We Set Sail on a Mystery Cruise. What’s That About?

Editor’s Note: Many of the ports we visited on our first-ever Mystery Cruise are new to Windstar; if you’re interested in Calabria’s Reggio Calabria and Puglia’s Taranto, check out Bella Italia itineraries. In Greece, Kalamata is another port that’s new (at least in a decade or two to Windstar). It may be added to new itineraries in future. And Sicily’s Giardini Naxos is already a signature port for the line on Mediterranean sailings. And Windstar has already announced that its second annual Mystery Cruise will take place aboard Star Seeker in the Caribbean, March 20 – 27, 2026.

I don’t know about you but there have certainly been cruises in my experience that have surprised me. You know, like the Windstar voyage a year ago in Tahiti in which a set-up of three cyclones unexpectedly manuevered us on the path to the otherwise undiscovered Marquesas Islands (still one of the most amazing trips of my life). It was an outlier cruise, for sure.

And yet, here’s the thing: in the spirit of adventure, would you purposely set out on a cruise where you didn’t know where you were going? Yes! Windstar’s Star Legend recently hosted the line’s first-ever totally planned “mystery cruise,” starting (April 19 – 27), and we were onboard. All we knew about our voyage was that we were sailing round-trip from Athens. Every other port we were meant to visit in the region was a mystery to all of us who had booked this cruise. Yes, we chose it on purpose, not knowing where we’d be calling. And yes, too: that first Mystery Cruise was born out of the successful Marquesas pivot in 2024.

I love this explanation from a friend who’s a loyal Yacht Club guest: “I think the Mystery Cruise is a terrific idea — only really possible when you have a community of small-ship, and specifically, Windstar fans who are confident in the product and know it will be great, no matter where you go.”

And there’s this, too: I’m excited to reconnect with travelers-now-friends who shared our fabulously unplanned Marquesas’ experience; many of them had signed up for the Mystery Cruise, too. And I looked forward to meeting new, like-minded travelers who travel with a similar spirit of adventure.

Mystery Cruise Recap: Would You Enjoy a Mystery Cruise?

Wherever we went, whatever we wound up doing (even shore excursions were vaguely purposeful, focusing on culinary/wine, recreation, and ancient history without telling us where we’ll be), we were excited to share our adventures with you . See below for a day-by-day recap of the experience and please, add any questions or share your insights in our comments section below ….

As our eight-night voyage from Athens’ Piraeus to all-sorts-of-ports-unknown began to wind down, I began to wish we had even more time to see more new places. There was something freeing about having no real expectations about our destinations, other than knowing that Windstar, would, as it always does, make the experience totally comfortable.

I love to plan trips, don’t get me wrong. It’s a key part of the fun of cruise travel. And if, before our Mystery Cruise, I definitely tried to figure out what our itinerary could be (my bet for one port was Albania’s Sarande, which, alas, didn’t make the cut). Once I got on board I just let it all go. The result? The spontaneity of the itinerary made me relax completely. I hope I’ll see you next year at the 2^nd annual President’s Mystery Cruise, in the Caribbean

Are you wondering if this style of cruise is meant for you?

I’m told that 80 percent of the travelers on this cruise were experienced with Windstar and all knew pretty much what this was about: being open-minded, nimble, and adventurous. The daily “revealing the port” announcements were hotly anticipated.

The last-minute notice of it all, which was the point of the mystery experience, was ameliorated by the fantastic job that was done by Windstar’s shore excursions’ department; Felipe’s nightly port talks were so thorough that you really didn’t need to go down the rabbit hole to do a lot of research. And I loved that the tours – and remember, most of these ports were entirely new to Windstar’s own destinations team – covered major interests, from wine and culinary to history and cultural immersion.

When I signed up, I assumed many of the ports would be focused around Greece and Turkey. That’s partly because we were homeporting in Athens’ port of Piraeus and partly because there are so many relatively undiscovered islands and ports in that region.

The fact that we went, mostly, to Italy instead – particularly the “boot,” of Puglia and Calabria, places I’d never visited – was the biggest surprise-and-delight of the entire cruise.

And if you prefer a bit more structure, then stick with any of Windstar’s itineraries in the regions you prefer to visit.

