Windstar Cruises
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Windstar Cruises (owned by Carnival)is a cruise ship line notable for its modern computer-controlled sailing ships. The sails are sometimes unfurled for show, although under the right wind conditions they do assist the ships in their passages.
The line was established as Windstar Sail Cruises in 1984, and its first ship, the msy Wind Star launched in 1986, followed by the Wind Song and Wind Spirit (a fourth, the Wind Saga, was planned but never built).
In 1998, Windstar acquired the sail cruiser Club Med I from Club Med Cruises, and renamed her the Wind Surf. Holland America Line bought Windstar in the same year, and shortly thereafter was itself acquired by Carnival Corporation, which as of 2004 still operates Windstar as a unit.
In 2002, the Wind Song caught fire in Tahiti and was a total loss.
Windstar is considered a high-end cruise line, with its ships typically getting a four-star (out of five) rating. The ships are relatively small, with the Wind Surf having a capacity for about 300 passengers, and the others about 150.
The ships are registered in the Bahamas. Under this flag they are some of the few cruise ships in the world where passengers are still allowed on the bridge (though not when entering or leaving port). Given their small size the service is very personal, and interaction with the ship's officers is easy. The ships can also enter ports that are inaccessible to larger cruise liners. In some cases passengers need to take smaller boats into port (such as to Lipari), but access on and off a shipboard ramp is easily made.
[edit] Ships
- msy Wind Song (lost in fire)
- msy Wind Spirit
- msy Wind Star
- msy Wind Surf
