For many years, Crystal Cruises has been at the pinnacle of the luxury cruising market, delivering exceptional class and comforts to its esteemed seafaring clients. Not too long ago, Crystal decided to expand their fleet and bring their brand to more travellers, a decision that coincided with the company’s purchase by Genting Hong Kong. With a new parent company at the helm, Crystal successfully expanded into the luxury yacht market, the luxury air market and the luxury river cruise market. With this expansion, Crystal continues to deliver on the quality they have come to be known for. For them, luxury continues to be personal.
Cruises & Beyond has consistently worked with Crystal since our founding in 2003. Many of our clients have sailed with Crystal in the past and have even tried out the new river cruises. So from their perspective and ours, we have to ask the question: does Crystal Cruises still live up to its 5-star luxury service? The answer is a resounding yes. Here are our 5 reasons why cruising with Crystal will change the way you think about hospitality/travel, and why you should consider travelling with them despite the premium cost.
Brand Consistency
Even after being bought out by another company, Crystal has not only maintained their standard of luxury, but has improved upon it. If nothing else, the buyout gave Crystal the necessary capital to expand and update its fleet. After introducing a new yacht-class ship (Crystal Esprit) and a luxury air division, Crystal quickly launched their expansion into the European river cruise market. Now with four river vessels sailing the Mosel, Rhine and Danube Rivers year round, Crystal has quickly cemented itself near the top of luxury river offerings. And it’s not just because they have brand new shiny river ships; it’s because they took what they did so well on their ocean liners for so many years and replicated it to perfection and maybe even added just a little bit more oomph for that matter. Overall, it’s a testament to Crystal’s dedication to their product, craft and brand - and that is the symbol of a great company. And this is also why we couldn’t be more excited when Crystal’s new polar-class expedition yacht, the Crystal Endeavor, begins sailing next year in 2020.
The Perfect Size
Whether it’s their ocean cruises, river cruises or yachts, Crystal has always seemed to come out on top when we talk about ship footprints and passenger capacities. Their ocean cruises don’t exceed 900 passengers, their river cruises max out at 106 passengers, and their yacht (Crystal Esprit) tops out at 62. The Crystal Endeavor, which will make its inaugural sailing in September of 2020, will hold only 200 passengers. Starting with the ocean liners, the Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, we always tell our clients that these two sister ships are the perfect size for an ocean cruise. They’re small enough so that you won’t feel as if you’re on a huge floating resort devoid of anything related to the fact you’re on the ocean. Yet they’re still large enough to offer all of the entertainment a cruiser needs in terms of high-production shows, casinos and specialty restaurants. At 106 passengers, Crystal river cruises offer the highest staff-to-guest ratio of any river cruise company at 1 to 1.6. I mean this is just ridiculous! A passenger will nearly have 2 staff members at all times ready for assistance. Quite impressive indeed. The Crystal Esprit is really in a class of its own. You might think that the small ship size and a passenger capacity of 62 speaks caters to the more rugged and intrepid travel experience, but this is far from true. It’s exactly what you would expect out of crystal. The perfect blend of luxury and exploration, and no sacrifice of either aspect despite a much smaller footprint!
The Exceptional Attitude of the Staff
The fundamental reason Crystal Cruises can achieve its high quality of service is its staff. Perhaps the most exceptional staff of any cruise line in the world, they simply continue to wow our clients and in turn wow us. What always impresses us about Crystal is the “can do” attitude of the staff. Having extensive experience in escorting groups on a variety of cruise lines, it is always a pleasure to do so on Crystal as we know in advance that if something goes wrong of if something out of the ordinary has to be requested, we feel confident that Crystal will step up to the plate and make things right. More often than not, other lines may say “there is nothing we can do.” We have never heard these words on a Crystal sailing. The staff seem to genuinely love that they work for Crystal and this is a clear reflection of how the company treats their own. We would also like to point out that our company has a very close and strong relationship with the representative that covers our region. This relationship only bolsters our high regard for Crystal’s staff and we couldn’t wish for a better partnership.
All-Inclusive AND Doesn’t Skimp On Quality
Many if not all of you already know that when you choose to travel with Crystal, you choose to pay for everything in advance. All food, drinks including spirits, beer and wine, as well as gratuities for staff are included with your cruise fare. Even specialty restaurants, though limited to one reservation each, are included. There may be a tendency for certain companies to throttle back on quality once they begin offering all-inclusive experiences, but Crystal is not one of those companies. If you’ve had any doubts about what all-inclusive means for your experience, rest assured Crystal is in the business of making sure their passengers are pampered BECAUSE of all-inclusive services. Also, have no doubt that the quality of food is Michelin quality; even their buffet, if you choose to indulge in this way, is superb with its mix of multicultural fare. If you’re a coffee addict or just need that one cup of joe in the morning to get you going before your exploration, look no further than Crystal baristas. They are certainly well-trained and the espresso drinks they make are to die for!
Cabin Appointments - It’s All In The Details
If we’re talking Crystal, we can’t end our discussion without talking about their cabin appointments. A couple of features make Crystal stand out from many premium cruise lines, at least in the ocean liner category, and that’s the fact that they have double sinks in the cabin bathroom. This clearly offers an upgraded experience knowing you won’t have to deal with being super cramped in the bathroom. Also, all lowest category cabins on the Symphony and Serenity come with a seating area and couch, offering an upgraded suite-like ambiance. The fridge comes stocked with a variety of beverages of your choice, including alcoholic beverages. Your steward will be incredibly attentive to your preferences as you begin your voyage with Crystal. You will find that whatever you drink the most will be stocked double the next time you come back to your cabin. The linens on your bed are of the utmost luxury quality and the overall ambiance of the room provides the ultimate comfort. It goes without saying that the same applies to Crystal river cruises and their yacht.
So as you can see, it’s incredibly difficult to not recommend Crystal Cruises to you. It is, as we always tell our clients, an experience that you must try at least once. Always remember that while the itinerary and the experiences you get from the places you go are the most important aspect of any trip. Why not complement that with a company that ensures you get the most out of your journey?
