Luxury - Crystal Cruises

2010 World Cruise Preview
Exploration of Ancient Empires
Charting an exotic course with a unique Middle Eastern twist
The 15th annual
World Cruise,
while still a
year away, is
generating a lot
of excitement. In
fact, more than
200 guests are already booked for what
promises to be an exciting adventure.
“We feel we have created an unparalleled
voyage for the most discriminating
travelers,” says Gregg Michel, president
of Crystal Cruises. “Our 2010 World
Cruise guests can visit a combination of
destinations renowned for being profoundly
rich in antiquities and cultural history.”
John Stoll, director, land programs, shares
Michel’s enthusiasm. “This is our best World
Cruise itinerary ever,” he proclaims. “Just at
a glance, you can see how it traces world
history and offers a diversity of experiences.
Our guests can go exploring in the African
bush and experience the culture of India and
the Persian Empire. They will have the chance
to marvel at the modern city of Dubai, view
the unspoiled scenery of Khasab, and indulge
in the historical and artistic wonders of the
Mediterranean and Europe. It’s an opportunity
of a lifetime.”
Six of the voyage’s seven maiden calls are in
the Middle East, making it especially rich in
cultural content. One of the maiden calls is
Kuwait City, Kuwait, believed to be part of
an earlier civilization dating to the 3rd
millennium BC. More recently, of course, it’s
been known for oil, and makes up 20% of
the world’s known oil resources. The city has
literally become a light in the desert; the
night skyline is stunning to behold.
Another maiden call is Khasab, Oman.
Says Stoll, “The area is incredibly scenic
and unspoiled. Serene waters make it the
perfect setting for a dhow cruise through
the fjords. Guests may even see dolphins
swimming nearby.”
Then there is one of the most talked about
maiden calls, Bandar Abbas, Iran. According
to Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, Middle East
expert, thousands of Americans have been
traveling to Iran visiting the country’s
ancient cities and getting to know not only
its culture, but also its friendly inhabitants.
“Iranian hospitality is legendary,” comments
Ginsberg. “The Iranian people are some of
the most pro-American in the Middle East.”
For all of its fantastic Middle Eastern
destinations, the 2010 World Cruise offers
many other compelling reasons to join
one, two or all seven voyages. This grand
journey marks the first time Black Sea ports
have been included in a Crystal World Cruise.
It features overnight stays in magical cities
such as Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Abu
Dhabi and Athens. It includes two-night
shipboard stays in Cape Town and Dubai.
And it offers late-night calls in ports such
as Ashdod, Israel; Alexandria, Egypt; and
Livorno, Italy.
Putting together an exciting World Cruise
itinerary is an intense job that requires a
great deal of planning. “I completed a site
inspection on all of these ports prior to us
deciding to include them in the 2010 World
Cruise,” says Stoll. “I think that says a lot
about Crystal’s commitment to ensuring that
each port can deliver a Crystal experience.”
The detailed 108-day itinerary for the 2010
World Cruise is now available at
crystalcruises.com.
With an emphasis on the Middle East, the
voyage draws an arc between the earliest
civilizations and the emerging capitals of a
vigorous Arabian Gulf economy, giving
guests a sense of old and new, the Biblical
and the progressive, the times of Alexander
the Great and Darius the Great.
“This itinerary is packed — and I mean
packed — with incredible experiences,”
says Stoll. “You can’t get on a plane and
relax and see in one vacation all the sites
we feature on this cruise. For instance,
we’re working on an excursion that will
take guests as close to the gates of Mecca
as possible, with camel rides and tented
areas in the sand looking down on Mecca.”
north
america
Miami
St. Lucia
Barbados
Atlantic
Ocean
Rio de Janeiro
Devil’s Island
Fortaleza
south
america
Montevideo
Buenos Aires
London europe
La Rochelle
Bilbao
Rome
Odessa
Naples
Livorno
Yalta
Athens Sochi
asia
Istanbul
Lisbon
Kuşadasi Kuwait City
Gibraltar Catania
Ashdod
Bandar Abbas
Barcelona
Dubai
Alexandria/Cairo Aqaba
Khasab
Suez Canal
Al Fujairah
Manama
Safaga
Jeddah Abu Dhabi
Mumbai
Muscat
Marmagao
africa
Arabian Cochin
Sea
Equator
Maldives
South
Atlantic
Ocean
Cape Town
Mombasa
Zanzibar
Durban
Port Elizabeth
Seychelles
Indian
Ocean
Map of 2010 World Cruise itinerary
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