Crystal Endeavor Review
By John Roberts
You can usually grab my interest when you simply mention expedition travel. I love to go exploring. The more exotic, adventurous and active, the better.
But when you can do it in style on a small luxury cruise ship, well, I suppose that’s even better.
Crystal Endeavor is going to attract a whole lot of cruisers who want that perfect mix of comfort and pampering with a hearty slice of active exploration and fitness options in some of the most coveted places in the world.
The new 200-pax Crystal Endeavor expedition ship. * Photo: John Roberts
Crystal Cruises is a leader in luxury small-ship cruising because of its fleet of marvelous river ships.
The company also offers a pair of ocean cruise ships, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, that are modest in size but over the top when it comes to a luxury travel experience. The line’s two ocean ships each carry about 1,000 passengers, well out of the range of the small-ship vessels covered by Quirky Cruise. But Crystal’s new Crystal Endeavor is right on target for us with a capacity of 200 passengers.
The 200-pax Crystal Endeavor. * Photo: John Roberts
In summer 2021, Crystal Endeavor debuted with sailings around Iceland before making its way to Miami to show off for the North American audience with a one-off Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas and British Virgin Islands (there are a pair of Caribbean cruises being offered in October 2022).
I was onboard this nine-day cruise in late October (2021) and dove right in to a range of adventures offered on this one-of-a-kind luxury expedition ship.
Crystal Endeavor offers an intoxicating mix of luxury and expedition features that really change the game for small-ship expedition cruising.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the revolutionary ship, with all the dining options, spacious public areas and expedition accoutrements, as well as the activities and pampering you can expect to enjoy.
John lingers by Crystal Endeavor’s outdoor hot tub. * Photo: John Roberts
Crystal Endeavor is built for exotic cruising to the polar regions, so that is where it really shines.
The ship sailed south to Ushuaia right after my Caribbean voyage in order to begin its inaugural Antarctica season.
My Crystal Endeavor Itinerary in a Nutshell
- Depart Port Miami
- Sea day, cruising the Bahamas
- Great Exuma Island, Bahamas
- Man of War Bay, Inagua Island, Bahamas
- Sea day, cruising Old Bahama Channel
- St. Barts, Gustavia
- White Bay & Great Harbour Beach, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
- Norman Island, BVI
- Saba, Netherlands Antilles
- Disembark San Juan, Puerto Rico
The pretty five-square-mile island of Saba. In 2010 Saba became part of a special municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the islands of St. Eustatius and Bonaire. * Photo: John Roberts
Crystal Endeavor Details — Built for Expedition
I can tell you, Crystal Endeavor features tons of space, measuring 20,000 gross tonnes to be more precise.
As a comparison, I sailed on Ponant’s Le Lyrial in Antarctica (read story here) two years ago and that ship also carries up to 200 cruisers and measures 10,700 gross tonnes.
So, Crystal Endeavor is almost twice as spacious!
So much space for just 200 passengers, here one of the multiple restaurants, Waterside. * Photo: John Roberts
And it shows — with so many extras that you wouldn’t necessarily expect on an expedition ship.
But the best part is all the great outdoor viewing space that the design takes into consideration.
Lots of open deck space for taking in your surroundings. * Photo: John Roberts
Crystal Endeavor offers eight passenger decks, from the McMurdo and Shackelton mud rooms down on Deck 3 up to the spacious lounging areas and walking track on Deck 10.
The two mud rooms are the staging areas for your shore excursion adventures. Here, there are small lockers to store life jackets and other items you need ashore but don’t need to bring back to your cabins.
Each passenger gets his or her own locker and boot dryer pegs on which to place their freshly washed boots after returning to the ship.
You walk through the mud rooms to load onto the Zodiacs for heading ashore or to begin Zodiac tours.
Crystal Endeavor carries 18 Zodiac boats, 14 sea kayaks, and at some point, plans to offer a two-person submersible for undersea excursions and a pair of helicopters.
