This unusual new cruise may be the most epic way to see Europe ever
Call it the most epic Europe cruise ever.
Small-ship line Windstar Cruises is out with an ambitious new Europe itinerary for 2026 that includes a whopping 67 stops across 20 countries.
Dubbed the Grand Europe Adventure, the voyage will last an unusually long 81 days — more than 10 times the length of many of Windstar's sailings.
It'll also cost a lot more than is typical for a Windstar cruise, with rates starting at $31,099 per person.
For that price, bucket list-ticking travelers (with a lot of time on their hands) will be able to see many of the most famous destinations and attractions across Europe, from the fjords of Norway to the ancient ruins of Greece — all in a single trip.
Kicking off in Helsinki on July 14, 2026, the sailing — on Windstar's 312-passenger Star Legend — will begin with a nine-day circling of the Baltic Sea. Stops will include Tallinn, Estonia; Stockholm (where the ship will stay overnight); Riga and Ventspils in Latvia; Gdansk, Poland; and Copenhagen and the island of Bornholm in Denmark.
Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Windstar ship
From there, Star Legend will cruise up the scenic coast of Norway to such destinations as Haugesund, Alesund, Adnalsnes and Bergen before heading west for an extended exploration of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Stops in the latter destinations will include Invergordon in Scotland, which served as a setting for the hit television show "Outlander," and the Isle of Man, as well as Oban, Portrush, Dublin, Belfast, Londonderry, Killybegs, Galway, Dingle and Cobh (the port for Cork).
The voyage continues from there with an extended series of calls along the coasts of France, Spain and Portugal.
Among the highlights of this next portion of the trip will be an unusually long three-day visit to Rouen, the famed cathedral town in northern France that was the subject of many Claude Monet paintings. Star Legend will also spend four full days docked in Bordeaux, France, for exploration of the town and its surrounding wineries.
There will also be unusually lengthy overnight stays during this portion of the trip in Bilbao and Seville, Spain, and Lisbon.
Additional stops in Spain will include Malaga, Cartagena, Valencia and Barcelona.
The final three weeks of the trip will bring stops along the southern coast of France, Monaco, Italy and Greece.
Related: Don't miss these loyalty perks when booking Windstar
In Italy alone, there will be stops at six destinations: Portofino, Portoferraio, Porto Ercole, Civitavecchia (the port for Rome), Sorrento and Messina.
A visit to Kusadasi, Turkey, the gateway to the ruins of Ephesus, is also on the schedule.
Windstar is only offering a single departure of the new itinerary. The voyage is one of 15 all-new Europe itineraries the line has unveiled for 2026 as it shakes up its deployments for the region. That's more new Europe itineraries than Windstar has ever unveiled in a single season.
The sailings will also include stops in more new-for-the-line ports — 34 in all — than the line has ever debuted in a single season.
The new itineraries come as Windstar prepares to add two new ships to its fleet by the end of 2026 — a significant expansion for the brand. The line currently operates six vessels.
Related: The 2 types of Windstar ships, explained
Star Legend is one of three motor ships in the Windstar fleet. The line also operates three sailing ships.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month