Costa Rica on Wind Star March 17-24,2007

I will try to keep this from being long-winded, but I can't promise anything as this was a great trip! If you are a planner, read on- otherwise skip the reviews and just let your vacation unfold... DH and I went with a group of 14 couples from San Diego and Oregon ranging from age 40's to 60's, many of us having cruised together before on the Gauguin. If you were on this cruise, my apologies if you were annoyed by our group's loudness, but we are a lively bunch and have a good time together.

We arrived Friday night and stayed at the Marriot near the airport in San Jose (if you do this, there is a shuttle, so no need for a taxi). The accommodations were very nice here and a good place to stay before/after your cruise, though the surroundings outside the resort were not much to look at. After a free breakfast buffet, a private shuttle for the group (our travel agent was with us) took us directly to the docks at Puerto Caldera (about an hour and 45 minute drive) to be the first to board the Windstar. Boarding was a breeze as the staff welcomed us with champagne and had us briefly fill out their paperwork and hand over our passports for the duration of the cruise. The bags arrived in our rooms almost as we did-very prompt! A note about luggage, I packed half my stuff in a carry-on and the other half in checked luggage. Though I didn't have a problem, 2 couples did not receive their luggage off of the airplane (luckily they were staying in Costa Rica pre-cruise, so were able to locate and receive their bags before boarding the ship). I was prepared for at least 3 days if my luggage had been lost... Read more