Windstar Cruises Partners with Coral Gardeners in Tahiti

Windstar Cruises, the small ship cruise line with 35 years’ experience sailing in Tahiti and French Polynesia, has partnered with Coral Gardeners, a Mo’orea-based organization working to restore coral reefs by growing, planting and monitoring heat-resilient coral.

The new partnership begins with a $35,000 donation to the organization to adopt coral for all guests sailing on the cruise line in French Polynesia through the end of the year. The three-year partnership also includes an option for any Windstar guest taking a cruise to the region in 2023 or 2024 to adopt a coral for a $35 donation.

Those who choose to donate coral along with those traveling to French Polynesia this year with Windstar will receive a unique coral adoption card in their guest rooms with information about a specific type of heat-resistant coral.

The new partnership comes as Windstar continues celebrating 35 years of sailing in French Polynesia, the longest of any line in the region.

“This new partnership is a wonderful way for us to celebrate Tahiti during our 35th anniversary season, but more importantly to make a positive impact for the future of these incredible islands,” said Windstar President Christopher Prelog. “We’ve been focused on reducing our carbon footprint via updating our fleet’s engines and operations, and this next step in climate action at sea is to partner with Coral Gardeners to protect the environment in French Polynesia and beyond.”

Coral Gardeners has currently planted nearly 16,000 corals around French Polynesia since it began five years ago; the organization has seen an 86 percent survival rate among its coral and has a goal of planting over one million corals around the world before 2025.