Cunard Line vs Windstar Cruises

The core difference

Cunard Line and Windstar Cruises are both romantic in the truest sense — but they define romance in diametrically opposite ways. One believes romance is a grand gesture: black tie, champagne, a live orchestra, and a waltz in a crystal-chandelier ballroom. The other believes romance is simplicity: bare feet, a sunset, billowing sails, and dinner under the stars. Neither is wrong. But choosing between them reveals what kind of magic you are looking for at sea.

Cunard’s romance is the golden age. Founded in 1840, the line operates four ships — Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Anne — carrying 2,061 to 2,996 guests. The brand is formal British tradition at its finest: Gala Evenings, ballroom dancing in the double-height Queens Room, white-gloved afternoon tea, and the only scheduled Transatlantic Crossing in the world. Queen Mary 2 is the only purpose-built ocean liner still in service. The Grills ship-within-a-ship delivers butler service and bespoke dining.

Windstar’s romance is the wind. Seven ships — three sailing yachts and four all-suite motor vessels — carry 148 to 342 guests to hidden harbours and small ports that larger ships cannot reach. Wind Surf, at 613 feet, is the world’s largest motor sailing yacht with five towering masts and computer-controlled sails reaching 221 feet. The signature 180 Under the Stars barbecue — white-tablecloth dining on the open aft deck — is one of cruising’s great evenings. The retractable watersports marina deploys kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkelling gear directly from the stern. The dress code is resort casual throughout.

The question for Australian travellers is personal: is your ideal romantic evening a waltz in a ballroom or a barefoot dinner under the Southern Cross?

What is actually included

The inclusion models differ, with Windstar offering more in the base fare than Cunard’s entry level.

Windstar’s base fare includes: all dining in the main Amphora restaurant and speciality Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso, 24-hour room service, non-alcoholic beverages, and complimentary watersports marina access. Windstar’s All-In package adds Wi-Fi, alcoholic beverages, and gratuities for approximately USD $99 per person per day. Shore excursions are additional.

Cunard’s Britannia fare includes: accommodation, main restaurant dining, buffet meals, afternoon tea, basic beverages, entertainment, and gym access. Alcoholic drinks, speciality dining surcharges, Wi-Fi, shore excursions, spa access, and gratuities are extra. Grills suites narrow the gap with exclusive dining and butler service.

Windstar’s base fare includes all speciality dining without surcharges — an advantage over Cunard’s Britannia level. The watersports marina access is a unique inclusion no Cunard fare matches. With the All-In package, Windstar’s total inclusion approaches a comprehensive model.

Dining and culinary experience

The dining experiences reflect their vastly different scales and atmospheres.

Cunard offers up to 15 dining venues on Queen Anne, from the grand Britannia Restaurant to speciality options with surcharges. The class-separated hierarchy assigns restaurants by cabin tier. The afternoon tea in the Queens Room is the finest at sea. Queens Grill bespoke menus are exceptional.

Windstar’s dining centres on the Amphora restaurant — open-seating with menus that change nightly and reflect regional ingredients — and Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso, a James Beard Foundation partnership that brings chef-driven creativity to a small-ship setting. The Candles outdoor dining (weather permitting) and the signature 180 Under the Stars barbecue on the open aft deck are experiences that transcend the food itself. All dining is included without surcharges.

Cunard wins on variety and the hierarchical peak of Queens Grill dining. Windstar wins on atmosphere — dining under the stars on the open deck of a sailing yacht, with the sound of wind in the rigging and the masts silhouetted against the night sky, is an experience no ocean liner can replicate.

Suites and accommodation

The accommodation comparison reflects different ship categories and philosophies.

Cunard’s range spans Britannia Inside at approximately 152 square feet through to QM2’s Grand Duplex at 2,249 square feet. The Grills ship-within-a-ship delivers butler service and exclusive venues.

Windstar’s sailing yacht staterooms are compact at approximately 188 square feet with portholes rather than balconies — a reflection of sailing yacht architecture. The Star-class motor vessels offer all-suite accommodation from 277 square feet with balconies. The new Star Seeker (arriving 2026) will feature updated suite designs. Wind Surf has larger options including a Bridge Suite at approximately 575 square feet.

For travellers who prioritise cabin size and balcony space, Cunard offers more at every price point except at Windstar’s top suites versus Cunard’s Britannia Inside. Windstar’s sailing yacht cabins are the most compact option in the comparison — but guests who choose sailing yachts typically spend their time on deck rather than in the stateroom.

