Rejuvenation At Sea: Crystal Launches New Holistic Wellness Retreats

Photo Credit: Crystal

It’s no surprise that thoughtful wellness itineraries continue to be one of the most popular requests from travel enthusiasts in search of their next bucket list journey. With many stressors in the world affecting our daily habits and behaviors, wellness tourism continues to deliver on its promise of combating negative qualities and turning travel into an opportunity to maintain and improve our holistic health. From menopause retreats to cold plunge packages, forest bathing, and nature therapy, some of the most notable hospitality brands and leading destinations are giving travelers an all-access pass to some of the most exclusive names and programming in health, spa, and fitness. No stranger to delivering exceptional voyages for upmarket travelers, Crystal, the award-winning cruise brand which returned to sea in 2023 following its acquisition by A&K Travel Group, announced two special sailings dedicated to wellness, planned for December 2024. These new retreats are expected to give guests unparalleled journeys of rejuvenation and self-discovery.

Set to sail aboard the elegant Crystal Symphony ship from December 1-14, 2024 (Barcelona, Spain to Tema, Ghana), and December 14-23, 2024 (Tema, Ghana to Cape Town, South Africa); the retreats bring together a remarkable group of industry experts who have curated specialized programming in the categories of healthy aging, functional nutrition, fitness, mental wellbeing, and body and mind detox. The brand felt it was most important that their newest offerings align with discerning travelers’ evolving tastes and needs, as wellness is at the forefront of so many of their guests’ lives.

Photo Credit: Crystal

Departing from Barcelona, Spain, on December 1, guests will embark on a 14-night voyage featuring an itinerary designed in collaboration with registered nutritionists, yoga and meditation specialists, sports experts, and famed authors and scientists. The cruise includes stops in Gibraltar, Morocco, the Canary Islands (Spain), and Cape Verde, offering whole, plant-based culinary menus developed by Crystal’s culinary team in collaboration with Dalila Roglieri, Crystal’s culinary nutritionist, wellness excursions focused on hikes, nature walks, Hammam packages, wellness-cuisine cooking classes, aloe vera workshops, and farm-to-table experiences, private golf instruction, personal training, fitness-focused dance classes based on rumba, salsa, merengue and tango techniques, pickleball, padel, mindful meditation for calmness and clarity, trigger point therapy, sunrise stretching, starlight meditation, and expert-led workshops and lectures designed to improve self-awareness and promote resilience against daily stressors.

Then, on December 14, another wellness journey begins as guests embark on an eight-night voyage from Tema, Ghana, to Cape Town, South Africa. This sailing will stop in Namibia and feature the same expert programming as the previous voyage.

Photo Credit: Crystal

Guests of these specialty voyages can expect coaching by some of the most prominent names in the health and wellness, including Minna McHale, a personal trainer, yoga teacher, and movement and mobility instructor who has helped hundreds of clients, including top corporations, achieve their goals across Finland, Malaysia and Australia, Jenni Demus, a yoga and mental health specialist and author of self-compassion guidebook, “30 Steps to Inner Power,” Dalila Roglieri, Crystal’s Registered Nutritionist specialized in Dietetics, Clinical and Sports Nutrition and Dr. Christine Houghton, a worldwide keynote Registered nutritionist with a PhD in Nutrigenomics and a BSc in Biochemistry and the founder and faculty head of the Institute for Nutrigenomic Medicine.

And, as always, guests will also receive tailored beauty and health services at the brand’s award-winning Aurōra Spa, including the best in acupuncture, aromatherapy, and cryo technology. Crystal continues to offer some of the most premium and high-tech spa offerings (there’s a full medi-spa in-house, as well!) of all cruise lines in the market today.

Photo Credit: Crystal

Travelers interested in booking Crystal’s new wellness retreats or any of Crystal’s itineraries should visit crystalcruises.com or call 1-800-446-6620.