Windstar Cruises Receives Travel Accolades: Named Gold Winner for Overall-Small Cruise Ship for Third Year Straight in 2018 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards
Windstar Cruises received several top honours in the 2018 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, including being named a Gold winner for Overall-Small Cruise Ship with less than 500 passengers. It is Windstar’s third consecutive year to receive that particular award for small cruise ships.
This news continues the boutique line’s recent sweep of industry awards including the #1 rank in the 2018 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards; being recognized as the Best
Small-Ship Cruise Line in the TravelAge West WAVE Awards voted on by travel professionals; dominating the 2018 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice prizes with 20 awards including first place for service, public rooms, cabins and fitness; being named to the 2018 Condé Nast Traveler Gold List; and winning the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Award for #1 Boutique Cruise Line, among others.
“Being selected as a Travel Weekly Magellan Award Winner is an honour and achievement our staff and crew can be very proud of,” said Windstar President John Delaney. “All of us at Windstar, on the ships and shore side, are on a shared mission to create the absolute best, most authentic, destination immersive, small ship cruising experiences for our guests. It is gratifying to see our efforts and commitment recognized by our industry peers.”
The company’s ground-breaking new Signature Expeditions program, which launched this summer in Alaska and serves up immersive adventures and active enrichment led by world-renowned scientists, also took Gold honours in the Expeditions-Shore Excursion category.
Additionally, Windstar’s “Get Closer” marketing initiative was recognized on the Gold list for advertising/marketing campaigns. “Get Closer” effectively illustrates and narrates the story of how Windstar’s personalized approach brings cruise guests closer to each destination and every port, with active adventures and authentic experiences, revealing new perspectives on the world. The campaign fulfils the Windstar promise that “no one goes so far to get travellers so close.”
Finally, Windstar’s Grand Japan itinerary earned a Silver nod in the Expeditions-Itinerary category. The Japan cruises, offered twice a year, has been incredibly popular particularly during prime cherry blossom season in the spring, and the lush region is gaining recognition for the changing colours in fall as well. During the all-Japan itinerary, the all-suite, 212-passenger Star Legend offers a rare circumnavigation of the Asian island nation reaching smaller, out-of-the way ports seeking destination authenticity so guests can really experience life like a local.
Officially announced in the October 29 issue of the magazine, the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards honour the best in travel and salute the outstanding travel professionals behind it all. The awards are judged by an industry panel consisting of top-notch travel experts, bringing more weight to the award than the five-pound gold and silver statuettes that accompany the titles.