Crystal Endeavor carries along 18 Zodiac boats. * Photo: John Roberts
A fleet of 14 kayaks are carried on board. * Photo: John Roberts
That sub and the two choppers weren’t on the ship during our cruise, though the two-person submersible that had been on Crystal’s former yacht Crystal Esprit was being tested for use during the upcoming season in Antarctica. Hopefully the choppers are coming at some point.
Below I highlight Crystal Endeavor’s expedition features.
Expansive Outdoor Space
Crystal Endeavor has a multitude of amazing outdoor space.
Aside from the wide-open Deck 10, passengers will love the bow area on Deck 6 — travel down the passenger cabin corridor to find the doors that lead out to a lounge area and hot tub right at the bow.
Hot tub at the bow, not too shabby! * Photo: John Roberts
A promenade encircles Deck 5, and Deck 9 offers outside space, which also leads back to Deck 8 at the aft where you find the helicopter pad, which is wide open and a fine spot to use when chopper operations aren’t happening.
Crystal Endeavour’s helipad. * Photo: John Roberts
There’s more! Palm Court is a large lounge on Deck 9 at the bow with floor-to-ceiling windows that give a wonderful look at the scenery outside from the comfort of your plush seat.
Plus, you can head outside to the deck area just beyond the lounge and bar for the stunning fresh-air views.
Now, the Solarium on the aft of Deck 5 is home to the “Marketplace” casual eatery, as well as the ship’s swimming pool and another hot tub.
John having a ball in Crystal Endeavor’s windowed Solarium & Marketplace. * Photo: John Roberts
The space is enclosed by two stories of glass, and you can step outside for al fresco breakfast or lunch.
The dreamy outdoor seating of the Marketplace eatery. * Photo: John Roberts
The Solarium is a stunning space that I can see being among the most popular places to sit in comfort and enjoy the views safe from the elements while having the option to quickly step outside if whales or other creatures are spotted during the voyage.
Crystal Endeavor’s indoor hot tub may just have the best view in the house! * Photo: John Roberts
The Crew & Expedition Staff — 1 to 1
Crystal Endeavor carries 200 crew, making a 1-1 crew-to-passenger ratio. This translates into an extremely high level of service and attentiveness for cruisers.
Of those crew members, 20 or so (depending on the itinerary) are part of the Crystal expedition team. These are your experts leading the journeys to Antarctica, the Arctic and points in between.
“Here’s where Crystal will separate itself from the other operators (in Antarctica),” said Steve Moir, expedition team leader during our Caribbean voyage. “We’re not just going ashore and setting boundaries and releasing guests to sort of venture out on their own.
“Our expedition team isn’t just made up of Zodiac drivers and straight expedition staff. Everyone has a specialty. So, when guests arrive onshore, we’ll have our artist in residence, we’ll have our ornithologist and we’ll have experienced staff who want to go for a hike.
“So, we’ll have enrichment; it won’t just be a free for all.”
The expedition team features passionate scientists and scholars who specialize in fields such as ornithology, glaciology, marine biology and conservation. You also travel with an artist in residence and photographers who will teach you how to best capture the wildlife and landscapes that you visit.
They lead you ashore each day for your adventures and offers numerous enrichment lectures in the Crystal Cove. You can invite them to dinners, too, for a chance to get to pick their brains and learn more about their passion for nature, travel and adventure.
Restaurants on Crystal Endeavor
Speaking of dinners, Crystal Endeavor has a fantastic number of dining options, with five eateries — plus 24-hours room service). This makes it unlike almost any other expedition cruise experience out there when it comes to culinary offerings.
The main dining room, Waterside, serves a rotating menu of dishes that always include a meat, fish and vegetarian option.
The elegant Waterside dining room on Crystal Endeavor. * Photo: John Roberts
We quickly got to know the crew there and loved checking in with our waiter Prince Jose every day to get his recommendations and engage in some fun banter.
