Upon taking several Windstar Cruises, Johanna wrote a wonderful blog post all about our ships and voyages. We wanted to share some of her great writing here. In this section of her blog post, Johanna explains what she loves about the dining experience on Windstar:
A cruise ship? Won’t it be banquet food, or worse?
A relaxing vacation is great, but I don’t want to be stuck anywhere for a week without half-decent food. And Windstar’s is much more than half-decent. While there isn’t a long list of restaurants to choose from like on a big ship, neither do you have a designated time nor table. You don’t have to sit with anyone else (unless of course you want to). While you certainly can eat often and a lot, this is no bellies-to-the-trough smorgasbord. There are two dining rooms to choose from (4 on Wind Surf): half are al fresco dining on deck. Most dinners are in The Restaurant. The menu changes every night, with many choices. The food is interesting and well-prepared. The galley makes dishes to order — your food doesn’t sit under a heat lamp while the hordes are served. If you have food allergies, the galley is extremely accommodating to ensure you eat well and stay healthy.
Breakfast and lunch are both served in The Veranda, with both indoor and outdoor seating. You can order off the menu or visit the extensive buffet. You will find something you love, whether you like a breakfast that is sweet (French toast covered in berries and tropical fruit with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, like me), or savory (smoked salmon on rye and a green tea, like my husband). Everything is planned and made with care and attention.
In the Caribbean, there is usually a lunchtime barbecue on a gorgeous beach, and one dinner a deck-top barbecue (where, in February 2011 on Wind Spirit, I was really impressed with the quality of the food, and how well it was prepared — the lamb and lobster tails were particularly good). Now, this isn’t a private yacht, so you may have to line up for a minute or so at the barbecues!
All food is included in the price, including room service (don’t miss the WARM popcorn delivered to your door!). There is a separate room service menu, or you can order off the dining room menu (and even have your meals delivered in courses). Many passengers have a dinner in bed, while watching a movie. As is typical on most cruise ships, you do pay for drinks on Windstar (except water, coffee, tea and iced tea). But drink prices are what you would pay in a typical Canadian or US bar or restaurant, and the wine selections are good (including my beloved Veuve Clicquot). There are also various drink packages you can buy if you feel like indulging, or don’t want to track receipts.
-Excerpt from “What kind of I-SO-need-to-relax vacation do you take if you consider yourself a traveler, not a tourist?” on TravelEater.wordpress.com
A great big ‘Thank you’ to Johanna for sharing her blog post with us! If you’d like to read the full post, please visit her blog, TravelEater.wordpress.com and read more or chat with her on Twitter (@TravelEater).
If you’re interested in writing a guest blog post for Windstar Cruises, please email us at [email protected].
