Windstar Cruises will standardize tablet-based restaurant ordering across its entire fleet, starting with the 224-guest Star Explorer due for delivery in December, the company said Oct. 8.

The decision closes a service gap that surfaced during the Star Seeker's first season, Chief Operating Officer Stijn Creuplandt told reporters on a media call. The Star Seeker's main galley sits one deck below the restaurant, forcing wait staff to climb stairs with handwritten paper orders.

"It is a very differently laid out ship than what we are used to," Creuplandt said. "The main galley, where most of the food is prepared, is a deck below our restaurant. So we lost a lot of time going back and forth between the (galley) and the restaurant."

Windstar first padded service with extra crew. Over the summer the line introduced handheld tablets that send orders directly to the galley. The same device triggers "calling a check" — a signal to the kitchen that a table is ready for its next course.

Creuplandt said paper tickets have been retired. "We've eliminated the back and forth, and that really has helped the delivery of our restaurant service," Creuplandt said.

The Star Explorer will debut with the system already installed. Creuplandt confirmed Windstar will retrofit the rest of the fleet afterward.

What else is changing on the Star Explorer?

Beyond dining service, Windstar is expanding freshwater holding capacity on the Star Explorer to align with its sailing routes. Creuplandt did not specify which itineraries drove the upgrade.

The Star Seeker itself has been a commercial bright spot since delivery. "The Star Seeker has continuously exceeded the targets that we set out for her, and it's one of the highest rated ships in the fleet," Creuplandt said. He added that crew members are actively requesting reassignment to the vessel — a retention signal Windstar is unlikely to ignore as it staffs the newbuild.

When does the Star Explorer enter service?

President Chris Prelog confirmed the Star Explorer remains on schedule for December delivery, with shakedown cruises ahead of a Dec. 28 maiden voyage framed as a New Year's sailing.

"Currently, there are no challenges to be overcome," Prelog said. Crew and senior officers have already been assigned.

What is the deployment schedule?

The Star Explorer will operate in the Mediterranean through winter and spring before its naming ceremony and inaugural voyage in London on June 1, 2027. The London event anchors a key summer trade season in the U.K. and continental Europe.

What does this mean for sellers?

For travel advisors, the tablet rollout is operational rather than commercial — but service consistency on a 224-guest small ship built around high-touch dining directly shapes the onboard experience Windstar sells to premium clients. Any friction at the table flows into guest satisfaction metrics that drive repeat bookings and word-of-mouth referrals, the main revenue engines for Windstar's trade partners.

The freshwater capacity expansion hints at itineraries with longer port days or more remote calls. That could reshape how sellers package the ship's winter and spring deployment, particularly for clients seeking less-crowded Mediterranean anchorages.

Looking ahead, the December delivery and the June 1, 2027 London naming give Windstar two distinct trade marketing moments — one for winter Mediterranean bookings, another for summer 2027 — that travel partners can build campaigns around.