Windstar Easy on First-Time Ocean-Goers

While many of our fellow passengers on a recent Caribbean cruise aboard Windstar Cruises’ 148-passenger Wind Spirit had previously sailed with the line, we were struck by an equally large number of couples in their 20s, 30s and 40s who were first-time cruisers.

Just entering its second decade of cruising, Windstar has continued to polish and improve its already attractive product. The food, under the guidance of Los Angeles superstar chef Joachim Splichal, is better than ever.

Besides an expansive aft deck area with a bar, small pool and Jacuzzi, there is a casual glass-walled restaurant, called the Veranda, amidships, where breakfast and lunch are served with a combination of self-serve buffets and waiter-delivered hot dishes cooked to order.

In the evenings, cocktails and dance music are on tap in the handsome wood-paneled lounge, and open-seating dinner is served between 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. in the elegant, wood-paneled restaurant, sometimes by candlelight.

The ship makes a pattern of daily port calls, sailing at night, sometimes past midnight, to the next destination. A variety of shore excursions, priced from $17 to $79 per person, is offered.

For water sports enthusiasts, there is a full assortment of snorkeling and scuba opportunities, plus a fold-out sports marina from the aft of the ship with a decking platform and an array of water sports equipment, much of it free.

The cabins, designed by French architect Marc Held, are all identical outsides with a pair of portholes, and are a marvel of efficiency. The queen-size beds can be separated into twin beds if you prefer.

While the excellent meals are always included in the fare, wines and cocktails are expensive aboard these ships, with a modest glass of house wine starting at $4.50, and bottles beginning in the $25 range; most ships have several vintages available for under $20. (An Italian Pinot Grigio, on most ships priced under $25, goes for $42 here.)

The ship’s entertainment is limited to a modest casino and a talented pair of musicians who play in the evenings, but a full stock of videos and CDs are available at the information desk.

The Wind Spirit cruises winters in the Caribbean from a St. Thomas home port, calling at rarely visited Saba, the Brigadoon of the Caribbean; St. Martin; Iles des Saintes, Guadeloupe; St. Bart’s; Virgin Gorda and Jost van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. On March 28 the vessel begins a 14-day transatlantic sailing from St. Thomas to Lisbon for $2,895 for the first passenger in a double cabin and as little as $1,448 for the second person. Check with a travel agent or Windstar for details.

The Wind Spirit and its sister ship Wind Star make seven-day Greek Islands cruises between Istanbul and Athens in summer, calling at Mykonos, Kusadasi, Santorini, Bodrum and Rhodes for $4,195 per person, double occupancy, and early booking discounts up to $1,259.

In the Caribbean, Wind Star sails round trip from Barbados every Saturday, calling in Tobago, Bequia, Martinique, Iles de Saintes and St. Lucia southbound, and Nevis, St. Martin, St. Bart’s, Iles de Saintes and Bequia northbound.

The line’s third ship, Wind Song, which has sailed in Tahiti for the last 10 years, will be repositioned for Costa Rica-based sailings beginning Dec. 13.

For more information and a brochure, call a travel agent or Windstar Cruises at (800) 258-7245.

Slater and Basch travel as guests of the cruise lines. Cruise Views appears the first and third week of every month.