Windstar Cruises has opened bookings for its new yacht Star Explorer, set to debut in December 2026 with a winter deployment in the Mediterranean — a first for the boutique cruise line.

“I’m thrilled to share that the Star Explorer, our second new Star Class yacht, is now open for booking. This is a huge milestone for Windstar as we expand to a fleet of eight yachts, and the Star Explorer marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter,” said Christopher Prelog, President of Windstar Cruises, in a letter to guests.

The first itineraries for Star Explorer have been released, with the ship’s inaugural sailing coinciding with the start of Windstar’s local season in the Mediterranean — a shift from the brand’s traditional summer scheduling in the region.

“For us, it means visiting places like Naples and Genoa, which we only do between October and March, and spending more time in cities like Venice, Livorno (Florence) and Barcelona, with overnight stays that let you get the local perspective,” Prelog added.

According to Windstar, these local season Mediterranean voyages are now open for booking.

Star Explorer is the second in a new series of all-suite Star Class yachts, following Star Seeker, which is scheduled to launch in December 2025. Prelog also shared updates on Star Seeker’s debut Caribbean season, where the yacht will rendezvous with several others in the Windstar fleet.

“I have some exciting news to share about the Star Seeker, our all-suite yacht debuting in December of this year. During her debut months in the Caribbean, the Star Seeker will meet up with several of our other yachts,” he said.

“What makes these meetups even more special is that guests sailing on those ships will have the chance to step aboard the Star Seeker for a complimentary tour,” Prelog added.

Windstar has planned a series of special moments for Star Seeker, including a New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Tenerife, a beach barbecue in Virgin Gorda, and a sunset parade past the Pitons in St. Lucia.

“There’s more to come, so stay tuned, and as always, I look forward to seeing you aboard,” said Prelog.