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“You\u2019ve never tasted nutmeg until you\u2019ve tasted nutmeg from Grenada,” Budhi Thakur<\/strong> tells me as he picks up a handful of fresh seeds in the spice market of Grenada<\/strong>, a Caribbean getaway also known as the Spice Island<\/strong>. Not only are the seeds intoxicatingly fragrant, they\u2019re wrapped in a red casing that that looks like hand-carved filigree, so beautiful you could imagine them used as beads on a necklace.<\/p>\n In fact, the locals here do just that, stringing nutmeg onto necklaces along with other spices that are grown on this verdant island \u2014 cinnamon, turmeric, allspice and cloves. Today, my daughter Lucy and I are exploring the legendary spice market with Thakur, the executive chef on Wind\u00a0Star<\/em>, a 148-passenger sailing yacht that\u2019s part of the cruise line of the same name. Thakur offers to let us come along with him as he shops for ingredients such as mango, vanilla and star anise to use on his menus. We also visit the fish market, where he buys mahi mahi straight off the boat.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s the beauty of sailing on a small ship like this. Unlike many lines, which have to buy all their provisions in bulk, the size of ships in the Windstar\u00a0 fleet allows their chefs to create market-to-table dishes throughout the course of the journey and bring guests along for the\u00a0experience. Wind Star<\/em>\u2019s small size (just 110 metres long) and shallow hull also allow her to get into tiny ports that are difficult for larger cruise ships to access. On the \u2018Jewels of the Windward Islands\u2019 itinerary, we start in Barbados<\/strong>, then make our way through St Lucia<\/strong>, Grenada<\/strong> and the Grenadines<\/strong>. These tiny islands are little gems that are strung along the easternmost Caribbean like beads on a very glamorous necklace.<\/p>\n [URIS id=33836]<\/p>\n Wind Star<\/em> is known as a romantic ship for couples, but the warm and welcoming staff makes anyone feel at home, including my four-year-old daughter. One night, we meet a 30-something woman who is between jobs and travelling solo. Another night, we meet a big family from Vancouver doing a multi-generational trip with two boys near Lucy\u2019s age. We also meet friendly couples from around the world.<\/p>\n By the end of the cruise, everyone is hanging out by the pool and at the beach and dining together at night. With just 74 staterooms, you quickly get to know your\u00a0fellow passengers. I\u2019ve been on plenty of big cruise ships, and I\u2019ve never seen the kind of bonding that happens on Wind Star<\/em>.<\/p>\n Another highlight is the accessibility you get to the top brass. Wind Star<\/em> has an open-door policy on the bridge, which is a rarity in the cruise world. So whenever you want, you can stroll over to the ship\u2019s command centre and visit with the crew and Captain Belinda Bennett, who is a superstar in cruising; she\u2019s the first black female captain of a commercial cruise ship.<\/p>\n As cruise ships around the world continue to grow in size and spectacle, one-upping each other with flashy amenities \u2014 ice-skating rinks, bumper cars, ziplines, water parks \u2014 Wind Star<\/em> is taking the opposite approach with its fleet of yachts. These ships embrace the classic romance of sailing the high seas. Wind Star<\/em> is a four-masted sailboat with gleaming teak everywhere. You half expect to see Jackie Kennedy Onassis to come strolling around the corner.<\/p>\n There are just three restaurants: the airy Verandah on the top deck, which serves breakfast and lunch; the main dining room, where there\u2019s no assigned seating, no dining times, and no reservations necessary (another rarity in the cruise world); and Candles.<\/p>\n Well, technically Candles isn\u2019t even a restaurant: it\u2019s an al fresco dining experience where the pool area is transformed every night into one of the loveliest dining venues you\u2019ve ever seen with just a handful of tables set under the\u00a0stars. The staterooms also feel like something out of another era, in the best way possible, with their teak accents and old-fashioned porthole windows that latch shut. But there are also modern amenities, such as plush beds with high-thread-count sheets, bathrooms with powerful showerheads, and flatscreen TVs, should you want to stay in your room and order room service (included in the rate).<\/p>\n [URIS id=33837]<\/p>\nSmall Ship Benefits<\/h2>\n
Easy meeting other passengers<\/h3>\n
Visit the crew<\/h3>\n
Back to the basics with classical romance<\/h3>\n
Wind Star\u00a0<\/em>Dining<\/h3>\n
Ship to shore<\/h3>\n