Are they cruise ships with sails or sailing ships designed for cruises? Since 1986, these masted sailing yachts have filled an upscale niche. They often visit ports of call inaccessible to huge, traditional cruise ships and offer a unique perspective of the Caribbean. However, Windstar ships seldom depend on wind alone to sail. Nevertheless, if you're fortunate and conditions are perfect, as they sometimes are, the complete silence of pure sailing is heavenly. Stabilizers and computer-controlled ballast systems ensure no more than a mere few degrees of lean, making the ships reliably stable in heavy sea conditions.

When you can tear yourself away from the sight of thousands of yards of Dacron sail overhead, it doesn't take long to read the daily schedule of activities on a typical Windstar cruise. Simply put, there are very few scheduled activities. Diversions are for the most part social, laid-back, and impromptu. You can choose to take part in the short list of daily activities, borrow a book, game, DVD, or CD from the library or do nothing at all. There's never pressure to join in or participate if you simply prefer relaxing.

Evening entertainment follows an informal pace, with a small combo playing for dancing in the main lounges. Compact casinos offer games of chance and slot machines, but don't look for bingo or other organized contests. A weekly show by the crew is a delightful display of talents; attired in the traditional costumes of their homelands, they present music and dance highlighting their culture. You may also find occasional movies being screened in the main lounges, which are outfitted with state-of-the-art video and sound equipment. Most passengers prefer socializing, either in the main lounge or an outdoor bar where Cigars Under the Stars attracts not only cigar aficionados, but stargazers as well.

Welcome aboard and farewell parties are hosted by the captain, and most passengers attend those as well as the nightly informational sessions regarding ports of call and activities that are presented by the activities staff during predinner cocktails.

Food

Since 1994, Windstar menus have featured Signature Cuisine, a collection of dishes originated by trendy West Coast chef and restaurateur Joachim Splichal and his Patina Group of bistro-style restaurants. In 2005 Splichal added 70 new recipes to the menu in Windstar Cruises' main restaurants, plus an additional 30 recipes for the Bistro on Wind Surf. Splichal and his culinary team spend time aboard each ship with Windstar's executive chefs perfecting the menus and recipes.

In a nod to healthy dining, low-calorie and low-fat Sail Lite spa cuisine alternatives created by chef and cookbook author Jeanne Jones are prepared to American Heart Association guidelines. Additional choices are offered from the vegetarian menu.

Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are not included in your cruise fare. Neither are the contents of the stocked minibar in your cabin.

A mid-cruise deck barbeque featuring grilled seafood and other favorites is fine dining in an elegantly casual alfresco setting. Desserts are uniformly delightful, and you'll want to try the bread pudding, a Windstar tradition available at the luncheon buffet. With daily tea and hot-and-cold hors d'oeuvres served several times during the afternoon and evening, no one goes hungry. Room service is always available, and you can place your order for dinner from the restaurant's menu during scheduled dining hours.

Fitness & Recreation

Most of the line's massage and exercise facilities are quite small, as would be expected on a ship that carries fewer than 150 passengers; however, Wind Surf's WindSpa and fitness areas are unexpectedly huge. An array of exercise equipment, free weights, and basic fitness classes are available in the gym and Nautilus room. A wide variety of massages, body wraps, and facial treatments are offered in the spa, while hair and nail services are available for women and men in the salon. Both spa and salon are operated by Steiner Leisure.

Stern-mounted water-sports marinas are popular with active passengers who want to kayak, windsurf, and water ski. Watery activities are free, including the use of snorkel gear that can be checked out for the entire cruise. The only charge is for diving; PADI-certified instructors offer a two-hour course for noncertified divers who want to try scuba and are also available to lead experienced certified divers on underwater expeditions. The dive teams take care of everything, even prepping and washing down the gear. If you prefer exploring on solid ground, sports coordinators are often at hand to lead an early-morning guided walk in port.

Your Shipmates

Windstar Cruises appeal to upscale professional couples in their late-30s to 60s and on up to retirees, who enjoy the unpretentious, yet casually sophisticated atmosphere, creative cuisine, and refined service.

Windstar's ships were not designed for accessibility, and are not a good choice for the physically challenged. Although every attempt is made to accommodate passengers with disabilities, Wind Surf has only two elevators, and the smaller ships have none. There are no staterooms or bathrooms with wheelchair accessibility, and gangways can be difficult to navigate, depending on the tide and angle of ascent. Service animals are permitted to sail if arrangements were made at the time of booking.

Dress Code

All evenings are country-club casual, and slacks with a jacket over a sweater or shirt for men and sundresses, skirts or pants with a sweater or blouse for women are suggested. Coats and ties for men are not necessary, but some male passengers prefer to wear a jacket with open-collar shirt to dinner.

Junior Cruisers

Windstar Cruises' unregimented atmosphere is adult-oriented, and children are not encouraged. Children less than two years of age are not allowed at all; older children traveling as the third passenger in a stateroom with their parents incur the applicable third person fare. No dedicated children's facilities are available, so parents are responsible for the behavior and entertainment of their children.

Service

Personal service and attention by the professional staff is the order of the day. Your preferences are noted and fulfilled without the necessity of reminders. Expect to be addressed by name within a short time of embarking.

Tipping

Tipping is neither required nor expected; however, most passengers do tip along the guidelines offered by other cruise lines. While Windstar Cruises strictly forbids the solicitation of gratuities, staff members may accept them when they are voluntarily offered for outstanding service.

Past Passengers

Windstar guests who cruise once with the line are automatically enrolled in the complimentary Foremast Club. Member benefits include savings on many sailings in addition to the Advance Savings Advantage Program discounts, Internet specials, and a free subscription to the Foremast Club magazine.

Windstar Cruises.
Phone: 206/281-3535 or 800/258-7245
www.windstarcruises.com