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The Wonder of Windstar

Island hopping in French Polynesia with three generations.

by Aimee White Beazley

After a night of sailing through the open sea, dawn arrived and the Windstar Cruises’ yacht I’d been sleeping on had come to rest. I drew back the curtains of my stateroom window and peered through the porthole. The island of Moorea in French Polynesia jutted out from the ocean before me with dramatic mountains and lush beauty.

This was the first stop on a seven-day tour of the Society Islands, an archipelago most famous for being home to Tahiti. I was cruising with my mother, two sisters, and their three adult daughters, celebrating Mother’s Day in all its various and beautiful forms.

I drew back the curtains of my stateroom window and peered through the porthole. The island of Moorea in French Polynesia jutted out from the ocean before me with dramatic mountains and lush beauty.

There was a knock on the door, one of my sisters coaxing me to breakfast. I scurried to the main deck to take in the view and join the girls at the delicious multi-course breakfast on the upper teak deck, unable to tear our eyes away from the view.

We decided to start the day with a hike to Three Coconuts Pass which, along with everything else (including premium drinks), was included in the trip cost. Beginning at the scenic Belvedere Lookout, our group hiked approximately three miles over volcanic rock and muddy trails to a saddle beneath Mt. Mouaroa. The peaks on Moorea were once the outer rings of an ancient volcano. What’s left are the rocky trails and saw-tooth peaks that make up the island. Our local guide helped us to identify the local flora and fauna, all of which were brought by the outside world.

By afternoon we returned to the ship and to our individual cabins where some of us rested or called home to talk with family, while others took time to simply gaze out our windows. It was wonderful to have my own cabin to retreat to at the end of the day, and Windstar is one of the only cruising companies who make it so easy to do so. While solo occupancy is punitive on many cruise lines, at Windstar the solo supplement is significantly reduced or waived completely. This was one of the main reasons my mother chose to book our multi-generation trip with the company.

It is said Windstar is “180 Degrees from Ordinary,” and I couldn’t agree more. For a small fee, everything was included, the state rooms were gorgeous, and the crew were some of the most welcoming I’ve ever encountered. We are already planning our next family trip on Windstar. Where should we sail next?

Explore the world like never before with Windstar.