Windstar Cruises canceled the Star Breeze’s 2020 Alaska
program, due to a delay in the completion of the ship’s current renovation in
Italy.
Citing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Windstar now
anticipates that the ship will leave the Fincantieri shipyard in late July and
spend the summer sailing the Mediterranean before heading to Australia in the
fall.
The Star Breeze was originally supposed to enter service in
May and have a “re-inaugural” ceremony on June 29 in Vancouver.
The Star Breeze is the first of three Windstar ships that
are being stretched as part of a $250 million “Star Plus Initiative,” followed
by the Star Legend and Star Pride. All three ships will get new suites, dining
venues and public spaces.
Windstar’s temporary suspension of cruise operations is
currently scheduled to end on May 21.