Star Breeze

The 1989-built (as "Seabourn Spirit") cruise ship Star Breeze is the second of three identical superyachts in the Windstar fleet, together with Star Pride (Seabourn Pride) and Star Legend (Seabourn Legend).

The vessel (IMO number 8807997) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311083000) and registered in Nassau.

History - construction and ownership

Windstar Cruises is a luxury travel brand operating a fleet of small-sized ships (mega-yachts) with capacity up to 340 passengers. The company calls at 150 ports throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South Pacific, Asia, and Europe. Currently, Windstar is a subsidiary of Xanterra Parks and Resorts (the USA's largest national and state park concession management company).

The 340-passenger Star Breeze is a German-built luxury vessel, inaugurated in 1989 and drydock stretched and enlarged in 2020. In 2005, the 212-passenger vessel (then named "Seabourn Spirit") was ranked by Condé Nast as the "Best Small Cruise Ship." In April 2015, the liner left Seabourn's fleet and joined Windstar's fleet in May as "Star Breeze." The ship was built at Schichau Seebeckwerft (shipyard in Bremerhaven Germany) and christened (as Seabourn Spirit) by Aagot Brynestad, the mother of Seabourn's founder Atle Brynestad.

In 2020, the 134-m-long Star Breeze was enlarged (to the current 159 m LOA) by cutting the vessel in two and inserting a 26-m-long prefabricated midship section. The project was carried out at Fincantieri's shipyard in Port Palermo Sicily.

Decks and Cabins

Star Breeze staterooms (156 total across 13 categories) are all outside and suite-type accommodations, with the lowest category being the Porthole Suite (10 cabins). All cabins feature modern amenities, including fully stocked minibars, Wi-Fi Internet, smart HDTVs (infotainment system), spacious wardrobes with electronic safes, direct-dial telephones, and large bathrooms (double-sink vanity, bathtub, shower, WC-toilet, L'Occitane bath products). Additional features include premium bedding (high-quality pillows and linens), fresh fruit, and flowers.

The largest accommodations are the 3-Bedroom Grand Owner’s Suites (1375 ft2 / 128 m2, including an outdoor terrace).

The ship has 8 decks, of which 6 are passenger-accessible and 4 have cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Star Breeze guests can choose from several inclusive dining venues, including AmphorA Restaurant, Yacht Club, and Sky Bar & Grill. Windstar passengers often dress up in the evenings. There are 2 formal nights on weeklong cruises and 3 on 14-day voyages. On these occasions, many men wear tuxedos, while women opt for cocktail dresses or evening gowns. Other evenings are smart casual (jackets for men, ties optional; elegant attire for women) or casual (no jacket for men; sundresses or slacks for women). Guests preferring a more relaxed atmosphere can dine at the Veranda Café.

Follows the complete list of Star Breeze restaurants and food bars.

• AmphorA Restaurant (ship's main dining room, open seating, dinner-only between 7-9 pm; offers a 5-course gourmet menu that changes daily; the executive chef sources fresh ingredients from local markets in ports of call)
• Candles Café and Candles Veranda (a smaller dining venue offering buffet-style breakfast and lunch, as well as an à la carte menu; the indoor section features floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows, while the outdoor Veranda transforms into "Candles Grill," an alfresco steakhouse in the evenings)
• Star Bar (serving the top-deck open-air area)
• Basil+Bamboo (deck 6 aft portside) – complimentary specialty restaurant serving Mediterranean-Asian fusion cuisine
• Star Grill by Steven Raichlen (deck 8 midship) – alfresco venue offering complimentary BBQ cuisine

In 2025, Star Breeze introduced the specialty restaurant Basil+Bamboo, replacing (fleetwide) Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso (Iberian cuisine). The new venue is complimentary and serves Mediterranean-Asian fusion dishes. The menu includes entrées such as miso black cod with pea purée, Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, pickled wood ear mushrooms, free-range chicken with artichokes and yuzu kosho, and crispy Brussels sprouts with Korean honey-soy glaze. Desserts include Citrus Olive Oil Cake (with lemon cream) and Chocolate Caramel Crémeux, paired with ginger-cinnamon hibiscus ice cream and sake caviar.

Also complimentary is Windstar's 24-hour room service. During dinner hours, the AmphorA Restaurant’s full menu is available for in-cabin dining.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

While Star Breeze offers signature Windstar experiences (such as the popular deck barbecue), she also emphasizes intimate port access, themed sailings, and cultural interaction with local communities. Onboard activities are relatively limited and range from market visits to performances by local musicians. Public areas include the casino, library, computer center, WindSpa, fitness center, pool, and three whirlpool tubs.

