Windstar cruises reviews: is Windstar a good cruise line?

Windstar cruise review scorecard

Our verdict in one line: Windstar is the line to pick when you want the smallest ship you can reasonably afford, and you are happy to pay separately for drinks and internet. It is the small-ship and sailing-yacht pick in our best luxury and small-ship cruises ranking. The trade-offs are a bare base fare and a fleet where most yachts are more than 35 years old.

How we grade: see how we rate cruises. These are editorial grades, not passenger scores.

Strengths

• Ships that really are small. The yachts carry 148 to 342 guests. Wind Star and Wind Spirit take 148, about a fifth of an Azamara ship.
• Real sails. Wind Star, Wind Spirit and the flagship Wind Surf are motor sailing yachts with masts and sails. Few lines still sail ships like them.
• Water sports from the ship. When the yacht is at anchor in warm water, a platform at the stern opens for swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding, at no charge.
• Tahiti. Star Breeze is based in French Polynesia all year and Wind Star joins it from March 2027, on a 7-night route from Papeete every Monday.
• Two new-build yachts. Star Seeker, delivered in December 2025, is the first ship built for Windstar, and its sister Star Explorer joins on December 28, 2026. Nearly all of Star Seeker’s 112 suites have a veranda or a window that opens.

Weaknesses

• A bare base fare. The Cruise Only fare covers your room, dining and water sports. Alcohol, Wi-Fi and gratuities come in the All-Inclusive package, which was $99 per guest per day booked ahead and $109 on board (checked October 2026). Drinks bought one by one carry an 18% gratuity.
• Old yachts. Wind Star dates from 1986 and Wind Spirit from 1988. Star Breeze, Star Legend and Star Pride were built for Seabourn between 1988 and 1990. They have been refitted, but they are not new ships.
• Few balconies on the older ships. The sailing yachts have ocean-view staterooms, and on the three 312-guest Star Class yachts only 58 of the 156 suites have a balcony.
• No excursions in any fare. Tours ashore are sold separately on every fare, unlike on Regent or Viking.
• Quiet evenings. There are no production shows or late-night scene. For most Windstar guests that is the point; for some it is a long week.

Is the Windstar All-Inclusive package worth it?

Usually yes, if you drink and want to stay online. The package bundles Wi-Fi, unlimited select beer, wine by the glass and cocktails, and gratuities for $99 per guest per day when booked at least five days before departure, against $109 bought on board (checked October 2026). On the base fare you pay gratuities anyway, plus each drink with 18% added and Wi-Fi on top, so a few drinks a day narrow the gap quickly.

It is worth less if you drink little and don’t need the internet: then the base fare plus gratuities is the cheaper route. Windstar’s early booking offers have often included the package at no extra cost, so check the current offer before paying for it. Our all-inclusive cruise guide sets this against the lines that include drinks and tips as standard.

Which Windstar yacht should you pick?

Pick the yacht for the trip you want. The three sailing yachts are for the romance of masts and sails and the smallest crowds; the Star Class yachts are for an all-suite room and a little more space; Star Seeker and Star Explorer are for a new ship with verandas.

• Wind Star and Wind Spirit (148 guests): the smallest, with 73 ocean-view staterooms and one owner’s suite. Wind Star moves to Tahiti from March 2027; Wind Spirit spends summer 2027 in the Adriatic from Venice and Dubrovnik.
• Wind Surf (342 guests): the largest sailing yacht in the fleet, with 150 staterooms and 21 suites, in Greece for summer 2027.
• Star Breeze, Star Legend and Star Pride (312 guests): all-suite former Seabourn ships, in Tahiti, Southern Italy and Greece, and Northern Europe respectively in 2027.
• Star Seeker and Star Explorer (224 guests): the new pair. Star Seeker sails Alaska in summer and Japan and Southeast Asia in winter; Star Explorer stays in Europe.

The full fleet, rooms and season-by-season routes are in our Windstar cruises guide.

Who Windstar suits

• Couples, especially for Tahiti or a Greek island week. Our cruises for couples guide compares the other lines we suggest for two.
• Active travelers who will use the kayaks and paddle boards and want small ports over sea days.
• Alaska travelers who want a small ship. Star Seeker reaches Wrangell, Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm and Misty Fjords; compare it in our best cruise lines for Alaska ranking.
• Big-ship cruisers trying small ships without paying ultra-luxury fares.

It doesn’t suit families with young children, travelers who want one all-in price, or anyone who wants a range of restaurants, bars and shows.

Windstar against the alternatives

• Windstar vs Azamara: Azamara ships carry about 700 guests, twice Windstar’s largest yacht, but include select drinks and gratuities in every fare and stay late in port.
• Windstar vs Seabourn: Seabourn costs more and includes premium drinks, gratuities and every restaurant on all-suite ships. Three of Windstar’s yachts are former Seabourn ships.
• Windstar vs Viking: Viking ocean ships are much larger, include one excursion per port and Wi-Fi, and admit no one under 18.
• Windstar vs Explora Journeys: Explora is the opposite choice: large new luxury ships with drinks, Wi-Fi and tips included.

For the wider field, see our best cruise lines ranking.

Windstar cruise reviews FAQ

Is Windstar a good cruise line?

Yes, for travelers who want a very small, casual ship, small harbors and water sports off the stern. It is a weaker choice if you want everything in the fare, a new ship on every route or big-ship entertainment.

Is Windstar a luxury cruise line?

We class it as premium small-ship rather than luxury. The yachts are small and the service is personal, but the base fare leaves out alcohol, Wi-Fi and gratuities, which Regent, Silversea and Seabourn include.

Are Windstar cruises all inclusive?

Not as standard. The All-Inclusive fare adds Wi-Fi, unlimited select beer, wine by the glass and cocktails, and gratuities for $99 per guest per day when booked at least five days ahead (checked October 2026). Shore excursions, spa treatments and flights are extra on every fare.

How old are Windstar's ships?

Six of the eight were built between 1986 and 1990: Wind Star, Wind Spirit, Wind Surf and the three former Seabourn yachts. Star Seeker was delivered in December 2025, and Star Explorer, built in 2019, joins the fleet on December 28, 2026.

Are these Windstar cruise reviews based on passenger ratings?

No. This is our editorial review, graded on the criteria in how we rate cruises and based on Windstar’s published fares, fleet and itineraries. We don’t publish star ratings or passenger scores.