Windstar Cruises

Visit sun-drenched places as you sail the Greek Isles and discover a world abundant with ancient treasures and seaside scenery, including the breathtaking azure sea and white-washed villages of Santorini and Mykonos. Embrace the magic and mythology of ancient temples built to honor Greek gods and goddesses and walk the same marble streets where Mark Antony, the Roman general and lover of Cleopatra, was once cheered by residents.Visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the amazing hilltop Acropolis in Athens, the haunts of St. John on the tiny island of Patmos, and the ancient Roman city of Ephesus. Dine among the fascinating ruins as a complimentary treat, a Windstar-exclusive evening Destination Discovery Event planned for Ephesus.

Born on a family hacienda in the Philippines where his great-grandmother fed neighbors and strangers alike, chef Roel Alcudia developed an early conviction that food dissolves difference and builds community. After studying fine arts at Pratt Institute and Rutgers, a bowl of his mother’s soup redirected him to the French Culinary Institute, where he graduated at the top of his class. After working at acclaimed restaurants such as Per Se, Veritas, and Barbuto, he landed in Miami, first cooking at The Cypress Room, then at Mandolin Aegean Bistro. Immersing himself in Greek and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine and traveling extensively throughout the Aegean region for research put the flavors of these waters at the center of his culinary identity. 

Part of the James Beard Foundation's chef community, Alcudia was part of the opening team at Stissing House, a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist® for Best New Restaurant, and has cooked at Platform by JBF, the Foundation's culinary space in New York City

Sail to pristine, secluded coves during this exploration of tropical isles and Māori culture throughout French Polynesia. Slip onto your own Waverunner and set a course for remote snorkeling on Raia tea; relax on Cook Island’s isolated Rarotonga beaches, then venture into friendly Aitutaki for tropical fruit smoothies, tuna poke bowls, and fish curry; and soak up the Māori culture and language while interacting with natives. Sip refreshments on a sunset sail across Bora Bora's lagoon waters prior to an overnight port stay or check into romantic beach resort bungalows. Sample fragrant Taha'a vanilla at a plantation or explore stone temples and archaeological sites on Huahine. Then, board an outrigger canoe bound for a remote motu, where you'll learn to cook a local lunch on the beach.

Chef Felix Tai, a JBF Legacy Network advisor alum and culinary director and executive chef at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaiʻi, believes that great food is inseparable from place and the people who created it. A Hawaiʻi Restaurant Hall of Fame inductee and long-standing Hawaiʻi Food and Wine Festival participant, Tai works in a culinary tradition spanning thousands of islands, each with its own relationship to the ocean and the land. The Māori Storytellers & French Polynesian Treasures voyage puts him exactly where his cooking comes from—sailing through the Society Islands, the Cook Islands, and Bora Bora, where vanilla grows wild, fish are caught at dawn, and the Pacific itself is the defining ingredient.

Greek temples and Turkish mosques punctuate the golden coastlines of these ancient rival nations throughout this 8-day coastal exploration of the Aegean Sea, scenic Dardanelles, and the Sea of Marmara. On this journey, you will traverse the Corinth Canal to Itea and the Sanctuary of Apollo’s sacred ruins; hike a black lava rock path to the smoldering crater on Nea Kameni; and take in the architecture and culture strolling in ancient Ephesus prior to a late-night visit to the markets and cafes of Kuşadasi, Turkey. Culinary quests include sipping white wines made from local Assyrtiko, Athiri, and Aidani grapes; and shopping for fresh produce in an open Turkish market with a local chef, then returning to his Bodrum restaurant to cook a feast paired with regional wines and beer.

Two-time James Beard Award nominee® Cara Tobin made a name for herself as valedictorian of her culinary school class, building her early career along the West Coast, and then at Cambridge’s Oleana—the Eastern Mediterranean restaurant helmed by James Beard Award winner® Ana Sortun—where she spent years immersed in the food and home cooking traditions of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and the broader Levant. In 2017, she opened Honey Road in Burlington, Vermont, an Eastern Mediterranean mezze restaurant built on Vermont produce and a community hospitality philosophy. Sailing the Aegean Sea Odyssey via the Corinth Canal, from Athens through Santorini, Bodrum, Kuşadasi, and Istanbul, Tobin brings guests into a culinary world she has spent her career celebrating.

Capture the heart of the Mediterranean in a single voyage: idyllic islands, charming villages with cobbled streets, spectacular scenery, and intriguing history. Each small harbor is especially suited for small ship exploration, where you’ll enjoy the best of the region—from the ancient ruins of Sparta and Mystras to the pure indulgence of the Mediterranean lifestyle and cuisine.

Before pursuing a career in food, chef Cody Hogan was a classical pianist. While studying music in Germany as a Rotary scholar, Hogan became interested in the culinary arts and later found himself working at Chez Panisse. In 1998, he began working with multi-James Beard Award winning–chef Lidia Bastianich, with whom he has worked for the past 27 years. In addition to rising through the kitchen ranks to executive chef at Lidia’s in Kansas City and developing an expertise in Italian and Mediterranean cooking, Hogan was Lidia’s traveling assistant, food stylist, and the studio chef for her Emmy Award–winning television program. He loves sharing his passion for home cooking and local produce, and taught classes for over 10 years at the Culinary Center of Kansas City.

Discover the diversity of East Asian cultures as you make your way from traditional rural villages to subtropical beaches. On Japan’s Amami Island, you’ll drink kokuto shochu, crafted with brown sugar, and discover kimonos in complex earth tone patterns made with a centuries-old mud-dying technique. Shop for distinctive and colorful Ryukyu glass in Okinawa, and explore Ishigaki’s Yaima Village, an open-air museum of preserved Ryukyu-style houses. In Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, browse the National Palace Museum’s massive collection of Chinese art treasures, or head to the old-town market where you’ll find Chinese medicine apothecaries and traditional handicrafts.

Raised in Oakland by Hong Kong emigrés, chef Christine Lau started cooking to feed herself and her brother, then parlayed a high school restaurant internship into working at several of San Francisco’s top kitchens, including One Market Restaurant. What followed was a deliberately built culinary education: fine-dining Italian at Alto in New York, produce-driven cooking at Centivini, Basque cuisine at Bar Basque, Japanese-American technique at Sea Grill, and the izakaya tradition at Bar Chuko, all threaded together by extensive travel across Asia. In August 2020, she opened Kimika in New York with an all-female-led kitchen, centering her menu on Itameshi—Japanese-Italian fusion—to immediate critical acclaim, including a James Beard Award semifinalist® nod for Best New Restaurant. Currently, Lau helms Ladyfish, a lauded seasonal restaurant from the team behind Portland, Maine’s Mr. Tuna, owned by James Beard Award semifinalist® Jordan Rubin. The East Asian Legends voyage traces the arc of her biography and culinary foundation, sailing from Kobe through the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and into Hạ Long Bay.