Crystal Cruises announces 15 new Caribbean sailings departing roundtrip from St. Maarten aboard Crystal Symphony this August through December. The newly added voyages are part of Crystal Symphony’s 10-night Luxury Caribbean Escapes* and offer guests the option of cruising roundtrip from either Philipsburg, St. Maarten, on 15 voyages beginning August 2nd, or the previously announced voyages departing roundtrip from St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, on 15 voyages beginning August 5th. All of Crystal’s 10-night Luxury Caribbean Escapes, including a holiday cruise, will explore the tropical beauty of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago**, St. Maarten, and the British Virgin Islands. Reservations for the new 15 voyages from St. Maarten open May 12, 2021.
The addition of St. Maarten as a port of departure expands the air options for guests as major U.S. cities provide airlift into the country. The itineraries, together with the recently announced 10-night Luxury Iceland Expeditions aboard Crystal Endeavor and 7-night Luxury Bahamas Escapes aboard Crystal Serenity, comprise the resumption of service of 97 percent of Crystal’s ocean-going fleet.
“Crystal continues to be at the forefront of the return to cruising, and true to our Crystal hallmarks of Service, Space, Quality, Choices and Destinations, our goal is to ensure guests have abundant options to tailor their travel experiences to their personal tastes,” said Jack Anderson, president of Crystal. “As we look toward welcoming our Crystal family back to explore the Caribbean and the globe with us, the five pillars of the Crystal experience remain at the core of everything we do as they have for more than 30 years, providing our guests with confidence and certainty that we will continue to deliver the finest experiences on carefully crafted itineraries with uncompromising service and near limitless options.”
Crystal Symphony’s Luxury Caribbean Escapes feature overnights in St. John’s, Bridgetown and Philipsburg, and while uniformly spectacular, each locale boasts its own character and highlights for Crystal guests.
- Phillipsburg, St. Maarten – This tiny land mass boasts a robust local culture that stretches beyond the predominant Dutch-French sides. Travelers here will find innovative fine cuisine and a passion for the great outdoors with all kinds of water sports as well as hiking and zip lining. With the extra day here, guests can also explore farther with a visit to neighboring Saba, the untouched “Queen of the Caribbean.”
- Roadtown, Tortola, British Virgin Islands – The capital of the British Virgin Islands, Tortola is a haven for beachgoers, scuba enthusiasts who will relish exploring shipwrecks, and hikers who will find rewarding views of bougainvillea-covered hills. A brief ferry ride takes travelers to Virgin Gorda, where The Baths’ granite boulders lay out an impressive geological wonder across the breathtaking beach.
- St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda – With its UNESCO-listed English Harbour on the south coast and an enduring British heritage, St. John’s is the starting point for Antigua’s rich historic highlights, but it’s the 365 beaches – one for every day of the year – that make the island a picture-perfect destination.
- Bridgetown, Barbados – The Barbados UNESCO-listed capital still wears its British history proudly, with significant sites throughout the city to appeal to history buffs. From the original Trafalgar Square and Broad Street’s bustling shops to the island’s famous rum, beautiful Botanical Gardens and Harrison Limestone Cave, there is much to discover beyond the crystal-clear sea.
- Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago – The tiny, relaxed half of this two-island nation, Tobago is ideal for travelers seeking to connect with nature, offering rain forest hikes, spectacular dive sites and secluded bays. Pigeon Point Nature Reserve is a highlight, offering 125 acres of pristine natural landscape with boating, diving and wildlife observation opportunities.
- Castries, St. Lucia – Vibrant color and Creole flavor are at the heart of the town, while toward the pristine beaches travelers will find world-class scuba diving and lush surrounding forest punctuated by the UNESCO-listed towering green Pitons. Guests can also visit Sulphur Springs, the only volcano in the world where people can dive in for mud baths.
