By
Elly Yates-Roberts |
US-based small ship cruise line Windstar Cruises has resumed sailing this week in French Polynesia and Tahiti with Covid-19 vaccinated guests and crew onboard its 148-passenger Wind Spirit.
Windstar offers a roundtrip flight package with pre-cruise accommodation, ground transfers in Tahiti, and a seven-, 10- or 11-night boutique cruise in French Polynesia. The cruise offering also includes a free beverage package or guests can choose credit to put towards shipboard experiences such as spa treatments, or shore excursions.
The line’s new all-suite, 312-guest Star Breeze will join Wind Spirit in Tahiti from 19 September until March 2022. Guests can also attend a complimentary private event available on all Tahiti cruises. This includes a private beach party and a kinetic fire-dancing performance.
“Windstar glides into small bays other cruise ships can’t reach and drops anchor at some of the earth's most beautiful islands like Bora Bora and Moorea,” said Christopher Prelog, president of Windstar. “Because French Polynesia is such a popular destination for romance, most guests book these itineraries quite far in advance, leading to lots of pent-up demand on a limited-space small yacht after a year of cancelled honeymoons and anniversary trips. These intimate cruises are filling fast.”
The cruise line is returning its ships to operation in a phased manner. Wind Star resumed service on 19 June in Greece and Star Breeze began sailing in the Caribbean on 10 July. Wind Surf will re-enter service on 8 August in the Mediterranean, Star Legend on 4 September in Northern Europe and Star Pride on 3 November in the Caribbean.
It will also require all passengers and crew to be vaccinated and will employ a number of health and safety precautions including testing, social distancing, masks, and high-tech air filtration.