Windstar Cruises
Windstar Cruises is the answer to “I want to cruise, but I’m not a cruise person.” Six intimate ships — including three actual sailing yachts — carry just 148 to 342 guests into ports the floating cities can’t touch. Add the only James Beard Foundation culinary partnership at sea, and you’ve got a line that speaks directly to travelers who care more about the where and what’s for dinner than the waterslide situation.
The “We’re Not Cruise People” Cruise
Here’s a confession: we’ve said “we’re not cruise people” more times than we can count. And then we kept finding ourselves on boats. Private sailboat charters hopping the Exumas. Yacht parties off Cozumel. Whale trekking on catamarans in Punta Mita. The pattern was obvious — we love being on the water, we just don’t love being on a floating mall with 6,000 strangers. Windstar is the line that made us stop apologizing for the C-word. With just 148 to 342 guests per ship and a fleet that includes three masted sailing yachts — actual sails, actual wind — this is small-ship cruising that feels closer to a private yacht than a conventional cruise. The crew learns your name by dinner on night one, and the vibe is barefoot-elegant: no formal nights, no assigned seating, no “Monstrosity of the Seas” energy.
The James Beard Situation Is Not a Gimmick
Look, we’re the family that has filmed ourselves eating balut on camera, hunted down Michelin stars in Lyon, and taken cooking classes in Chiang Rai just for fun. Food isn’t a side quest for us — it’s half the reason we travel. So when we say Windstar’s James Beard Foundation partnership is legit, we mean it. This isn’t a celebrity chef’s name slapped on a menu for PR. It’s a genuine collab that shapes everything from the curated culinary shore excursions to the onboard menus developed alongside James Beard-affiliated chefs. The signature restaurant, Cuadro 44, runs a Spanish-inspired tapas concept that would hold its own in any major food city. For travelers who — like us — plan entire trips around what they’re going to eat, Windstar delivers in a way that punches absurdly above its weight class.
Port-Intensive, Not Pool-Intensive
Windstar’s shallow draft means these ships slip into harbors and bays that the big-box lines can only wave at from a distance. We’re talking Tahitian lagoons, Mediterranean fishing villages, and Caribbean anchorages where you’re the only ship in sight. Itineraries are built to maximize time in port — often overnighting in marquee destinations — so you’re spending your days exploring rather than circling a pool deck. The South Pacific, the Med, the Caribbean, Alaska, Northern Europe — Windstar covers serious ground, and the port-heavy approach means you actually experience it rather than just see it from a balcony. For a full look at how Windstar stacks up in the small-ship world, check out our cruising hub.
