The original Seabourn fleet consisting of 208-passenger yachts Seabourn Pride (1988), Seabourn Spirit (1989), and Seabourn Legend (1988) will join Windstar's fleet of three tall-masted sailing ships Wind Spirit (1988), Wind Star (1986), and Wind Surf (1990). The Seabourn Pride will be the first ship to enter Windstar's fleet in April of 2014. After renovations, the re-branded and re-named Pride will set sail a month later in the Mediterranean in May 2014; voyages are expected to go on sale in May of this year. Windstar will take possession of Seabourn Legend in April 2015 and Seabourn Spirit in May 2015. The yachts will start sailing in May of 2015 following their dry-dock period.
This is a great move for Windstar Cruises, allowing them to expand to new destinations. They recently announced that the Wind Spirit will return to French Polynesia in May 2014 offering 7-night Tahiti cruises from Papeete. Plans to sail in Asia and South America are also in the works.
Gene Sloan of USA Today writes: "The deal is a new milestone in the comeback of Windstar, an upscale line that was in bankruptcy as recently as 2011 before being taken over by the deep-pocketed Xanterra. Controlled by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz' Anschutz Corp., the company already has poured millions of dollars into renovations for all three Windstar ships."
This leaves Seabourn with their three new 408-passenger ships: Seabourn Odyssey (2009), Seabourn Sojourn (2010) and Seabourn Quest (2011). While rumors are circulating that a new Seabourn ship order will soon be announced, this cruise specialist wonders if the financial troubles of the Carnival Corporation (which owns Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Seabourn and Costa Cruises) had any influence in the timing of the sale.
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