CRYSTAL ENDEAVOR TO TRANSIT NORTHEAST PASSAGE IN 2021
Crystal Expedition Cruises’ luxury yacht, Crystal Endeavor, will travel a route that has captivated travellers for centuries when she embarks from Anadyr, Russia for Tromsø, Norway on 18 August 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 the ability to manoeuvre through medium first-year ice, offshore dynamic positioning, zodiacs and virtually all other gear necessary for such intrepid exploration,” said Tom Wolber, president & 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.”
The voyage departs 18 August 2021 and 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 fossilised finds throughout the destination;
Franz Josef Land, which was once a Russian military watch-point 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 sabre-tooth tiger bones and mammoth remains having been excavated, as well as what are believed to be tools used by Palaeolithic 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.
The voyage will also visit Murmansk, the largest city in the Arctic, and Russian Federation ports Provideniya; Cape Dezhnev & Uelen Village; Kolyuchin Island; Ayon Island; Medvezhiy Islands; Novaya Zemlya; Kanin Cape; Arkhangelsk; Solovetsky & Zayatsky Island, as well as Honningsvåg and the North Cape, Norway. En route, Crystal Endeavor will sail the East Siberian Sea, the White Sea, the Barents Sea and the Laptev Sea. Stops and shoreside access and activities will be largely dependent on weather and sea conditions. There will also be numerous opportunities for zodiac landings and navigation of ice floes and other rugged and fascinating pursuits. On board, expedition guides, scientists and destination experts will further illuminate the journey with engaging presentations and seminars focusing on the unique nature and history of the region.
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.
The Northeast Passage itinerary, which sails from 18 August to 15 September 2021, will first open for booking for Crystal Society members on 20 February 2019, and to the public on 13 March 2019
The itineraries for Crystal Endeavor’s inaugural season sail from August of 2020 through to January 2021, with voyages of 12 to 22 nights travelling far off the beaten path of traditional cruise routes. The ship’s maiden voyage on 10 August 2020 from Tokyo will be a round-trip 17-night Russian Far East Expedition. These voyages are rich with discovery and will explore the cultural and bio-diversity of Japan and the Russian Far East; Indonesia, Borneo and the Philippines; New Zealand and Tasmania; Australia and the Great Barrier Reef; and Antarctica via the Ross Sea.
At all times, Crystal Endeavor’s itineraries and visits are subject to the Captain’s discretion based on prevailing weather and ice conditions and government permits. Wildlife sightings and wilderness highlights on any itinerary cannot be guaranteed.
Here at Mulberry Travel we’ve assembled some of the most commonly asked questions in regards to Brexit and the uncertainty that we currently face.
How will Brexit affect my holiday?
Many of our customers are already booking their travel plans for 2019, and have questions about what might happen after 29 March 2019 when the UK leaves the European Union (EU).
The political process is still on-going and we don’t yet know the final outcome, however there have been some reassurances recently around flights and visas and these are reflected in the ABTA Brexit advice for travellers page.
Most Commonly Asked Brexit Questions (and Answers)
I’ve booked a holiday for this year – will it still go ahead?
If the EU and the UK government reach a deal on Brexit, there will be a two year transition period. That means nothing changes until 31 December 2020.
Even in a no-deal scenario, both the UK authorities the European Commission has said flights to and from the UK will operate as normal so we are confident that Freedom Travel Group will be able to offer all our package holidays as planned.
Do I need to get a new passport following the Brexit vote?
No. However, if you’re planning on travelling to Europe after 29 March 2019, you might need to renew your passport earlier than planned.
Before you travel, please use this tool to check you have enough time left on your UK passport. For further details on the rules for passports and the countries affected, please visit the gov.uk Passport rules for travel to Europe page.
Will I need a visa to travel to the EU after Brexit?
No, the European Commission has announced that even in a no-deal scenario, British holidaymakers can still travel to the EU without a visa.
Will my European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) still be valid after Brexit?
UK registered EHICs will no longer be valid in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
We recommend that travellers take out comprehensive travel insurance ahead of any trip, no matter where they are
travelling to. For more information please speak to the professional who made your booking. You are, of course, free to purchase insurance from any provider.
What about using my mobile phone abroad? Will roaming charges increase following the Brexit vote?
Currently the cost of making calls, sending messages and using the Internet on your mobile phone while in the EU is the
same as while in the UK. In a no-deal scenario, these rules will no longer apply.
