Windstar Cruises has opened 2027 bookings for Japan earlier than planned in response to “unprecedented demand” for its 2026 sailings in the country aboard its newest ship Star Seeker.
The small ship cruise operator has also added an extra 2025 date for its 10-night Grand Japan itinerary which sails from Tokyo to Kyoto with a stop in Busan, South Korea.
“Just months after announcing our 2026 plans in Japan, we’re nearly sold out,” Windstar Cruises’ Chief Commercial Officer Janet Bava said.
“The combination of our return to Asia for the first time since 2023, along with the anticipation of a new ship and the fact that Japan is now one of the world’s most visited countries, has created an excitement for this region that we have not seen before.”
Subscribe to LATTE Cruise’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury cruise space.Star Seeker will join the company’s fleet in December 2025 and will cross the Pacific from Alaska to Japan in early September 2026, where Windstar will bring back its popular Grand Japan itinerary on five dates through October.
The 2027 sailings will take place on seven dates from March through May.
Grand Japan highlights include scenic cruising the Inland Sea; sailing around the abandoned island of Hashima; visiting the Peace Memorial Parks of Nagasaki and Hiroshima; and calling on smaller ports like Takamatsu and Karatsu with its its incredible castle.
Cruisers can extend their stay with the Kyoto & the Zen of Japan cruise tour, which visits Kyoto where guests can bathe in hot springs, experience a traditional tea ceremony, and visit the Golden Pavilion. With dates in northern hemisphere spring, there is also an opportunity to experience Japan’s famed cherry blossom.
Windstar is offering an early booking offer with a complimentary upgrade to all-inclusive. The offer expires on 28 February 2025.
