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.

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.

Cruise itinerary program

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.

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.

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.

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.

In 2012, Windstar Cruises completed an extensive (18-month long) drydock refurbishment project for renovations of 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.