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Windstar Wind Star Deck Plans & Reviews

Windstar Wind Star

Activities & entertainment

• Cooking Demonstrations
• Deck Parties
• Fitness Center
• Fitness Classes
• Nightly Recaps & Briefings
• Watersports Platform
• The Veranda - Casual
• AmphorA - International
• Candles Grill - Intimate
• Pool Bar - Pool Bar *
• Excellent 22
• Very Good 4
• All languages ( 43 )
• English ( 43 )

Upcoming itineraries

• CruiseMapper
• Windstar Cruises

Cruise line Windstar Cruises

• Piraeus-Athens (Greece)
• Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica)
• Colon (Panama)
• Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands)
• Bridgetown (Barbados)

Wind Star current position

Wind Star current location is at North East Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 36.49307 N / -12.55740 W) cruising en route to LISBON. The AIS position was reported 9 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Wind Star

Wind Star current cruise is 15 days, one-way from Bridgetown to Lisbon , themed as "Easter". Prices start from USD 1599 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 27 Mar, 2024 and ends on 11 Apr, 2024 .

Specifications of Wind Star

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Wind Star Itineraries

Wind star review, review of wind star.

The 1986-built cruise ship Wind Star is the first and oldest of the Windstar's sailing yachts, together with Wind Surf and Wind Spirit (sistership). These four-masted ships are uniquely designed for tall sailing cruises.

The vessel (IMO number 8420878) is currently Bahamas- flagged (MMSI 309163000) and registered in Nassau .

History - construction and ownership

Windstar Cruises is a luxury brand operating a fleet of smaller-sized ships (mega-yachts) with capacity up to 310 passengers. The company call at 150 ports throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South Pacific, Asia, Europe. Currently, Windstar is a subsidiary of Xanterra Parks and Resorts (USA's largest national and state park concession management company).

Windstar's namesake vessel, the 180-passenger ship Wind Star, is a 4-masted, motorized sailing yacht and the first of three in the Windstar's fleet. Yet, continuous maintenance and recent repair have kept it fresh and youthful. In the staterooms, scratchy old bathrooms have been spruced up with granite countertops, high-piled towels and nice shower sprayers; and new combination DVD/CD/iPod Nano players have upped the ante in the department of tech toys. Public places and dining venues have been updated, too.

Decks and Cabins

Wind Star yacht staterooms (74 total, in 5 grades) include 1x Suite and 73 Oceanview cabins. All accommodations are with Queen-size double beds, LCD TV, DVD player, Bose speakers, SoundDock for Apple iPods. The Owner's Suite is sized 220 ft2 / 20 m2 but like the rest of the cabins lacks a step-out balcony.

The boat has 5 decks , of which 2 are with cabins.

Windstar Wind Star ship 2012 renovations included a full update of the public rooms' decor. The staterooms are newly enhanced with leather headboards, linen wall coverings, armchairs, new lighting features, carpeting, window coverings, new artworks, stylish bed cushions and throws. With large windows and skylight, the ship's lounge is full of natural light the whole day.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Wind Star ship has two primary dining venues, both open seating: the AmphorA Restaurant in the evenings which offers course-by-course gourmet cuisine and Veranda restaurant with casual full-service and buffet dining (breakfast and lunch). A reservation is needed for Candles if you choose to dine under the stars. In 2012 The Restaurant was redesigned, renamed Amphora, and a new menu was launched. The Pool Bar also was redesigned to make additional alfresco seating for sunset dining at Candles Grill with a new awning and deck furniture.

Follows the complete list of Wind Star restaurants and food bars.

