INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: Q&A with Andrea Mendelsohn
Tell us about yourself and how long you’ve been in the travel industry?
I have been in the industry too many years to admit to as that would be telling. I started my career back in South Africa working for KLM Dutch Airlines and worked for Sabre, Rocky Mountaineer, Fairmont Hotels and DeNure Tours after emigrating to Canada before joining Windstar Cruises 7.5 years ago. This is by far my dream job as you know what they say: “If you love what you do, it is not work at all!”
Having worked on the supplier side of the industry, I have been fortunate enough to meet many advisors and develop strong relationships, which allowed me to gain the support of many of them who followed me in my different roles. This industry is all about relationships, so I pride myself in making the most wonderful friendships and work partnerships.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
Truly – making a difference and – seeing how more and more advisors (and their clients) who were not too familiar with our product, get to sail with us and become fast fans and loyal clients. Also seeing the progress of how our small ship cruise line is making waves in the industry, and being a part of it, is extremely humbling and satisfying.
Being with Windstar during our US$250 million dollar Star Plus Initiative (where we refurbished all three of our Star Class Ships between 2019 – 2021), and now the announcement of another two ships joining our Star Class Fleet – is truly an exciting time to be part of this amazing organization.
We will soon have eight ships in our fleet by the end of Dec 2026. We are so thrilled to announce Windstar Cruises will soon be getting our brand new Star Seeker at the end of December 2025. Joining our Star Class Fleet, this all-suite ship will carry 224 guests (112 suites) with 60% of the suites being balcony suites. These are wrap around balconies, so we are excited to offer this new option.
The Star Seeker will come out of dry-dock and after a Transatlantic sailing from Malaga to Miami will start her inaugural season in the Caribbean from January to end April 2026. She will then sail from Puerta Vallarta to Seattle to begin her Alaska season. We are so excited to be going back to that spectacular destination where Windstar Cruises will be offering our Expeditions with local Alaskan expedition experts, launched from our Watersports Platform right in the middle of the experience. After Alaska she will then sail to Japan, which is another incredible destination to experience on a small ship.
A big part of my excitement is that Windstar Cruises is now pricing in CAD — it has taken quite a while to get this in place, so to be working with our Canadian partners and offering CAD is one of the highlights so far. Seeing the increase in bookings from the Canadian market is remarkable and encouraging as I think this is what is making a huge difference to our sales and reinforcing the importance of this market and our commitment to ensuring its growth and success.
What’s been your most memorable travel experience with Windstar?
I have been fortunate enough to experience some spectacular destinations with Windstar Cruises including Tahiti (where we have an all-year round program). Windstar has been in Tahiti for the last 36 years so we know it well and do it right.
Due to the high demand and popularity we had to increase capacity so we replaced our smaller sailing ship, the Wind Spirit that accommodates 148 guests with one of our bigger ships – the beautifully refurbished Star Breeze which accommodates 312 guests. But being as small as we are – we still visit the small bays, harbour and atolls in this exotic destination. In addition, because we have a ‘bigger’ ship able to travel further distances in a shorter time, we are including The Marquesas Islands on some of our sailings.
I have also visited Japan which in and of itself is the most amazing destination. Experiencing the culture and visiting off-the-beaten path ports that the big ships are unable to access was exceptional. Iceland, a very beautiful albeit expensive destination on a small ship, circumnavigating the entire country, is the only way to experience this destination. I personally love Europe and now that Windstar will be in Europe/Mediterranean all year round, I cannot wait to sail from Italy to the Dalmatian Coast and take in all of what Croatia and Kotor in Montenegro have to offer. Greece was exceptional being able to go through the Corinth Canal and visiting small ports in Italy and Spain have been simply mind-boggling. Also sailing in the Caribbean and visiting small islands like Jost van Dyke, Virgin Gorda and sailing through the Panama Canal on a small ship has provided me with never to be forgotten lifetime experiences. Since we are going to the Canary Islands and South America in 2025/2026, those too are on my bucket list – it’s so hard to choose a favourite.
What trends are you noticing based on agent bookings or Canadian demand?
As indicated above, now that Windstar Cruises is pricing in CAD it has changed the landscape for Canadian consumers. Advisors have been asking for this for the longest time and in the short time since we made the change, we have seen some incredible high revenue bookings.
These high-yield revenue bookings are becoming increasingly commonplace as well as us seeing much longer sailings. Canadians are taking advantage of their airfare and spending more time away instead of seven-night itineraries – the benefit on Windstar is that we offer free daily laundry on all cruises longer than 13 days.
River cruise clients who want that same small ship experience on the ocean are now sailing with Windstar as we very often dock/berth right in port like a river cruise experience and guests do not have to tender into shore. It’s an easy on-and-off the ship, with no lineups and no jostling for space.
What’s your top piece of advice for travel advisors right now?
Take the time to invest in yourself and come and sail with Windstar Cruises so that you can sell from firsthand experience. Our travel advisor rates are amazing and allow you to bring one companion at the same discounted rate as you pay. I also recommend taking our Star Specialist Program so that you have the confidence to sell Windstar before you sail with us. Our Advisor Hub provides a plethora of information so that we make you look good when selling Windstar to your clients, as we provide customizable collateral for you to send out to them.
We have also upgraded our Seaware Touch allowing our advisors the same access into our system as our vacation planners. Advisors can search our live inventory for availability and make instant reservations without calling into our Res Dept.
In addition, look at requesting a group with Windstar – we work with you to ensure your success, whether this is your first group booking or you are a seasoned group booker. Since we don’t block space there is no initial deposit required (only required when you make a booking), no risk to you and we have a dedicated group planner to assist you from the get-go to make your group materialize. And on our Star Advantage Group Dates we offer a 1:7 TC and US$100 per person bonus commission once you earn your 1st TC.
The trend amongst well-seasoned cruises looking for unique destinations in a very laid back, unpretentious environment is to sail on a small ship – Windstar is the way to go. We are here to work closely with you and support your business.
