Windstar - good and bad

We just returned from the Windstar cruise out of Barbados to the Grenadines. We couldn't have the beach bbq in Mayreau because the swells were too big for the zodiacs or tenders to go to shore. The Captain sailed to a lovely sheltered cove with a beach at Union Island. It was beautiful and those that went ashore were most pleased.

We had room 105 which did have a slight taper and made it seem smaller with it difficult to move around the bed. I believe that 101 and 103 are smaller yet.

If you have problem with steps you will definitely have problems on the WindStar. My husband counted - there are 50 steps from deck 1 to deck 4 where the buffet and pool are located. No elevator on this ship.

The motion on this cruise was quite noticeable. I and others were quite queasy with the swells and the rocking motion. No problem in the ports but problems every evening when sailing. Not everyone, of course, is bothered by the motion. We have had Caribbean cruises that sailed in calm waters. I was affected by motion and missed some very good food.

We had a wonderful deck BBQ in Grenada and stayed in port long enough to thoroughly enjoy the food before the swells started again. And my husband ate in Candles one night and said the veal chop was fantastic.

And the best plus.....the crew was great. They knew your names, they were most attentive and always wanted to make sure you were comfortable. They are what make the cruise so special. You also get to meet some very interesting people with the guest base so small.

Thank you Hedy for your review. I will be on that cruise in another week and I'm worried about the swells. I plan on taking meclizine daily (aka, Bonine) and hope all will be well.

Re motion sickness: take along ginger tabs and/or look for a wee little bottle called Motion-Eze where you find Bonine. You put a dab behind your ear if you start to feel queezy. But the ginger tabs work pretty darn quick. Friend was totally green one minute, took a tab and about 10 minutes later, just fine. I haven't bought them, but expect they are in same location.

Our spring and fall sailings in the Caribbean have not been rocky, so maybe you'll be fortunate that way, too, if that's where you're going.

We were on this cruise as well. Although we didn't get seasick, I banged my forearm into a guide rail on the first night, causing a nickel-sized lump and a big bruise.

Additionally, there were frequent short rain showers. The crew said this unseasonable weather had been happening since the first of the year. The last couple of days were sunnier.

I agree that the crew were very friendly and helpful. A lot more crew members called us by name on this cruise, in comparison to our 2013 voyage on the Wind Spirit. Kudos to our room steward Marten, the front desk staff, and server Miko in particular.

The food was okay. I enjoyed the appetizers and salads most, meats and desserts least. Missed the tortes featured on the Wind Star.

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Although I was not on this cruise, I did take the same cruise in March 2014. It's a great itinerary and would do it again, no doubt. The seas were much calmer in March than described by the poster. We did spend 2 weeks over Dec/Jan in the Southern Grenadines in Carriacou and will say the the Christmas winds were quite strong this year. Although we thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful tradewinds on land, I would expect it would have caused for some rather rough seas. This is typical at this time of year.