A few learnings from the Mystery Cruise:

Cities by and large were nice diversions with the occasional museum and cathedral (or gelato shop) worth checking out, but for connections with life here in this region, the tours outside of town were more layered and gave a deeper sense of connection. I’ll call out, in particular, the winery tour and tasting outside of Taranto. Learning about life in Puglia, strolling through the vineyard and gardens, meeting Ciccio, the owner’s goofy, lovable dog, and sampling really delicious wines along with a groaning buffet of local food, was a great introduction to the region (and to our fellow travelers; nothing is more connecting than wine and food)!

If there was a bit of Grecian influence in our starting and ending ports (Kalamata as well as Athens and Piraeus), the biggest and most fascinating history lesson was that our ports in Italy were all originally settled by Greeks before the Romans conquered them. What a cool way to learn about the ties that connect Greece and Italy (and history abounds if you want to learn more on the ground, whether it’s the archeological museums in Reggio Calabria and Taranto or the awe-inspiring Greco-Roman theater in Taormina). And here’s a tip: Both Reggio Calabria and Taranto have now been added to new Mediterranean itineraries in 2026, so you can also experience them then.

The 80 percent of us who had traveled on Windstar previously loved the mystery of the destinations, but we also appreciated that onboard traditions (the deck barbecue, superb cuisine, entertainment institutions like the crew show and the newer, and equally fabulous, crew/guest line dancing activity) were all just as they should be. There was enough downtime that you could enjoy the spa, the pool, the ship’s marina, and the whirlpools. And Windstar also extended other traditions, like an on-land destination discovery event, and inviting local culture groups from our ports to perform on our ship.

Having debarked from Piraeus to spend one more day and night in Athens, I went for a sunset dinner at a rooftop restaurant with the stately and majestic view of the Parthenon and Acropolis. It seems like the vista you should have on your last night. And yet, that evening, I asked for a table with a view of the sea, instead. In the shimmering distance, I searched for any glimpse of Star Legend, now heading back out into the Mediterranean Sea, on a new cruise, with mostly new guests. I felt the heartstrings of the ship tugging on my heart and pulling me along.

That’s the way it should be.

Day Six: Melding Greece with Italy in Reggio Calabria

Before we set out on our mystery cruise, the titles for each day’s port of call were fanciful and whimsical (Taranto, for one, was listed as “maybe on an island, who knows?”), which made me smile.  On this day, our visit to the mystery port was described as “a place you’ve never been” and, indeed, Reggio Calabria was a new destination for almost all of us.

This being Windstar’s first-ever call at this rather off-the-track city of 180,000 or so, we were passionately embraced, both personally and symbolically, by the community here, which was so excited to welcome a cruise ship.

Both Puglia’s Taranto and Calabria’s Reggio are located in Italy’s boot; the former is part of the heel, while our port today is in the toe, a short hop (three miles) to Sicily’s city of Messina, via the Strait of Messina.

Why Magna Grecia Matters!

Our mystery cruise has taken such an interesting twist, which perhaps is the point of a mystery cruise. Though our Athens-based itinerary has focused, at least until now, on Italian ports, we’re learning that they are part of what’s called Magna Grecia. That’s a term for cities and towns in Italy that were originally settled by Greeks. “Between the 8th and 5th centuries BC, Greek settlers founded numerous colonies on the coasts of modern-day Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata, Campania and Sicily,” I learned from Holiday in Italy, an online travel guide.

“These cities became cultural and economic centers where Greek language, philosophy, architecture and political structures flourished. Their influence was so significant that it even spilled over into later Roman culture and continues to have an impact in southern Italy to this day.”

You can spend a very pleasant day here in Reggio Calabria just strolling along the seaside promenade with its views of Sicily’s mountains, and maybe even Mt. Etna on a clear day. You can stroll along Corso Garibaldi, its pedestrian-only shopping street (if you wonder why the town seems more modern than most in southern Italy it’s because of devastating earthquakes in the 18^th and 19^th centuries; much of it has been rebuilt). You can queue up for freshly-made gelato at Cesare’s, which dates back to 1918, and is a Reggio Calabria institution.

And yet, if you don’t make it to Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia (the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria) you will miss a big part of what makes this place a special experience. It’s best known for its display of Riace bronzes, sculptures of a pair of warriors. These, approximately created in the time of 5 B.C., were found – the story’s got a lot of mystery to it – by a snorkeler off the coast here in 1972. The discovery was significant because many statues from that era had been melted down and there were few remnants. No one knows how the Riace sculptures wound up in the sea for so many centuries (there’s no remnant of a major ship sinking in the region). And the sea helped save them.

