Tauck vs Windstar Cruises

The core difference

Tauck and Windstar are both intimate small-ship operators, both reject the mega-ship model, and both deliver experiences where staff know your name by the second day. But the philosophies underpinning these lines are fundamentally different — and understanding that difference is the key to choosing correctly.

Tauck is managed perfection. Family-owned since Arthur Tauck Sr. led his first New England motor tour in 1925. For ocean voyages, Tauck charters Ponant Explorer-class ships (184 guests) — adding Tauck Directors and its all-inclusive excursion programme to Ponant’s hardware, French crew, and Ducasse Conseil cuisine. Eleven purpose-built river ships (84 to 130 guests) sail European waterways. Every excursion included. Every gratuity covered. Airport transfers. Drinks at meals. No bill at the end. No art auctions. No upselling. The Tauck Director manages every detail from the moment you arrive at the airport to the moment you leave. Two new French river ships join in 2026.

Windstar is barefoot sailing freedom. Seven ships — three masted sailing yachts with computer-controlled sails (Wind Surf at 342 guests, Wind Star and Wind Spirit at 148 each) and four motor yachts (three Star Plus all-suite vessels at 312 guests, Star Seeker at 224 guests). The sails unfurl at every departure. The watersport marina lowers from the stern for kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling, and water skiing. The James Beard Foundation culinary partnership brings award-winning chefs aboard. Candles under-the-stars dining. Resort casual — no formal nights, no pretension. Star Seeker (December 2025) adds an ice-strengthened hull and five dining venues. Star Explorer follows in December 2026.

The fundamental distinction: Tauck removes decisions. Windstar creates freedom. A Tauck guest arrives knowing every excursion, every meal, every logistical detail is pre-arranged and paid for. A Windstar guest arrives knowing the sails will unfurl, the marina will lower, and the evening is theirs to shape as they wish. Neither approach is superior. They serve different temperaments.

What is actually included

The inclusion gap is the single largest practical difference between these lines.

Tauck’s fare covers every excursion (every scheduled option, not a selection), all gratuities including shipboard crew, onshore guides, and drivers, airport transfers on arrival and departure days, wine, beer, and spirits at meals, and the Tauck Director’s services. On chartered Ponant ships, the open bar is included. No onboard account, no bill at the end.

Windstar’s base fare covers all dining across every restaurant without surcharges, the watersport marina, non-alcoholic beverages, and group fitness classes. The All-In package at USD $99 per person per day bundles unlimited alcoholic drinks, Wi-Fi, and prepaid gratuities. Shore excursions at every port are additional unless specifically marketed as included on themed or expedition sailings.

The practical difference is substantial. On a twelve-night voyage with eight excursion-heavy ports, Tauck’s included excursions save approximately AUD $2,000 to $4,000 per person versus purchasing comparable shore experiences on Windstar. Tauck’s included gratuities save roughly AUD $300 per person. Airport transfers save roughly AUD $200 per couple. The total additional value in Tauck’s fare compared to Windstar’s base fare plus All-In package is approximately AUD $3,000 to $5,000 per person on a typical two-week voyage.

However, Windstar’s lower base fare means the total cost is still significantly less than Tauck even after adding the All-In package and independently purchased excursions. The question is whether you want the convenience of total pre-arrangement or the flexibility of choosing your own shore experiences.

Dining and culinary experience

Both lines deliver quality dining — but through very different mechanisms and with different signature experiences.

Tauck’s dining on chartered Ponant ships features the Ducasse Conseil programme. Le Nautilus serves à la carte four-course dinners with amuse-bouche and French wines. Le Grill offers casual fare. Boulangerie-quality bread, Pierre Hermé macarons, Kaviari caviar on select ships. Two to three restaurants for 184 guests. On Tauck river ships, cuisine is well-executed European fare with regional ingredients and wine pairings at dinner. Dining is included on both products. The Tauck Director may arrange themed evening dining or provide wine commentary.

Windstar’s dining programme spans three to five venues depending on the ship. AmphorA is the main restaurant with the James Beard Foundation’s Signature Recipe rotating nightly. Candles — the open-air aft-deck restaurant where guests dine on steak and seafood under the stars by candlelight — is consistently cited as one of the most romantic dining settings at sea. Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso (Star Plus ships) serves Spanish-influenced cuisine. Star Seeker introduces five venues including Basil + Bamboo (Asian-Mediterranean fusion). The James Beard Foundation partnership, spanning more than eleven years, places award-recognised chefs aboard select sailings for cooking demonstrations, hosted dinners, and local market tours. All dining included without surcharges.

The verdict: Windstar offers more dining variety, the unique Candles experience, and the James Beard chef rotation. Tauck’s Ponant galley delivers concentrated French excellence with institutional Ducasse pedigree. For dining atmosphere and variety, Windstar. For focused French culinary craft, Tauck.

Suites and accommodation

Windstar generally offers more space at comparable price points — particularly on the Star Plus class and Star Seeker.

