Windstar Cruises - Wind Star
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Sailing Calendar
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| Mediterranean |
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| Panama Canal |
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General Description
In late 1986, the first commercial sailing vessel built in 60 years slipped out of a French dry-dock in Le Havre. Although the towering sails echoed a bygone era of explorers, the msy Wind Star, with its sleek lines and computerized controls, was revolutionary in concept and design.
Windstar’s ships are officially motored-sail- yachts (msy), but the designation belies the vessels unique rigging. Unfurling in two minutes at the push of a button, billowing white sails reach to the sky. All functions are operated from the bridge by computer microchips and navigational devices. The unusual “open-bridge” operation allows guests to drop by and acquaint themselves with the veteran captains and officers who demonstrate the ship’s intriguing capabilities to modern day explorers. A new era in luxury cruising was now being pioneered by Windstar Cruises.
Activities
If you’ve sailed with us before, you know how it feels to be on board as the sails unfurl, the wind catches, and you head off on an adventure that’s like being on your own private yacht. If you’re new to Windstar, welcome. Prepare for an experience that’s carefully designed to deliver the things people dream of: freedom, romance, luxury, privilege – all real, all possible, all here under brilliant white sails.You open your eyes to the reflections of sunlight on the ceiling, draw the curtains to the sight of an island drifting slowly by. Before you the sea shimmers like blue silk, seemingly close enough to touch, and the horizon stretches to infinity like a promise. A promise! That this day – this vacation – will be unlike any other. It’s a promise wrapped up in the ship’s majestic white sails and the simple, sublime notion of being at one with nature and the sea. It’s written in the unspoken philosophy of Windstar, too, which centers on unstructured freedom, privacy, impeccable service and space. On board, a mere 148-308 guests come and go according to their desires, chatting with the officers on the Bridge, having a cocktail with friends up at the Pool Bar, going ashore to discover the perfect white-sand beach, or simply enjoying time together, alone. What if the universe (or at least, a few hundred feet of it) conspired to grant your every wish? Welcome to Windstar, and the feeling of being utterly alive and content.