Combining an ultra-luxury cruise experience with an expedition cruise experience was not even an option several years ago, but luxury travel pioneer Crystal Cruises aims to change that with Crystal Endeavor, the line’s new 200-passenger, all-suite Polar Class 6 luxury expedition yacht with a 1-1 passenger-to-crew ratio.
After a July debut in Iceland, Crystal Endeavor’s inaugural Antarctic season consists of eight voyages from Nov. 2021 through Feb. 2022, concluding with a unique 19-day, trans-Atlantic expedition from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Town, South Africa.
I recently sailed on the vessel during a two-night showcase and can confirm that the ship provides a “best of both worlds” experience for clients looking to return from a day of adventuring to a butler suite, a choice of craft cocktails and Michelin-inspired cuisine.
“Crystal cruisers are always going to be Crystal cruisers,” said Diane Keller of Plaza Travel in Woodland Hills, Calif.
Because of this, she thinks Endeavor provides these guests with the opportunity to share the experience they love with children and grandchildren. Similarly, Mary Maddock of Cruise Center in Houston, Texas, had Crystal Society clients anxiously waiting for this ship to debut because they were looking forward to trying something different within the brand.
“Knowing the usual Crystal guests, I thought they might be apprehensive about doing these adventure-type activities,” said Walter Barinaga, vice president of Destination Experiences for Crystal. “But in Iceland, we had 90% participation.”
Knowing the usual Crystal guest, I thought they might be apprehensive about doing these adventure-type activities. But in Iceland, we had 90% participation.
Curated expedition itineraries may be one draw, but the ship itself is also spectacular. According to Jack Anderson, president of Crystal, it's not only the most luxurious expedition yacht ever built; it's also the most spacious, the fastest, the most maneuverable and the most stable vessel, with state-of-the-art engineering, navigation and technology that doesn’t exist on any other expedition ship.
According to captain Niklas Peterstam, this means that the ship is able to go to very small and remote ports that bigger ships can’t access. In addition, rather than focusing only on polar regions like other expedition ships, Endeavor will travel to other destinations besides the poles, allowing passengers to explore the world, notes expedition leader Steve Moir.
Sabrina Teyla of Unique Travel in Delray Beach, Fla. acknowledged that some clients may hear “expedition” and think of high-adventure itineraries, but Endeavor not only offers designated Remote Expeditions in destinations such as Iceland, the Arctic or Antarctica, but also Cultural Discovery itineraries in Europe, Africa’s west coast and the Caribbean; and Destination Exploration, a hybrid of Remote Expeditions and Cultural Discovery voyages.
"The three types of cruises provide something for everyone,” Moir said. “So, if someone wants ‘all Zodiacs, all the time,’ they can go on a Remote Expedition, and we're going to go to far-off places; Cultural Discovery is more traditional, but on this small luxury ship; and if they want a little bit of both, they can do Destination Exploration.”
The three types of cruises provide something for everyone.
No matter which type clients choose, Endeavor’s experienced expedition team is always on hand with words of encouragement and a steady “sailor’s grip.” However, Moir points out, the team consists of “all the ologists” — including an ornithologist, a glaciologist, a marine biologist and a mammologist — so passengers also have access to experts on penguins, icebergs, pinnipeds and much more.
It’s because of the expedition team’s knowledge, Moir says, that clients can enrich their cruise experience — both onboard and onshore — by engaging with the “ologists” as well as a National Geographic photography instructor (who will help them take holiday card-worthy photos), and Endeavor’s submarine and helicopters, which provide opportunities to see remote landscapes in unique ways.
"Crystal Endeavor was designed to provide unique experiences and up-close encounters with the natural world,” Barinaga said. “To have such a diverse and experienced team of experts leading guests on small group expeditions, and for them to provide insights on the wildlife and landscapes of rare and remote places, is the heart of the true expedition experience we want to offer our guests.”
