Star Legend to Alaska in 2018

Article gives some details on Alaska cruises in 2018:

Each cruise will visit Tracy Arm and Misty Fjords, with at least seven to eight other ports.

The Star Legend will offer three new itineraries with eight sailing dates, departing May to August, including a 14-day Seward (Anchorage) to Vancouver option; 12-day Vancouver round-trip itinerary, and 11- or 12-day Vancouver to Seward (Anchorage) voyages.

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/16282-windstar-to-alaska-in-2018.html

This is the news I was hoping for!!!! What an incredible way to see Alaska.

Great news for canadian also :-)

WS now will have ship in Iceland and Pacific North-West. Funny but I was just reading a news item about a Norwegian Shipbuilder who will be designing an expedition cruise ship for an undisclosed international company (similar size to the Star Legend). Would this be the first new-built in a while for WS.? Just speculating.

I am very pleased that Windstar honored this request on my evaluation last August. :D

Article gives some details on Alaska cruises in 2018:

 

Each cruise will visit Tracy Arm and Misty Fjords, with at least seven to eight other ports.

 

The Star Legend will offer three new itineraries with eight sailing dates, departing May to August, including a 14-day Seward (Anchorage) to Vancouver option; 12-day Vancouver round-trip itinerary, and 11- or 12-day Vancouver to Seward (Anchorage) voyages.

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/16282-windstar-to-alaska-in-2018.html

Thanks for breaking this exciting news, ricflyer! You beat me to the punch, as I just saw this about 20 minutes ago in CruiseCritic's news blog. Here's an article posted on the Windstar home site: http://blog.windstarcruises.com/2017/01/windstar-cruising-alaska-british-columbia-summer-2018/

It includes a few more nuggets if you read closely. I observed that Legend's last Asian trip was a 24 April 2018 itinerary ("Grand Japan", Osaka to Tokyo, 10 days). They also mention an as-yet-to-be-named trans-Pacific cruise (Tokyo to Seward/Anchorage, 14 days) that will obviously run until early May 2018. And then there are eight total Alaska offerings, varying from 11 to 14 days. Where they will go from there is unclear.

Well done, Windstar! I suspect these will be highly popular. I did a Holland America cruise to Alaska for our 25th anniversary, and it was pretty cool. But a small ship offering to some very unique ports of call will be a game changer.

Great news for canadian also :-)

 

WS now will have ship in Iceland and Pacific North-West. Funny but I was just reading a news item about a Norwegian Shipbuilder who will be designing an expedition cruise ship for an undisclosed international company (similar size to the Star Legend). Would this be the first new-built in a while for WS.? Just speculating.

That would be exciting, but I'm sure not in service by 2018.

I still think they'll go the "pick up some at the used ship lot" avenue like with the triplets. The only thing against that is from what I've heard they cost a bucket load more than expected to refurbish.

That would be exciting, but I'm sure not in service by 2018.

 

I still think they'll go the "pick up some at the used ship lot" avenue like with the triplets. The only thing against that is from what I've heard they cost a bucket load more than expected to refurbish.

The Polar Expedition ship in the article is expected to be launched in 2019. IF WS goes the way of the Expedition Ship, they have no choice to get a new built to sail into polar region. Like you said, refurbs for these water is cost prohibitive. There are new regulation in place since 2016. Older ships do not meet the regulation and cannot be resold and used by another company to sail those water (waste disposal system. etc)

http://www.whiteglacier.com/blog/what-the-polar-code-means-to-cruise-ships

IMO, it would make perfect sense to send the Star Legend to Alaska for a few summer and then replace it by a new ship that would give them an advantage in these water. According to the news, the ship being designed and built (waiting financing) will cost approx. 120$M. Only one ship is being built so it has to be a small international cruise company. WS can keep the triplet for quite a long time

So you would eventually get a ship doing Alaska/Northern Passages and another one doing Iceland.

But, I am just speculating, I have no Crystal Ball.:D

Several choices for Alaska. Unfortunately, the prices seem high.

The prices of many of the Wind Star Alaska itineraries are actually cheaper per day than their cruise around Iceland. Keep in mind that all of the itineraries are at least 11 days long. Agreed, however, that I was hoping they wouldn't be quite so pricey.

