Sailing aboard our boutique Star Legend is like having your own private yacht and very soon this small ship is heading for Arabia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia in a BIG way.
Windstar’s Asia and Arabia cruises offer larger-than-life adventures and exceptional experiences only possible on a small ship. Choose from 31 exciting voyages that can be combined with 2 incredible land tours for the ultimate Asian experience. The elegant, all-suite yacht Star Legend embarks just 212 guests with sailings from November through April, we’ve even added five back-to-back combination cruises with the new Star Collector Voyages, sail anywhere from 10 days to weeks on end.
Star Legend will proudly sail into the hub of must-see Asian cities on ancient trade routes visiting out-of-the-way islands and charming harbors that big ships skip or dock at the far outskirts. Itineraries are carefully crafted with scenic cruising and active exploration in mind.
And since you are traveling all that way, why not start on or cap off an exotic cruise with an immersive land tour? Simply choose your favorite Asian cities and let the Windstar team whisk you off on a vacation of a lifetime.
The new itineraries span cosmopolitan marvels like Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo but also explore the smaller ports and villages, unspoiled islands, and exotic shores of Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Borneo and the Philippines. Land tours offer epic adventures to Thailand’s Angkor Wat, Japan’s Golden Pavilion and China’s “Forbidden City.”
Planning the perfect voyage for our guests is a passion. Our team is thrilled to introduce a remarkably diverse collection of cruises and land tours to Asia and Arabia. Our guests will experience firsthand the wonderful people and compelling cultures of this incredible region, all in Windstar’s true small ship style, that is intimate and inviting. We create bespoke travel experiences that I call — destination authenticity.
~ Windstar President John Delaney
New Land Tours Extend The Journey
On the cruise, your ship may anchor by day at hidden harbors and tropical islands of the South China Sea where cruisers swim, snorkel, water ski, and stand-up paddle board right from the ship’s Watersports Platform. By night, guests gaze at star-filled skies from the unique Open Bridge, learning from the Captain where their yacht will navigate next. Adventures include sailing the majestic Yangtze River, “selfies” set off by glimmering skylines, tasting authentic Asian cuisine, chasing Japanese cherry blossoms, and kayaking amidst towering limestone pillars in Halong Bay.
On land, before or after your cruise, guests will embark upon a journey that allows them to enjoy a wider range of locales on land with new pre- and post-cruise Asia land tours.
Angkor Wat Land Tour
Uniting land and sea is the Angkor Wat Land Tour to/from Bangkok with four pre- and post- cruise options on Windstar. Over the course of three days on land, guests will have the chance to marvel over the impressive architecture of religious temples, predominantly Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here guests, who wish, will be driven in the wee hours of the morning to witness a breath-taking sunrise over this Seventh Wonder of the World. A visit to Wat Atvea Pagoda, located in the Angkor Archeological Park, is also included where there will be an opportunity to meet monks and receive a traditional Khmer Water Blessing from them.
Similarly, Windstar is offering the Angkor Wat Land Tour to/from Singapore with pre- and post- cruise options on eleven different sail dates/itineraries.
Beijing and Xian Land Tour
The Beijing and Xian Land Tour can be experienced as a pre- or post-cruise option on three of Windstar’s Asia cruises, with a three-day land journey that begins in Beijing at the Temple of Heaven, providing an authentic look into local city life. From there, the “Forbidden City” will present visitors with some of the best-preserved pieces of classical Chinese architecture before they head to Tiananmen Square, home to Chairman Mao’s remains. No holiday in China is complete without sampling the flavorful, local cuisine, so guests will be taken to a famous Peking duck restaurant in Beijing. Guests will also experience the Great Wall before flying to Xian to encounter the Terracotta Warriors and visit the old city.
Kyoto/Osaka Land Tour
The Kyoto/Osaka Land Tour is a three-day option pre- or post-cruise on Windstar’s Grand Japan. Highlights include Osaka Castle, the UNESCO Site of Nijo Castle and Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion and aptly named because the walls and eaves are covered in shimmering gold leaf.
When You Go
Windstar’s destination-centric Asian itineraries offer a choice of departure dates this winter and spring including a round trip Singapore cruise to Malaysia and Thailand; cruises between Singapore and Hong Kong via Malaysian Borneo, Brunei and the Philippines; two Hong Kong to Bangkok (or reverse) cruises via Vietnam; one Hong Kong to Beijing cruise via Taiwan, islands of Japan and mainland China; a Beijing to Tokyo sailing via South Korea; and two Tokyo to Osaka (or reverse) cruises. Guests can combine cruises for an extended voyage of up to 56 days.
For additional information on private yacht-style cruising with Windstar, contact a travel professional or Windstar Cruises by phone at 877-958-7718, or visit www.windstarcruises.com.
