CRYSTAL’S new luxury cruises to and from Dublin, plus eight calls to the Emerald Isle in 2014, will keep holidaymakers busy. Crystal Symphony will visit Gaelic grounds during two seven-day British Isles voyages, the first departing from London on August 17 and the second ending there after an August 24 sailing. Crystal Serenity also visits Ireland during a 14-day Trans-Atlantic voyage that departs September 5 and ends in America’s most Irish city, Boston.
A total of six ports, including two maiden calls, are planned for the land of leprechauns:Ireland:• Waterford – With Georgian architecture as beautiful as the town’s famous crystal, Ireland’s oldest and windiest city is surrounded by craggy beaches, fishing villages and walking trails throughout the county. • Dublin – Ireland’s literary and political capital, this relaxed metropolis combines the classic pubs and stone townhouses of yesteryear with modern architecture and acceptance.• Galway – Considered the most Irish of all cities, here, one is surrounded by Gaelic language and tradition, while strolling medieval streets, scenic shorelines and historic squares.• Cork/Ringaskiddy – Gothic castles, the home of Irish whiskey, and the Blarney Stone can all be found in County Cork.Northern Ireland:• Londonderry – “Derry,” as locals call it, is the only remaining walled city in the UK with its historic walls still intact.• Belfast – Gentrified quaysides, hip hotels and huge urban renewal have transformed this former battleground city into an enticing place of Irish pride for visitors.Crystal Adventures will take guests by coach, foot, helicopter, horseback and boat over, past and into such sites as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Giant’s Causeway, Jameson’s Distillery, and Lough Erne Resort, home of 2013’s G8 Summit, where guests can stay overnight during a new Belfast to Londonderry Overland Adventure.Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.