Crystal Cruises Offers Guests More Opportunities To Give Back In 2015

Popular 'Voluntourism' Program Expands with More Complimentary Philanthropic Excursions than Ever

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Apr 14, 2015, 01:22 ET

LOS ANGELES, April 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury cruise leader Crystal Cruises continues its commitment to enriching the lives of its guests and the destinations to which its award-winning ships sail with an expanded number of the popular "You Care, We Care" shore excursions in 2015. For the line's 25^th Anniversary, 16 Crystal Adventures ashore – offered complimentarily to guests and crew, alike – will allow participants to engage in the humanitarian and conservational activities of organizations throughout the world. With three brand new excursions added to the roster, 2015 marks the largest collection of opportunities to serve global communities Crystal has offered. Among the destinations where Crystal guests can provide shore-side aid are:

Crystal Cruises will be celebrating 25 years of sailing in 2015 with multiple theme cruises bringing back former Crystal captains, as well as current top executives.

NEW Victoria, British Columbia – Guests will work alongside community members and volunteers at the Mustard Seed Food Bank, sorting food donations and helping prepare meals for those who would otherwise go without;

Santa Barbara, California – Backyard Bounty – a nonprofit organization that supplies the food bank of Santa Barbara – will take participants into the orchards to gather and organize fresh produce for local low income residents;

Dubrovnik, Croatia – At Domus Christi, a home boasting 660 years of history of assisting and sheltering the poor, elderly and infirmed, guests will meet with residents, providing companionship for a walk to the Old Port and along the waterfront, as well as helping with some of the home's gardening chores;

Barcelona, Spain – With expert guidance from researchers at the Rehabilitation Center, guests will learn about the center's dedicated efforts to helping endangered marine life and their habitats; and even participate in a training drill for a stranded beach rescue of a dolphin;

Guernsey/St. Peter Port, Channel Islands – Guests will get a glimpse into the daily operation of the Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as they assist with maintenance of the property; and

Puerto Limón, Costa Rica – Participants will spend time with the children and families of SOS Children's Village, where abandoned and orphaned children are brought up in a family setting, supported by the village environment.

Complete excursion and applicable sailing detail can be found on Crystal's Shore Excursion Finder tool.

"The tremendous response to the 'You Care, We Care' program continues to delight us, as our guests are savvy world travelers who relish the type of deeply immersive and authentic cultural education experienced during these excursions," says Crystal's president, Edie Rodriguez. "The act of contributing to the world in which we all travel is extremely rewarding – for everyone."

In all, the "You Care, We Care" Crystal Adventures will be offered on more than two dozen of Crystal's 2015 worldwide sailings. Through the April 30 "Book Now" deadline, all-inclusive cruise fares start at $2,345 per person.

Crystal Cruises is the world's leading luxury cruise provider, having earned more "World's Best" awards than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort in history. Crystal Cruises has won "World's Best Cruise Ship" in Condé Nast Traveler's Reader Choice Awards for 21 years; voted "World's Best Large Ship Cruise Line" by Travel + Leisure readers for 19-consecutive years; the "Best Luxury Cruise Line" by Virtuoso, Specialists in the Art of Travel; and both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity were rated as two of the "Top 5 mid-size ships" by the 2015 Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships.

For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel agent, call 888-799-4625, or visit www.crystalcruises.com.

PHOTO: A high-resolution image of the Rehabilitation Center's theoretical training on the rescue of a dolphin stranded on the beach can be downloaded from the Crystal Cruises Photo Library