Windstar cruises 2026–2027: yachts, fares and who it suits

Windstar cruise line at a glance

Fleet

7 yachts in service in October 2026, and 8 once Star Explorer starts on December 28, 2026

Price tier

Premium small-ship: casual, and below the all-inclusive luxury lines

Ship size

148 to 342 guests

Main regions

Tahiti, the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and the Panama Canal, Alaska, Japan and Asia

Included in the fare

Dining, water sports from the yacht's marina platform and Windstar's Destination Discovery Events

Not included

Alcohol, Wi-Fi and gratuities (sold together as the All-Inclusive package), shore excursions, spa treatments and flights

Owner

Xanterra Travel Collection, part of The Anschutz Corporation

Windstar cruise ships

Windstar calls its ships yachts, and by cruise standards they are tiny. There are two families. The Wind Class yachts are motor sailing ships with masts and sails. The Star Class yachts are all-suite motor ships.

• Wind Surf342 guests, 171 staterooms and suitesThe flagship, and one of the largest sailing yachts in the world. It joined Windstar in 1998 and spends summer 2027 in Greece.
• Wind Star148 guests, 74 stateroomsThe four-masted yacht the line started with in 1986. It moves to Tahiti all year from March 2027.
• Wind Spirit148 guests, 74 stateroomsWind Star's twin, in service since 1988. In summer 2027 it is based in Venice and Dubrovnik for the Adriatic.

• Star Breeze312 guests, 156 suitesThe Tahiti ship, sailing longer routes to the Tuamotus and the Marquesas.
• Star Legend312 guests, 156 suitesSouthern Italy and Greece in summer 2027, with a transit of the Corinth Canal, then the Caribbean and Central America in winter.
• Star Pride312 guests, 156 suitesThe Northern Europe ship in 2027: Dutch tulip routes, the Baltic, the Norwegian fjords and Iceland.
• Star SeekerDelivered December 2025, 224 guests, 112 suitesThe first ship built new for Windstar. It sails Alaska in summer and Japan and Southeast Asia in winter.
• Star ExplorerJoins December 28, 2026, 224 guests, 112 suitesSister to Star Seeker. It was built in 2019 and sailed for another operator as World Explorer. Windstar will keep it in Europe all year.

Star Breeze, Star Legend and Star Pride were built for Seabourn between 1988 and 1990. Windstar bought them in 2013.

Windstar cruises rooms

On Wind Star and Wind Spirit, 73 of the 74 rooms are ocean-view staterooms and one is an owner’s suite. Wind Surf has 150 ocean-view staterooms plus 21 suites. On the three 312-guest Star Class yachts every room is a suite, and 58 of the 156 have a balcony. Star Seeker goes further: nearly all of its 112 suites have a private veranda or a floor-to-ceiling window that opens.

What a Windstar cruise fare includes

The base fare, which Windstar calls Cruise Only, covers your room, dining and the use of the water sports platform at the stern, where you can swim, kayak and paddle board when the yacht is at anchor in warm water. Windstar’s Destination Discovery Events, such as an evening dinner at Ephesus on its Greek routes or a feast on a private islet in Tahiti, are complimentary.

Three things most guests want are not in the base fare: alcohol, Wi-Fi and gratuities. Windstar sells them together.

• The All-Inclusive fare adds Wi-Fi, unlimited select beer, wine by the glass and cocktails, and gratuities for $99 per guest per day (checked October 2026). It must be booked at least five days before departure.
• Bought on board, the same package was $109 per guest per day (checked October 2026).
• Bought one by one, drinks carry an 18% gratuity.

Windstar’s early booking offers have often included the package at no charge, so check the current offer before you pay for it. Shore excursions, spa treatments and flights are extra on every fare.

Our all-inclusive cruise guide compares this with the lines that include drinks and tips as standard.

Where Windstar sails in 2026 and 2027

Ship assignments below come from Windstar’s announcements and can change.

Windstar Tahiti cruises

Tahiti is Windstar’s signature region. Star Breeze is based there all year, and from March 2027 Wind Star joins it, which by Windstar’s count gives it more Tahiti departures than any other cruise line.

The two yachts do different jobs. Wind Star repeats a 7-night route called Dreams of Tahiti, leaving Papeete every Monday and calling at Raiatea on every voyage. Star Breeze sails longer routes to the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, Fiji and the Cook Islands, which can be joined into voyages of up to 21 days. Both arrive back in Papeete at 8 pm the evening before the cruise ends, so guests can catch a same-night flight to Los Angeles.

In winter 2027 to 2028 Star Breeze leaves for a drydock in Singapore, sailing a one-time series of South Pacific crossings by way of Fiji. Our cruises for couples guide looks at a Windstar cruise in Tahiti as a honeymoon.

Windstar Alaska cruises

Star Seeker started Windstar’s Alaska season in May 2026 and returns for summer 2027. The ship is small enough to call at Wrangell and to sail into Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm, Misty Fjords and Kenai Fjords. Kayak and Zodiac outings launch from the yacht with expedition guides, and cruise tours add Denali National Park.

