A lot of us have been avidly following, for over a year now, the construction progress of Windstar’s Star Seeker. The 224-passenger ship is the first newbuild in the Star Class fleet, which accounts for a huge amount of anticipation. And while studying renderings and reading all manner of blogs and social media posts — and listening and watching Windstar’s Winds of Change podcast on the ship’s evolution — has been a fun way to keep abreast of Star Seeker’s progress, you can’t really know what it’s like, or rather what she’s like, until you climb on board.
It occurred to me, traveling to Malaga to be part of Star Seeker’s weeklong shakedown cruise in mid-December, 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 Pride, the first of the three yachts to launch, at its christening. It is one of a trio of nearly identical yachts, acquired from Seabourn, to join the fleet between 2014 – 2015 (Star Breeze and Star Legend are sister vessels). The yacht experience proved to be very different from its Wind-class brethren (Wind Star, Wind Spirit and the aforementioned Wind Surf). And yet, still marvelous, still Windstar. In fact, all of my last half-a-dozen cruises in recent years have been on Star Class vessels, from Tahiti to Iceland to winter in the Mediterranean.
What I learned then is that nothing can change the heart and soul of a Windstar experience, whichever style of ship you choose. And that its crew is warm and authentic, thoughtful and outgoing, efficient and empathetic.
I learned that lesson again in our first few days onboard Star Seeker. It may represent a sleeker, more contemporary Windstar but the inherent warmth and coziness of the line is not bound up in ship hardware or even in its marvelous design. The warm welcome from so many familiar faces, the wonderful exchanges between crew and guests and yes, its officers, too, reminded me that along with new venues and lovely earth-toned suites, a brand-new marina experience, and irresistible, comforting and innovative cuisine, Star Seeker feels just like a Windstar cruise has always been.
On our shakedown cruise along Spain’s Costa del Sol, I’m still finding my sea legs. However, the first and lasting impression from the new Star Seeker is that it’s an evolution of the Windstar experience that I’ve come to love. Yes, there are new touches. Most suites have private balconies. There are more spaces, especially outdoors, for relaxing. I love the ship’s layout, which essentially concentrates public venues on decks 4 and 7. And yet at the end of the day, from my first steps onboard, Star Seeker quickly felt like being at home, on Windstar.
I can’t wait to hear about your experience on Star Seeker (please feel free to elaborate in the comment section below).
In the meantime, here’s what you can expect.
First, some context on the evolution of Star Seeker
When Windstar signed on to expand its fleet with Star Seeker – and Star Explorer, whose construction will be underway in its Portugal shipyard in late April 2026 (the ship debuts in December 2026) – the line took over an expedition ship, in blueprints, that was designed for an expedition line. As we chronicled in our Star Seeker update series of blogs, Windstar then underwent a series of alterations, from literally adapting its hull to incorporate a duck tail that would serve as its marina to tearing down walls and rebuilding to suit the line’s style, such as its top-of-ship Yacht Club.
Amphora gets a new look and more
Amphora, primarily an evening restaurant on Windstar’s other Star Class ships, now adds breakfast and lunch. It offers a combination of buffet and off-the-menu dishes, just as the Veranda does, during the day. At night, just as it is with elegant evenings in Amphora, guests order off-the-menu. One nice touch for this Amphora is its spacious, alfresco dining area.
Star Bar and Grill is a wonderful alfresco dining spot
The Star Bar and Grill, tucked into the pool deck, still offers its blend of buffet and off-the-menu options for breakfast and lunch (I had a delicious “Windstar Reuben” there on a gloriously warm and sunny day while docked in Spain’s Cartagena). There’s also a cooked-to-order menu at lunch, where you can order burgers (both vegetarian and smashed versions are available), salads, chicken, and such.
At night, this atmospheric spot transitions into a reservation-only steakhouse-style restaurant, where its menu is inspired by the Candles venues that are on Star Pride, Star Legend and Star Breeze. We’re trying it a few nights from now; I’ll report back.
