As Windstar’s shipyard and newbuild teams prepare for the launch of Star Explorer, its second new addition to the fleet in two years, attention now turns to the leadership team responsible for making sure it is ready for its debut. Windstar has announced the slate of officers who will be part of the inaugural season.
Perfect moments are shy and ephemeral things, not easily captured in words. But let me try. Let me describe five perfect moments from our recent “Off the Beaten Path” Greek Islands cruise aboard Wind Spirit (it is also offered on Wind Surf).
We had booked Windstar’s Dreams of Tahiti, a seven-day sailing from Papeete on Star Breeze, a small ship hosting up to 312 people, and I was about to discover that a voyage around the islands definitely had an adventurous side.
Volcanoes are not something I am normally drawn to as I am to, say, a Caribbean beach or a Parisian café. And swimming in the crater of one wasn’t exactly on my bucket list. But I am drawn to adventure and to stories.
There’s a reason they call these islands Europe’s Hawaii. From black-sand beaches to cities with Spanish and Portuguese influences, it always felt to me like it was everything you could want in a vacation destination.
I was told my borrowed horse Luther had just two speeds as we headed out for our sunset ride through El Salobre on the island …
The Tower of Jesus Christ is the last piece of its central tower. The 56-foot-high steel and glass cross was installed in February 2026, extending La Sagrada Familia’s height to 172.5 meters, surpassing Germany’s Ulm Minster (162 meters). That was a key moment in the long, turbulent history of this marvel, designed by Barcelona’s iconic architect Antoni Gaudi.
As Windstar’s shipyard and newbuild teams prepare for the launch of Star Explorer, its second new addition to the fleet in two years, attention now turns to the leadership team responsible for making sure it is ready for its debut. Windstar has announced the slate of officers who will be part of the inaugural season.
And, for insights from a different lens, we read the world’s top travel and lifestyle magazines and websites for insights on how to craft more interesting trips.
Windstar has begun a multi-million-dollar, multi-year refurbishment initiative for Wind Surf, Wind Spirit and Wind Star
It occurred to me, traveling to Malaga to be part of Star Seeker’s weeklong shakedown cruise, that the last time I was so excited about experiencing a new style-for-Windstar voyage was, when, after a handful of sailings on my beloved Wind Surf, I was introduced to Star Legend at its christening.
Imagine that your suite evokes memories of the stately Broadmoor Resort or the lush and sunny vibe of the salt marshes at Sea Island, two …
A christening ceremony to honor a new ship that joins a cruise line’s fleet is always a huge milestone in its maritime heritage. Windstar’s celebration of Star Seeker, which took place in Miami in mid-January, was way more than that.
Last year, we gave each other one holiday gift: a Caribbean cruise that took place over Christmas.
Are you a huge river cruise aficionado looking for some fresh new itineraries that offer tastes of both rivers and oceans?
By the end of the seven days, something else had taken hold. The waiters, bartenders and cabin stewards remembered our names and drink orders, always delivered with an easygoing smile. We started to feel at home.
Editor’s Note: In 2027, the world’s most famous Formula 1 race will be part of Windstar’s Race Day & Riviera Charm: Prix du Monde of …
A solo cruise is an amazing way to travel, whether you’re looking to see the world, get away from it all or meet new people! …
If you’re in the mood to cement your love, these islands, marked by craggy mountains and eye-popping lagoons, are the perfect place for that perfect proposal.
One of the most popular aspects of Windstar’s partnership with the James Beard Foundation is its chef-led culinary cruises.
Now in its 11th season, Windstar’s partnership with the James Beard Foundation for chef-hosted cruises continues with a new lineup.
The six acclaimed chefs — José Garzón, Belinda Bishop, mother-daughter duo Kirsten Dixon and Mandy Dixon, Gabriel Kreuther, and David Uygur — will bring their regional culinary expertise and signature dishes to sea and host market tours on their itineraries.
It’s Saturday morning on our 11-day James Beard Foundation cruise through Portugal, Spain and France. “Shop with the chef” is a complimentary excursion offered, (when possible) on specific itineraries.
We all already know this: Italy is a beautiful country with extensive history and dramatic scenery and yet what keeps us coming back (and we’ve visited both on-land trips and via Windstar cruises from summer to winter) is its culinary and vinophile traditions (among others). Whether the dishes are familiar or not, an Aperol Spritz cocktail, pictured above, simply doesn’t taste the same at home as it does in Taormina!
During 10 years of living on and off in Asia, and traveling constantly around this continent, I developed a passionate relationship with its markets. They fed me, entertained me, surprised me and educated me. In many Asian cities, markets are the best places to get your bearings.
I always thought that all Greek salads were created equal. Our Athens-to-Athens Greek Isles trip aboard Wind Spirit this summer proved me wrong.
And yet, here’s the thing: in the spirit of adventure, would you purposely set out on a cruise where you didn’t know where you were going? Yes!
When Windstar announced last fall that it would be extending its Mediterranean season to year-round (from spring/summer/autumn), the first thing I wondered was this: How would a cruise in November–early March be different from one during the traditional April–October time frame? How would the new timings materially change the experience?
Recently, Chryssi and Steve Zeleny (pictured above), who traveled on Star Pride in the Caribbean last fall, wrote us a letter that we have not been able to forget. We hope you will be as moved by their experience as we all have been at Windstar.
Ocean crossings — most commonly the journeys between Europe and North America each spring and fall as ships reposition for the seasons — are one of the most underrated experiences in travel.
The first Windstar ship I ever experienced was Wind Star in the Caribbean, the 148-passenger sailing ship. The most recent was Star Legend in the …
Out of nine Windstar cruises, our first a honeymoon trip from Rome to Barcelona in November 1999, we’ve experienced eight of them with some combination of our parents and/or kids. Here’s why we love these cruises for multigenerational vacations.
