Windstar Cruises announced its plans to relocate its office from Seattle, Washington to Miami, Florida in June 2022. The small ship cruise line alerted guests and travel advisors on February 24 that it was pushing back its restart of operations from May to June 2021.
The Miami office will accommodate mostly cruise operation functions and some direct supporting teams to operations. Other functions such as marketing, revenue, accounting and IT will have the opportunity to move to parent company Xanterra’s Denver office to collaborate with team members there. Windstar Cruises is owned by Xanterra Travel Collection, a group of global hospitality and travel companies, based in Denver.
Windstar plans to open the new Miami office and transition shared/support services to Denver in June 2022. Windstar expects some employees will choose to work remotely from the Seattle area and others to relocate to Miami or Denver depending on job function.
On Wednesday, February 24, Windstar announced that after carefully assessing multiple factors it was canceling May sailings and would restart operations in June 2021. The decision was made after reviewing current information on COVID transmission rates, travel restrictions and government regulations. The line will re-start cruise operations in a phased manner with initial cruises at a reduced guest occupancy, some modified itineraries, and enhanced health and safety protocols.
New timeline for resumption of operations:
Wind Spirit – June 10, 2021 – Tahiti
Star Breeze – June 19, 2021 – Caribbean
Wind Star – June 19, 2021 – Mediterranean
Wind Surf – June 29, 2021 – Mediterranean
Star Legend – July 4, 2021 – Mediterranean
Star Pride – July 14, 2021 – Northern Europe/Iceland
Wave Season Offer Extended
To continue its current wave of bookings, Windstar Cruises announced today it will extend its wave season offer through March 31, 2021. Originally scheduled to run January 5 – February 28, 2021, the offer encourages prospective cruisers to book early so as not to miss out amid the coming rush of travel planning. The Sail Small, Live Large with Big Perks offer lets travelers choose from a set of complimentary perks plus a reduced deposit of 5%.
Now extended through March 31, 2021, “Pick Your Perk” savings options include:
- Up to $1,000 shipboard credit per stateroom or
- One night hotel pre- or post-cruise on Europe voyages or
- Premium beverage package (wine, beer, spirits, soda) or
- Free Wi-Fi
Guests may pick one complimentary perk which vary depending on the length of their cruise and room category. Along with this offer, deposits have been reduced from 15% of cruise fare to 5%. Windstar’s updated Travel Assurance Booking Policy allows cancellation up to 48 hours prior to departure on 2021 cruises.
For updated information, reservations, and itineraries, visit www.windstarcruises.com.
