Fresh off the heels of winning TravelAge West’s 2024 Excellence in Leadership Award, Christoper Prelog, president of Windstar Cruises, chatted with us about the achievement and what is next on the horizon for the brand, including expanding the Windstar fleet.
How did it feel to receive TravelAge West’s Excellence in Leadership Award?
It's an honor to be acknowledged this way, and by such an esteemed group of industry professionals. This award is not just a personal achievement, but also a reflection of the extraordinary work and dedication of the entire Windstar Cruises team and our travel advisor partners. I am grateful to TravelAge West for this award and look forward to continuing to work together with our team to provide unforgettable experiences and services at Windstar Cruises.
Windstar also took home the award for “Small Ship Cruise Line Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support."
This award is also a great honor and testament to Windstar's unwavering commitment to providing exceptional support to our travel advisors and their clients. It is truly a collaborative effort, and I am grateful to have such amazing colleagues, both shoreside and shipboard, who share a passion for delivering extraordinary experiences and support for our travel advisors and guests. Without their great work, we would not be where we are today.
Becoming the president of Windstar is a culmination of decades of hard work, a deep passion for the industry and the support of exceptional colleagues and mentors.
What has the journey from cruise ship waiter to president of Windstar Cruises been like for you?
The journey has been nothing short of incredible and full of surprises — exploring the world and embracing new skills, knowledge and expertise every step of the way. Being able to work with a wide variety of people onboard and onshore has been a true privilege. Starting at the front line, I gained invaluable hands-on experience and a deep understanding of the intricacies, difficulties and enjoyments of the cruise industry, including getting to know so many wonderful guests, crew and travel agents.
With each promotion and new position, I took on greater responsibilities and faced bigger challenges. I learned to navigate the seas of the ever-evolving cruise industry over the past 20-plus years, adapting to changing market trends and customer expectations. The cruise industry allows you to see the world and make great friends from every walk of life.
Becoming the president of Windstar is a culmination of decades of hard work, a deep passion for the industry and the support of exceptional colleagues and mentors. Windstar owns the first ship that I worked onboard (now Windstar's Star Legend).
What would you consider your greatest achievements during your career thus far?
One of the achievements I am very proud of is navigating the expansion of Windstar Cruises during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a real challenge to navigate taking three ships out of service, cutting them apart, redoing their engines and completely overhauling all crew and guest areas while a pandemic was raging worldwide. What I took away from that experience is that the Windstar team is up to any task in front of them. I am very humbled and proud of the group of people I am working with here.
We are always able to adapt and pivot when needed, and I think that's important for innovation.
How are you leading Windstar to innovate further into the future?
Windstar is always attuned to market changes, trends and the needs and interests of our guests and world travelers. We are always able to adapt and pivot when needed, and I think that's important for innovation. For example, we made a switch and moved Star Legend to the Mediterranean during late fall and winter — typically quieter times in those popular cities and ports. It’s been well received, and we think it will continue to attract more travelers. We’ve added more itineraries for 2025/2026, and we’re very proud to be one of the few small ship cruise lines to sail year-round in the Mediterranean.
Windstar Cruises is truly unique in that it is a luxury small ship line that’s casually elegant with a very friendly, welcoming atmosphere. We're known for our immersive excursions, port-intensive itineraries, exceptional award-winning service and innovative culinary programs, like our partnership with the James Beard Foundation, which is celebrating 10 years next year. My goal as a leader is to continue to build upon these unique, extraordinary experiences, collaborations and offerings.
What does the upcoming fleet expansion mean to brand loyalists, agent partners and even those entirely new to the brand?
It means more of what you love. Windstar's new fleet additions, Star Seeker and Star Explorer , will each have 112 suites for a guest capacity of 224 and will be similar to the line’s current Star Class motor yachts. Both ships bring additional opportunities for new itineraries and sailing regions. They are also a great size for a full ship charter or group events. We’re excited to reveal new suite layouts soon.
We recently announced that we will be sending Star Seeker cruising to Alaska and Japan when it joins the fleet in 2026. Windstar last sailed in Alaska and Japan in 2023 before it redeployed Star Breeze to be the year-round ship in Tahiti. Star Seeker will be delivered to Windstar in December 2025 and Star Explorer in December 2026.
How should agents best position the classes of ships now (sailing, plus larger and smaller motor yachts)?
We have two different classes of ships: five Star Class yachts and three Wind Class yachts. It is as simple as that. Within each class we have different sizes, and we are staying within our small-ship segment with the addition of these two new yachts.
We know what our travel advisors and guests love most about Windstar, and the two new yachts are a perfect extension of our fleet. Once a guest experiences Windstar, they fall in love with our experience and realize the value of sailing; it is a unique way of exploring destinations they have on their bucket list. New ships allow our guests the ability to keep coming back and experiencing a wider range of destinations.
Do you foresee any new destinations on the horizon for Windstar?
[As mentioned above], Windstar Cruises is returning to Alaska and Japan. And I am sure you noticed we are cruising further south in South America. This is a result of feedback we’ve received from our guests and advisors. Windstar is expanding its global reach with first-time cruises in South America beginning in December 2025 on board all-suite yacht Star Pride, creating new opportunities for guests to experience bucket-list destinations, like Machu Picchu in Peru and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.
Additionally, as one of very few cruise lines to sail in the Mediterranean during the winter, Windstar Cruises is leaning into the growing trend of off-season travel.
Is there any other message you would like to send to the travel advisor community?
We have expanded our sales team over the last few years and want travel advisors to know we care about them and want them to be successful. We want to be easy to do business with, and along those lines, we are working on new technology to enable them to find and book Windstar easily on behalf of their clients.
We welcome feedback from advisors on new marketing tools or other things we can offer to help them close sales. As new emerging technologies emerge, we will leverage this to expand and scale our business together, but we truly believe nothing will ever replace the human connections and personal relationships we have built over the years.
