First Name: A sail on Crystal Cruises’ first expedition ship: Journey Weekly

ON BOARD THE CRYSTAL ENDEAVOR – As a cruise line that for decades only operated two medium-sized ships Crystal cruises knows a thing or two about patience.

But Crystal’s patience also grew with the Crystal effort, his first ship for the expedition segment, which seemed to take forever to build The announcement caused a sensation in the industry in 2016.

After a various delayswho have favourited the 200-passenger Endeavor at last The first guests boarded in mid-July and now crosses the Caribbean towards Antarctica. It was worth the wait, said Crystal Cruises President Jack Anderson.

“Humble, I can tell you that [it] is the most luxurious, spacious, fastest, manoeuvrable and stable expedition yacht ever built, “Anderson boasted to travel agents on a” showcase “cruise to Bimini in the Bahamas.

I can’t vouch for all of Anderson’s superlatives, but on the two-day showcase cruise, it wasn’t long before I was struck by the overall beauty of the gray, gold, and white interiors or the humble elegance of the ship’s design.

Belated or not, Crystal has managed to translate the feel of its luxury ships into an expedition-sized 20,000 gross gross platform. The 209-strong crew was well trained, always polite and up to standards.

That will reassure the loyal guests of the line, even if the expedition format draws new blood to the passenger base. I admit it is a little harrowing to walk into a mud room on a Crystal ship. Or see black rubber zodiacs neatly stacked on the deck of the Endeavor. However, both are essential for cruises in the Antarctic, where Crystal will be offering eight cruises ranging from 11 to 19 days in the next few months.

One of the most talked about functions of the Endeavor, a couple of helicopters, will not be available this season. But the two-passenger submersible was on board and we saw its pilot drive it at anchor off the coast of Bimini.

The solarium is a two-story, glazed aft area that encompasses the swimming pool and the casual Marketplace Cafe. Photo credit: Tom Stieghorst

And there are still plenty of good vantage points around the ship for seeing wildlife and scenery, including a novel, glazed space in the stern called the solarium that manages to combine a small swimming pool – the only ones on the ship – with marketplace , a casual restaurant with a very appealing, airy design.

At the opposite end of the ship, the Crystal Palm Court is spacious and flooded with light, thanks in part to a well-placed skylight.

After seeing libraries disappear on many ships, I was amazed to find 860 square meters reserved for 1,400 high-quality volumes on the Endeavor. There are also two computers for public use and a coffee maker, which makes it a nice hangout spot.

Although the pool for lap swimming is small, the Endeavor has a large fitness area and a running track on the upper deck (10 laps is four fifths of a mile).

Photo credit: Tom Stieghorst

Submarines and helicopters caused a stir over the Crystal Endeavor. Here are three cool features of the ship that you may not have heard of so much about.

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Another sturdy convenience for an expedition ship is the guest laundry with six washing machines and dryers that are ready to use.

I also liked the fold-out marina platform at the stern, which offers a spacious observation and relaxation area at the waterline when the ship is not underway.

When it comes to food, expedition guests will find scaled-down versions of familiar locations from Crystal’s larger ships. This seemed to be particularly true of the Prego Italian specialty restaurant, which was located on a corridor leading to the main Waterside restaurant. It has 20 inside seats and 20 more in the Vintage Room, a wine tasting space usually dedicated to Prego during meals.

The Japanese restaurant Umi Uma & Sushi Bar keeps its own space and Crystal affectionately points out that it is the only sushi spot on an expedition ship.

I have eaten at Umi Uma, Waterside and the Market Place several times and can say that while the galleys on this ship are smaller, the quality of Crystal’s food has remained unchanged.

The most common type of cabin on the Endeavor measures 304 square feet, with a huge round mirror over the vanity and a toilet separated from the shower and sink area. Butlers are waiting for your every need. There are 10 penthouses and two larger suites.