Windstar Cruises has announced that it is establishing an operating presence in the United Kingdom, which, once in place, will mark a major strategic step in its international growth strategy and significantly expand the line’s distribution to UK travel agents.
*All details correct at time of publish (18 May 2026)
As part of this expansion, Windstar Cruises has established Windstar Cruises UK Ltd and is in the process of securing consumer bonding through ABTOT, which will allow it to book cruises only with full consumer protection.
Later this year, Windstar aims to attain ATOL bonding and, for the first time ever in the UK, be able to sell flight-inclusive cruises.
The move will open up the door for substantially more UK agents to contract directly with Windstar for the first time, backed by direct access to the line’s online booking engine for seamless cruise-only reservations.
Windstar will continue to support and extend its existing agreements with Traveltek, Odysseus and other platforms, ensuring system access for all UK trade partners.
The timing aligns with significant fleet expansion and a total of eight yachts sailing around the world: Star Seeker, the newest Star Class all-suite yacht, joined the fleet in December 2025, and Star Explorer will debut in December 2026, creating additional capacity and new itinerary opportunities for UK agents and their clients.
The new yachts also allow Windstar to return its much-loved sailing ship to Tahiti, with Wind Star joining Star Breeze in 2027.
Christopher Prelog, President of Windstar Cruises, said: “We’re excited to strengthen our presence in the UK and expand our support for the travel trade.
“We’ve been welcoming guests from the UK for over 40 years, and we are delighted that as we grow, the number of travel agents working directly with us allows us to welcome back our loyal guests and welcome new-to-brand, especially those cruise sceptics that are looking for a more intimate cruise experience that is 180 Degrees from Ordinary. We’re grateful to The Cruise Line for serving as our UK general sales agent since May 2022, and we look forward to continuing to work together as we grow in this key market.”
The UK expansion is led by Helen Beck, Managing Director, Global Commercial. “This is the first step in significantly increasing Windstar’s distribution in the UK,” said Beck.
“We’re committed to working directly with more agents than ever before, while continuing to value and invest in our platform partnerships, meaning UK agents can now book cruise-only with full confidence.”
Windstar Cruises is looking to appoint a new manager, sales operations & enablement. Based in the UK, this role will contribute to global sales operations and support partners across all international markets, while laying the foundation for the continued growth of Windstar’s UK presence.
These moves underscore Windstar’s ongoing investment in London, the wider UK and Europe. Demonstrating this commitment, the line has launched its first season of ex-London short cruises aboard the recently refreshed Star Pride, which completed drydock earlier this month.
This series of short cruises will continue to expand next year, and looking further ahead, Windstar’s newest all-suite yacht, Star Explorer, will be christened in London in June 2027.
Windstar’s presence in Europe is expanding, with 19 ports of call throughout the UK and a strong network across the Mediterranean, including more than 30 ports in Italy and over 25 ports in Greece and Spain.
Agents can also grow their business by educating river cruise customers about Windstar’s unique style of cruising, which shares many features with river cruises – such as intimate ships, immersive itineraries and journeys that blend river and ocean cruising.
Windstar’s innovative itineraries offer the opportunity to experience both river and ocean travel within a single voyage, providing river cruisers with a fresh way to explore and discover.
Agents wishing to work with Windstar Cruises in the UK should contact Augustus Lonsdale, head of sales at augustus.lonsdale@windstarcruises.com
For more information, visit Windstar Cruises.
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