Windstar Is Fixing a Dining Bottleneck Before Star Explorer Debuts

Windstar initially added crew to help restaurant service on Star Seeker. Then it replaced handwritten orders carried to a galley one deck below with handheld tablets. I prefer the second approach. Adding people can help, but removing an unnecessary trip tackles the problem more directly.

The 224-guest Star Explorer will have that ordering system from its first sailing, with delivery expected in December. Windstar also plans to introduce the technology throughout the rest of its fleet. This is a useful priority for onboard technology: less time carrying orders around, more time available to serve the table.

A practical lesson from Star Seeker

Speaking during an October 8 media call, Windstar Chief Operating Officer Stijn Creuplandt said restaurant service had provided the biggest operational lesson from Star Seeker. The company first brought in additional crew to help manage service before installing the tablet system over the summer.

Waiters now send orders directly to the galley rather than carrying handwritten slips downstairs. They can also notify the kitchen when a table is ready for its next course, a process Creuplandt called “calling a check.”

“We've eliminated the back and forth, and that really has helped the delivery of our restaurant service,” he said.

That second function matters. Getting an order into the kitchen is only part of serving dinner.

Creuplandt’s broader assessment of the 2025-built Star Seeker was positive. He said it had consistently surpassed Windstar’s operating targets and was “one of the highest rated ships in the fleet.” Crew members were also seeking to return to the vessel, he added.

That makes the dining change a targeted correction. Windstar has identified a specific source of lost time and is carrying the solution onto the next vessel.

Star Explorer stays on track for December

Star Explorer will also receive greater freshwater storage, which Creuplandt said was tied to its itineraries.

Unlike Windstar’s recent newbuild, Star Explorer is an existing vessel undergoing conversion. Originally named World Explorer, the 126-metre ship was built in 2019 at West Sea in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, where the work is taking place. It will offer 112 suites, with no inside cabins.

Windstar acquired the vessel from Mystic Cruises under a deal announced in early 2024. Built for expedition cruising, it has operated for Nicko Cruises, Quark Expeditions and Rivages du Monde. Mystic Cruises Chief Executive Officer Mario Ferreira said earlier this year that the conversion includes additional staterooms and alterations to public spaces and technical systems.

A Windstar team inspected progress at the shipyard in September. Captain Matthew Holloway and Staff Captain Matthew Mullins, both assigned to the inaugural team, were among those seeing the vessel for the first time.

Windstar President Chris Prelog said during the October media call that delivery remained on schedule, leaving time for shakedown cruises before passenger operations begin. The crew and senior officers have been assigned.

“Currently, there are no challenges to be overcome,” Prelog said.

The first passenger sailing is scheduled for December 28, a nine-night New Year’s voyage roundtrip from Barcelona. The Western Mediterranean itinerary includes Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena, Valencia, Malaga and Gibraltar.

Star Explorer will sail in the Mediterranean during winter and spring, with its wider year-round deployment covering Mediterranean and Northern European itineraries. Its naming ceremony and inaugural voyage are scheduled for London on June 1, 2027.

Windstar has already learned one useful lesson aboard Star Seeker. Star Explorer’s first guests should not have to wait through the same service bottleneck for the company to learn it twice.

See current Star Explorer fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.