In November 2025, my husband Jerry and I traveled in the Caribbean aboard Windstar Cruises’ (windstarcruises.com) Star Pride. It was a lovely a motor yacht, but I kept thinking about my experiences aboard their sailing yachts, watching the sails unfurl as we left port to Vangelis’ “1492: Conquest of Paradise” score. (The music is played on the motor yachts when leaving port, but it just isn’t the same.) I decided that I wanted one more sail on either Wind Star or Wind Spirit and checked their itineraries for 2026. The one that called to me was a Greece and Turkey cruise on Wind Star, with a pre-cruise tour to Delphi and Meteora monasteries.
We traveled in June 2026 and gave ourselves a couple of days in Athens before the Delphi tour. We enjoyed walking in the city and touring the ancient Agora. Then we were joined by three other couples to visit Delphi and Meteora. The Delphi Museum (delphi.culture.gr) and archaeological site were wonderful and filled with beautiful marble statues. One surprise: I had no idea that there were monasteries on top of sheer cliffs in Meteora (visitmeteora.travel/meteora-monasteries). Although you no longer need a rope ladder to get to them, all require climbing many stairs except for one that can be reached by road. As part of the pre-cruise tour, we also visited the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum (theacropolismuseum.gr/en).
The ship stopped at Mykonos, Patmos, Santorini, Monemvasia, and Nafplio in Greece and we also spent a day in Ephesus, Turkey. The archaeological site there was fantastic during our day tour, and even more impressive at our private dinner in front of the Library of Celsus (ephesus.us/ancient-ephesus) that evening.
Wind Star was not as luxurious as Star Pride or the other motor yachts, but it was very comfortable. It delivered what I had hoped for: the feeling of sailing. Although actual cruising with the sails is not a given, we were lucky to sail under canvas alone several times. I felt at peace sitting on deck, just gliding along the sea. And sailing away with the sails unfurling to the Vangelis 1492 score did not disappoint. On the last evening, as we sailed, the song “Time to Say Goodbye” followed the unfurling of the sails. We stood on deck saying goodbye to this cruise and hoping that at 81 and 89, we will still be able to make more such memories.
The total cost of $8,157 per person included the seven-day cruise and the three-day/two-night pre-cruise tour to Delphi and Meteora. It also included excursions to Ephesus and Santorini as well as the airport transfer in Athens and a stop at the Acropolis Museum. As repeat cruisers, we had a 5% discount on the cruise and 10% discount on the excursions.
Nili Olay, Naples, FL