All of the crew are outstanding, and with about 45 passengers onboard for our cruise, they had plenty of attention to lavish upon their guests. They all said how wonderful it was to be working again after such a long layoff because of the cruise shutdown. They also explained that they know they are fortunate because many of their colleagues and friends in the cruise industry are still at home in places like India, the Philippines and Indonesia waiting to be called back to service.
We enjoyed things like buckwheat pancakes with blueberries or smoked salmon bagels for breakfast and octopus salad, sweet potato soup, duo of pork and whole roasted duckling for dinner at Waterside.
You can get breakfast, lunch and dinner at Waterside every day.
I mentioned Marketplace above, and this was a favorite place for Colleen and me to get breakfast and lunch each day. You can’t beat the morning views here as the sun rises and the sea birds drift along on the breezes off the sides of the ship.
The buffet offers yogurts, muesli, fresh-cut fruit, cheese, breads, bagels and pastries, as well as salmon. There also is an egg station where we ordered our omelets and sides like bacon, ham and hash browns. I also tried all of the fruit smoothies they offered, including the “Sunrise,” a delicious ginger, carrot and orange juice blend.
During lunch, the eatery offers a sandwich of the day, a pasta station, and burgers and a Reuben sandwich. You also get sides of fresh vegetables and potatoes. Salads, cheeses, meats and desserts are also available every lunch. I never left without a chocolate chip cookie or two.
Bistro Café is a wonderful spot to get a light bite any time. The buffet station is set up in the ship’s coffee lounge, so it’s a popular spot throughout the day to come for a specialty coffee. The space is near the guest services desk and offers tables and chairs, as well as a banquette, and people gather to read a book, browse computers or chat with friends. The buffet features light breakfast options, including pastries and doughnuts, and sandwiches, soups, fruit and cold cuts for lunches.
I loved to pop by in the afternoon to assemble a cheese plate from a range of delicious varieties. Bistro Café is also where you find the ice cream bar, complete with cookies and toppings.
Fine Dining Specialty Restaurants on Crystal Endeavor
Crystal Endeavor really stands out because of its specialty restaurants.
Umi Uma is the Asian eatery and sushi bar, and the menu is so good that we went twice for dinners during our nine days on the ship. Many fellow cruisers went to the sushi bar every night for at least an appetizer before their main dinners at one of the other restaurants.
A plate of sashimi in the Umi Uma Asian eatery and sushi bar. * Photo: John Roberts
We trusted our server Sheila to put together a sushi and sashimi platter for us. We picked from appetizers and main courses that included oysters, a Wagyu beef filet, udon noodles and other seafood delicacies.
One of many appealing meals in Umi Uma throughout our cruise on Crystal Endeavor. * Photo: John Roberts
Of course, we also complemented the meal with our glasses of sake. Colleen chose the cold version, and I picked a hot sake.
Prego is Crystal Endeavor’s Italian restaurant, with a menu that includes a mix of classic favorites and contemporary Mediterranean dishes.
The portion sizes are modest enough to allow you to fully enjoy multiple courses, which, of course, must include the beef carpaccio (prepared expertly tableside) and the fresh basket of bread.
Beef carpaccio prepared tableside. * Photo: John Roberts
We also dug into the signature creamy mushroom soup served in an oregano bread bowl and savory main courses like lasagna alla casalinga, spaghetti frutti di mare (mussels, shrimp and scallops tossed with white wine), chicken scaloppine parmigiana and broiled branzino.
(Yes, we ate twice at Prego in order to try all these drool-worthy items.)
Lasagna alla casalinga in Prego. * Photo: John Roberts
One of many meals we enjoyed in Prego. * Photo: John Roberts
At least once a sailing, the Prego space is used for The Vintage Room, a multi-course wine pairing feast (extra charge).
Below is my video that sums up Crystal Endeavor’s dining options.
The Public Spaces on Crystal Endeavor
Enrichment talks and the music shows occur in Crystal Cove each afternoon and evening. This is a spacious bar area, lounge and a main gathering space onboard Crystal Endeavor.
