Crystal River Cruises has confirmed this summer’s deployment in Europe as it prepares to return to service next month.
Crystal Ravel will resume operations on August 29 before Crystal Debussy returns the following day.
The line had previously outlined plans to return on August 29 but had not confirmed the exact details.
Both river vessels will operate seven to 11-night itineraries on the Rhine, Danube and Moselle rivers. The ships will sail 35 departures in total.
Each cruise in 2021 will have at least two overnight stays.
The seven-night Legendary Rhine itinerary includes two overnight calls to Koblenz, Germany, and Amsterdam. There are four departures on August 30, September 13, October 21, November 4 and November 18 on Debussy.
The single Enchanting Moselle itinerary departure on October 4 on Debussy includes three overnights in Dusseldorf, Germany; Strasbourg, France; and Amsterdam.
Prices for the line’s 2021 voyages start from $3,499.
Walter Littlejohn, the line’s senior vice-president and managing director, said: “While our Christmas market voyages are completely sold out there is still availability for select voyages, which we know will be welcome news for guests who have been postponing their plans waiting for travel restrictions to ease.
“There is a pent-up desire to cruise to cities such as Amsterdam and Budapest and epicentres of art and music such as Vienna and Salzburg.”
The line was forced to deny a US media report this week, claiming that the company’s river vessels were up for sale.
Denying the accuracy of any email sent to its competitors by a Florida ship broker, Littlejohn said: “We would like to assure our valued guests, travel advisors and team members that Crystal is steadfastly focused on pivoting away from the travails of the pandemic as we prepare to gradually resume service this year.”
He went on to say that Crystal Ravel on the Danube and Crystal Debussy on the Rhine were “very heavily booked.”
More: Crystal River Cruises ‘optimistic’ as it plots late August restart