Crystal's first luxury expedition yacht, Crystal Endeavor, is en route to Iceland after departing the German shipyard on July 10.
The polar-class vessel is scheduled to arrive in Iceland on July 15 and will depart on its maiden voyage July 18 on the first of a series of 10-night voyages circumnavigating Iceland.
"Today is a milestone day for Crystal as our new state-of-the-art expedition yacht Crystal Endeavor sails to Iceland from MV Werften to set a new industry standard as the most spacious, most powerful and most luxurious expedition ship in the industry," said Crystal President Jack Anderson. "We want to thank everyone at MV Werften for their partnership and their uncompromising German engineering and design excellence in crafting an intrepid new polar-class yacht that will offer our guests incredible adventures to the far reaches of the globe, with the highest standards of safety and sustainable features that demonstrate extreme care for our guests and the world's oceans and the destinations we visit."
Crystal Endeavor cruised out of the shipyard in Stralsund, Germany - where it was designed and built - accompanied by Crystal's sail away song "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.
A pier-side sail away celebration was held at MV Werften for employees and family members. The ship turned around in the Southern Harbor and then entered the Ziegelgraben en route to the Baltic Sea.
Crystal Endeavor sailed from Stralsund with a full vaccinated crew. The ship was christened on June 26 in Stralsund with Manuela Schwesig, prime minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as the ship's Godmother.
Crystal Endeavor, the ninth ship in the luxury cruise line's fleet, features a PC6 classification so it can sail in Arctic and Antarctic regions. At 100 gross tons and 10,000 cubic feet per guest and a passenger space ratio of more than 100, it has the largest space per guest of any ship at sea, Crystal said. The ship accommodates 200 guests in 100 all-verandah, all-butler serviced suites. The staff-to-guest ratio is one-to-one.
The ship features Umi Uma, for Japanese cuisine, Italian food at Prego, 24-hour room service and an optional Vintage Room experience. The ship also has a casino, a two-story solarium and the full-service Crystal Life Salon & Spa with a fitness center. It has a wrap-around Promenade Deck, high-tech enrichments spaces and designated mud rooms.
The ship's marina will feature a fleet of Zodiacs, kayaks, snorkel gear and a six-guest submersible; two helicopters can operate in select regions of the world.
Exploration equipment includes a remote operated vehicle (ROV) to view the sea at almost 1,000 feet deep and a Gimble long-range camera on the mast that can zoom in on wildlife and scenery over a mile away.
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, 2021, and the 11-night "Breton, Bordeaux and Beyond" from London to Lisbon departing Sept. 28, 2021.
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