12 Things You May Not Know About Small Ship Cruising with Windstar
Small ship cruising is becoming increasingly popular and, on a recent Baltic Sea cruise with Windstar Cruises, I found out why.
The biggest thing that separates it from any other cruise I’ve taken is the service. I think that’s what elevates an experience from good to great.
Basically, I was spoiled rotten for ten days. Indeed, I felt like “Queen of the World”!
On a Windstar yacht, there is one crew member for every 1.5 guests. It’s the ship where everybody knows your name and your preferences (tea, not coffee). I was routinely asked, “Miss Cindy, is there anything else I can do for you today.” What a dream!
While I’ll never forget the outstanding service, it’s not the only thing that stood out on my luxury Baltic Sea cruise.
Here are 12 things you may not know about small ship ship cruising with Windstar.
The Wind Surf
Extraordinary destinations
Stockholm, Sweden
I chose the Baltic Sea cruise because of the itinerary. After all, the cruise is really all about the opportunity to focus on the extraordinary destinations.
I fell for Stockholm, especially its old town, where the cruise began. (See my post and photos of Stockholm’s Old Town here).
Two days in historic Saint Petersburg, Russia was a once-in-a lifetime experience. I loved wandering the cobblestone streets of Tallinn, Estonia and Gdansk, Poland. I was captivated by two unique destinations that, frankly, I hadn’t even heard of before. On a Windstar excursion in Lithuania, I climbed Europe’s largest drifting sand dunes on the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage site (see my post here). And, on the Danish island of Bornholm, we toured quaint villages and serene countryside.
The cruise wrapped up in wonderful Copenhagen, where I learned the reasons why the Danes are so happy.
The Curonian Spit, Lithuania
Spacious cabins
I was amazed by how much space and storage there was in my comfortable suite – – more than enough space for all of my stuff. (By the way, the ship also has laundry service, which is included on longer cruises, so you don’t need to bring as many clothes).
I slept well on Egyptian cotton sheets. As well, the room was stocked with fresh fruit, a mini-bar, a cozy waffle weave bath robe and lovely Occitane bath products.
Great Food
I had the choice of three restaurants for dinner on board the WindSurf and, without fail, the food was excellent. Everything is made with local, fresh ingredients and is better than I’ve had in many highly-rated restaurants. I couldn’t resist the lobster thermidor (so I had it twice), or the exquisite desserts.
Room service anytime
Image by Windstar Cruises
Breakfast in bed anyone?
I am not a morning person. After ordering room service the first time, I was hooked. What a pleasure to have a piping hot breakfast brought to your room whenever you want it. That was one of the things that surprised me about the Windstar experience – – 24 x 7 room service is included.
Relaxed vibe
The atmosphere on board the ship is casual and relaxed. You don’t need to pack any fancy, dress-up clothes for the cruise.
There is no “ra-ra” cruise director cajoling you to join in activities and contests. While there are things to do (port talks, gym, etc), you can do your own thing at your own pace. I loved that about the cruise because I’m just not the “ra-ra” type.
Never crowded
A Windstar ship feels a little like your own private yacht. The Wind Surf carries 310 guests, the largest in the Windstar fleet. The smaller ones carry only 148 guests.
The result is that the ship never feels crowded. On the days at sea, you don’t have to get up early in the morning to snag a prime lounge chair with a view.
One thing you might be wondering: Will I get sea sick on such a small ship? I am, regrettably, prone to sea sickness, and was worried about that too. All I can say is that I used the medicated patch and made sure to get out on deck on the one day we had rough seas, and I had no problem. It was smooth sailing the rest of the time.
Special events
Image by Windstar Cruises
Windstar, you had me at all-you-can-eat grilled lobster tails. (Yes, I have a thing for lobster).
The cruise includes an on-deck barbeque one evening where you can feast under the stars. They really pull out all of the stops for the event.
In Saint Petersburg one evening, we were taken to a theatre to enjoy a lyrical performance of Swan Lake. Just hanging out at the ballet in Russia tonight…. It felt like a scene from a Russian novel.
I liked the fact that there were only a few special events, but they are truly special.
Unlimited cupcakes
Cake by the Ocean
Speaking of all-you can eat…. The ship has a Yacht Club Lounge where you can get coffee and sandwiches anytime. And tasty cupcakes!