Upon their accidental discovery, they were transported and preserved and finally established at the museum, where the experience of visiting the exhibit is as mysterious as every other part of the story. To visit the bronzes, we spent a few minutes in a decontamination sort-of process (you’re in an enclosed room but don’t smell or notice anything unusual) before being ushered into the gallery, which is a designed as a micro-climate room that’s set on top of an anti-seismic platform.

The biggest takeaway? How lifelike they are. These two naked warriors have bodies that are sculptured with such perfect details, from their veins to beards to muscles.

One last note: It’s tempting to hone-in on just the star-of-the-show Riace bronzes when visiting the museum, but I’d encourage you to take some time to learn about life in ancient Reggio and the surrounding area, as laid out with remnants from villages and stories about their lives, on its upper floors. I came out of a rather leisurely stroll through its galleries with a newfound respect about one of most intriguing aspects of life, ancient or otherwise: People never really do change — even over centuries!

Our Destination Discovery event:

The Calabrian countryside, with its villages, mountain ranges, and gorgeous beaches lining the sea and strait, is another perspective on our visit here. We got to glimpse that at tonight’s Destination Discovery event held at Altafiumara, a hilltop resort overlooking the sea. The ambience, accompanied by a tasting event of regional specialties, a folkloric performance, a three-course dinner with local wines, and a surprise fireworks show, added a surprise pop to our first visit to this relatively undiscovered region.

We’ll be back, as will Windstar, which has added Reggio Calabria to future itineraries beyond the Mystery Cruise.

Day Five: Giardini Naxos, Sicily’s Jumping Off Port for Taormina

Our call today at Sicily’s Giardini Naxos was almost as big of a surprise to Windstar’s expedition team as it was to those of us on the mystery cruise! That’s because, in light of the closing of the Corinth Canal at the very beginning of our trip, the itinerary, which was carefully curated and planned, needed to pivot. The original plan: A visit to the island of Lipari and a sunset BBQ out on deck as we cruised past the Stromboli volcano. Pretty amazing, right?

And yet Giardini Naxos, a small beach resort town about 20 minutes from the globally fashionable Taormina, proved a delightful successor. One big advantage? It was the only port where we were at anchor, which meant that Star Legend opened its fantastic marina for the afternoon.

A hilltop town overlooking the Mediterranean

Built into Mt. Tauro, Taormina, while not even remotely undiscovered, was the most glistening city on our Mystery Cruise tour of southern Italy. There are 16 Michelin-starred restaurants in and around the town. Shopping is decadent; you’ll find global brands Dior and Louis Vuitton, glorious Italian design retailers such as Lora Piana and Coccinelle, and my favorite of all, Ortigia, the Sicily-based perfumery whose scents, orange, sandalwood and bergamot, are inspired by the countryside around us. A pal scored a beautiful Ferragamo handbag and she tells me that in Santorini “the Italian purveyors offer bags here that you can’t find in the U.S.” And she adds another helpful tip: “When you show them your U.S. passport, they remove the tax, refund it to your credit card, and you don’t have to wait in line at the airport to get your tax money back. It’s done automatically.”

I encourage you to also absorb some of Taormina’s ancient history, dating back to its creation in 6 BC by the Greeks (yet another spot on our fantastic south-of-Italy-focused itinerary that has Greek roots). Of course, the best place to do that is in the ruins of the Teatro Greco, its amphitheater, that is still in use today as an alfresco theater. Certainly it would be awesome to take in a performance in this magical setting but it’s also fun to simply wander around the grounds, admire the views over the Mediterranean, and imagine Teatro Greco in its ancient glory.

Also leave a little time for small moments that convert into magical ones. After quite a hike around Teatro Greco, I discovered, just down the street, a patisserie that was filled with men arguing, lazily, over cigarettes, red wine and sweets (at 10:30 on a weekday morning). I sat a corner table, drank a fresh-squeezed orange juice, and watched the scenes unfold, including a very grand funeral procession that passed right on by.

Back at Giardini Naxos

There’s truly not too much to do here in our port town and that’s part of its charm. I discovered a small, upmarket grocery where I picked up some favorite European snacks (inexplicably I only crave Oreos in Italy). I wandered along the winding pathway that fronted the curving beach.

And finally I wound up in what seemed to be the only open café in town on our off-season visit. Grab a table on its seaside platform, whose shape was inspired by the bow of a ship, and order from its large selection of gelati and pastries.  I savored a simple snack – Amarena (cherry) gelato, a complimentary bowl of potato chips and a glass of Sicilian rose. It was another of those wonderful small moments that have made this journey so invigorating.

