Red Sea and Saudi homeporting still on the table, says Windstar Cruises executive

Windstar Cruises remains open to the possibility of homeporting in Saudi Arabia, suggesting that Red Sea deployment is still part of its strategic vision despite current operations being focused on the Mediterranean and other regions.

Speaking during the MedCruise Insider podcast, Ricky Trautwein, Product Manager, Destination Experiences & Land Programmes, Windstar Cruises, confirmed that the cruise line had previously explored Saudi homeporting and still considers the region viable for expansion.

“Windstar was ready to have turnarounds in Saudi,” Trautwein said, referring to the cruise line’s earlier considerations as it reevaluated its winter deployment strategy, but said there are no confirmed plans for the region as yet.

While no official Red Sea itineraries are confirmed, Windstar has shifted its approach to year-round Mediterranean cruising as part of a wider effort to reduce transoceanic repositioning voyages. 

“There was a financial incentive for Windstar to not bring our ships from the Mediterranean over to the Caribbean,” Trautwein explained. “You don’t want to talk about sustainability and then burn fuel crossing the ocean back and forth.”

This change in deployment strategy coincides with Cruise Saudi’s efforts to position the Kingdom as a year-round cruise destination. 

Serafin Blazquez, Executive Director at Cruise Saudi, said during the same podcast episode that Saudi Arabia continues to invest in infrastructure to accommodate larger vessels and more diverse cruise offerings.

“We are working on a project to expand our availability to accommodate large cruise ships and also to increase the number of cruise passengers that we can receive in Jeddah in the same day,” he said.

Windstar’s luxury small-ship model is particularly well-suited to emerging destinations in the Red Sea, and its planned fleet expansion will provide the line with greater destination planning flexibility. Trautwein emphasised the growing importance of exclusivity and authenticity in luxury cruising, including access to uncrowded destinations and locally rooted experiences.

These are two areas where Saudi Arabia has a competitive advantage, and alongside the launch last year of the AROYA Cruises line, Cruise Saudi is also working with Aman at Sea on a new luxury cruising superyacht brand concept.

With the Red Sea offering a mix of heritage sites like AlUla, natural wonders such as coral reefs at Saba Beach, and strong government backing through Vision 2030, the region remains a promising future option for cruise lines like Windstar seeking new homeport opportunities beyond traditional Western markets.