MIAMI, June 18, 2019 – Crystal Expedition Cruises has announced that Captain Thomas Larsen will bring out its upcoming luxury expedition yacht Crystal Endeavor, which will embark on her maiden voyage from Tokyo in August of 2020. Captain Larsen brings to the bridge decades of diverse nautical experience that began in his native Sweden and spans the cargo industry, Swedish Royal Navy, private superyachts, and numerous cruise ships. He joined Crystal in 2016 as Captain of Crystal Esprit before moving to Crystal Symphony, where he currently serves as captain.
“Captain Larsen is the ideal leader for Crystal Endeavor’s journeys to some of the world’s most remote and fascinating places,” said Crystal’s president and CEO, Tom Wolber. “He has led Crystal ships for several years with incredibly skillful precision and judgement, with a passion for exploration as well as a warm character that he shares with our guests and crew.”
Captain Larsen’s seagoing career began in 1984, at the age of 16, when he started as a second cook before changing to the deck department. He climbed the ranks and entered the Swedish Royal Navy as seaman and bosun, then graduated from Kalmar Maritime Academy with a master mariner degree. He spent nearly two decades with an Asia-Pacific cruise operator as staff captain and captain, helmed a private superyacht in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean, and was recruited by Crystal in 2016. Captain Larsen is a licensed private pilot, a master scuba dive trainer and submarine pilot.
“It is my honor to be part of the next extraordinary adventure for Crystal,” Captain Larsen said. “Crystal Endeavor will be extremely capable and equipped for exploring places larger ships cannot go while giving our guests a beautiful home upon the seas. I look forward to the incredible experiences to come.”
Captain Larsen will join the German-built expedition ship at the MV WERFTEN Shipyard early next year. Aboard Crystal Endeavor, he will navigate far-reaching itineraries in some of the world’s less-visited regions. In her inaugural 2020 season, the yacht will sail expedition voyages through Japan and the Russian Far East; Antarctica via the Ross Sea; New Zealand and Tasmania; Australia and the Great Barrier Reef; and Borneo, Indonesia and the Philippines. In 2021, Crystal Endeavor will add New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands; Alaska and the Aleutian Islands; Norway and the United Kingdom; Canary Islands, Atlantic and South America to her repertoire, as well as an extraordinary voyage through the rarely-traveled Northeast Passage.
The largest, most spacious luxury expedition yacht in the industry, Crystal Endeavor will accommodate just 200 guests with elegantly casual, expansive public spaces; all-suite, butler-serviced guest rooms; Michelin-inspired dining options including Master Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s Umi Uma & Sushi Bar; full-service Crystal Life Salon & Spa and state-of-the-art Fitness Center. Expedition-specific amenities and spaces will enhance guests’ experience, including designated “mud rooms” and helicopter lounge.
About Crystal
Only the world-renowned Crystal Experience offers an unwavering, unparalleled standard of excellence and luxury across four distinct cruising options: Crystal Cruises, the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line; Crystal River Cruises, the World’s Most Luxurious River Cruise Line; Crystal Yacht Cruises, offering boutique luxury and bold adventure in the world’s most elite harbors; and Crystal Expedition Cruises, taking Crystal’s acclaimed elegance to the farthest reaches of the world. Crystal has been recognized with top honors in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for a record 25 years; voted “World’s Best” by the readers of Travel + Leisure for 20 years; and won the “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by Virtuoso for four years (2014, 2015, 2016 & 2018). Crystal is proud to be a platinum partner of the advisors of ASTA.
For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel advisor, call 888.799.2437, or visitwww.crystalcruises.com. Join the hundreds of thousands who subscribe to the Crystal Insider blog, follow Crystal Cruises’ Facebook page and @crystalcruises on Twitter and Instagram, and engage in the conversation with #crystalcruises and #WhereLuxuryisPersonal.