ridethetide

My husband and I are on the reverse itinerary in April. I would love to hear what excursions or other activities you did. I am pleased that your experience on the Star Breeze was favorable. We were on the Legend in August and had a fantastic time despite the obvious growing pains. We are looking forward to the Breeze.

The 2017 itineraries have been posted. However, there is no information about ports or excursions for those itineraries that were just posted. There are dates and pricing and maps.

We had at least three individuals on our last cruise who utilized walkers or canes. They did not seem to have any difficulties on the ship or shore. The crew was most accommodating in assisting them in getting on and off the ship, tenders, and tour buses. We did not have any rough seas during the cruise. I would think that you will need to be especially cautious getting around the ship if the seas get rolling, however.

Enjoy your travels!

My husband and I just completed our 5th Windstar cruise. We follow a vegan diet, and our TA has made arrangements for our special needs to be communicated to the chef prior to embarkation for each cruise. On the first three cruises, a complete vegan menu was prepared for us for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It included appetizers, soups, breads, entrees, and desserts. Our needs were met and the food was incredible. On the fourth and fifth cruises, we were only offered a vegan dinner entree. We were on our own to try to figure out what we could or couldn't eat for the rest of the meals. In fact, there were lunches where our only options were green salad or steamed vegetables with white rice. We are booked on the Star Breeze this coming April and hope that a better effort will be made to accommodate our needs. Please advise me if Windstar's policy has changed regarding meeting passengers' special dietary needs. If it is no longer a priority for Windstar, I am saddened to think that this will be our last Windstar cruise.

Thank you for your time.

For all the Windstar cruises I've been on, the "all-aboard" time was 5:00 pm, with boarding starting around 1:00 pm. There is much work for the crew to do before the new passengers arrive so I doubt they would permit you to board any earlier than 1:00.

My husband and I did the Lands of the Midnight Sun in August from Reykjavik to Copenhagen. It was a most amazing itinerary. Iceland is another planet, breathtaking in its starkness and uniqueness. Plan to spend a couple of days there. The Faroe Islands and the Shetland Islands were ruggedly beautiful. Great seabirds and seals and sod-roofed houses. The fjords were gorgeous with a hundred shades of green and lots of waterfalls everywhere. Copenhagen is a delightful city. The locals in every place we stopped were very friendly and spoke English so well. You will have a fantastic time. Too bad you'll miss the Flam Railway since it was one of the highlights of the trip.

Attached are two photos of suite 226 taken in August 2015 during our cruise of the Lands of the Midnight Sun.

Although there has been an occasional teenager or even younger on the four Windstar cruises I have been on, I think most youths would find the cruises boring since they are lacking any true on-board "entertainment" for kids. It really depends on your child. He is unlikely to have many, if any, kids his own age on board.

The only time our Windstar ship was late into port was on the repositioning cruise from Panama to Bermuda. We were a day and a half late due to exceptionally high seas the entire trip.

Yes, they provide at no cost the use of mask, snorkel, fins and a flotation vest.

We were on the Wind Spirit in Costa Rica right before it left for Tahiti last April. They had paddle boards and sea kayaks.

In my experience with Windstar, they will only transport you to or from the hotel that they offer lodging in or the airport. For instance, when we stayed in Panama, we had to take a taxi from our hotel to the Marriott, where we picked up the Windstar transportation to the ship. The drive to Colon is rather long so it is definitely worth using the Windstar bus in Panama. It really depends on the particular cruise.

I just received a confirmation today from Windstar that both the Breeze and the Legend are having counter current pools installed during their renovations this month. I am so excited about the opportunity to actually exercise in the pool rather than just wade.

Smoking is not permitted in any of the staterooms, suites, or public spaces, including all restaurants and corridors. Smoking is permitted on the outside decks in designated smoking areas only.

Yes, Ray and Sandy, that was the infamous cruise, and I do remember you! We saw some of the staff that had been on that cruise during our Panama cruise last year. They all lamented how sick they had been!

