River Cruise Feel, Open Ocean Appeal

Before embarking on my first Windstar Cruises voyage, I predicted the experience might be like a cross between ocean, river and expedition cruising.

That’s exactly what it turned out to be.

My wife and I just completed seven glorious days aboard the line’s 148-guest, 5,736-gross ton Wind Spirit in Tahiti, and we had a fantastic time.

By virtue of its island-hopping nature, the sailing ship is indeed an oceangoing vessel, but due to its size and capacity, it feels as intimate as a riverboat. Add in its adventure activities and marina, and it comes complete with elements of an expedition cruise as well.

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From a software standpoint, you may be wondering where the line fits into the greater market: Standard, premium, upscale or luxury? The line likes for its guests to define that for themselves, but if I had to pick a category, I’d place Windstar squarely in the upscale or upmarket arena.

It’s worth noting that 101 crew attend to the guests onboard for an excellent staff-to-passenger ratio, and its level of friendly service is actually on par with luxury cruise lines. The entire ship can’t quite be considered luxurious per se, but most details exceed expectations.

Accommodations are primarily composed of identical staterooms, with only a singular Owner’s Suite available as an alternative. With all decks close to the waterline, there are understandably no private verandas either. Cabins instead shine with their exceptional use of space and provided amenities.

They are more comparable to river ship varieties overall, but larger-than-average showers and dining nooks make them feel bigger. Premium lemon-scented L’Occitane toiletries also remind occupants of several river cruise lines, but Windstar again goes further by providing larger soap bars.

READ MORE: Windstar President Personally Welcomes Guests Back to the Caribbean

Differing from a riverboat’s inherent benefit of being super stable with no wave action, the smaller Wind Spirit is susceptible to feeling the motion of the ocean. Like expedition vessels of similar size, it will wobble more than a mega ship.

However, despite their appearance, the tall masts do not make it any more top heavy than other craft.

Of course, the best similarity to an expedition cruise is the vessel’s marina that folds down from the stern. From here, guests can conveniently kayak, paddle board, ski, wakeboard and swim directly from the ship. Side gangways also descend to tenders, pontoon boats and catamarans to whisk guests ashore.

Combining the best of ocean and expedition cruising is the ship’s access to private island motus in Tahiti that are far more intimate than anything the mainstream lines offer in the Caribbean. Onboard entertainment is lacking, but what Windstar offers via local entertainers on shore is outstanding.

Some venues that are otherwise very small or altogether missing on river cruises are a bit more robust aboard the Spirit. For example, there is a small casino with slots and table games, as well as pool, whirlpool and expanded fitness center and spa offerings.

READ MORE: Get to Know Sailing with Windstar Cruises

The latter includes a separate salon and two treatment rooms with enough space for massages and a long list of other services. In fact, the facility is operated by Steiner as on many larger ocean lines.

Cruise ships trump this Wi-Fi internet service, however. It is seriously slow and spotty for anything but basic emailing.

Otherwise, the Wind Spirit is sure to impress in all other areas. Dining highlights include epic buffets seldom seen on other ocean ships any longer. Imagine all-you-can-eat grilled lobster tails, suckling pig, beef tenderloin, crab-stuffed avocados, giant fruit pies and more for dinner on deck under the stars.

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