George Argyropoulos, CEO of Cruises International, which represents Crystal in South Africa, explained that yacht cruises are an important new addition to the traditional Crystal offering of six-star ocean cruises.
"Crystal is world-renowned for the quality of its sea cruises and the introduction of a small, luxury yacht option is a great innovation. The Seychelles is particularly attractive to our market because it is relatively close and there are no visa requirements, and we expect good demand for these yacht cruises" Argyropoulos explained.
Crystal Yacht Cruises will offer a range of seven-day regional, warm-water itineraries. The first cruise, on the Crystal Esprit, will start on 23 December 2015, and will visit all the main destinations in the beautiful Seychelles island chain, including Mahé, St. Anne, La Passe, la Digue, Curieuse, Cousin, Big Sister and Desroches Islands.
The Crystal Esprit will in future also travel to other destinations, including Dubai, Dubrovnic/Croatia, Venice/Italy and Athens/Greece.
The difference is...
The real difference with these cruises, however, comes with the on-board experience. Crystal Esprit is a 62-guest yacht that offers intimate, exclusive and immersive experiences never before seen on a commercial yacht cruise.
With a boutique feel, this all-suite vessel will feature the ambiance, superior finishes and cuisine that have become standard on Crystal cruise liners. In addition, Crystal Esprit offers travellers some decidedly extreme features, including a two-passenger submarine, four 10-passenger zodiacs for special excursions and a 12-passenger, 10-metre super yacht tender for special boating adventures. Additionally, at guests' fingertips are water skis, wake boards, kayaks, jet skis, fishing, scuba, and snorkel equipment.
For travellers on the Crystal Esprit trip to the Seychelles, there is the opportunity to hike through the tropical nature reserve on Cousin Island or snorkel directly from the yacht's aft marina in the colourful undersea world off Big Sister Island.
On board, Crystal offers a range of activities, including personalised jet-ski instruction, destination immersion and lectures from experts in relevant areas, the Cove Lounge, where there will be nightly entertainment with the resident piano player/singer and a dedicated fitness and activities director to assist guests in choosing the right excursions and physical fitness activities. Finally, the yacht even has special activities including yoga, meditation, photography, even drone flying instruction.
"I encourage anyone with an interest in cruising to consider this option," said Argyropoulos. "We have found that these innovative new options of Crystal Cruises are often quickly snapped up. Guests can make a reservation and have seven days to reconsider, if necessary, before a deposit has to be paid. Even then, the deposit is usually refundable up to ninety days before departure, depending on the terms of the booking. This is a unique cruising experience that should not be missed."
For more, go to Cruises International at www.cruises.co.za or your nearest travel agent
