My story today is a rather simple one, yet perhaps the most important information I can share with you about Windstar Cruises if not travel itself. There are no pretty photos here, this is all business.

Nearly every word ever written in this space is intended to bring readers a feel for what their actual travel experience will be with a cruise line on a good day.  Here, we present the best case scenario based on personal experience. I have never seen the point in berating or nitpicking some negative thing that happened on any given sailing. There are plenty of other sources for that. Experience tells us not everything goes as planned. That’s just the nature of travel. 

We started sailing as a young family decades ago, finding travel by ship a far better value than travel on land. Our family, priorities and the world has changed along the way, as we might expect. The ‘kids’ are grown and gone. We got rid of the big house, downsized and eventually moved along into act three.  That was hard.  To me, having children was comparatively easy.  

They are born. You care for them in ways that evolve as they age until you die and pray that happens to you before them.  Are we all on the same page here?  Cool, let’s move along to last night aboard Windstar Cruises flagship, Wind Surf.

Like other cruise lines, Windstar has onboard activities, entertainment and events.  Unique features?  Plenty, which we have detailed in the past or will include here in the future.  Those onboard happenings are optional of course with every passenger free to pick and choose those of interest.   A personal favorite is a show held at the end of the voyage when crew perform.  Frankly, I do not go on a cruise for the entertainment but enjoy it when available.  

Last night after dinner but before the show, I had some time on my hands and thought a little catnap might be a good idea. As an early to bed and early to rise person, anything after 7PM normally requires something really interesting or a team of horses get me there.  I set an alarm for 20 minutes and woke as soon as it went off…or so I thought.  It was 3AM and the show was over long, long ago. 

On any other cruise line I have ever sailed, as much as I identify with the hard-working crew, skipping a similar event would have elicited a thought of “oh well” at best.  Here, I woke up with an overwhelming feeling of guilt the likes of which I have not experienced in years.  

I feel as though I have seriously disrespected this highly-skilled, caring crew.  I disrespect no one.  Ever.  I was raised to be a far better person.  On any other ship, on any other cruise line, I have skipped events here and there.  I consider it a unique quality of cruising in general; we have options. 

That unfortunate outcome I will deal with over the next few weeks but probably never forget.  But why tell you this story at all?  Because it is a serious nod to just how good this cruise line is.  

Ask yourself: When was the last time you felt guilty about skipping an event on a cruise line schedule?  Most reasonable people would say something along the lines of ‘Hmm…never?’.  I believe these crew members are the single most powerful difference between Windstar and any other cruise line I have ever sailed.

And that, my friend, is 180° From Ordinary.