Windstar Celebrates 10 Years with James Beard

Posted onAuthorChris Owen

Windstar Cruises, a leader in small ship luxury cruising, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of their partnership with the James Beard Foundation in 2025 by inviting back four guest favorite chefs and introducing one new chef for their themed culinary cruises. These chefs will create special menus and experiences that reflect their regional expertise

  • Chefs: Jamilka Borges
  • Chefs: José Mendin
  • Chefs: Jennifer Hill Booker
  • Chefs: Jennifer Jasinski
  • Chefs: Larry Forgione (new to Windstar)

“We are thrilled to recognize our 10-year partnership with the James Beard Foundation,” said Windstar President Christopher Prelog. “We take pride in the numerous chefs who have sailed with us, shared their stories, and crafted signature dishes – enhancing the culinary experience for all of our guests on Windstar.” 

Details for all five James Beard Foundation themed cruises in 2025 can be found below.   

March 15, 2025 with Chef Jamilka Borges on a 7 day “Windward Ways & Tobago Cays: Aruba to Bridgetown” aboard Windstar’s 312-guest Star Pride 

As the owner of Lilith, Chef Jamilka Borges was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico where she developed an interest in art and food early in her life. In 2015, she was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year and was also honored as Best Chefs America’s Rising Star Chef. In 2019, she was recognized as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. 

April 12, 2025 with Chef José Mendin on a 8 day “Spanish Symphony: Lisbon to Barcelona” aboard Windstar’s flagship 342-guest Wind Surf 

Chef/restaurateur José Mendin co-founded the Pubbelly Boys Restaurant Group in 2010 and has since opened several other restaurants in Miami including La Placita, which pays homage to his Puerto Rican roots, and the beloved Casa Isola in Sunset Harbor. The latter also recently expanded to Mexico City. Mendín is a five-time James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: South. 

June 29, 2025 with Chef Jennifer Hill Booker on a 11 day “Baltic Beauty: Stockholm to Copenhagen” aboard Windstar’s 312- guest Star Legend 

Chef Jennifer Hill Booker has taken her Southern culinary heritage, her belief in healthy, seasonal foods and her classic French training to create a unique cuisine — modern southern healthy cuisine with a french accent. She wears many culinary hats as chef: cookbook author of Field Peas to Foie Gras: Southern Recipes with a French Accent and Dinner Déjà Vu: Southern Tonight, French Tomorrow; reality TV personality; culinary educator; and business owner, most recently the acclaimed Bauhaus Biergarten, a place for German and European food and drink, in Springdale, AK. Chef Booker is an alum of the James Beard Foundation Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change. 

August 27, 2025 with Chef Jennifer Jasinski on a 9 day “Adriatic Archipelagos & Greek Goddesses: Venice to Athens” aboard Windstar’s flagship 342-guest Wind Surf 

Chef Jennifer Jasinski won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2013 and was a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef in 2016 and Outstanding Restaurateur in 2020. A wolfgang Puck alum, her restaurants including Rioja, Bistro Vendôme, Ultreia, and Stoic & Genuine, consistently rank among Denver’s top establishments, solidifying her remarkable legacy in the culinary world. Fans of Top Chef Masters will also recognize Jasinski from the show. 

October 7, 2025 with Chef Larry Forgione on a 12 day “Southeast Canadian Explorations: Montreal to New York” aboard Windstar’s 312-guest Star Pride 

Chef Larry Forgione is hailed as “The Godfather of American Cuisine” for his role in changing the way Americans eat today. At his restaurant, An American Place, he embraced the virtues of our national cuisine and used only seasonal, local ingredients, beginning the entire “farm-to-table” movement. Chef Forgione’s An American Place Cookbook won a James Beard Award for “Best American Cookbook” in 1996 along with the Foundation’s 1992 “Best Chef in America” award.  Chef Forgione co-founded and developed The Conservatory for American Food Studies at The Culinary Institute of America. The Culinary also presented him with an award as the “Pioneer of American Cuisine” for his far-reaching influence.  

.