Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises has held the keel laying ceremony for its first “game-changing” luxury expedition yacht.

The Crystal Endeavor ceremony was held at MV WERFTEN’s Stralsund shipyard, Germany, and attended by German chancellor Angela Merkel, Crystal president and CEO Tom Wolber, and Genting Hong Kong’s executive chairman and CEO Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, as well as Mecklenburg Western Pomerania’s prime minister Manuela Schwesig.

The polar-class Crystal Endeavor will feature 100 suites, six restaurants, expedition rooms and private butler service for every suite. Its PC6 designation will allow it to operate in summer and autumn through medium first-year ice.

Crystal has also revealed the Endeavor’s itineraries for the inaugural season, running from August 2020 through to January 2021 with voyages of 12 to 22 days.

Bookings open to the public on 22 August 2018.

 

“It is truly a thrill to mark this important milestone for Crystal Endeavor and the entire Crystal family, as this yacht will change the way guests can explore the world both adventurously and luxuriously,” said Wolber.

“I am honoured to share this occasion with Chancellor Merkel, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay and our special guests, as well as the skilled workers of MV WERFTEN who are building this game-changing ship.”

Chancellor Merkel added: “The keel laying for Crystal Endeavor here in my political hometown of Stralsund marks a special moment for me that is doubly significant.

“Today, the foundation has been laid for this highly sophisticated, state-of-the-art cruise ship. But the ceremony itself, which is taking place in the lively shipyard with the participation of so many employees and trainees, also bodes well for the future of shipbuilding in the Hanseatic city of Stralsund and in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.”