About Windstar Cruises: Casual-luxury small-ship yachting

Windstar’s story begins with Wind Star herself, commissioned in 1984 — a sleek sailing yacht with real working sails that pioneered a kind of cruising that felt more like a friend’s private yacht than a ship. More than four decades later that spirit endures across two styles of yacht: three classic Wind Class sailing yachts, including Wind Surf, which Windstar calls the largest sailing ship in the world, and the all-suite Star Class, refreshed through a $250 million transformation and joined by the new Star Seeker in December 2025.

With just 148 to 342 guests aboard, there are no lines, no crowds and no assigned seating — and no formality for its own sake, either. The vibe is yacht casual: lingering dinners at Candles, an impromptu chart lesson on the Open Bridge, a swim straight off the Marina platform at the stern. As the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation, Windstar builds menus around destination-inspired cuisine, while complimentary Destination Discovery Events and enrichment speakers pull each port’s story on board.

Itineraries favor the small and authentic: more than 330 ports across Europe, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and the Panama Canal, Alaska, Japan, Asia and the South Pacific, with year-round sailing in both the Mediterranean and Tahiti. Part of the Xanterra Travel Collection, Windstar suits travelers who want luxury with its top button undone — relaxed, personal and quietly adventurous.