Crystal Endeavor Embarks from Reykjavík on Maiden Voyage

One of the most anticipated expedition cruise ships in recent memory embarked on her maiden voyage over the weekend. Crystal Endeavor, the new ship from Crystal Cruises set sail from Reykjavík, Iceland on a ten night circumnavigation of the island. The itinerary is the first of five Luxury Iceland Expedition sailings round-trip from Reykjavík Crystal Cruises has planned for their new ship. 

“This is an incredible moment for the entire Crystal Family as we watch Crystal Endeavor embark upon her maiden voyage,” said Jack Anderson, president of Crystal. “Our new expedition yacht will take our guests further than ever before on bold adventures to the far corners of the globe and offering explorations, enrichment and immersive experiences beyond anything they’ve experienced before. The ship features spaciousness, personal service and luxury for our guests with safety and responsible stewardship of the world’s oceans at the forefront.”

Guests will enjoy complementary shore excursions led by naturalist experts from the ship’s expedition team. The team consists of a marine biologist, ornithologist, geologist/glaciologist, historian, two professional photographers, polar expedition specialists and an artist-in-residence who will instruct and encourage guests to capture travel memories with snapshot sketches and drawings. Excursion highlights include sea kayaking on the waters of the Westfjords in Patreksfjörður, an Arctic Circle walkabout on Grimsey Island, and Zodiac cruising amid mountain landscapes in Djúpivogur

About Crystal Endeavor 

 The 20,200 GRT Crystal Endeavor is the first polar class luxury expedition yacht built in Germany and features a PC6 classification that enables her to sail in Arctic and Antarctic waters. At 100 gross tons and 10,000 cubic feet per guest and a passenger space ratio of more than 100, she has the largest space per guest of any ship at sea. The passenger capacity is just 200 staying in all-verandah, all-butler serviced suites. 

RELATED: Crystal Cruises Resumes Ocean Operation from Nassau

The ship is well-stocked with 18 Zodiacs, 14 sea kayaks, snorkel gear, and a six-guest submersible and two helicopters in select regions of the world. Exploration equipment aboard the ship includes a Remote Operated Vehicle to view the sea at a depth of nearly 1,000 feet and a Gimble long-range camera mounted on the mast that can zoom in to view wildlife and scenery over a mile away. 

Crystal Clean+ 

Everyone on board the ship, crew included, are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The line has implemented new Crystal Clean+ protocols that address the unique challenges of COVID-19 with measures that include mandatory vaccination for guests and crew, COVID-19 testing at embarkation, and more. Because of the mandatory vaccination requirement, guests are able to explore ashore independently in Iceland. 

Have you booked a cruise on board the new Crystal Endeavor? Let us know in the comments!