The $250 Million Star Plus Initiative

So much more than a paint job.

Just like we’ve done with small ship cruising, Windstar is taking “renovation” in a different direction. We’re transforming our three all-suite Star Class ships—Star Breeze, Star Legend, and Star Pride—end-to-end to offer you more comfort in-suite, more delight on deck, and more surprises in store.

WHAT’S NEW

STAR CLASS ITINERARY UPDATE

Due to the pandemic, the shipyard in Italy closed for several weeks and is now on a reduced workforce schedule to provide a safe working environment for their employees. As a result, completion of the Star Class ships was delayed. We are now excited to announce that Star Breeze will start sailing on October 27, 2020 in the Mediterranean picking up some of the Star Legend’s itineraries before heading over to the Caribbean and taking over some of the Star Pride itineraries. Star Legend will also take on some of Star Pride’s itineraries in 2021 until Star Pride has completed her transformation and begins sailing in Europe in July 2021.

WHAT’S NEW

WE CUT OUR SHIP IN HALF

We’ve hit our first big milestone in our $250 Million Star Plus Initiative with the cutting of Star Breeze and the insertion of the new 84 foot block.

Watch the video

WHAT’S NEW

HOT OFF THE GRILL – STAR GRILL by STEVEN RAICHLEN

Introducing a new casual, modern outdoor grill by global grilling authority Steven Raichlen.

Learn More

WHAT’S NEW

ENRICH YOUR CRUISE EXPERIENCE WITH A TASTE OF SPAIN.

WELCOME TO CUADRO 44 BY ANTHONY SASSO.

Learn More

WHAT’S NEW

First Look

Windstar shows off new 360 videos and first look at the suites and public spaces on the renovated ships.
"They just don't build ships like this anymore. We are keeping the best elements and designs from these iconic vessels and re-envisioning them for the modern guest." ~Ray Chung, Director of Design, The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry

Learn More

WHAT’S NEW

First Cut

On April 2, 2019 at Fincantieri’s shipyard “Arsenale Triestino San Marco”, in Trieste, Italy, John Gunner, Vice President of Expansion Projects, pushed the button which activated the torch to make the initial cut in the new steel that will become the first of three new ships.
The new sections will be built in Trieste and then will be transported south by barge to the Fincantieri yard in Palermo, Sicily, Italy to be inserted into the iconic Windstar ships.

WHAT’S NEW

How To Stretch A Ship

We're adding 84 feet to our ships! Watch this video to find out how we do it.

Watch Video

WHAT’S NEW

Book now for voyages on the transformed star class ships

Sailings begin as soon as late 2020 and offer new itineraries including the Holy Land, Australia & New Zealand, and Southern Japan.

See Voyages

April 2020, Star Breeze now has a lengthened profile

April 2020, work on the Veranda and Candles is happening under the blue tarp

April 2020, a detail of the inserted section with Star Breeze wielded back together

The Initiative is not about getting bigger, it’s about offering our guests more of what they love about Windstar. Each ship will carry 312 guests total which nearly matches the capacity for Wind Surf. The additional capacity keeps us squarely in the under 350 category. We will continue to offer the world’s best small ship experience but with more amenities that our guests have been asking us for like additional dining venues and a world-class Spa and Fitness Center. We are making these improvements to ensure these beloved ships may continue to operate well into the future.

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Grand Owner's Suite

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Star Balcony Suite

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Veranda

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Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso

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Star Grill by Steven Raichlen

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Elevated Pool & Whirlpool

$250 Million

It adds up.

4

new engines per ship

Oh hey, better fuel efficiency.
50

new suites per ship

Each with the bed beside the window in a more open layout
2

new dining experiences

Styles and flavors forthcoming.
$267k

per berth

The investment that $250 Million represents.
84

feet

The added length of each ship after installing an all-new section.
1,374

square feet

The new Grand Owner's Suite Midship combines with the adjoining suite for a 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom suite.
100%

new
bathrooms

Across all suites in the ship.
2

new tenders

They’ll hold more guests for shorter wait times and depart from a new more convenient and easily accessible tender platform.

