Windstar Cruises

Overview

	Address	300 Elliott Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98119
	Phone	800/258-7245 or 206/281-3535
	Fax	206/281-0627
	Online	www.windstarcruises.com
	Enjoyment Factor	5
	Dining	3
	Activities	2
	Children's Program	N/A
	Entertainment	2
	Service	3
	Overall Value	4

The Line in a Nutshell

The no-jackets-required policy defines this line's casually elegant attitude. These sleek, small ships really do feel like private yachts -- they're down-to-earth, yet service and cuisine are first-class.

The Experience

Windstar offers a truly unique cruise experience, giving passengers the delicious illusion of adventure aboard its fleet of four- and five-masted sailing ships, along with the ever-pleasant reality of first-class cuisine, service, and itineraries. This is no barefoot, rigging-pulling, paper-plates-in-lap, sleep-on-the-deck kind of cruise, but a refined yet down-to-earth, yachtlike experience for a sophisticated, well-traveled crowd who wouldn't be comfortable on a big ship with throngs of tourists.

On board, stained teak, brass details, and lots of navy-blue fabrics and carpeting lend a traditional nautical ambience. While the ships' proud masts and white sails cut a traditional profile, they're also ultra-state-of-the-art, controlled by a computer so that they can be furled or unfurled at the touch of a button. When at all possible, the captain shuts off the engines and moves by sail only, to give passengers a real taste of the sea. Under full sail, the calm tranquillity is utterly blissful.

Pros

• Cuisine: The ambience, service, and imaginative cuisine created by renowned Los Angeles chef Joachim Splichal is very good. Seating in the restaurants is open, and guests can usually get a table for two.
• Informal and unregimented days: This line offers the most casual high-end cruise out there -- an approach much loved by passengers who enjoy fine service and cuisine but want to leave their jackets and pantyhose at home.
• Itineraries: The ships typically visit a port every day, and they're wonderfully less touristed than many of those called on by the megaships.

Cons

• Limited activities and entertainment: This is intentional, but if you need lots of organized hoopla to keep you happy, you won't find much here.
• No verandas: If they're important to you, you're out of luck