Crystal Endeavor starts next step in construction journey
Today luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises, celebrates the keel-laying of their first Diamond-class purpose-built expedition ship, Crystal Endeavor.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”bc-inarticle”]The Keel-Laying Ceremony
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel attended the keel-laying ceremony, displaying great pride for her political hometown of Stralsund, the location of the MV Werften shipyard where the new ship will now begin construction.
Over 20 million Euros have been invested in the shipyard to future-proof it for the construction of this ship, the most expensive ever to be built at MV Werften, and similar ships to come. The build will require 500 workers and an additional 500 subcontractors from the region – a significant and important economic boost for the area.
Genting Hong Kong, the parent company of Crystal Cruises and the MV Werften shipyard added their own touch to the keel-laying tradition by placing 88 U.S. dollars and 88 Euros in coins beneath the keel, a symbolic number for good luck in Chinese culture, before the 400-ton section was lowered onto keel blocks.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”bc-inarticle”]The New Ship
The brand has introduced Crystal Yacht Expeditions, a new category of cruising that will be on offer with the launch of the new ship.
This state-of-the-art luxury ship, set to debut in 2020, took two years to design and will feature the most extravagant of features including two excursion helicopters, a submarine and an aft-marina. The small ice-going vessel will be able to navigate the most remote destinations on her exotic sailings throughout Asia, Australia and Antarctica.
For the one hundred balcony suites on board the “world’s largest and most spacious Polar-Class ship”, included is private butler service, walk-in closets, heated storage for drying parkas, spa-style bathrooms, dual vanities, anti-fog mirror and rain shower heads. Guests will also enjoy a large spa and six fine dining restaurants. The Polar Class 6 rating means Crystal Endeavor will be able to take on the medium first-year ice, extending her Arctic season during Summer and Autumn.
The ships’ inaugural season begins in August 2020 with a 17-day roundtrip Russia/Far East cruise departing from Hong Kong. Then she will set sail on a series of unique and exotic 12 to 22-day itineraries around Indonesia, Borneo, the Philippines; Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania and New Zealand. The ship’s Antarctic season will begin January 2021.
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