Crystal Endeavor Sold To Royal Caribbean Group
Crystal Endeavor has found a new home with Silversea Cruises
Rendering of Silver Endeavour. PHOTO: SILVERSEA CRUISES
Further developments regarding the former Genting Hong Kong-owned Crystal Endeavor have emerged. Silversea Cruises (owned by Royal Caribbean Group) announced the acquisition of the 200-guest luxury expedition yacht on July 18, 2022. The ship, which is considered one of the most expensive cruise ships ever built on a per-berth basis, has been purchased for $275 million at auction.
For context, that’s more than the combined $128 million at which fleet-mates Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony sold for.
New Beginnings for Silver Endeavour
The ship will be joining the Silversea Cruises fleet as the 5th expedition vessel in the 11-ship Silversea fleet. Named after the famous HMS Endeavour, the Silver Endeavour (that’s Endeavour with a “U”) is expected to undertake her maiden voyage with Silversea in November 2022. She will take over Silver Explorer for the 2022/2023 Antarctica season, which includes Silversea’s popular Antarctica Bridge sailings. Existing SIlver Explorer guests will have their sailings transferred to Silver Endeavour.
“To honour the spirit of expedition travel, we have renamed the ship Silver Endeavour—paying testament to one of history’s most famous vessels,” said Barbara Muckermann, Chief Commercial Officer, Silversea Cruises.
Bookings for cruises onboard Silver Endeavour are now open for booking.
Crystal Cruises’ Guests And Crew Not Forgotten.
Royal Caribbean Group will protect the deposits of guests who were originally booked on Crystal Endeavor with Crystal Cruises, under the RCL Cares Program. Guests who were originally booked are welcome to make a new booking on any of Royal Caribbean Group's global brands – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises.
Crystal Endeavor guests looking to book with Silversea have incentives to do so. “To the extent the Crystal Endeavor guests do not receive their deposits back from Crystal or other sources, the Royal Caribbean Group will refund any amount paid on their new booking up to the amount of their lost deposits from Crystal.”, according to a press release from Silversea Cruises. Exact terms and conditions of the offer will be released on the Silversea Cruises website soon.
“We are delighted to offer an additional incentive to all guests who were booked on the former Endeavor to experience the Silversea difference. They are invited to sail on any Silversea ship from our beautiful fleet of 11”, said Roberto Martinoli, CEO of Silversea Cruises.
Besides passengers, Silversea Cruises has also extended employment opportunities to former Crystal Endeavor crew members, where they will receive priority employment. Details will be shared on crewcareer.silversea.com.
About Silver Endeavour
Silver Endeavour was designed with polar exploration in mind. Completed in 2021, she is built to PC6 polar class specifications for visits to the polar regions. The ship is equipped with cutting-edge navigation and exploration technology, like a remote gimbal camera system, capable of capturing high-quality images from 5km away. The ship also boasts industry-leading passenger-to-zodiac ratios, allowing for efficient transfer of guests at expedition destinations.
Onboard, guests can enjoy some of the largest all-suite accommodation in expedition cruising, as well as state-of-the-art amenities including multiple restaurants, bars and lounges; an expansive spa; a two-storey solarium with a swimming pool and whirlpool; and a range of indoor and outdoor observation areas, all spread over eight decks. She will maintain Silversea’s trademark level of luxury with an approximately 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio.
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