Much More to Come

Seriously, way too much to talk about right now. Don’t miss a thing by joining our mailing list.

SUITES

Star Balcony Suite

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Star Porthole Suite

Grand Owner's Suite

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Star Window Suite

Suite Your
Heart Out

Want to snuggle up to the sea with a bed beside the window? Or combine our new Owner's Suite to create a three-bedroom, two-balcony floor plan? With 50 new suites in the brand-new Star Suite Category, picking your private retreat is part of the adventure.

View Suite Layouts

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Freshen Up. We’ll Go First.

Nothing beats the fresh start of a new day in a new city, and so we've taken a fresh approach to getting ready with redesigned bathrooms in ALL suites on the ship. New showers, new sinks, new mirrors, and new tile. It's sure to start your morning off with a smile.

Same Small Ship Advantage

At 156 suites—312 guests or less—will our suites stay spacious, our decks uncrowded, and your days unregimented? You bet your walk-in closet.

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Is That All?

Oh, we’re just getting started. We're re-imagining and enlarging the Spa and Fitness Center as well. Check back soon for more news and details.

ONBOARD

Soak it in.

Ocean views from the elevated pool and whirlpool.

Sightsee While
You Soak

Build a few water slides? Or elevate your view of the sea and sky? The choice was easy. We’re upping our game (literally) with a gorgeous infinity pool accessible from both upper decks.

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Same Small Ship Advantage

Can you still explore the smaller ports that bigger ships can’t reach? You bet the steeples of Sanary-sur-Mer and the sand on Isla Parida.

View Deck Plans

Better Living on Board

We’re redefining what it means to travel well by expanding and fully redesigning our Spa and Fitness Center, so you’ll have all the inspiration you need to treat yourself right.

Is That All?

It's just not time yet but we'll be releasing more information in the next year, so check back often for new announcements.

DINING

introducing our new restaurants

With two brand new restaurants opening up soon, you will be able to taste a variety of cuisines from around the globe. Whether you are looking for afternoon tapas or barbecue grilled by a master, the option to relax and enjoy delicious meals is always a guarantee.

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The most inventive, modern grill at sea. You can tell a lot about a culture by the way it grills. You’ll find all your traditional grilled and barbecued favorites (and discover new dishes from around the globe) at Star Grill by Steven Raichlen — our upcoming casual outdoor restaurant brought to you in partnership with the man who reinvented barbecue.

For Raichlen, a multi-award-winning writer, lecturer and international TV host, barbecue isn’t a pastime, it’s a calling. The founder of Barbecue University and Barbecue Hall of Famer hosts the popular Project Fire and Project Smoke shows on Public Television. His 31 books — many of them New York Times bestsellers — have won five James Beard Awards and three IACP / Julia Child Awards and have been translated into 17 languages.

Soon you can taste for yourself where Raichlen’s curiosity for world barbecue takes him. Just steps away from the popular Star Bar, the Star Grill by Steven Raichlen offers alfresco dining with seating for 95 on the top deck to take in the ocean breeze and views. Experience traditional and world barbecue with a modern twist, from maple sriracha chicken wings to Danish smoked shrimp, from Hill Country brisket to lemongrass pork — or on sea days, enjoy a mid-morning Frühschoppen with artisanal grilled sausage and pretzel rolls. Served with a sea view!

SMOKED SHRIMP COCKTAIL

MAPLE SRIRACHA DRUMSTICKS

Only four ingredients, easy to eat drumsticks with a sweet fiery maple-sriracha glaze are simple, yet astonishingly tasty. This often overlooked cut delivers a rich meaty flavor with a touch of Scotch whisky to add to the additional smoke flavor.