Some UK mobile phone providers may continue to offer this to their customers after 29 March. We’d recommend you check with your provider before travelling.
Will I get a refund if my flight is cancelled after Brexit?
If the EU and the UK government reach a deal on Brexit, there will be a two year transition period. That means nothing changes until 31 December 2020. Even in a no-deal scenario, we expect all flights to operate as normal after 29 March. All of our package holidays are protected under the Package Travel Regulations. This means you will be entitled to a full refund should your holiday not go ahead.
Full ABTA & ATOL Protection
Irrespective of Brexit, we have the necessary bonding and licenses to ensure that when you book with us you can have complete faith that your money is safe. We are also part of the Thomas Cook Group giving you additional security and complete peace of mind.Our ABTA bond is held under ref Q8318 and we book packages including a flight under ATOL license 11741.
Sasha at Mulberry Travel was a delight to work with and she curated a trip of a lifetime. All the transport was seamless, the hotel was fantastic and the event was an event of a lifetime. I will definetly work with Mulberry Travel again.
Posted 2 months ago
Angela Wakefield
Wow is all I can say about the trip that Lee and his team organised for my husbands 70th birthday surprise , Andrea Bocelli in his home town Lajatico celebrating 30 years of performing.
Florence was fabulous , Andrea Bocelli absolutely amazing , and Ed Sheeran “perfect”.
Every bit of the trip was obviously planned and organised with great professionalism and everything went smoothly.
I cannot recommend Lee his staff and Mulberry Travel enough I would have no hesitation in planning future trips with them .
A BIG thank you , Angie
Posted 2 months ago
Wendy Krstenic
Fantastic service from Sasha and the team at Mulberry Travel, they sorted everything to fit our requirements to make a perfect holiday. Thank you again
Posted 2 months ago
Sue
Mulberry looked after us well. All bookings went smoothly and we were well informed with clear documentation. The team always responded to our queries promptly and were very helpful. We recommend Mulberry Travel 100%.
Posted 3 months ago
Christine Derbyshire
My husband tells me that I don't usually "gush" about much as I can be quite critical.
However,I have not stopped "gushing" about the service I have received from Mulberry Travel
From the initial contact with Sasha, seeking a price for a package to the Monaco Grand Prix, to the end of the holiday, the service and attention to detail has been second to none.
Sasha carefully took details of my requirements, being that I wanted a complete package as a Pearl Wedding anniversary present for my husband.
She quickly provided an excellent itinerary which included flights,all transfers and a 2 night, 5* hotel stay in Barcelona prior to a 5 night cruise on the Azamara Pursuit ship. In addition, tickets to the Grand Prix in Monaco (Grandstand K, facing the marina) were included.
The cost of the package was very competitive and I so didn't delay in making a booking.
Sasha promptly issued a full itinerary and advised that as flight times weren't available at the time of booking, she informed me that she would contact me as soon as they were available; this duly occurred, offering the opportunity to book seats with extra leg room for an extra cost. I did this and an electronic confirmation of this was quickly issued.
Sasha also asked if transfers to the Grand Prix were required - they were - so she told me she would be in touch again once these were available.
A few weeks passed and I was pleased when Sasha contacted me to say that the transfers were now available. I purchased them and this was again confirmed by email.
Time passed until the final invoice payment was required.This was made via the Mulberry Travel secure payment process after which confirmation of receipt was issued.
I was also advised that travel documents would be sent via the post when available and my address was rechecked.
I was really surprised and very pleased to receive my documents altogether in a wallet. All appropriate flight tickets along with boarding passes, hotel and taxi vouchers were included in addition to the all important Grand Prix tickets.
As I had NEVER received documents for a holiday from any other company in this way, I contacted Sasha, just to clarify that I had, indeed, got everything I needed for this special holiday. She assured me that everything was there and all we needed to do was turn up on the day! She also asked me to let her know how the holiday was once we returned.
This,I feel, is excellent, especially for possibly older customers who are likely to feel assured they have everything to hand when going on holiday.
What a superb level of customer care!
The holiday was seamless from arriving at Manchester Airport, being picked up to take us to the hotel, picking us up to take us to the cruise terminal, cruise check in, and return taxi to the airport.
I couldn't fault it at all!
The Ohla Hotel in Barcelona is a 5* hotel, in a central location.