To be honest, I didn’t really test out the premise that the cupcake supply is unlimited. Four at a time was sufficient.
Spa
As if there wasn’t enough pampering already, I spent a couple of luxurious hours at the spa getting a manicure and pedicure – – the perfect antidote to all of the walking I had done in the port cities.
Sailing
Three of the six ships in Windstar’s fleet are actually sailing ships, with engines to speed things along, as needed.
It’s weather dependent, of course, but we were lucky enough to sail through the Swedish archipelago after leaving Stockholm. It added a romantic flair to the experience as we glided silently over the sea with the wind billowing in the sails.
Learn to drive
Windstar has an open bridge policy so that guests can visit anytime the ship is at sea to learn the ins and outs of yachting.
By the way, I wasn’t actually steering the ship – – it was on autopilot at the time.
Musical send-off
Every time we sailed out of port, there was a ceremony to go with it.
As the ship leaves the port, the sails begin to unfurl and the music, “1492 – Conquest of Paradise” by Vangelis, swells over the ships speakers.
I found it surprisingly moving, as we headed out onto the open sea, excited to explore new destinations.
Surely, this is travel bliss at its best.
More Information:
Cruise Details: See Windstar Cruises
See this post for everything you need to know if you’re planning a cruise for the first time.
Travel Bliss Now received a media rate for the Windstar Cruise, but my opinions are always my own. Cover image by Windstar Cruises.
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I love that top shot Cindy. Oh my goodness what a boat. Now THAT is glam living. I could spend a few weeks on that sucker LOL.
Thanks Ryan. It was quite exhilarating standing out on the bowsprit over the water when that shot was taken. And yes, I could easily get used to the yachting life!
This looks amazing! The cabin is beautiful – and a mini bar stocked with fresh fruit?! Sold. I’ve been on two cruises, and both were backpacker type cruises so I definitely need to shake things up and look into something like this.
Thanks Lauren! I can definitely recommend a luxury, small ship cruise with Windstar!
This looks fabulous! I have never been on a ship before and a cruise aboard the Windstar sounds perfect. Besides, who doesn’t want grilled lobster and unlimited cupcakes 😉
Thanks Mohana. Exactly my thoughts! I hope you get a chance to take a small ship cruise – – it is a wonderful way to travel.
Now this kind of cruise I might enjoy!But I heard it is so darn expensive!
Thanks Carol. I think I’m hooked on small ship cruising now. It is worth watching the Windstar web site for sale prices. Every Thursday, they put a new list of cruises on sale and every so often, they have flash sales with some great discounts.
We were on a small ship (100 passengers) in February to visit the Galapagos islands off Ecuador—the Celebrity Xpedition. Everything was included and it was very comfortable, but it wasn’t the degree of luxury you’ve described. To be honest, on Galapagos itineraries, I think folks are probably more worried about wanting to see a blue footed booby than to have room service. That said, Celebrity will be introducing an all suite ship 64 person ship for the Galapagos next year (I think). Galapagos cruise itineraries are already quite expensive, but I guess they’ve done their due diligence and think the market has an unfilled luxury need. Vamos a ver. The Baltics are on our short list.
Thanks Suzanne. We had a couple of days at sea when it was lovely to have a leisurely breakfast in the room. But I also found it handy when I was on the go to spend as much time as possible in the port cities. I’m sure you would enjoy the Baltics and Windstar is a wonderful way to see them!
I must admit that I haven’t tried cruising until now but small ship cruising sounds like something I’d enjoy doing. It’s obvious that you had a spectacular experience with Windstar. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks Lydia. Small ship cruising with Windstar definitely is a spectacular way to travel!
I love small ship cruising, but have never traveled with Windstar. This ship looks pretty magical. I think the smaller ships are much more environmentally friendly and work towards responsible travel. The cabin is very luxurious-in fact everything looks very deluxe!
Thanks Alison. Yes, cruising on a small sailing ship was very magical, and it was a lovely luxury to be spoiled by Windstar.
