Table Of Content
They also like its casualness; dressing up here means no shorts at dinner. That is, unless it’s deck barbecue night, and shorts-wearing is de rigueur. Windstar Cruises’ unique small ships sail all over the world from a wide array of departure ports. For instance, you can depart from some of the world’s most distinguished cities like Athens, Dubai, Singapore, London, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Rome and Venice. You’ll also find smaller or more exotic departure ports, such as Papeete, Bridgetown, Philipsburg and Colon.
Star Breeze takes over Windstar's presence in French Polynesia
But the older cabins just don't stand up to the new ones, so if you're not careful in your cabin selection, you could end up with a room that doesn't quite suit your needs. Yet even with big, open spaces, indoors and out, Star Breeze provides the opportunity to find nooks and places to tuck away, undisturbed. A highlight is the multiuse Yacht Club venue, which has snacks for light midday noshing, games and books, plus unobstructed views. This ship is not one that draws guests who want to be entertained all the time. Instead, most passengers are content with self-directed, low-key entertainment. Each boat received 50 new cabins (to a total of 156), which (based on the total investment) means shipbuilding cost per berth USD 267,000.
Star Breeze Staterooms
While Star Breeze offers the signature Windstar experiences (as the famous deck barbecue), she also promotes the company's product development initiative - intimate access to call ports, themed sailings and active interaction with villagers. Activities onboard are very limited and range from food market purchases to performances by local musicians. Public areas include the casino, library, computer center, WindSpa, fitness center, pool and three whirlpool tubs. Star Breeze guests may choose from various inclusive dining options - AmphorA Restaurant, Yacht Club, Sky Bar & Grill.
Windstar Cruises unveils a multi-million refurbishment project for the 3 sailing ships (2023-
Star Breeze itinerary program is based on luxury Mediterranean cruises with departures from France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Turkey) and Caribbean voyages with Panama Canal transits leaving from Colon and Puerto Caldera. Triple-occupancy staterooms (cabins fitted with a 3rd bed) are Balcony Suites (506, 507, 606, 607), Star OceanView Suites (430, 432, 433) and OceanView Suites (406, 407, 408, 409, 428, 429, 502, 503, 528, 529, 624, 625). Eleven days later, after one tropical cyclone (Category 1), and two cyclonic depressions that indeed, did not just impact our route but literally tossed out the itinerary playbook almost entirely, we arrived back in Tahiti.
The ship’s redesign also includes a much larger pool, hot tub, and a teak deck with more space for lounging, an enlarged full-service spa and fitness center, and two new restaurants bringing the total number of dining venues to five. If you're sailing in French Polynesia, spending time outdoors is a no-brainer, even when it rains. But you'll appreciate the ship's approach to outdoor spaces no matter where it's sailing.
The Star Balcony, Balcony, Star Ocean View, Ocean View, and Star Porthole suites are 277 square feet allowing for a sitting room and sleeping area. Outfitted with Egyptian cotton linens, most cabins have either one queen-sized bed or two twin beds that have been pushed together. There are also several triple-occupancy cabins, and select voyages offer reduced single supplements. Families are more common during the summer and holiday seasons, when you'll have a smattering of kids. We saw a number of solo passengers on our sailing, and they were encouraged both by fellow guests and crew to get socialize. The cabins that were updated in the stretching look and feel new, offering all the things we've come to expect on modern cruises ships, like multiple outlets and USBs for charging, sleek design and beautiful bathrooms.
Luckily, the shore excursion desk was most accommodating, crediting our accounts for this outing. In all fairness to Windstar, the ship had been sailing Tahiti and this was the first of only two Mexican voyages before heading to Alaska for the summer season. Speaking of dining, I couldn’t wait to try Star Breeze’s two newest restaurants. The 38-seat modern Spanish Cuadro 44, created with noted chef Anthony Sasso, feels both intimate and edgy for a cruise ship. You can hop a stool at the dining counter facing the open galley, and nibble tapas while chefs entertain by slicing and dicing away.
