Windstar Cruises has developed the Star Collector Program in response to a growing 2025 travel trend: longer journeys to far-flung destinations.
According to research from a Zicasso Travel trend report, all types of travelers—from solo adventurers to multigenerational families—are seeking extended, personalized itineraries that allow for deeper exploration.
The Star Collector voyages combine two or more itineraries into seamless journeys lasting 13 days or longer. Unlike traditional back-to-back bookings, these specially curated combinations minimize port repetition, ensuring travelers experience new destinations throughout their extended cruise. The only repeated ports are typically turnover cities where one segment ends and another begins.
Windstar has crafted these voyages specifically for travelers who find a standard weeklong cruise insufficient for truly immersing themselves in a region.
Windstar loyalists have already embraced this concept. Many guests combine land exploration with multiple cruise segments, including one couple who extended their ocean crossing from Lisbon by starting their trip in Barcelona and exploring northern Portugal. This transformed a single sailing into a comprehensive European adventure.
Nafplion, Greece (Photo Credit: Windstar)
Star Collecter Voyages offer value and a more in-depth way to explore with minimal overlap. For example, the Star Collector Adriatic Old Towns and Aegean sails from Venice to Athens. The 17-day voyage blends two distinctive regions of the Mediterranean, and the only repeating port is Athens, where the ship turns around at the end of each sailing.
The Star Collector Program offers exclusive benefits beyond what back-to-back cruises provide. The most celebrated perk among passengers is complimentary daily laundry service—a practical amenity that symbolizes vacation indulgence by allowing travelers to pack lighter for longer journeys.
These extended voyages span the globe, from Asian explorations to Caribbean island-hopping, from the Canary Islands to Northern European coastlines. Notable options include a 21-day Tahiti and Marquesas Islands adventure and an epic journey from Alaska to Japan.
The program’s popularity was evident during a recent Mediterranean sailing onboard Star Legend, where numerous passengers continued beyond the standard seven-day itinerary. Some passengers combined three distinct segments—Venice to Rome, Rome to Barcelona and a southern Spain cruise—each offering entirely different experiences despite being part of a single extended journey.
For travelers willing to invest more time in their vacations, Windstar's Star Collector Program represents an opportunity to maximize their travel investment by experiencing multiple distinct regions while enjoying the comfort and convenience of staying aboard the same intimate ship.
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