Tauck’s chartered Ponant Explorer-class staterooms start at 161 square feet interior plus 43-square-foot balcony. Prestige Suites at 291 square feet. Owner’s Suite at 485 square feet. Expedition-focused design — functional and well-appointed but compact. No butler service. Tauck’s Inspiration-class river ships feature twenty-two Tauck Suites at 300 square feet — the largest standard river accommodation on Rhine and Danube routes.

Windstar’s Star Plus class ships are all-suite with entry suites starting at 277 square feet — 72 per cent larger than Tauck’s ocean cabin. Classic Suites at 400 square feet. Star Seeker sets a new Windstar benchmark: Deluxe Suite at 380 square feet plus 110-square-foot balcony. Wind Surf offers deluxe ocean-view suites at 376 square feet. Wind Star and Wind Spirit carry staterooms at approximately 188 square feet with portholes.

Windstar offers more space on ocean ships across most categories. Tauck’s river suites at 300 square feet are competitive but serve a different product entirely. The accommodation verdict on ocean voyages favours Windstar — more square footage, more suite categories, and the option of the sailing yacht experience.

Pricing and value

The pricing gap is significant — and it reflects the fundamentally different inclusion models.

Tauck’s ocean charter per-diem runs approximately AUD $1,200 to $1,800 per person per night, with a twelve-night Mediterranean expedition costing roughly AUD $18,000 to $25,000 per person all-inclusive with transfers. Tauck’s river per-diem runs approximately AUD $800 to $1,200 per person per night all-inclusive.

Windstar’s per-diem is substantially lower. Star Plus class ships with the All-In package total approximately AUD $500 to $750 per person per night on Mediterranean itineraries. Wind Class sailing yachts start from approximately AUD $400 to $600 per person per night with All-In. Seven-night Mediterranean on Wind Surf from roughly AUD $6,500 per person with All-In versus a comparable Tauck ocean charter at roughly AUD $14,000 to $18,000.

The gap is roughly AUD $7,000 to $12,000 per person on a two-week voyage. Tauck’s premium buys every excursion pre-arranged, all gratuities, airport transfers, and the Director model. Whether that represents value depends on how much you spend on independent excursions when sailing Windstar and how much you value the convenience of total pre-arrangement. For budget-conscious travellers who are comfortable managing their own shore experiences, Windstar delivers the stronger per-diem. For travellers who want to forget about money and logistics entirely, Tauck’s premium is justified.

Spa and wellness

Both lines offer modest spa facilities. Tauck’s chartered Ponant ships have compact Sothys or Clarins spas. Windstar’s Star Plus ships have treatment rooms, saunas, and steam rooms; Star Seeker adds a full-service spa. The real Windstar differentiator is the watersport marina — kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling, sailing, and water skiing from a retractable platform. Tauck has no equivalent. Windstar wins on active ocean wellness.

Entertainment and enrichment

Tauck’s enrichment is the Director model — destination commentary, managed excursions, private museum openings on river, and coordinated daily programmes. Windstar’s enrichment is experiential — the sail-away ceremony with canvas unfurling to the 1492 soundtrack, James Beard Foundation culinary sailings, local musicians, and the 180 Under the Stars barbecue. Tauck manages your experience. Windstar creates a setting and lets you shape your own.

Fleet and destination coverage

Both lines operate intimate fleets, but with different destination strengths.

Tauck charters four to five Ponant Explorer-class ships (184 guests) for the Mediterranean, Antarctica, the Arctic, Asia, and Latin America. Eleven river ships (84–130 guests) cover the Rhine, Danube, Seine, Douro, and French waterways. The combination of river and ocean gives Tauck broader product diversity than Windstar — European rivers being an entirely separate travel category.

Windstar operates seven ships (growing to nine) across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, French Polynesia, Alaska, Japan, Southeast Asia, Costa Rica, Australia and New Zealand, and more. Three sailing yachts and four motor vessels, all owned outright. Over 330 ports worldwide. Wind Spirit operates year-round in French Polynesia. Star Seeker opens Alaska. Star Breeze deploys to Australia and New Zealand seasonally.

Destination overlap occurs primarily in the Mediterranean, where both lines deploy extensively. Beyond the Med, they largely diverge — Tauck offers European rivers and expedition charters; Windstar offers the Caribbean, French Polynesia, Alaska, and seasonal Australia. For Australian travellers, Windstar’s Australian deployments and Tahiti programme are more immediately relevant than Tauck’s European-focused product.

Where each line excels

Tauck excels in:

• Total inclusion. Every excursion, every gratuity, every transfer, drinks at meals. No bill at the end.
• The Director model. A dedicated Tauck employee managing every detail. The single point of contact throughout.
• European rivers. Purpose-built Inspiration-class ships with 300-square-foot suites.
• Zero upselling. No art auctions, no photography packages, no hard-sells.
• Expedition access. Chartered Ponant ships with Zodiac capability for Antarctica, the Arctic, and remote destinations.