My husband Bob is 6'5" with gray hair and beard. I am 5'4". I'm certain we crossed paths many times on that trip! We did actually use scopolamine patches for the first time on that cruise and were most thankful we had. We will be sailing the Legend on the Lands of the Midnight Sun in August and plan to take patches again due to the large expanses of North Atlantic that we will be traversing.

I can provide you with some feedback to your questions since my husband and I have been on 4 Windstar cruises.

• The ships are equipped with stabilizers that do a good job of keeping things calm. However, if the seas are really rough, you will definitely feel them. We had 10-14 ft seas on our sail from Panama to Bermuda a couple of years ago, and many of the passengers and crew were ill. That is not the norm, however. The Mediterranean can be rough in the fall. if you are sensitive to motion sickness, you might try scopolamine patches.
  
• You can always find quiet spots on the ship for your privacy. One of the wonderful things about Windstar cruises is that it is easy to be alone and it is easy to share. You will find there are many interesting people on the cruises.
  
• We are both vegetarian and have had nothing but fantastic meals onboard. There are many veggie options at all of the meals, and they are always willing to make special accommodations (e.g., leaving out the meat or fish from a pasta dish) if you ask.
  

Enjoy your cruise...

I just checked and there are 18 Star Legend cruises shown.

Starting in December 2015, Star Breeze will be taking over the Panama Canal/Costa Rica itineraries.

My husband and I took the Panama Canal Costa Rico cruise last April, right before the Wind Spirit departed for Tahiti. This was our 5th Wind Star cruise, and I feel strongly that Wind Star is an excellent choice for seniors. The transit of the Panama Canal was so incredibly fascinating, and Costa Rica was beautiful. You can do as much or as little as you like or are physically up to on Wind Star cruises. Keep in mind that Costa Rica, especially along the coast, is very hot and humid. However, the ocean is a delight to be in and we spent hours playing in the water off the sports platform. Do it!!!

All of the Windstar ships have sports platforms, including the Pride, the Legend and the Breeze. Use of the platforms depends on sea conditions and location of the anchorage. It is never used when docked at a pier. I've used the platforms on all 5 of my Windstar cruises and think they are wonderful.

The true midship cabins are actually 131 and 132. 119 is just in the middle of the cabins. There is much more bow ahead of the cabins than there is stern behind. We always stay in 131 or 132 and have never been bothered by the noises that you experienced. Next time, try to book a bit closer to the bow. Maybe it will be quieter. Thanks for the heads up, however.

We were on the last Panama/Costa Rica cruise before the Wind Spirit embarked for Tahiti. The interior of our cabin was a bit ragged as well. The staff, however, was truly incredible, as always!

My husband and I actually find the sound of the water splashing on the portholes or the side of the ship to be very soothing. It might prove annoying for some but soporific for others.

You should not be bothered by engine noise in Cabin 135. It will just be a hum that you will only notice when they cut the engines and go entirely under sail. It is also pretty close to mid ship. I have stayed in 133 and it was wonderful. Enjoy!

You will feel less of the motion of the ship in the middle of the ship and in the lower level (100s). Although, generally, motion is not a problem. There is no elevator on the Wind Spirit, so if climbing stairs is difficult for you, you are better off on the next deck up. We often book cabins around 130 or 132.

here are the prices

 

Windstar’s Laundry Services:

Travel light and take pleasure in the feeling of freshly washed and pressed clothing every day from our professional laundry. Enjoy the service during your entire sailing, with a quick turnaround of 24 hours on all items, and same day service available when items are turned in by 9:00 a.m.

 

• 7-Day Sailing (per cabin, double occupancy) $99
  
• 7-Day Sailing (per cabin, single occupancy) $49.50
  
• 14-Day Sailing (per cabin, double occupancy) $198
  
• 14-Day Sailing (per cabin, single occupancy) $99
  

I believe that those are the old prices. The rate is now $109 for a double cabin. It is still a bargain in my opinion.