Europe cruise searches are surging, and Windstar is giving travelers more than just new ports

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Most cruise ships sell the same trip over and over: familiar ports, a rotating lineup of onboard entertainers and a schedule built to repeat. Windstar programs some of its sailings differently, building specific weeks around a single theme. Past themes have included a Michelin-starred chef on one sailing, a Formula One weekend in Monaco on another, a solar eclipse chase on a third and wine cruises threaded throughout alongside them.

Two of those theme weeks ran back-to-back this year, both aboard the same ship. The 312-guest Star Legend carried a Michelin-starred chef from Rouen to Bordeaux one week, then picked up a wine merchant in Bordeaux the next and sailed on to Lisbon, turning one route into two different trips depending on which week a guest booked.

Europe cruise searches are climbing fast

European cruise search data show Mediterranean cruise searches up 255% year over year, with Northern Europe up 270% and Southern Europe up 260%. That kind of growth means a new port alone no longer sets an itinerary apart, so lines are reaching for something else to sell instead. For Windstar, the answer has been food and wine.

The company marked the 10th anniversary of its partnership with the James Beard Foundation in 2025, and in 2026 it added a second thread, pairing select sailings with California producers under the GALLO Luxury Wine Group. Windstar's chief operating officer, Stijn Creupelandt, called food and wine "universal languages" when the line announced the expanded lineup, framing the collaboration as central to how guests experience a sailing, not an add-on to it.

A Michelin chef sails Rouen to Bordeaux

Aboard the Star Legend, chef Gabriel Kreuther, a two-Michelin-star chef and a 2025 James Beard Award finalist for Outstanding Chef, led the "French Feast" sailing from Rouen to Bordeaux. Guests joined him for cooking demonstrations, guided market visits and a wine-paired dinner built around the regions the ship passed through, including Brittany's coastline and Bordeaux's vineyards.

A wine cruise picks up where the chef left off

The following week, on the same Star Legend, Maze Row Wine Merchant, a U.S. importer known for terroir-driven wines from small producers, came aboard for the "Connoisseur's Delight" sailing from Bordeaux to Lisbon, bringing pop-up tastings and presentations to select ports along the route. In Bordeaux, that meant winery tours and tastings. In Gijón, it meant a stop in Asturias's cider country, home to some of Spain's most concentrated cider houses. Most passengers disembarked in Lisbon, but many stayed aboard for another week rather than end the trip there.

Life aboard Star Legend

Every suite includes a double-sink vanity in the bathroom, a stocked minibar, and robes and slippers. The dining room menu rotates nightly through dishes from James Beard-affiliated chefs; during this sailing, the rotation included dishes from Hugh Acheson, Amy Brandwein and Andy Ricker, among others.

Guests also get one dinner each week at both of the ship's specialty restaurants: Candles, a steak-and-seafood venue that takes over the Veranda by night, and Basil + Bamboo, a complimentary Mediterranean-Asian fusion restaurant that replaced the Spanish-inspired Cuadro 44 across the fleet. Seating is limited and reservations are required, but grab a spot at the bar overlooking the kitchen for the best view of the action.

Beyond those two, there's the upscale main dining room Amphora, two full-service bars and an outdoor grill for the line's signature deck barbecue. There's laundry service too, handy on an eight-day sailing that never requires a dress code.

What's next on the calendar

Windstar builds the same kind of themed week into what's coming next. In October, chef David Uygur, whose Dallas restaurant Lucia holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, leads the "Classic Italy & Dalmatian Coast" sailing from Venice to Rome aboard Wind Surf, pairing his food with Denner Vineyards' Rhône and Bordeaux wines. It's a double perk in one week: a James Beard-affiliated chef and a dedicated wine partner, both on the same itinerary.

The ship changes weekly, but the size doesn't have to

None of these sailings share a guest list, a purpose or even a pace. A fleet of yachts, ranging from 148 to 342 guests, gives Windstar room to sell a genuinely different trip every few weeks without needing a bigger ship or a different itinerary map. Two more yachts are joining that lineup: Star Seeker, which debuted in December 2025, and Star Explorer, arriving in 2026, expanding the fleet to eight ships total.

As European searches climb, the theme is becoming a real differentiator between competing cruise lines, not just the port. The next sailing to book isn't necessarily about where the ship is going; it's about what's happening once it gets there.

Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she's also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller's perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.