I just returned from my first Windstar Cruises experience and I can sum up the trip in one word: relaxing! From the time I boarded, until the time I disembarked, I was in what I refer to as complete “chill” mode.

That’s saying something as anyone who knows me thinks I’m a walking commercial for yoga therapy or Red Bull rehab. I find myself bouncing off the walls most days, and doing it from the time I wake up until I hit a wall. If you have kids, just think of me as that proverbial high-energy tike that is going at a hundred miles an hour and then just drops -- I just happen to be full-grown!

At sea on the Windstar Wind Surf 

Now take that same picture and move it onboard Windstar’s Wind Surf, my home for an eight-night cruise that took me from Athens, Greece, to the canals of Venice, with plenty of wonderful stops along the way. I did my best to put you there for the trip, with my tweets at www.Twitter.com/#/murphytravels and my Facebook posts at www.Facebook.com/murphytravels. Many of you followed those posts and offered to come along on my next trip, in various roles, including one suggestion offering “maid service.”

Of course, there’s no maid service necessary on Windstar since everything was taken care of for me, and would be for you or anyone else who tries out the world’s largest sailing yacht. The 300 passengers on board, many of whom were repeat customers, agreed with my assessment that the crew was fantastic in taking care of our daily needs and requests.

Indeed, I found the crew to be excellent in their ability to connect with the ship’s passengers in a friendly, relaxed way, all of which led to those “chill” moments I mentioned earlier. There was nothing pretentious on this cruise, even though it’s a high-

end product. Within a few days I was on a first name basis with most of the crew and felt like I was part of the Windstar family.

These are the moments I cherish as a traveler. It’s also what I personally focus on in my writings. (Read a free chapter from my first book at www.TravelUnscriptedBook.com, or better yet, buy a copy!) I can tell you that the cabins on Windstar’s Wind Surf are bright and well appointed, in a minimalist style that I enjoyed coming back to after a day of exploring.

Then again, I prefer to focus on the experiences on board. One of my favorite things was dining on the stern of the ship around the pool at Wind Surf’s Grill Restaurant. This is one of three restaurants on the ship and it was a great place to take in the sunset over a glass of fine wine and a medium rare filet, in my case. Seating is limited so a reservation is required, but we never had a challenge booking this venue within 24 hours of our dining time. One of the most amazing nights to do that was as we set sail from Kotor, an incredible stop on the coast of Montenegro.

Sunset in Kotor, Montengro