Various bars and lounges, designed for a social atmosphere, encourage guests to interact. Complimentary fine wines and spirits enhance the club-like ambiance both indoors and on deck, where guests can relax in sun or shade. Windstar’s attentive service includes full bar service, mineral water spritzes, fresh fruit sherbets and smoothies, frozen towels, and sunscreen. Two whirlpool spas are located on the sun deck, with a third forward on Deck 5. In warm-weather destinations, the captain may anchor offshore and deploy the ship’s watersports marina, creating a private beach-style experience for water skiing, sailing, swimming, and snorkeling directly from the ship.

Follows the complete list of Star Breeze lounges, clubs, and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• The Marina (retractable watersports platform for water skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling, and kayaking; includes rafts, wakeboards, paddleboards, and a water trampoline island; a steel enclosure can form a protected seawater pool)
• A whirlpool (with sunbathing area and lounge chairs)
• Card Room (bridge and board games), Library, Screening Room
• Computer Center (Internet packages available at discounted rates)
• Lounge (main show lounge for live evening entertainment)
• The Boutique Shop (now Signature Shop) offering duty-free luxury clothing and accessories
• The Casino (formerly located aft on deck 6, with blackjack, roulette tables, and slot machines) was replaced by the Cuadro 44 restaurant
• Compass Rose (main bar lounge with grand piano)
• The Wellness Centre (WindSpa, Beauty Salon, Gym; includes treatment rooms, saunas, and steam rooms)
• The Fitness Center (with floor-to-ceiling windows; equipped with free weights, treadmills, and elliptical machines; offers complimentary classes); Courtyard
• Pool Area (one rectangular swimming pool, two whirlpools on platforms, and a third at the bow; includes sunbathing and shaded areas)
• The Yacht Club (Constellation Lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows offering 270-degree views)
• The Sun Deck (with padded loungers and deckchairs)

Itineraries

Star Breeze’s itinerary program focuses on luxury Mediterranean cruises (departing from France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Turkey), Caribbean voyages with Panama Canal transits (departing from Colon and Puerto Caldera), and Transatlantic repositioning crossings.

Each cruise includes one complimentary shore excursion, typically a highlight of the voyage. Examples include visits to a private villa in Malta, a glass-roof canal boat tour in Amsterdam, and folkloric dance performances in Nafplion Greece.

Following the 2019-2020 drydock stretching, the enlarged Star Breeze resumed operations with 7-day Caribbean roundtrip itineraries. Starting January 2, 2021, from homeport San Juan Puerto Rico, itineraries include:

• 7-day itinerary visiting Grenada (St George's), St Vincent (Bequia), St Lucia (Pigeon Island), Guadeloupe (Îles des Saintes), and St Maarten (Philipsburg)
• 7-day itinerary visiting St Thomas USVI (Charlotte Amalie), St Barthelemy (Gustavia), Montserrat (Little Bay), St Maarten (Philipsburg), Jost van Dyke BVI (Great Harbour), and Virgin Gorda BVI (Spanish Town)
• B2B (back-to-back cruises) combining both itineraries into a 14-day roundtrip voyage from San Juan

Star Breeze’s 2021 schedule (January through November) initially included itineraries in Australia and New Zealand (Sydney NSW to Auckland NZ), Asia (Tokyo and Kobe in Japan, Hong Kong in China), and Alaska (Vancouver to Seward).

Following the Coronavirus crisis (2020-2021), Windstar resumed Star Breeze operations on June 19, 2021. The 7-night Caribbean itinerary (roundtrip from Philipsburg, St Maarten) visited Anguilla (UK), BVI (Jost Van Dyke, Tortola, Norman Island, Virgin Gorda), and St Barthelemy. The crew was vaccinated, and all passengers were required to provide proof of COVID vaccination. On the same date, Wind Star also resumed operations with a 7-night Mediterranean (Greek Islands) itinerary roundtrip from Piraeus (Athens).

Star Breeze’s 2022 Asia program was canceled in May 2022 due to uncertainty regarding port reopenings in the region (Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines). The cancellations affected seven itineraries, including a Transpacific repositioning (Alaska to Japan), two "Grand Japan" voyages, one "Japan Island Hopping," one "Windstar Crew Hometowns: Philippines and Indonesia," one "Hidden Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef," and one "Edge of the Outback." Instead, Star Breeze was deployed in Alaska ("Alaskan Splendors" itinerary) during summer, followed by a Transpacific crossing (San Diego to Papeete, Tahiti) and five French Polynesia voyages (joining Wind Spirit) departing from Papeete.

Following an 11-day repositioning voyage from Tahiti to Sydney NSW Australia (November 11-22, 2022), Star Breeze operated a charter cruise. The themed "Tasman Sea Treasures: New Zealand Fjords and South Australia" itinerary (departure December 4, from Sydney) marked Windstar’s maiden voyage in the region.

