Windstar Cruises to Expand Fleet with Trio of Seabourn Ships & Seabourn Will Add a Newbuild

Rumor had it that Windstar Cruises has been looking for vessels to expand its fleet and the one most often mentioned in that regard was the Club Med ship that is a twin of the line’s Wind Surf. So, the announcement by Seabourn that the sale of the line’s original three vessels Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit, and Seabourn Legend to Xanterra Parks & Resorts(®), owner of Windstar Cruises, came as something of a surprise.

There will be no disruption in service or changes in operations on any currently published Seabourn voyages. Seabourn Pride will be transferred after its published schedule ends in April, 2014. The Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Legend will be transferred to Windstar in April 2015 and May 2015, respectively.

Under the project name Global Windstar, the expansion will double the size of Windstar’s recently renovated, three luxury sailing yacht fleet, making the company the market leader in small-ship cruising with 300 or fewer passengers, with a total of 1,230 berths.

“Windstar Cruises has experienced four straight years of revenue growth. This expansion is the perfect way to build on the momentum following our recent fleet-wide renovation, providing us with the much needed capacity to match the accelerating demand for our intimate style of yacht cruising,” said Andy Todd, chief executive officer of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, owner of Windstar Cruises. “Global Windstar enables us to extend our unique small-ship experience throughout the world.”

After Seabourn Pride enters the fleet in the Mediterranean in April 2014 the ship will receive a Windstar branded renovation, which will give the ship a new name and casually elegant look, the Pride with set sail a month later in May 2014; voyages are expected to go on sale in May of this year. The other two yachts are scheduled to start sailing in May of 2015 following their dry-dock period.

“Windstar is proud of its heritage in sailing, but what our guests are most enthusiastic about is our intimate, yacht style of cruising. This style is the core of our brand experience and the new ships are a perfect fit to build on that foundation,” added Hans Birkholz, chief executive officer of Windstar Cruises.

The fleet expansion will provide Windstar Cruises access to new destinations such as Asia and South America, in addition to the fifty countries the company already sails to. Known for visiting hidden harbors and secluded coves of the world, Windstar will continue to focus on the unique destinations that large ships cannot call on. The opportunities of Global Windstar are already evident with the recent announcement of Windstar’s return to Tahiti in May of 2014. Tahiti has been one of the top destinations requested by Windstar guests and travel partners.

Seabourn Cruises states that during the transition, the luxury line is fully committed to continuing to deliver its award-winning standards on Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit, and Seabourn Legend, and providing its clientele with the ultra-luxury service and onboard product they have come to expect.

“Seabourn remains dedicated to our mission of creating the world’s finest travel experiences through our small-ship cruising product,” said Seabourn president Richard Meadows. “Our three newest vessels, Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, and Seabourn Quest have raised the bar for ultra-luxury cruising and we intend to add a fourth ship of similar design,” he continued. “Seabourn is already in discussion with shipbuilders and an order is likely to be announced within the current fiscal year. The new ship will allow Seabourn to maintain much of its current guest capacity.”

Image Courtesy of Seabourn Cruises