• AmphorA Restaurant (boat's dining room, open-seating; offers 5-course gourmet dinner menu which is changed daily; along with onboard-made bread, in all ports of call the executive chef goes to the local markets to shop for fresh ingredients)
• Candles Cafe & Veranda (a smaller "dining room" which offers buffet-style breakfast and lunch, as well as a la carte menu through the wait staff; its indoor area is called "Candles Cafe" and features floor-ceiling panoramic windows; the outdoor seating area is called "Veranda" - in the evenings, it transforms into "Candles Grill" (alfresco steakhouse).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

With teak wide-open decks of over 10,000 sq.feet of space, generous for this size ship, and 21,500 ft2 (2,000 m2) new sail overhead, Wind Star guests may find hidden nooks for their private moments with the feeling of their own veranda. Be sure you'll benefit from small Star ship's access to unreachable otherwise ports of call. Onboard amenities are the WindSpa, Casino, Library, Lounge, Pool, Watersports Platform, and Hot Tub. During 2012 renovation The Reception Zone received a make-over, as did The Lounge with new hardwood flooring and a new AV system.

Follows the complete list of Wind Star lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• The Marina (retractable water sports platform for water skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling, kayaking; the ship provides a banana boat, waterski boat, sea kayaks, Sunfish sailboats, wakeboards, boards for windsurfing, paddleboards, scuba diving and snorkeling equipment, plus four Zodiacs; the steel cage forms a swimming pool in the sea)
• Lounge (boat's theatre/main show lounge for live evening entertainment); Library
• The Signature Shop/Boutique Shop (sells duty-free luxury fashion clothing and accessories)
• The Casino (with blackjack/roulette gambling tables, slot machines)
• WindSpa (operated by Steiner; has a treatment room, Sauna and Beauty Salon. Windstar's "Spa Under the Stars" program offers outdoor spa treatments (on the open deck).
• The Fitness Center (with free weights, exercycles and treadmills; offers complimentary exercise classes)
• Pool Area (with one swimming pool, a waterfall cascading from the whirlpool, sunbathing area served by the Pool Bar)
• The Flying Bridge deck is designed to resemble the traditional navigation point.

Itineraries

Wind Star itinerary program is based on Caribbean cruises from Barbados and Mediterranean Sea voyages with departures from homeports in Turkey and Greece. The ship offers Transatlantic repositioning crossings between Europe and the Caribbean.

In 2021, Tauck Travel (USA-based travel company) chartered Wind Star for a seasonal Eastern Mediterranean program based on the new "Treasures of the Aegean" cruise itinerary.

• The 10-day voyage had scheduled visits to Mykonos Island , Delos Island , Santorini Island , Patmos Island , Monemvasia , Piraeus (with included 2-night Athens City premium hotel stay), Ephesus (from Port Kusadasi, Turkey) .
• Tauck's 2021 schedule included as departure dates June 17 and 24, July 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, August 12, 19 and 26, September 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, and October 7.

Following the Coronavirus crisis 2020-21, Windstar restarted operations with Wind Star on June 19, 2021. The 7-night "Greek Islands" itinerary (roundtrip from Piraeus-Athens ) visited Mykonos, Kusadasi-Ephesus (Turkey), Patmos, Syros, Santorini, Monemvasia, Nafplio. The crew was vaccinated and all passengers were required to provide COVID vaccination proof. Also on June 19th restarted operations Star Breeze (7-night Caribbean itinerary roundtrip from Philipsburg, St Maarten ).

Wind Star - user reviews and comments

Photos of wind star.

Wind Star ship related cruise news

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Windstar postpones cruises on 4 of its yachts

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•   show more news

Other Windstar Cruises cruise ships

• Star Breeze
• Star Legend
• Wind Spirit

Wind Star Wiki

Wind Star cruise ship was built as the first tall sailing ship in the fleet of Windstar Cruises. She is a member of a very specific class of three sister vessels - Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Song. Wind Song had fire in the engine room in 2002, and the ship was scuttled. Windstar sailing yachts have a modern design, but still feature 6 sails on 4 masts, that are handled via a sophisticated computer program.

The yacht's design is based on smaller 5,350-ton motor sailing yachts constructed by the French shipbuilding company "Societe Nouvelle des Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre". Among those are the Windstar sail ships Wind Surf and Wind Spirit, and also Club Med 2 .

During Wind Star's last drydock refurbishment (2023, at Navantia Cadiz) a new mast was installed.

