships like Seadream is that you meet a lot of wonderful people I am not saying you do not meet wonderful people on bigger ships. On the small ships you will see them again and you strike up friendships. Also all the crew remember you and your likes and dislikes.

If you're reasonable mobile any of the ships will do.

The Spirit and Star don't have elevators.

If you want sails and don't want to climb steps all the time the Surf is the ship for you. Amount of time under sail will vary widely from time to time - partially dependent on the winds, but some captains seem to put them up at every chance, others not so much.

I know you want sails, but the Pride/Breeze/Legend all have large cabins and while one big room the bed area feels very separate from the sitting area.

Those three feature cabins all of which have nice big windows to look out of, the lowest priced cabins have windows you can't open, the next level up has "French balconies" which is a euphemism for "you can open the door." Then there are a few true suites. None of the windstar ships have true balconies.

The cabins on the Surf/Star/Spirit are smaller but quite nicely laid out. The Surf has a bunch where they've combined 2 cabins into a suite by removing part of the wall - the diagrams online look like they left one bath and converted the other into a dressing room/shower, but its hard to tell.

The Star and Sprit have only 188 sq foot cabins except for an owners suite. All cabins on the Surf/Star/Spirit (except the owners suites) have only inoperable portholes.

If you want size and a view from your cabin go with the Pride/Breeze/Legend. If you want sails and a larger cabin a double-sized cabin on the Surf is probably the best choice, unless you want to spring for one of the owners suites.

As long as you're young at heart you'll be fine, and will find plenty of interesting people to talk to. You can easily avoid pool/beach time or whatever else you don't want to do, and lots of people will come back from a tour and disappear until dinner while others enjoy the time on deck mingling.

The WS tours tend to be overpriced but convenient, and they take care of you well. We laugh at the difficulty rating since easy tends to be "there is one step to get into the restaurant" and moderate means "you need to climb 3 steps to enter the bus." The staff, which on the tours usually includes at least one person from the ship, is very willing to help anyone who needs assistance.

For size of cabin and conven

milepig,

Thanks for taking the time to read and answer my questions. I'm glad you took the time to give me so many details about things that I never would have thought of, such as windows and elevators.

We are still mobile and love to go cruising. We usually take a shore excursion at every port on our itineraries. We enjoy culture and sightseeing. As you can see by my signature, my wife is a photo enthusiast, so we do a fair bit of walking while on shore. We also enjoy window shopping at the different ports.

We like to mingle and meet new people. My wife lovingly says I have never met any strangers. :D A small ship "intimate" experience would be very nice since it would give us the opportunity to meet new people and really get to know them before the cruise was over.

It sounds to me like all three of the sailing ships are very nice. I think we would miss having a balcony but could get along without it for such a unique experience. We are accustomed to large suites similar to the Owners Suites on Windstar but with fairly large balconies as well.

I'm sure I will have more questions as I do more research. It's good to know I can come here to ask and receive accurate information.

Thanks again and happy cruising!

To me the wonderful thing about Windstar and other small ships like Seadream is that you meet a lot of wonderful people I am not saying you do not meet wonderful people on bigger ships. On the small ships you will see them again and you strike up friendships. Also all the crew remember you and your likes and dislikes.

Thanks for taking the time to post a response. It's good to know there are such friendly people and crew members on Windstar. We enjoy mingling and getting to know people. A small ship experience is something we would enjoy.

Happy cruising!

Jim, I really thought I would miss the balcony; however, I found that there were so many wonderful places on deck (Wind Spirit, our first Windstar cruise) that I never really did.

The only exception was I did like to sit on balconies in my robe with my first cup of coffee for the day.:D But I got used to it and felt it was a small price to pay because the rest of the experience of a Windstar cruise was great.

Jim, I really thought I would miss the balcony; however, I found that there were so many wonderful places on deck (Wind Spirit, our first Windstar cruise) that I never really did.

 

The only exception was I did like to sit on balconies in my robe with my first cup of coffee for the day.:D But I got used to it and felt it was a small price to pay because the rest of the experience of a Windstar cruise was great.

Thanks for your encouraging feedback. We have always had a balcony and have enjoyed using it every day while on a cruise. We often have our breakfast on the balcony. It's a wonderful treat on a sea day or before going ashore. Then, throughout the day we will spend time on it as well.

