By
Rebecca Lambert |
Luxury small ship cruising operator Windstar Cruises is due to take delivery of its first new Star Class yacht, Star Pride, on 17 April 2014. It has also revealed details about two more Star Class yachts – Star Breeze and Star Legend – that will be joining its fleet in 2015.
“With only a maximum of 212 guests on board, these new Star Class yachts are the perfect fit for Windstar’s style of small ship cruising,” said Hans Birkholz, chief executive officer of Windstar Cruises. “All three of the new yachts will receive significant style changes and stem-to-stern upgrades to align with Windstar’s yacht style cruising.”
The three power yachts are identical, with a guest capacity of 212 in 106 suites. At 10,000gt, each yacht is 440ft long with a breadth of 63ft and six passenger decks. Windstar will take delivery of Star Breeze on 15 April 2015, followed by Star Legend on 4 May 2015.
Both yachts will undergo a major transformation to public spaces, suites, and dining venues to fit Windstar’s style of small ship cruising. Windstar’s signature experiences, including the line’s famous deck barbecue gala, the Open Bridge experience and the celebrated Sail Away party, will be showcased on board.
Additionally, the Star Class yachts will introduce Windstar’s new Destination Suites. Each of the previous Owner Suites will be transformed into a signature Windstar destination. The suite will highlight cultural décor and local artwork. For example, the Mykonos Suite on Star Pride will feature paintings showcasing scenic Mykonos views and Greek touches throughout the suite. Destination suites will eventually be implemented fleet-wide.
The fleet expansion provides Windstar access to new destinations including Asia, in addition to the fifty countries the company already sails to. Star Pride will debut this year with its inaugural voyage and christening ceremony on 5 May in Barcelona, Spain, following a three-week transformation period. She will then cruise the exotic wonders of Asia and Arabia with a unique five-voyage collection.
Star Legend will cruise new itineraries in Northern Europe, including a voyage that sets off from Reykjavík, Iceland – a first for Windstar. Star Breeze, meanwhile, will begin its maiden voyage from Nice, France and will spend the summer season in the Mediterranean.
“Doubling the size of our fleet gives us the freedom and the flexibility to expand our voyage collection to new destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Arabia, and Iceland among others; which is something our guests are asking for,” said Birkholz. “Additionally, these ships also allow us to visit beautiful new places in the Mediterranean, such as a scenic cruise down the Corinth Canal, something that was limited before due to the height of our sailing yachts.”