VOICE OF LUXURY
VOICE LUXURY Ů Helen Beck
managing director for global commercial, Windstar Cruises
As the line gears up to launch a second ship in the space of a year, Katie Byng-Hall learns more about its strategy for growth
Q. Tell us about your background prior to joining Windstar Cruises last May, and what drew you to this new role. I’ve been in the travel industry my whole career – I’m one of those people who comes under the ‘veteran’ title. I’ve been working in the cruise sector since about 2000, and I think it’s the most dynamic, vibrant segment of the whole industry. I’ve always worked in international sales within cruising because I speak French, German, Spanish and Italian, and I enjoy working out what makes different markets tick and figuring out how to optimise each one. I’ve fallen in love with Windstar since starting my new role – it’s a very relaxed and unpretentious line, so I’m excited to spread the word about it across markets where we don’t have a particularly big footprint, including the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Q. How were sales for Windstar in 2025? We had a great year – we’ve seen double-digit growth in our sales, which is really encouraging. Our global commercial team is very small, so thankfully my arrival has allowed other staff members to work more closely with key UK accounts, which has driven those sales. Interestingly, we’ve been seeing more same- year bookings, although forward bookings for 2026 and 2027
are also very encouraging. Tahiti in particular has long-standing appeal for UK clients and, from March 2027, we’re dedicating one of our Wind Class yachts solely to that destination. We launched a series of 10-night Canary Islands itineraries in 2025, but we need some more communication to drive sales, so marketing those will be a focus for 2026.
Q. You launched your newest vessel, Star Seeker, in December and sister ship Star Explorer is due at the end of 2026. What will they bring to Windstar’s offering? The two new ships have given a fresh injection of passion across the entire company. Very excitingly, Star Explorer will have her christening ceremony right by HMS Belfast in the heart of London, so it will be lovely to see her against the backdrop of the capital in May 2027 following her first sailing this December. Star Seeker’s debut is allowing us back into Alaska over the summer, which is perfectly suited to our small-ship size. She’ll be heading to Japan and southeast Asia in the autumn, then doing a great Bangkok to Hanoi itinerary, where – thanks to her size – guests will be able to sail right down the river into the Thai capital, before she heads back to Alaska. Star Explorer will be staying in Europe all year round, starting in the Mediterranean
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ASPIRE JANUARY 2026
aspiretravelclub.co.uk
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