Windstar Cruises has dramatically broadened its award-winning shore excursion program over the last three years, more than doubling its options for guests to upwards of 2,500 choices.
The increase is a direct result of the line’s expanded global deployment to new regions like Alaska, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, and the Holy Land.
The small ship leader in destination delivery and diverse itineraries now sails to over 330 ports of call worldwide, with 700 cruise departure dates available through 2021. The company’s global expansion offers cruise guests itineraries that are immersive in a particular region or country such as Grand Japan, Around Iceland on the line’s all-suite ships, or Grand Caribbean Adventure on Wind Surf, the world’s largest sailing ship. In addition, nearly half of Windstar’s itineraries offer late night departures and overnights in port for more diverse excursion selections, including evening tours and overnight or multi-day options such as exploring Spain’s mystic inland region in the new “Beyond Ordinary: Alhambra In Depth & Insider’s Granada Overnight Tour.”
With smaller ships that can access and stay longer in smaller ports, Windstar’s shore excursions are authentic and personalised, allowing time and space to explore local cultures. To help guests navigate the many choices and match shore excursions to their interests, activity levels, and budgets, Windstar offers three shore tour categories. The award-winning line has recently debuted 10 Beyond Ordinary Tours, in-depth experiences offered in select ports. These tours complement the small ship line’s popular Concierge Collection and Essentials Collection, offered in every port.
Beyond Ordinary tours are comprised of the most over-the-top experiences that deserve to be called “once in a lifetime,” such as a panoramic helicopter flight from Monte Carlo that transports guests to Alain Ducasse’s La Bastide de Moustiers in Provence for a Michelin-starred lunch. A bit less high-flying but still exceptional is an excursion in Roses, Spain, with access to the Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery for a private yoga session on the rooftop, followed by brunch with views of the Mediterranean Sea.
Windstar introduced three Beyond Ordinary Tours last summer to great response, and has launched seven new ones in 2019 so far. The one-of-a-kind tours, bookable now, are designed for sophisticated travel tastes. Windstar’s knowledgeable Product Development team is actively curating new tour options daily, with the goal to deliver exclusive visits to rarely accessible places, matched with definitive experiences that are unique to a port, region or culture – creating storied moments that last a lifetime.
The intimate capacity of Windstar’s elegant, small cruise sailing and all-suite ships, each carrying just 148 to 342 guests, allows the company’s Product Development team to craft tours that visit exclusive and unusual sights and out of the way local favourites, personalised for much smaller groups as few as 2-4 guests.
Windstar’s 10 new Beyond Ordinary experiences include those noted above and the following:
- Málaga & Almeria, Spain, Beyond Ordinary: Alhambra In Depth & Insider’s Granada Overnight Tour
- Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala, Beyond Ordinary: Tikal National Park
- Portimao, Portugal, Beyond Ordinary: Algarve Premium Race Tour
- Ashdod, Israel, Beyond Ordinary: Masada Flightseeing & Jerusalem Exploration
- Haifa, Israel Beyond Ordinary: Jerusalem, Masada Dead Sea, and Petra Overland
- Melbourne, Australia, Beyond Ordinary: Decadent Wine & Foodie Experience by Helicopter
- Bergen, Norway, Beyond Ordinary: Helicopter to Baroniet Manor with Horse Carriage
- Heimaey Island, Iceland, Beyond Ordinary: Snowmobile & Helicopter Glacier Adventure
“Our team is located around the world and works incredibly hard to develop unusual tours that will interest our guests and be considered the best in destination delivery. With 50 new itineraries visiting Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Fiji, the South Pacific and Cook Islands, Mexico, U.S. Coasts and more, we’re tapping a host of fresh experiences and destinations that are truly special,” says Windstar Director of Product Development Kelly Hubbard.
“Our Beyond Ordinary and Concierge Collection excursions are authentic, next-level outings that show exactly how Windstar does things differently.”
