This article isn’t just a story, it’s also my honest Windstar Cruises review after sailing with them three times in two years.
If you had told me a few years ago that I’d become a cruise person before retirement age, I honestly would have laughed. To me, cruises were always something for older travelers. Slow, a bit boring, definitely not my style. And yet… here I am. Three cruises in two years, all with the same company, already dreaming about the next one.
It all started in February 2024. We were looking for a special way to celebrate Steve’s birthday. Something easy, relaxing, and a little different from our usual trips. That’s when we booked our first Windstar cruise around Europe. We thought we were simply trying something new. We absolutely didn’t expect to fall in love with it.
But we did and almost instantly.. Because the truth is, cruising is nothing like what people imagine. It’s actually one of the smartest ways to travel. You wake up every morning somewhere new. A new country, a new island, a new view. And the best part? No packing, no trains, no airports, no dragging your suitcase through cobblestone streets.
After years of traveling, I realized something: what exhausts me isn’t exploring, it’s the logistics. Organizing transport, changing hotels every two days, living out of a suitcase and barely unpacking before packing again. On a cruise, you unpack once and that’s it. Your room moves with you. All you have to do is enjoy the journey. And honestly, that changes everything.
Then we booked French Polynesia… four months later
We loved that first experience so much that just four months later, we booked another cruise. This time to French Polynesia for my birthday. But let me clarify something. When I say cruise, I’m not talking about those huge ships with thousands of passengers, buffet lines, and crowds everywhere. I’m talking about a small yacht. So if you’re looking for an honest Windstar Cruises review, here’s exactly why I keep going back :
Windstar ships are intimate, with around 300 guests maximum and only suites. No chaos, no mass tourism feeling. The crew knows your name, remembers your favorite drink, and quickly understands your habits. It feels incredibly personal, almost like staying in a luxury boutique hotel… except you’re floating in the middle of the ocean.
And because the ships are smaller, they can dock in tiny ports and hidden places that big cruise ships simply can’t reach. Little islands, secret coves, quiet harbors. Places that feel untouched and exclusive. That’s when cruising really clicked for me. It didn’t feel like a cruise anymore. It felt like slow, effortless, luxury travel.
And of course… we went back for a third one
After Europe and Polynesia, we didn’t even hesitate. If we were cruising again, it had to be with Windstar. No question. So in October 2025, we boarded our third cruise, this time around San Juan and the Virgin Islands. And I have to admit something… we kind of ruined ourselves. Starting with such a high-end experience makes it very hard to imagine going back to anything else.
À la carte restaurants, room service, a yacht club, an ocean-view gym, water sports straight from the back of the boat, and exceptional service everywhere you turn. It honestly feels more like a floating luxury hotel than a cruise ship. And yes… it’s a little addictive.
Not just a Cruise line, A whole different way to travel
If you’re even slightly curious about cruising, I genuinely recommend taking a look at Windstar. Their itineraries are incredible, from Europe to the Caribbean, Polynesia, Asia, and now even Alaska. That one, by the way, went straight onto our bucket list.
What I love most isn’t just the comfort or the luxury. It’s how easy everything feels. You see more places, you move less, you stress less, and you actually enjoy every moment of the journey. And now I completely understand why people fall in love with cruising. Because I did too.
So, ready to embark on your next sea adventure?
If you were searching for a real Windstar Cruises review, I hope this helped you understand why I love them so much.
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Love,