Are you about to go on a honeymoon or simply want a romantic time with the love of your life? Or maybe you want to sail to some of the most unique islands in the Caribbean or take pictures in Iceland?
Well, Windstar Cruises is an excellent choice in all these cases. This guide will examine their two classes of ships, what you can find onboard and the many places they visit, including an in-depth look at their top tier destinations. Pull up a chair, grab a hot cup of coffee and let us learn more about Windstar Cruises.
ve on, keep in mind that Famvia can help you book your next Windstar Cruises vacation at no extra charge. With Windstar’s hundreds of itineraries and ships, it can be hard to navigate on your own, and we are here to lend a hand. In addition, some itineraries require calling Windstar or requesting a quote through a travel agency, and we are here to help you secure the best deals as quickly as possible. Just click the Request a Quote button and let's talk!
Windstar Cruises Ships
Windstar divides its fleet into two categories of ships: the Wind Class and the Star Class. The Wind Class features sailing vessels that accommodate between 148 and 342 guests, while the Yacht Class is made of sister ships that carry up to 312 guests. Keep in mind that two brand new ships are arriving in 2025 and 2026, the Star Explorer and the Star Seeker, which will carry up to 224 guests. These will be the first new ships welcomed to the fleet in more than twenty years.
The Wind Class is made up of three sailing ships, while the Star Class features more standard yachts. Most of their ships have two restaurants, a bar, and a cafe, and the vast majority of rooms on Star Class ships offer a private balcony. Star Class ships have more space and all-suite accommodations, while Wind Class ships offer many oceanview rooms with portholes.
These are all small ships compared to mainstream cruise lines and are definitely not the mega-resorts you might see online. Windstar Cruises carries between 148 and 342 guests. Their ships are also older than what you may be used to, but they undergo constant refurbishments. In fact, the recent Star Class ships received a massive half-billion-dollar update that added new decks and amenities onboard.
Activities are very low key on all their ships. Each vessel has a small swimming pool and a few whirlpools, and entertainment is mostly limited to trivia nights, the barbecue party on the top deck and lectures from experts. All ships also feature The Marina at the back of the vessel, which is a watersports platform equipped with kayaks, snorkeling gear and several fun toys you can use at sea. The Marina receives excellent reviews from guests and is seen as a unique selling point for Windstar.
Let’s take a closer look at their fleet.
Wind Class
- Ships: Wind Surf (1989); Wind Spirit (1988); Wind Star (1986)
- Main Destinations: Caribbean; Mediterranean; Panama Canal; Tahiti
- What they offer: small and intimate ships that are perfect for a romantic moment; single swimming pool; limited room options; niche and unique destinations
Wind Class is made up of two sister ships, Wind Star and Wind Spirit, and the largest sailing cruise ship in the world, Wind Surf.
Both Wind Star and Wind Spirit are almost entirely composed of oceanview cabins measuring 188 ft², and each has only one suite onboard measuring 220 ft². Wind Surf offers an additional dining option and several categories of suites, but in the end it feels like an extended and larger version of its older sisters. These are small vessels that focus on tropical destinations like the Canary Islands, the Greek Islands and the Caribbean. After all, is there anything more romantic than a sailing ship under the sun while you sip a pina colada?
These ships are perfect for travelers who want intimacy, beach hopping and a beautiful tan. They are an excellent choice for honeymooners, since the atmosphere onboard is very romantic and intimate. Crew members on these ships are also top notch and will know you by name and your personal preferences by your second day.
Star Class
- Ships: Star Explorer (2026); Star Seeker (2025); Star Legend (1990); Star Pride (1988); Star Breeze (1988)
- Main Destinations: Caribbean; Europe & Mediterranean; Alaska; Asia; Tahiti
- What they offer: updated and modern amenities; bigger ships with more space onboard; two exclusive restaurants; bigger gym and spa
Star Class ships originally belonged to Seabourn before Windstar purchased them to become part of their series of yachts. If you look at their original sailing dates, you might think these are older ships, but that is not the right way to look at them. Windstar invested almost half a billion dollars to bring these vessels to modern standards, essentially cutting them in half, adding new decks and massively updating every part of each ship.
The Star Ships now feature additional suites, more restaurants and expanded deck space when compared to the sailing ships. The full renovation was completed about three years ago, between 2021 and 2022, so it is fair to say that these vessels are not even five years old in their current form.
They include the exclusive restaurants Star Grill and Basil plus Bamboo, a small theater, an infinity pool and an extra bar. While deck space is larger, these are still intimate ships that do not offer any sort of crazy entertainment option.
There are also more stateroom options on the Star Class ships, with entry level rooms starting at 277 ft². A limited number of rooms feature a private balcony, but most of them come with a window, a porthole or a small and cozy French balcony.
These ships visit most of the popular destinations Windstar is known for. They have a strong presence in the Caribbean and Europe, and their larger size and reinforced hulls allow them to travel to beautiful destinations such as Alaska and Iceland.
Windstar Cruises Destinations
You can visit a large number of places around the globe with Windstar Cruises, which is impressive considering they only operate about six small yachts and sailing ships. They visit popular destinations like the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, and they also extend their presence to places such as the Canary Islands, Iceland and Tahiti.
The sailing ships are a top tier choice for destinations like the Greek Islands or the Caribbean, while the yachts are excellent for trips to Alaska or Iceland. But honestly, all their ships offer great service, so you could close your eyes, choose a location at random and still have a wonderful time.
Next, we will examine all the different Windstar Cruises destinations, along with the number of available voyages at the time of writing. Keep in mind that a voyage includes an itinerary with multiple sail dates, which is why it may appear that some destinations have a high number of voyages. This number also fluctuates, but it should give you a good idea of where Windstar is most active.
