Author name: Carolyn Spencer Brown

Carolyn Spencer Brown has, for the past 20-plus years, been one of the cruise industry’s most knowledgeable journalists, first as a staff writer at The Washington Post and later as a longtime editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic. Over the past two decades she’s traveled on more than 300 cruises on ships big, small and downright tiny. An award-winning editor as well, her cruise stories have appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, Town & Country, and London’s Sunday Times.

From the Shipyard #1: What’s New in the Development of Windstar’s Star Seeker and Star Explorer?

For sure, Windstar’s announcement that it is acquiring two vessels – the 224-guest Star Seeker and Star Explorer, which debut respectively in December 2025 and 2026 – has generated a ton of excitement. We plan to keep you updated with new developments on a regular basis, so keep checking in. And don’t be shy. Please

From the Shipyard #1: What’s New in the Development of Windstar’s Star Seeker and Star Explorer? Read More »

This May Surprise You: Winter Can Be the Most Magical Time to Cruise in the Mediterranean

Visiting Italy, France and Spain onboard Star Legend earlier this year was unexpectedly magnificent. I say unexpectedly because I learned then that this part of the Riviera has, for centuries, been a winter haven for northern Europeans. I get it now. The late winter week was pleasantly cool, I loved the calmer-than-summer ambience, there was

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Windstar Expands its Fleet. Of Course We Have the Inside Scoop

In April, Windstar President Chris Prelog shared a now-official and no-longer-secret announcement of good news: Windstar has acquired two motor-yacht ships, to debut in December 2025 and 2026. The 224-passenger yachts, one of which is new and the other, identical in design, just a few years old, will increase capacity by 33 percent over the

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Windstar’s Partnership with James Beard Foundation, 10 Years Strong, Continues Evolving

For Windstar, celebrating 10 years of its partnership with the New York-based James Beard Foundation®, means it’s spent the last decade not just significantly upgrading the cuisine served onboard its ships, but also introducing travelers to chefs with diverse backgrounds and approaches to food.   

Windstar’s Partnership with James Beard Foundation, 10 Years Strong, Continues Evolving Read More »

Plan Your Port: Greece’s Pátmos

Like many of the islands in Greece’s Dodecanese, a group of 12 islands, Pátmos’ appeal lies in its whitewashed villages infused with lush, ancient olive groves roamed by goats, picturesque tavernas and a series of beautiful sun-drenched beaches. What’s different? This hideaway for famous celebrities and royalty is an intimate place, uncrowded and not yet discovered by larger cruise vessels.

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Intrigued by Ancient Greece? Plan your Cruise Around UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Greece is known for fabulous beaches, quaint villages, great food and thriving cities. But no trip to the Greek Isles is complete without exploring its history as the birthplace of Western civilization some 4,000 years ago. UNESCO includes 19 places in Greece on its list of World Heritage Sites, and many of them are part of our Greek Isles and Adriatic cruise experience.

Intrigued by Ancient Greece? Plan your Cruise Around UNESCO World Heritage Sites Read More »

In Tahiti, Windstar’s Wind Spirit Hands Over the Year-Round Reins to Star Breeze

In a festive celebration tinged with just a hint of sentimentality, Captain Belinda Bennett, who has served at the helm of Wind Spirit throughout its most recent year-round series of seasons in French Polynesia (the ship has served the region for ten years), handed over the ceremonial French Polynesian flag to Star Breeze Captain Terry

In Tahiti, Windstar’s Wind Spirit Hands Over the Year-Round Reins to Star Breeze Read More »

Windstar Cruises’ President Chris Prelog: Where Will the Future Lead Us in Travel?

As Chris Prelog and his team at Windstar Cruises contemplate not just what will be trendy in travel for 2024, they’re also thinking much more longer term. How will travel continue to evolve into the next decade? We had a chance to sit with Chris, president of Windstar Cruises, and talk about a wide-ranging series

Windstar Cruises’ President Chris Prelog: Where Will the Future Lead Us in Travel? Read More »

We Ask, You Answer: What Are Your Travel Goals in 2024?

This mantra came across my Facebook feed, on one of the last days of 2023, and it caught my attention. I don’t necessarily agree that all travel goals need to be focused on absolutely new destinations because there’s a lot to be said for re-engaging with places you’ve already seen, whether it’s in a new

We Ask, You Answer: What Are Your Travel Goals in 2024? Read More »

Have You Seen These Suites, Inspired by The Broadmoor and Sea Island?

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 prominent land-based resorts in America. Actually, there’s no need to imagine. Windstar was inspired to create suite accommodations that mirrored the Colorado and Georgia resorts, sister companies to Windstar, for

Have You Seen These Suites, Inspired by The Broadmoor and Sea Island? Read More »

Our Travel Guide: A Cruise Around Iceland

Iceland is one of my favorite places in the world, and over the past 30 years  I have cruised, explored on land, and combined cruises with land tours. Every time I’ve visited I’ve discovered new surprises, from fabulous cosmopolitan bookshops to Michelin-starred restaurants, and from spectacular sea-snow-mountain vistas to lava rock canyons that you travel

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Windstar Introduces Transformative, Wellness-Themed Voyages in 2025

Debbie Dixon recently returned from a two-week Atlantic crossing on Wind Star and was still feeling the glow from the trip, which she describes as transformative. “It was such a great place to change the dynamic of what cruising is,” she tells me a few days after arriving home. “It’s an opportunity to lean into

Windstar Introduces Transformative, Wellness-Themed Voyages in 2025 Read More »

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