In 2012, Windstar completed an extensive (18-month long) drydock refurbishment project for renovations of the company's all three sail yachts - Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Surf. Works included overhauls of all passenger staterooms, dining venues, public spaces, as well as new sails.

The ship Wind Star has fleet's first female Captain - Belinda Bennett (born on St Helena Island - a British Overseas Territory in South Atlantic Ocean). Her maritime career started at age 17, as a deck cadet on the cargo-passenger ship RMS St Helena . In September 2005, she joined Windstar as Second Officer and became Captain (Master) of Wind Star in January 2016.

The 2 classes of Windstar ships, explained

Windstar Cruises has a surprisingly varied fleet for a cruise line with only six small ships.

The cruise line was known for years for its fleet of three-masted sailing yachts (imagine a hybrid of a small cruise ship and a large four- or five-masted sailing vessel). But in the mid-2010s, in a bid to expand without building new ships, the line acquired three small, aging cruise ships from luxury line Seabourn and completely refurbished them.

Windstar's fleet is now equal parts sailing ships (known as the Wind class) and yachts (the Star Plus class), tied together by a casual-yet-upscale vibe, friendly crews and port-intensive itineraries.

While Windstar loyalists happily cross from masted yacht to regular ship, depending on the itinerary, newcomers will want to understand the differences between the line's two classes of ships because the onboard amenities are different enough to affect your vacation experience.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

An introduction to Windstar ships

Windstar Cruises specializes in small ships carrying between 148 and 342 passengers each. Though the line calls them yachts, the ships are structured more like tiny cruise ships with indoor lounges and communal dining rooms.

The Wind-class sailing ships come in two sizes: the 5,307-ton Wind Spirit and Wind Star and the 14,745-ton Wind Surf. The non-sail motor yachts are all identical at 12,995 tons.

Most of Windstar's fleet was not originally built for Windstar. Wind Surf originally sailed as a Club Med cruise ship. The motor yacht trio started their lives as Seabourn vessels.

That does not mean you should expect worn-out ships. Windstar recently spent $250 million to not just update but also lengthen the three motor yachts of its Star Plus class. The ships were cut open and a new midsection was added to create more space for additional cabins (Windstar calls them suites, even if they have only one room), new dining venues and expanded outdoor deck areas.

The ships function more as a comfortable home base than destinations by themselves. Onboard attractions are limited to a few restaurants, a small spa and fitness center, a pool and hot tub, and a tiny boutique. You'll find two or three bars, rather than a large assortment. There's no kids club because children younger than 8 aren't allowed onboard.

Related: 5 cruise lines to try if you just can't stand being around kids on vacation

The biggest difference between the classes, besides the sails, is that cabins on Star Plus-class ships are marketed as suites. While most aren't true, multiroom suites, the cabins are spacious with separate living and sleeping areas, French (step-out) balconies on most rooms and good-size bathrooms. The cabins on Wind-class ships are more compact and nautical in design, with porthole windows and small living spaces tricked out with hidden storage to maximize space.

What all the ships have in common is a water sports platform. On select days when the ship is anchored (not docked at a pier) and the weather and government regulations align, crew members can offer water sports, such as swimming and kayaking, right off the back of the ship.

Ships in class: Wind Surf (1989), Wind Spirit (1988) and Wind Star (1986).

Size: 5,307 tons (Spirit and Star) to 14,745 tons (Surf).

Technically, Windstar's Wind-class ships comprise two different types of ships, but the line categorizes all of its ships with sails together.

The 148-passenger Wind Spirit and Wind Star are the only ships in the current fleet custom-built for Windstar. Each has four decks and as many masts for sails. The ships each feature one 220-square-foot Owner's Suite, and the rest of the cabins are 188-square-feet rooms. Each cabin, including the suite, features a window; you will not find a private balcony on these ships.