I'm a bit disappointed in the itineraries, mostly the same beat to death routes of the larger ships (aside from Misty Fjords and Kenai NP). I was hoping for something more off the beaten path. HAL's Amsterdam does a 14 day that includes Homer, Kodiak and sails up the Cook Inlet to Anchorage. And I guess if I want to sail the Aleutians it will be on the Alaska Marine Highway.

I like the itineraries. We decided that we didn't want to wait for Windstar to get there so we are taking a Crystal cruise in August. It turns out that only two of the ports (Juneau and Ketchican) will be duplicates for us. The Crystal cruise goes to Glacier Bay and Hubbard glacier so I'm glad we are taking it.

I'd be interested in taking one of these. The competition would be the Windstar cruises versus one of the very small ship cruises (Uncruise, Lindblad or Alaskan Dream). The latter could get one even closer to the wildlife and scenery but cabins are small and price per day is more.

I wish that the Japan to Alaska sailing included an unusual Alaskan port like something on the Aleutians but perhaps infrastructure was an issue.

My concern is the ship's layout. Having done three prior Alaskan cruises on HAL and Celebrity I really appreciated their enclosed viewing spaces with access to quick outdoor viewing . Also the Star Legend does not appear to have an indoor eating area that will work for casual eating and viewing.

Would appreciate hearing from cruisers who have been on any of the 3 Stars regarding their suitability for cold water cruising.

We were on the Star Legend on the Lands of the Midnight Sun 2014 cruise from Reykjavik to Copenhagen. We had a mixture of cold, damp weather and sunny, warm weather. When it was cold or rainy, we had breakfast and lunch in the Amphora instead of the Veranda. When it was sunny but chilly, we ate in the Veranda and they provided us with blankets. The best place for viewing the scenery when the weather is bad is from the Yacht Club. It is surrounded by windows and is a very pleasant venue. We plan to book an Alaskan cruise with the Legend in 2018.

We were on the Star Legend on the Lands of the Midnight Sun 2014 cruise from Reykjavik to Copenhagen. We had a mixture of cold, damp weather and sunny, warm weather. When it was cold or rainy, we had breakfast and lunch in the Amphora instead of the Veranda. When it was sunny but chilly, we ate in the Veranda and they provided us with blankets. The best place for viewing the scenery when the weather is bad is from the Yacht Club. It is surrounded by windows and is a very pleasant venue. We plan to book an Alaskan cruise with the Legend in 2018.

AH, I wondered where breakfast and lunch would be served as the Veranda looks too open for such daily activity . I can see attempting it on a very sunny day . We were in Glacier Bay on July 4th 1997 and everyone was in shorts and tees but that was not the norm so planning 2 meals a day out there would be insane.

As far as the balcony suites go , can you step out on them and close the balcony door behind you or are you limited to just leaning out and thus having to leave your cabin open to the Alaska cold?

I've never been on this ship, but on my Alaska cruise it was warm most of the time. Alaska is not always cold.

I've never been on this ship, but on my Alaska cruise it was warm most of the time. Alaska is not always cold.

you were lucky !..I have been on 3 Alaska cruises and yes, once we were in short sleeves in Glacier Bay but that was the exception. More often than not it is misty at best and when the ship is moving you do not want your balcony door wide open for any length of time.

As far as the balcony suites go , can you step out on them and close the balcony door behind you or are you limited to just leaning out and thus having to leave your cabin open to the Alaska cold?

You can step out, but that is about it... one step... maybe 14 inches wide ??? But it would be nice, especially for pictures. Open the doors and crank up the heat if it is too cool.

Yes, about 14 inches. I didn't notice if there were handles on the outside side of the door, but probably not so even if you are skinny enough, it would be hard to close behind you and even harder to open.

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BTW....do all the "suites" have pod type coffee makers ?

I have never had a pod type coffee maker in any of my Windstar suites.

oh, then is there a place(s) you can get special coffee drinks Cappuccino etc. and would they be free?

All coffee drinks are free. They are available at the Yacht Club and, I imagine, from room service during off hours.