- Mediterranean, Greece & Italy (533)
- Tahiti (397)
- Caribbean (146)
- Asia (108)
- Costa Rica & Panama Canal (76)
- Alaska (48)
- Ocean Crossings (46)
- Themed Cruises (32)
- Iceland (28)
- Canary Islands (21)
- Canada & New England (11)
- South America (11)
- Mexico (7)
Main Departure Ports
Windstar Cruises also sails to nearly a hundred different ports of call worldwide. Next, we list some of the most popular options along with the number of voyages that depart from each.
- Papeete (383)
- Athens (166)
- Rome (110)
- Barcelona (91)
- Venice (80)
- Philipsburg (71)
- San Juan (49)
- Lisbon (38)
- Colón (31)
- Istanbul (28)
- Reykjavik (28)
- Puerto Caldera (27)
- Vancouver (25)
- Bangkok (24)
- Tokyo (23)
- Bridgetown (22)
- Osaka (21)
The Main Destinations of Windstar Cruises
The Caribbean
- Starting Price: $1,800 for a 6-Night Cruise
Like most cruise lines, Windstar Cruises has a strong presence in the Caribbean, where both the Wind Class and the Star Class ships sail frequently. Most of their Caribbean itineraries depart from St. Maarten and San Juan and last about one week. A major perk of these itineraries is that they are not only romantic but also some of the most affordable cruises you can find with Windstar, starting at $1,800 for a 6-Night cruise and $1,999 for a 7-Night cruise.
In fact, the 7-Night option at $1,999 is one of their most popular choices. Called simply Classic Caribbean, this roundtrip cruise from St. Maarten visits niche locations such as Nevis, Guadeloupe, Dominica and Mayreau. It is not very expensive, it is a week long sailing and it is onboard Wind Surf, so there is a lot to like about this itinerary.
Tahiti
- Starting Price: $2,200 for a 7-Day Cruise
Tahiti is one of the most popular destinations for Windstar Cruises, plain and simple. In fact, this is the single most visited island in the world by Windstar.
Both the Wind Class and the Star Class ships sail in the region, and by far the most popular itinerary is the Dreams of Tahiti, a 7-Day roundtrip cruise from Papeete that visits several smaller islands and beaches.
The Star Breeze is prominent in the region, with 7-Day cruises starting at $2,200, while a 7-Day cruise onboard Wind Star starts at $3,100. Both ships, however, offer the same itineraries. You can extend this itinerary by adding the Tuamotu Islands up north, turning it into an11-Day cruise for $3,200 onboard Star Breeze.
The Mediterranean
- Starting Price: $1,200 for a short 3-Day Cruise and $2,700 for a 7-Day Cruise
While Tahiti is the single most visited location, the Mediterranean is the most popular destination for Windstar cruise ships. In fact, more than one third of their cruises are in the region, with a strong focus on Italy, the Greek Islands and Spain. This is also a rare case where Windstar offers short cruises, such as the 3-Day Rome to Rome cruise that visits France for $1,200 and the 4-Day Barcelona cruise that visits the Balearic Islands for $1,800.
Some of the most special cruises are the Enchanting Greece cruises, which usually depart from Greece and sail to Italy on a 6-Day cruise for $3,100, or the 7-Day Treasure of the Greek Islands cruises, which visit Mykonos, Santorini and other islands and start at $4,100.
Northern Europe & Iceland
- Starting Price: $1,600 for a 3-Day London to Bruges Cruise; $4,100 for a 7-Day Iceland Cruise.
Windstar is also strong in Northern Europe, especially Iceland, offering a wide variety of itineraries that range from just three days to two weeks or more. One fun option to try their ships is a short 3-Day roundtrip from London that visits Belgium, starting at $1,600. Other popular short cruises typically depart from Amsterdam and Bordeaux.
The real highlight of the Northern Europe itineraries is Iceland. Windstar offers numerous itineraries that explore the island in detail, simply called Around Iceland. This 7-Day itinerary is a roundtrip cruise from Reykjavik, starting at $4,100 and stopping at four different ports around the country.
Culinary Cruises
- Starting Price: $3,100 for a 7-Day Caribbean Cruise.
Windstar is introducing a completely new type of experience with its Culinary & Wine Cruises, which combine the best food and drinks you can find on a Windstar voyage. These are special, themed cruises that usually take place in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, but with a fun twist.
They are called the James Beard Foundation Cruises and feature master chefs and professionals who give cooking demonstrations, prepare meals for guests, and even visit local markets alongside you to select ingredients. These cruises add a unique element to the Windstar experience and usually depart from St. Maarten on 7-Day cruises starting at $3,200. There are also itineraries available in Alaska, France and Tahiti.
Why book Windstar Cruises with us?
At Famvia, we are luxury cruise specialists. We proudly partner with some of the world’s most prestigious cruise lines, including Seabourn, Silversea, Explora Journeys, and, of course, Windstar Cruises.
Windstar Cruises is a fantastic, romantic cruise line, but navigating their itineraries can be challenging at first. Many of their itineraries don’t show prices and require you to call for more information or contact a travel agent. That’s where we come in. Our dedicated travel advisors specialize in Windstar Cruises and can help you find the perfect voyage tailored to your preferences. In addition, we often have access to exclusive offers and pricing not available to the general public.
With deep expertise in Windstar Cruises’ fares, two classes of ships, and dozens of destinations, we are here to guide you every step of the way. Simply click the Request a Quote button to get in touch. Our personalized planning services are complimentary, and we look forward to crafting an unforgettable journey just for you.
