Fincantieri's Palermo completes third Windstar yacht transformation

'We are thrilled to have all three of our yachts completely reimagined, from the new, more environmentally-friendly engines to the gorgeous new restaurant spaces, spacious suites and romantic spas,' Windstar President Chris Prelog said. 'We couldn’t be happier with the results. Our passengers who are already sailing with us on these transformed yachts are raving, giving us higher customer experience scores than we’ve ever received in our company’s history.'

Star Pride to resume sailing in April

Star Pride will remain in Italy until passenger operations resume in April in the Mediterranean. Sister Star Breeze begins sailing in Tahiti next week, while Star Legend is completing a short Mediterranean season before redeploying to the Caribbean in November.

All three vessels were lengthened, re-engined and transformed in a multi-year project that is considered to be the most complex and comprehensive renovation ever undertaken in small-ship cruising.

Capacity increase

With added suites, maximum capacity for each vessel went from 212 passengers to 312. New dining choices include an alfresco barbecue concept with grilling guru Steven Raichlen and a Spanish small plates restaurant with Anthony Sasso, one of the youngest chefs to earn a Michelin star.

Other improvements include more outdoor deck space and updated HVAC systems that gained new hospital grade HEPA filters and UV-C treatment.