From subtropical Northland to the snowcapped fjords of the South Island, this exceptional 10-day cruise along New Zealand’s scenic island coasts contrasts contemporary Kiwi culture with authentic Maori traditions. Stroll vineyard grounds and sample crisp Chardonnay and fruity Cabernet Franc in the cellars of a Hawke’s Bay Winery in New Zealand’s oldest and most acclaimed wine growing region. Search the waves for bobbing penguins against precipitous cliffs and snow-dusted ranges during a scenic cruise of picturesque Fjordland National Park. Indulge in famed hokey-pokey ice cream, a sweetly indulgent culinary Kiwi hallmark consisting of rich vanilla blended with honeycomb toffee chunks, and uncover the legends of Tangaroa, the Maori god of the sea, as you feed friendly stingray along the warm shorelines near Gisborne.   

Bougainvillea-covered balconies, jungles teeming with wildlife, one of the most brazen engineering feats in human history… there’s more treasure here than the Spanish ever dreamed of. Step back in time to the height of the Spanish Empire in Cartagena and Santa Marta, where you can tour museums glittering with pre-Colombian gold and jewelers display fresh-from-the-mine emeralds. Join the birds in the rainforest canopy and caimans in thick mangroves. Relive history as you transit the Panama Canal, enormous locks gaping above you and Lake Gatun spread out below. Dine alfresco beneath a colony of stars and toast the perfect antidote to winter.   

Those who love watersports, snorkeling and diving will be on Cloud 9 on this cruise through the Windward and ABC islands. Swim with vibrant fish and friendly sea turtles as you visit ports in Tobago Cays Marine Park, in Bonaire National Marine Park, and in the proposed Speyside Marine Protected Area. Paddleboard right from the Watersports Platform as we visit smaller ports and less-visited bays away from the crowds. And when you’ve had your fill of ocean action (if you ever do), head to shore and explore colorful Dutch colonial harbors, sugar-white beaches and mouthwatering island cuisines. 

A graceful yacht is the perfect way to experience the true wonder of Tahiti. We’ll let the trade winds fill our sails as we visit one legendary island after another, with plenty of casual time to swim and snorkel in crystal-clear lagoons, meander through lush rainforests, and experience the fascinating Polynesian culture from tikis to tiare flowers. 

BRING ALASKA’S WILD BEAUTY INTO FOCUS as you discover small towns and big cities, cruise far up narrow fjords to the twin Sawyer Glaciers or Dawes Glacier, and launch Zodiacs right from the ship into pristine wilderness on Windstar Signature Expeditions. Star Breeze will get you closer to scenic shorelines along the Inside Passage, Kenai Fjords and the wildlife-rich Inian Islands, and you’ll enjoy the best wildlife viewing opportunities as we adjust our schedule to linger whenever whales are present. Experience more of Alaska with an extended stay Cruise Tour to Denali and stand in the enormity of North America’s tallest peak.

Nowhere else in the world will you find such a stunning juxtaposition of ancient traditions and contemporary cultures. Mystic temples give way to soaring skyscrapers while tranquil, timeless villages neighbor pulsating, modern cities. Windstar brings you the best of both worlds, taking you to the heart of cosmopolitan marvels like Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Tokyo and the exotic shores of small villages and unspoiled islands of Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. 

Explore Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania by land and sea, and you’ll discover a whole new meaning to the term wild life—including a memorable sunset penguin parade on Australia’s Philip Island. Windstar gets you up close and personal with countless species from wombats, dingoes, kangaroos and wallabies to wedge-tailed shearwaters, black swans, manta rays, and killer whales—you can even hug a koala in Mooloolaba. But that’s just the beginning. This unique region offers up icons like the Great Barrier Reef, the famed Sydney Opera House, Kangaroo Island’s Remarkable Rocks, Freycinet National Park’s Wineglass Bay, Fjordland National Park, and the home of The Hobbit. Windstar also takes you down the road less traveled to immerse you in the area’s intriguing convict history, traditional Maori culture, and incredible wine country. Sip your way from Australia’s Barossa and Yarra Valleys to New Zealand’s esteemed Marlborough region and the Gisborne wine trail. Wine, wildlife and natural wonders await you Down Under. 

