With the arrival of its new Star Seeker ship, Windstar Cruises has taken a big step toward modernity.
Windstar, remarkably, had no ship in its fleet built in the 21st century -- until now. Having thoroughly renovated its used tonnage, Windstar took the bold step of acquiring new hardware in 2024 from Portugal's Mystic Invest.
Commissioned by another line for polar expeditions, the Star Seeker at the time was little more than a pile of parts at the WestSea shipyard north of Lisbon. So Windstar was able to put its stamp on the design, adding traditional Windstar elements and deleting unnecessary features such as a space-hogging helipad for Arctic operations.
Fans of Windstar will find the Amphora restaurant, the Yacht Club and other public spaces familiar from other ships. But in addition, about two-thirds of the cabins include true balconies, a feature that has gone from rare to commonplace since the rest of the Windstar fleet was designed in the 1980s.
Suite interiors have basic furnishings and fixtures that place an emphasis on natural light. Photo Credit: Windstar Cruises
The balcony scene
Replacing the helipad are 10 aft cabins, including two Horizon Owner's Suites that feature wraparound balconies measuring 248 square feet; there's nothing quite like them on other Windstar ships.
In all, eight of the 12 cabin categories on the Star Seeker have balconies. Veranda Suites, the most common cabin type, feature 55-square-foot balconies.
Suite interiors have fairly basic modern furnishings and fixtures with an emphasis on natural light. The understated color palette is tan, blue and gray, and the few patterns to be seen are simple ones.
The Star Seeker's Yacht Club features coffee and quick bites in the daytime, cocktails and musical acts at night. Photo Credit: Windstar Cruises
Standing out among the ship's public rooms is the Yacht Club, the forward lounge at the top of the ship that has been equipped with an oculus skylight that brings the sky and stars into the interior space.
Such skylights were not a concept when Windstar's previous Star-class ships were built in the 1980s but have cropped up in observation lounge designs in recent years. Silversea Cruises' 2021-built Silver Endeavor is one example.
With its white ceiling and wraparound windows, the Yacht Club feels like the most spacious and airy spot on the ship. In daylight hours it serves handcrafted coffees and quick bites and has space for relaxation. At dusk it becomes a lounge with cocktails and musical acts.
Another well-executed room on the Star Seeker is the main restaurant, Amphora, which has appealing semicircular dining nooks and booths that invite diners to linger over multicourse meals. The aft-located restaurant also has outdoor space for al fresco dining.
The restaurant Basil + Bamboo features a fusion of Asian and Mediterranean cuisine and is new to the Windstar fleet this year. Photo Credit: Windstar Cruises
Other amenities
New to the Windstar lineup this year is Basil + Bamboo, featuring an unlikely fusion of Mediterranean and Asian flavors. The dinner-only specialty restaurant is replacing the tapas-style Quadro 44 fleetwide, starting this year.
I found Basil + Bamboo's decor a bit plain, considering it trades on such exotic culinary traditions. But unlike on some ships, this specialty restaurant comes at no extra charge.
The World Spa offers a soothing design and a sizable sauna as well as a pair of treatment rooms and a beauty salon. A staircase spirals upward to provide access to Windstar's signature bow whirlpool.
Another Windstar favorite, the water-sports platform, was added in post-acquisition design changes to the Star Seeker. Executives said it will be easier to access than on earlier Star-class ships.
On the pool deck, the Star Bar and Star Grill each share half of a horseshoe-shaped space, unlike the larger Star-class ships, where they are standalone.
The pool is raised to waist height, which makes the space feel smaller and less connected to the loungers that are arrayed around it.
The confines of the 224-passenger Star Seeker may take some getting used to compared to the three previous Star-class vessels, which were stretched to increase capacity from 212 passengers to 312 a few years ago.
The ship does have extra public space on the aft of Decks 5 and 6 for relaxation and wake views. But it lacks the charming Veranda outdoor-dining space found on Deck 7 on the earlier-generation ships.
In sum, the Star Seeker and its sister ship, the Star Explorer, which arrives at the end of the year, offer a midsize option between Windstar's original sail-assisted, 148-passenger ships and its larger Star- class vessels. Still, in the modern cruise universe, they all offer small-ship sailing, to be sure.