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Windstar Cruises Announces Longest Cruise Ever. Incredibly Expensive, Too

We can all agree that 2020 and, to a similar extent, 2021 have been the worst in recent memory for a variety of reasons, with all these reasons tied to the ongoing international health crisis. For the most optimistic – and richest – of you, here’s a vacation proposition that may turn out to be of the “an offer you can’t refuse” type.
Star Legend, currently undergoing a refit, will sail on the 79-day Grand European Bucket List Adventure in 2023 6 photos
Photo: Windstar Cruises
Star Legend, currently undergoing a refit, will sail on the 79-day Grand European Bucket List Adventure in 2023Star Legend, currently undergoing a refit, will sail on the 79-day Grand European Bucket List Adventure in 2023Star Legend, currently undergoing a refit, will sail on the 79-day Grand European Bucket List Adventure in 2023Star Legend, currently undergoing a refit, will sail on the 79-day Grand European Bucket List Adventure in 2023Star Legend, currently undergoing a refit, will sail on the 79-day Grand European Bucket List Adventure in 2023
Throughout the month of August, we’re hosting a virtual Travel Month party here on autoevolution, when we’re looking at some of the wackiest, most original and awesome means of travel, as well as vacation ideas. For the first time in many months, travel restrictions have lifted and we’re able to move from place to place more easily and, just as importantly, with more ease of mind.

Cruises are also back online. Of the industries hardest hit by the international health crisis in 2020, the cruise industry was one. It was also a hotspot for many surges in infections, because, what do you know, sticking hundreds or thousands of people together at sea for weeks in a row can do that in a scenario like this one.

But cruises are coming back. With them, luxury offerings are also pouring in, as if in a way to compensate for the year-long impossibility to set sail. The U.S.-based Windstar Cruises, which specializes in the luxury segment, is among the first to announce a triumphant return to the market, and it’s doing so with a historical cruise: the longest cruise it has ever put together.

It’s called the Grand European Bucket List Adventure and, save for the slight implication that it might be the last grand thing you do before you kick the proverbial bucket, it’s a very impressive proposition. It’s also a very expensive one.

Star Legend, currently undergoing a refit, will sail on the 79\-day Grand European Bucket List Adventure in 2023
Photo: Windstar Cruises
Let’s window-shop together.

The Grand European Bucket List Adventure is a 79-day cruise on board the small luxury boat Star Legend, which is currently undergoing a refit as part of the $250 million Million Star Plus Initiative. With accommodation for 312 passengers and 190 staff, and only suites on board, Star Legend will take (rich) guests on a trip around Europe of the kind they always wanted but never got the chance to put together. Stops in more than 20 countries are included on the list, with overnight stays in some ports, visits on shore, and stops at secluded beaches, white-glove-service restaurants, and UNESCO heritage sites.

Unlike most cruises, where you get to spend most of the time at sea in tiny, crowded spaces, this one includes 71 days in port and only eight days at sea. The idea is to allow guests to immerse themselves in local life for a full experience – which will also be a highly curated one. Those wishing to spend more time on board will be able to do so in newly renovated suites, a new floating pool with a vast lounge area, first-class spa, a state-of-the-art gym and wellness area, and premium services.

The Experience kicks off in late July 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden, and will round up in Istanbul, Turkey, in October. Listed highlights include an overnight stay in Hamburg and a visit at the UNESCO site Old Warehouse District and St. Michael’s Church, a tour of the Hermitage, a day at the beach near Cagliari, a five-course meal in Ephesus, and a deep dive in Germany. Complimentary laundry service is also on the list, even though it has nothing to do with the tourist side of the experience. But it will allow you to “pack light.”

Star Legend, currently undergoing a refit, will sail on the 79\-day Grand European Bucket List Adventure in 2023
Photo: Windstar Cruises
Star Legend, the liner that will carry you on this “bucket list” adventure, is the smallest in Windstar Cruises’ luxury fleet. Built by Schichau-Seebeckwerft in Bremerhaven, Germany, it was launched in 1991 and completed the next year, and went on to sail under its first name, Royal Viking Queen. It’s under this name that it was often included in the top 10 cruises in the world by several trade publications.

In 1997, now under the name Seabourn Legend, it was featured in the film Speed 2: Cruise Control, aka “that Speed film that did not star Keanu Reeves.” Windstar Cruises acquired it in 2015 and renamed it Star Legend. With six guest decks, Star Legend measures 522 feet (159 meters) and has an interior volume of 12,995 GT. Propulsion comes from twin Wartsila diesel engines, which give it a cruising speed of 15 knots.

Star Legend is elegant and luxurious and, thanks to the ongoing refit, it’s bound to be even more so, at least according to Windstar Cruises. Ticket prices are a reflection of this promise: the cheapest one is for a Star Porthole Suite, which starts at $39,999 for one guest, while the Owner’s Suite (only four are available, by the way, so you’d better hurry up!), which comes with its own full master bath, private powder room and a private veranda, will set you back $79,999 per person.

In case you’re thinking that’s a lot of money to burn spend for two and a half months at sea, worry not: the company is reporting high interest in the offer, with tickets selling like hot cakes.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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