Windstar Cruises

Small ship cruise line | Fewer than 350 guests. Six yacht-style ships carry 148–342 guests, add a watersports marina, chef-driven cuisine with the James Beard Foundation, and an optional All-Inclusive package with drinks, Wi-Fi, and gratuities.

Windstar small ship cruises favor privacy, flavor, and time. The fleet goes where big ships cannot. Groups stay small, so the mood remains relaxed. Staff learn preferences and step back with grace. The result feels like a private club at sea.

This scale changes everything. Tenders arrive swiftly. Shore plans keep a natural pace. Dinners linger without noise or lines. The brand frames days around culture and coast, not crowds. Culinary direction deepens that promise through its decade-long partnership with the James Beard Foundation. Menus draw from place and season. Themed sailings bring headliner chefs and market tours.

Clarity extends to pricing. Fares include dining, non-alcoholic beverages, and the famous Marina when seas allow. Guests may add the All-Inclusive option for unlimited beer, wine, and cocktails, Wi-Fi, and gratuities. Choose à la carte if you prefer. Either way, decisions become easy. Time returns to the moments that matter.

For travelers who prize boutique rhythm and honest access, Windstar reads exactly right. It is refined without pretense, contemporary without noise, and wonderfully human in scale.

Windstar operates two distinct styles. Wind Class sailing yachts—Wind Star and Wind Spirit—carry 148 guests each. The five-masted Wind Surf hosts 342. Decks are wide and teak-lined. Sails rise at dusk to music and sky. The mood feels cinematic yet calm.

Star Plus Class are all-suite yachts—Star Breeze, Star Legend, and Star Pride—each welcoming 312 guests after a $250-million stretch and refit. New suites, restaurants, and a full spa and fitness center joined the design. Space rose without losing intimacy.

Windstar is also introducing two new all-suite yachts: Star Seeker (from December 2025) and Star Explorer (from December 2026), each designed for 224 guests across 112 suites. Expect floor-to-ceiling infinity windows on many categories and fresh dining concepts.

Across the fleet, the theme holds: fewer than 350 guests, personalized service, and ports that large ships miss.

Star Plus Class ships are all-suite. Expect ocean views, walk-in closets, and thoughtful bathrooms with double vanities in many categories. Lighting flatters rather than floods. Storage keeps rooms serene during active weeks. On Wind Class, ocean-view staterooms feel yacht-cozy, with wood tones and smart layouts. Either way, recovery feels real. Mornings start clear, and evenings extend with ease.

Top suites add terraces or deep seating. In-suite dining supports quiet nights after long shore days. You can dress the evening up at Candles or down on deck. The point is choice without friction. That is the luxury of small ships done well.

With a shallow draft and sleek design, Windstar ships can reach exclusive and out-of-the-way ports:

Windstar’s Watersports Platform turns blue water into your private club. When conditions allow, crew launch the Marina for kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, snorkel gear, a foam “magic carpet,” water trampoline, and even a small sailboat. Access is complimentary on qualifying itineraries. You step from teak to sea in seconds. Photos gain that clear-water joy only a yacht platform delivers.

Platform offerings can vary by yacht and region. In Tahiti and select warm-water runs, toys expand and usage windows lengthen. It is coastal living, simplified and refined.

Windstar is the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation. That partnership shapes nightly menus and special sailings. Guest chefs host demonstrations, guide market visits, and curate courses that reflect the route. The effect is delicious and educational without fuss.

On Star Plus Class, specialty venues add range. Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso brings modern Spanish plates with Iberian soul. Star Grill by Steven Raichlen delivers smoke-kissed classics near the pool. Main dining at Amphora remains graceful and unhurried. Candles transforms the deck into an alfresco steakhouse under the stars.

The tone is “come hungry, leave happy.” Wine lists mix crowd-pleasers with thoughtful finds. Service reads warm and precise.

Windstar keeps pricing flexible. Book a cruise-only fare, or add the All-Inclusive package. With All-In, you receive Wi-Fi, unlimited select beer, wine, and cocktails, and prepaid gratuities. Promotions sometimes include All-In at no extra cost. Prefer à la carte? Purchase beverages and Wi-Fi individually; gratuities are then added in the customary way. The choice remains yours.

Because the baseline is generous and transparent, planning feels calm. You order by mood, not package rules. That single change frees attention for people, light, and place.

Tahiti remains a hallmark. Wind Spirit sails French Polynesia on deeply loved routes, often year-round. Expect six to eleven islands on longer runs, with lagoon time and fire-dance evenings. Logistics shrink to a carry-on and a smile.

In the Mediterranean and Adriatic, yachts slip into old harbors while larger ships anchor offshore. Northern Europe brings culture-rich days paired with long summer light. The Caribbean favors swim stops and late stays that protect twilight. Across regions, itineraries respect human scale. Ports feel like neighborhoods, not terminals.

Windstar maintains a casually elegant tone. Think resort chic rather than black tie. Evenings feel polished, never stiff. You dine when you wish with open seating across venues. Guests often remark on the friendly, club-like spirit that forms within days.

The crew-to-guest ratio is strong and visible in small details. Coffee arrives just right. Tenders run without drama. Suggestions match your taste, not a script. That quiet choreography defines the brand.

Star Seeker and Star Explorer extend the concept with 224-guest designs and 112 suites each. Many suites feature infinity windows that open to sea air. Expect a new specialty restaurant, expanded wellness, and the latest navigation and efficiency tech. Delivery is planned for December 2025 and December 2026 respectively, broadening choices while keeping intimacy intact.

Windstar’s investment underlines a long-term commitment to small-ship yachting. The fleet grows, yet the promise stays the same: refined access, chef-driven dining, and sincere service.

Picture travelers who collect evenings as carefully as sights. They value central berths and late stays. They notice materials, proportion, and the way light lives in a room. They prefer a waterside lunch in a quiet cove over a queue at a pier. They like a wine list with both classics and surprises. They want days that breathe.

Windstar meets that standard with poise. The ships feel like boutique hotels at sea. The crew read the room and move with intent. And the routes build a personal story of coastlines and kitchens you will talk about for years.

Begin with region, then season. Spring softens great squares and galleries. Summer stretches terrace hours and swim time. Autumn turns markets rich and vineyards deep. In Tahiti, trade winds, water clarity, and festival windows guide timing. Suitcase choices follow your ritual. Balcony suites elevate horizon time on Star Plus. On Wind Class, choose foredeck stargazing and sail-lit nights.

Pick All-Inclusive if you prefer a set-and-forget approach. Keep cruise-only if you savor à la carte freedom. Either way, the value reads clearly. Your focus returns to culture by day and conversation by night. That is the Windstar difference.

Great trips protect cadence and curiosity. Windstar’s small-ship scale, chef partnerships, and waterside play create that balance at sea. As plans turn into a passage, VIP Luxury Vacations holds a simple truth: You Deserve Exceptional Travel.

Reserve Windstar small ship cruises with VIP Luxury Vacations. Choose yacht, season, and suite. Confirm a boutique, chef-driven voyage shaped by marina-day freedom, cultured timing ashore, and a calm, contemporary rhythm at sea.