I see you have done a few Caribbean cruises on Windstar. Have you the time to share a little of your experiences? Thanks!

milepig,

 

Thanks for taking the time to read and answer my questions. I'm glad you took the time to give me so many details about things that I never would have thought of, such as windows and elevators.

 

We are still mobile and love to go cruising. We usually take a shore excursion at every port on our itineraries. We enjoy culture and sightseeing. As you can see by my signature, my wife is a photo enthusiast, so we do a fair bit of walking while on shore. We also enjoy window shopping at the different ports.

 

We like to mingle and meet new people. My wife lovingly says I have never met any strangers. :D A small ship "intimate" experience would be very nice since it would give us the opportunity to meet new people and really get to know them before the cruise was over.

 

It sounds to me like all three of the sailing ships are very nice. I think we would miss having a balcony but could get along without it for such a unique experience. We are accustomed to large suites similar to the Owners Suites on Windstar but with fairly large balconies as well.

 

I'm sure I will have more questions as I do more research. It's good to know I can come here to ask and receive accurate information.

 

Thanks again and happy cruising!

Assuming you have nice weather, all three of the sailed ships have outdoor areas that are quite secluded - I think slightly more on the Star/Spirit. If you want to have some "alone time" you can be on deck and feel like you're almost by yourself. Between activities, going ashore, etc. we typically spend very little time in our cabin except at night, and the portholes don't especially bother us. You will never, ever, have hundreds of people streaming past you including little kids playing with their super-soakers. It just doesn't happen. Everyone is very respectful and if they see you curled up on deck reading a book they'll leave you alone.

Assuming you have nice weather, all three of the sailed ships have outdoor areas that are quite secluded - I think slightly more on the Star/Spirit. If you want to have some "alone time" you can be on deck and feel like you're almost by yourself. Between activities, going ashore, etc. we typically spend very little time in our cabin except at night, and the portholes don't especially bother us. You will never, ever, have hundreds of people streaming past you including little kids playing with their super-soakers. It just doesn't happen. Everyone is very respectful and if they see you curled up on deck reading a book they'll leave you alone.

Thanks again for posting your thoughts. It's really nice to receive feedback. It's good to know there are some places onboard for quiet/alone time considering the ships appear quite small in the pictures I've seen.

I noticed there are several Caribbean itineraries offered. Is there one particular Caribbean itinerary that you enjoyed? If so, what did you like about it?

I really appreciate your helpfulness.

And you'll never be annoyed by PA announcement (except when the Captain has something realy important to say)...:)

Thanks again for posting your thoughts. It's really nice to receive feedback. It's good to know there are some places onboard for quiet/alone time considering the ships appear quite small in the pictures I've seen.

 

I noticed there are several Caribbean itineraries offered. Is there one particular Caribbean itinerary that you enjoyed? If so, what did you like about it?

 

I really appreciate your helpfulness.

I haven't done the Caribbean, so can't answer this question, but I will say that of all the WS cruises we've been on our two favorites, hands down, are Athens to Istanbul (or Istanbul Athens) just don't go in august, you'll melt. The other is usually only offered a couple times a year since its part of the ships being repositions, but we adored Barcelona to Lisbon. Rome to Athens is also OK, but on Athens/Istanbul you get some great islands and Ephasus. Plan on spending a few days in Istanbul if this itin is appealing. A quite magical place.

I have always had a balcony but on Wind Star and Spirit you have the biggest balcony just a few steps away. I am always an early riser so i am always on deck about 6:00 am having a coffee

And you'll never be annoyed by PA announcement (except when the Captain has something realy important to say)...:)

Good point! :D It's very irritating to be disturbed by so many announcements for things like Bingo or Drawings. Those things can be found in the Daily Compass and interactive TV.

I have always had a balcony but on Wind Star and Spirit you have the biggest balcony just a few steps away. I am always an early riser so i am always on deck about 6:00 am having a coffee

So true! I think I could give up my balcony for the Windstar experience. I notice you have cruised on a variety of cruise lines, including Carnival, HAL, and NCL. What would say helped you decide to make the switch to Windstar?

Here is my Jewels of the Windward Isles review:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1989753

Have done this itinerary twice.

