The current cruise and the Dec. 26 departure were canceled.
Windstar Cruises said its technical team inspected the ship and identified some areas of the hull that are damaged, making Star Pride unable to sail.
Because of Isla de Coiba’s remote location off the coast of Panama, the lack of infrastructure in the area and the lack of other support vessels, Windstar arranged for sister ship, Star Breeze, along with the Paul Gauguin Cruises' Tere Moana, also sailing nearby, to transfer passengers to the mainland.
They were taken to Golfito, Costa Rica, and then on to San José, the capital. They were given the option to stay in Costa Rica for the remainder of their vacation, or to fly home early.
Star Pride passengers were refunded 100% of the cost of their voyage, and are getting a 100% future cruise credit.
The Star Pride crew joined Star Breeze on Wednesday.
Built in 1988 as Seabourn Pride, the 9,975gt Star Pride has capacity for 212 passengers. The ship is registered in the Bahamas.