Most of the public areas are found on the upper two decks with cabins on the lower two, with the exception of a small gym and the exit to the water sports platform on Deck 2. Deck 3 features the majority of the indoor spaces, including the Amphora main restaurant, boutique, reception desk, library, tiny spa, main lounge and a cafe serving coffee drinks and small snacks.

The topmost deck features the indoor-outdoor buffet restaurant Veranda, which transforms into the waiter-served Candles restaurant in the evening. A pool, hot tub and pool bar round out the alfresco offerings.

The 342-passenger Wind Surf joined the Windstar fleet in 1998 after sailing for Club Med. It follows the same basic idea as its two sailing sisters, but with more space and a few more attractions.

It's got six decks, five masts and four types of cabins (again all with windows only, no balconies). These include 188-square-foot regular cabins and 18 suites measuring 376 square feet, which are essentially double cabins with two bathrooms, two vanities and a sitting area where the second bed should be. These rooms are found throughout decks 1 through 3.

One 242-square-foot Officer's Suite and two 495-square-foot Bridge suites are located on Deck 5 (Bridge Deck).

Like its smaller sisters, Wind Surf contains the Amphora Restaurant and Veranda/Candles, main lounge, Yacht Club Cafe, pool and hot tubs, boutique, spa and fitness center. In addition, the ship adds a third dining venue – Stella Bistro – and the Terrace Bar, both on the ship's top deck.

Windstar deploys its sailing ships to destinations with more concentrated routes, where the romance factor is high (to complement the ships' beautiful sails). These include Tahiti and French Polynesia , Costa Rica and the Panama Canal, and Greece.

Related: 5 things to love about Windstar's stretched and refurbished Star Pride

Star Plus class

Ships in class: Star Legend (1990), Star Breeze (1988) and Star Pride (1988).

Size: 12,995 tons.

The Star Plus-class ships are all pre-owned cruise ships. They debuted in the late '80s and early '90s for luxury cruise line Seabourn and Windstar purchased them and brought them into the fleet 25 years later in 2014 and 2015.

The trio came to Windstar as 212-passenger, 9,975-ton cruise ships. Windstar refurbished the ships to clean them up and add the line's branding before they debuted but quickly realized more was needed to bring the ships in line with modern standards, both under the hood and in passenger-facing venues.

So the line announced a $250 million refurbishment project that included lengthening the ships by adding a new midsection. Extensive below-decks work was done to replace the existing engines with more efficient ones, as well as improve environmental standards. Above decks, each ship received 100 new cabins and suites, additional restaurants and expanded deck space to host a new infinity pool and more space for the line's famous deck barbecues.

Work on the project began in 2019, with the renovated ships debuting in 2021 and 2022.

Similar to Wind Surf, the Star Plus-class ships feature six passenger decks, a water sports platform, Amphora and Veranda/Candles restaurants and a boutique.

Each ship has a lounge that serves as an excursion assembly station and a theater for live entertainment and talks, as well as the large Compass Rose bar and lounge for dancing, drinking and whiling the evening away. Dining venues exclusive to this class include the alfresco Star Grill by Steven Raichlen and the Spanish Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso.

The spa and fitness center is much larger on these ships, featuring a complimentary thermal suite with heated lounges and saunas, as well as a separate workout room and fitness studio for group classes. A tiered infinity pool and hot tub are the focal point of Deck 7, but there's a somewhat-secret hot tub on Deck 5 forward, as well.

The Yacht Club is a gorgeous circular hangout and library space with board games and a little cafe area, and the Star Bar is surrounded by comfortable patio furniture one deck above the pool. There's also a screening room on Deck 5.

Related: Everything you need to know about Windstar Cruises' loyalty program

Cabins come in nine varieties. Five of them are the same size — 277 square feet — with two key differences. The first is whether the room offers a porthole, picture window or French balcony (which is big enough for one person to step out onto, but too small for a seating area); the second is whether the room has the original furnishings and the bed by the bathroom or is a newly built cabin with more modern furnishings and the bed by the window.

You can tell which style of cabin you're getting by the name. Star porthole, ocean-view and balcony suites are the new suites; plain ocean-view and balcony suites are the originals.

