The luxury cruise line has spent over two years amassing experts for the voyage
By Patti Covello Pietschmann
Crystal Cruises began a landmark, 32-day Northwest Passage today Aug. 16 from Seward, Alaska on an epic to New York. And if you’re not booked on this trip you can do it next year. The company has added a second journey through the historic route for 2017—which is well worth considering now.
The Northwest Passage, the Arctic region north of Canada that was unattainable until just 100 years ago. and now Crystal is carry nearly one thousand intrepid guests in an amazing adventure there. “Every aspect of this voyage is literally unparalleled in the luxury cruise industry, and nearly the entire travel industry as well,” says Crystal’s CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez. “It is a tremendous undertaking to embark on such a historic journey, but also an honor for us to be able to offer the world’s most discerning travelers the
The line has recruited marine biologists, divers, climatologists and naturalists to help passengers understand the sights and scenery of the Last Frontier—a truly once-in-a-lifetime adventure with informative insights on the distinct characteristics of life in the Polar region. Having just cruised in Alaska I can tell you it’s worth the trip. “Every aspect of this voyage and the route Crystal Serenity will travel, holds historical and cultural significance, and understanding this significance while aboard this monumental journey will certainly heighten our guests’ experience,” says Edie Rodriguez, Crystal’s CEO and president. “The sheer number of experts set to enlighten travelers on the voyage speaks directly to how profoundly rich this itinerary is, and how much there is to discover about this part of the world.”
On shore Crystal is working with the experts from Expedition Voyage Consultants while Crystal Serenity’s escort vessel, the RRS Ernest Shackleton, will carry additional guides and crew. On board the Crystal Serenity, guests will enjoy interactive and illuminating presentations from 21 guest scientists, adventurers and lecturers with a collective repertoire of conservation, education and destination immersion that spans decades and several fields of study, including:
- National Geographic photographer and marine biologist, Flip Nicklin – regarded as the premier whale photographer in the world and a seasoned Arctic diver with decades of experience approaching whales to record their habits.
- Marine biologist & naturalist, Linda Nicklin – a Certified Interpretive Trainer with the Association for Interpretation, expert in immersing people in the nature of a destination.
- Arctic marine mammal ecologist, Lois Harwood – with a 30+-year portfolio of work encompassing the behavior and distribution of marine mammals.
- Dive master, Justin Hofman – a marine biologist and lifelong student of wildlife behavior will dive to capture images and video of the underwater world, utilizing a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), to be shared with guests in onboard presentations.
Conservation & Animal Behavior
- Polar bear specialist, Tom Smith – holding a PhD from McGill University’s Marine Science Centre and having pioneered innovative research on polar bears and the Ringed Seal of the Canadian Arctic, with focus on environmental impact in Polar Regions.
- Naturalist, Art Sowls – with nearly four decades of experience in marine conservation and working as a biologist for the national Park Service and Alaska Maritime national Wildlife Refuge.
- Geologist & climatologist, Henry Pollack – a Professor of Geophysics (emeritus) at the University of Michigan and Chair of the International Heat Flow Commission, with specialty in global climate change.
- Geologist, Tom Sharpe – hailing from Glasgow with 30 years’ geological experience working for the National Museum of Wales and interpreting the geology of regions from the Arctic to the Antarctic.
- Inuit Guides – A team of local wildlife guides from Arctic communities will accompany the voyage to provide local perspectives and expertise of the lands we are visiting.
Professional Adventurers
- Expedition leader, Tim Soper – A professional Expedition Leader with over two decades of experience in the polar regions will lead the team and manage expedition operations during the Northwest Passage voyage.
- Polar explorer, Sigrid Henjun – outdoor professional in a wide realm of specialties, including mountaineering, kayaking and cycling, having also summited South America’s highest peaks and circumnavigating the globe by kayak.
- Arctic guide, Laali Berthelsen – a native of Nuuk, Greenland, with several years’ experience managing logistics for boat and helicopter expeditions throughout the world.
- Expedition videographer, Kevin Freeny – a celebrated travel videographer with an additional background in commercial post-production, having captured journeys through the Galapagos, Rwanda, China, Antarctica, Alaska, the High Arctic and Greenland.
- Expedition logistics experts, Linnea Soper & Saskia Travert – experts in the logistics of expeditions to the Northwest Passage and Greenland will manage operations in these remote regions.
History & Culture
- Historians, Ken Burton and Hector Williams – the Executive Director of the Vancouver Maritime Museum (Burton) and a classical archaeologist hailing from Churchill, Manitoba, the “polar bear capital of the world,” (Williams), with collective expertise in history’s most extraordinary expeditions.
- Archaeologist, Margaret Bertulli – with three decades working in sites through the Canadian North, and having recovered skeletal and artifact remains of the Franklin expedition in the Arctic and recording endangered polar bear research.
In addition to the onboard enrichment and educational opportunities, guests are being given insights local guides’ from the team aboard the RRS Shackleton during shore-side adventures. The ship’s captain will position the vessel to take advantage of impromptu “Unexpected Adventures,” including Zodiac outings to view glaciers, kayaking in protected bays, trekking the tundra with an expert guide, and helicopter flights to view the Arctic landscape from the air, favorable weather conditions permitting. Likewise, the expedition teams will be on the lookout for wildlife sightings along the journey, and will alert guests to visible polar bears, whales and other wildlife whenever possible. Specialized viewing equipment on board allows guests to experience wildlife sightings from the comfort of the vessel.
