Boutique luxury line Windstar Cruises is celebrating the float-out of its new-build, the 224-guest Star Seeker, at the West Sea Shipyard in Portugal.
The ship was moved out of her construction bay on November 25, 2024 and touched water for the first time — a maritime tradition that signals the start of a vessel’s interior design. Star Seeker, set to become the seventh ship in the Windstar fleet, will enter service in December 2025.
Star Seeker is one of two Star Plus-class ships that will expand the Windstar fleet. Windstar announced in April 2024 that it was buying Star Seeker from Mystic Invest, a travel industry holding company that had ordered the construction of the ship. Following the acquisition by Windstar, the building of the ship continued.
A second Mystic Invest ship was also acquired by Windstar. Built in 2019, the 172-guest vessel is currently sailing as World Explorer for Quark Expeditions under a charter agreement. The ship will be rebranded and relaunched in December 2026 as Star Explorer for Windstar following a renovation at the West Sea Shipyard.
Star Seeker’s float-out event was attended by Windstar Cruises’ officials as well as two representatives of Mystic Invest, Mario Ferreira and Manuel Barros.
“Seeing a ship come together and be at the point where she leaves dry dock for the sea is a memorable milestone in the life of a new build project,” said John Gunner, vice president of expansion projects at Windstar Cruises.
“I am very grateful for this opportunity to be involved in creating a new ship for Windstar and thankful for Mario [Ferreira’s] passion and vision for ships which helped guide us to this momentous event today – the float out of a new, beautiful ship for Windstar,” added Gunner.
Both of the vessels purchased from Mystic Invest are expedition ships. World Explorer has an ice-strengthened hull that enables it to operate in polar regions. It is currently sailing in Antarctica. Star Seeker is being constructed with an ice-strengthened hull at the Portugal shipyard.
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Like World Explorer, the new-build will have NOx-rated (low emission) Rolls Royce engines and be equipped to hook into shore power in ports that have local power grid infrastructure.
Star Seeker Naming Ceremony Set for Miami
Star Seeker is scheduled to sail her maiden transatlantic voyage from Malaga, Spain to PortMiami on December 28, 2025 and arrive at the Florida port on January 13, 2026.
Following her naming ceremony, the ship will operate an 8-day christening cruise on January 15, 2026, sailing from Miami to San Juan and calling at ports in the Dominican Republic and British Virgin Islands.
The ship will offer Caribbean voyages through early spring 2026 before deploying to Alaska for summer 2026. In the Great Land, Star Seeker will sail 7-, 10-, and 11-day journeys between Juneau or Seward, Alaska, and Vancouver, British Columbia, starting in May 2026.
The cruise line opened bookings for Star Seeker cruises in early September 2024.
The ship will offer guests five dining venues, a spa and fitness facility, a watersports platform accessible from the ship’s stern, and a choice of 12 cabin categories, including some offering triple occupancy.
Windstar Cruises already operates three Star Plus-class ships — Star Breeze, Star Pride, and Star Legend, all accommodating 312 guests. It also owns three motor-sailing yachts, Wind Star and Wind Spirit, both with a capacity for 148 guests, and the 342-guest Wind Surf.
Wind Surf is currently in dry dock at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, where she is undergoing a series of upgrades and improvements.
