Windstar in Tahiti: July, 2004

"Well it's not far back to sanity, at least it's not for me,
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity.
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me."

---Christopher Cross

When I first walked aboard the Windstar in Tahiti, I had mixed feelings. Having arrived via taxi through the less than bucolic port city of Papeete, I was impressed by how quickly my wife and I gained access to the ship. My wife and literally showed our passports at the gate and walked on board. No lines. No hassles.

We were warmly welcomed and directed toward the lounge, but at first glance the ship interior seemed less than impressive. I guess I expected something more luxurious in a premium priced cruise ship which had recently undergone a multi-million dollar refurbishing.


We received a couple of brief forms to fill out, and as we sat down on the couch to work on them, a waiter offered us complementary Mai-tais, certainly making the process as comfortable as possible. Looking around the small lounge, however, I couldn't help wondering if this could really be the extent of the "showroom."

We received our keys, and headed down the metal stairs to our room. I've never seen a less dramatic staircase on a cruise ship, and in fact it almost seemed like a service entrance.

Our room was comfortably appointed with a flat screen television, DVD player, refrigerator and well laid-out bathroom, but the window had two portholes rather than a picture window.

Alas, I realized, an eighteen year-old ship simply can't compete with a newer ship.

After unpacking, we headed up on deck and found the swimming pool to be only slightly larger than the hot tub. Interesting.

What could make this cruise line so popular with upscale travelers, we wondered?

By the end of our voyage, we understood. With a staff of 92 looking after the 140 passengers, our needs were always met. Every meal, and indeed each individual dish, was nothing short of superb, and the restaurants proved to be casually elegant settings for the meals. In port, a sports platform was lowered from the back of the ship for water skiing and kayaking. Mostly, however, it was the yacht-like ambiance that made the onboard experience of this ship so special.