Crystal Cruises has become the latest cruise line to cancel its African itineraries due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, with Crystal Endeavour’s 2022 Cape Town departure scrapped.

Crystal Endeavour, the cruise line’s new luxury expedition cruising yacht, due meant to sail from Cape Town next year, but will instead extend her season in South America before repositioning to Europe.

Crystal Endeavor

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Crystal Cruises has added a series of 10- to 15-night voyages visiting ports in Antarctica, South America, and Europe to Crystal Endeavor’s schedule for spring 2022 as a result of its cancelled West African itineraries.

The new voyages will take place from March 1st to April 29th, 2022, visiting 31 ports in nine countries across three continents with extended stays and several overnight calls, including Málaga and Seville in Spain, as well as Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Puerto Del Rosario in the Canary Islands.

These itineraries replace the previously scheduled four West African cruises that were meant to begin with a 17-night voyage from Cape Town to Ghana in March next year.

The West African itineraries have been cancelled due to ongoing uncertainty over the Omicron variant and its potential impact within the region, the company said.

Already, Norwegian Cruise Line has been forced to cancel its December and January cruises from South Africa, while MSC Cruises has cancelled its Durban departures into January following a COVID-19 outbreak aboard MSC Orchestra.

Crystal Endeavor was meant to sail from Cape Town up Namibia’s Skeleton Coast

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Following these newly added voyages, Crystal Endeavour will operate her previously announced schedule of voyages to Europe, Iceland and Greenland, including summer Arctic voyages, beginning April 29th, 2022, before heading back for another season in Antarctica in November, 2022.

“We are very pleased that our talented itinerary planning team was able to create these immersive new sailings aboard the new Crystal Endeavor which has garnered worldwide acclaim for her unique onboard experience that combines bold adventure with the finest in luxury travel,” said Jack Anderson, President,Crystal Cruises.

“We wish to thank our valued guests and travel partners for their patience and understanding. We made these changes in an abundance of caution as the health, safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew are always our top priority,” he added.

It isn’t yet clear whether Crystal Endeavour will re-schedule her Cape Town cruises for 2023 following her second season in South America in late 2022.