Windstar Cruises Is Looking to Capitalize on Smallness as it Grows
Photo Caption: John Delaney is the president of Windstar. He is working to expand the line's source market, emphasize destinations, and add a new element of fun to the cruise experience.
Skift Take
Being small isn't quite enough to stand out in the cruise crowd. But elements of quirkiness, fun, and surprise — along with the advantage of greater access to some destinations — could do the trick.
When John Delaney started his new role as president of Windstar Cruises in July, he said he wanted to find a better way to tell the story of the brand.
With a six-ship fleet made up of both power-operated luxury vessels and masted sailing ships, Delaney said marketing too often just revolved around wind or power.
"That's just not the whole story," he said.
The company is working to better communicate the itineraries that are best served by each type of vessel: the "Wind" class in warm-weather destinations and "Star" class (212-passenger ships formerly owned by Seabourn Cruise Line) for longer trips in cooler weather locations. Owner Xanterra Parks & Resorts bought the Seabourn ships in 2013.
And Delaney said he is leading an initiative he calls "destination authenticity," delivering experiences in ports in a customized way that is made possible because of the ships' small size.
"What we're really trying to do with Windstar is we want to create a really fun, surpr
