Having sailed with Windstar twice previously with a third cruise coming in less than a months time we have found the ship's crew's to be most personable and the service provided of a high standard.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of the landside UK/US customer service which frankly leaves a lot to be desired and lets the company down badly.
For some weeks now and in an effort to establish the exact embarkation point in London for the start of our next cruise we have been passed from pillar to post by the company's offices who's staff appear to have no comprehension that passengers have 'other' travel arrangements to make in advance to get to the ship.
Consequently, with now little time remaining (cruise starts 22/5/26) to make these separate arrangements prior to the start of our cruise we still don't yet know where exactly to board - unbelievable..!!
MB
Mo B.
Punished by Windstar Cruises for Having Insurance
My experience with Windstar Cruises was deeply disappointing and raises serious concerns about their customer treatment and transparency.
Due to war conditions in Venezuela and escalating civil unrest affecting the region of our planned itinerary (Costa Rica and the Panama Canal), we contacted Windstar to request a reasonable accommodation—specifically, the ability to reschedule our cruise rather than cancel outright. Despite the extraordinary and safety-related nature of these circumstances, Windstar refused to offer any flexibility.
Instead, Windstar imposed a 50% cancellation penalty, explicitly stating that this was because we had “trip insurance.” This insurance was through a partner company that was never disclosed at the time of booking, leaving us effectively penalized for being insured rather than protected.
No meaningful alternatives were offered.
This approach feels punitive, opportunistic, and fundamentally misaligned with basic principles of customer care—particularly in situations involving international conflict and traveler safety.
A company positioning itself as a premium cruise provider should demonstrate far greater transparency, compassion, and flexibility when circumstances are clearly beyond a traveler’s control.
I would strongly caution prospective customers to carefully review Windstar’s cancellation practices and insurance relationships before booking. In our case, loyalty and good faith were met with rigidity and significant financial loss.
AGAIN- Be very cautious ! Windstar refused to let us reschedule due to war-related safety concerns and instead charged a 50% cancellation fee, stating it was because we had trip insurance through an undisclosed partner. No flexibility, no transparency—just a policy that protects THEIR revenue over customers. Book with caution.
AI
Aimee
THE BEST CRUISE SHIP COMPANY
THE BEST CRUISE SHIP COMPANY, it is actually a big private yacht. The people are treated well, the food is absolutly extraordinary good. The people who work on the ship are truly AMAZING and if a 10 PLUS was POSSIBLE TO PUT HERE instead of 5 stars Windstarcruises absolutly should get it. Thank you very much for the amazing trip in the carabian.
