Wind Surf’s refurbishment is part of Windstar’s Setting Sails initiative, which redesigns all three of its sailing class of vessels between now and 2027 (pictured above is its newly designed pool deck). From his perspective, Stijn Creupelandt, Windstar’s chief operating officer, notes that highlights of the refurbishment focus on fresh new details that also reflect Windstar’s casually luxurious ethos.

Expect a sophisticated nautical ambience of neutrals and blues, Creupelandt adds, “With our guests in mind, we aimed to add a bit of whimsy with pops of color that will trigger wonderful memories of easygoing trips to the beach in summer, when building sandcastles was a focal point of the day.”

Specifically, this first refurbishment focused on public spaces and the ship’s top suites (note that phase two of the refurbishment takes place in December 2026; more details are below). 

New, top-of-the-ship suite

Previously known as the Officer’s Suite, Wind Surf’s new Owner’s Suite, #501, has been reimagined. “The owner’s suite is modern yacht-inspired. We adopted some classic details but we made it more fun, a little more Windstar,” Creupelandt explains. The space is expanded to encompass separate living and sleeping areas. The all-new bathroom features a tiled tub, new shower and double vanity. What doesn’t change? Guests still have unique access to the suite from a private door on an outside deck – and the suite is next to the Bridge.

Broadmoor and Sea Island suites debut on the Wind Class

If you’ve seen (or experienced) the Broadmoor and Sea Island suites on Windstar’s Star Class vessels (Star Legend, Star Pride and Star Breeze) you’ll love them here. If you haven’t yet? You’ll love them anyway. Inspired by designs at Windstar’s parent company, Xanterra, which operates five-star sister resorts such as Colorado’s Broadmoor and Georgia’s Sea Island, each offers a distinctive ambience. The Broadmoor suite has a clubby, historic feel while Sea Island evokes a summery and beachy look.

Amphora incorporates sea colors into its restaurant space

Amphora, Wind Surf’s main restaurant venue, embraces a new design concept that features blues and ivory with elements of the sea, such as sea glass, pearls and smooth stones. There will be new furnishings that include curved booth, a 10-guest Captain’s Table and larger dining chairs for comfort. Another improvement that your eyes may not see but your ears will appreciate: improved acoustics.

Tweaking Compass Rose

The ship’s Compass Rose, its hallmark space for entertainment and socializing, features more comfortable, modern décor with pops of blue and orange, a chic bar, and a new multi-purpose stage area ideal for live music and local performances. 

“While I admit that all my designs are my children, I really love the reimagined Compass Rose,” Creupelandt says. “It’s the hub for nightlife, from pre-dinner cocktails to trivia to evening entertainment. There are booths around the edges, sofa seating outside, and the aft wall that still fully opens so you get the indoor/outdoor feeling.”

Splashy new pool deck and bar

What we love about this space is the way Windstar designers bring the outdoors – through pops of color, including green foliage, onboard. The tiling on the whirlpools is meant to evoke ocean waves. There’s plenty of teak in the deck, the pool’s capping, and tables. Newly added seating includes large daybeds on the aft and chaise lounges.

First Impressions!

On the newly revamped Wind Surf, public spaces that guests access daily, like the ship’s lobby, which houses the shore excursion desk and guest service, and its popular Yacht Club coffee bar, are fresh and modern. “The idea,” Creupelandt tells us, “is to create a hub, a relaxed environment that is a bit like an Italian piazza, with social spaces and solitary, peaceful nooks, as well.”

“It was wonderful to see it come to life on my cruise,” she adds. “It was still the Yacht Club, guests were sitting, reading, sipping coffee There are pops of color and patterns, and yet it’s also a quiet refuge.”

Surprises #1 and #2

In our original blog on the changes planned for Wind Surf, we didn’t mention a couple of refurbs that surprised us, in a good way.

We loved that crew spaces, like this engaging lounge (pictured above), were redesigned.

And though standard accommodations will not be overhauled until Wind Surf’s final refurbishment in December 2026, all cabins received new interactive televisions.

And more surprises!

Creupelandt’s favorite installation? A new LED wall in Compass Rose that completely changes the atmosphere, depending on where the ship is sailing – and when. “We were all impressed with how it turned out,” she says, noting that on her Christmas cruise there with holiday-related background scenes with music. Port talks and other presentations were also bolstered by the A/V.

And we love the new wine room (photo above), which will host pre-dinner tastings there. The average tasting, says Peter Tobler, Windstar’s director of hotel operations, lasts about 10 – 15 minutes for two to three different pours.

Phase two takes place soon!