All cabins have updated bathrooms, some with tub-shower combos and others with shower only.

True suites range from 400 to 820 square feet, and include the Classic, Deluxe, Owner's Suite Forward and Owner's Suite Midship. The latter can be combined with surrounding standard suites to transform into a three-bedroom, 1,374-square-foot Grand Owner's Suite.

Related: The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship

The Star Plus-class ships are the line's traveling class, taking the longer, more sightseeing-focused routes in places like Alaska , Asia, Australia and northern Europe. With more indoor space, these ships can better handle destinations like Iceland and Alaska where the weather may prevent passengers from spending large amounts of time outdoors when sailing.

Bottom line

Windstar's two classes of ships can be quickly summarized as either sailing ships with smaller cabins and limited public spaces or upscale small ships with spacious cabins and more choices of restaurants and hangouts.

No matter which you choose, you'll get a similar experience. That's because each of the six ships honors the brand's themes of a casual onboard vibe with adult-focused upscale touches, fine dining in partnership with the James Beard Foundation, low-key outdoor fun, destination exploration and a friendly, helpful crew.

Windstar's fleet is so small that many cruisers find that the destination guides their vacation choice more than the ship. As the line carefully matches ship style to the itinerary, you'll likely find yourself content with whichever class of ship you find yourself sailing.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
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• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

Windstar Cruises Offers Free Upgrades on 2024 Cruises

• April 3, 2024

Windstar Cruises is offering a complimentary upgrade to its all-inclusive fare for 2024 cruises when booked before June 30, according to a press release.

This is worth $89 per passenger per day which is $1,200 per cabin for two on a seven-day cruise.

The free upgrade includes onboard Wi-Fi, all gratuities, and unlimited wine, beer and cocktails.

Windstar’s 2024 itineraries explore destinations in Europe, Tahiti, Latin America, the Caribbean and beyond. 

Sample itineraries include:

• The 17-day Star Collector: Twice the Tahiti voyage, sailing roundtrip from Papeete onboard the Star Breeze.
• The eight-day Spanish Symphony cruise, sailing from Lisbon to Barcelona onboard the Wind Surf.
• The 15-day Star Collector: Enchantment of the Western Med journey, sailing from Lisbon to Rome onboard the Wind Surf.
• The 16-day Star Collector: Romance of the West Med cruise, sailing from Lisbon to Rome onboard the Wind Spirit.

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Windstar Cruises

At a glance.

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What's Included

Open dining with no reservation fees required

Non-alcoholic beverages, including coffee, tea and soda

Beautifully appointed ocean-view staterooms and suites

Plush bathrobes and slippers

Fresh flowers and fruit in your stateroom or suite

Flat-screen TVs in every stateroom or suite

Signature onboard deck barbecue*

Onboard entertainment, including local performances in most regions

24-hour Room service

Fully equipped Watersports Platform and use of all water sports equipment*

Access to the Open Bridge

Champagne welcome reception

Signature Sail Away event from every port*

Access to WorldSpa by Windstar sauna/steam room facilities and fitness classes

*Port and weather conditions permitting

Ship Overview

Reviews and recommendations for wind star, of 95 guests recommend.

