Amidst rapidly deteriorating security conditions in Turkey, operator Crystal Cruises have pulled two Turkish ports from their upcoming travel itinerary.
Cruise Critic reports that, starting with the April 24 sailing of liner Crystal Symphony, port calls at Istanbul and Kuşadası will be replaced with stops in the Greek ports of Souda Bay/Chaina, Navplion, Hydra and Athens.
The 922-passenger ship is one of a handful of cruise liners which provide a lifeline for Istanbul’s hip Karaköy district and other attractions popular with international visitors. The decision follows a deadly terror attack in Sultanahmet which killed ten foreign tourists, mostly of German origin, and simmering conflict in the country’s southeast.
The Crystal Symphony
Crystal Symphony at Saxarfjärden in the Stockholm archipelago
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Crystal Symphony |
| Owner: | Crystal Cruises |
| Operator: | Crystal Cruises |
| Port of registry: | Nassau,  Bahamas |
| Ordered: | 1992 |
| Builder: | Kværner Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland |
| Cost: | US$250 million |
| Completed: | 1995 |
| In service: | 3 May 1995 |
| Identification: |
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| Notes: | [1][2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 51,044 GT |
| Length: | 238 m (781 ft) |
| Beam: | 30.18 m (99.02 ft) |
| Draught: | 7.59 m (24.90 ft) |
| Decks: |
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| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: | Diesel-electric; two shafts |
| Speed: |
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| Capacity: | 922 passengers |
| Crew: | 545 |
| Notes: | [1][2] |