Phase 2 of Wind Surf’s refurbishment will take place in December 2026 and re-enters service on December 19, 2026. 

In this effort, all accommodations (suites were already completed in phase one) will be outfitted with new furniture, bedding, carpets, interactive televisions and art and décor.

As well, Veranda and Amphora will be redecorated, and Stella Bistro will be replaced by Basil + Bamboo, Windstar’s Mediterranean-Asian fusion restaurant.

In a nod to travelers’ increasing desires to practice wellness while onboard, Wind Surf’s fitness center will be redesigned with a new motion studio. And the ship’s cigar lounge will be replaced by a dry sauna.

All of Windstar’s three Wind Class ships (Wind Surf, Wind Star, and Wind Spirit) have undergone recent renovations and updates as part of a multi-year initiative. Wind Star has already completed both phases of improvements. Wind Spirit will receive its second of two updates in March 2027.  

The post Wind Surf Readies for the Final Stage of its Refurbishment appeared first on Windstar Cruises Travel Blog.

“From the Mediterranean to French Polynesia and from East Asia to the Greek Isles, each voyage in our 2027 collection has been paired with a chef whose culinary journey speaks directly to the cuisine and culture that guests will encounter on their voyages,” says Peter Tobler, Windstar’s director of hotel operations.

“Onboard these chefs will lead hands-on cooking demonstrations, intimate dinners, and destination-focused culinary events that bring a level of storytelling and expertise to the table that only chefs of James Beard Foundation caliber can offer.”

Clare Reichenbach, chief executive officer of the James Beard Foundation, experienced a chef-hosted cruise in August, on French Feast: Normandy, Brittany & Aquitaine, when 2-star Michelin chef Gabriel Kreuther was onboard. “What you experience,” she told us, “is that the partnership brings something new and exciting to the cruise experience. It offers an opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with both leading chefs of the world and newer talent in the culinary arts.”

Curious to know more?

In 2027, the James Beard Foundation culinary voyages will include:

• Chef Roel Alcudia, whose path from a Filipino family hacienda to some of America’s top kitchens informs Treasures of the Greek Isles
• Chef Felix Tai, culinary director of Hawaiʻi’s Polynesian Cultural Center, hosting Maori Storytellers & French Polynesian Treasures
• Chef Cara Tobin, of Vermont’s Honey Road, leading an Aegean Sea Odyssey via the Corinth Canal
• Chef Cody Hogan, of Kansas City’s Lidia’s, hosting Enchanting Greece and the Amalfi Coast
• Chef Christine Lau, of Maine’s Ladyfish, guiding guests through East Asian Legends

Read on for the full lineup, including each chef’s story and the voyage they’ll be hosting in 2027.

Chef Roel Alcudia will be host of Treasures of the Greek Isles

The Date: July 13 – 20, 2027

The yacht: Wind Surf

The itinerary: Windstar’s seven night Treasures of the Greek Isles, a roundtrip voyage from Athens’ port of Piraeus, visits places such as Nafplio, Mykonos, Patmos, Kusadasi (which features Windstar’s private dinner Destination Discovery event at Ephesus), Monemvasia and Santorini.

A perfect match for the Aegean

Chef Roel, a Filipino immigrant, says that he has always believed that “food is about connection, bringing people together and creating lasting experiences,” which completely reflects the ethos of the James Beard Foundation’s partnership with Windstar. As someone who’s regarded as a genuine mentor to many of America’s most talented chefs, his passion for teaching and sharing his love for cooking not just with participating guests but also with onboard chefs and galley crew, will inspire.

In addition to Chef Roel’s Filipino roots, he has a great passion for Greece and Turkey as a result of his time as chef at Miami’s Mandolin Aegean Bistro, which enabled him to extensively research, through travel and cooking, Greek and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine.

From family hacienda to fine dining

Born on a family hacienda in the Philippines where his great-grandmother fed neighbors and strangers alike, Roel Alcudia moved to the United States at the age of 13. After studying fine arts at Pratt Institute and Rutgers, a bowl of his mother’s soup redirected him to the French Culinary Institute, where he graduated at the top of his class. The chef trained under some of America’s top chefs like Thomas Keller (Per Se), Tom Colicchio (Craft), and Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto) before moving to Miami.

There, he cooked at The Cypress Room (named one of Bon Appétit’s Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America in 2013) and at the aforementioned Mandolin Aegean Bistro. He later moved back to New York, this time to its Hudson Valley. There, he was chef at Stissing House, where the restaurant was named one of The New York Times’ “50 Best Restaurants in America” and became a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant.

