--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Crystal Cruises:
|
WHAT: |
Crystal Cruises’ award-winning luxury ocean ship, Crystal Serenity, successfully entered the historic Northwest Passage and anchored in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories on August 27, and Cambridge Bay on August 29. The calls mark Crystal Serenity’s official arrival in the Northwest Passage – a region so remote that it was only first transited in 1906, and on only a handful of occasions since then. More than 1,000 guests on board, the largest amount of travelers to traverse the route, immersed themselves in the local culture and shared interactive moments with the Inuit residents. | |||
| The ship is 14 days into a 32-day journey, which will conclude in New York City on September 16. | ||||
| “The arrival to Ulukhaktok, the first call in the actual Northwest Passage, was truly a memorable affair,” said Crystal Serenity Master, Captain Birger J. Vorland. “Crystal Serenity was met by our escort ship, the RRS Ernest Shackleton, as well as a fleet of Zodiacs and our two helicopters. Everybody on board was outside to marvel at this truly magnificent and sunny day as we sailed in together to the anchorage.” | ||||
| Crystal Serenity’s visit to Ulukhaktok was a first for everyone, as the residents of the village had never before welcomed a luxury cruise ship to their shores. Traditional dancers boarded the ship for a special performance representative of their culture, then showcased handcrafted goods at the area’s art center. Crystal guests were brought ashore by zodiacs operated by the expedition team, Expedition Voyage Consultants. | ||||
| Captain Vorland added, “One of the many highlights so far on this voyage was the warm reception the young dancers and singers from the small community of Ulukhaktok got when they performed on board during our overnight stay. Though distant in culture and background, there was in instant bonding between the guests of Crystal Serenity and the local people. On both sides there was a warm and welcoming tone rarely experienced anywhere else.” | ||||
| Travelers experienced a similar kinship with the welcoming residents of Cambridge Bay, Crystal Serenity’s next Arctic call. | ||||
| In addition to the residents, guests were also greeted by locals of a wilder variety. A polar bear on floating ice was a true highlight for guests navigating the chilly waters by zodiac led by expert expedition guides. The encounter was part of Crystal’s “Unexpected Adventures,” which afford guests, safe and impromptu opportunities to see wildlife and other natural wonders along the journey. | ||||
| Beyond the itinerary’s historic implications, the visit to the region is also the culmination of more than three years of planning and careful collaboration with the local communities of the Arctic. Following the ship’s first two stop in the Northwest Territories, she continued on through the Victoria Strait headed towards the Bellot Strait. | ||||
| “From the get-go of this epic cruise through the fabled Northwest Passage, Crystal Serenity has been filled with great excitement,” said Captain Vorland. “Everyone here, whether crew or guest, is clearly aware of the significance of this voyage. As we have ventured north and east on our passage this excitement has only grown.” | ||||
|
WHO: |
Crystal Serenity is helmed by Captain Birger J. Vorland, and escorted by the RRS Ernest Shackleton, an ICE 05 classed icebreaker and is carrying expedition experts of its own, as well as environmental and adventure specialists from Expedition Voyage Consultants. | |||
| Due to the tremendous response from travelers regarding the 2016 Northwest Passage sailing, Crystal has announced it will sail the route again in 2017, available for booking now. | ||||
|
MEDIA: |
Photos attached |
|||
|
Photo credits: |
||||
|
• Photo 1: Crystal guests encounter a polar bear on ice while navigating zodiacs with expert guides – Captain Birger J. Vorland |
||||
|
• Photo 2: Ice floes float through the Arctic waterways – Katie Jackson & Crystal Cruises |
||||
|
• Photo 3: Crystal Serenity navigates the ice in the Victoria Strait with the assistance of the RRS Ernest Shackleton – Katie Jackson & Crystal Cruises |
||||
|
• Photo 4: Crystal Serenity and the RRS Ernest Shackleton en route to Ulukhaktok –Expedition Voyage Consultants |
||||
|
• Photo 5: Crystal Serenity anchored in Ulukhaktok – Katie Jackson & Crystal Cruises |
||||
|
• Photo 6: Crystal Serenity and the RRS Ernest Shackleton approaching Ulukhaktok – Expedition Voyage Consultants |
||||
|
• Photo 7: Local dancers from Ulukhaktok boarded Crystal Serenity for a special performance of their cultural art – Katie Jackson & Crystal Cruises |
||||
|
• Photo 8: Captain Birger J. Vorland and Cruise Director, Rick Spath (From right) pose with locals from Ulukhaktok after an inspired performance from the Inuit community. – Crystal Cruises |
||||
|
MORE: |
From Seward, the Arctic itinerary includes port calls in Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, and Nome, Alaska; Ulukhaktok, NW Territories; Cambridge Bay and Pond Inlet, Nunavut; Ilulissat, Sisimiut, and Nuuk, Greenland; Bar Harbor, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; Newport, Rhode Island, and New York, New York. The ship will transit waterways including the North Pacific Ocean; Bering Sea & Bering Strait; Chukchi & Beaufort Seas; Amundsen Gulf; Dolphin & Union Strait; Coronation Gulf; Dease Strait; Queen Maud Gulf; Victoria Strait; Larsen Sound; Franklin & Bellot Straits; Peel Sound; Parry Channel; Barrow Strait; Prince Regent Inlet; Lancaster Sound; Croker Bay; Navy Board Inlet; Eclipse Sound; Baffin Bay; Davis Strait; Labrador Sea; North Atlantic Ocean. | |||
About Crystal
Crystal Cruises is the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line™, having earned more “World’s Best” accolades than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort in history. Crystal Cruises has won “World’s Best Cruise Ship” in Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader Choice Awards for 22 years; been voted “World’s Best Large Ship Cruise Line” by Travel + Leisure readers for 20 years; and the “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by Virtuoso for three-consecutive years (2014, 2015 & 2016). In summer 2015, Crystal embarked on the most significant brand expansion in the history of luxury travel and hospitality, introducing three new classes of cruising – the recently launched Crystal Yacht Cruises (December 2015), Crystal River Cruises (July 2016) the World’s Only Luxury River Cruise Line, Crystal Exclusive Class Ocean Cruises and Residences (Fall 2019), Crystal Luxury Air (April 2016) and Crystal AirCruises (2017).