And we’re not quite done yet

It was hard to believe that Giardini Naxos wasn’t the absolute first choice port for Windstar’s signature on deck barbecue. As sunset approached, the views of its green, cactus-studded hills and Taormina shimmering above us, felt like we were in another world. Which of course, on this day, we were.

Tomorrow’s port: Can you guess?  

“This port is another first for Windstar. This city is the birthplace of a famous fashion designer…and its treasures include ancient bronze warriors.”

Day Four: Our Mystery Cruise Introduces Us to Puglia’s Taranto

You know that when your tour guide/winery owner, the visionary behind Campi Deantera,  introduces himself by saying that he created his winery out of a mid-life crisis, that it’s going to be an interesting tour. And it most definitely opened hearts and minds on so many levels.

One of a handful of shore excursion options Windstar offered from Taranto, a first-ever port visit for the line (it will be part of new itineraries focusing on southern Italian ports) what was fun, sure, was tasting his wines. And yet, even more fascinating was his story: Mauro Di Maggio had run a big wine-making conglomerate in Puglia and decided he wanted to abandon the administrative life of a CEO and get back into the business of simply making wine. To do that, he bought back his family’s one-time palazzo, about 20 minutes outside the Ionian Sea’s Taranto, and ultimately combined that with another vineyard estate just across the peninsula, on the Adriatic coast. 

While touring the garden and vineyard itself, where the bitter and also sweet smell of oranges ripening on trees was an aphrodisiac about rediscovering life outside the rules, he shared his journey and his struggles and his optimism about transformation. In doing so, he gave us an experience so much more broadening than simply tasting a few different styles of wine (the wine was delicious, by the way, and a bottle of Campi Deantera’s rose is currently sitting in my mini fridge). 

In his candor, he connected us – who doesn’t have a journey to share – into a world both familiar and exotic. “We think there is still something to tell about our landscape,” we learned there, “with the ideas, words, stories and scents of those who, aware of their roots, are able to imagine new horizons.”

This was our introduction to Puglia, and Taranto. 

Creating magic out of total trust:

Our visit to Taranto (my first time in Puglia), just the kind of place unfamiliar to me, was exactly what I hoped for when I signed up for Windstar’s first-ever Mystery Cruise. The city itself, home to 200,000 residents, has its charms. It’s a mélange of Greek and Roman civilizations with a strong dose of contemporary Italian lifestyles. Its economy is driven more by maritime trade (it’s home to the largest naval base in Italy) and fishing and agriculture than it is by tourism. 

On our long day (and into the evening) port call here, friends, both established from other Windstar cruises and new ones, shared different experiences. Some simply ambled into Taranto, a nice mid-sized city, to admire its churches, its National Archeological Museum (MArTA), and the Aragonese Castle, with its Italian renaissance architectural style. It’s got a broad, pedestrian-only boulevard, lined with shops and cafes, that offer a low-key glimpse into an Italian city not yet defined by tourism. 

And yet, according to Emiko Davies, an Australian-Japanese food writer, photographer and cookbook author who has been based in Tuscany for the past few decades (and whose cookbooks sit on a shelf in my own kitchen), “Taranto isn’t the first place people tend to visit when they arrive in Puglia in search of white washed towns, crystalline beaches and abundant good food (though the first two are close and latter there is definitely no shortage of). It’s a bit rough around the edges (a true port city is) with a crumbling, half-abandoned old town, a history of corruption and Ilva, the largest steelworks in Europe, polluting the otherwise charming skyline.”

Indeed. 

Over dinner last night, a lot of us compared notes on the experience in this mysterious port, primarily because it was an absolute discovery to just about everyone. It brought home that the concept of a mystery cruise has, in Windstar’s telling, encouraged us to broaden our boundaries in a way that feels both adventurous and safe. 

And one more thing:

On our first true Mystery Cruise port, before we even set out to explore Taranto, there was word of a special event: an 11 a.m. folkloric performance onboard by a group called Terra Ross. It was the usual effort that cruise lines make – or so I thought – to bring a bit of historic culture onboard for a show. What stood out about this one? It certainly celebrated the region’s art of music and dance but with a couple of extra oomphs. First, they performed the Tarantela, which is a nod to tradition, and that tradition is marked by a flirtatious energy and choreography. Definitely alluring. What else? We were all encouraged to dance along with them, to make up our own versions of the Taranetela, to absorb the sensual elegance of the music (which seemed to have a Celtic mood to it, in my mind, though when I asked them about that they were fairly puzzled).

