Windstar Cruises will debut Star Explorer in December 2026, a 224-guest all-suite yacht purpose-built to sail from rivers into open ocean within a single voyage, giving travel advisors a new category to offer clients who have exhausted traditional river itineraries.
Star Explorer can access waterways too small for ocean ships and coastal destinations traditional river vessels cannot reach, connecting rivers such as the Rhine, Danube, Douro and Mekong with broader ocean exploration.
Janet Bava, chief commercial officer at Windstar Cruises, said the format gave advisors a way to retain clients ready to progress beyond river cruising.
“With Windstar, advisors now have a seamless way to retain clients by offering something new: yachts that move from rivers to the open sea, unlocking destinations that traditional river ships and large ocean vessels simply can’t reach,” Bava said.
Four 2027 voyages position river-to-ocean for specific client bases
Impressionist France is a 10-night sailing from Bordeaux to London, pairing the Seine and Thames with overnights in Bordeaux, St Malo and Paris/Rouen, plus access to the D-Day beaches. Windstar is positioning it for Seine veterans ready for a longer itinerary.
Connoisseur’s Delight: Northern Spain & Portugal is an eight-night wine-focused voyage extending from Bordeaux’s Garonne and Gironde rivers into Spain and Portugal’s Douro region, aimed at travellers who have previously sailed the Rhône.
Moroccan Markets & Iberian Icons is an eight-night sailing into Seville via the Guadalquivir River, continuing to a mix of Iberian and Moroccan destinations, positioned for former Danube cruisers.
Ireland Circumnavigation is a 10-night sailing calling at Cork City Quay on the River Lee before continuing around Ireland’s coastline, aimed at travellers who have sailed the Rhine and want a more dramatic landscape.
Additional sailings extend the river-cruise mindset
Beyond Star Explorer, Windstar offers related itineraries on other ships: French Feast: Normandy, Brittany & Aquitaine, a seven-night culinary sailing on Star Legend; Tulip Season in Holland & Belgium, a seven-night sailing on Star Pride including an overnight in Antwerp; St Malo Getaway, a four-night round trip from London on Star Pride; and Ancient Wonders of Vietnam & Angkor Wat, a 14-night sailing on Star Seeker linking Halong Bay, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok with inland stops at Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh.
Fleet context
Star Explorer will expand Windstar’s fleet to eight yachts accommodating between 150 and 350 guests, alongside a two-phase redesign of the line’s Wind Class sailing yachts due for completion by 2027.
Agents can contact Windstar Cruises Australia for further details.
