The 62-passsenger Crystal Esprit is leaving the Crystal Cruises fleet to start a new life with Linblad Expeditions.
“Crystal Esprit has been a wonderful part of the Crystal fleet offering a boutique yachting experience unmatched in the industry, earning the devotion of discerning travellers and winning awards since her debut in 2015,” the company said in a statement earlier this week.
“However, as we have been evaluating our focus post pandemic, the single, small yacht concept does not fit into future plans for the company as we continue to concentrate on the successful deployment of our Crystal Ocean, River and Expedition fleets, as well as exploring new builds for expansion.”
The Esprit, built in 1991 by Flender Werft in Germany, was refurbished when she joined Crystal in 2015 following Genting’s acquisition of the brand.
Booked guests are being offered future cruise credits equal to 115 percent or a full refund.
Lindblad Expeditions Holdings told Cruise Critic on Wednesday it had entered into an agreement to purchase Crystal Esprit.
“This was a unique opportunity to acquire a ship that will allow us to continue our tradition of offering amazing expeditions to one of the world’s most remarkable destinations for years to come,” it said in a statement.