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All reviews are from confirmed guests sharing exclusive insights, sort reviews by, our windstar cruise aboard the wind star, reviewed on: 29 jan 2024, cruise trip, reviewed on: 17 feb 2024, reviewed on: 19 aug 2013, highly reccommend, reviewed on: 07 nov 2013, highly recommend, reviewed on: 23 nov 2013, by: not provided, reviewed on: 21 nov 2013, reviewed on: 06 jul 2014, wonderful cruise, reviewed on: 18 feb 2015, always a great cruise, by: connie09, reviewed on: 18 jun 2015, great small ship experience, reviewed on: 14 aug 2015, greece and turkey, reviewed on: 04 sep 2015, great crew and experience, reviewed on: 02 jun 2016, wind star cruise, by: roberto giacomin, reviewed on: 10 feb 2017, windstar treasures of the greek isles, reviewed on: 23 may 2017, reviewed on: 27 may 2017, windstar cruise, by: cruising in italy, reviewed on: 05 jun 2017, fantastic experience, by: travel bug, reviewed on: 26 jun 2017, by: hammerhead, reviewed on: 29 jul 2017, sailing the seas, by: mary va, reviewed on: 09 aug 2017, windstar mv “wind star”, reviewed on: 27 oct 2017, grand time, by: ali & niki, reviewed on: 29 oct 2017, reviewed on: 07 nov 2017, 50th anniversary trip on mediterranean, by: pat & john, wonderful trip, by: mylène and paul, reviewed on: 21 nov 2017, best place to relax, by: mrsriva, reviewed on: 18 nov 2017, a disappointing sail., by: fellow travelers, windstar caribbean sweep, reviewed on: 10 dec 2017, by: double b, reviewed on: 08 jan 2018, windstar ship, reviewed on: 14 jan 2018, reviewed on: 21 jan 2018, beautiful trip, reviewed on: 26 jan 2018, sail away winter, by: d&hvacationinc, reviewed on: 18 mar 2018, reviewed on: 18 jun 2018, love this ship❤️, by: linda g, unique and excellent experience, reviewed on: 19 jul 2018, a fine small-ship cruise, reviewed on: 07 sep 2018, canadian cruise, reviewed on: 05 nov 2018, windstar cruises are the best, reviewed on: 12 nov 2018, reviewed on: 01 dec 2018, review a your cruise ship, reviewed on: 12 dec 2018, 5th crossing, by: captain, onboard experience, by: patrick, reviewed on: 09 feb 2019, great cruise, reviewed on: 05 mar 2019, caribbean trip, by: dr. azul, reviewed on: 06 apr 2019, windstar greek cruise, by: nancy drew, reviewed on: 24 jun 2019, greek isles, reviewed on: 25 jul 2019, what a great experience, reviewed on: 21 jul 2019, trip of a lifetime, reviewed on: 19 aug 2019, reviewed on: 10 aug 2019, small ships are the best, reviewed on: 30 sep 2019, family vacation in the greek isles on the wind star, reviewed on: 08 oct 2019, windstar iexperience, reviewed on: 09 dec 2019, up close and personal, reviewed on: 21 dec 2019, outstanding, reviewed on: 28 dec 2019, reviewed on: 19 feb 2020, quite pleasant, by: ambassador, reviewed on: 25 feb 2020, seven days at sea, by: world traveler, reviewed on: 13 mar 2020, super windstar, reviewed on: 29 feb 2020, windstar has lost a step over the years, reviewed on: 21 mar 2020, reviewed on: 29 jul 2021, best small ship transatlantic, reviewed on: 07 dec 2021, reviewed on: 29 nov 2021, windstar cruise ship, reviewed on: 01 dec 2021, first class, by: richard, reviewed on: 08 dec 2021, disappointing but still good, reviewed on: 09 dec 2021, by: frannie, reviewed on: 20 dec 2021, cruising in style, reviewed on: 31 jan 2022, south caribbean, reviewed on: 23 feb 2022, star delight., by: neal benge, reviewed on: 03 may 2022, reviewed on: 05 aug 2022, we loved our cruise experience on wind star, reviewed on: 01 oct 2022, windstar ship, reviewed on: 10 oct 2022, vip treatment, by: noel tauzin, reviewed on: 22 oct 2022, windstar again for us, by: sanibel snowbird, reviewed on: 30 jan 2023, nineth trip, by: captain 👨‍✈️, reviewed on: 28 nov 2022, sailing on windstar, reviewed on: 06 feb 2023, spanish treasures, reviewed on: 10 feb 2023, reviewed on: 07 may 2023, reviewed on: 01 jul 2023, perfect getaway, reviewed on: 10 jul 2023, five masted sailing, reviewed on: 11 jul 2023, sailing in luxury, by: greek freaks, reviewed on: 25 sep 2023, lovely time on a great ship, by: myriad8, reviewed on: 29 sep 2023, windstar greek isles cruise, reviewed on: 27 oct 2023, will take another windstar cruise, reviewed on: 31 oct 2023, bottom of the boot cruise, reviewed on: 01 nov 2023, reviewed on: 02 nov 2023, cruising indonesia, reviewed on: 16 dec 2023, fresh, newly renovated, and comfortable as ever, by: sweet alice, reviewed on: 27 dec 2023, outstanding, reviewed on: 15 jan 2024, happy cruiser, reviewed on: 28 jan 2024, forgot your password.

