Cruise & Cruise Line

Windstar Cruises Back in Alaska after 20-Year Absence

Image: The Star Legend is offering kayaking and other adventures in Alaska through August. Photo courtesy of Windstar Cruises (Windstar Cruises)
Image: The Star Legend is offering kayaking and other adventures in Alaska through August. Photo courtesy of Windstar Cruises (Windstar Cruises)
Theresa Norton
by Theresa Norton
Last updated: 7:30 PM ET, Tue May 22, 2018

Windstar Cruises is now sailing through Alaska for the first time in 20 years. The 212-passenger, all-suite Star Legend began with a kickoff in Kenai Fjords National Park on May 18 and will remain in Alaska through August.

This is the first return for Windstar since the motor-sail yacht Wind Spirit sailed in Alaska in the summer of 1998; that ship is now in Tahiti year-round.

"We are thrilled to finally be back in Alaska having just launched our Signature Expeditions that embrace the natural beauty of the region, and allow for the most authentic, destination-focused experiences for our guests," Windstar President John Delaney said.

The new Signature Expeditions take guests on motorized Zodiac inflatable boats and kayaks along Alaska's rugged coastline, accompanied by a highly skilled and knowledgeable expeditions team. As the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation, the ship's chefs will make sure guests sample the abundant local seafood, both onboard and on small group tours ashore.

The ship arrived in Seward (Anchorage) and is currently on a 14-day itinerary that visits Kenai Fjords National Park, Sitka, Juneau, Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Haines, Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm, Wrangell, Misty Fjords, Metlakatla, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert and scenic cruising of the Grenville Channel in British Columbia, before arriving May 31 in Vancouver.

Star Legend will sail on numerous cruises roundtrip from Vancouver and between Seward and Vancouver throughout the 2018 Alaska season. The ship will also make a one-day visit to Seattle on June 27 for a special event on Lake Union, including a Zodiac naming ceremony.


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