Windstar Cruises Spotlight: Small-Ship Cruising, 180° From Ordinary

For travelers who want to explore the world without the crowds and formality of a traditional large cruise ship, Windstar Cruises offers a distinctive alternative. For more than four decades, Windstar has specialized in intimate, yacht-style cruising, combining personalized service, relaxed luxury, exceptional destinations, and the ability to visit ports that many larger ships simply cannot reach.

A More Intimate Way to Cruise

One of Windstar’s greatest differences is the size of its ships. Its current fleet includes both classic sailing yachts and all-suite motor yachts carrying roughly 148 to 342 guests. The smaller scale creates a relaxed atmosphere where guests can get to know the crew, enjoy uncrowded public spaces, and experience a level of personal service that can be difficult to find aboard larger cruise ships.

Windstar offers two distinctive styles of cruising. The Wind Class sailing yachts include Wind Star, Wind Spirit, and Wind Surf, delivering the romantic experience of traveling beneath towering sails. The Star Class all-suite yachts provide spacious accommodations and a more contemporary yacht experience while maintaining the intimate atmosphere for which Windstar is known.

The newest addition, the 224-guest Star Seeker, joined the fleet in late 2025 and features 112 suites, upgraded amenities, additional dining options, and Windstar’s signature watersports marina. Another 224-guest yacht, Star Explorer, is scheduled to begin sailing on December 28, 2026, expanding Windstar’s fleet to eight yachts.

Destinations Beyond the Ordinary

Windstar’s small ships are designed to go beyond the traditional cruise ports. The line visits more than 330 ports around the world, with itineraries throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and the Panama Canal, Alaska, Canada and New England, Japan, Asia, Tahiti, and the South Pacific.

Because of their smaller size, Windstar yachts can enter secluded harbors, sail through narrower waterways, and visit coastal towns and islands that are inaccessible to many larger ships. Its itineraries are also notably port-intensive, frequently incorporating late-night departures and overnight stays so guests have more time to experience a destination beyond a typical daytime shore excursion.

Whether that means exploring a Mediterranean village, island-hopping through French Polynesia, watching glaciers in Alaska, discovering Japan, or sailing between secluded Caribbean beaches, the emphasis is on experiencing the destination rather than simply seeing it from the ship.

Life On Board

Windstar describes the onboard atmosphere as friendly and relaxed, and the experience is intentionally different from the activity-packed environment of a mega-ship.

Guests can enjoy chef-led culinary experiences, cooking demonstrations, the line’s signature onboard barbecue, pools and hot tubs, live entertainment, an open bridge experience, spa treatments, and complimentary 24-hour room service. On select itineraries, Windstar’s watersports marina provides direct access to the sea with equipment such as kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and snorkeling gear.

The result feels less like being aboard a floating resort and more like traveling aboard a private yacht—with enough amenities to make the journey comfortable while keeping the destination at the center of the experience.

Personalized Service

The smaller number of passengers also allows Windstar’s crew to provide a highly personalized level of service. Windstar promotes a staff-to-guest ratio of approximately 1 to 1.5, helping create an atmosphere where crew members can quickly become familiar with guests and their preferences.

It’s one of the characteristics that appeals to travelers looking for something more personal, sophisticated, and relaxed than the typical cruise experience.

Who Is Windstar Cruises Best For?

Windstar is particularly well suited for travelers who value destinations, culture, cuisine, personalized service, and smaller ships over waterslides, casinos, enormous entertainment venues, and crowds.

It can be an especially attractive choice for couples, experienced travelers, food and wine enthusiasts, luxury travelers who prefer an understated atmosphere, and previous cruise guests who are ready to experience something more intimate.

Discover Windstar Cruises

Windstar occupies a unique place in cruising. It combines the convenience of unpacking once and traveling between multiple destinations with the intimacy and flexibility of a small yacht.

From sailing into secluded Mediterranean harbors to exploring tropical islands in the South Pacific, Windstar’s philosophy is about getting travelers closer to the destination, closer to the water, and closer to the cultures they came to experience.

For travelers who believe the best journeys are defined not by the size of the ship but by the places it can take them, Windstar Cruises offers a refreshing way to see the world—180° From Ordinary.

Learn more: Windstar Cruises