In case you missed it, yesterday Windstar President Chris Prelog shared a now-official and no-longer-secret announcement of good news: Windstar will be acquiring two motor-yacht ships, to debut in December 2025 and 2026. The 224-passenger yachts, one of which is new and the other, identical in design, just a few years old, will increase capacity by 33 percent over the existing fleet and give Windstar the flexibility to ultimately explore new regions. “Since we announced the acquisition yesterday, we’ve heard so much excitement about the fact that Windstar is growing again,” Prelog told us yest ..read more

Overlooking Turkey’s Icarian Sea are the dazzling remains of a city once so glorious it was fought over endlessly. Ephesus was founded by Greeks, expanded by Romans, invaded by Persians, Ottomans, Goths and Lydians, and hosts the soul of the Virgin Mary. Now it’s also revered by tourists. That’s because this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities on the planet. Ephesus sits just 7 miles north of the port of Kusadasi and part of itineraries around the Greek Isles. Kusadasi is a beach resort town that’s even better known for its proximity to the ancient site ..read more

When Windstar announced last fall that it would be extending its Mediterranean season to year-round (from spring/summer/autumn), the first thing I wondered was this: How would a cruise in November–early March be different from one during the traditional April–October time frame? How would the new timings materially change the experience? What I learned, after my recent cruise around the Mediterranean, was that it was equally enjoyable but different. How so? You definitely want to be prepared for the weather (I made the trip with just a carry-on and packed one of anything I could need, such as ..read more

Never heard of Greece’s island of Pátmos? You’re not alone. This island is considered, relatively speaking, rather challenging to get to. There’s no direct ferry from Piraeus and big cruise ships don’t dock here. If flying, you head to Kos or Samos, and then take a ferry to Pátmos. Being rather complicated to reach preserves the charm of this island, which revolves around its main town of Skala, where your tender will dock, and, up on the mountain, the historic village of Chora. Having visited well-known Greek islands like Corfu, Mykonos and Santorini many times, my first visit to Pátmos surpr ..read more

It’s a mild August evening at the historic Liotrivi estate in Monemvasia, Greece, and our group is transfixed by traditional Greek dancers twirling and winding through the patch of olive trees where we’ve just eaten dinner, a king’s feast of fresh olives, tomatoes, feta cheese, sausage, bread, tzatziki and wine. The trill of the bouzouki, a Greek string instrument similar in sound to a mandolin, increases its cadence, inviting the dancers to move and shift faster as they begin to grab hands of guests to dance with them around the dinner tables. Someone beckons me to join, and I am suddenly ste ..read more

If you had a chance to take a cruise without knowing exactly where you were heading, would you? Chris Prelog, president of Windstar Cruises, is betting that at least some of us are up for the challenge. In an entirely new twist for Windstar’s annual President’s Cruise, an eight day voyage departing on April 19, 2025 aboard Star Legend, will sail roundtrip from Athens. Which ports it will visit beyond that is, at least at this point, anyone’s guess. This trip, Prelog tells us, is about “awakening the sense of adventure again, which is what travel should always do,” said Prelog. “It’s a cruise f ..read more

To celebrate the extension of our partnership with the James Beard Foundation, we wanted to share some authentic insider insights from Peter Tobler, Windstar Cruises’ Director of Hotel Operations, on why this partnership is a coup in the world of on-sea dining. So Peter, why did Windstar choose to partner with the James Beard Foundation in the first place? When it comes to the culinary experience in the cruise industry, the James Beard Foundation exemplifies many of the values that Windstar Cruises upholds. We both cultivate leadership and recognize culinary excellence; the James Beard Foundat ..read more

Windstar has announced its first-ever 2025 President’s Mystery Cruise. Created in the spirit of adventure, the eight -night cruise, from Athens to Athens, departs on April 19, 2025. Aside from its turnaround port in Greece, each place visited will be a surprise for guests, who will only learn where they’re going the night before. Wonder how this was inspired? Read our story on our original, unplanned Magical Mystery Cruise that took place in French Polynesia in February 2024. We all expected that Star Breeze’s cruise in February, as it began sailing year-round in French Polynesia, would be som ..read more

Years ago, I decided to visit Rome during the Christmas holidays. I had been to the city several times during super-heated summer days when every museum stop felt like a visit to a steam room.  In December, things couldn’t have been more different. Skies were overcast and gray, and the air was chilly. I had to layer a sweater under the thin jacket I had brought to get me through the week. Empty streets left me feeling a little lost in a city I thought I knew. On my first day of touring, I walked to the Pantheon, pulling on gloves to ward off the cold as soon as I stepped inside the 2 ..read more

A solo cruise is an amazing way to travel, whether you’re looking to see the world, get away from it all or meet new people! Before you dive in, though, there are a few things you’ll want to know.  A solo cruise is slightly different from a cruise with someone else and calls for a different mindset. If you know what to expect, cruising by yourself can be everything you want and more. In This Article 5 Benefits of Cruising Solo It’s a Safe Way to Travel You’ll Get Some Alone Time You Can Rediscover Yourself It’s a Great Way to Make New Friends You’ll Get Tons of New Experiences What t ..read more