For the first time ever, Crystal Cruises will offer a dedicated
season of Mexican Riviera roundtrip cruises from Los Angeles this
fall. The cruises will mark the last season for Crystal Harmony,
which is scheduled to join the Japanese division of Crystal’s
parent company in December.
The Harmony’s Mexican Riviera cruises will take place from
September through November, and will call at a number of Mexican
ports. Four seven-day cruises depart on Sept. 28, Oct. 15, Nov. 1
and Nov. 18. Three 10-day cruises depart on Oct. 5, Oct. 22 and
Nov. 8.
Itineraries will feature maiden calls at Loreto, Santa Rosalia
and La Paz, Mexico, as well as the popular ports of Cabo San Lucas,
Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, and Manzanillo,
depending on itinerary and date of departure. While Crystal has
offered select Mexican Riviera cruises in the past, this is the
first year that the line has dedicated a full season to the
region.
The 50,000-ton, 940-passenger Harmony was the first ship to
launch Crystal’s fleet in 1990. More than half of the staterooms
offer private verandahs, and the ship has been a consistent award
winner over the years. She was refurbished as recently as the fall
of 2002, when a Feng Shui-inspired spa and fitness facility were
added.
The Harmony’s Mexican Riviera cruises will feature a myriad of
themes. For example, the Sept. 28 trip will be a health and fitness
cruise with a Pilates focus. The Oct. 5 cruise will be one of
Crystal's highly regarded Wine & Food Festival itineraries
featuring, among others, Jeff Morgenthal of Santa Monica's Drago
Restaurant.
On Oct. 15, passengers will be treated to Crystal's Comedy Club
at Sea, spotlighting comedians from some of the nation's most
well-known clubs. The Oct. 22 sailing is another health and fitness
cruise, focusing on Tai Chi with instructors from Los Angeles' Tai
Chi Cultural Center.
The Nov. 8 cruise will have a nature and wildlife focus, thanks
to the expertise of UC Berkeley research fellow Gary Langham and
Tom Logsdon, an award-winning scientist from Seal Beach. The Nov.
18 cruise features Crystal's innovative Creative Learning
Institute, providing progressive instruction in Spanish language by
Berlitz, as well as piano lessons by Yamaha.
866-446-6625.
www.crystalcruises.com
