As Chris Prelog and his workforce at Windstar Cruises ponder not simply what will likely be fashionable in journey for 2024, they’re additionally considering far more long term. How will journey proceed to evolve into the subsequent decade? We had an opportunity to take a seat with Chris, president of Windstar Cruises, and discuss a wide-ranging sequence of ideas, points, and contemplations.
The place will vacationers most need to go in 2024, and what’s spurring their curiosity?
We’re seeing plenty of enterprise in and round of Europe and the large information for Windstar is that we’ve expanded to year-round cruising within the Mediterranean. Star Legend is providing winter-in-the-Mediterranean voyages and we’re discovering that our vacationers, most of whom have already traveled broadly in Europe, love the thought of visiting locations like Good, Marseilles, Barcelona and Rome at a really completely different time of yr. In December, the Christmas Markets have been an enormous draw (and that’s taking part in out in sturdy 2024 winter bookings for the approaching December) and we’re seeing plenty of curiosity in exploring cities which are open for enterprise, with out crowds.
Iceland is one other vacation spot in demand, and we’re glad to see that the volcano eruption that occurred over the previous two months is now not affecting life on the island. The Blue Lagoon, which had been closed for a month (and is a favourite place to go to for our vacationers in additional temperate seasons) has reopened.
For our vacationers, significantly North American friends who’re on the lookout for new discoveries in Europe, we’re additionally seeing large curiosity in Canary Islands cruises. This archipelago of Spanish islands, off the west coast of North Africa, is primarily a draw for nature lovers and there’s additionally loads of tradition, principally influenced by Spain, and even very unique kinds of wine making. It’s humorous that for Europeans, the Canaries are a part of a longtime journey map (I first began touring there from my hometown in Austria as a younger boy) and there’s a lot to love, together with volcanoes, seashores, camels, foliage, a wealthy tradition that has a sure slower high quality of life than you can find in Spain.
And I can’t totally reply your query about 2024 – and past — with out speaking about French Polynesia, which is a essential vacation spot for Windstar. We’ve got a ship change arising in February with Star Breeze changing Wind Spirit. This doubles capability in a area the place we’ve been crusing for over 35 years and a ship actually is one of the simplest ways to expertise Tahiti. It’s additionally very aggressive from a worth proposition.
What has Windstar – and the cruise business – realized from the worldwide conflicts of the latest previous and the way will these learnings pertain to 2024?
If the varied international occasions have taught us something, it’s to stay versatile, agile and be fast to undertake to any adjustments coming at us. You don’t know what occurs tomorrow/subsequent week and naturally the newest trigger to vary course has been the battle between Israel and Gaza, which has affected our Center East itineraries.
Our workforce has grow to be an professional at, with lighting velocity, having the ability to alter our program and cruises. They make it look straightforward and belief me, it’s not, however on this case we shifted Star Legend to year-round Mediterranean, and the season is progressing properly.
In Iceland, latest eruptions have captured international tourism – all quiet, now – however there’s undoubtedly extra curiosity in Iceland due to the volcanoes. We use the time we’re there to indicate the great thing about Iceland to friends – its waterfalls, underground volcanos, lagoons, the pure range.
For me, life’s largest luxurious is peace, and luxury, clearly, but in addition time. There’s nothing extra luxurious than peace and time.
Chris Prelog
And we’re all the time trying to present our friends locations they maybe haven’t seen. The Canaries lend itself so properly to our Wind Class of ships as a result of, properly, it’s all the time windy. You get the Sahara winds that blow from Africa over the Atlantic (the seashore in Fuerteventura is crimson due to the sand). Related the truth is to the Greek Islands expertise on a crusing vessel. It’s all about offering intriguing vacation spot with the best ship designed for his or her areas.
How has the onboard expertise, not simply at Windstar but in addition on different luxurious and small ship cruise traces, developed in 2023 and the place do you see it persevering with to vary shifting ahead?
For us, an experiment to create new ambiences onboard developed from a partnership with two sister resorts: Colorado’s Broadmoor and Georgia’s Sea Island. Each properties have compelling ambiences – very completely different – and we’ve designed present suites on Star Breeze and Star Legend to evoke their sensibilities and create a hyperlink between land and sea. They’ve been vastly in demand and we’re increasing the redesign to different ships within the fleet. In reality the trouble was awarded one of the best suites design on small ships from Cruise Ship Interiors (CSI).
Past that, we’re all the time evolving our onboard product. After we determined to renovate the suites, we didn’t need to do like for like, we wished a theme. It comes from a spot of being 180 levels from strange.
One other onboard spot we’re focusing is the marinas which are on all six ships within the fleet. One visitor was standing on the marina, and commented “now I’m heading into my pool” and that pool was the ocean – the most important pool there may be.
In different methods, an enormous evolution within the cruise business is that this: There may be now a cruise for just about each model of journey. There are cruises for conventional vacationers who like to go to sea the best way they’ve all the time been going, and there are voyages that attraction to new-to-cruise vacationers who’re drawn by smaller ships and expeditions. Many vacationers immediately crave port-intensive schedules, and by that I imply not hustling from one place to a different daily however to have extra high quality time to spend in ports themselves.
Theme cruises have taken on a complete new that means too. From the early days, the place they have been primarily centered round meals and wine (and these are nonetheless extremely fashionable), we’ve seen nice attraction of themes resembling Components One. Sports activities is a theme that we’re persevering with to discover, starting from collaborating in occasions to creating extra lively experiences that enable vacationers to be extra engaged in locations. We’re additionally creating alternatives which have particular impression – and likewise create highly effective recollections. It’s not nearly donating funds – although we imagine that’s vital, too – but in addition about exposing friends to distinctive initiatives that supply new views for them Our partnership with Coral Gardens in Moorea is one such instance.
For me, the most important luxurious is peace and luxury, clearly, but in addition time. There’s nothing extra luxurious than peace and time.
The place will you trip in 2024 and why did you select the journey?
Subsequent yr I promised a faculty pal of mine to return and go to her at a particular trip place in Austria. As a local Austrian, it’s thrilling to make discoveries there and my spouse, Silke, and I are spending per week at Montestyria in Mariazell, Austria. It is a unbelievable property constructed out of a number of particular person chalets the place you’ll be able to hire a chalet, have pool and full lake entry, you’ll be able to hike, get wonderful meals and be in whole peace and tranquility.
And I feel that our need for a “slower journey” trip mirrors what we’re listening to from plenty of our friends, who’re craving a little bit of peace and quiet together with discovering new locations and experiences. In reality, that’s fueling a renewed curiosity in longer itineraries – and impressed us to create our 55-day 2026 Grand Caribbean Journey.
