The premium cruise travel company Windstar canceled its scheduled sailings in Asia for the fall of 2022, citing the continued uncertainty regarding the region's ports reopening.
The move is expected to affect 7 scheduled itineraries on Star Breeze, including a crossing of the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Japan, Island Hopping through Japan, 2 Grand Japan sailings, Windstar Crew Hometowns: Philippines and Indonesia, Edge of the Outback, and Hidden Indonesia & the Great Barrier Reef.
Instead, Star Breeze will extend the summer season with an additional "Alaskan Splendors" itinerary in late August, followed by the West Coast Epicurean Extravaganza trip down the coast of the United States, a trans-ocean cruise from San Diego CA to Tahiti, and 5 voyages in French Polynesia.
In October 2022, Windstar will celebrate its 35th anniversary of operations in Tahiti (homeporting in Papeete) - one of the first companies to offer overnight voyages in the region. All Wind Spirit and Star Breeze voyages in Tahiti will join in the celebration with specially planned events.
On November 11, 2022, Star Breeze is scheduled to depart for a trans-ocean voyage to Sydney (NSW Australia), arriving on November 22 for a charter cruise. The shift will make the December 4, 2022, "Tasman Sea Treasures: New Zealand Fjords & South Australia" Windstar's first commercial sailing in the region.
This current year marks Windstar’s first time offering comprehensive Australia and New Zealand itineraries, visiting small, rarely-visited ports of call, such as Middle Percy Island.
Windstar's President Christopher Prelog said that as Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, and South Korea were all currently still closed to cruising, Windstar joined several other cruise lines in making that decision to cancel cruises in Asia for fall. He added they hoped their guests rebooked on those same fantastic itineraries for 2023.