Windstar Expands Destination Discovery Events Fleetwide in 2027
Star Pride will carry the first two after-hours Tower of London departures in May 2027, followed by Star Explorer's Ireland christening voyage on May 31.
Windstar Cruises will expand its complimentary Destination Discovery Events to all eight of its yachts and 165 sailings in 2027, adding evening programs in Livorno, Dubrovnik and London. The program will comprise seven experiences in seven destinations. Three departures will include after-hours access to the Tower of London.
The schedule more than doubles the program’s fleet coverage and coincides with the first European season of Star Explorer, a 224-passenger ship. Destination Discovery Events are open to all guests on eligible voyages and combine local food and performances with access to selected venues ashore.
“In 2027, we’re bringing that experience to more of our guests across the fleet,” said Stijn Creupelandt, chief operating officer at Windstar Cruises.
Existing events include an evening dinner at Ephesus and a Polynesian feast on a private motu near Bora Bora.
New evenings in Livorno, Dubrovnik and London
In Livorno, guests will visit the 16th-century Fortezza Vecchia after normal hours for Tuscan canapes, cocktails and live music. Local docents will present the history of the Medici fortress. The event will be offered on the Europe’s Winter Riviera itinerary.
The Dubrovnik program will begin with sparkling wine and klapa singers in a 15th-century Dominican cloister. Guests will then continue to the Marin Drzic Theatre for Croatian music and dance. Windstar has assigned the event to its Iconic & Hidden Croatia and Off the Beaten Path Adriatic itineraries.
Windstar did not provide sailing dates or departure counts for the Livorno and Dubrovnik events.
The London evening will include a private viewing of the Crown Jewels, entry to selected areas such as the White Tower and Battlements, presentations by Yeoman Warders, live music and a reception in the New Armouries Courtyard.
Star Pride will carry the first two departures: a seven-night Tulip Season in Holland & Belgium cruise leaving April 29, with the event on May 6, and a five-night Timeless Maritime Powerhouses of Northern Europe sailing departing May 13, with the visit on May 17. The third will be Star Explorer’s 10-night Christening Voyage: Circumnavigating Ireland, which departs May 23 and visits the tower on May 31.
Star Explorer prepares for its first European season
The ship’s European deployment will include calls in the Venice lagoon, Thames sailings beneath Tower Bridge into central London and itineraries on European rivers. Following its initial Mediterranean program, Star Explorer will spend summer 2027 in Northern Europe on voyages covering the British Isles, Ireland, Norway, Scotland and the Baltic, before returning to the Mediterranean in the fall.
During Windstar’s early 2027 Mediterranean Local Season, most of the ship’s itineraries will include overnight calls, longer stays and later departures. The schedule includes double overnights in Venice and Barcelona, along with visits timed for Venice’s Carnevale and Epiphany celebrations.
Star Explorer’s first sailing is scheduled to depart Barcelona on Dec. 28, 2026, on a roundtrip voyage through southern Spain.
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