Windstar Opens 2027 Europe Season With 12 New Small-Ship Routes

Bookings are now open for Windstar Cruises 2027 Europe season, which adds 12 new small-ship itineraries across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe and expands the lines footprint to five yachts in the region. The program leans into Windstars core strength, sailing into yacht-sized harbors, spending later evenings in port, and offering special event voyages that are difficult to replicate on larger ships.

Windstar will base four yachts in Europe on a March through November schedule, Star Legend, Wind Surf, Wind Spirit, and Star Pride, while the new all-suite Star Explorer is set to launch in December 2026 and remain in Europe year-round from 2027. Together, the ships will cover marquee countries like Greece, Italy, Croatia, Portugal, and Norway, along with calls in the Netherlands and England that highlight the lines small-ship positioning.

Windstar leans into yacht-only harbors

Windstar is framing the 2027 program around places and moments that big ships often miss, which aligns with the quote you pulled from Jess Peterson, the companys director of destination experience and itinerary planning. She points to smaller harbors that are only reachable on a yacht, plus the extended evenings in port that let guests linger over dinner on shore or take in local nightlife before sailing away.

On the routing side, that philosophy shows up in a mix of marquee cities and tucked-away stops. The 12 new itineraries are spread across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe and are expected to feature narrow waterways and yacht-scale ports such as the Corinth Canal in Greece, smaller harbors along the Croatian coast, and select marinas in Portugal and Norway. Some of these are places where larger ships must anchor at a distance or skip entirely due to size and local regulations.

For travelers, that translates into more time ashore in compact old towns, fewer long shuttle transfers from industrial piers, and the ability to step on and off the ship in locations that feel closer to the heart of a destination. It also tends to reduce congestion, because even when a small port sees more than one ship on the same day, a 224-guest yacht has a very different footprint than a 4,000-passenger mega-ship.

Five-yacht lineup and year-round Europe deployment

In 2027, Windstar plans to have five ships committed to Europe, a notable concentration for a small-ship brand. Four yachts, Star Legend, Wind Surf, Wind Spirit, and Star Pride, will operate seasonally in Europe from roughly March through November, moving between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe as the season progresses. These ships already have a track record in the region, and the new itineraries build on that existing deployment.

The key structural change is Star Explorer, the new 224-guest all-suite yacht that launches in December 2026 and then remains in Europe year-round. After a christening that is planned for May 31, 2027 on Londons River Thames, Star Explorer will sail a circumnavigation of Ireland, then rotate through itineraries that highlight smaller ports, rivers, and coastal towns.

Year-round deployment gives travelers more flexibility than the traditional May through September pattern that dominates Europe cruising. Shoulder seasons in March, April, October, and November can mean fewer crowds and lower airfares, especially for North American travelers who are willing to layer up for cooler evenings on deck while enjoying less busy streets ashore. It also opens up winter sun and holiday options in parts of the Mediterranean that remain relatively mild compared with Northern Europe.

Special-event voyages, eclipse sailing, and mystery cruise

Windstar is using the 2027 schedule to spotlight several special-event departures that are likely to sell out quickly. Two Grand Prix sailings will offer access to race viewing, building on the lines history of packaging Monaco Grand Prix experiences with hotel-style accommodations at sea. A total solar eclipse voyage will aim to position guests along the path of totality, something the line has experimented with before in the Mediterranean.

There is also a so-called mystery cruise on the calendar which, as with other lines that have tried this format, keeps the full itinerary under wraps and focuses instead on a broad theme and region. For travelers, the appeal is the surprise factor combined with the security of sailing with a familiar brand and the assurance that the ports will fit Windstars small-ship profile.

Short getaways, another returning feature for 2027, cater to guests who want the yachting experience without committing to a longer voyage. These compact itineraries are useful for travelers already planning Europe land trips, since they can be bolted onto a week in Italy, Greece, or the United Kingdom as a three to five night add-on rather than a standalone two week vacation.

Background: how Windstar's small-ship model shapes the experience

Windstar sits in the hybrid space between classic ocean cruising and private yacht charter. Its ships carry a few hundred guests rather than thousands, a scale that enables calls at ports with limited dockage and narrow approaches. For example, the Star Class and Wind Class vessels are designed to transit waterways like Greeces Corinth Canal and to anchor close to shore where harbor depth and turning basins permit.

Because the ships are smaller, the onboard rhythm is different from an entertainment-heavy mega-ship. Travelers can expect fewer overlapping venues and production shows, and more emphasis on destination time, marina platform water sports on suitable itineraries, and shore excursions that move in smaller groups. For many guests, that tradeoff is the point, the cruise component feels more like staying in a floating boutique hotel than a resort.

From a planning perspective, small ships can sell out particular cabin categories quickly, especially suites and specialty accommodations. That is likely to be true for the 2027 program, given that the new itineraries layer on Grand Prix access, eclipse viewing, and hard-to-reach ports that are already popular with repeat cruisers and first-time yacht guests alike.

Final thoughts

Windstar Cruises 2027 Europe season is an incremental expansion rather than a wholesale shift, but it underscores where the brand wants to compete, small-ship, event-rich itineraries that give travelers access to yacht-size ports, late nights ashore, and a more intimate onboard atmosphere. With bookings now open and Star Explorer joining the lineup as a year-round Europe ship, travelers who want that style of experience, and advisors who sell it, have a clear runway to start matching clients to new itineraries through 2027.

Sources

• Windstar Cruises Opens 2027 Europe Sailings
• Small Ships, Big Stories, Windstar Announces 2027 Europe Season
• Windstar Cruises Opens Bookings for 12 New Itineraries Across Northern Europe and the Med
• Windstar Cruises Opens 2027 Europe Voyages for Star Explorer
• Windstar Cruises Press Releases