Crystal Cruises has unveiled its global itineraries for Crystal Symphony’s 2023 season with 36 all-inclusive voyages of six to 15 nights that take guests on far-away journeys that span from exotic, tropical and remote retreats to culturally rich and deeply spiritual explorations. With several regions explored at different times of year, the roster of 2023 sailings offers travelers options to visit many regions outside of high seasons.
When Crystal Symphony’s itineraries open for booking on July 22, it will give travelers more than three and a half years of choices for them to plan their future voyages. The announcement comes just two months after Crystal Serenity’s 2023 itineraries, bringing the total number of voyages for Crystal’s Ocean ships in 2023 to 68 individual itineraries ranging from six to 23 nights, with many combinable options for longer journeys. Crystal Serenity will also offer closer-to-home routes in North America—exploring New England and Canada and the Caribbean—while Crystal Symphony will spend the entire year sailing abroad. Both award-winning luxury ships will sail the Mediterranean and Western Europe in the summer months on differing itineraries that allow travelers to choose the voyage that perfectly suits their preferences.
“Always with an eye to offering our guests multiple choices, we intentionally planned voyages that explore travelers’ favorite places outside the traditional seasons, as this allows them to glean a different perspective on the destinations and their cultures and seasonal traditions,” says Carmen Roig, Crystal’s senior vice president of marketing and sales. “Voyage durations have also been planned with guests’ calendars in mind, from convenient, 6-night options to elaborate 2-week-plus options, and everything in between. Like every part of the Crystal Experience, selecting and planning a voyage should perfectly suit each traveler’s needs.”
Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Holy Land, Mediterranean and Western Europe, the British Isles and Ireland highlight the collection of voyages, all of which feature at least one overnight stay. Also featured are five maiden calls—in Kampot, Cambodia; Khor Fakkan, UAE; Bristol, England; Malmoe, Sweden; and Gisborne, New Zealand—as well as new embarkation and disembarkation in the boutique port of Eilat, Israel; a return to charming Skagen, Denmark for the first time in nine years; and an overnight in the fashionable city of Antwerp, Belgium, which is rare among ocean ships.
Among the regions and destinations that Crystal Symphony guests have the choice to visit multiple times of year are:
- Southeast Asia and India, with six-, seven-, eight- and nine-night sailings visiting Chennai, Goa and Mumbai, India; Yangon, Myanmar; Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, Vietnam; Ko Samui, Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand; Singapore, maiden call Kampot (Cambodia); Port Klang and Penang, Malaysia; and Colombo, Sri Lanka and others offered January through March; longer 13- and 15-night sailings offered in November.
- The Middle East, Holy Land and Egypt, with March and April sailings of six, eight, nine and 11 nights and seven-, 10- and 13-night options in October exploring Aqaba, Jordan; Manama, Bahrain; Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island and Khor Fakkan, as well as Kuwait City, Kuwait; Doha, Qatar; Salalah and Muscat, Oman; Ashdod and Eilat, Israel; and Safaga, Sharm el Sheikh and Sokhna, Egypt.
- The Mediterranean, with a 12-night April Black Sea exploration throughout Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Greece and Italy; and seven-, nine- and 11-night May and June voyages along the Dalmatian Coast, Mediterranean and Western Europe, including Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Morocco and more. The ship returns to the region in September and October for fall itineraries of seven and 10 nights.
Crystal Symphony will sail the Baltic and Northern Europe—including the British Isles, Ireland, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Poland and Iceland in late June and July; and will spend December cruising Australia and New Zealand, with a New Year’s Eve celebration in Sydney.
While its fleet is paused, the Crystal team is developing new procedures and policies that will support all public health and regulatory requirements and ensure that guests’ vacations continue to be not only relaxing and pleasurable but safe and healthy. Details of these new measures and initiatives will be announced soon.
Additionally, the design of Crystal ships maximizes personal and public space, offering plenty of options for those who choose to keep a healthy distance during their voyage. All Crystal ships across the fleet including Ocean, River, Yacht and Expedition offer nearly double the space per person than ships of a similar size, which is among the highest space ratios in the industry and their social spaciousness will be further augmented through the new measures, which will be implemented. Further, Crystal Endeavor and Crystal’s River ships are all-suite and all-balcony with most staterooms on its two Ocean ships featuring private verandas for fresh airflow.
The safety of guests and crew members is Crystal’s number one priority and the fleet will resume service only when the company’s expert team and global health and government authorities indicate that it is safe to do so.
For more information, visit crystalcruises.com. Don’t miss, “Safety is Top of Mind for Cruise Lines,” and for more cruise news, click here.