Pricing and value

The pricing comparison requires factoring different inclusions and vessel categories.

Cunard’s per-diem for a Britannia Balcony on a 7-night Mediterranean voyage starts from approximately USD $196 per night. Add drinks, speciality dining, Wi-Fi, and gratuities for the real cost.

Windstar’s per-diem for a comparable 7-night Mediterranean voyage on a sailing yacht runs approximately USD $300 to $500 per person per night. Motor vessel sailings can sit slightly higher. The All-In package adds approximately USD $99 per person per day.

With Windstar’s All-In package, the total per-diem for a fully inclusive experience typically runs USD $400 to $600. Cunard’s total per-diem with comparable extras reaches a similar range. The lines converge on total cost for Mediterranean itineraries — but the experiences are so different that price is rarely the deciding factor. You are choosing between a 2,996-guest ocean liner and a 148-guest sailing yacht.

Spa and wellness

The spa offerings reflect the scale difference.

Cunard’s Mareel Wellness and Beauty spa features comprehensive facilities — thermal suites, hydrotherapy pools, saunas, cryo-therapy on Queen Anne, and treatments at surcharge.

Windstar’s spa offers treatment rooms and a small fitness centre. The wellness experience is augmented by the watersports marina — kayaking, paddleboarding, and swimming from the ship — which provides a more active, outdoor wellness alternative. The WindSpa offers massages and beauty treatments.

Cunard wins on dedicated spa facilities. Windstar offers the alternative of watersports and active wellness in the open air.

Entertainment and enrichment

The entertainment divide is stark — and deliberate on both sides.

Cunard’s programme is the most extensive of any heritage line. Over 430 speakers, the RADA partnership, ballroom dancing, West End-style shows, the QM2 planetarium, and a casino. Sea days overflow with programming.

Windstar’s entertainment is deliberately minimal. The destination is the show. Live music from a small band or duo plays in the lounge. The sail-unfurling ceremony at departure is a ritual guests return to voyage after voyage. The watersports marina is afternoon entertainment. Evening entertainment is conversation, stargazing, and the 180 Under the Stars experience when weather allows. There are no production shows, no casino, and no formal programme.

Cunard fills the ship with events. Windstar trusts the sea, the wind, and the destination to be enough.

Fleet and destination coverage

The fleet comparison reveals two very different deployment strategies.

Cunard operates four large ocean liners sailing globally. QM2 at 149,215 gross tonnes is the only purpose-built ocean liner still in service.

Windstar operates seven ships — three sailing yachts (Wind Surf, Wind Star, Wind Spirit) and four Star-class all-suite motor vessels (Star Breeze, Star Legend, Star Pride, and the upcoming Star Seeker arriving 2026). The sailing yachts’ shallow draft accesses harbours, bays, and anchorages that mega-ships cannot approach. Windstar sails the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Alaska, French Polynesia, Northern Europe, and seasonal Australia and New Zealand.

The key destination advantage for Windstar is access. Small-port Mediterranean itineraries — Ponza, Girolata, Motril, Portoferraio — create a hidden-harbour experience impossible on Cunard’s larger vessels. Cunard’s unique asset is the Transatlantic Crossing, which Windstar cannot replicate.

Where each line excels

Cunard excels in:

• The Transatlantic Crossing. QM2 Southampton to New York — irreplaceable.
• Formal grandeur. Gala evenings, ballroom dancing, and 185 years of British tradition.
• The Grills ship-within-a-ship. Butler service and bespoke dining.
• Enrichment scale. Over 2,000 talks per year, RADA partnership, and the QM2 planetarium.

Windstar excels in:

• Sailing romance. Computer-controlled sails unfurling against sunset — one of cruising’s great sights.
• Hidden harbours. Small-port access impossible for larger ships.
• 180 Under the Stars. White-tablecloth barbecue on the open deck — one of cruising’s great dining experiences.
• Watersports marina. Complimentary kayaking, paddleboarding, and snorkelling directly from the ship.
• Resort casual. No formal nights, no dress code pressure, no pretension.

Standout itineraries for Australian travellers

Cunard

QM2 Transatlantic Crossing (7 nights, Southampton to New York). The quintessential Cunard voyage — irreplaceable.

