Marine Biologist, Ornithologist, Geologist, Historian, Photographers, Artist in Residence and
Polar Expedition Leaders round out impressive roster of subject matter experts and guides
MIAMI, July 14, 2021 – Today, Crystal Expedition Cruises announced its roster of expedition leaders and naturalist experts for Crystal Endeavor’s inaugural voyages in Iceland. The luxury expedition yacht’s highly anticipated maiden voyage will embark round-trip from Reykjavik on July 17, 2021, the first of five 10-night voyages circumnavigating Iceland, featuring naturalists Boris Wise and Maria Cashin as expedition leaders and Eva Molin Westerholm as assistant expedition leader, along with a cadre of noted scientists, naturalist experts, photographers and more among its expedition team.
Wise and Westerholm have assembled an impressive lineup of expedition guides including ornithologist Joe Cockram, marine biologist Lisa LaPoint, glaciologist and geologist Bob Gilmore, historian Captain Ken Burton, photographers Roger Pimenta and Bruno Cazarini, and artist in residence Bruce Pearson to enrich guests experiences aboard Crystal Endeavor’s inaugural voyages in Iceland where rich bird and marine life present fascinating studies against a backdrop of stunning land and seascapes.
“To have such a diverse and experienced team of experts leading guests on small group expeditions to provide insights on the wildlife and landscapes of Iceland’s rare and remote places is the heart of the true expedition experience we want to offer our guests,” said Walter Barinaga, Crystal’s director of destination experiences. “Crystal Endeavor was designed to provide unique experiences and up-close encounters with the natural world and this incredible team will certainly enrich that experience by offering our guests a deeper understanding of the special places they visit.”
Both Wise and Westerholm are veteran explorers of the Arctic and Antarctic, with vast experience leading expeditions in the polar regions and beyond. Wise, an accomplished photographer with a background in horticulture, has spent a decade sharing his expertise in Southeast Alaska, before he ventured to Greenland, Iceland, the Northwest Passage, Baffin Island, Svalbard Archipelago, Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Cashin has always felt a deep connection to the natural world from her study of Geology and her work as a geoscientist to her adventures with National Geographic and as a tour operator for Canada’s premier mountain instruction and guiding school. Since 2012 she has combined her skills to work as a lecturer and expedition leader in the Arctic and Antarctic. Westerholm has a background in social anthropology and passion for the wilderness on expedition voyages for more than 13 years, guiding travelers through the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as Iceland, Central America, Eastern Canada and the British Isles.
The expedition team for Crystal Endeavor’s inaugural Luxury Iceland Expeditions includes:
- Captain Ken Burton, Historian – Author and decorated member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Captain Burton has a passion for history and experience as a guide on Northwest Passage transits and wilderness expeditions. Captain of the St. Roch II Voyage of Re-Discovery in 2000, he led a 169-day, 24,000 nautical mile circumnavigation of North America, one of the few people in history to complete the route in a non-ice-strengthened vessel in one season.
- Bruno Cazarini, photographer – Bruno Cazarini grew up in Brazil near the endangered Atlantic rain forest. In 2007 he left the business world to work on ships and a passion for photography was born. As a photographer and filmmaker, he has traveled to 130 countries, his latest work featuring photographic expeditions in the Amazon Jungle and Western South America, The Russian Far East, The Arctic and Antarctic, South East Asia, British Isles, The Australian Kimberley and a very unique exploration of the North-West Passage thought the Canadian Arctic.
- Joe Cockram, Ornithologist – An early love of birdwatching led Joe Cockram to 15 years as a warden and researcher at UK sites including The Isles of Scilly, The Farne Islands, Blakeney Point and recently as a reserve warden for the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Steart Marshes. Cockram shares his love of birds and his field experience amongst puffins, shearwaters, terns and the occasional seal, as he helps people discover diverse bird species.
- Robert “Bob” Gilmore, Glaciologist & Geologist – One of the few people that have reached both the north and south poles, expedition guide Bob Gilmore also spent four seasons working logistics with the US Antarctica Program at McMurdo, South Pole Station. A decision in 2004 to share his experiences and knowledge with others has led him on expeditions through the Drake Passage, the Antarctic Peninsula, Svalbard in the High Arctic.
- Lisa LaPoint, Marine Biologist – An accomplished photographer, naturalist and boat captain, Lisa LaPoint’s decade of experience in expeditions and exploration have taken her to all seven continents and every ocean. An expert in the polar regions and marine mammals and marine ecology, LaPoint enjoys inspiring others to learn more about the natural world.
- Bruce Pearson, Artist in Residence – A professional artist, ornithologist, and field naturalist Bruce Pearson brings his study of birds and the natural world to his sketches, painting and print making. The author and illustrator of books on seasonal migration and sea birds will share his knowledge and talents encouraging and guiding guests with an interest in art, or even those drawing for the first time, to capture sketches to enhance their memories of Iceland.
- Roger Pimenta, Photographer – A freelance photographer and Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Roger Pimenta has traveled six continents on documentary, reportage and adventure travel assignments. A veteran of more than 60 polar expeditions, he not only documents the culture, wildlife and environments of extreme places, he also leads workshops and photo clinics with an emphasis on environmental storytelling through imagery.
