Star Clippers vs Windstar Cruises: Which to choose?

Ships: Star Clippers

Offering the ultimate way to experience the romance of sail, the magnificent four- and five-masted tall ships of Star Clippers offer a unique travel experience, combining traditional sailing with modern, well-appointed surroundings.

The magnificent five-masted Royal Clipper, carrying 227 guests, has an amazing 42 sails; that's 56,000 square feet to catch those gentle sea breezes. One of a kind, and following in a great tradition, Royal Clipper features spacious accommodation and some excellent suites. Even more intimate, the four-masted Star Clipper and Star Flyer carry 170 guests each. Expect a traditional feel on board, with dark woods, teak decks and mahogany rails, with antique prints and paintings adorning the walls.

Dining on Windstar

Dining on board Windstar is consistently excellent, with open seating and a relaxed dress code. The main restaurant Amphora is open for dinner only, offering a daily changing à la carte menu and an extensive wine list; Candles is a romantic outdoor restaurant specialising in steak and seafood; and the relaxed Veranda offers indoor and outdoor seating, with buffet and à la carte options for breakfast and lunch. Stella Bistro - an intimate evening venue with a fantastic French-inspired menu - is offered on Wind Surf only, while Star Pride, Legend and Breeze also have the fantastic Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso, seating just 38 guests and overseen by multi-Michelin-starred chef Anthony Sasso with his fresh take on modern Spanish cuisine, and the Star Grill by Steven Raichlen for barbecue favourites. All meals in all venues are included, as well as 24-hour room service, and on every sailing there's a signature onboard barbecue with accompanying entertainment.

Windstar Cruises also offer an extensive plant-based menu on board and have partnered with the National Health Association (NHA) to create a vegan menu on board, not only plant-based but also prepared without added salt, oil, and sugar, and gluten-free. Finally, their partnership with the James Beard Foundation allows guests to enjoy culinary experiences from chefs on themed cruises including chef demonstrations and market tours.

Dining on Star Clippers

Star Clippers has a relaxed informal atmosphere on board all three ships with open seating and a relaxed dress code. One main, elegant dining room serves all meals, including a lunchtime buffet with seafood, salad, cheese, bread, grilled meat such as lamb, turkey, suckling pig, and salmon from the carving station and a fresh pasta station - and often an outdoor barbecue ashore. Come evening, expect a selection of starters, soups, and salads before the main courses and desserts, and the 'Always Available' menu offers pasta, consommé, or steak and fries. On each cruise guests also enjoy a five-course Captain's gala dinner including lobster.

The Piano Bar also offers a small selection of pastries and juices in the morning while the Tropical Bar provides a pre-dinner snack including cookies, finger sandwiches, fruit, quiches, and waffles and a late-night snack. The Royal Clipper also offers room service to the Owner's Suites and 14 Deluxe Suites.

Rooms & Suites on Windstar

Wind Class Rooms on board the three sail-assisted yachts are comfortable and surprisingly spacious, smartly appointed with a nautical feel. The lead-in staterooms between 180 and 188 square feet make clever use of the space with plenty of storage, queen bed and a compact bathroom with shower. The Owner's Suites on Wind Star and Wind Spirit - in the process of being completely redesigned - offer sitting and dining areas, while on Wind Surf you can upgrade to a more generously proportioned Suite, with a comfortable living area and two bathrooms, or one of the two Bridge Suites, offering an impressive 495 square feet of living space. Onboard technology is also in the process of getting a major upgrade, with new, larger flatscreen televisions in all staterooms and suites and Starlink Wi-Fi.

The all-suite accommodation on the three refurbished Star Class yachts appeals to those who enjoy the Windstar style of cruising but prefer a little more space. The lead-in suites offer 277 square feet of living space, with a sitting area and porthole windows, or you can upgrade to a suite with a private veranda. The newer Star Ocean View and Star Balcony Suites have a slightly different layout, with an open living area leading to a queen bed positioned by the balcony for fantastic sea views. The Owner's Suites offer a generous 575 square feet of living space, including a separate bedroom and lounge/diner. All accommodation includes a flatscreen TV with DVD player, fully stocked mini bar, 24-hour room service and L'Occitane bath amenities.

Rooms & Suites on Star Clippers

On board Star Flyer and Star Clipper the Commodore Deck offers four categories of stateroom, the lead-in staterooms offering 86 square feet of space with upper/lower berths and a compact bathroom with shower, but we'd suggest opting for at least the 118-square-foot Category 5, 4 or 3 cabins of varying designs with double beds and bathrooms with shower. For more space upgrade to the Clipper Deck and a Large Outside Cabin of 129 square feet with double bed and bathroom with shower, or the Main or Sun Deck, each of which feature a 156-square-foot Deluxe Deck Cabin featuring a minibar, bathroom with bathtub and cabin doors that open onto deck. Finally, the spacious 237-square-foot Owner's Cabin offers a sitting area, bathroom with bathtub and mini bar.

