The Crystal Endeavor, the first expedition ship for Crystal Cruises' expedition cruise arm, is now slated to launch this summer.
Originally set for delivery in August 2020, the ship's timeline was delayed by the shutdown of MV Werften, the German shipyard where the Endeavor is under construction, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was most recently scheduled to debut in early May.
Crystal canceled the Endeavor's sailings through May 1 and said it was reviewing its published summer itineraries.
The cruise line said that its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, recently completed a 193 million euro loan agreement with the German government for the completion of the Endeavor and to support the operations of the shipyard through March. In August, Genting said it had defaulted on more than $3 billion in debt payments.
Crystal also said that in December Genting terminated the sale and leaseback deal it had for the Endeavor, aiming to simplify the structure for post-delivery financing for the ship, which has no impact on the ship's planned operations.
The 20,000-gross-ton, 200-passenger ship will have six dining venues, including master chef Nobu Matsuhisa's Umi Uma & Sushi Bar; a full-service Crystal Life Salon & Spa; and expedition-specific amenities and spaces including enrichment areas, mud rooms, a helicopter lounge and a seven-person submersible that would enable deep-water explorations up to 980 feet in several areas of the world.
The Endeavor will offer three dedicated categories of exploration: Remote Expedition, in which the ship visits some of the most far-flung destinations and uninhabited locales; Cultural Discovery, with an emphasis on the region and its people; and Destination Exploration, which highlights the natural wonders and beauty of the destinations. The ship's current destinations include the Norwegian Fjords and Scottish Isles; France, Spain and Portugal; the Atlantic Isles and Western Africa; Brazil and Argentina; and Antarctica.
Crystal still owes an unknown amount to passengers booked on cruises the line canceled this year, with many still waiting on refunds from as far back as March, some for tens of thousands of dollars.