Exotic journeys and abundant European options highlight the global roster of luxury voyages
MIAMI, April 27, 2018 – Today, Crystal unveiled the comprehensive 2020 deployment for its ocean-going vessels, including celebrated ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity and the award-winning yacht Crystal Esprit. Just two months after the announcement of its 105-day 2020 “Epic Empires & Idyllic Isles” World Cruise aboard Crystal Serenity, which spans the Southern Hemisphere from Miami to Rome (with the option to embark in Los Angeles), Crystal released the remainder of its collection of 2020 luxury cruises. In all, 64 Crystal Cruises sailings and 44 Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises sailings will explore the oceans of the world. Crystal’s 2020 itineraries will be open for booking on May 1, 2018.
“Our 2020 itineraries for Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity deliver the culturally authentic and unforgettable vacations that savvy world travelers value most, with comprehensive regional itineraries with many overnights and longer stays allowing for deeper exploration of historic traditions and modern daily life in the destinations,” said Crystal president and CEO, Tom Wolber. “Crystal Esprit’s 2020 season will combine the intimate atmosphere of the yacht and the leisure and active adventures that guests love about the Crystal Yachting Experience, with enriching discoveries of some of the world’s most significant sites.”
Crystal Cruises 2020 deployment highlights:
- Overnight stays in 55 cities around the world, with at least one overnight stay on nearly every voyage – These stays are often in embarkation and disembarkation destinations, allowing for convenient extension of travelers’ vacations. Examples include:
- Overnight stays for both ships in Livorno, Tuscany provide guests a gateway to the UNESCO sites of Florence, Pisa and San Gimignano, Italy, plus Giacomo Puccini’s Lucca and the Chianti wine region;
- Crystal Symphony overnights in the international hubs of Hong Kong and Singapore, plus distinctive destinations like Sihanoukville, Cambodia; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and double overnights in Yangon, Myanmar offer ample opportunity to explore beyond the city limits to places like Angkor Wat and Hue and the UNESCO site of Bagan;
- Crystal Serenity overnights in Auckland and Sydney provide deeper exploration of the Australian Outback and the outdoor adventures and cosmopolitan nightlife of New Zealand;
- Crystal Symphony’s double overnights in St. Petersburg allow guests to venture to Moscow for the day, and fully immerse themselves in the cultural capital of Russia.
- Maiden calls in Pohnpei, Micronesia; Majuro, Marshall Islands; Hambantota, Sri Lanka; Mooloolaba, Australia; Airlie Beach, Australia; and Alghero, Sardinia, Italy.
- Spring and Autumn Asia sailings aboard Crystal Symphony, with concentration in Southeast Asia, Singapore, China and Japan.
- Specialized itineraries focusing in the Middle East and India,available on both ships, with calls in Mumbai and Cochin and cruising the Bay of Bengal; exploration of Bahrain, Muscat, and Aqaba, as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
- A total of 25 Mediterranean sailings, with many seven-day options aboard both ships that cater to busy schedules or are easily combinable for extended journeys. Destinations encompass the region’s long-favored locales, as well as less explored spots like Sardinia and Corsica, plus several “gateway” destinations that afford close proximity to bucket-list sites.
- Eventful European and British Isles voyages, aligned with premier world events and occasions, with overnights set in Edinburgh, Scotland scheduled around the annual Military Tattoo and Fringe Art Festival; in Monaco for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix; and Baltic and North Cape sailings at the height of the summer solstice in the land of the midnight sun.
- New Trans-Atlantic crossing route with calls in Barcelona and Málaga, Spain; Ponta Delgada and Praia da Vitoria, Azores; St. John’s and St. Anthony, Newfoundland, site of the UNESCO-listed L’Anse aux Meadows; and Saguenay, Québec, home to the spectacular Saguenay Fjord.
- A 33-day warm-weather winter escape aboard Crystal Symphony across the Pacific, which visits the long-beloved Hawaiian Islands, as well as less explored destinations like the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Philippines.
- Exotic, warm-weather Holiday cruises, far-reaching and close to home, with Crystal Symphony sailing from Hong Kong to Laem Chabang/Bangkok and spending New Year’s Eve in Singapore; and Crystal Serenity cruising the tropical islands of the Caribbean for a warm-weather winter holiday.
Additional Crystal Cruises itineraries cruise the Pacific Coast and Hawaiian Islands, Australia and New Zealand, the South Pacific and the Caribbean, with virtually every type of travel interest represented in Crystal’s 2020 collection of Ocean voyages. Historical epicenters of ancient and modern influence, outdoor havens for active pursuits, spiritual meccas with sacred and secular significance, and a smorgasbord of culinary hubs will appeal to the varied preferences of Crystal’s discerning guests.
Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises 2020 deployment highlights:
- A return to the Seychelles from late January through March, with nine new seven-day itineraries sailing round-trip from Mahé, highlighting the adventurous pursuits in the natural paradise, with UNESCO-protected wildlife preserves and world-class snorkeling and diving.
- New historically significant itineraries exploring the Rose City of Petra, Egypt and the Holy Land on a nine- or 11-day journey; Cyprus and the Greek Isles of Mykonos, Delos, Paphos, Santorini and maiden call Naxos on a nine-day journey; and the United Arab Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi; Sir Bani Yas Island UAE; Manama, Bahrain and Doha, Qatar on an eight-day journey.
- 24 combinable seven-day voyages along the Dalmatian Coast, Aegean and Adriatic, with immersive itineraries focused on Croatia, Greece and the Cyclades, showcasing the millennia of UNESCO sites and treasured monuments mingling beautifully with modern towns and seaside villages.
- A “Dubai Holiday Extravaganza” sailing round-trip from Dubai, with two overnights in the spectacular city for the annual New Year’s Eve celebration, plus calls to Khasab, Muscat, Doha and Sir Bani Yas Island.
Itineraries for Crystal Endeavor, Crystal’s new build luxury expedition yacht set to embark in 2020, will be announced at a later date.
About Crystal
The world-renowned Crystal Experience – featuring global journeys with Crystal Cruises, Crystal River Cruises, Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises, Crystal AirCruises and Crystal Luxury Air – continues to entice the world’s most discerning travelers with incomparable luxury and unparalleled personal service. Crystal will expand its fleet with the upcoming Crystal Ravel river ship, the Crystal Endeavor expedition yacht and an entirely new class of ocean ships over the next five years.
Celebrating 27 years of excellence, Crystal Cruises is the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line, having earned “World’s Best Cruise Ship” in Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader Choice Awards for 24 years; been voted “World’s Best Large Ship Cruise Line” by Travel + Leisurereaders for 20 years; and the “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by travel professional organization Virtuoso for three consecutive years (2014, 2015 & 2016). The readers of Travel + Leisure also voted Crystal River Cruises the “World’s Best River Cruise Line” and Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises the “World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line” in 2017. Crystal is proud to be a platinum partner of ASTA.
For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel professional, 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 Twitterand Instagram, and engage in the conversation with #crystalcruises.