Queen Anne Mediterranean (7-14 nights, various European ports). The newest Cunard ship with 15 dining venues and gala evenings in European ports.

QM2 World Voyage segments through Sydney. Annual opportunities to join or depart in Sydney.

Windstar

Star Breeze: Australia and New Zealand (seasonal, Sydney, Melbourne, and Cairns departures). Windstar’s seasonal Australian deployment — no international flights needed. Small-ship access to New Zealand’s intimate harbours.

Wind Surf: Mediterranean hidden harbours (7-11 nights, various European ports). The world’s largest sailing yacht accessing ports like Ponza, Girolata, and Korcula that no ocean liner can reach.

Wind Spirit: French Polynesia (7 nights, roundtrip Papeete). Year-round Tahiti sailings with watersports marina and the romance of sailing under canvas in the South Pacific. Direct Air Tahiti Nui flights from Sydney.

Ship-by-ship recommendations

Cunard

Queen Mary 2 — For the Transatlantic Crossing and world voyages. The only purpose-built ocean liner still in service.

Queen Anne — The newest Cunard ship with the broadest dining and most comprehensive spa.

Windstar

Wind Surf — The flagship sailing yacht. Five masts, 342 guests, and the most space of any Windstar vessel. A cabin refresh is scheduled for 2026. Best for Mediterranean hidden-harbour itineraries.

Wind Star or Wind Spirit — The most intimate sailing yachts at 148 guests. Wind Spirit sails French Polynesia year-round. Wind Star serves the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

Star Breeze — All-suite motor vessel deployed seasonally to Australia and New Zealand. Larger suites than the sailing yachts but without the wind-under-canvas romance.

Star Seeker — Arriving 2026. The newest Windstar ship with updated suite designs. Worth watching for introductory pricing.

For Australian travellers specifically

The accessibility comparison slightly favours Windstar due to seasonal Australian deployments.

Windstar deploys Star Breeze seasonally to Australia and New Zealand, sailing from Sydney, Melbourne, and Cairns. This provides direct Australian access without international flights — a genuine advantage during the deployment season. Windstar’s French Polynesia programme is accessible via direct Air Tahiti Nui flights from Sydney in approximately eight hours.

Cunard has withdrawn from Australian homeporting. Queen Elizabeth’s final Australian season concluded in February 2025. Future access is limited to world voyage segments. Most Cunard voyages require international flights to Southampton, New York, or other ports.

Neither line prices natively in AUD. Both are primarily fly-cruise propositions for Australian travellers seeking their core Mediterranean, Caribbean, or European itineraries.

The onboard atmosphere

The atmospheric contrast is the most vivid in this entire comparison set.

Cunard’s atmosphere is grand and ceremonial. Crystal chandeliers, Art Deco flourishes, the double-height Queens Room ballroom. Over 2,000 guests in dinner jackets and evening gowns descending the grand staircase. Champagne, live orchestra, a waltz. The evening is a performance. The ship is the stage.

Windstar’s atmosphere is intimate and elemental. Teak decks, billowing sails, the sound of wind and water. 148 guests in resort casual, cocktails on the open deck, dinner under the stars. The crew knows your name. The evening entertainment is the sunset, the stars, and the quiet pleasure of being on a small ship in a beautiful place.

Cunard’s romance is theatrical — chandelier, orchestra, gown. Windstar’s romance is natural — wind, stars, bare feet. Both are genuine. Neither can replicate the other.

The bottom line

Cunard and Windstar offer two of the most distinctive romantic propositions in cruising — and choosing between them is one of the most personal decisions a traveller can make.

Choose Cunard for the grand romantic gesture — black-tie evenings, ballroom dancing, the Transatlantic Crossing, and the heritage of 185 years of ocean liner tradition. Choose it for the Grills butler service and the sense of history and ceremony. Accept that formal wear is required, Australian homeporting has ended, and the base fare excludes most extras.

Choose Windstar for the intimate romantic moment — sails unfurling at departure, dinner under the stars, hidden harbours reached only by small ships, and a watersports marina where you kayak from the stern into a Mediterranean cove. Choose it for resort casual dress, wind-powered sailing, and the crew who know your name by evening on day one. Accept that cabins are compact on the sailing yachts, there are no production shows, and the entertainment is the sea itself. For Australian travellers, the choice is not which is better — it is whether your perfect evening involves a waltz in a ballroom or a glass of wine on a teak deck with sails overhead and stars above.