More and more, when travelers begin to invest, first in planning a trip and then by taking it, they’re wanting to spend more time in the places they’re going to. In fact, longer trips to long-haul destinations is a big trend in 2025.
In a trends report published by Zicasso Travel, we’re told that “demand spans all traveler types — from families and couples to solo travelers and multigenerational groups — highlighting the need for adaptable, personalized itineraries that cater to diverse interests within single trips.”
What if, says Janet Bava, Windstar’s chief commercial officer, “a week just isn’t long enough?”
Indeed, even Windstar-loyal travelers tell us that they’re more frequently planning trips on the back of trips. In a recent blog post on ocean crossings, Brooke Harwood told us that the actual voyage was just one aspect of the trip: On a sailing from Lisbon, he and his wife, Trish, first traveled around northern Portugal, including Porto, Fatima, Coimbra and the Douro Valley. “We actually spent a few days in Barcelona, sailed Wind Surf from there to Lisbon, did 10 days of touring in northern Portugal and Lisbon, then boarded Legend for the crossing,” Harwood says.
That’s just why Windstar’s created a Star Collector series of voyages that offer value, breadth of regional exploring, and lots of perks. Essentially, a designated Star Collector voyage combines two (or more) itineraries for a 13-plus day trip. And there’s this: “We only make something a Star Collector if there’s minimal overlap,” says Jess Peterson, Windstar’s director of destination experience & itinerary planning.
If you’re considering stretching your vacation with a Star Collector package, here are our three key things to know.
These are not simply back-to-back cruises with a new name
While back-to-back cruises, in which travelers simply book two sailings in a row, are always a popular option, Star Collector is a bit different. The designation means that the back-to-back extended sailings are still two or more in a row — but these are specially designed to eliminate repeating the same ports (aside from a turnaround city).
So for instance, the Star Collector Adriatic Old Towns and Aegean from Venice to Athens, a 17-day trip, is a seamless blend of two quite distinctive regions of the Mediterranean. The only repeating port is Athens, where the ship turns around at the end of each sailing.
Onboard Star Legend in the Mediterranean in January, I was sailing on my usual seven-day itinerary, and I couldn’t get over how many other travelers were staying on, as part of Star Collector, for not just another cruise but a third. One night’s dining companions traveled, as I did, from Venice to Rome, went on from Rome to Barcelona, and then cruised southern Spain. Every itinerary was distinctly different.
Star Collector offers exclusive perks and benefits that you don’t get with back-to-backs
On that same voyage, the perk that people bubbled about the most was the free, daily laundry — a symbolic sign of the indulgence of a true vacation.
Where can you go with Star Collector?
How does Asia, the Caribbean, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe sound? Personally, the next one on my wish list is a 21-day Star Collector trip that combines the best of Tahiti with a run to the remote Marquesas. Or maybe it’s an Alaska to Asia voyage. After all, you’ve traveled all this way to see some of the most iconic places in the world.. Why not stay longer?
