Windstar Cruises claim to offer a completely unique vacation by “combining the refinement of a luxury hotel with a movable feast of cultural experiences.” In many ways, they are right.
It’s Like a Luxury Hotel
Living conditions onboard a Windstar cruise are not as rustic as the old-fashioned exterior of the boat. The company offers staterooms and suites with the first-rate service typical of any five-star hotel. You can go to the library and pick out a CD or a DVD to take back to your room to watch on a state-of-the-art LCD television. It’s like a luxury hotel in the fact that there is a full-service spa which offers facials, aromatherapy sessions and full-body massages. There’s also a salon, and some of the ships even have a casino.
It’s Like a Luxury Cruise
When Windstar Cruises was founded in the mid-1980s, cruises were surging in popularity. People liked the fact that they could sail around the world with all the luxury of staying in a five-star hotel. Gone were the days of dinky charter planes and boring ferry rides to get to exotic locations. Luxury cruises could take you anywhere you wanted to go. While you sleep, they transport you to your next destination. Sometimes, the boats even dock overnight to allow passengers to roam about like locals.
The idea of vacation cruises had been around for a long time, but the idea of featuring luxury accommodations was new and exciting. Soon, full-service gyms, spas and hot tubs were standard on ocean liners. Crew members offer aerobic exercise classes and scuba diving lessons. Some cruise ships even have rock climbing walls on the main deck. Gone are the days of shuffleboard, although that is still an alternative. Today’s cruise has video arcades and golf simulators.
Windstar set out to create a different kind of cruising experience. However, to stay competitive, they knew that they would have to keep a lot of traditional aspects of a luxury cruise. That’s why they’ve made sure to provide meticulous service, desirable on-board and on-shore activities and all of their staterooms have stunning ocean views.
It’s Unlike Anything Else
Windstar Cruises uses the slogan “ 180º From Ordinary," which is undeniable from the first moment you step off the dock. What makes Windstar Cruises so unique is the style of ship itself. They use motor-sail-yachts (MSYs) with traditional white sails and rigging. Windstar describes it as romantic, and indeed, many of their cruise packages are ideal for couples. However, the old-age sails are fascinating to small children and the ship’s captains, who are easily accessible, are happy to talk to passengers about the ship’s operation and structure. There’s no need to worry that an outdated style of ship will not function properly. Underneath the antique façade are pure high tech workings. The full sails unfurl in two minutes by the push of a button and the entire ship is run by microscopic microchips and navigational global positioning devices.
Windstar also offers an unparalleled array of water sport activities to passengers, including waterskiing, kayaking, windsurfing, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. They also have banana boat rides for adventurous passengers who are eager to get up close and personal with the ocean waves and scenic boat rides in inflatable rafts, a tamer option. All in all, if you’re searching for a unique cruising experience, search Windstar.
By Stacy Hinojosa