Windstar Cruises is applying lessons from its recent newbuild, the Star Seeker, to its sister ship.
The Star Explorer, due for delivery in December, gets changes to restaurant service and more freshwater capacity.
Speaking during a media call on Oct. 8, Chief Operating Officer Stijn Creuplandt said the biggest lesson from the Star Seeker came in restaurant service delivery.
“It is a very differently laid out ship than what we are used to,” he explained. “The main galley, where most of the food is prepared, is a deck below our restaurant. So we lost a lot of time going back and forth between the (galley) and the restaurant.”
Windstar first added crew members to support service, Creuplandt said.
Over the summer the company brought in new technology. Waiters now take orders on small tablets that send them straight to the galley, so they no longer write orders on paper and carry them down a deck.
The same system handles “calling a check,” which tells the galley a table is ready for its next course.
“We’ve eliminated the back and forth, and that really has helped the delivery of our restaurant service,” he said.
The Star Explorer will debut with the tablet system, and Windstar will roll it out across the rest of the fleet.
On the technical side, Creuplandt said the company is increasing freshwater holding capacity on the Star Explorer, citing the ship’s itineraries.
Otherwise, he said, the Star Seeker has performed well.
“The Star Seeker has continuously exceeded the targets that we set out for her, and it’s one of the highest rated ships in the fleet,” he said.
He added that crew members also want to return to the ship.
President Chris Prelog said he expects the 224-guest Star Explorer to be delivered on time and ready for shakedown cruises before her first sailing on Dec. 28, a New Year’s voyage.
“Currently, there are no challenges to be overcome,” he said. He noted that the crew and senior officers have been assigned.
The Star Explorer will spend the winter and spring in the Mediterranean before her naming ceremony and inaugural voyage in London on June 1, 2027.