Speaking of restaurants, Windstar’s revamped its menus
Having cruised on Star Legend just this past April, I loved seeing the new menus – with both new and established favorites – at each of Star Seeker’s dining venues (and these are also being expanded to the rest of the Star Class fleet). An Asiatic duck in Amphora, with delicate sweet and savory spices, a delicious new smash burger at Star Grill, Amphora and via the in-suite dining menu, and fresh squeezed orange juice in Amphora at breakfast (it’s long since been available at the Yacht Club, but we love that it’s extended to the main dining venue), are some of my favorites of the new tweaks.
Loving Basil + Bamboo
Basil + Bamboo, Windstar’s new restaurant concept that blends Mediterranean with Asian cuisine (“Mediterrasian”), is rolling out throughout the fleet. On Star Seeker, it’s about twice as large (still intimate and cozy, though) as it is on the Star Legend and Star Breeze, and it’s a cheerful, sunny space. On our first visit, standouts started with the most incredible bread and infused-with-avocado butter, a sashimi, nigiri and maki sampler, and crispy brussels sprouts with a Korean honey glaze. What was most fun about trying entrees was how inventive is the blend of the two cuisines: a miso black cod was accompanied by Spanish Iberico ham, and perfectly cooked beef medallions were served with polenta and an Asian ponzu jus (a Japanese-influenced citrus sauce).
One visit isn’t enough; we’re heading back again on this shakedown cruise to try out some of the menu items we missed on the first go-round.
The Yacht Club gets a new assignment
The top-of-the-ship Yacht Club, which on Star Legend, Breeze and Pride is a daytime venue, still offers casual breakfast and lunch grab-and-go (or sit-and-stay) dishes, and of course coffees and teas. On Star Seeker, it’s gotten an evolutionary makeover; popular aspects such as the puzzle table and bookshelves with everything from board games to coffee table tomes, are still part of its personality. From a design perspective, the venue feels very spacious and spread out and of course has the 180-degree expansive views – and a new skylight, which adds even more light to the room.
What’s new is that it’s now extending its hours into the evenings, where from 6 p.m. it transforms into a lovely, low-key cocktail bar (there’s a grand piano for music but it’s definitely more lowkey than the entertainment in the Lounge). The lighting is gorgeous.
Smooth and steady
Having originally been designed for traveling to the wilds of Antarctica and the Arctic, Star Seeker is a very stable ship; even in somewhat-buoyant seas in the Mediterranean, the ride was very smooth.
The most noticeable difference about its suites is that most have balconies
On Star Seeker, there are 112 all-ocean-view suites, most of which have either a private, step-out veranda or a floor to ceiling French balcony, in which the windows slide down halfway. Notably new are the 548-square ft. Horizon Owners’ suites, which are located aft of the ship and have 248-square ft. wrap-around balconies, and separate bedrooms and living and dining spaces.
The 380-square ft. Star Suites are designed with dedicated sleeping and living spaces, bathrooms with separate shower and bathtub, and a balcony that measures 110 square ft.
We love our Vista Veranda, a 268-square-foot suite with a living area, with loveseat, and a deep verandah; these are all located on deck 7 and what’s distinctive about that is that the 55-square ft. balconies have no roof and are open to the sky; perfect for star gazing.
It’s worth noting that bathrooms in the standard categories are absolutely gorgeous, with a teak-like color scheme and the most beautiful, curved mosaic-tiled shower, with both a rain head and body jets.
Bottom Line?
Captain Tom Schofield joined the ship on November 17 when it was a busy shipyard full of workers rushing to get finished. At dinner at Amphora the other night, I asked him: was there one moment when Star Seeker was transformed from a ship under construction to a true Windstar vessel? He didn’t even have to think about his response.
When he got here, he told me, it was a hurly burly construction project, filled with shipyard workers working intensely to get their parts of the newbuild finished. It wasn’t until members of Star Seeker arrived, in early December to train and prepare the ship for guests, that he felt a significant shift in mood. “There was a new, lighter energy with our crew onboard,” he said, noting that the team brought with them smiles and hugs and anticipation about their new Windstar home. “It was at that point that Star Seeker became not just a ship but also a member of the Windstar family.”
