Wind Star Returns Stronger Than Ever As Spain And Greece Sailings Ignite Fresh Travel Buzz

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The Wind Star celebrated her 40th anniversary in dry dock at the Navantia shipyard in Cádiz, Spain, while Windstar Cruises celebrated a milestone in nostalgia and ambition. The scene radiated warmth and pride as the crewmembers cut a cake and posed by the ship that had transported countless travelers across the seven seas. It felt like a family birthday; simple, sentimental, and full of history, but it also signified the beginning of a powerful new chapter in the vessel’s long life at sea.

A New Era in Wind Star’s 40-Year Odyssey

The Wind Star, which first set sail in 1986, is now the flagship undergoing a comprehensive metamorphosis as part of Windstar’s multi-phase Setting Sails initiative. The program is designed to optimize the fleet’s long-term sustainability, operational efficiency, and passenger experience. The 5,703-ton ship completed Phase 1 in late 2023 and is now in Cádiz for Phase 2. This phase includes extensive renovations and will transform the ship by creating a more modern, yacht-like atmosphere while preserving the vessel’s historic charm. The ship has been designed to maintain her quiet, understated elegance, and the new upgrades set a much higher bar for modern cruising.

With the Aid of Expert Consultation, New Interiors and Modern Designs Will Be Introduced to the Ship Wind Star

The Wind Star is refitting and redesigning its staterooms, and its public spaces are being refreshed. Wind Star is enhancing its staterooms with new materials, updating staterooms to include new and warmer color palettes that give a feeling of warm and intimate sophistication. The Amphora and Veranda spaces are being redesigned to include clean lines and new, softer lighting to create a sophisticated, Mediterranean-inspired dining experience. According to the internal design of the divisions, the goal is to create a space that feels like a private sailing yacht, rather than a cruise ship. The attention to detail is meant to create a feeling of comfort, space, and emotional comfort as the travel experience is meant to be slow and luxurious.

The Mediterranean cruise is the first destination for the Wind Star

The Wind Star is planned to be back in service by the 7th of April in 2026, with a Mediterranean cruise offering for those who enjoy a soothing sail and a gentle wander by the shores. The 1st itinerary proposed for the Wind Star is a 10-day cruise from Málaga to Barcelona. It is intended to sail the Middle and Southern coast of Spain. The purpose of this trip is to familiarize the guests with the up-to-date changes and the new interiors that the ship has undergone, and to enable them to enjoy the history and culture that is embedded in the various ports that the ship shall visit, which also have scenic sitting areas with beautiful views of the sea and the ship. This cruise will be the beginning of a span of several months that will be spent on the European seas. It will also be the first time that the Wind Star will visit some of the ports that are historically and geographically significant to its journey.

Routes for Summer 2026 Have Been Released

Wind Star will extend its Mediterranean season for the first time and then move to Piraeus, where it will start a series of weekly round trips starting June 2026 to the Greek Islands and the Turkish coast, both to the north and south. These trips will combine her and Windstar’s most updated offerings to the Aegean’s endless charm and laid-back destinations. These itineraries highly demonstrate Windstar’s philosophy of small-ship, coastal, and community, and culturally-integrated travel.

Central America and the Caribbean for Winter 2026

As winter approaches, Wind Star will make its first-ever transatlantic crossing to the Caribbean beginning in November 2026. The schedule will feature warm island ports, the Panama Canal, and Central America. The winter deployment continues Windstar’s tradition of infusing the season with tropical warm water, loosely-adventurous sails, and quiet, open-water crossings.

Wind Surf’s Drydock Extension Allows for More Fleet Updates

As Wind Star undergoes its transformation, the fleet’s Wind Surf has also been undergoing its planned drydock. Due to an extended refit timetable, a scheduled trans-Atlantic sailing between Lisbon and St. Maarten—originally planned for December 2026—was cancelled. Wind Surf, built in 1990, will likely reach Phase 2 after Wind Star’s Phase 2 upgrade is complete. This sequence of events will guarantee that all three of Windstar’s sailing vessels provide enhancements in alignment with the Setting Sails vision. The long-term goal is to achieve a “more refined and efficient” fleet that meets the expectations of future travellers.

A New Era Begins for a Legacy Ship

As the Wind Star sits in Cádiz with ongoing works and construction, it carries the spirit of 40 years at sea. The ship’s anniversary celebration highlighted the affection its crew has for it. Countless travellers have gone to distant shores with the ship, and now it is preparing to do so once again. When it sails out of the shipyard and into the Mediterranean this April, it will do so with a renewed sense of purpose. Every traveller on this journey will get to experience the creaking wood and whispering canvas of the ship and will hear all the stories of endurance, evolution, and the magic that has made the Wind Star a legend.