Crystal Adds Pacific Coastal Voyages; Replaces Mexican Riviera Sailings

Crystal Symphony will ply two new Pacific Coast

itineraries in April, 2011.

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises

Much has been made of the fact that starting in 2011, both Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean are pulling out of the Mexican Riviera market completely, choosing instead to send their ships to the more lucrative - and in the eyes of the public, potentially safer - Caribbean and Mediterranean.

Yesterday, Crystal Cruises announced something along the same line: it will be scrapping Crystal Symphony's planned April 10 and April 17, 2011 Mexican Riviera sailings.  Unlike the aforementioned lines above, however, Crystal intends to redeploy the ship on another, less traveled West Coast run by offering two Pacific Coastal exploration voyages.

Departing April 10, 2011, Crystal Symphony will sail from Los Angeles to Vancouver, calling at Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Seattle, Astoria and Victoria.  On April 17, 2011, the inverse itinerary is offered between Vancouver and Los Angeles.

For West Coast residents, Crystal's move represents a unique opportunity to experience a week-long West Coast itinerary aboard a five-star vessel; many repositioning cruises are routinely offered only in May and September, and can run as little as two days in length. 

Prices for these exciting voyages start at $2,695 per person and include a $500-per person "As You Wish" shipboard credit to be used, well, as you wish.

For more information on this and other Crystal Cruises itineraries, be sure to visit their website.