Carrying its own fleet of sea kayaks, 18 Zodiacs and featuring a helipad, Crystal Endeavor was purpose built to offer a true expedition experience including a PC6 polar classification that enables her to sail in polar regions. Exploration equipment aboard the ship includes a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) to view the sea at a 300-meter (almost 1,000 feet) depth and a Gimble long range camera mounted on the mast that can zoom in to view wildlife and scenery over a mile away.
The camera system shoots 4K video that will be streamed directly on the HD TVs throughout the ship including public areas and guest suites, and on the large 65-inch screens in Palm Court, the 86-inch screens in the Expedition Lounge and on the Cove’s video wall, with a massive 218-inch center screen and two 145-inch side screens. Camera operator control locations in the Palm Court and in the Expedition Lounge will also offer interactive activity between the camera operator and guests, who can point out sights they would like to see up close.
All ports of call aboard Crystal Endeavor’s Iceland voyages feature complimentary explorations – from kayaking to Zodiac excursions to walking tours – all led by naturalist experts from the ship’s expedition team. Complimentary expeditions on the inaugural Iceland voyages include sea kayaking in Patreksfjörður to explore the waters of the Westfjords, a walk along the Arctic Circle on Grimsey Island to spy cliff-dwelling sea birds, and a Zodiac cruise through mountain landscapes in Djúpivogur, among others.
The German-built 20,200 GRT Crystal Endeavor is the ninth ship in the award-winning cruise line’s worldwide fleet, the fastest and most powerful expedition ship in the industry and features a PC6 classification that enables her to sail in Arctic and Antarctic regions. At 100 gross tons and 10,000 cubic feet per guest and a passenger space ratio of more than 100, she has the largest space per guest of any ship at sea. Luxuriously designed to offer discerning travelers elegantly expansive private and public spaces, the ship accommodates just 200 guests in 100 well-appointed all-verandah, all-butler serviced suites, among the largest and most spacious in expedition cruising. Aone-to-one staff-to-guest ratio delivers the personal and genuine service for which Crystal is known.
Throughout the ship, Crystal hallmarks accent guests’ onboard experience: Michelin-inspired dining options including Umi Uma, the first and only Japanese restaurant on an expedition ship, fine Italian cuisine at Prego, 24-hour room service and optional Vintage Room experience; the only casino on an expedition yacht; a glass-covered, two-story solarium – housing the Seahorse Pool and Jacuzzi – providing panoramic views from sea to sky; and the full-service Crystal Life Salon & Spa with a state-of-the-art Fitness Center; as well as a wrap-around Promenade Deck, an iconic Crystal design element. Expedition-specific amenities will include high-tech enrichments spaces, designated mud rooms, an Expedition and Helicopter Lounge, and even the option of exploration in a six-guest submersible on select voyages.
Inaugural Voyages, Iceland, the Arctic Circle and Europe
As the first and only true luxury expedition yacht to restart cruising in the Arctic and Northern Europe, Crystal Endeavor’s maiden voyage sails from July 17 – 27, 2021 as part of a series of 10-night immersive voyages circumnavigating Iceland’s most dramatically beautiful and fascinating locales. The Luxury Iceland Expeditionvoyages sail round-trip from the ship’s homeport of Reykjavík, affording travelers convenient air options, just six hours from New York City, three hours from London and with frequent non-stop flights from many major cities in the U.S. and Europe. The series will be followed by the 10-night Journey of Vikings: Iceland & Norway from Reykjavík to Tromsø departing September 5, 2021.
Additional autumn departures include the 13-night Norwegian Fjords & Scottish Isles Exploration from Tromsø to London, departing September 15, 2021, featuring the fjords and UNESCO treasures of Norway and an overnight in Edinburgh, and the 11-night Breton, Bordeaux and Beyond from London to Lisbon departing September 28, 2021, and highlighted by two nights in the heart of Bordeaux and an overnight call in London.
About Crystal
Only the world-renowned Crystal Experience offers an unwavering, unparalleled standard of excellence and luxury across four distinct cruising options: Crystal Cruises, the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line; Crystal River Cruises, the World’s Most Luxurious River Cruise Line; Crystal Yacht Cruises, offering boutique luxury and bold adventure in the world’s most elite harbors; and Crystal Expedition Cruises, taking Crystal’s acclaimed elegance to the farthest reaches of the world. Crystal has been recognized with top honors in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for a record 27 years including, in 2019, for Best Medium-Ship Cruise Line for Crystal Cruises, Best Small-Ship Cruise Line for Crystal Yacht Cruises and Best River Cruise Line for Crystal River Cruises. Crystal was also voted “World’s Best” by the readers of Travel + Leisure for 24 years, including, in 2017 and 2020, Best River Cruise Line for Crystal River Cruises; and won “Cruise Line of the Year” and “Most Luxurious Guest Experience” by Virtuoso for 2018 & 2019. Crystal is proud to be a platinum partner of the advisors of ASTA.
For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel advisor, call 888.799.2437, or visitwww.crystalcruises.com. Join the hundreds of thousands who subscribe to the Crystal Insider blog, follow Crystal Cruises’ Facebook page; @crystalcruises on Twitter and Instagram; @crystalrivercruises on Instagram; and engage in the conversation with #crystalcruises, #crystalrivercruises and #WhereLuxuryisPersonal.