A luxury cruise ship has been cut in half during a major upgrade at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy.
Cruise Ship Cut in Half and Huge Block Inserted
The Star Breeze luxury cruise ship which is operated by Winstar Cruises has been cut in half at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Italy.
The vessel is undergoing a huge upgrade is part of the cruise line’s $250 million Star Plus initiative which is the expansions and transformation of three Star-class vessels including Star Breeze, Star Legend and Star Pride.
Windstar Cruises President John Delaney said:
“The $250 Million Star Plus Initiative is the most complex and comprehensive small ship lengthening, engine replacement, and renovation project undertaken in cruising, and we are very proud to be working with Fincantieri, the leader in major cruise ship renovations.”
“The slightly larger ships and new enhancements will significantly build upon the signature onboard environment Windstar is famous for. The social and friendly public spaces on the ships create a welcome chemistry with guests and the crew.”
What is known as “stretching” is a complex process and is not just simply cutting the ship open. The Star Breeze is also having her engines replaced to become more environmentally friendly and a huge 84-foot mid-ship block is being inserted into the middle.
With the added space, the cruise ship will have two new restaurants, a Spanish-styled Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso and a modern, alfresco Star Grill by Steven Raichlen.
Also added will be a new pool and whirlpool on the upper deck, a re-imagined, world-class spa and fitness center, a new retail shop, and more.
In addition, every bathroom on the ship will be re-built and fitted to modern luxury standards. The new 84-foot (25.6 meters) mid-section will also welcome most of the 50 new suites. With the new section, Star Breeze will now be able to accommodate 312 passengers (previously the ship accommodated 212 guests).
The expanded ship will also allow for more crew and maintain the enviable 1.5-to-1 guest-to-service staff ratio. Star Breeze will be all shiny and fresh when she emerges from the dry dock in February 2020.
The ship will depart Barcelona, Spain On February 20, 2020, and will kick off re-inaugural festivities when she is in Miami, Florida on March 19, 2020.
The second ship to undergo the transformation, Star Legend, will debut in Barcelona on July 2, 2020. The third and final ship, Star Pride, will be complete with the departure of Star Pride from the shipyard in fall of 2020, with her first cruise sailing from Barcelona on November 20, 2020.
All Photos: Windstar Cruises
