Is it an ocean cruiser? Is it a river ship? Windstar unveils vessel that can do both

• Windstar has launched a new concept in cruising, combining river and ocean sailing all on the one ship.
• The newest Windstar ship, Star Explorer, has been purpose-built for what it being called hybrid cruising.
• The 224-passenger Star Explorer is set to enter service in December 2026.

Windstar is opening up a new frontier of sailing, announcing river-to-ocean cruising that takes place all on one ship.

It’s a groundbreaking style of cruising that will have die-hard river cruisers choking on their cocktails and rusted-on ocean cruisers scratching their heads. Windstar says it will appeal to both camps, which have traditionally been divided.

But with river companies joining up journeys – Uniworld, for instance, has an alliance with Aqua and others are negotiating with ocean lines – Winstar may just have given more credence to the cruise line promise: unpack only once.

Windstar’s newest ship Star Explorer has been purpose-built for the new itineraries and is expected to enter service in 2026.

Among the routes it will offer is one that will link Bordeaux with London via the Seine and Thames, calling in to ports such as Saint-Malo, along with access to the D-Day beaches.

“Seasoned river cruisers have fallen in love with a way of travelling that’s intimate and deeply connected to place,” the Windstar‘s Chief Commercial Officer Janet Bava said in a statement.

“But many have already sailed all the iconic rivers and are ready for the next frontier.

The concept is certain to appeal to experienced travellers who are looking for deeper cultural engagement at their destinations.

Another itinerary on offer is Connoisseur’s Delight: Northern Spain & Portugal, which will take guests from France into Spain and Portugal, blending the wine country of Bordeaux with culinary discoveries along the Iberian coast and time in the Douro region.

River cruising is a booming market that still has plenty of room to grow. Celebrity is already building a fleet of new ships to invade the territory of established river lines.

But Windstar’s move means it won’t have to build two separate fleets.

“We’re especially carving out routes and itineraries in Europe, including Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, and in southeast Asia,” Bava added.

“The appeal is that you can, river style, go to destinations and feel very close to the city, such as London, where we can travel up the Thames River to our docking point at Tower Bridge,” said Bava.

“The sailing itself is part of the experience, the mast of the Cutty Sark and the domes of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, and hybrid old vs. new of central London, with its gleaming skyscrapers and St. Paul’s Cathedral, so deeply anchored in its history.

“And it lets you cover wider ground by expanding your choices – both in destinations and in the way you experience them.”

Windstar has a reputation for revolutionary ship design. It sliced one of its ships in half and put dozens of new cabins in the centre.

For more information about the new itineraries on Star Explorer visit Windstar.