For future Mulberry Travel guests, we found the service there exceptional, the room a little quirky and well appointed and the breakfast very good.There is a beautiful Michelin 1* restaurant and we treated ourselves to a meal there. Nothing was too much trouble.
We stayed on the Azamara Pursuit ship. This was a "boutique " ship , small in size. It was an extremely comfortable, well-appointed ship with possibly the best food we have ever had on a cruise.
Our inside, midship stateroom - 7066 - was conveniently located, well appointed and quiet.
The service on the ship is attentive without being intrusive. The entertainment wasn't the best, but a White Night deck party was lovely. The food on that night was exceptional with lobster, t-bone lamb, succulent beef, fresh fish and salads.
Dessert lovers are spoiled on the Pursuit!
The Grand Prix day was excellent. The transfer to Monaco was quick, with a tour guide who gave relevant information. The walk to the race venue was quick and easy and the organisation around the event was excellent. Food and drink, unexpectedly, was not expensive given the luxurious location.
When we returned from our holiday, I received a Welcome Home email to ask how the holiday went.
I phoned Sasha and we chatted about it. She really seemed genuinely interested and pleased that we had had a brilliant time.
I cannot praise Sasha enough for her professional, personal, attentive and exceptional service and would most definitely contact her again to arrange future holidays!
Brilliant!
Posted 4 months ago
Susan Verrall
Great service, very helpful. Lee went to all the lengths to give us the Orient Express package that we wanted. Polite and knowledgeable.
We will be using them again.
Posted 10 months ago
Neil Dowlman
A very efficient, helpful and professional service. Particularly from Sasha who made our 25th Wedding Anniversary holiday very special with the care and attention to arranging excellent accommodation right down to logistics and some lovely touches on making it a holiday to remember - thank you
Posted 10 months ago
William Young
It is the first time we have used a travel agent to book a package holiday which included the travel, hotel and event as one booking so quite rightly your a little apprehensive that everything goes smoothly.
We were kept informed regularly before leaving and laterly presented with a very good presentation pack which included the itinerary in date order so we got off to a very good start.
The seating arrangements that were pre booked were in a prime position along with the quality of our hotel which Mulberry Travel recommended and could not be faulted due to its uninterrupted views overlooking the coast.
All in all this break represented very good value for money and took away a lot of the stress to organize something special whilst using the knowledge of Mulberry travel to good effect.
So 5 stars for value and quality from me.
Posted 1 year ago
Lizzie
Andrea Bocelli was absolutely sensational!! Probably the best experience of my life thus far! I'll definitely go again next year & the year after. Mulberry Travel did it all so well... every aspect, the hotel in the best location right by the Ponte Vecchio, the pick up from the airport, dinner before the concert was out of a dream... an absolute perfect dream plucked out of my mind 🥰
Thanks a million Lee at Mulberry Travel.... it was all perfectly seamless 😊😊
Posted 1 year ago
Vickie
Thank you to Lee and staff for a magical Trip to see Andrea Bocelli. The casa Del Nero was an amazing experience as well. We will definitely be working with you in the future. All the best.
Posted 1 year ago
Paul Lavelle
Mulberry Travel delivered an incredible bespoke travel experience, making all the arrangements for our trip to Florence combined with attending the Andrea Bocelli concert held in his home village in Tuscany.
All the travel arrangements were perfect, transfers etc were all on time and so professional. The hotel in Florence was fantastic, no complaints at all. The concert was fantastic and the location for the pre-concert dinner was stunning. An experience my wife and I will never forget! A big thanks to Sasha for making all the arrangements, first class customer service throughout.
Posted 1 year ago
Jim
We paid for five, star, we expected 5 star, and that's what we got! Superbly arranged by Mulberry travel, and I have no hesitation in recommending their services.
Posted 1 year ago
Eryl Drew
Really grateful to Sasha at Mulberry Travel for arranging our trip to Tuscany to see Andrea Boccelli.
Sasha arranged everything on my behalf and was an amazing experience.
We arrived at Pisa Airport where we we were collected by our own driver and taken to our hotel in Florence, a beautiful hotel that was ideally located.
The day of the concert we were driven through the Tuscan countryside for an alfresco 5 course meal......was something of a film set, afterwards we we were dropped off at the entrance to the venue.
Thanks to Mulberry Travel and Sasha for arranging everything on my behalf for an amazing experience.
We'll definitely be booking this trip again......thank you.
