Windstar Cruises has created a new 79-day voyage throughout Europe, to depart Stockholm, Sweden, on July 25, 2023.
The "Grand European Bucket List Adventure" - to be operated by the 312-guest, all-suite Star Legend - is the longest itinerary ever offered by the small-ship cruise line. The company also announced other new cruises through 2023.
The "Grand European" cruise will span 22 countries through the Baltic, Northern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea. With 71 days in port (and only eight at sea), the itinerary also has 11 overnights in port, so guests can dine and sample the nightlife in destinations like Bordeaux, Seville, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen.
The cruise finishes on Oct. 12, 2023, in Istanbul, Turkey. The yacht is small enough to navigate through the tight Kiel and Corinth Canals.
The epic route - along with other longer sailings like the 60-day "Grand South Pacific" and 56-day "Grand Caribbean Adventure" - are part of a growing trend of extravagant voyages to satiate a travel-starved cruise audience ready to book a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Windstar has been seeing a record-breaking number of reservations for their cruises and expects immediate sales of the newly announced itineraries, now listed online and in a print brochure.
"We're attributing our bookings to a pent-up demand for travel after most of the world has been sequestered for a year," said Windstar President Christopher Prelog. "It's creating a swift recovery for us, so much so that my advice is to book early as increased demand is real."
The cruises in the 2021-23 voyage collection include new regions like Australia and New Zealand (from remote islands to the Great Barrier Reef), rural Black Sea villages, the Holy Land, and much of Turkey, from Istanbul to Cappadocia.
The new brochure also outlines the differences among Windstar's six-yacht fleet - explaining the romance of the three classic Wind Class sailing yachts as well as the newly transformed all-suite Star Plus Class yachts.
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