The Black Sea rivals the Mediterranean for history and attractions, yet it attracts only half as many tourists. Partly because many Black Sea ports can only accommodate smaller cruise ships like ours, and perhaps also because it requires a bit of an adventurous spirit to come here. This is the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the Silk Road and Spice Road, Christianity and Islam, so you never know quite what to expect. There are fewer English speakers. And cultures and cuisines may be influenced by Venetian traders, Balkan neighbors, Russian or Ottoman rulers, or regional ethnic groups. (Sochi alone has over a hundred.) Even nature defies generalization with beaches of sand or stone, pine trees and palm trees, lush green mountains and steppes. 

Long before Columbus, Vikings crossed the Labrador Sea from Greenland to settle in L’Anse Aux Meadows. Centuries later, Portuguese fishermen, Basque whalers, French trappers, and English pilgrims would follow and discover a Promised Land where nature nurtures both body and soul. Here, where the sun first kisses North America, explorer Jacques Cartier found a place where “the scenery is indeed worth seeing and can’t be properly described in words.” The ravishing lighthouse-studded coast still inspires awe. Manna from the sea still delights palates. And small cruise ships like ours still ply these waters with a freedom denied to larger cruise ships. 

Candy-colored cocktails sipped in seaside watering holes. Carefree days followed by calypso-flavored nights. These are the siren songs that lure anyone with a yacht and a yearning to escape to the incomparable Caribbean Islands. Whether you’re cruising through turquoise waters or lazing on powdery white beaches, the glamorous harbors and unknown coves of this area remain a hidden treasure. 

Natural and man-made wonders combine in this exotic region where you are an explorer by day with cocktails on the fantail of your boutique ship by night. Costa Rica is one of the most ecologically diverse places on earth over landscapes of rainforest, lakes, cloudforests, volcanoes, and more, boasting an impressive variety of wildlife. Learn more about their history, flora and fauna from a local Naturalist on board and transit the massive Panama Canal during daylight hours. Against all this color and adventure, your white ship rests at anchor awaiting your return from a delightful day of exploring. 

The Acropolis at sunset. A moonlight supper at the ancient Celsus Library in Ephesus. The sugar-cube houses of Santorini shimmering in the mid-day sun. Like arms joined in a syrtaki dance, one incomparable experience follows another, and your elegant white ship gives you a front row seat to it all. Frame the famous windmills of Mykonos in your lens. Feast on mouthwatering mezes and ouzo under a cerulean sky. Get deliciously lost in the medieval alleyways of Monemvasia. Dwell, if just for a time, in the land of gods. 

Welcome to the land of milk and honey, the source of world faiths and a lodestone for world travelers, whether their interest is secular or sacred. Devotion here is expressed in many forms. The carved pink limestone of Petra, doorways sized for colossal gods. Humble caves and catacombs, grand palaces and pyramids, the natural tranquility of olive groves and gardens. Greek temples. Christian shrines. Jewish fortresses. Wondrous museums filled with relics of the world’s oldest civilizations. All will take your breath away and fill you with awe, just as they did the prophets and disciples who came this way before you. 

Let Windstar’s Italian cruises whisk you away to charming villages, pristine beaches and legendary cities with unique itineraries that let you discover Italy as it was meant to be seen. From the picturesque pastel towns that line the Amalfi Coast to enchanting islands such as Sicily and Elba, you’ll explore breathtaking sights in charismatic small ports and beautiful hidden harbors without missing the remarkable history of larger cities such as Rome or Venice. Discover a more intimate Italy by day and unwind back onboard with the pampered, personalized touch of Windstar Cruises. 

