Windstar Cruises has announced first-time cruises in South America beginning in December of 2025 onboard the all-suite yacht Star Pride. Destinations include Machu Picchu and Galapagos Islands.
The new 16-day “Marvels of Latin America Cruise Tour” sailing from Colón to Lima (or reverse) adds a pre- or post-cruise tour to Machu Picchu. Additionally, there’s an option for a mid-cruise overland tour to the Galapagos Islands. For a shorter version, an 11-day “Marvels of Ecuador, Peru, and the Panama Canal” includes the cruise and the optional Galapagos Island overland tour.
Starting with the New Year’s sailing on December 27, 2025, through January 2026, the itinerary includes a daylight transit of the Panama Canal and overnight stays in Manta, Guayaquil and Lima. Additional port visits include Machala and Trujillo, where guests can visit the nearby pre-Colombian Chimu tribe archeological site of Chan Chan. And, ads noted by Windstar Cruises President Christopher Prelog: “Since we begin or end in Panama versus Florida, where traditionally these itineraries depart from, we have fewer sea days and more port calls in South America for a rich destination experience.”
The Machu Picchu tour is offered as a pre- or post-cruise excursion over five days. Highlights include driving to the Sacred Valley while visiting and dining at local farms; riding the Vistadome train through the Andean landscape to and from Machu Picchu with a guided tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site; exploring the Urubamba market and a local ceramic workshop in Cusco; and exploring Lima with a local. Overnight stays during the tour are in luxury boutique hotels, and included meals focus on local ingredients and flavors of Peru.
The mid-cruise Ecuadorian excursion to the Galapagos takes place over three days, beginning in either Manta or Guayaquil depending on the date/direction of the sailing. After flying from Gauyaquil to the Galapagos, guests take a ferry to the Santa Cruz Highlands to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat and visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. The next day guests take a ferry ride for a tour of one of the Galapagos’ uninhabited islands: North Seymour Island, Bartolome Island, South Plaza Island, Santa Fe Island, or Floreana Island. On the final day, guests board a short flight and transfer to return to their Windstar yacht in Guayaquil (or in Manta, depending on the date/direction of the itinerary).
Source : Travel Agent Central