For 2028 Windstar has opened 27 departures on six itineraries from May to August. They include 7-day cruises between Vancouver and Juneau and 10 or 11-day cruises between Vancouver and Seward. See our best cruise lines for Alaska ranking and the Alaska cruise guide.

Windstar cruises in Greece and the Mediterranean

Windstar has five yachts in Europe in 2027.

• Greek islands: Wind Surf takes over Greece for summer 2027, within a Europe season that runs from March 27 to October 28. Its routes include one to smaller, lesser-known islands and one with late evening calls at Santorini, Mykonos, Patmos and Kusadasi. A round trip from Athens is timed for the total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027.
• Adriatic: Wind Spirit is based in Venice and Dubrovnik for the summer. Its Europe season runs from March 14 to October 22, 2027.
• Southern Italy and Greece: Star Legend sails Puglia, Calabria and Sicily and goes through the Corinth Canal.
• Monaco Grand Prix: two cruises include race tickets in the fare.

For seasons and ports, see our Greece cruise guide and Europe cruise guide.

Windstar Iceland cruise and Northern Europe

Star Pride is Windstar’s Northern Europe yacht, with a 2027 Europe season from March 30 to August 26. It starts with tulip-season cruises from Amsterdam, then sails the Baltic, the Norwegian fjords and Iceland. The Around Iceland route circles the whole island. Star Explorer also works between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe through the year, from Lisbon to London and Norway. Our Northern Europe cruise guide has the seasons.

Windstar Caribbean cruises and the Panama Canal

In winter 2027 to 2028, Star Pride, Star Legend and Wind Surf sail the Caribbean, with new routes through Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. Windstar’s Costa Rica and Panama Canal cruises include a daytime transit of the canal. Our snapshot has one of them, a week on Star Legend from Puerto Caldera in January 2027, in the table below.

See our Caribbean cruise guide and Panama Canal cruise guide.

Asia, the Canary Islands and the rest of winter

The winter 2027 to 2028 season has more than 230 sailing dates between September 2027 and April 2028. Star Seeker sails Japan and Southeast Asia, Wind Spirit sails the Canary Islands, Madeira and Morocco, and other yachts cover Canada and New England.

How Windstar compares

• Against Seabourn and Silversea: Seabourn and Silversea include drinks and gratuities and sit a step above on price. Windstar is casual and charges for those extras. Three of its yachts are former Seabourn ships.
• Against Azamara: Azamara ships carry about 700 guests, twice Windstar’s largest, and include select drinks and tips in the standard fare.
• Against Viking: Viking ocean ships are much larger and include one excursion in each port.
• In our rankings: Windstar is the small-ship and sailing-yacht pick in our best luxury and small-ship cruises ranking and is named among the small lines in our best cruise lines ranking.

Windstar cruise deals and sample sailings

Three checks help when you compare Windstar cruise deals.

• Is the All-Inclusive package in the offer? It changes the real price more than most discounts do. Compare totals with drinks, Wi-Fi and tips counted on both sides.
• Which yacht is it? A stateroom on a sailing yacht and a suite on a Star Class yacht are different products at different prices.
• Flights. Tahiti and Europe both need long flights from most of the U.S. Add them before you compare with a cruise closer to home.

Our snapshot holds a single Windstar sailing this month.

Sample Windstar sailing. From-prices per person, checked October 2026.

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Jan 12, 2027	Windstar Cruises, Star Legend	7	7 Night Costa Rica Cruise (from Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica)	$3,053	Check price

Windstar cruises FAQ

Who owns Windstar Cruises?

Xanterra Travel Collection, which is part of The Anschutz Corporation. Windstar was founded in 1984 as Windstar Sail Cruises, was later owned by Holland America Line and Carnival, and has belonged to its current owner since 2011. Its head office is in Miami.

How many cruise ships does Windstar have?

Seven in October 2026: the sailing yachts Wind Surf, Wind Star and Wind Spirit, and the all-suite yachts Star Breeze, Star Legend, Star Pride and Star Seeker. Star Explorer becomes the eighth on December 28, 2026.

Are Windstar cruises all inclusive?

Not as standard. The base fare covers your room, dining and water sports. Wi-Fi, unlimited select beer, wine and cocktails, and gratuities come with the All-Inclusive fare, which was $99 per guest per day when we checked in October 2026.

Does Windstar sail to Tahiti all year?

Yes. Star Breeze sails French Polynesia year-round, and Wind Star joins it from March 2027 with a 7-night cruise from Papeete every Monday.

Does Windstar go to Alaska?

Yes, on Star Seeker, a 224-guest yacht that began its first Alaska season in May 2026. Summer 2027 is on sale, and 2028 has 27 departures from May to August.

Do Windstar ships really sail?

Three of them do. Wind Surf, Wind Star and Wind Spirit are motor sailing yachts with masts and sails as well as engines. The Star Class yachts are motor ships without sails.