This morning, I was on board the Crystal Serenity for lunch and a ship tour.
If you’re not familiar with Crystal, this is a luxury, all-inclusive cruise line (they also offer river cruises, but that’s a story for another day).
The Serenity, with a capacity for 1070 guests and 655 crew, leaves Vancouver later today for a 7-day Alaska cruise, ending in Anchorage.
However, some of the guests boarding today were preparing for a much longer voyage.
Immediately following the 7-day Alaska itinerary, the Serenity continues with an amazing 32-day Northwest Passage voyage, from Anchorage to New York City.
Some guests are doing back-to-back cruises, travelling all the way from Vancouver to New York.
Here is a short (1:23 min.) video that gives you a flavor for the Northwest Passage itinerary:
When Crystal first offered the Northwest Passage trip last year, it sold out almost instantly. So, I was surprised to discover that there is still availability for this year. I had assumed it was sold out months ago.
Imagine sailing into New York Harbor, past the Statue of Liberty, having followed in the footsteps of explorers through the northern-most reaches of the continent!
Icebergs, isolated artic communities, whales, and polar bears… you would see it all.
This is not like other cruise destinations, where one ship after another visits the same ports.
Instead, you would be one of the first cruise visitors ever to visit these ports of call.
On last year’s voyage, a group of local native performers came on board at one of the ports, to entertain the passengers. Although everyone was impressed and delighted by the performance, what the guests will remember forever is this: the children who came on board to perform were entranced, not by the elegant décor or the appreciative audience, but by the potted trees throughout the ship. The children gazed at the trees in amazement, and cautiously stroked the leaves. Why? These children live so far north that they had never seen a tree before!
That’s how remote some of these communities are.
Needless to say, I quickly did some mental gymnastics to figure out if there was any way I could rearrange my business and personal life to stay on board for the next month, rather than disembarking after lunch (sadly, no).
However, maybe your schedule is more flexible than mine, and you can jump at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
This is truly a trip of a lifetime, as Crystal is not offering this itinerary again after 2017.
If a Northwest Passage cruise is on your bucket list and you can travel last-minute, please get in touch immediately so I can secure a stateroom for you.
You can learn more about Crystal’s 2017 Northwest Passage cruise here: http://www.crystalcruises.com/voyage/details/northwest-passage-explorer-7320
Prices start at USD $24,479 per person (including taxes and port fees) for this luxurious, all-inclusive experience. The cruise departs Anchorage on August 15th, 2017 and arrives in New York on September 15th.
Planning a Cruise? I’d love to help! Click here to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
