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Dear future Windstar traveler,

When a new yacht is being built, the excitement is easy to find. Renderings, announcements, countdown clocks. What makes it feel real is the moment you can put faces to the ship.

This month, I get to do that. Captain Matthew Holloway will lead Star Explorer when she welcomes her first guests this December, joined by Staff Captain Matthew Mullins, Hotel General Manager Nicholas Botha-Simpson, Chief Engineer Rick Hopwood, and a senior team that knows exactly what they are doing.

Long before any guest steps aboard, this crew will be walking every passageway and testing every system. I have worked around ships long enough to know that the people behind the operation matter as much as the vessel itself. This team is ready.

While Star Explorer is preparing for her debut in the Mediterranean, her sister Star Seeker is already out there earning her reputation. She has spent the summer in Alaska, and the photos coming back have been something. Particularly the ones from Windstar's first polar bear plunge off the Marina. No polar bears were involved, for the record.

If either of these yachts has caught your attention, our Christmas in July Sales Event runs through July 29. Two weeks, strong offers, no waiting until the real December to start thinking about it.

And since we are talking about the months ahead, I want to make a case for the Canary Islands. Wind Spirit visits several of the islands this season, along with Madeira, with 148 guests on board. One of our new ports is El Hierro. Smallest of the main islands. Volcanic cliffs, natural swimming pools, almost no crowds. Exactly the kind of place that is hard to find and easy to love.

Alaska, the Mediterranean, the Canaries. I may have made your decision harder. You are welcome.

Hope to welcome you aboard soon.

Christopher Prelog
President, Windstar Cruises

Meet the Team Leading
Star Explorer  

One of the most exciting milestones in preparing a new yacht is choosing the team who will lead her. Meet the officers who will guide Star Explorer through her final preparations and welcome her first guests aboard this December.

MEET THE TEAM

Be Among Star Explorer’s First Guests  

Our yacht’s inaugural season will take her across the Mediterranean. I hope you’ll join us. There’s something especially memorable about stepping aboard a new yacht and becoming part of her story from the very beginning.

EXPLORE THE SAILINGS

Captain Tom Takes
the Plunge  

Alaska has a way of inspiring people to do things they might not try anywhere else. Watch Captain Tom take Windstar’s first polar bear plunge from Star Seeker’s onboard Marina.

WATCH HERE

What’s It Like in the
Canary Islands?

Volcanic landscapes, seaside towns, wide Atlantic views — the Canary Islands seem to reveal a different personality at every stop. This short video gives you a quick look at what makes sailing the Canary Islands with Windstar so rewarding. Fair warning, it may lead to daydreaming.

WATCH VIDEO

See More of the Canaries and Madeira  

Our 10-night Hidden Gems of the Canary Islands & Madeira voyage goes well beyond a quick introduction. Sail to El Hierro, Lanzarote, Madeira and Porto Santo, with an overnight in Funchal and time to experience how different these Atlantic islands can be from one another.   

VIEW VOYAGE

SHOTS FROM ON BOARD

Captain Tom Schofield led the way for Windstar’s first polar bear plunge from Star Seeker’s onboard Marina in Haines, Alaska.

Canaries: From the mountains above Funchal, Madeira, lush hillsides and coastal views unfold all the way to the Atlantic.

In Alaska, Andreas, Mathew Mullin, Tanya Roberts, and Stanley help bring the Windstar experience to life with the care, leadership, and warmth guests feel throughout the journey.