Recently, Chef Roel returned to Miami to work with David Foulquier, founder of We All Gotta Eat, which operates a variety of fine dining restaurants. There he will be creating new menus and dishes for Focq, one of Miami’s top restaurants.

Polynesian Chef Felix Tai hosts Maori Storytellers and French Polynesian Treasures

The Date: September 5 – 16, 2027

The Yacht: Star Breeze

The Itinerary: The Tahiti-based voyage includes visits to Society Islands such as Moorea, Huahine, and Bora Bora (where Polynesian Feast & Fire, Windstar’s exclusive Destination Discovery event, is a major highlight) and also to the Cook Islands.

A Fitting Voice for Polynesian Waters

Based on the North Shore of Hawaii’s Oʻahu, Chef Felix Tai is the culinary director and executive chef of the Polynesian Cultural Center. The Malaysian-born chef’s ethnicity reflects traces of China and India.

His culinary signature? “Great food is inseparable from the place and the people who created it.” To that end, Tai specializes in marrying culinary traditions to contemporary innovations in dishes that span thousands of islands, each with its own relationship to the ocean and the land.

From Oʻahu’s North Shore to the Islands of the Pacific Rim

At the Polynesian Cultural Center, he oversees all culinary efforts, from culturally authentic luau feasts to the Pacific Rim-inspired comfort dishes served at Pounders, an onsite restaurant. Cool fun fact: Pounders was named in honor of a nearby beach.

Chef Felix bridges his culinary operations in Hawaiʻi with national advocacy, mentorship, and high-profile guest appearances through his alignment with the James Beard Foundation’s initiatives. He is a 2026 advisor alum of the Foundation’s Legacy Network program.

The chef was inducted into the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Hall of Fame in 2019.

Bonus: Experts from J Vineyards and Winery, in California’s Sonoma County, will be onboard as part of Windstar’s partnership with Lux Wines. On this cruise, guests can engage in wine tastings, menu pairings and special events.

Chef Cara Tobin Hosts an Aegean Sea Odyssey via the Corinth Canal

The Date: September 8 – 16, 2027

The yacht: Star Legend

The itinerary: On this Piraeus (the port city for Athens) to Istanbul sailing, Star Legend calls at off-beat and iconic islands, such as Greece’s Santorini, Itea for Delphi, Limnos, and Mykonos. Stops in Turkey include destinations such as Bodrum and Kusadasi (which features a Windstar signature, “destination discovery” event at Ephesus).

A Perfect Match for Greece and Turkey

Chef Cara is co-owner and executive chef of Honey Road Restaurant, in Burlington, Vermont, specializing in Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. The dinner-only menu focuses on vegetarian-influenced mezze. Specialties include tahini hummus, sweet harissa chicken wings, kale salad, smashed potatoes with jalapeño labne, and house-made baklava. Dishes change seasonally.

The chef’s food journey began at culinary school in California’s Monterey. A move to Boston with her husband yielded a job at Cambridge’s Eastern Mediterranean restaurant Oleana, helmed by James Beard Award winner Ana Sortun. Tobin rose from sous chef to chef de cuisine there, spending years immersed in the food of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and the broader Eastern Mediterranean region, traveling often there to learn from local home cooks and market vendors.

A decade ago, she moved to Burlington where she opened Honey Road Restaurant, continuing her passion for the cuisines of countries bordering the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Rooted in Eastern Mediterranean Cuisine

At Honey Road, she has been honored as a two-time James Beard Award nominee and three-time James Beard Award semifinalist, including in the, Outstanding Restaurateur category alongside her business partner (and co-owner) Allison Gibson in 2025. She was a Rising Star Chef in 2015 while at Oleana.

Community involvement has played a big role in Cara’s restaurant philosophy. Honey Road supports local organizations that are involved with the arts, LGTBQ+ rights, childhood development and care, animal rights and local food systems.

Fun Fact: The mother of two sons, Tobin and her husband, a scientist, operate their own business called Sunday Morning Mushrooms.

Chef Cody Hogan Hosts Enchanting Greece and the Amalfi Coast

The date: October 14 – 21, 2027

The yacht: Wind Surf

The itinerary: This voyage, from Rome’s port of Civitavecchia to Athens’ Piraeus, calls at ports such as Italy’s Sorrento and Messina and Greece’s Monemvasia and Gythion.

A fitting voice for the Amalfi Coast

Based in Kansas City, Chef Cody is executive chef of Lidia’s, where he has worked with its founder and namesake, Lidia Bastianich, for 28 years. Before rising to the role of executive chef, Hogan, who joined Lidia’s at the start-up, served as pastry chef, chef de cuisine, and then general manager.

