The ship
Iconic Windstar motor-sailor
Wind Star is Windstar’s iconic motor-sailor from 1986 with ongoing refits: room for about 148 guests, sails that still define the brand photographs, and a watersports marina for destination weeks you learn by lunchtime.
Amphora or main restaurant covers dining; outdoor or Veranda dining fills casual hours. Candles specialty nights are the polished layer. Confirm what your Windstar cruise includes for drinks and specialty covers.
Evenings centre on lounge and bar culture; daytime is pool deck and marina toys when at anchor. She is small-ship Windstar motor-sailor living — not a megaship neighbourhood city.
If you want Windstar’s motor-sailor brief with Candles nights and a watersports marina under 150 guests, Wind Star fits — confirm drinks inclusions before you sail.
On board
Dining, lounge, marina
- 01
Amphora and Candles
Amphora or main restaurant handles core dining; outdoor or Veranda covers lighter hours. Candles specialty nights repay a reservation. Confirm covers for your cruise. On a ship carrying roughly 148 guests, timing matters more than the brochure photo. Specialty doors repay an embarkation-day reservation — the same 19:30 sea-day slot is popular across the ship. Keep one or two included nights in the plan so the week does not become cover-charge maths.
- 02
Lounge entertainment
Lounge entertainment sized for Windstar crowds fills evenings. Programmes change by season and itinerary — check your sailing. This is small-ship polish, not a West End transfer. Arrive early for centre seats on night one if a headline production matters to you. Guest comics and lounge sets fill the nights between house shows, and the mix shifts by season.
- 03
Bar after dark
Lounge and bar culture carry conversation after dinner. Confirm drinks inclusions for your cruise. The mood is yacht-casual under sail when conditions allow, not megaship party. Live music, trivia and quieter cocktail corners fill the gaps between headline shows. Price drinks packages against what you will actually order; a short bar crawl still adds up on a long week.
- 04
Pool and marina
Pool deck owns warm sea days. Watersports marina opens when at anchor and conditions allow — a real Windstar talking point. Claim outdoor space early on warm sea days — empty loungers vanish by mid-morning in peak weeks. Families chase splash edges; adults often want the quieter rail. Thermal spa time is a separate spend on most lines — book a sea-day pass if heat loungers are your reset rather than another crowded sundeck.
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Adult-leaning product
Children’s facilities are limited. Couples and small groups who will use marina toys and go ashore get Wind Star’s brief; families needing big clubs should look elsewhere. On a ship carrying roughly 148 guests, timing matters more than the brochure photo. Families chase splash edges; adults often want the quieter rail. Thermal spa time is a separate spend on most lines — book a sea-day pass if heat loungers are your reset rather than another crowded sundeck.
Amphora / main restaurant
Amphora handles yacht-scale plated evenings. in the included dining on Windstar’s inclusive style. Best for classic dinners without megaship dining rooms. Use it if it matches how you actually holiday.
Outdoor / Veranda dining
Open-air and Veranda dining when weather allows. in the included dining. Ideal for warmer evenings when you want the breeze with dinner. Use it if it matches how you actually holiday.
Candles / specialty night
Candles specialty nights — the occasion booking on a small yacht. Usually inclusive-map; still reserve. More romantic than the main room. Use it if it matches how you actually holiday.
Lounge & bar
Yacht lounge for music and drinks after dinner. Confirm drinks inclusions for your cruise. Best when you want conversation, not a megaship club. Use it if it matches how you actually holiday.
Pool deck
Compact yacht pool and sunbeds for swim-call afternoons. Open with the cruise; drinks inclusions depend on your cruise. Claim space early — yacht decks are finite and fill fast on warm days.
Watersports marina
Water toys on swim-call days. Included when the marina is open; weather decides. Best on clear water days. Use it if it matches how you actually holiday.
Spa
Treatments often extra even on yacht products. Calmer daytime reset. Book ahead if spa time matters. Book ahead on sea days if that calmer hour is the plan.
Fitness
Small gym for sea-day routines. Usually in the included dining; personal training can be extra. Useful if you want to keep a routine without leaving the ship.
Library / quiet corner
A quiet reading pocket when the lounge feels busy. Included with the cruise — no ticket required. Ideal for a calmer hour between ports on a small yacht.
Shop
Tiny onboard boutique for sundries and souvenirs. Spend is optional — wander without buying. Easy to skip if you are protecting the holiday budget.
Fit
Who she is for
- Couples who want Windstar’s motor-sailor brief — Candles nights, marina toys, under 150 guests — without megaship neighbourhoods.
- Destination cruisers happy with small-ship polish who will go ashore and use watersports when open.
- Not for families needing big kids’ clubs, or travellers seeking formal British ritual. Choose a family megaship or Cunard instead.
Where
Where Wind Star tends to go
Windstar programmes the motor-sailor fleet on Mediterranean, Caribbean and other destination seasons. Exact deployments shift by year.
Treat this as the ship’s range, not a fixed timetable. When this guide is public, sailings with two or more UK agent prices will sit at the bottom.
Before you book
What the brochure skips
- Confirm drinks packages, specialty covers and spa treatments for your Windstar cruise.
- Compare UK agents on the same sailing — same date, cruise-only, two guests.
Next step
Find a sailing
Compare cruise prices for Wind Star, or open the live map and see where she is now.
Compare all Windstar Cruises prices