I’ve been on at least 6 cruises but the ships we seek out only seem to be getting bigger and bigger. We often go for cabins in the exclusive parts of the boat that make it feel like you are on a much smaller ship – but gives you the ra ra when you want it. The difference between in what you have outlined is really that everyone has the exclusive and higher quality experience without having the dodge the crowds. Will definitely have to check out small ship cruising the next time we want to get out on the water. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Dominic! I loved the fact that you never have to dodge the crowds and, in my case, the ‘ra-ra’ was all about the port cities. Windstar can also get to smaller ports than the bigger ships. It’s definitely worth checking out.
That is a lovely spacious cabin and the food looks amazing. The itinerary sounds great too. I especially like that you actually spent 2 days in one port.
Thanks Donna. I definitely needed two days to see St. Petersburg. Windstar often has overnight stays in port cities on its cruises – – something I like too.
This is such a wonderful post and all the pics look out of this world. Cruise experience is certainly one of the best one. Keep up the good work. thanks for sharing this.
Thank you Krupa! It was my first time on a small ship cruise and, by far, my best cruising experience.
I’m not much of a cruise person – but I didn’t realize there were smaller ones! It’s nice to see the personal experience you had here and those rooms are stunning!
Thanks Katie. I found that the small ship cruise experience is really different. You travel in comfort, with all of the logistics taken care of, so you can really enjoy exploring the destinations.
I had never heard of small ship cruising before – sounds like luxury ! I know you say there’s 1.5 passengers to each staff member, but around how many other passengers total were there on board? Just to have an idea of group size
Thanks Mel. There were 310 passengers on board my cruise. Windstar has smaller ships that carry 148 passengers, so there is a lot of space for everyone.
We have never done large ship cruising. I can’t imagine enjoying that. We have cruised on boats with 15-20 people and enjoyed those. They were not cruise lines but individual cruising operations for touring or diving multiple days in Galapagos or on the Great barrier Reef. We the small boats. Sounds like your experience of personalized attention and service was similar.
And wow – the cabins are very nice – much larger than the ones we had, and more luxe too.
I think a cruise like yours is the only type of sightseeing boat/cruise we’d enjoy. Thanks for the info
Thanks Wendy. I agree. I think cruising on a smaller ship is the way to go!
I have never been on a cruise, so this ship looks gigantic to me, and 310 people on board seems a lot ( when I read the title I had more like 20 people in mind 🙂 ). Nevertheless, the itinerary of your cruise is just wonderful, I’ve been wanting to visit the Baltic countries ever since I went for a day trip to Ahrenshoop in Germany and loved it. The food really looks delicious, especially the grilled lobsters and unlimited cupcakes!
Thanks Anja. It is small for an ocean cruise, as compared to the large ocean liners that carry thousands of people. The itinerary was fantastic – – I had been wanting to visit a number of those Baltic countries for a long time.
A small cruise sounds like a great experience. I love the fact that there is a crew member assigned to 1-5 travellers. That is indeed real pampering. This looks like a more personalized experience than getting lost in one of the giant ships. The ship too looks to be the ultimate in luxury and so spacious. The fact that it is not crowded and one can enjoy the cruise in peace when required makes it a really relaxing experience.
Thanks Sandy. It really was luxurious and relaxing on the ship, which was great to recharge for more sightseeing in port the next day.
The cabins look really nice! And I love the thought of travelling by sea, but I have a more hands-on idea (sailing licence, 12m boat, Mediterranean 🙂 )
Thank you! It’s wonderful that you have that skill. I enjoyed leaving it in the hands of the Windstar team.
Wow! You’ve definitely sold me on a Windstar cruise. I loved everything you told us, and especially appreciated the spacious suites! Hopefully, sometime soon I will get to experience one.
Thanks Doreen! I hope you get a chance to go! It’s a fabulous way to travel.
I would love to go for Baltic Cruise trip. As it passes through beautiful locations and have great food options, I would also choose this option. Thanks for sharing all details of this post.
Thank you Yukti. I’m sure you would love the Baltic Sea cruise with Windstar.
Definitely adding a small ship cruise to my bucket list! Your destinations are already on my list, but what a great way to enjoy them!
It’s fantastic when your hotel moves to new locations overnight. I couldn’t handle one of those giant ships, but I would go on a small ship like this again. Thanks Cindy.