Here’s why Bastianich herself has played such an impactful role in the culinary arts: through her first, New York-based restaurant in the early 1980s, she transformed Italian cuisine from its then peasant roots to fine dining. She brought that same magic to Kansas City, where her self-named restaurant, her first outside of New York, opened in a Midwest city.

Rooted in two unlikely crafts

Growing up on a cattle ranch in northwestern Arkansas, he absorbed the importance of local farms and products. Before he embarked on his cooking career, he studied as a classical pianist but was intrigued enough in the culinary arts to begin working at Alice Waters’ famous Chez Panisse. He joined Lidia’s Kansas City in 1998.

Committed to growing community involvement in the culinary arts in the Midwest, he maintains a direct pipeline to the foundation’s fundraising networks and works closely with regional farmers to advocate for the sustainable, equitable food systems the foundation promotes.

Fun fact: As Cody Hogan first heard the adage “performing live music is like preparing an inspired meal” from his piano teacher. Jo Ann Baker, one of the Conservatory of Music and Dance’s cornerstone piano teachers, encouraged students to structure a recital like a meal — an appetizer to open, then a soup, a main course, and a light dessert to close. Hogan didn’t fully grasp the comparison until he discovered cooking himself.

Chef Christine Lau Hosts East Asian Legends

The date: November 4 – 14, 2027

The yahgt: Star Seeker 

The itinerary:  Sailing from Osaka to Hanoi, this 10-day itinerary visits ports such as Japan’s Ishigaki and Okinawa, Taiwan’s Taipei, and Hong Kong.

A fitting voice for Japan, China, and Vietnam

Chef Christine’s culinary journey has followed a distinctive path: fine-dining Italian at Alto in New York, produce-driven cooking at Centovini, Basque cuisine at Bar Basque, Japanese-American technique at Sea Grill alongside Chef Yuhi Fujinaga, and the izakaya tradition at Bar Chuko. All of these experiences were threaded together by every stretch of vacation she could accumulate across Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. That travel built the library of flavor that would become the foundation of her own voice, making her a natural fit to lead guests through the region herself.

From Berkeley to Manhattan to Maine

Though raised in Oakland, Lau is the daughter of parents who emigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong.

In August 2020, she opened Kimika in New York’s Nolita neighborhood, blending her Italian training with Japanese technique into what she calls Ita-meshi cuisine. As she told the blog Chuboknives, the menu was laid out like an Italian restaurant — snacks, then small dishes, a fried pizza section, pasta and rice, larger plates, a side or contorni, and dessert — shaped by her years in Italian kitchens, her time under a Japanese-American chef, and her stint at an izakaya. The concept earned critical acclaim: New York Times critic Pete Wells praised her deft hand at balancing the two cuisines, and Kimika was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2022.

Today, Lau oversees culinary operations for Ladyfish, a seasonal seafood restaurant in Portland, Maine, focused on celebrating Maine seafood simply and thoughtfully — paired, co-owner Jordan Rubin notes, with flavor profiles distinctive enough to surprise even seasoned diners.

Bonus: Experts from Napa’s Louis M. Martini Winery, best known for its cabernet sauvignon, will be onboard to host tastings, wine and menu pairings, and offer engaging educational sessions.

The post Windstar Cruises Announces 2027 James Beard Foundation Chef-Hosted Voyages appeared first on Windstar Cruises Travel Blog.

Last year, we tried something different: we gave each other one holiday gift, a Caribbean cruise over Christmas, and convinced a few like-minded friends to join us. I worried the holiday spirit I love most would take a back seat onboard. It didn’t. Between the food and drink, the festive ports of call, and a few blissful sea days (including Christmas Day itself, when most ports are closed anyway), it was a real celebration — and the crew handled all the cooking, cleaning, and entertaining.

We enjoyed it enough to do it again the following year, this time sailing Spain’s Mediterranean coast.

If you’re considering your first Christmas cruise, here are seven things we learned along the way — and if you’re a holiday cruising veteran yourself, share your own tips in the comments below.

What is considered the holiday season onboard or in port?

Onboard and onshore, décor, ambience and activities start to ramp up the first or second week of December and last through New Year’s Day. In many regions, from the Panama Canal to the Caribbean, they go on even longer, until the Festival of Three Kings holiday on Jan. 6. And in the Mediterranean, its famous Christmas markets can start as early as America’s Thanksgiving and run into Twelfth Night (usually celebrated the evening of January 5).

Where can you go?

