When a cruise line builds a new ship, one of the most magical maritime traditions is that of its float out. Why magical? If you’ve followed along with us in our Star Seeker-focused series of “From the Shipyard” blogs, where the vessel has been under construction in a massive (dry) dock, you’ll probably figure this out pretty quickly: The float out is when that dry dock is filled with seawater — and, per its name, the ship is now seaworthy.
John Gunner, Windstar’s vice president of expansion projects, who has been guiding us on our Star Seeker blog coverage, explains why this development is special. “Seeing a ship come together and be at the point where she leaves dry dock for the sea is a memorable milestone in the life of a new build project.”
He was on hand last week at the ceremony at WestSEA Shipyard in Portugal’s Viana do Castelo, where he’s worked closely with Mario Ferreira, owner of Mystic Invest, which partners with the shipyard, to transform Star Seeker from a dream to a reality. The intimate celebration, while typically much more low-key than, say, a ship’s christening, featured remarks by Gunner. “I am very grateful for this opportunity to be involved in creating a new ship for Windstar,” he says, “and thankful for Mario’s passion and vision for ships which helped guide us to this momentous event today — the float out of a new, beautiful ship for Windstar.”
And a float out means one more thing: Now that the ship’s exterior is completed, attention has already turned to building out its interiors which of course, ultimately, will also come to life (check out our last report from Star Seeker, which features a look at several venues onboard).
What’s It Really Like to Experience a Float Out?
Wonderful news, all of this. But what I really wanted to know was what it’s like to be there, in Portugal, watching as a construction project that builds block-by-block transforms into a stately cruise ship?
I caught John as he was heading home from Portugal to California. As it turns out, it’s not all glamour and the experience he shares really gives you an inside look at this stage of building a vessel. “The float out was supposed to be earlier and I had to take two trips, because the first visit, due to some work going on in the maintenance dock, needed to be canceled. I headed back home, and then flew out again to Portugal for the rescheduled ceremony.”
This is a cool backstory: In an unusual set-up in this particular shipyard, the ship’s drydock is where for months on end she sits on blocks, next to what’s called a maintenance dock. That sea-adjacent dock is used for repair jobs, and ships come and go. For Star Seeker’s float out, shipyard workers had to wait until the maintenance dock was empty. Then they had to fill both docks with sea water.
“We started at Friday at 4 p.m.,” he tells me, “and filled the dock until Star Seeker was floating. There were no leaks. Around about 10 p.m. after moving her to the maintenance dock, we went to our hotel to sleep. And then at 6 a.m. the next day, we took the plug out of the maintenance dock and she floated out to sea.
“That moment when she floats out to sea always gives me chills. She doesn’t have any propulsion systems operational, and we can’t align the shafts until the ship is on the water.”
Star Seeker was then moved, via tugboats, to a temporary dock.
What Happens Next?
What’s next for Star Seeker? Gunner tells me that shipyard crews are already working on the final steel work on the upper decks, building the new suites. In about a week, Star Seeker will head back to the maintenance dock, which will then be drained of sea water. Star Seeker will stand on the blocks, and her underwater hull will be fully painted.
Once the underwater hull is painted with her final coat, they’ll flood the dock and refloat the ship again, to an outfitting dock. She’ll be completely painted white, so within the coming weeks Star Seeker will look, at least from the outside, much more like a cruise ship.
Star Seeker will enter service in December of 2025, sailing from Málaga, Spain, to Miami, where Windstar is headquartered and where the ship’s christening ceremony will take place in January of 2026. Star Seeker will then sail its first voyage in the Caribbean and offer more cruises in the region before heading up the West Coast of the United States to Alaska for a full season of summer cruises. From there, the ship will sail to Asia, bringing back the line’s popular Around Japan itineraries.
The 224-guest Star Seeker will have five dining options, including Amphora and Star Grill (both with alfresco seating), a new (no fee) alternative restaurant, and room service. There will be a full-service spa, fitness facility, infinity pool and Windstar’s signature watersports platform. Its hull will be ice-strengthened, which gives the vessel more flexibility in terms of itinerary development. With an eye toward minimizing its environmental footprint and emphasizing Windstar’s commitment to sustainability, Star Seeker will operate with Tier III NOx-rated Rolls Royce engines and has the ability to connect to shore power, minimizing port emissions. Other technological enhancements include an advanced wastewater treatment system.
Star Explorer, its sister ship, will debut a year later in December 2026.
