Sailing on: Wind Surf, Adriatic Sea & Greek Islands

I recently went on my first Windstar Cruise, the Windsurf sailing yacht, travelling from Athens to Venice, and what a trip it was! From waking up in a new town everyday, to paddle boarding in the Adriatic Sea, it truly was a trip of a lifetime for this teenager from Australia, and wouldn’t have been the same without the Windstar experience. I have been on many cruises before, some sailing with over 5000 guests, so I was quite surprised to find out that only 270 passengers were
onboard Windsurf. The ship was smaller than I expected, but it had everything that you could need, and I will never be going back to the big cruise ships again.

Highlights

1. The crew: The crew was absolutely amazing onboard the Windstar Cruise. Every staff member was friendly, helpful and always had a smile on their face. They worked hard while having fun with us and they were such a huge part of my experience on board the ship. I especially loved the crew show towards the end of the journey which was so funny and it was a memorable moment dancing in a congo line with the singers and performers.

2. Dubrovnik, Croatia: Never in my life would I have dreamed of seeing such blue and perfect water. Dubrovnik was my favourite destination by far. We spent the day walking the City Wall in the old town, then found a secret door that opened up to an outdoor bar where we went cliff jumping off the rocks. Our evening on shore was spent travelling on a cable car to see magnificent views of the town, and then on to a fancy restaurant for a 5-course dinner. We anchored for two nights there so the next day we went on a kayaking tour around the island and it was beautiful. I will definitely be going there again.

3. Korcula, Croatia: We were lucky enough to be in Korcula at a perfect time, as locals were celebrating a “half New Years Eve” in the town. The Windsurf Captain let us stay longer in this destination to allow passengers to get out and experience the culture. We had so much fun on the beach with the music blasting like an outdoor nightclub. I enjoyed every minute of it!

4. The Water Sports Platform: The watersports platform was such a fun experience. The staff always had the best music playing and the vibes were unmatched. After a long day of exploring the towns, it was nice to jump in the refreshing ocean and cool down. I especially loved jumping on the trampoline and pushing my brother off. When we were in Monemvasia, I used the snorkel goggles and looked into the clearest water ever, and I was starstruck that I was swimming freely in that water without a worry of a shark, because in Australia you could never do that!

5. Meeting New People: My experience would not have been the same without the kindness that surrounded me on the cruise and the life long friendships I made. I was lucky to have met a family of Americans on the ship that were all around my age; every night we hung out together playing hide and seek and card games, and the afternoons would be spent swimming in the deck pool or challenging the adults to Trivia. I am so grateful to have met them. Not only did I enjoy meeting people my age, but also mixing with other people on board too. I pretty much talked to everyone on the ship, because they were so lovely, and they all loved my red hair. I really enjoyed meeting a lovely Polish lady who would always make jokes with us.

6. The Food and Drinks: The food was spectacular. Every day was a new country theme for lunch, and words can’t explain how good it was. I especially liked having dinner in the Amphora Restaurant, with my waiter Rudy who showed us kids magic tricks. They provided many options for entrees, mains and desserts which was perfect for me because I am a picky eater. I also liked the Yacht Club, for having little snacks throughout the day, where I loved having a chat with Miko my favourite waiter. Furthermore, I had fun sitting by the pool and drinking my strawberry daiquiri (don’t worry there was no alcohol). However, my favourite dinner night was the outdoor barbeque in Dubrovnik where we had incredible views while all the guests joined together with a variety of meats, salads, and desserts. How could life get any better than this?