Photo tour: The intimacy of Windstar Cruises' Star Pride
Some people love the bustle of giant cruise ships that hold thousands of passengers and are chock full of eateries, nightspots and deck-top fun zones. Others are looking for a more intimate cruise experience.
Our latest Cruise Ship Tour, in the carousel above, looks at a vessel that clearly will appeal to those in the latter category: Windstar Cruises' 212-passenger Star Pride.
At 9,975 tons, the all-suite ship is one-twentieth the size of the latest Royal Caribbean vessels. And as can be seen in the tour, it offers an unusually intimate and uncrowded environment for an exploration by sea.
Originally built in 1988 for luxury line Seabourn, Star Pride is large enough to offer a choice of two restaurants, several lounges and bars, a fitness center, spa and even a small casino. But it's small enough to tuck into tiny harbors and hidden coves that bigger ships can't reach. Personal service is the rule of the day. You'll never find a line.
The Star Pride photo tour — by photographer Morgan Sloan — is part of our ongoing series of cruise ship galleries. For an in-depth look at dozens of other vessels, click on the links below:
Adventure Canada: Ocean Endeavour
AmaWaterways: AmaViola; AmaCerto
American Cruise Lines: American Eagle
American Queen Steamboat Company: American Queen; American Empress
Azamara Club Cruises: Azamara Quest
Avalon Waterways: Avalon Myanmar; Avalon Visionary; Avalon Passion
Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Imagination; Carnival Miracle; early icons of the Carnival fleet; Carnival Vista
Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Solstice
Costa Cruises: Costa Diadema; Costa Atlantica; Costa Luminosa
CroisiEurope: Elbe Princesse
Cruise & Maritime Voyages: Discovery
Crystal Cruises: Crystal Symphony
Cunard Line: Queen Mary 2
Disney Cruise Line: Disney Wonder; Disney Fantasy; Disney Magic; Disney Dream, Fantasy compared
Emerald Waterways: Emerald Sky; Emerald Radiance
Hapag-Lloyd: Europa 2
Hebridean Island Cruises: Hebridean Princess
Holland America Line: Amsterdam; Koningsdam; Westerdam; Rotterdam; Maasdam
Hurtigruten: Midnatsol; Lofoten; Nordstjernen; Fram; Trollfjord
MSC Cruises:MSC Meraviglia
Norwegian Cruise Line: Norwegian Getaway; Norwegian Escape; Norwegian Sky; Norwegian Joy
Oceania Cruises: Nautica; Sirena; Marina; Insignia
Paul Gauguin Cruises: Paul Gauguin
P&O Cruises: Britannia
Princess Cruises: Regal Princess; Diamond Princess; early icons of the Princess fleet; Star Princess; Golden Princess
Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Seven Seas Mariner; Seven Seas Explorer; Seven Seas Voyager
Royal Caribbean International: Quantum of the Seas; Anthem of the Seas; Freedom of the Seas; Harmony of the Seas
Scenic Cruises: Scenic Gem; Scenic Sapphire
Seabourn Cruise Line: Seabourn Encore
Silversea: Silver Galapagos; Silver Cloud; Silver Muse
Tauck: Inspire; Savor
Un-Cruise Adventures: Safari Endeavour
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection: S.S. Maria Theresa; River Countess
Viking River Cruises: Viking Skirnir; Viking Herja; Viking Hild
Viking Ocean Cruises: Viking Star; Viking Sea; Viking Sky
Windstar Cruises: Star Breeze; Wind Spirit
Retired ocean liners, cruise ships and yachts: SS Rotterdam; Royal Yacht Britannia
Theme galleries: 10 cruise ship suites that will blow your mind; the last of the great ocean liners; ship christenings with Queen Elizabeth II; Royal ship christenings through the years; 9 most amazing megaships; 25 most beautiful cruise vessels