Windstar's 2007/08 Deployment

Windstar Cruises Announces 2007/2008 Deployment with 18-Month Sailing Calendar 

Elegant motor sailing yachts sail Caribbean, Costa Rica, Panama Canal, Mediterranean, Greek Isles and Transatlantic Voyages 

Seattle, WA, April 10, 2006 –Windstar Cruises’ three upscale sailing ships—the 148-guest Wind Star and Wind Spirit and 308-guest Wind Surf—offer cruise vacations 180 degrees from ordinary in the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Panama Canal, Mediterranean, Greek Isles and on Transatlantic voyages in 2007 and 2008. A new 18-month deployment calendar allows groups and individual guests to plan vacations further out and reserve the ship and date of their choice.
“People are booking vacations farther in advance again,” says Diane Moore, Windstar’s vice president of marketing and sales. “This new 18-month calendar benefits our guests, especially families or groups traveling together, by allowing a longer time frame for reserving the cruise of their choice.”
Adding to Windstar’s “Degrees of Difference,” a recent multi-million dollar initiative features new luxury amenities on board all three ships. Windstar’s tech savvy guests will enjoy wireless internet, laptops for rent and Bose SoundDock speakers for playing music from mp3 players or Nanos. Apple iPod Nanos may be checked out complimentary from the reception desk. 
For the second year in a row, Windstar has increased the number of sailings offered in the Greek Isles along the popular Istanbul to Athens route. The four-masted Wind Spirit and Wind Star will sail the Greek Isles from May to September along with a sprinkling of Mediterranean itineraries in early spring and late fall.
In the Greek Isles, both ships will sail an itinerary between Athens and Istanbul (and reverse) visiting Kusadasi and Bodrum Turkey; and Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos, Greece. The Wind Spirit will also sail a new Greek Isles itinerary which will allow guests to combine two weeklong cruises into a 14-day cruise adventure without repeating ports of call. The new itinerary between Istanbul and Athens visits Canakkale and Izmir, Turkey; and Patmos, Naxos, Ermoupolis, and Navplion, Greece. 
Windstar has recently assembled its “Connoisseurs’ Collection,” a selection of seven-day cruises ideal for booking back-to-back for a longer voyage. The itineraries have been coordinated for a seamless 14-day voyage without repeating ports.
“We are responding to our guests desire for more options in Europe by adding new ports and scheduling itineraries ideal for back-to-back sailings,” says Moore. “We are finding that people traveling to Europe want to spend two weeks or more exploring and an elegant Windstar ship cruising along the beautiful coastline of Italy is a luxurious way to travel.” 
The five-masted Wind Surf will sail seven-day cruises in the Western Mediterranean from April through November. Homeports include Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, Nice, Venice and Monte Carlo. A new seven-day itinerary from Rome to Venice visits picturesque harbors of Amalfi, Italy; Taormina, Sicily; Corfu, Greece; and Dubrovnik and Hvar, Croatia. On the reverse, from Venice to Rome, the Wind Surf visits Dubrovnik and Korcula, Croatia; Corfu, Greece; and Messina and Sorrento, Italy.
A new port for Windstar in 2007, Korcula is known as the greenest island in the Adriatic and often described as a little Dubrovnik. Other new ports in the Mediterranean include Palamós, Spain along the Costa Brava; Tarragona, Spain, 60 miles southwest of Barcelona in Catalonia; and Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city situated on the Mediterranean. 
An eight-day cruise on the Wind Surf coincides with the Formula One Grand Prix race in Monaco and the Cannes Film Festival in France. The cruise departs Nice roundtrip on May 20 and overnights one night in Cannes, two nights in Monaco, and visits St. Tropez, France and St. Florent, Corsica. An optional special event to view the Grand Prix race in Monaco will be planned.
The Wind Spirit and Wind Surf sail seven-day cruises in the Caribbean from December through March. The Wind Spirit sails roundtrip from St. Thomas visiting St. John, St. Martin, St. Barthélemy, Tortola, Jost Van Dyke and Virgin Gorda. The Wind Surf sails roundtrip from Bridgetown, Barbados on two different itineraries. The northbound itinerary visits Nevis; St. Martin; St. Barthélemy; Basse-Terre and Les Saintes, Guadeloupe; and St. Lucia. For a different taste of the Caribbean, the southbound itinerary visits Bequia, Dominica, St. Lucia, The Grenadines, Grenada and Tobago. 
The popularity of cruising in Costa Rica lures the Wind Star back for another year. The ship will sail seven-day cruises roundtrip from Puerto Caldera. The Pacific Coast itinerary visits San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua; Playa del Coco, Quepos, Drake Bay, Curu (National Wildlife Refuge), and Tortuga Island, Costa Rica. Three 14-day Panama Canal cruises sail between Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica and Bridgetown, Barbados departing March 31 and November 24, 2007 and April 5, 2008.
In all staterooms, guests enjoy luxury linens, plush Sealy Euro-Top mattresses, bathroom amenities by L’Occitane, flatscreen televisions and DVD/CD players. In The Restaurant, new Signature Cuisine menus by acclaimed Chef Joachim Splichal are served on Rosenthal china and an updated wine list offers more boutique labels. Riedel stemware graces the tabletop. The dining experience now includes an amuse-bouche (small bite) complements of the chef, a cheese course serving fresh, artisan cheeses, and petit-fours to finish the meal.
Other enhancements include hammocks built for two on deck, sorbet served in a chilled orange half and lemon-scented iced towels offered on deck on hot days, and dinner available course by course via room service.
Warm-water sailing with Windstar brings out the best of the intimate sailing ships. Complimentary water sports are offered from the ship’s water sports platform which lowers into the water at anchor creating a private marina. Activities include water skiing, wind surfing, kayaking, boat rides, ski tubing and sailing. Snorkeling equipment may be checked out complimentary for the week. PADI-certified dive instructors lead scuba diving adventures for novices and experienced divers for a fee.

About Windstar Cruises

Seattle-based Windstar Cruises operates three motor sailing yachts known for their pampering without pretense and their ability to visit the hidden harbors and secluded coves of the world’s most treasured destinations. The unobtrusive service and attentive staff create a casually elegant atmosphere that effortlessly fosters camaraderie among guests and crew. The luxurious ships of Windstar cruise to nearly 50 countries, calling at 100 ports throughout Europe, the Caribbean and the Americas.
Windstar offers optional trip cancellation protection that provides cash back when you cancel for any reason prior to 24-hours before departure. For more information including brochures, rates and itineraries contact Lighthouse Travel at 800-719-9917.

World’s Leading Cruise Lines

Windstar Cruises is a member of the exclusive World’s Leading Cruise Lines alliance, which also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises and the Yachts of Seabourn. Sharing a passion to please each guest and a commitment to quality and value, the member lines appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets. The World’s Leading Cruise Lines offer exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world’s most desirable destinations.