Crystal's new luxury expedition ship, the 200-passenger Crystal Endeavor, is now operating its maiden voyage, a 10-night circumnavigation of Iceland.
"This is an incredible moment for the entire Crystal family as we watch Crystal Endeavor embark upon her maiden voyage," said Crystal President Jack Anderson. "Our new expedition yacht will take our guests further than ever before on bold adventures to the far corners of the globe and offering explorations, enrichment and immersive experiences beyond anything they've experienced before. The ship features spaciousness, personal service and luxury for our guests with safety and responsible stewardship of the world's oceans at the forefront."
The ship was scheduled to enter service in April 2020, but was delayed when the shipyard shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The inaugural voyage is the first of five sailings exploring Iceland and featuring explorations by Zodiacs and kayaking excursions launched directly from the ship.
Crystal says the 20,200-gross-ton Crystal Endeavor is the "most spacious, fastest and most powerful expedition ship" in the industry. It features a PC6 polar classification so it can operate in Arctic and Antarctic waters.
The ship has 100 all-balcony, all-butler-serviced suites and a one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio. The ship's marina carries 18 Zodiacs, 14 sea kayaks and snorkel gear. The ship also has a six-guest submersible and two helicopters in select regions of the world.
Exploration equipment aboard the ship includes a remote-operated vehicle (ROV) to view the sea at an almost 1,000-foot depth and a Gimble long-range camera on the mast that can zoom in to view wildlife and scenery over a mile away.
The camera system shoots 4K video that is streamed directly on the HD TVs throughout the public areas and guest suites, including 65-inch screens in Palm Court, 86-inch screens in the Expedition Lounge, and on the Cove's video wall, with a massive 218-inch center screen and two 145-inch side screens.
All ports of call for the Iceland voyages feature complimentary excursions led by naturalist experts, including sea kayaking on the waters of the Westfjords in Patreksfjörður, an Arctic Circle walkabout on Grimsey Island, and Zodiac cruising amid mountain landscapes in Djúpivogur. The Iceland voyages include a marine biologist, ornithologist, geologist/glaciologist, historian, two professional photographers, polar expedition specialists and an artist-in-residence who will instruct and encourage guests to capture travel memories with snapshot sketches and drawings.
Crystal Endeavor's maiden voyage operates with fully vaccinated guests and crew. The line has implemented new protocols that include mandatory vaccination for guests and crew, COVID-19 testing at embarkation, and more. Because of the mandatory vaccination requirement, guests are able to explore ashore independently in Iceland.
The Iceland series will be followed by the 10-night "Journey of Vikings: Iceland & Norway" from Reykjavík to Tromsø departing Sept. 5, 2021. Additional autumn departures include the 13-night "Norwegian Fjords & Scottish Isles Exploration" from Tromsø to London, departing Sept. 15, and the 11-night "Breton, Bordeaux and Beyond" from London to Lisbon departing Sept. 28.
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