That morning effort presaged what made Taranto – and its status as one of Windstar’s Mystery Cruise destinations – such a rewarding port experience. Why? Because all day it was all about helping us to forge our own connections with a new place. Isn’t that what travel should be?

Tomorrow’s Mystery Cruise port is not necessarily as off-the-grid as Taranto has been, and yet I’m looking forward to reconnecting with Taormina (and Giardini Naxos, the Greek/Sicilian resort town where we’ll anchor). Both are places I know from surface visits. I’m certain I’ll learn something new there, too. 

Day Three: We Relax Aboard Star Legend

“In a world of many possibilities, maybe the greatest opportunity of all is trusting travel on a whole new level.” –Teijo Niemela

As I’ve been posting updates on the blog on various social media platforms, I’ve really appreciated your suggestions for mystery ports and comments. The quote above, which appeared in the comments on Windstar Cruises’ Official Yacht Club Members page, from a traveler who’s not on our trip but following it, really moved me. It absolutely nails why this experience has already been special. The atmosphere onboard is joyful, open-hearted, lighthearted. The “mystery” of our ports has brought passengers together in a way that I haven’t experienced on a cruise (since, perhaps, the Marquesas trip).

Meanwhile, because of the Corinth Canal disruption, today is an unexpected day at sea since Star Legend is headed from Piraeus back to the Ionian Sea – the long way. We’re on the way to Taranto, with the craggy landscapes of various Greek Islands on our starboard side for most of the day.

It has been a beautiful, relaxing sea day, and I’m resting up for the exciting adventures that start tomorrow in Taranto, in Italy’s Puglia. And, in the meantime, we’ve learned about our next port; on Wednesday, Star Legend calls at Sicily’s Giardini Naxos. To me, it’s the jumping-off point for Taormina, Italy’s St. Tropez. But there’s so much more….

Day two: we spend the day provisioning in Pireaus before heading to our first Mystery Cruise port

The big event of tonight’s 6 p.m. pool deck cocktail gathering is this: it’s the reveal of our first clue to our first mystery port. Clearly, no one wanted to miss this, and the deck pulsed with energy, excitement and anticipation. To get into the spirit of things, we raise the specially-designed President’s Mystery Cruise flag.

Now mind you, each day this cruise, starting this morning, we’ll receive a card that offers some hints and tips for the next port. On this first call, the tips were both specific (“an ancient city boasts a bridge that swings, a castle stands guard and a history that dates to the Spartans) and vague (“known for a rich maritime heritage). Most bets I heard were centered on Greece’s Lefkada.   

Windstar’s itinerary gurus weren’t going to make it easy for us.

Which was half the fun.

The announcement: we’re going to Italy’s Taranto. Where’s that?

“Do you know the actor Quentin Tarantino?” said Captain Pinto, proffering a sealed envelope containing the name of the port. “How’s this for a clue for the next port?”  At that point, fellow mystery travelers were looking around, as if to communally ask, “but Tarantino is not Greek, is he? Isn’t he Italian?” Indeed. “Our next port is in Italy,” the Captain said, “and it’s called Taranto.” (Also known as Tarantino and also Tarantula, and indeed, the actor’s family’s original home).

At that moment, there were cheers and clapping, possibly because everyone is excited to be going to Italy.  (“Toronto, did I hear right?” said a lady behind me; that would have been quite the journey). Also, the enthusiasm was high because it was such a new place for most of us and that kind of discovery is what has driven so much interest in Windstar’s Mystery Cruise.

Then the Captain quipped that in ten minutes the shore excursion briefing would begin, once Felipe, Star Legend’s destination manager, had a chance to Google Taranto so he could tell us more about it (I’d guess though, since Felipe’s presentation was as on-point and compelling as the usual Windstar port talk, he’d had a little bit of warning).

What do you need to know about Taranto?

In a quick sketch – we’ll have more information for you after our visit — Felipe shared with us that Taranto, located in Italy’s Puglia (the boot), dates back to the Spartans in 8^th century B.C. Located on the Ionian Sea, it’s got the Ponte Girevole, a swing bridge that traverses two bays, the Aragon Castle and an old city with Greek ruins. Tour options that go beyond Taranto include adventures in wine tasting, a trip to Ostuni “the white lady,” a white-washed village, and another foray to the wilderness outside the city. For food enthusiasts, its cuisine is driven by fresh seafood, especially “cozze alla taratina,” which is fresh mussels with spices and tomatoes.