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Windstar Cruises Yacht Club loyalty program: Everything you need to know

MSN has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. MSN and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.

Seattle-based Windstar Cruises is a relatively small line, but it offers a big loyalty program that can bring you all sorts of great perks if you sail regularly with the brand.

Dubbed the Yacht Club, the four-tier program, which was massively upgraded in late 2020 , offers its higher-tier members such valuable perks as a $100-per-person onboard credit for every sailing, free laundry service on ships and free Wi-Fi. Higher-tier members also get significant discounts on cruises, beverage packages, shore excursions and more.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter .

The program was upgraded at the same time that the six-ship line expanded its capacity with a massive makeover and enlargement of three of its vessels. The $250-million Star Plus Initiative, as it was called, brought new suites, restaurants, pool decks and more to the line’s three yacht-like motor vessels — Star Breeze, Star Legend and Star Pride.

All three of the vessels also were lengthened by around 20%.

Ways to earn points

The Yacht Club point-earning system is relatively straightforward. In most cases, members earn 1 point for every day they sail on a Windstar vessel. The only exception is for passengers staying in top suites. Customers staying in Wind Class suites or Deluxe suites on Star Plus Class ships will get 1.5 points for every day they sail. Those staying in Owner’s suites and Classic suites on Star Plus Class vessels will get 2 points for every day they sail, as will passengers staying in the Bridge Suite on the Wind Surf.

Program tiers and benefits

There are four tiers to the Yacht Club program:

• One Star (1 to 15 points)
• Two Star (16 to 39 points)
• Three Star (40 to 89 points)
• Four Star (90 or more points)

Even at the lowest One Star level, the perks are fairly robust, at least as compared to loyalty programs of many of Windstar’s small-ship cruise line competitors.

Yacht Club members at all four tiers get a 5% discount on fares when booking a cruise. That’s a great perk, as it amounts to real money in your pocket. But it gets even better if you book a cruise while on board a Windstar ship or within 60 days of departing one. In such cases, Yacht Club members will get an additional 5% discount on fares — bringing the total savings to 10%.

Related: A beginner’s guide to cruise line loyalty programs  

In select cases, Yacht Club members will be rewarded for their loyalty with even bigger discounts. As part of the program, members can snag an even heftier 20% discount on select Yacht Club member sailings. One caveat: The 20% discount won’t be combinable with other offers.

In addition, all Yacht Club members get:

• Advance notification of new deployments
• Advance notification of sales events
• Members-only private sales
• A $100 shipboard credit when referring a new customer to Windstar. The customer also will receive a $100 onboard credit.
• Exclusive members-only cocktail party with ship officers
• Exclusive onboard tote
• Additional discounts at sister Xanterra Travel Collection brands (more on that below)

Plus, starting at the One Star level, customers get a 5% discount on laundry service, Wi-Fi and Windstar merchandise whenever they sail with the line. Note that the Wi-Fi discount only applies to Wi-Fi purchased individually and not as part of the line’s All-Inclusive Fares.

At the Two Star level, customers get all the above plus a 5% discount on shore excursions and beverage packages (again, the latter discount does not apply to the line’s All-Inclusive Fares). They also get a $50 per person onboard credit for every cruise they take.

The elite level that makes a difference

We’re impressed with all four levels of the Windstar Yacht Club loyalty program. Even at the lowest tier, it brings real savings for loyal passengers. And the shore excursion and beverage package discounts that come with the Two Star level are enticing in our eyes.

