Crystal Cruises announces Anchorage to New York sailing

Crystal Cruise Lines’ Vice President Mimi Weisband announced an  Anchorage to New York itinerary, departing August 16, 2016 on the Crystal Serenity.  It has been almost two years in the planning. "It's not only a historic first for Crystal, but a revolutionary new cruise," she says. "We are going to do a whole completely new route traversing the Arctic Ocean via the Northwest Passage. We will be the only luxury cruise ship to do that, the largest cruise ship to have gone there." The Crystal Serenity won't go alone, there is going to be an expedition ship accompanying the Serenity that will serve a host of  purposes. "We've never had an itinerary where we've had a second vessel behind us," she says. "There will be a 14-person expedition team, including a native Arctic-guide." The expedition ship will be put into use on so-called "Surprise days" that are built into the schedule to allow for unplanned calls of the wild for polar bear viewing, whale watching, glacier cruising and so forth. Scheduled ports include a host of maiden calls for Crystal, ranging from Cambridge Bay to Sisimiut. Overall, there are 12 ports of call, 19 scheduled days at sea. The first port of call will be in a settlement of just a few hundred people on the shores of the Amundsen Gulf.  There will also be three calls in Greenland, including regions that virtually no cruiser ever gets to.  The sailing will have countless other special touches, including Crystal's usage of low-sulfur fuel for the entire sailing, in itself unusual. Also in this vein, Crystal Exec VP Thomas Mazloum says, "During this voyage, speakers will enlighten guests on information regarding climate change, and how it has impacted this passage."  A plethora of excursions are planned involving kayaks, Zodiacs, and even golfing at the world's northernmost nine-hole course.
"Crystal Society members are always clamoring for something new, and the ports are not only brand new to almost all, but sensational in their own right," It is predicted that almost 90% will be past guests."  Tellingly, the sale is only being made available to Crystal Society past guests first for almost six weeks. Non-members may add their name to a wait list. Remaining space, if any, will open to the public on September 2.  Weather can be tricky, but the timing seems good. The departure date of August 16, 2016 is still good for daylight, even though it's almost two months after the summer solstice in June. Crystal's Arctic journey is the latest example of how the upscale cruise market is undergoing a revolution, not with hardware, but in the essence of what constitutes a modern-day luxury vacation.  For more information and to book this exclusive cruise, contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 800-775-1884 or email at info@thecruiseoutlet.com