Crystal has confirmed that Crystal Serenity, the first ship to relaunch following the cruise line’s purchase by A&K Travel Group, has successfully completed sea trials.

The ship, which is due to set sail on its inaugural cruise from Marseille on 31 July, is currently in the final stages of a refurbishment at the Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste, Italy.

During the trials, it had a full contingent of officers, technicians and engineers on board, who “thoroughly tested the ship’s navigation, technical and mechanical systems”, a statement said.

A&K Travel Group also added that it had “ensured that the fire-resistant panels were properly certified and not defective”, following on from the news regarding a material issue on Explora Journeys’ Explora I and potentially other ships.

Crystal Serenity to sail in the Mediterranean

Senior vice-president of marine operations Roberto Fazi said: “Completing sea trials is one of the final milestones needed before we can officially return to service.

“We are proud of the entire team who helped get us to this day both on board and shoreside.

“We also want to thank our wonderful partners at Fincantieri who worked around the clock to deliver this beautiful ship on time and ready to welcome guests in just a few weeks.”

Following its maiden voyage, Crystal Serenity will spend the rest of the summer in the Mediterranean before repositioning to North America in September for Canadian and Caribbean sailings for the remainder of 2023.

The ship will also host the line’s 2024 world cruise.