Windstar Cruises’ Yacht Membership Voyages in 2026 provide loyal vacationers an opportunity to sail with firm leaders, discover distinctive locations, and luxuriate in unique onboard occasions designed particularly for repeat visitors. These particular sailings mix Windstar’s small-ship cruising model with behind-the-scenes entry to executives who share their private connections to the locations and ships.
In 2026, Windstar will host three Yacht Membership member voyages:
- Tulip season crusing via Holland and Belgium with Belgian native (and chief operations officer) Stijn Creupelandt
- A transoceanic repositioning cruise on Star Seeker from Puerto Vallarta to Seattle with Windstar newbuild chief John Gunner
- A French Polynesia and Prepare dinner Islands itinerary hosted by Windstar’s President, Chris Prelog
Yacht Membership members crusing on these voyages this 12 months additionally obtain a 20 % low cost on the voyage, making them particularly in style amongst repeat visitors.
Should you ask plenty of Windstar’s loyal vacationers about their favourite perks for Yacht Membership members, and relying on the standing they’ve accrued via a number of journeys, you’ll hear in regards to the complimentary laundry service, free Wi-Fi, and the complimentary tote (one member collected so many she created a quilt out of them). There’s the members solely cocktail hour onboard every cruise, too.
Many members say this system’s greatest attraction isn’t simply the advantages — it’s additionally the group.
“We undoubtedly love the laundry and WIFI,” says Elliana Vera, who, along with her husband has achieved the very best standing, that of 4 stars. “We just like the cocktail social gathering as you get to satisfy folks that additionally love Wind Star. And being on the four-star stage reveals different vacationers you will have the expertise on board so that they belief you when giving suggestions for itineraries, excursions and even feedback on ship itself.”
Provides Vera, who’s a prolific member of Fb’s Windstar teams Windstar Cruises Associates and Windstar Cruises Official Yacht Membership Group, “it additionally means we’ve cruised rather a lot and know plenty of the crew! We like to run into them everywhere in the world. And I suppose one of the best a part of being a Yacht Membership member is the truth that Windstar has grow to be a house away from residence and the crew – a household at sea.”
The place are you able to go and who will you meet on Yacht Membership voyages this 12 months?
Tulip Season in Holland and Belgium
April 21–28, 2026 | Star Delight
Spring within the Netherlands and Belgium is known for its spectacular tulip shows, and Windstar’s Tulip Season in Holland and Belgium crusing visits a few of the area’s most picturesque ports.
Locations embrace:
- Rotterdam
- Harlingen
- In a single day stays in Amsterdam and Antwerp
This voyage additionally affords a novel perspective for ocean cruisers: the ship travels alongside rivers reminiscent of Rotterdam’s Nieuwe Maas and Antwerp’s Schelde, making a journey expertise that blends ocean cruising with river-style navigation.
Meet your host: Stijn Creupelandt:
Windstar’s chief working officer, Stijn Creupelandt, hosts this voyage and the vacation spot is private.
A Belgian native who grew up close to Bruges, Creupelandt sees the itinerary as a chance to introduce visitors to the tradition and delicacies of his homeland.
Why is tulip season cruising a particular expertise? Learn extra.
“Internet hosting a Yacht Membership Member cruise right here feels much less like visiting a vacation spot and extra like welcoming visitors into a spot that formed who I’m. Pairing my residence nation with the great thing about tulip season within the Netherlands makes this crusing particularly significant. It’s an opportunity to share not simply iconic sights, but in addition a way of belonging, custom, and pleasure in a area I do know intimately.”
Knowledgeable ideas: “As a Belgian, gastronomy is one thing I’m particularly enthusiastic about — and this voyage is a incredible introduction to the flavors of the area.”
In Belgium, Creupelandt plans to encourage Yacht Membership members to completely embrace what it’s recognized for:
- Mussels (moules‑frites) — easy, recent, and completely iconic
- Belgian beers, whether or not Trappist, abbey, or native brews, every with its personal character
- And for one thing candy, Belgian waffles and goodies, which really deserve their world‑class status.
“Within the Netherlands,” he provides, “I’ll fortunately admit I’ll be focusing much less on beer and extra on their distinctive cheeses. From aged goudas to native specialties, Dutch cheese tradition is one thing to savor slowly — ideally with good bread and good firm.”
“Meals is a mirrored image of tradition, and sampling these native flavors is likely one of the finest methods to grasp each international locations.”
