On a recent May morning, I stepped off the edge of the Windstar Star Seeker and onto a black Zodiac, where I took my place at the front and grabbed hold of a rope braiding the boat’s edge. Rain fell in sheets on me and my five fellow passengers, dimpling the water around us. There was no cover from it, and cover would not soon be forthcoming: We were just at the beginning of our journey into Misty Fjords National Monument, a narrow passageway in southeastern Alaska. Despite all of us wearing waterproof clothing that was being tested to its limits, there were nothing but smiles on everyone’s faces.
Within minutes, we rounded a bend and the gleaming, pearl-white Star Seeker ship disappeared from view. Nothing surrounding us was man-made; instead, the landscape boggled the mind with its wildness: On both sides of the fjord, 3,000-foot rock walls rose from the water, evidence of massive bodies of ice that once covered the area and carved these skyscrapers as the glacier disbanded some 17,000 years ago. Waterfalls crashed, trickled, and flowed over the granite faces, and expedition leader Simon Hook navigated the Zodiac to the base of one so we could touch the rush if we wished. As he slowed, the tip of the boat bumped into the rock with the same gentleness as my dog nudging me for a treat.
In the distance, harbor seals sat five on a log, monitoring our activity with wariness, and rightfully so: though mountain goats, brown bears, black bears, moose, martens, wolves, wolverines, river otters, sea lions, harbor seals, orcas, and Dall porpoises all call the area home, humans are less frequent visitors, owing to the fact that Misty Fjords is inaccessible save for float planes and small ships.
“Alaska is a bit of a logistical nightmare,” Hook later said cheerfully, as he steered the Zodiac back to the Star Seeker. “But that, in a way, has helped protect it [from overtourism].”
Windstar’s newly launched Star Seeker
Windstar Cruises is sailing its inaugural Alaska season in 2026 with Star Seeker, its newest all-suite yacht (which brings the number of vessels in Windstar’s small-ship fleet to eight), and with these logistical considerations as part of the appeal. Since its founding in 1984, the company has built its reputation on the idea that it’s not just about what’s on the ship, but where the ship can go. And at just 431 feet long, Star Seeker can venture deeper into fjords, can launch Zodiac and kayak excursions directly from the ship, and can linger for wildlife sightings in ways that would be difficult—or impossible—for larger vessels.
The small size was indeed a draw for me. As a nascent cruiser, I’d wondered whether the ship would feel too small, too large, or just right for a nine-day trip—and whether cruising would feel like me at all. But with room for just 224 guests and a crew of 135, the Star Seeker fosters the kind of familiarity that feels increasingly rare, with repeated crossings of paths that turn strangers into companions and crew into familiar faces. On day three, I ran into my cabin attendant, Lutfi, in Ketchikan and we debated which magnets made the best souvenirs. By day five, as a solo traveler, I’d been “adopted” by Rip and Ellie, a retired couple from Florida with whom I’d thus far shared nearly every excursion.
Dining aboard
Passengers can expect James Beard Foundation–backed meals onboard.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle/Courtesy of Windstar Cruises
But familiarity never felt as if it came at the expense of choice. Between the ship’s five dining venues—all included in the fare—I could be as social or solitary as I wanted.
Amphora, the main restaurant, shifts from casual buffet breakfasts and lunches to multi-course dinners featuring dishes from James Beard Foundation chefs. At the 38-seat Basil + Bamboo, the ship’s specialty “MediterrAsian” restaurant, and the only one with reservations required, I ate tuna tartare with avocado coulis as I got to know two Australian travelers.
At the open-air Star Grill one evening, I traded whale talk with a couple dining to my left as we spotted humpbacks offshore; the next night, I ordered a pizza to my cabin where I ate with the balcony door open, a rainbow arching into the clouds. And if I wasn’t out on deck scanning for wildlife, I was most likely in the Yacht Club—a sprawling, light-filled space with floor-to-ceiling windows, a small library, and a bar that transitioned from coffee to cocktails as the day wore on. It quickly became my default: book in one hand, binoculars in the other.
Accommodations
Staterooms range from cozy 203-square-foot cabins to this 280-square-foot veranda suite, and up to the 548-square-foot Owner’s Suite.
Courtesy of Windstar Cruises
Though I’m accustomed to small spaces as a New Yorker, my Veranda Suite, I’ll admit, had given me pause before the trip. At 225 square feet indoors, I’d worried it would feel confining. It didn’t. The queen bed, living area, and walk-in mosaic glass shower with rain head and body jets were smartly arranged, and high-gloss wood paneling—which evoked vintage nautical touches while cleverly concealing every closet and drawer—gave the room a satisfactory sense of order. An additional 55 square feet of private balcony meant fresh air was readily accessible anytime I wanted.
Star Seeker’s 12 accommodation types range from 203-square-foot Oceanview Suites all the way up to the 548-square-foot Horizon Owner’s Suites at the aft of Deck 7, with wrap-around balconies and the option to connect with adjacent suites. Meanwhile, the ship’s 30 Infinity Suites (a new concept for Windstar) feature floor-to-ceiling windows that slide halfway down, trading glass for open air and sea breeze.
Water sports and wellness
Beyond the suites, the ship offers such amenities as the World Spa, which houses treatment rooms, a dry sauna, a relaxation area, and a salon. On deck, a pool and two hot tubs— including one tucked at the bow—offer spots to unwind, while a water sports platform off the stern opens up kayaking and paddleboarding when conditions allow. Come evening, the lounge fills up for live music, trivia, port talks, and the crew talent show. But the best entertainment, to me, was the company.
Excursions
Windstar offers excursions in each port of call.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle/Courtesy of Windstar Cruises
Excursions were offered at each port of call for an additional fee, with a lineup spanning a range of prices (from $59 to upwards of $450), activity levels (easy to strenuous), and durations (1.5 to 4.5 hours). The one exception was our single day at sea, which fell on the first day out of port.
Browsing the offerings was simple: a QR code on my cabin television linked directly to the full excursion menu. Once I’d made my selections, I headed to the excursions desk on the second level to book in person, where I was handed a printed ticket for each outing. The only instruction that came with it was refreshingly straightforward—be in the lobby 15 minutes before the departure time on your ticket.
On one of my last expeditions, I was paired in a tandem kayak with Steve, a 72-year-old geologist from Colorado who worked with tribal nations on energy conservation. As we paddled our way toward the Tracy Arm glacier, miles away, he pointed out striations on the rock and what lessons we could learn about the Earth’s history from looking closely. After nearly two hours of navigating around chunks of ice (it was, as our guide, Rachel Sullivan-Lord, wryly described it, akin to “paddling through a margarita”), our group of six kayaks reached the closest advisable distance to the glacier and floated there in awe. I took a photo of Steve; he took a photo of me. A seal’s slick head popped up five feet from our kayak, startling us both. And when we turned around to head back to the ship, there was nothing in the distance but forest and fjords.
Docked in Juneau on our last morning, I sat for a final breakfast at Amphora. Around me, the crew moved between tables and long goodbyes, pausing to embrace passengers. By afternoon, the ship would turn around and retrace the same route back to Vancouver; by August, Star Seeker would leave Alaska behind entirely, bound for Japan in the fall and the Caribbean that winter.
After some time lingering with my coffee, I thanked the crew and took their parting advice: a small food tent near the pier, they said, served excellent Filipino barbecue. I picked up my bag, stepped onto the dock, and went to find it.