Windstar excels in:

• Sailing heritage. Three masted yachts with computer-controlled sails. The romance of wind-powered cruising.
• Per-diem value. Roughly forty to fifty per cent cheaper than Tauck on comparable Mediterranean itineraries.
• Watersport marina. Kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling, sailing, and water skiing directly from the ship.
• Candles dining. Open-air candlelit dining under the stars — one of the most romantic settings at sea.
• French Polynesia. Wind Spirit operates year-round from Papeete — a destination Tauck does not serve.
• Cabin space. Larger staterooms at comparable price points across most categories.

Standout itineraries for Australian travellers

Tauck

Rhine and Danube: Budapest to Amsterdam (14 nights, Inspiration-class) — The flagship river voyage. All-inclusive with airport transfers and Tauck Director throughout.

Antarctica Expedition (approximately 14 nights, chartered Ponant ship) — Tauck Directors and all-inclusive excursions on Explorer-class hardware.

Douro: Porto and the Douro Valley (8 nights, ms Andorinha, 84 guests) — Ultra-intimate river experience.

Windstar

Wind Spirit: Tahiti and French Polynesia (7 nights, year-round, roundtrip Papeete) — Sailing under canvas through the Society Islands. Watersport marina in lagoons. Direct Air Tahiti Nui from Sydney.

Star Seeker: Alaska (7–12 nights, May–August, from Vancouver) — New-build 224-guest vessel with ice-strengthened hull and Signature Expeditions. Connects from Australian gateways.

Star Breeze: Australia and New Zealand (seasonal, from Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns) — The most accessible Windstar experience for Australians. No international flights.

Wind Surf: Mediterranean (7 nights, roundtrip Rome or Athens) — The world’s largest motor-sailing vessel. Five masts. From approximately USD $4,450 per person.

Ship-by-ship recommendations

Tauck

Inspiration-class river ships (130 guests) — The flagship product. Twenty-two Tauck Suites at 300 square feet. Rhine, Danube, and Seine.

Chartered Ponant Explorer-class (184 guests) — Ocean and expedition with Director overlay. Blue Eye lounge access.

ms Andorinha (84 guests) — Ultra-intimate Douro specialist.

Windstar

Wind Spirit (148 guests) — Year-round Tahiti yacht. The purest Windstar sailing experience.

Wind Surf (342 guests) — Five masts, the world’s largest motor-sailing vessel. Mediterranean and Caribbean.

Star Breeze (312 guests) — All-suite motor yacht deployed to Australia and New Zealand seasonally.

For Australian travellers specifically

Windstar has greater Australian relevance than Tauck for most travellers.

Windstar’s Australian representation is handled through Travel the World Group, General Sales Agent for more than thirty-eight years. Star Breeze has deployed for Australian seasons from Sydney, Melbourne, and Cairns. Wind Spirit’s year-round Tahiti programme is accessible via direct Air Tahiti Nui flights from Sydney in approximately eight hours. Windstar offers AUD pricing through windstar.com.au. The Yacht Club loyalty programme rewards repeat cruise days with fare discounts, credits, and complimentary services.

Tauck has no dedicated Australian office. Bookings through specialist advisors or directly through Tauck. European departures require positioning flights via Gulf carriers or Singapore Airlines. Included airport transfers simplify European arrival. No Australian homeported ships. No formal loyalty programme.

For Australians specifically, Windstar’s Australian deployments, Tahiti accessibility, and AUD pricing make it the more convenient choice. Tauck requires more travel planning and longer flights — but the totally managed experience once you arrive is the whole point.

The onboard atmosphere

The atmospheres reflect fundamentally different travel philosophies.

Tauck’s atmosphere on ocean charters blends Ponant’s French crew with Tauck’s American guest base. The Director creates communal rhythm — morning briefings, coordinated excursions, evening recaps. Predominantly English-speaking North American passengers. Smart casual dress. Structured but not rigid. The atmosphere values organisation, cultural curiosity, and the comfort of knowing every detail is handled.

Windstar’s atmosphere is the private sailing yacht. Never more than 342 guests — just 148 on the sailing ships. Staff know your name by day two. English-speaking international mix — North American, British, Australian, European. Resort casual — sundresses, sandals, no pretension. The sail-away ceremony creates collective wonder at every departure. Candles creates nightly romance. There is no casino, no Director, no structured day. The atmosphere values freedom, romance, and the ocean at arm’s reach.

The atmospheric difference is fundamental. Tauck wraps you in managed comfort. Windstar wraps you in sailing romance. Both are intimate. Both are excellent. They appeal to different temperaments.

The bottom line

The choice comes down to whether you want every detail managed or every evening free.

Choose Tauck for totally managed luxury — every excursion, every gratuity, a Director handling logistics, no bill at the end. Choose it for European rivers and expedition charters. Accept a higher per-diem and no Australian presence.

Choose Windstar for sailing romance — canvas at every departure, the watersport marina in warm waters, Candles under the stars, and significantly lower per-diems. Choose it for year-round Tahiti, seasonal Australian deployments, and 148-guest intimacy. Accept that excursions and drinks are extras unless bundled through the All-In package.

For Australians wanting both, a Windstar Tahiti week followed by a Tauck European river delivers two of the finest intimate travel products available.