Extra ideas:
- In Bruges, wander just some streets away from the principle squares and also you’ll discover quieter canals and small cafés the place locals nonetheless linger. Early mornings or evenings are particularly lovely.
- With regards to Belgian chocolate, don’t cease on the first store you see. A number of the finest chocolatiers are tucked away from the busiest streets and deal with craftsmanship over branding.
- For waffles, search for locations the place they’re made recent to order — easy toppings are sometimes one of the best.
- Within the Netherlands, go to an area cheese store slightly than a big memento retailer. Ask questions, style completely different ages, and let the cheese monger information you — they’re happy with their product and like to share it.
Inside Scoop: Whereas Windstar has provided itineraries on this area, this 12 months’s April crusing is its first throughout tulip season. Unusually for an ocean cruise, this voyage affords river cruising-like options, together with transits on rivers, reminiscent of Rotterdam’s Nieuwe Maas and Antwerp’s Schelde with quite a few locks.
Transoceanic Crossing: Puerto Vallarta to Seattle
April 28–Could 6, 2026 | Star Seeker
For vacationers who love enjoyable sea days, Windstar’s transoceanic repositioning cruise from Puerto Vallarta to Seattle affords a slower-paced voyage full of onboard enrichment.
This crusing is very interesting for visitors within the engineering and design behind Windstar’s fleet.
Meet your host: John Gunner
The voyage is hosted by John Gunner, Windstar’s vice chairman of enlargement initiatives, who oversaw the development of Star Seeker, the corporate’s latest Star Class ship. With greater than 4 many years of expertise within the cruise business, Gunner plans to offer visitors distinctive insights into:
- The constructing of Star Seeker in Portugal
- Windstar’s upcoming ship Star Explorer, debuting in 2026
- How ships are designed, engineered, and reworked into Windstar vessels
“I’m wanting ahead to main behind the scenes excursions of Star Seeker, sharing anecdotes from its construct in Portugal, and in addition introduce Star Explorer to our visitors,” Gunner tells us.
What’s Star Seeker Like? Learn extra.
“Although each ships are largely equivalent, their transformations into Windstar vessels are two fully completely different journeys. And on condition that the cruise is all days-at-sea, we’ll take a while to speak via the challenges and enhancements for every of the initiatives.”
President’s Cruise: Māori Storytellers and French Polynesian Treasures
July 30–August 10, 2026 | Star Breeze
Windstar’s President’s Cruise in French Polynesia provides a brand new twist to the corporate’s in style Tahiti itineraries by together with the Prepare dinner Islands.
Locations embrace:
- Moorea
- Bora Bora
- Raiatea
- Aitutaki within the Prepare dinner Islands
- Rarotonga, additionally a part of the Prepare dinner Islands, recognized for lush lagoons and its artisan cafés and natural meals tradition
Meet your host: Windstar President Chris Prelog
It’s not an enormous shock that Windstar President Chris Prelog volunteered to host this 11-night journey as his ardour for Tahiti is effectively documented. “I picked this cruise as a result of I’ve not been within the Prepare dinner Islands earlier than. So many visitors have spoken to me about going there that we thought this might be an ideal technique to introduce this particular group of islands as a President’s/Yacht Membership Members’ cruise.”
What are Chris Prelog’s six favourite actions in French Polynesia? Learn extra.
Knowledgeable ideas: My favourite dish in Tahiti is Poisson Cru, which is accessible in nearly each restaurant, and I’ll eat it in all probability 3 times a day as a result of I actually just like the composition of it, the freshness, coconut and vanilla with it. Even once I arrive, often drained and jet-lagged on my first day, I’ll order it from room service. And on Star Breeze on this a part of the world, sailaways are at all times magical. You’ll discover me on deck 8!”
Inside Scoop: The Prepare dinner Islands is a self-governing state in ‘free affiliation’ with New Zealand, which signifies that whereas it conducts its personal affairs, its head of state, like that of New Zealand, is the UK’s King Charles III. The islands are positioned between French Polynesia and American Samoa.
Over the previous 12 months we’ve actually developed our South Pacific program,” Prelog tells us. We provide extra number of cruises than ever earlier than; this Prepare dinner Islands itinerary, for example, was included as an occasional repositioning voyage. Now it’s a extra common itinerary providing.
“Between the outer Tuamotu islands, Marquesas and Prepare dinner Islands, and Fiji, we’re protecting the widest number of South Pacific locations than ever earlier than,” he says.
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