Just back from sailing with Windstar Cruises, it has taken a couple of days to decide how to best tell the story of our journey. Reporting the facts and figures is rather easy. I have many photos and a thick file of documentation for reference. The initial plan was to just start over when I got back on dry land, just with more detail. That process begins now but not without some appropriate background first. Ships with sails, you see, are an entirely different travel experience than those without. So let’s start there with unique features of the standalone Windstar Cruises experience.

They Care

The reason we were sailing: the 2019 Windstar Cruises & Porthole Cruise Magazine Caribbean Celebration. Sounds like quite the party, yes? Indeed it was as Windstar and Porthole joined forces to give back to a part of the world that has given us so much.

If that theme sounds familiar, it should. Windstar President John Delaney and the topic of giving back has come up before. It was about this time last year, sailing on a different Windstar ship.

That itinerary was themed the Best of the Philippines & Borneo. Frankly, that sailing of Star Legend raised the experience bar higher than any other sailing of any other ship I have had the pleasure of sailing. Along on that one as well, travel industry icon Gloria Bohan, also Godmother of Star Legend.

Talk about an enduring experience: not one cruising experience since then has come close. Until this one. Ok, well maybe Oprah in Alaska.

How good was it? While we have traveled extensively in the last year, no other sailing has brought as much content to this space as that one. Check our Past Events page to see other our account of other ships and cruise lines. No, nevermind, none are listed after that second in the series of President’s Cruises.

No, They Really Care

Cruise lines giving back is not a new concept. Most do. We cover a lot of that action here too. The substantial difference here is the pinpoint accurate way Windstar goes about it.

In September 2017, Barbuda was hit hard by category 5 Hurricane Irma. As if that were not bad enough, two weeks later a knockout punch by Hurricane Jose added up to 90% of the island destroyed.

While cruise lines giving back is not a new concept, magazines giving back is.

Porthole Magazine boss Bill Panoff started in this business many years ago as a Carnival Cruise Director. Over the years, the Caribbean has played a leading role in the success of Porthole, the leading cruise information magazine. Ever hear of Diamonds International? That’s part of the same company as are the slick shopping magazines we find in the staterooms of most cruise lines. PPI Publishing is big company with considerable reach and resources. It is appropriate to see them appear in the Giving Back category.

Tiny Windstar Cruises is no stranger to the Caribbean either. With three unique sailing ships and three motor ships, Windstar offers a travel experience that is not for everyone. Typical of other travel companies with a well-defined identity, they don’t try to be either. 180° From Ordinary is the Windstar theme and it fits like a glove. That we were in Barbuda at all speaks to that mission.

Windstar is the only cruise line to regularly call on Barbuda. While there on our sailing, Windstar president, John Delaney, hand-delivered a cash donation to The Hon. Trevor Walker M.P. and Chairman of Education for the Barbuda Council and local school officials.

Again, cruise lines giving back is nothing new. Money is raised on ships for worthy causes ranging from children’s hospitals to breast cancer. Indeed, over $5000 was raised onboard Windstar flagship Wind Surf during her seven-day cruise out of St. Maarten. That was on a tiny ship with just over 300 passengers.

Tiny is an accurate description for Windstar ships that absolutely does not fit the size of their collective heart. Titled Unique Features Of The Standalone Windstar Cruises Experience you might think this post would be a bullet point list of some sort.

Regular readers know I like to make lists. This is more than that. This is personal to me. Without hesitation, I know this is important to everyone who has enjoyed a lovely Caribbean island as well. Windstar President John Delaney sums it up quite nicely.

“While our ships are small and Barbuda is a little island, people working together to contribute to the success of culture is of big importance.”-

Stage set, we begin again with a port by port, feature by feature account of our journey. First, the recipients of the Windstar Cruises & Windstar Travelers donation to Barbuda.

Let’s start adding up those unique features of the standalone Windstar Cruises experience. There are many.