Today at Fincantieri’s shipyard, in Palermo, Christopher Prelog, Vice President of Fleet Operations for Seattle-based Windstar Cruises, pushed the button which activated the torch to make the first cut in the new steel that will become the newly constructed mid-section of the Star Legend.

This is the second of three new mid-ship sections being designed and constructed as part of Windstar’s $250 Million Star Plus Initiative, to stretch the line’s three Star-class vessels. 

“This is a momentous day for Windstar as we reach another major milestone. A project of this magnitude takes time to realize and unfold,” said Prelog. “We’ve accomplished so much already on the first ship, Star Breeze, along with our partners at Fincantieri, that it makes the excitement for Star Legend that much greater. Today is an especially proud moment for me personally, as Star Legend was the first ship I ever worked on in the cruise industry, two decades ago. She is a beauty and the coming transformations are going to be truly amazing, for our guests and all fans of Windstar to see.”

Andrew Toso, Vice President Ship Repair and Conversion of the Fincantieri Services Division, stated: “As the reference point worldwide for this kind of highly complex operations we are very proud to partner with Windstar for such an ambitious programme, and the milestone we are celebrating today is the best proof possible of our commitment and successful project management we are bringing in.”

The Star Legend is the second of three Star-class vessels that will undergo the transformation from a 212-passenger ship to 312 passengers by installing a new mid section, according to a press release. 

The first Windstar ship to emerge from this transformation, the Star Breeze, will sail from Barcelona to Lisbon on February 20, 2020, and celebrate re-inaugural activities in North America at the Port of Miami on March 19, 2020. The Star Legend will complete her transformation in late June and debut in Barcelona on July 2, 2020. The third and final ship will be complete with the departure of the Star Pride from the shipyard in fall of 2020, with her first cruise sailing from Barcelona on November 20, 2020.

The first mid-ship section insertion for the Star-class ships takes place on Star Breeze in Palermo in mid October.