Pianist Colin Salter in his show in the main theater, Crystal Cove. * Photo: John Roberts
You pass through Crystal Cove to get to the ship’s big casino, an unusual sight indeed on a small expedition ship. But Crystal Cruises’ passengers typically are very well-heeled, and several of them might enjoy a little bit of gambling with their money.
So, Crystal is happy to provide a nice venue for just such a recreational activity. The casino features more than a dozen slot machines and table games like blackjack, craps and roulette. There is even a private gaming room for high rollers who want big-stakes card game.
Palm Court is the other main bar, located on Deck 9. The huge lounge area offers great views as you sail, and it also has a dance floor. Our pianist Colin Salter, who is from Australia, put on evening shows here and served as trivia master for the afternoon sessions that we attended during the week.
Down the hall from Palm Court, the Library and Expedition Lounge are two wonderful spaces to find a book and comfy seat. The Library space also features a small pantry with tables, a coffee machine and fridge filled with waters and sodas for passengers to help themselves.
Crystal Endeavor’s library. * Photo: John Roberts
Crystal Endeavor Accommodations
Each stateroom is called a suite on Crystal Endeavor, and you get at least 304 square feet of space, a good-sized balcony and butler service, as well as a range of amenities.
John’s Crystal Endeavour suite #602. * Photo: John Roberts
We enjoyed being treated like royalty by our sweet butler Victor, who loved to chat about his world travels and his homeland of Romania.
The bathroom was amazing, with a walk-in spa-style shower and heated floors, which are great for the colder climates.
Cabins also have a locker with a drying function. These are for hanging up wet layers and parkas after your excursions ashore in places like Antarctica.
You’ll be pleased to know the mini-fridge is filled with your choice of beverages, and you can order room service 24 hours a day. You also get afternoon canapes every day, which could be anything from a delicious plate of cheese and crackers to a quartet of seafood delicacies.
Below is a walk through of our suite, #602.
Crystal Endeavor Fitness Options
I was really pleased with the fitness center and spa on Crystal Endeavor.
A daily workout is a big priority for me, and the size of Crystal Endeavor’s gym and the variety of equipment offered is truly impressive for a 200-passenger expedition ship.
The gym’s numerous cardio machines on Crystal Endeavour. * Photo: John Roberts
Cruisers will love the spa, which offers a range of massage treatments in three treatment rooms. The spa also features a sauna, steam room and experience shower in each changing room (one for men and one for women).
While the Caribbean itineraries are likely to be filled with beach time and chances to go snorkeling, Crystal Endeavor offers several chances to keep up with your fitness programs — or your general desire to stay super active while you cruise on these exciting expeditions.
Check out John’s 6 ways for Fitness Fanatics to work it on Crystal Endeavor
Hitting the Gym. The fitness center on Endeavor is well stocked with cardio and weight-training equipment — there are treadmills, bikes, elliptical and resistance training machines, as well as exercise balls, fitness bands, dumbbells up to 50-pound pairs and a big floor space with mats to do your yoga workouts or apps-based virtual-training programs on your device.
John working out in the well accoutered gym. * Photo: John Roberts
Jogging with a View. The ship’s jogging/walking track on the top deck is ideal for runs any time of day when conditions are favorable enough to enjoy the fresh air and views. The track is 12.5 laps per mile.
Kayaking & Stand-Up Paddling. The ship features a paddling program for excursions; right from the ship when at anchor or on beaches where possible. Paddling is a great way to see your destinations in a fun and active way while maneuvering into special little places best seen by water. There are 18 kayaks and a few paddle boards.
Kayaking is a part of many excursions aboard Crystal Endeavour. * Photo: John Roberts
Hiking Outings. Make sure to sign up for any challenging hiking excursions or forest walks offered during your voyage. Nothing like this offered on your program? Then, ask an expedition team member if they can recommend a great hike (safe and accessible, of course) in the port you are visiting and head off on your own for an independent adventure to see something few others will.