Have also sailed out of St. Maarten (our very first Windstar cruise aboard the Wind Spirit), but did not do a review at the time.

Also did Istanbul-Athens and here is my Shutterfly share site for that itinerary:

https://windspirit2013istanbultoathens.shutterfly.com/

So true! I think I could give up my balcony for the Windstar experience. I notice you have cruised on a variety of cruise lines, including Carnival, HAL, and NCL. What would say helped you decide to make the switch to Windstar?

Carnival was my first cruise that was my learning about cruising. Renaissance was my favorite cruise 2 weeks in Tahiti including airfare from LA. That was a fantastic cruise and it was 680 passengers and did not cost much more than the Carnival cruise unfortetly they went bust after 911. Oceania was one of the sister ships. Seadream was fantastic with just 112 passengers. I went to Windstar because I normally pick where I want to go then find the cruise. I wanted to do the Panama Canal and Windstar did Costa Rica the canal to Colon. They were then doing the transatlantic and stopping at Bermuda and so we got off at home. And we both really enjoyed it. This year we did the Athens to Istanbul. Next year is our 25 anniversary, we are both in our 60' we will cruising with some family from the U.S. We are thinking of a Carnival or a couple of HAL cruises in the Carribean. We are now both retired so we need better prices. Smaller cruise ships do cost more

And you'll never be annoyed by PA announcement (except when the Captain has something realy important to say)...:)

Except, based on our experience this Spring, on the Pride where every day the Excursion Director got on the PA to say "the port talk is starting in the lounge in 20 minutes."

I have sailed the larger ships a number of times (Princess, RCCL, Celebrity) and doubt that I will do it again unless it is with a large group and that is the group choice, or for a multi generation family cruise where the kids activities are important.

I love the casual luxury of the Windstar ships, the unfurling of the sails as you sail away to your next location, usually around sunset. The staff are just wonderful and the food is quite good.

Here is an example of big ship/small ship: We had an all day (independent, not ship sponsored) excursion planned on one island. The excursion company told us to bring a lunch or snacks, none provided on this adventure. On a big ship, they always tell you not to take items from the buffet ashore, etc, so we would have had to buy some sandwiches ashore or 'sneak' them off.

On Windstar, they advertise that if you need food for a day on the island to call room service a day ahead. We ordered a couple of sandwiches to take ashore. We were told to pick up our order at the cafe/sandwich bar (on Windsurf) the following morning as we leave the ship. We received an insulated picnic carryall, with our sandwiches, fruit, cookies, chips, bottled water and were told to return the carryall and have a fun day.

Typical Windstar.

I have sailed Windstar in the Caribbean 3 times and Istanbul/Athens once. They used the sails a lot in the Caribbean, sometimes with a motor assist. One cruise they used the sails 90% of the time, 60% with no motor assist. It all depends on the weather and wind. They tell you on the ship bulletin how much time you are at sail. The Istanbul sailing, not so much, maybe 30% of the time but the weather was bad including one terrible storm. Still, it was my favorite cruise ever. The sails are computerized, so you do not see people raising and lowering the sails.

In the Caribbean I prefer the Windsurf. More space, more things to do. Also, there is a suite option on the Windsurf that is very comfortable with 2 bathrooms, no balcony. There is only 1-2 suite rooms on the smaller ships and they are very expensive. I always have a balcony room on bigger ships, but do not miss them when I am on the Windstar because I spend so much time out on deck. I find that in the Caribbean I use the ship more vs. excursions so I appreciate more space and options.

I would say most people on the Windstar cruises that I have been on are in their 40's to late 70's, although I have met people in their 20s and 80 too.

Hope that helps!

acruisefan,

Thanks for reading and answering my post. I really appreciate your comparison between big ship/Windstar. The gave you such a nice lunch to take ashore! That's unheard of on a big ship! How much were you charged or was it free?

I'm glad you mentioned the sails. That's one thing my wife and I were wondering about. It would be wonderful to cruise on a ship that uses the sails quite a bit.

Windsurf sounds like a good choice since it is larger and I'm sure my wife would love having a bathroom to herself during the cruise :D

I'm glad you mentioned the age demographics. I've noticed in the pictures I've seen, that most passengers are young so I wasn't sure whether we would "fit in."