On Royal Clipper, the layout is very similar, except the the main deck offers a 156-square-foot Deluxe Deck Cabin featuring a minibar, bathroom with whirlpool and cabin doors that open onto deck, and a 280-square-foot Deluxe Outside Suite with a private verandah, sitting area, minibar, bathroom with whirlpool and room service, while the Owner's Suite has no private verandah but offers two double beds, a separate sitting area, minibar, bathroom with whirlpool and room service with 430 square feet of space. All accommodation includes a private bathroom, flatscreeen TV/DVD player (except category 6) and under bed storage.

Onboard activities and facilities on Windstar

The atmosphere on board Windstar is relaxed and largely unstructured, perfect if you're looking for a more chilled out cruising experience. When it comes to entertainment, it's typically low key - you might enjoy an acoustic duo in the bar after dinner, or a band playing classic Beatles songs in the Lounge. Every evening there is a destination briefing to prepare you for the following day, and every cruise includes a deck barbecue (weather permitting) with music and entertainment. An open bridge policy means you can visit the captain and his crew.

On selected sailings on board all of Windstar's small ships - check with us before booking - a marina is deployed, making a day anchored in a secluded bay even more special. There are plenty of time for swimming, watersports and snorkelling - all perfectly suited to the line's enormous variety of warm water voyages - and all snorkelling equipment, paddle boards and kayaks are complimentary. Then, there's a compact but well equipped gym, the World Spa by Windstar on all ships with a range of invigorating treatments, pool, two whirlpools, small boutique and a library.

Onboard activities and facilities on Star Clippers

You're encouraged to involved on board Star Clippers, including the chance to watch the crew repair the sails on a giant sewing machine, knot tying and navigation classes, or even (not for the faint-hearted) climb the mast (with safety harness provided) to one of the passenger lookout crow's nests. Guests can also take part in the Talent Show alongside the crew to showcase their talents, dress like a pirate on Pirate Night as well as get involved in fashion shows and music trivia. The Captain frequently recalls stories from his career, and local musicians come on board for live band performances.

You can also enjoy yoga and, on Royal Clipper only, complimentary water sports such as kayaking, water-skiing and windsurfing from the marina. Across all three ships there's also a boutique, sun decks with seating and loungers, two saltwater splash pools, a library with a fireplace and, on Royal Clipper, a spa - or you can enjoy spa treatments in the below decks or open air on the two smaller ships.

Bars and socialising on Windstar

Windstar guests will enjoy an attentive team of officers and crew who are totally engaged with the guests, a commitment to creating magical and memorable moments on board, and a laid back style we refer to as 'the Big Chill'.

The Compass Rose bar offers indoor and outdoor seating with low key entertainment after dinner, with talks and destination briefings that take place in the Lounge, and you can swing by the Yacht Club during the day for snacks and speciality teas and coffees. The Pool Bar is a popular sunset spot and the Terrace Bar is the place to enjoy a fine cigar, while the popular Star Bar on the Star Plus ships is the place to be for al fresco drinks on the top deck.

Bars and socialising on Star Clippers

The experience on board a Star Clippers cruise is sociable with a warm, welcoming atmosphere in their three bars, including the convivial indoor/outdoor Tropical Bar on the main deck that hosts evening events and pre-dinner cocktails and canapés - guests can even sleep here on deck under the stars.

Then, the intimate, wraparound Piano Bar offers fun singalongs at night, while the small Pool Bar on the top deck has space for 12, perfect for sunset watching.

Itineraries and shore excursions on Windstar

These sociable ships have plenty of outdoor space, perfect for soaking up the sun in warm weather destinations like the Greek Islands or the Caribbean, though you'll find that most of your fellow guests are keen to get off the ship and explore whenever you're in port. As the ships are so small you can swim in the sea right off the back of the yacht as you call at smaller ports and lesser-visited bays, and itineraries are designed in such a way that you can combine a series of cruises to create a long voyage of exploration - look out for these, which often represent extraordinary value.

Shore excursions are not included, although some cruises include a complimentary Destination Discovery such as a private beach party on Tahiti cruises, performances by local artists in Iceland and dining among the ruins of Ephesus on some Mediterranean cruises. Excursions can be booked pre cruise from three categories: Essentials, which Windstar say are for 'first-time visitors who want to see the must-see sights'; Concierge, for more hands-on experiences, largely centered around culture and cuisine, limited to smaller groups; and the Beyond Ordinary category for unique and exclusive experiences.

Itineraries and shore excursions on Star Clippers

The Star Clippers' fleet summers in the Mediterranean, with itineraries featuring the Greek Isles, Amalfi Coast, and French Riviera. In winter they cross the ocean to explore the Caribbean as well as Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. You can expect to find a number of kindred spirits who have chosen this type of adventure, rather than a more conventional cruise ship.

Excursions include the likes of guided tours, wine tasting boat trips, jeep safaris, kayaking, bike rikes, volcano explorations and more, many of which can be booked beforehand and some which must be booked while on board.

What's included with Windstar

• All meals in all venues including room service
• Soft drinks, speciality coffees and teas
• Welcome cocktails
• All onboard entertainment
• Unlimited use of the Fitness Centre
• Unlimited use of all watersports equipment

Guests can make their voyage all-inclusive from $89 per guest per day to also enjoy WiFi, unlimited beer, wine, cocktails, and gratuities.

What's included with Star Clippers

• All meals
• All onboard entertainment
• Watersports from the ship's marina