Cruise News - Maritime News

First Polar Class luxury expedition yacht to be built in Germany, where almost all of the world’s largest, finest and most luxurious megayachts are made

Crystal Endeavor, the first “Made in Germany” Polar Class 6 (PC6) luxury expedition yacht, cruised out of MV WERFTEN shipyard in Stralsund where she was designed and built accompanied by the sound of Crystal’s beloved sail away song “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. The yacht is now bound for Iceland and her inaugural voyages in the Land of Fire and Ice.

A pier-side sail away celebration was held at MV WERFTEN for employees and family members who offered a heartfelt sendoff of waving and wishes of “gute reise” and “bon voyage” to the intrepid new expedition yacht. The ship turned around in the Sudhafen (Southern Harbor) and then entered the Ziegelgraben en route to the Baltic Sea. Crystal Endeavor sailed from Stralsund with a full vaccinated crew and is scheduled for a July 15 arrival in Reykjavík, Iceland. She will depart Reykjavík on her inaugural voyage on July 18 after an overnight in the city on the first in a series of five 10-night voyages circumnavigating Iceland.

Throughout the ship, Crystal hallmarks accent guests’ onboard experience: Michelin-inspired dining options including Umi Uma, the first and only Japanese restaurant on an expedition ship, fine Italian cuisine at Prego, 24-hour room service and optional Vintage Room experience; the only casino on an expedition yacht; a glass-covered, two-story solarium – housing the Seahorse Pool and Jacuzzi – providing panoramic views from sea to sky; and the full-service Crystal Life Salon & Spa with a state-of-the-art Fitness Center; as well as a wrap-around Promenade Deck, an iconic Crystal design element. Expedition-specific amenities will include high-tech enrichments spaces, designated mud rooms, an Expedition and Helicopter Lounge.

The ship’s marina will feature the “toys” found aboard a private yacht including a fleet of Zodiacs, kayaks, snorkel gear, and a six-guest submersible and two helicopters in select regions of the world. Exploration equipment includes a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) to view the sea at a 300-meter (almost 1,000 feet) depth and a Gimble long range camera mounted on the mast that can zoom in to view wildlife and scenery over a mile away. Guests can join in with the expedition guides in Palm Court and the Expedition Lounge who are operating the equipment to alert of sights they would like to see up close.

Inaugural Voyages, Iceland, the Arctic Circle and Europe

As the first and only true luxury expedition yacht to restart cruising in the Arctic and Northern Europe, Crystal Endeavor’s maiden voyage sails from July 17 – 27, 2021 as part of a series of 10-night immersive voyages circumnavigating Iceland’s most dramatically beautiful and fascinating locales. The Luxury Iceland Expedition voyages sail round-trip from the ship’s homeport of Reykjavík, affording travelers convenient air options, just six hours from New York City, three hours from London and with frequent non-stop flights from many major cities in the U.S. and Europe. The series will be followed by the 10-night Journey of Vikings: Iceland & Norway from Reykjavík to Tromsø departing September 5, 2021.

Additional autumn departures include the 13-night Norwegian Fjords & Scottish Isles Exploration from Tromsø to London, departing September 15, 2021, featuring the fjords and UNESCO treasures of Norway and an overnight in Edinburgh, and the 11-night Breton, Bordeaux and Beyond from London to Lisbon departing September 28, 2021, and highlighted by two nights in the heart of Bordeaux and an overnight call in London.