That said, we start to get really excited about the Three Star tier. It bumps the discounts for laundry service, Wi-Fi, shore excursions and Windstar merchandise to 10%. If you’re the kind of cruiser who does a shore excursion in every port and regularly uses onboard services, such as laundry and Wi-Fi, this could save you $100 or more on a typical seven-night cruise.

The Three Star tier also comes with an onboard credit of $75 per person for every cruise you take. That’s more real money in your pocket.

Best elite perk

It’s a tough call on the best elite perk of the Windstar Cruises Yacht Club loyalty program. Unlike some frequent cruiser programs, there isn’t one clear standout perk, such as the free cruise that Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society members get after reaching the top Pinnacle Club level.

At the top Four Star tier level of the Yacht Club program, passengers get free laundry service and free Wi-Fi on every sailing, which are both valuable perks. But the most generous perk may be the 15% discount on shore excursions that comes with Four Star status. That’s assuming you are the type of cruiser who signs up for a lot of cruise line-organized shore excursions. If you spend $1,000 a week on excursions, that perk alone is worth $150 per seven-night cruise.

Related: The ultimate guide to picking a cruise line  

At the Four Star level, members also get a 15% credit on Windstar merchandise and a 10% discount on beverage packages. The onboard credit increases to $100 per person for every cruise you take.

One thing we like about the Yacht Club program is that it doesn’t take all that many cruises to reach the top Four Star level. For someone staying in a standard cabin, it would require the completion of 13 seven-night cruises. That’s not all that hard to do in just four or five years, assuming you cruise two or three times a year. But, if you stay in suites, you could hit the Four Star level far more quickly. It would take just seven seven-night cruises.

You can hit the top Four Star level even more quickly if you sign up for Windstar’s longer “Star Collector” voyages of 14 to 60 days. With the right mix of such sailings, you could reach Four Star status in just two or three sailings.

Related: Windstar will let you book a cabin in a crew area

Indeed, someone staying in a top suite on one of the longer Star Collector sailings, in theory, could hit the Four Star level after just a single cruise.

Note that, as is often the case with cruise line loyalty programs, Windstar customers do not have to re-qualify for status each year. Yacht Club members keep their points at the end of each year and continue to accrue points indefinitely. That means that someone who hits Four Star status will remain at that top tier level forever (or until Windstar makes a change to the program).

Such “forever status” is one of the great allures of cruise line frequent cruiser programs. Many airline frequent flyer programs, by contrast, require loyalty members to re-qualify for status each year.

Benefits at Xanterra Travel Collection brands

In addition to discounts and other perks at Windstar, Yacht Club loyalty program members are entitled to special perks at hotels, lodges and other travel vendors owned by Windstar’s parent company, The Anschutz Corporation.

Based in Denver, The Anschutz Corporation owns such iconic hotels as The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the Sea Island Resort just off the Georgia coast. It also owns two hotel properties near national parks (The Grand Hotel near the Grand Canyon and Cedar Creek Lodge near Glacier National Park) and is the largest national and state park concessioner in the United States. Among the national parks where it is the concessionaire are Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and Glacier National Park.

Related: How to plan a cruise with points and miles

Other Anschutz travel holdings include the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel and tour companies VBT Bicycling Vacations, Country Walkers and Holiday Vacations.

Together, all of the hotels, lodges and travel companies are known as the Xanterra Travel Collection. The perks available to Yacht Club members at Xanterra Travel Collection entities vary but often take the form of credit. At the Sea Island Resort, for instance, members are entitled to a $200 resort credit.

Bottom line

It’s unusual for a cruise line as small as Windstar to have such a great loyalty program. Massively upgraded in October 2020, Windstar’s four-tier Yacht Club loyalty program brings a lot of great perks even at the lowest One Star tier level, including across-the-board discounts on cruise fares. At the highest Four Star level, it brings a significant amount of value.

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Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.