Cold weather, hot ticket: Crystal cruises the Arctic this summer

Cold weather, hot ticket: Crystal cruises the Arctic this summer

Crystal Expedition Cruises’ luxury yacht, Crystal Endeavor, will travel from Anadyr, Russia for Tromsø, Norway on Aug. 18, 2021. 

On the 28-night expedition, the 200-guest, German-built vessel will visit some of the world’s most remote islands, archipelagos and coastlines, allowing adventurous guests to explore terrain few others ever have, all in luxurious comfort.

“The Northeast Passage is precisely the type of bold expedition for which Crystal Endeavor is designed, with her PC6 designation and ability to maneuver through medium first-year ice, as well as offshore dynamic positioning, zodiacs and virtually all other gear necessary for such intrepid exploration,” said Tom Wolber, president and CEO of Crystal. “In addition to these technical amenities, she’ll accommodate guests in the highest standard of comfort and luxury, even as they travel to the most remote destinations.”

An unexplored passage

The voyage will visit places that are only sparsely occupied since legendary polar explorer Nils A.E. Nordenskjöld first successfully made the passage in 1878-79. 

Before that time and since, polar bears, Arctic foxes, walruses, whales and hundreds of species of seabirds are the primary local residents in the region, which is a Russian-controlled trade route in the summer months.

Highlighted destinations include:

  • UNESCO World Heritage Site Wrangel Island, one of the last known places on earth roamed by the woolly mammoth, with significant fossilized finds throughout the destination;
  • Franz Josef Land, which was once a Russian military watchpoint thanks to its positioning in the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean, now home to polar bears and numerous other wildlife;
  • The New Siberian Islands, which offers more archaeological discoveries, with saber-tooth tiger bones and mammoth remains having been excavated, as well as what are believed to be tools used by Paleolithic humans and the most northerly evidence of humans on earth;
  • Severnaya Zemlya, the last charted archipelago on earth, only added to global maps in the early 20th century; and
  • Cape Chelyuskin on the Taimyr Peninsula, the northernmost point on any continental mainland.

Guests on the Northeast Passage journey will enjoy one-night pre-cruise hotel accommodations in Anchorage and a flight transfer to Anadyr on embarkation day. 

For itineraries and information on booking, agents can visit www.crystalcruises.com.


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