Before the pandemic, we took many cruises including 10 on Windstar. While we also enjoyed sailing on other cruise lines, we choose Windstar mainly for dining and relaxing. We loved the elegance and size of the Star ships before the stretch. When we heard that the ships were being stretched, we wondered how it would change the ships. Would there be enough space to accommodate more passengers? Since this sailing had 130 guests, we still don’t know how a full ship of 312 guests would feel. What we do know is that the renovations are superb. We chose an older suite. We prefer the bed near the bathroom. The new bathrooms are beautiful. . The veranda added more indoor space plus restrooms. The spa is beautiful. The expanded deck area and pool is spacious. Added outdoor seating near the Star Bar and grill is very comfortable. New tender and boarding area is a great improvement. We were eager to try the new restaurants. We are big fans of the Steven Raichlen tv show. Unfortunately Star grill was only open for lunch. With a limited menu and cool temperatures, we chose to eat lunch in the veranda. Cuodro 44 was a pleasant change. However, the dining area is very tight. It was the only place on the ship that I felt crowded. Candles remains my favorite. We ate there twice. Aamphora is in the new section. It is slightly larger than the old Aamphora. Design is similar to the older dining room. Added booths add some privacy. Food in Aamphora was excellent. Loved the crab clusters, halibut, and filet. Due to cool weather, the deck bbq was in Aamphora. Line dancing was in the Compass Rose. The newly added band was a great addition. They played different music every night. The duo from Brazil was very good. Cruise director added to the nightly entertainment. We enjoyed the music and had a lot of fun. Crew was friendly and eager to please. We enjoyed the ports. Having previously visited all of the ports except Catalina, we weren’t interested in tours. Most excursions were canceled. Some people were disappointed. We had a great time.

You may wonder why I didn’t give the review stars. There were some things that were better before the pandemic. The new toiletries aren’t as good as the lemon verbena. The new bodywash is minty. Not a fan of feeling peppermint clean. Pumps attached to the wall were not refilled. Our cabin was often not made up until late. Laundry service was hit or miss. We bought unlimited. On previous cruises, if we put our laundry bag out before breakfast, it was returned that afternoon. On this cruise, we got some things back promptly. Some laundry wasn’t returned for 2 days. Laundry also damaged a dress shirt.

Disappointed that we never ate dinner at Star Grill. Read more