Windstar Cruises announced it has postponed its resumption of cruising from May 2021 to June 2021. In a media statement, the cruise line said it was "carefully assessing multiple factors impacting our timing to resume operations."
The small-ship line cited the information currently available on COVID-19 transmission rates, travel restrictions and government regulations as among the uncertainties contributing to that decision.
Here's the new timeline Windstar provided for resuming cruise operations:
- Wind Spirit – June 10, 2021 – Tahiti
- Star Breeze – June 19, 2021 – Caribbean
- Wind Star – June 19, 2021 – Mediterranean
- Wind Surf – June 29, 2021 – Mediterranean
- Star Legend – July 4, 2021 – Mediterranean
- Star Pride – July 14, 2021 – Northern Europe/Iceland
Guests booked on cancelled cruises will either receive a 125 percent future cruise credit (FCC) of monies paid to Windstar or a 100 percent refund.
In its statement, the line said: "We will restart cruise operations in a phased manner with the initial cruises having reduced guest occupancy, some modified itineraries, and enhanced health and safety protocols."
In its preparations to return to sailing, the line is continuing to review and update its health and safety practices, including enhanced sanitation protocols, health screenings, additional medical staff on board, flexible indoor and outdoor dining, and crew training.
Windstar's new "Beyond Ordinary Care" program is a multi-layered strategy with key hospital-grade elements. These include HEPA filters and UV-C ultraviolet germicidal irradiation to filter and disinfect circulated air, plus electrostatic sprayers to sanitize all surfaces throughout the Windstar yachts.
The Windstar statement concluded: "The health and well-being of our guests, crew, land-based employees and people in the communities we visit is always a top priority. We continue to monitor local regulations for all countries and ports we visit and as we approach sailing dates, we will notify guests of any local requirements. We have taken extraordinary measures to safely operate our yachts for our guests and crewmembers and will continue to do so once we resume operations."
For more information, visit www.windstarcruises.com.
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