Windstar Cruises Names Five James Beard Foundation Chefs for 2027 Sailings

October 8, 2026 — Windstar Cruises has named the five James Beard Foundation chefs who will each host a sailing in 2027, on itineraries that range from the Greek islands to French Polynesia and East Asia.

TravelPulse reported the lineup on October 7. Each hosted cruise includes dinners with paired wines, recipes tied to the itinerary and live cooking demonstrations. On selected voyages the visiting chef and Windstar’s executive chef also lead a market tour ashore. Fares and an on-sale date were not given and are TBA.

The five sailings

Dates (2027)	Ship	Itinerary	Chef
July 13–20	Wind Surf	Treasures of the Greek Isles: Mykonos, Patmos, Santorini, Monemvasia, Nafplio	Roel Alcudia
September 5–16	Star Breeze	French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, including Papeete and Bora Bora	Felix Tai
September 8–16	Star Legend	Aegean Sea Odyssey via the Corinth Canal, along the Turkish coast to Istanbul	Cara Tobin
October 14–21	Wind Surf	Athens to Rome by way of Monemvasia, Gythion, Sicily and Sorrento	Cody Hogan
November 4–14	Star Seeker	East Asian Legends: Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam	Christine Lau

The partnership is in its eleventh year. More than 40 chefs chosen by the foundation have sailed with Windstar, and 31 have contributed dishes to the menus in the line’s Amphora restaurants. Foundation chief executive Clare Reichenbach said the partnership “brings something new and exciting to each cruise experience.” Windstar’s ships carry between 148 and 342 guests.

What it means for travelers

Small ships sell out. With no more than 342 guests on board, a themed sailing has little last-minute space. Waiting to book late is riskier here than on a large ship.
Tahiti is the hardest to reach. Papeete (PPT) has few flights from the U.S. and they run full. Give yourself two days, and have a backup plan for the September 5 departure.
Several itineraries are one-way. The October cruise starts in Athens (ATH) and ends in Rome (FCO), and the September Star Legend sailing ends in Istanbul (IST). Check flights home from the final port.
Autumn works in your favor in the Mediterranean. Mid-October transatlantic flights are generally less crowded than in July, which makes the Athens-to-Rome sailing the easiest of the European trips to reach.
Asia in November: the Star Seeker itinerary covers four countries, so check entry requirements for each. Embarkation and disembarkation ports were not listed in the report.