Our Mystery Cruise, in just a few days, has been a long and winding road. Windstar President Chris Prelog shares some pretty quirky details.

Part of the presentation of our first port was a colorful chat with President Chris Prelog about what inspired the Mystery Cruise in the first place – and insights on the challenges posed by the abrupt scrubbing of the time-saving Corinth Canal (which affected the most recent cruise’s return to Piraeus, and our own sail-away to the Ionian Sea).

Our day (and night) in Piraeus:

It being Easter Sunday, when just about everything but churches was closed (and even church doors were locked after the service ended), many travelers rambled around the port of Piraeus or enjoyed a “sea day” with perfect weather to lounge by the pool. We loved the moody sunset over mountains. Dinner at Cuadro 44, Star Legend’s Spanish-focused restaurant, was just as delicious as usual.

After Taranto, where do we go next?

Day one, departure day: we head out from Athens. And Windstar’s Mystery Cruise is already surprising us

Many of us have arrived a day or two early in Athens, leading up to our Mystery Cruise, to indulge in a little bit of the predictable: a night or two at a lovely hotel (in our case, the St. George at Lycabettus, located in the delightful downtown neighborhood of Kolonaki. It’s the kind of neighborhood that’s so close to Athens’ city center that you are photobombed at every turn by the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

All has gone just as planned, which, to be honest for someone who’s so totally embracing the concept of a mysterious travel experience in which nothing is as it seems, feels a bit predictable. Mind you, I am not saying dull.

However, “predictable” didn’t last long. Today, Saturday, our embarkation day, we all had a planned half day to explore various bits and pieces of Athens before boarding a transfer for the short drive to the port city of Piraeus. And yet, last night at the St. George, we learned of a little shake-up. Star Legend, just finishing up its Istanbul to Piraeus (Athens) voyage, was delayed.

“In a true twist worthy of our journey,” Windstar tells us in an email, “the Corinth Canal is unexpectedly closed today, April 18^th, forcing Star Legend to make a detour. But never fear, the adventure is still very much on! Tomorrow’s embarkation will now take place in Greece’s Katakolon instead of the original embarkation in Piraeus, Greece.”

Essentially, the last night of the last cruise was meant to be a short hop from Greece’s west coast to Athens, on the east, especially facilitated by the narrow and craggy Corinth Canal (pictured in the hero image, above). It connects the Ionian Sea to the Aegean, which funnels cruise ships into Piraeus. It cuts hours off the journey (sort of like how the Panama Canal means that vessels don’t have to cruise around South America’s Cape Horn). The fact that the water levels are suddenly too low to allow even a yacht style ship like Star Legend, one of the few small ships in cruise that can even transit here, is so unusual it was a wow moment (and we imagine it was a super-turbo-charged wow moment for the captain and his navigation team, too).

In our case, we boarded motorcoaches at our hotel for a four-hour, scenic ride to catch our ship, where the highlight was not crossing the Corinth Canal from within but riding above it (and a great stop there to admire it). As I’d expect from Windstar, the motorcoaches were first rate; there were phone chargers, electric outlets, multiple bottles of water, and even two stops at highway-side cafes that sold things like fresh squeezed orange juice and soulfully deep espressos.

If today didn’t roll out quite as expected, we got here to Star Legend. We were welcomed with warm greetings and even hugs by those crew members we’d sailed with before, just as always. And we enjoyed our traditional raise-the-flag Star Legend sailaway.

What’s Next? A little while later, our captain came onto the intercom to share the reveal of the first port of our Mystery Cruise. “We are going to Piraeus, for Athens,” he says – acknowledging that that’s precisely  where we had come from earlier in the day.

We had come this far to return to our original homeport. This Mystery Cruise started out with a mystery, involving the redeployment because of the Corinth Canal closing, that none of us could possibly have anticipated.

The gift of this first mystery port? Having been to Piraeus so many times, I booked myself a massage treatment in Windstar’s World Spa.

And if the Mystery Cruise is having fun with us a bit earlier than we anticipated, we’re strong. We’ll take anything karma wants to test us with. Bring it on. After all, Windstar’s totally-planned first-ever Mystery Cruise was billed as anything but predictable. We’re okay with that.

Tomorrow’s Teaser: Each night, a teaser card is delivered to our suites that gives us some clue to where we will be visiting next — and provides some colorful details. Can you guess where we’re going after our sea day on Monday?