Posted 1 year ago
Angela Gledhill
Extremely well organised from start to finish. Had a wonderful trip!
Posted 1 year ago
Dave Box
A fantastic experience on the Belmond Pullman from London Victoria to Liverpool taking in the Grand National.
The food on board the train was sublime, I can say no more. Service from Tim, Andrew and Nigel was perfect within carriage Perseus.
The train was lovely and each carriage different.
Overall my party of four have applied for next year, hopefully we will be successful.
Posted 1 year ago
Glyn Farrar
As I had hoped it was a fabulous and unique experience from stepping out from the Clermont onto the concourse of Victoria Station and almost straight away being approached by Belmond staff to escort us to check in. The ratio of staff to guest on the whole journey was so high to ensure attentive service.
I know the British Pullman is denoted as the hors d’oeuvre with the VSOE the main positive course! For us however the Pullman was the ultimate experience. We feel it is our country Britain at its very best! Everything about it is so British with real quality and indulgence. I’m so so sorry and disappointed to hear that the British Pullman service is no longer going to be a feature of Orient Express journeys! I even took photos of the toilets with the mosaic tiles!
On the actual Orient Exoress, even though I had done all the research I thought I needed, we weren’t clear that certain wines and champagnes were complimentary Ian’s eyes popped out at the prices of some of the bottles! We enjoyed all our meals though the drinks for breakfast were served in cups and therefore were not hot
The transfer to the Ca Sagredo was really well organised and efficient. Though they didn’t say at reception as we checked in, it was clear on entering the room that it was not the Grand Canal Double and that we had been upgraded! We were shown to the Library Suite with balcony onto Grand Canal. Maybe it was through the membership of that hotel group that I have
The break in Florence was also lovely with attentive service and friendliness from staff at The Lungarno. That hotel has the best location in terms of proximity to Ponte Vecchio
Sasha we were also pleased with the efficiency of the agents you use for the transfers. The timings were so accurate and agsin service very attentive
The only slight snag we had was as we got off the water taxi at Venice Santa Lucia. We know now it was separate from that service. A porter was waiting with a barrow and started to load our luggage! It was a short distance to the station concourse yet we were charged 20 Euros as an official transaction with a machine issuing a receipt
Apart from that we enjoyed a truely memorable holiday which I can recommend as a unique treat for a special celebration.
Posted 1 year ago
Jeremy Willson
Our trip on the Orient Express can only be described as amazing.
From meeting the Pullman at Victoria and travelling through the English countryside the level of Service was impeccable.
Meeting the Orient Express in Calais was one of those Wow moments. We were met by the VSOE staff and escorted on to the train the champagne was opened and the Golden age of travel was revived.
Lakes and mountains as you travel through the countryside are simply breathtaking.
The cuisine on the train was amazing as was our steward that looked after us through out our trip.
Arriving in Venice the boat transfers were seamless, and another great experience arriving at our hotel.
We stayed at the Liassidi palace hotel, perfectly situated in the city.
Venice is just amazing.
Wonderful, faultless, brilliantly organised holiday.
Posted 1 year ago
Anonymous
My husband and I have recently returned from a trip on the Orient Express to Venice which was organised for us by Sasha at Mulberry Travel. The holiday was fabulous and went perfectly due to Sasha's excellent organisation. We were glad to have found Mulberry Travel as they made everything very efficient and easy. We would highly recommend them.
Vivien
Posted 1 year ago
Paul Gayford
So where do I begin? Firstly thanks to Sasha for arranging an amazing trip for us on the Orient Express and our stay in Venice. Also for holding the trip over from when we originally booked, pre-pandemic.
The trip and hotel exceeded our expectations. Attention to detail and seamless transfers throughout were without fault.
Many Thanks to Mulberry. We wil certainly approach them again for future trips.
Posted 1 year ago
Anonymous
Excellent travel company. Very professional from booking our holiday all the way through to the end, very well organised.
I would not hesitate to use Mulberry Travel in the future.
Posted 2 years ago
David Barker
Can't thank Sasha enough for organizing a fantastic trip to Venice for us. The highlight was an amazing Andrea Boccelli concert, but the L'Oroglio hotel was great, with really friendly and helpful staff. All our transfers worked like clockwork from the speedboat from the airport to the hotel and back, and the limousine to and from the concert. Overall a wonderful few days and we won't hesitate to use Mulberry again.