“Star
Pride and
the additional two yachts will fit perfectly into Windstar’s
intimate, yacht-style cruising by offering a small-ship luxury cruise
with 300 passengers or less in a casually elegant style going to
places bigger ships cannot go,” said Hans Birkholz, Windstar
Cruises’ chief executive officer. “We are thrilled to now be able
to offer even more intriguing choices in Europe for the 2014 season.”
The
addition of the three new yachts is part of Global Windstar,
the line’s fleet expansion and new product development initiative.
Increasing the size of the fleet enables Windstar to cruise a global
set of itineraries to new destinations, such as Wind
Spirit’s much anticipated return to Tahiti and Star
Pride’s European voyage collection which will include new
places in Europe such as a voyage in the Black Sea, to be announced
in May. In the future, Global Windstar will provide
opportunities to visit Asia and South America.
The
new power yachts are identical, with a guest capacity of 212 each in
106 suites. At 10,000 gross tons, each yacht is 440 feet long with a
breadth of 63 feet and six passenger decks. As the three yachts enter
the fleet, they will all undergo a Windstar branded renovation. The
new power yachts will showcase many signature Windstar experiences,
including the line’s famous deck barbecue, the open Bridge policy,
and the celebrated sail-away party.
Earlier
this year, Windstar Cruises announced its owner, Xanterra Parks &
Resorts®, reached an agreement to purchase the three power yachts.
The expansion doubles the size of Windstar’s fleet, making the
company the market leader in small-ship cruising with 300 or fewer
passengers, with a total of 1,230 berths.
Following
the May 2014 introduction of Star Pride, Windstar Cruises
will take possession of the additional two yachts in in April and May
2015. These two yachts are scheduled to start sailing in May of 2015
following their dry-dock period.