Can you share a bit about your Caribbean cruises? Did you have one itinerary that you especially enjoyed more than the other?

Thanks again for the great information.

I have always had a balcony but on Wind Star and Spirit you have the biggest balcony just a few steps away. I am always an early riser so i am always on deck about 6:00 am having a coffee

I'm also part of the early morning coffee crowd and it can be great. I'm first up while Mrs. Milepig snoozes, and is just stirring when I leave the cabin. Instead of dealing with coffee myself I go up on deck and chat with the other coffee dudes - they're always men. Or, if no on else shows up I do the crossword. You learn that the coffee they have in the urn is dreck but the steward will make you whatever you want and by day 2 will just bring it to you with a "good morning milepig". Quite often the ship will be entering the harbor and that's when I've taken my best pictures. There are only ever a handful of people up, and you feel like you almost have the ship to yourself. In about an hour Mrs. Milepig comes to find me and we're off to breakfast. The time I miss the balcony is afternoon, but even then we can bring a glass or bottle of wine up on deck - put it in a tote, no one cares - and find a secluded spot, or just as good we go to the bar and make some friends. We can have drinks on our own balcony at home.

Quite often the ship will be entering the harbor and that's when I've taken my best pictures. There are only ever a handful of people up, and you feel like you almost have the ship to yourself.

I really enjoy reading your comments. You have such a wonderful way of describing a scene that I can almost smell the salt air and feel the breeze on my face.

Would you post a link to your pictures? I would enjoy seeing them.

I'm also part of the early morning coffee crowd and it can be great.There are only ever a handful of people up, and you feel like you almost have the ship to yourself.

We are morning people too, and I have to agree this is absolutely my favourite part about cruising Windstar. Its typically the same people up early every day; everyone's quiet but pleasant. So peaceful.

I would recommend the Surf for you if you need a suite. I stayed in the Spirit/Star Owners Cabin a few years ago. There was quite a bit of noise that we had to just ignore. If I remember correctly there was engine noise and the sound of the anchor being raised and lowered. I would stay in it again but I hesitate to suggest it to others.

The wind conditions vary and so does the sail usage. Most of the time there is both sail and engine power with the sails boosting the engine. On each of our cruises there were times where the wind was right and just the sails were used. That's fun! On the lowest level sometimes you get water sloshing up to your porthole! The kids felt that was great.

Using the deck as your 'balcony' works really well. We were always able to get a table in the shade near where breakfast is served. We would just read and talk and write postcards. Even from the lowest level it didn't feel too much farther than walking in my home from the master bedroom to our patio outside.

All good info put forth. I, too, love the sailing ships and have done nothing but them since 2000. I do want to say that on the Windstar ships/cruises I've sailed, the sails were up only as we left port and as we returned. It didn't seem to be a lack-of-wind issue. Of the other tall ships I've sailed/cruised on, Star Clippers put the sails up a bit more, and Island Windjammer's Diamant and Manhattan Yacht Club's Arabella have their sails up whenever these tall ships are out, unless there is absolutely no wind. Lots of true sailing. The latter two are much smaller tall ships than Windstar and Star Clipper ships, however. But all the above mentioned ships are spectacular!

I would recommend the Surf for you if you need a suite. I stayed in the Spirit/Star Owners Cabin a few years ago. There was quite a bit of noise that we had to just ignore. If I remember correctly there was engine noise and the sound of the anchor being raised and lowered. I would stay in it again but I hesitate to suggest it to others.

 

The wind conditions vary and so does the sail usage. Most of the time there is both sail and engine power with the sails boosting the engine. On each of our cruises there were times where the wind was right and just the sails were used. That's fun! On the lowest level sometimes you get water sloshing up to your porthole! The kids felt that was great.

 

Using the deck as your 'balcony' works really well. We were always able to get a table in the shade near where breakfast is served. We would just read and talk and write postcards. Even from the lowest level it didn't feel too much farther than walking in my home from the master bedroom to our patio outside.

Thanks for your suggestion about the Surf and tips about the noise on the Spirit/Star Owners Cabin. I'm not sure which ship we will book, so it's great getting all this feedback about the different features on the ship and experiences people have had. It all is good information and will help us make a choice.

Happy cruising!