Windstar Cruises Cruises

Windstar runs small yachts - every ship carries fewer than 350 guests, and Wind Star is a four-masted sailing yacht from 1984 that takes just 148. That size is the point: the ships slip into harbors big ships cannot use, the marina platform at the stern opens for water sports on calm days, and you will know half the passengers by name by the end of the week. It suits couples and small groups who would find a 4,000-passenger ship tiring.

Specialty restaurants, 24-hour room service, the gym, marina activities and Windstar's shore-side Discovery Events are part of the fare. Drinks, gratuities and Wi-Fi are not, unless they come bundled - Windstar sells them together as an All-Inclusive package, which it valued at $99 per guest per night when it gave the package away free on sailings through March 2026. The line runs this kind of offer often, so check whether a specific fare already includes it before adding it.

There are no formal nights. Days are relaxed (no swimwear in lounges or restaurants), and after 6 p.m. the code is country club casual - slacks, polos or button-downs, dark jeans without rips, no tie needed. There are no children's facilities - Windstar's own ship page says children are not advised on Wind Star - so this is not a family line.

Against Seabourn or Silversea, Windstar costs less and feels less formal, with fewer inclusions in the base fare. Against Viking or Oceania, its ships are far smaller and its itineraries reach more of the minor islands and small harbors.

Sources: windstarcruises.com, cruiseindustrynews.com, windstarcruises.com, luxurytraveladvisor.com, windstarcruises.com