grand voyage
FROM LEFT: The colourful fishing port of Rovinj, Croatia; Skradinski Buk waterfall in Krka National Park PICTURES: Shutterstock/ecstk22, Andrew Mayovskyy
where the ship anchored a short tender ride from the Old Town. Larger ships tend to dock at Gruæ Port, where guests must get a shuttle bus into the city, so this is a key selling point for small-ship lines such as Windstar. I was immediately charmed
by this glossy, Unesco-listed city, where stone archways crouch above cobbled backstreets. We climbed the 13th-century city walls, getting a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding terracotta rooftops as the sea stretched beyond in perfect blue. Then we wandered the Stradun, the city’s main thoroughfare, where honey-coloured buildings perch above a shiny cobbled street and cafe patios sit beneath emerald-green shutters. Just as enchanting was Split, where
we docked a 10-minute walk from the historic part of the city and got lost in Diocletian’s Palace – a Roman-built marble behemoth, where labyrinthine alleys lead to courtyard cafes and swanky boutiques. Keen to see more of Croatia,
we booked an excursion from here to Krka National Park, located approximately a 90-minute coach ride away. Here waterfalls crash into cerulean pools in bursts of foaming white, mirror lakes glow opal between oak and bamboo trees, providing a postcard-pretty snapshot into the country’s nature.
fast fact Windstar’s two other
sailing yachts, Wind Star and Wind Spirit, are also due to be renovated soon, while the line is launching its fourth motor yacht
Star Seeker this December and its fifth, Star Explorer, in late 2026
SMALL-SHIP PERKS But it was the small fishing port of Rovinj, our next stop, that turned out to be my favourite. Windstar is one of just a handful of cruise lines to come here – ours was the only ship docked that day – so we had its colourful cobblestone lanes largely to ourselves. It was peaceful and serene to
wander along its quiet streets, with elegant galleries and craft shops housed in peachy pink and lemon-yellow buildings. Climbing to the top of its church bell tower provided a picturesque panorama of the surrounding town and sea, and in the middle of it all was Wind Surf, floating happily in the distance with nothing else around.
That’s really the appeal of this
small sailing ship. Docking closer to ports than the bigger vessels and sailing to places many others can’t is Windstar’s raison d’être, and it played out throughout our voyage. It came to a crescendo in Venice,
where our journey ended. This is one of the only vessels still small enough to sail through the city’s waterways (larger ships were banned in 2021). It meant we were able to meander right past St Mark’s Square and dock at the Marittima terminal, a few minutes’ train ride from the city centre. Windstar is all about doing things
a bit differently, and that was the real magic. It’s a balm for clients who want a week of blissful escapism where they can switch off, slow down and forget about everything else beyond the glimmer of the sea. I felt re-energised from sailing aboard this sleek, leisurely ship – a reminder of the calming, restorative power that being on the open water can bring.
BOOK IT: A seven-night Classic Italy & Dalmatian Coast cruise on Wind Surf departing October 7 or 15 costs from £3,242 SHU SHUVRQ LQFOXGLQJ DOO PHDOV VRft GULQNV and port fees. A choice of excursions is
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windstarcruises.co.uk
travelweekly.co.uk/cruise
December 2025 25
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