The islands of French Polynesia are definitely a bucket list trip and exploring with our first Windstar Cruise was a wonderful experience. Whether you want to enjoy the water or experience island history and culture, there is something for everyone and with Windstar it all seems easier and less crowded than a big ship experience. It was our first small ship experience but won’t be our last. If you need a tropical island getaway for few days of sun and sea then consider this itinerary with Windstar.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Super simple!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Windstar excels in this area. It’s nice that they allow all passengers an opportunity to dine at the included specialty restaurants. We enjoyed spending most days at the Star Bar and Grill to enjoy the outdoor experience. However, be prepared to make your reservations for the specialty venues as soon as you board to get your preferred option.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The small ship experience is different, no casinos or continuous events. Hanging out on the sundeck by the pool is nice and they do have good entertainment after dinner but the options are more limited. However, the small ship environment creates a great opportunity to meet new people.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Entertainment was good just limited to a couple of shows in the evening. You won’t find multiple venues and options for entertainment like a large ship:
Children's Programs
Empty nesters and Windstar is more adult oriented
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Windstar excels in this area, the staff is very friendly and accommodating. In some areas (like the pool) service time may take a little longer.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The staff do a great job of keeping the ship clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We enjoyed an ocean view room which was beautiful and spacious, with walk-in closet and double vanities! Our room was mid-ship and the bed was away from the door near the window. I believe some rooms are reversed with the bed near the entry and chairs near the window so take note of your preference when booking.
Ship tip
Two tips: you will feel the ocean motion more on the small ship so be prepared ALSO pack less and utilize the laundry service.
Capital city where the cruise begins. We spend a couple of days her and enjoyed local black sand beach, short waterfall hike, and the downtown market. There are tours to other parts of the island but this is really where the tour begins. There are a few major resorts with nice facilities to begin or end your trip.
Beautiful island and a great start. We did a quad tour into the mountains through Viator and had a great day away from the water. Fantastic views of the island and loads of fun.
Our original tour reserved privately was cancelled due to boat issues which turned into a blessing as we booked a last minute tour on Viator with ARE Tours which turned out to be a great day visiting all the favorites around Taha’a (vanilla, pearls, rum, snorkel, beach BBQ with sharks) with a very entertaining group of tour guides.
Nice drift snorkel through Windstar but hard to live up to expectations set from previous day. Note the drift snorkels can vary in difficulty based on conditions.
Bora Bora is a bucket list destination and we took advantage of the chance to stay off ship in an over the water bungalow (through Windstar). While the hotel was a bit disappointing based on the cost, the overall experience in Bora Bora was great. I wouldn’t hesitate to dive, snorkel or tour this beautiful island. Windstar spend two days in Bora Bora and allows guests to enjoy a private moth beach day followed by a dinner and native dance show making for a fabulous day.
Another beautiful day and snorkel. We enjoyed another Windstar tour which was a little crowded but allowed for plenty of time to explore the area on your own.
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