As Crystal Cruises makes ready for a smooth changeover to “All Inclusive” at the beginning of March, the ultra luxurious cruise line has also undergone another transformation: it will in future offer longer stays in departure ports before the start of a cruise.

During the upcoming European cruise season, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will have double the previous number of journeys that start with one or more days (and nights) in port.

This decision is intended to make the whole departure procedure for guests less stressful and more enjoyable. It will, to a large extent, eliminate worries about delayed flights causing passengers to literally “miss the boat.” It will also allow them to settle in at a more leisurely pace and to explore the departure city in more depth before embarking on the actual cruise.

The President of the cruise line, Gregg Michel, said: “By adding more overnights to the cruises, especially at embarkation, travellers only have to unpack once, yet get even more time to experience a culture, while still having their Crystal home as a luxurious base.”

Crystal has also decided to add more overnight stays during cruises and at the end of cruises. End-of-cruise overnight stays in Barcelona, Venice and Istanbul, for example, will allow passengers to explore these cities in much more depth than what would have been the case if they had to rush to catch a plane back home. It also eliminates the need to move to a hotel if they want to explore the city where their cruise terminates.