Cruise Review: The Transformed Windstar Star Breeze
Windstar's Star Breeze is an intimate all-suite luxury yacht accommodating only 312 guests. The small guest capacity means that you'll have plenty of space to relax as you sail to one unique destination after another. Thanks to her smaller stature, Star Breeze has access to more intimate ports and narrow waterways, while also providing more personalized service and pampering. With a smile on their face, Windstar’s highly trained crew will do anything to enhance your cruise experience. They strive for personalized service, and friendly staff members often recognize you by name within 24 hours of embarkation.
During our two days in Bora Bora, I explored two of the island's famous resorts via day passes that visitors can purchase. My favorite stop is Loreto, Mexico, where most cruise ships do not visit – thank you, Windstar for including this port. I had a blast exploring the quiet friendly town by foot – it feels like real Mexico, not at all touristy. I’d go back in a heartbeat for the big fat local shrimp, grilled and served with an addictive garlic salsa that exploded with flavor. After her massive refurbishment in 2021, the updated all-suite Star Breeze boasts new public areas, including a new spa, infinity pool, fitness area and two new dining venues.
There's also room service, included in the rate, which I found particularly beneficial on mornings with early excursions. It's not every day that a cruise ship is cut in half, stuffed with a new section, and welded back together—but that's precisely what happened to Windstar's Star Breeze in 2021. There’s no better way to see this magical place than on a boutique cruise ship — make that, yacht — like Star Breeze. Along with the excursions, Windstar does an commendable job of highlighting the local culture. We were joined on our cruise by Pearl, a Tahitian cultural ambassador, who entertained and educated us about the islands, as well as Tihoti, who spoke about the rich history behind Tahitian tattoos. Star Breeze offers a full range of dining options, including two specialty restaurants — Candles and the Spanish-themed Cuadro 44 — plus the main dining room, Amphora.
We learned the previous cruise to ours had encountered stormy weather, which forced it to miss several ports of call (November to April is the rainy season). Fortunately, the Tahitian gods were smiling, and we had near-perfect weather the entire time. If you are ready to enliven your curiosity and awake your sense of wonder, contact a Cruise Specialists Cruise Consultant to reserve a suite on the small ships of Windstar Cruises. The yacht now has a larger pool and hot tub on an elevated top deck, offering outstanding views. An expanded outdoor deck also provides more space for relaxing in the fresh air.
Windstar Cruises is a luxury travel brand operating a fleet of smaller-sized ships (mega-yachts) with capacity up to 340 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).
With the ship redo, Windstar added more energy efficient engines that reduce emissions of nitrous and sulfur oxides Advanced wastewater treatment systems were also installed. In terms of sustainability, Windstar sources food locally when possible. They’ve also reduced use of single-use plastics, providing refillable Natura water bottles in staterooms. Plastic straws and stirrers are not used unless specifically requested.
Our Top Boutique Luxury Sailings in the Med and Baltic - Luxury Travel Advisor
Our Top Boutique Luxury Sailings in the Med and Baltic.
Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 14:23:20 GMT [source]
What we experienced instead became, literally, a trip even better than any of us anticipated. For those of us headed out on Star Breeze, little did we know that tonight’s special festivities would be just about the last planned event we would experience on our voyage. That’s because a trio of cyclones, one after the other, were approaching the Society Islands. Our itinerary gained a hint of uncertainty before we even left the dock.
Star Breeze staterooms (156 total, in 13 grades) are all outside and in suite categories - the lowest being Porthole Suite (10 cabins). The 1989-built (as "Seabourn Spirit") cruise ship Star Breeze is the second of all three identical superyachts in the Windstar fleet - together with Star Pride (Seabourn Pride) and Star Legend (Seabourn Legend). Windstar shore excursions are not included in the fares, but booked excursions/tours can be changed or even cancelled without charge up to 24 hours prior to the tour's date.
Chatting up other passengers, I find a mix of loyal Windstar guests and those upgrading from less costly lines. I also meet some who are giving Windstar a try post-mourning Crystal Cruises’ demise. (My cruise took place months before A&K bought the two Crystal ocean ships). In 2020 the Star Breeze underwent a massive renovation to “stretch” the ship. First, the yacht was cut in half and then lengthened by inserting an 84-foot block in the ship’s center. The new section has 50 Star Balcony Suites bringing the total guest capacity up from 212 to 312 passengers.
No comments:
Post a Comment