Going for a Run. Avid runners will love the chance to get off the ship in exotic and remote places to get in their daily run. The Caribbean locations we visited offered wonderful chances to go on a run along a hillside roadway (in Jost Van Dyke) or even on the beach (St Barts). Again, ask an expedition guide whether they can recommend a route.
Fresh-Air Workouts. I love to get outside for a bodyweight or exercise band workout when I cruise. I travel with a band and an anchor, so I can set up almost anywhere. Crystal Endeavor has a number of great spaces to take it outside. You can do your workouts on the helicopter pad or any of the observation areas, using the ample space and railings to anchor your bands and get an exhilarating pump or heart-racing workout completed. You can also take these sessions off the ship to the beach or park areas where you stop.
Below is an overview of the fitness options on my Crystal Endeavor cruise.
Fun in the Sun in Port
While the ship is really built to show off in the polar regions, we were able to enjoy a kind of “expedition-light” look at how the activities and operations will happen.
For us, this meant a voyage filled with multiple opportunities to get in the water, on the water or by the water. And there is no better place to do all this than in the Caribbean.
Starting off in the Bahamas, we visited smaller spots great for snorkeling and kayaking, and we snorkeled at both Great Exuma and Inagua Island.
The warm waters off the coast of these lesser-visited islands are home to nice reef systems, and I spotted a range of tropical fish such as lionfish, parrotfish, clownfish and barracuda. I even saw a massive grouper.
John getting ready to snorkel in the Bahamas. * Photo: John Roberts
At Inagua, we also went for an afternoon Zodiac ride to watch pelicans cruises the coastline. Others went onto the islands for beach time.
We continued sailing on calm waters and under sunny blue skies, and next our journey took us next to beautiful St. Barts.
Photogenic St Barts. * Photo: John Roberts
And then it was on to the British Virgin Islands, where we stopped at the remote and idyllic harbors at White Bay and Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke and then Norman Island.
Jost Van Dyke’s White Bay Beach. * Photo: John Roberts
These days played out similarly to our time in the Bahamas and St. Barts, with days spent snorkeling or exploring the beaches.
We took the opportunity at Jost Van Dyke to hike from White Bay, following a road over the top of the island, to arrive at Great Harbour, which boasts a laid-back vibe and the renowned Foxy’s bar, home of great night-time parties and strong spiced rum cocktails.
Enjoying a beverage at Foxy’s. * Photo: John Roberts
Our final stop visited Saba, a tiny island in the Netherland Antilles, where we went ashore for a tour of the towns on the island and a stop for a lunch and a beer. We hustled back to Crystal Endeavor just in time to join a kayaking outing in the bobbing waters near the sheer cliffside of the volcanic island.
This cruise, overall, was a fabulous chance to get to learn about the ship and see it in action. The crew onboard was excited to have one last escapade in such a warm and sunny environment before heading down for a season in Antarctica.
Here is what is included in your fare when sailing on Crystal Endeavor, which is a breed apart when it comes to the expedition cruise market.
It’s the high-end luxury touches that make adventure sailing different than anything that you might have thought was possible.
- Spacious suite accommodations with butler service
- Michelin-standard dining in a choice of restaurants
- All drinks including premium spirits
- Most excursions, including zodiac trips
- Use of watersports equipment & other Crystal Endeavor fitness options
- Expedition parkas in polar regions
- Binoculars in your stateroom
- Gratuities
Excursions are part of fares, including Zodiac rides. * Photo: John Roberts
Crystal Endeavor Fares
Crystal Endeavor spends the winters cruising in Antarctica and summers in Svalbard and Iceland, cruising in between to points in Europe, South America and the Caribbean.
Note, all passengers must be vaccinated to cruise on Crystal Endeavor; click here for more info on the policy for children being vaccinated.
RELATED: Check out John’s Crystal Endeavor review video, below!
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John Roberts is a freelance writer and operator of InTheLoopTravel.com. He writes about cruising and active travel, and is QuirkyCruise’s resident small-ship cruising fitness reporter!
HEIDI SARNA
