We are previous Windstar passengers and had a fabulous experience on our honeymoon cruising along the Amalfi coast. When we received the email notice Windstar would be introducing a cruise to Alaska, we immediately booked to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Our very good friends made arrangements with Windstar in advance of the cruise to have a bottle of champagne and a card delivered to our stateroom upon embarkation to wish us a happy anniversary. Windstar charged their credit card the same day. When our friends did not receive a note of thanks from us, they followed up with Windstar and were told the champagne had absolutely been delivered. Now they were offended by our silence but thankfully on our last day of the cruise, they emailed to confirm we had indeed received the champagne. Of course, nothing had been delivered to us. We immediately went to the front desk to inquire and were told that there was nothing noted on our account. The staff member demanded to see proof of the gift before making any inquiries within the Windstar organization. Once provided, the issue was elevated to the Beverage Manager who said there was nothing he could do unless and until he was able to speak with someone from Head Office. We heard nothing more until a bottle of champagne was delivered to us at dinner. No explanation. No apology.

We took the time to write an internal review after disembarking and raised several customer service issues with this being a highlight. A month later and we have still heard nothing from Windstar. Clearly they have no real or genuine interest in the post cruise reviews from their passengers.

The dining experience was mixed. We had no issue with the pace of service at Amphora but we typically enjoyed a cocktail in the lounge before going down to dinner thereby allowing the initial rush of diners to get a start. The breakfast and lunch buffets were fine but without relying on the outdoor patios there was not enough space to accommodate the number of guests. The Alaska weather did not allow for comfortable al fresco dining. Read more