Start Small, Think Bliss Partnering with the James Beard Foundation makes Windstar's cruises a delicious route into French Polynesia.

ASI SIPPED A ROBUST CUP of French roast while leaning against the bow railing of our yacht, we glided into the sapphire waters of Taiohae Bay, deep in the South Pacific.

- Chadwick Boyd

I was arriving on a soft pink dawn at Nuku Hiva, the largest of French Polynesia's Marquesas Islands-and about as far away from any mainland as you can get. The initial plan was to navigate toward the region's lesser-known Tuamotu Islands and then circle back through Bora-Bora, Mooréa, and a few other Society Islands, but an escalating cyclone forced a quick reroute far north to the most remote part of Polynesia. Unlike most other ships in the region, the 312-passenger Star Breeze was nimble enough to change course quickly and keep us in sunny, idyllic waters.

For years, I resisted cruises. The idea of spending several days on a big ship in the middle of the ocean with thousands of strangers never appealed to me. But a globe-trotting friend convinced me I would feel differently sailing on a small, all-suite ship with other adventurous travelers who care as much about visiting unique destinations as they do exceptionally good food and wine-especially with a cruise line that has partnered with the James Beard Foundation.