Windstar Cruises has officially found its new home in Miami, the epicenter of the cruise industry, at 8400 NW 36 St.
The small ship cruise line is moving its headquarters from Seattle to Miami by June of 2022 and has signed a lease on the 5th floor in the Doral Concourse. Work will begin outfitting the office to accommodate Windstar’s needs within the coming weeks.
Next door to the CityPlace Doral mixed-use project and with easy access to the Palmetto Expressway, Dolphin Expressway, Florida Turnpike, and minutes to Miami International Airport, the new office is an ideal location for the company. The office is in close proximity to many other cruise companies and associated services.
“Miami is the center of the cruise industry in the U.S., and this new office will help us build industry relationships and attract new talent. It will also let operations employees in Miami be closer to our yachts and crew, as well as shorten our flight times to Europe and the Caribbean, where so much of our operations take place,” said Windstar President Christopher Prelog.
Windstar recently hired Stijn Creupelandt as the new vice president of hotel operations and product development, while Paul Barrett was promoted to vice president of marine & technical operations. Both report to Prelog, and all will be based in the new office. As part of the headquarters transition, some Windstar corporate positions are moving to Denver, where the cruise line’s parent company is based, while others will be operating remotely primarily from the Seattle area.
“The pandemic has taught us that with the right technology, many of our roles can be effective from anywhere, so we’re not requiring every Windstar employee to make this move to Miami,” Prelog explained.
“However, most new hires will be based in the Miami office.”
Prelog, as well as many key members of Windstar’s team, have already moved to Miami to assist with the logistics and coordination of the new office for Windstar.
Five of the line’s six yachts are now back in the water cruising while requiring vaccines of all passengers and crew amongst a host of health and safety precautions including testing, social distancing, masks, and high-tech air filtration.
