Windstar Cruise Trip Report

I was skeptical, but also intrigued so I was dying to give it a try. I’m not a cruise person. However, by the end of my adventure I can tell you I will be doing another small ship cruise. One of the great perks was that it really allowed me to see so many places and not waste a moment traveling or unpacking. I already know which places I will go back to for a land vacation. One of our highlights was disembarking in Cannes only to realize it was the Cannes Film Festival and that, my friends, was quite an experience! 

Waking up each morning in an amazing port was fabulous. Because it’s such a small ship, getting on and off the ship was super easy and at your convenience. We could get on and off as many times as we wanted as long as we were back on board an hour before our sailing time. 

The Ship

The style was very nautical and not modern at all. Clients need to know this. They should not expect a big ship feel on this boat. At first I felt like maybe it needs some refreshing - new carpets etc. But it grew on me and by the last day I was ready to plan another trip. There are a few restaurants and only two require a reservation. The food was really GOOD. It was MUCH better than I expected. I would consider myself somewhat of a foodie and most of my vacations revolve around the restaurants I am going to each night. It's not easy to make me happy. I’m not a fan of AI resorts because food is such an important part of my vacation but I was really pleasantly surprised! The lighting and atmosphere in the restaurants was inviting and perfect. The service was excellent right down to the sommelier at dinner each night. The cabins are small but equipped with most everything I needed. There were robes and slippers and L’Occitane bath amenities. There was turn down service every night and 24 hour room service. There are 3-4 lounges and bars and music or a show of some sort every night and the grand finale was the crew talent show. Yes I know it sounds corny but I fell for it hook, line and sinker. There are no ice skating rinks or bowling alleys or any of that sort of stuff. The entertainment is not the ship, it’s the ports! Because it’s so small it can anchor and dock in small ports that big ships cannot. There is a water sports platform that has tons of toys to swim with and each night there’s a dramatic sail away event where music plays as they raise the sails then off we went. 

Guests

I would say a large portion of the guests were 60 plus. Some people in their 20’s-50’s. No kids, but some family trips with adult children which I thought was fantastic. The clientele is well-traveled, well-dressed and are looking to have fun. All ages mingled and enjoyed cocktails, the pool deck and the shows. I went on one shore excursion which had max 25 people and it ended up being one of the highlights of my week. The rest of the days we did our own thing. Shore excursions were not included. 

What’s included?

Alcohol and WiFi are not included. There is a drink package you can purchase, but we decided to run a tab and pay at the end for what we drank. If you're having 4-5 drinks a day, then the beverage package is worth it. The WiFi was not reliable, so I used my cell phone plan whenever I had service.

Candles Restaurant - This restaurant is dining under that stars. We had terrible weather, so they had to put tenting overhead. Otherwise it would have been beautiful!

I asked many of the guests on the ship their opinions and most have been cruising for years. Every single one loved Windstar and said they’ll never go on a big ship again. Although I wasn’t in a 5 star hotel (and anyone who knows me, knows I love hotels), overall it was a great experience and I highly recommend small ship cruising for the right travelers. If anyone has any questions feel free to reach out. 

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to France. In need of further inspiration? Check out Lilly Paez’s guide, Getting the Most Out of the French Riviera.