Windstar Cruises is expanding its fleet with two new ships.
Starting in late 2025, the company is set to receive two vessels from Mystic Cruises.
Renamed Star Explorer and Star Seeker, the 9,300-ton vessels are joining Windstar Cruises’ six-ship fleet after undergoing major conversions.
“These new ships allow Windstar not only to grow, but to go back to favorite destinations that we’ve been to before and explore new destinations,” Chris Prelog, president, said during a press conference in Miami, adding that the new vessels will deliver “amazing opportunities” for the company.
While itineraries have not yet been finalized, one of the new ships is expected to take over the itineraries currently being offered by the Wind Star.
Joining the Star Breeze, the sailing ship is scheduled to sail in Tahiti and French Polynesia starting in 2027.
Although the new vessels have ice-strengthened hulls, Windstar does not have plans to deploy them in polar regions, Prelog said.
“We are doing more ‘soft exploration,’ which could be Alaska, Greenland or Norway but I don’t think we’ll go to the poles. We are, after all, a cruise company,” he explained.
The new ships are “perfectly sized” for Windstar, he added, and primarily feature balcony cabins, along with staterooms with infinity windows.
The vessels will also offer a marina and alternative dining options, as well as enhanced public areas and features, he noted.
The marina will be added to the stern of the ships and will be accessed through the deck above, Prelog said, while a helideck is set to be converted into additional guest space.
“It will be replaced with two big owner’s suites and balcony cabins as well,” he explained, adding that Windstar is also changing the general arrangement of the pool decks on the vessels.
With the addition of the new cabins, the fleet’s capacity for Windstar expected to increase by approximately 30 percent, reaching 224 guests.
“We are also changing the bow, where we’ll have a forward jacuzzi, which can also be found on our Star Class ships,” Prelog said.
To “really make them Windstar ships,” the company is adding an expanded spa and specialty dining options.
Among the dining venues being introduced are a main dining room and the Star Grill, in addition to a yet-to-be-determined specialty restaurant.
While the Star Seeker is set to sail from its building shipyard with Windstar modifications, the Star Explorer is set to undergo a refit to add the new features.
According to Prelog, the work will take place before the ship’s inaugural cruise at the WestSea shipyard in Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
The conversion will not incur any costs for Windstar as it is included in the company’s deal with Mystic, he explained.
“We’ve been wanting to grow Windstar and its fleet for some time and COVID sort of put a hold on that but now we have the ships,” said Andrew N. Todd, President & CEO of parent company Xanterra Travel Collection.
“We are really excited about it and are committed to growing the company. We hope that it’s the kick off for beginning of what we planned to add additional ships and sail to destinations and locations that we’ve been wanting to go,” he added.
