OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Crystal ready for 2014
Crystal Cruises has unveiled, and opened for booking, its full year of worldwide voyages for 2014, as well as itineraries up to mid-April 2015. New seven- to 89-day cruises in 2014 are among the 61 sailings aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, with 16 maiden calls, 194 total ports and 68 countries – including a World Cruise. Early 2015’s global calendar offers 15 exotic cruises and a 20th World Cruise, as well as nine maiden calls and a return to ports Crystal hasn’t visited in more than a decade. For 2014, UNESCO World Heritage Sites are featured on 54 of 61 cruises (or 89% of itineraries), visiting 135-plus dedicated historical destinations, from the ancient — Istanbul, Dubrovnik, and Tallin — to the intriguing — Casablanca, Cartagena, and Takoradi. Thirty-four per cent of cruises are 10 days or less. New ports include Galway, Ireland; Luanda, Angola; Lombok, Indonesia; Ibiza, Spain; Oban, Scotland; Skagen, Denmark; and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Returns to places less-frequented by Crystal include the Andaman Islands; Brunei; Ghana; Helsingborg, Sweden; Ko Samui, Thailand; Zihuatanejo, Mexico; Tokyo, Japan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Korcula, Croatia. And, nearly every itinerary features at least one overnight stay in renowned cities — often in the city of embarkation — plus, two consecutive overnights in many places like Yangon, Shanghai, Hong Kong, St. Petersburg, and Ho Chi Minh City. Highlights for 2015 include new cruises to and from San Diego. New ports include Ambodifototra and TÒlanaro, Madagascar; Richards Bay, South Africa; Sanya, China; and Albany, Australia. Returns to locales less-frequented include Alter do Chão, Brazil; Yantai, China; and Maputo, Mozambique. All-inclusive Book Now fares for early 2014 are available until Oct. 31. (http://www.crystalcruises.com)
