Operating a six-ship fleet, Windstar Cruises is getting ready to enter a new phase of expansion. After a deal with Mystic Investment, the upscale brand is set to introduce two new small vessels.

The 224-guest Star Seeker enters service for the company in December 2025 while the Star Explorer follows in 2026.

According to Windstar’s president Christopher Prelog, one of the strong points of the luxury brand is the uniformity of the experiences onboard.

Currently operating two different styles of yachts, Windstar Cruises offers a consistent product across its fleet, said Prelog.

“The vessels may have different features, but a combining factor is that the experience of the hotel product onboard is the same,” he explained.

“You get facilitated through the same crew and the same personalized service that we aim at,” Prelog continued, noting that the experience onboard is defined by how guests are treated onboard.

“While there are new ships and technology coming out in the luxury space, at the end of the day, it’s just steel on the water until you put crew and officers onboard. That’s what creates the luxury product in cruising from my perspective.”

In addition to having consistent crew and service, the company’s new yachts will be refitted to offer Windstar’s feel and signature features.

Crew Treatment

Having started his career in the cruise industry as a waiter onboard, Prelog highlighted the importance of the right treatment of the crew members.

Employees need to understand the guests, the product, and also the evolution of the market and the product, he said.

“That’s a critical piece of the puzzle. We aim to have team members in our shoreside organization who have worked onboard and will understand how our decisions impact the crew onboard,” Prelog added.

“Luxury is not just a champagne bottle on a table served with a smile. There’s a whole logistics behind getting that champagne bottle at the right price, at the right moment,” Prelog continued, saying that many components are involved in the organization to deliver a luxury product.

Evolving Product

According to Prelog, luxury is changing all the time, with aspects like health, wellness and food driving innovations in the sector.

He highlighted Windstar’s vegan and plant-based menus, which were introduced in 2023 with the help of the company’s Director of Hotel Operations Peter Tobler.

“I’m really humbled and proud of the implementation of these menus in all our restaurants because that’s what the market is asking for.”

To implement a new menu like that, you have to work with your own team, Prelog said, and not bring new people onboard on a permanent basis.