By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Small-ship cruise line Windstar Cruises is returning to San Juan, Puerto Rico, the company announced this week.

Windstar Cruises President John Delaney himself will join the line’s first San Juan sailing of the season in a show of support following the aftermath of the hurricanes that struck the city and the rest of the Caribbean.

In an effort to demonstrate that San Juan and the Caribbean are “open for business,” Delaney will board the ship as it departs on November 25.

“Although areas of the Caribbean are still rebuilding after the recent hurricanes, so much of the Caribbean is open and welcoming visitors to their wondrous islands,” Delaney said. “Travelers should not be concerned about beginning or ending a cruise in San Juan, where the cruise terminal has been operational for weeks, along with the airport.”

“I’ll be personally making the trip, arriving the day before my cruise to enjoy time in Old San Juan, giving updates on my Twitter account, and sharing first-person stories on Windstar’s Facebook page,” he said.

With smaller yacht-like vessels, Windstar aims to avoid crowded waterfronts and bring vacationers to smaller islands and ports of call, contributing to the greater economy of the region.

For example, Windstar just announced it will call at Anse Mitan in Martinique and Deshaies in Guadeloupe.

“Windstar can offer experiences and destinations others logistically can’t,” said Delaney. “We also do things many travelers think are long gone, like our open bridge policy, private beach barbecue experiences, and a water sports platform to jump right into the blue waters the Apollo astronauts swooned over from space.

“Not everyone has to chart the same course,” he said.