Star Legend

The 1992-built (as "Royal Viking Queen") and acquired in 2015 from Seabourn (as "Seabourn Legend"), the Star Legend cruise ship is the third and last of all three identical superyachts in the Windstar fleet - together with Star Pride (Seabourn Pride) and Star Breeze (Seabourn Spirit).

The vessel (IMO number 9008598) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311085000) and registered in Nassau.

History - construction and ownership

Windstar Cruises is a luxury travel brand operating a fleet of smaller-sized ships (mega-yachts) with capacity up to 340 passengers. The company call at 150 ports throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South Pacific, Asia, Europe. Currently, Windstar is a subsidiary of Xanterra Parks and Resorts (USA's largest national and state park concession management company).

The 340-passenger ship Star Legend was constructed in Bremerhaven Germany (by Schichau-Seebeckwerft) and inaugurated in February 1992 by the shipowner Kloster Cruise. Seabourn Legend was originally named "Royal Viking Queen" and operated by Royal Viking Line (1972-founded/1998-defunct). In 1995 the boat's name was changed to "Queen Odyssey". Operated by Royal Cruise Line (1995 through 1996), the vessel was sold to Seabourn Cruises and renamed "Seabourn Legend". In April 2015, the ship left Seabourn and (in May) joined Windstar's fleet as "Star Legend".

An interesting fact is that Seabourn Legend was featured in the film "Speed 2: Cruise Control" (1997, starring Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric, Willem Dafoe). In the movie, Alex Shaw (Jason Patric) and Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock) became trapped on the cruise ship, where navigation computers had been reprogrammed by a computer hacker (Willem Dafoe), who had set the ship on a collision course with a supertanker.

Decks and Cabins

Star Legend staterooms (156 total, in 13 grades) are all outside and in suite categories - the lowest being Porthole Suite (10 cabins). All cabins are with modern amenities including fully-stocked minibars, Wi-Fi Internet, smart HDTVs (infotainment system), spacious wardrobe with electronic safe box, phone (direct dial), large bathroom (double-sink vanity, bathtub, shower, WC-toilet, L'Occitane bath products), premium bedding sets (top-quality pillows and linens), fresh fruits and flowers.

The largest accommodations are the 3-Bedroom Grand Owners Suites (1375 ft2 / 128 m2, with included outdoor terrace).

The boat has 8 decks, of which 6 are passenger-accessible and 4 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

A major Star Legend plus is the wide variety of eating options for such a small ship. Star Legend guests may choose from various inclusive dining options - AmphorA Restaurant, Yacht Club, Sky Bar & Grill. Windstar travelers usually like to dress up. There are 2 formal nights on weeklong cruises and 3 on 14-day voyages. On these nights, a lot of the men wear tuxedos. Women wear luxury cocktail dresses or ball gowns. Other nights are casually stylish (jacket for men, but tie optional; nice outfit for women), or casual (no jacket for men; sundress or slacks for women). For those who do not like formal nights, the Veranda Cafe offers a casually stylish alternative.

Follows the complete list of Star Legend restaurants and food bars.

• AmphorA Restaurant (ship's dining room, open-seating; offers 5-course gourmet dinner menu which is changed daily; along with onboard-made bread, in all ports of call the executive chef goes to the local markets to shop for fresh ingredients)
• Candles Cafe & Veranda (a smaller "dining room" which offers buffet-style breakfast and lunch, as well as a la carte menu through the wait staff; its indoor area is called "Candles Cafe" and features floor-ceiling panoramic windows; the outdoor seating area is called "Veranda" - in the evenings, it transforms into "Candles Grill" al-fresco steakhouse)
• Star Bar (serves the top deck open-air-area).
• Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso (deck 6 aft-portside-located specialty restaurant with an Iberian food menu)
• Star Grill by Steven Raichlen (deck 8 midship-located alfresco dining venue serving complimentary BBQ food)

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Activities onboard Star Legend are very limited and range from food market purchases to performances by local musicians. Public areas include the casino, library, computer center, WindSpa, fitness center, pool and three whirlpool tubs.

Follows the complete list of Star Legend lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• The Marina (retractable watersports platform for water skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling, kayaking; the ship provides water rafts, wakeboards, paddleboards and a water trampoline island; the steel cage forms a swimming pool in the sea)
• A Whirlpool (with sunbathing area and lounge chairs)
• Card Room (bridge and board games); Library; Screening Room
• Computer Center (discount Internet packages and rates per minute)
• Lounge (ship's theatre/main show lounge for live evening entertainment)
• The Boutique Shop (now Signature Shop) sells duty-free luxury fashion clothing and accessories
• The Casino (gaming lounge aft on deck 6, with blackjack/roulette gambling tables, slot machines) was replaced with the Cuadro 44 restaurant.
• Compass Rose (ship's main bar lounge with grand piano)
• The Wellness Centre (WindSpa, Beauty Salon, Gym). WindSpa (operated by Steiner) has treatment rooms (for massages), Saunas, Steam Rooms.
• The Fitness Center (with floor-ceiling windows; has free weights, treadmills, elliptical machines; offers complimentary exercise classes); Courtyard
• Pool Area (with one rectangular swimming pool, two whirlpools on platforms and a 3rd whirlpool at the ship's bow, sunbathing and shaded areas)
• The Yacht Club (Constellation Lounge with floor-ceiling windows for 270-degree views)
• The Sun Deck (with padded luxury sun loungers and deckchairs).

Itineraries

Star Legend itinerary program is based on Mediterranean cruises with departures from ports mainly in France, Italy, Spain. In Northern Europe, the Windstar Legend ship cruises in the Baltic Sea on Norwegian Fjords itineraries and to Iceland leaving from Denmark and the UK.

In November 2016 Windstar announced a return to Asia (for the first time in 3 years), deploying in the region Star Legend for winter 2017-2018. The Asian program included exotic itineraries leaving from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore to ports in South Korea and Japan.

In 2018, Windstar homeported Star Legend in Vancouver BC Canada, to operate 3x distinctive itineraries (May through August), including 11- and 12-day Alaskan voyages from Vancouver to Seward, 14-day Seward to Vancouver, and two 12-day roundtrips from Vancouver. The Alaskan program included pre-and-post cruise land package extensions.

In 2023, Star Legend completed Windstar's longest voyage ever - the "Star Collector- Grand European Bucket List Adventure". The 79-night itinerary (ship's Wiki section) departed from Stockholm (July 25) and ended in Istanbul (Oct 12). Prices started from USD 40,000/EUR 34035 per person with double occupancy.

In October 2023, Star Legend's inaugural Middle East season (November 2023 through April 2024, based on homeporting in Dubai UAE) was canceled and rescheduled for 2024-2025 (Nov-Apr).