Surrounded by wonders like the magnificent Cinque Terre, the culturally transcendent Alhambra, and the Belém Tower monument, it is easy to fall in love with the Mediterranean. With unique cruise itineraries, Windstar brings you closer to this spectacular part of the world. Cruise the Guadalquivir River, the only navigable river in Spain spanning 408 miles, to Seville. Anchor in the heart of Old Town Dubrovnik as larger cruise ships pass by. Visit a local Mediterranean market with our Windstar Chef, enjoy local experiences in interesting locales such as Giardini Naxos, Portofino, and Mallorca and see a new port almost every day with never more than one sea day. 

Fiestas are a way of life in Mexico, fitting for a country with so much to celebrate. A virtual aquarium offshore in the Sea of Cortez. Mayan temples bathed in desert light and shadow. Cuisines and coastlines that marry the smooth and soothing with the surprisingly sharp and dramatic. Come in search of trophy marlin, an authentic mole, the perfect beach, and find them all in Mexico. Along with an all-suite white-and-teak ship to frame each stunning sunset. 

Words like moor, loch, and geyser were born in this land, because no existing vocabulary could adequately describe these extraordinary landscapes. These regions could just as easily have coined a term for ambrosial summer evenings at seaside cafés, Fabergé palaces of amber and gold, and storybook cities crisscrossed by canals and flower markets, all of which are here in abundance. But as your elegant ship traces its way through enchanting fjords and forgotten archipelagos, you won’t need words. You are speechless. 

Indulge yourself in leisurely, unscheduled days where time suspends in the magic of the sea. Sleep late. Dine early. Establish your own rhythm in sync with the waves and the arc of the sun and moon overhead. Watch the constellations drift and let your mind shake off all the cobwebs of shore. Feast on the impossible beauty of liquid sunsets, and let your soul dance with the dolphins in the spray off the bow. 

Oceania’s scattered island nations bring to mind the breathtaking beaches and peacock-colored lagoons of Tahiti, but they also contain the most diverse indigenous cultures in the world. Come with us as we travel beyond the packaged resorts to experience a world few get to see. Go back to the way things used to be on tiny Niue or Maré, with no crowds, only twinkling stars at night, and a pace of life many yearn for. Discover villages that still follow traditional ways of life on Tanna, Vanuatu. Explore small Fijian communities and the untouched rainforest of the Wasali Nature Reserve near Savusavu. Add context to the postcard images the South Pacific is known for. 

Star Collector Voyages combine some of our most popular cruise itineraries for a more in-depth exploration of each region. Featuring longer voyages of 13+ days and few repeated ports, take advantage of your time here and unpack only once. Travel the world spending more time sampling exotic cuisines, immersing yourself in new cultures, and discovering perspectives that open your heart and return home with a soul fulfilled.

All Star Collector Voyages feature FREE daily laundry, so you can travel light and come home with a well-traveled suitcase and one less chore. 

Each of Windstar’s unique themed voyages offers you intimate access to some of the world's most exclusive destinations and events. Experience the exhilaration of watching Monte Carlo’s Grand Prix from a premier grandstand seat.  For the epicureans who want an expert’s tips on molecular gastronomy and recommendations on riojas in Spain, sail on a culinary-themed cruise with a James Beard Foundation chef and sommelier. These packages and voyages are custom made for exploration. Discover it all in Windstar's signature style. 

A land of contrasts. Vast geographical diversity. Distinct cultures within a culture. America’s two coasts could not be more different. From a small ship moorage in Sausalito to the bustling metropolis of Manhattan, join Windstar to experience the very essence of what makes the U.S. so unique. Explore the hotbed of American culture along the Eastern seaboard with the world’s most iconic skyline in New York, the rich history of Philadelphia, and the unmistakable Southern charm of Charleston. Discover the best of the wild West Coast known for its rugged natural beauty, laid back lifestyle and emerging food and wine scene as you visit the charismatic Northwest cities of Seattle and Portland, the marvels of San Francisco, and San Diego, the heart of Southern California surf culture.