Star Breeze was originally built for Seabourn as "Seabourn Spirit." The vessel was christened in November 1989 by godmother Shirley Temple Black (1928–2014, US actress, singer, and dancer). In 2001, Seabourn Spirit changed her flag state from Norway to the Bahamas. In 2005, the ship was ranked 1st in Condé Nast's "Best Small Cruise Ship" category. The vessel was purchased by Windstar in February 2013 and leased back to Seabourn until being transferred to Windstar in May 2015.

Star Breeze’s christening ceremony took place on May 6, 2015, held pier-side in Nice France. The ship’s godmother is Wendy Perrin (independent travel expert and former Condé Nast Traveler editor). The naming ceremony was attended by Hans Birkholz (Windstar’s CEO) and approximately 250 VIP guests.

The ship's namesake is the Carnival Cruise Line-operated vessel Carnival Breeze (built in 2012).

During Star Breeze’s April 2018 drydock in Lisbon Portugal, the vessel was upgraded with Transas A-Suite (e-navigation system) and Navi-Radar 4000 (by DP Marine) with integrated JRC sensors. The system includes two radars (X-band and S-band), dual ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System), K-Nav ECDIS (route planning station by Kongsberg Maritime), and PilotStar NX autopilot (by Anschütz). All bridge consoles and the ship’s antenna systems were also модернизирани.

Star Breeze was last drydock-refurbished in 2023 (February 27 through March 21) in Singapore. This was a routine drydock for maintenance and classification works, including technical overhauls, minor repairs, and hull cleaning and painting.

WINDSTAR cruise ship reconstructions 2019-2020-2021 drydock refurbishments review

On November 15, 2018, Windstar Cruises announced the "Star Plus Initiative," a drydock refit and refurbishment program with a budget of USD 250 million. The project was partially financed through an Export Credit facility guaranteed by SACE Italy (financial and insurance services). The "Star Plus" program included lengthening (stretching) and engine upgrades for the fleet’s three Star-Class vessels (completion dates in brackets): Star Breeze (February 20, 2020), Star Legend (July 2, 2020), and Star Pride (November 20, 2020).

Windstar’s "Star Plus" project increased the fleet’s capacity by 24%. Completed in October 2021, the upgrades resulted in higher passenger capacity (from 254 to 320 passengers, with crew increasing from 140 to 190), greater GT tonnage (from 9,975 to 12,995 tons), extended length (from 134 m / 439 ft to 159 m / 522 ft), additional staterooms (from 106 to 156), new venues and public spaces, and upgraded machinery (including new Wartsila marine diesel engines). The project was carried out between October 2019 and November 2020 at Fincantieri shipyards in Palermo (Sicily Island, Italy) and Trieste (Italy).

The drydock lengthening involved cutting each vessel in two and installing a new prefabricated midship section measuring 25 m (83 ft). The vessel’s LOA was increased from 134 m (439 ft) to 159 m (522 ft). The new midship section includes an additional elevator. These sections were prefabricated and assembled in Trieste, then transported by barge to Palermo for installation.

Following the drydocks, each ship now features two new dining venues (Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso and Star Grill by Steven Raichlen), expanded retail space (Signature Shop), an enlarged Fitness Center with Motion Studio, an expanded wellness complex (WindSpa by Steiner), a new bar lounge (deck 5), a larger sundeck and swimming pool (deck 7), a new tender loading area (deck 3 midship), two new tender boats (90-passenger capacity each), a new whirlpool and enlarged swimming pool (deck 8), and upgraded crew areas and accommodations. The two new dining venues include a specialty restaurant (Cuadro 44, aft portside on deck 6, replacing the former Casino) and a casual outdoor BBQ restaurant (Star Grill, located adjacent to the Star Bar on deck 8).

The powerplants were upgraded from four Bergen diesel engines (model B33:45, combined output 7.3 MW) to four Wartsila engines (model Wartsila 46F, combined output 5 MW) running on cleaner ULSD (ultra-low sulfur diesel) fuel.

Each vessel received 50 new cabins (bringing the total to 156), which (based on the total investment) equates to an approximate shipbuilding cost per berth of USD 267,000. Among the new accommodations are two Midship Owner Suites and two enlarged Forward Grand Owner Suites, all located on Deck 6. All existing staterooms were fully refurbished, including bathrooms, balconies, sliding doors, furnishings, and equipment. The new public spaces and staterooms were designed by the NYC-based "The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry."

The vessel’s cutting began in October 2019. The new engines were installed in February 2020. Following the stretching, Star Breeze began sea trials on October 4, 2020, departing from Palermo.