BRISKET

If there’s one dish that epitomizes barbecue, that every aspiring smoke master hopes to perfect, it’s brisket. After 8 to 10 hours of smoking in the traditional fuel of Oak, apple, mesquite, and hickory for brisket, you will surely be in for a treat and will be well worth the wait.

SMOKED SHRIMP

Nothing more in the way of seasoning is needed than smoke from local beach wood for sweet Baltic Sea shrimp. Not even salt or pepper. The fireworks come from the pristine shrimp – and from a pair of piquant Danish sauces.

ABOUT STEVEN RAICHLEN

Steven Raichlen hosts the popular TV shows Steven Raichlen’s Project Fire and Project Smoke, Primal Grill, and Barbecue University on Public Television. He stars in three French language TV shows and an Italian show, Steven Raichlen Grills Italy, which airs on Gambero Rosso. The author of 31 books, many of them award-winners, Raichlen wrote the international blockbusters: The Barbecue Bible, How to Grill, Planet Barbecue, and Project Smoke. He founded Barbecue University and has lectured on the history of barbecue at Harvard, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Library of Congress.

Small plates and exquisite Iberian flavors welcome you on board.

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Anthony Sasso on CBS This Morning

"I've spent a lifetime studying Spanish food and culture, working in several Catalan kitchens, traveling the Iberian landscape, and learning from the masters: Adria, Roca, Ruscelada, Santimaria, Dali, Picasso, Miro! It's led to some of the most acclaimed and recognized Spanish food in America. This new venture with Windstar will be the perfect vehicle to transport all of those flavors back to the sea where they were born and I'm extrememly excited in going along for the ride, back to where it all started."

CHEF ANTHONY SASSO

Anthony spent time in Spain’s Costa Brava at renowned restaurant El Celler de Can Rocca before becoming head chef at Casa Mono where he earned the restaurant a Michelin star 10 individual times. A James Beard Foundation-recognized chef, he hosted Windstar’s James Beard Foundation: Spanish Symphony culinary cruise in summer 2018

SAVOR THE FLAVORS

Introducting our new eclectic Spanish restaurant, Cuadro 44, in partnership with Chef Anthony Sasso. Sasso, a 13-year veteran of the Michelin-starred restaurant Casa Mono, offers an inventive take on modern Spanish cuisine inspired by his travels all over Spain.

A TASTE OF CULTURE

An alum of Windstar's culinary-themed cruise program, Sasso's cuisine has already proven poular with guests, and with Cuadro 44 he creates not only the tastes of one of our favorite cruising regions, but aspects of the local culture as well. With a centerpiece of a communal table for 10, the restaurant encourages sharing of both regional dishes and of stories from your adventures ashore.

PICKS FOR THE PALATE

Along with your personal main entree, choose from a delicious selection of appetizers, sides, and desserts designed to be passed around and shared including Jamon Iberico, 24 month aged port leg raised solely on acorns in Southern Spain, and a favorite of Madrid, Churros y Chocolate, cinnamon and sugar fritters served with spicy hot chocolate and fresh seasonal fruit. It's a fresh new way of experiencing Spanish culture and enjoying the company of fellow guests.

CURATED COLLECTION OF SPANISH STAPLES

Sasso has been praised for his interpretations of distinctly classic Spanish staples served with modern imagination and a well-reserched sense of humor. Paella served in a "croqueta" form is a bite-size wonder of the national dish, with the "socarrat" represented in the coating of the saffron rice ball. His egg and potato tortilla is garnished with a sprinkling of herb gremolata made from olive oil potato chips and Sasso's cod "pil pil," one of the most difficult preparations of the Basque canon, is cut with nora chilies and seasoned with same salt water from which the cod hails.

VIEW MENU

"The design for the new specialy restaurant on Deck 6 draws from the various regions of Spain, recalling the warm feeling of a rustic home. The residential scale combined with soft, indirect lighting creates an intimate atmosphere where guests feel surrounded by the sights, smells, and tastes of Spain. A cozy chef's counter lets diners experience the cooking up close, viewing into an open kitchen. Handcrafted details and colorful, intricate patterns provide a richness reminiscent of Andalusia, and playful accents on the walls and in the furniture capture the whimsy of Barcelona."