We chose the Eastern Caribbean (we opted for a St. Maarten round trip because destinations such as the British Virgin Islands and St. Bart’s are big favorites ), because we knew it would be festive onshore. Other regions that operate at this time of year include the Southern Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Central America (Costa Rica and Nicaragua), a round trip out of Tahiti for French Polynesia, and the Mediterranean, with itineraries focusing on Spain, France and Italy. 

More specifically, here are some options for the festive season.

• Star Collector: Reefs & Rainforests: The Caribbean, Colombia, Panama & Costa Rica via the Panama Canal. Departing on November 24 (2026) n Wind Star, this 18-night voyage travels from Barbados to Costa Rica’s San Jose via a melange of Caribbean and Central American ports. 
• On Star Explorer’s maiden voyage, this Barcelona-based cruise hugs the coast of Spain. This nine-night post-Christmas voyage (markets are still in full swing) departs on December 28 (2026) and visits Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena and Gibraltar, among other ports. 
• Spend the holidays in the tropics on Star Pride. Based in San Juan, Windward Islands: Surf & Sunsets is a seven-night Caribbean cruise that departs December 20 (2026) and visits Guadeloupe, Bequia, Mayreau and Grenada. 

Embrace the season’s traditions at the places you visit

Depending on your itinerary, you may luck out by finding special holiday events taking place in ports of call. In the Mediterranean, its famed holiday markets are open day and night (late afternoons and early evenings are magical, with throngs coming for post-work happy hours, live bands and tons of twinkling lights contributing to the already buoyant atmosphere). In Costa Rica, one of the most popular holiday celebrations is “el carnaval,” held between Christmas and New Year’s, where locals don masks and clown costumes.  In the Caribbean, one way of celebrating is through local food traditions, like pineapple upside down cake and coconut tarts in St. Maarten. In Puerto Rico, try escabeche (chicken gizzards and boiled banana) and coquito, Puerto Rico’s version of eggnog (rum, coconut milk and cinnamon).

Anticipate celebrations onboard, too

Onboard, Christmas decorations include Santa, gingerbread villages, garlands and illuminated trees. Entertainment ranges from Windstar’s usual favorites to holiday-themed fare, with movies on the in-suite televisions to music played in lounges. Christmas cocktails are served from the second week of December on, special menus are served on the holidays (such as a Christmas Day lunch menu featuring honey glazed ham and, later, high tea with Christmas cake and stollen).

Celebrating with crew and staff

On every Windstar cruise I’ve ever taken, bonding with crew and staff has enriched the experience. Emotions are always stronger during the holidays. For us and the crew with whom we interacted, the season made our connections stronger. We also loved learning about how the crew celebrates: Crew areas are decorated, gifts are given, and every staffer has time off for a Christmas meal celebration (either a lavish lunch or dinner). My favorite discovery is their popular create-a-hat competition, where crew members can use any found item to make a unique cap (see below for one of last year’s winners, whose hat was crafted from bread).

One other tip: Tuck a few small gifts into your suitcase for crew members you meet onboard (or pick up small trinkets in ports of call).

If you go

• The most festive region for a holiday cruise is Europe’s Mediterranean, now a year-round cruise destination; itineraries primarily focus on France, Italy and Spain. For beach fun and sun, consider the Caribbean, Tahiti and the Panama Canal. In Asia, itineraries over the festive season feature Cambodia and Vietnam. 
• Tip: Pack a few small gifts for the crew members you get to know onboard, or pick up trinkets in port to hand out along the way.
• On our voyages, we noticed that some travelers wanted to continue their own traditions, and brought wreaths and other decor to spice up their cabins and we loved being greeted upon arrival by holiday treats, like peppermint candy canes, foil-wrapped chocolate Santa’s, and freshly baked cookies from the galley; selection varies by ship.
• In many cases, plan for Christmas and New Year’s to be sea days in regions where tourist businesses shut down for the holidays. And yet, on our Southern Spain coastal cruise last year on Star Seeker, we overnighted in Palma de Mallorca, spending Christmas Eve and Day there, where you could take in a mass at the Basílica de Santa María. Museums were largely closed on Christmas Day but a ship-provided shuttle dropped us in town and restaurants and outdoor cafes (the weather was gorgeous) were open and bustling with celebrations. 
• While ships are indeed festive during this time, it’s not over the top and those who don’t celebrate these particular holidays will feel just as welcome. 
• And of course, beyond your ship, embrace the style of celebrations of locals in the ports you visit. 
• And while for us the trip was our holiday gift to each other, a spa gift certificate or special shore excursion gave us something to open — and another memory to take home with us.

The post Sail Into the Season: 5 Reasons to Celebrate a Christmas & New Year’s Cruise at Sea appeared first on Windstar Cruises Travel Blog.