Ray Chung, Director of Design,
The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry

Add flavor.

Richer selection of dining venues shipwide.

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Seating Worth
Savoring

As always, enjoy open seating at all of our dining venues, but with more ocean-view seats, comfy outdoor furniture, and dining room upgrades, we think you’ll like your options even more.

Feed Your
Curiosity

There’ll be more dining adventures in store than ever before, with an intimate alternative dining restaurant and other brand-new dining experiences rounding out the flavors on board.

Same Small Ship Advantage

We’re maintaining our guest to crew ratio of 1.5:1, so we’ll still be there with what you need before you know you need it. Our crew can’t wait to welcome you aboard the renovated Star Class Ships.

Is That All?

Did you think we’d never cue you in on the cuisines of our new restaurants, or announce the guest chef for the culinary themed cruise on the renovated Star Breeze, sailing May 2020? That’s all coming soon, so don’t be a stranger.

ITINERARIES

Ready, set, sail

Book your next trip on a renovated Star Class Ship and experience the transformation first hand.

Star Plus Initiative First Sailing

Star Breeze | August 7 - August 14, 2020 | Greek Isles & Turkish Delights

View Itinerary

New Itineraries

Explore more with the transformed Star Class Ships.

Greece via the Corinth Canal & Turkey: The Marvels of Ancient Rivals - Star Legend
Dates & Itinerary
Greece, Israel & Egypt: Footsteps of Faith in the Holy Lands - Star Legend
Dates & Itinerary
Ancient Epicenters in Autumn via the Corinth Canal - Star Legend
Dates & Itinerary

WHAT’S NEW

STAR CLASS ITINERARY UPDATE

WHAT’S NEW

WE CUT OUR SHIP IN HALF

WHAT’S NEW

HOT OFF THE GRILL – STAR GRILL by STEVEN RAICHLEN

WHAT’S NEW

ENRICH YOUR CRUISE EXPERIENCE WITH A TASTE OF SPAIN.

WHAT’S NEW

First Look

WHAT’S NEW

First Cut

WHAT’S NEW

How To Stretch A Ship

WHAT’S NEW

Book now for voyages on the transformed star class ships

Grand Owner's Suite

Star Balcony Suite

Veranda

Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso

Star Grill by Steven Raichlen

Elevated Pool & Whirlpool

$250 Million

It adds up.

4

new engines per ship

50

new suites per ship

2

new dining experiences

$267k

per berth

84

feet

1,374

square feet

100%

new bathrooms

2

new tenders

Much More to Come

SUITES

Star Balcony Suite

Star Porthole Suite

Grand Owner's Suite

Star Window Suite

Suite Your Heart Out

Freshen Up. We’ll Go First.

Same Small Ship Advantage

Is That All?

ONBOARD

Soak it in.

Sightsee While You Soak

Same Small Ship Advantage

Better Living on Board

Is That All?

DINING

introducing our new restaurants

SMOKED SHRIMP COCKTAIL

MAPLE SRIRACHA DRUMSTICKS

BRISKET

SMOKED SHRIMP

ABOUT STEVEN RAICHLEN

SAVOR THE FLAVORS

A TASTE OF CULTURE

PICKS FOR THE PALATE

CURATED COLLECTION OF SPANISH STAPLES

Add flavor.

Seating Worth Savoring

Feed Your Curiosity

Same Small Ship Advantage

Is That All?

ITINERARIES

Ready, set, sail

Star Plus Initiative First Sailing

Star Breeze | August 7 - August 14, 2020 | Greek Isles & Turkish Delights

New Itineraries

Explore more with the transformed Star Class Ships.

Thank You!

new
bathrooms

Suite Your
Heart Out

Sightsee While
You Soak

Seating Worth
Savoring

Feed Your
Curiosity