The President and CEO of Crystal Cruises announced yesterday plans for a huge expansion that includes 3 new class ocean cruise ships, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, river cruising and even yacht cruises.
The company will be expanding luxury travel like never before and will take the cruise line, airline or whatever market Crystal is now in to new heights. The new expansions will begin at the end of 2015 and will continue into 2018 or possibly beyond with future announcements. Genting Hong Kong’s recent investments in Crystal has helped expand the company into new markets. The Hong Kong company is also the parent to Star Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Crystal Yacht Cruises
The first expansion in December 2015 will be Crystal’s first ever Yacht named the Crystal Esprit. It will be 3,000 gross tons and will carry 62 passengers. guests will be able to take advantage of all the latest modern luxuries a yacht can offer including a two-passenger submarine, four 10-passenger zodiacs for special excursions and a 12-passenger Wider 32-foot super yacht tender for special boating adventures. Additionally, at their guests’ fingertips are water skis, wake boards, kayaks, jet skis, fishing, scuba, and snorkel equipment. The first voyage will set sail on December 23rd, 2015 to the Seychelles Islands, followed by an inclusive, post-cruise New Year’s Eve celebration at the Taj Dubai Hotel.
Crystal River Cruises
In 2017 Crystal will enter the river cruise market and will become a river rival with Viking River Cruises which already dominates the industry. Crystal has not revealed much details about river cruising so we can expect more over the coming months. We can expect to see all the best high rated service that can already be experienced onboard Crystal Cruises luxury vessels.
Crystal Luxury Air
Carnival did try entering the airline business back in its early days but now Crystal is entering the market with a luxury service that will surely beat any other airline. The company will offer extravagant around-the-world trips on the world’s most advanced twin-aisle Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The plush aircraft, which typically seats 300, will fly 60 guests in fully reclining business class seats to coveted destinations to which major airlines do not offer nonstop service. Each approximately 28-day itinerary will visit 10-12 remote and/or sought-after locales, with accommodations at some of the world’s finest hotels and resorts; cuisine prepared by celebrity chefs inspired by the destination; and world-class cultural entertainment.
Ocean Cruise Ships
And finally the market which we are so familiar with will also be expanded with Crystal Cruises 3 new class vessels. The cruise line has ordered 3 100,000 gross ton ships known as the “Crystal Exclusive Class”, they will be built by Lloyd Werft in Germany.
“Our vision and revolutionary plans for Crystal’s ocean vessels requires us to partner with a premium shipyard that has the expertise and resources to deliver the ‘Crystal Exclusive Class’,” said Tan Sri Lim (Chairman). “Lloyd Werft is synonymous with successful world-class new builds and luxury mega yachts, including Luna, the second largest expedition private yacht in the world, measuring at 337 feet long.”
The new ships will be purpose-built for the polar ice and will carry 1,000 guests. the first ships will make its debut at the end of 2018.
“With an impressive 100 tons of space per guest, the average space ratio for luxury cruise ships being 60 tons per person, our new ships’ guest-to-space rations will be vast in comparison to past, current and under-construction luxury ships, reaching all corners of the world safely, smoothly and in the utmost style and comfort,” said Rodriguez (CEO).
Additionally, for the first time ever, guests will have the opportunity to call a Crystal ship “home,” with innovative Crystal Residences. Situated on the top deck of the new ships will be 48 unique homes, boasting their own private restaurant, reception and facilities, and much higher ceilings (9 feet) than residences on any other cruise ships or yachts; and equal to most land apartments. Residences will start at 600 square feet and go to more than 4,000 square feet of interior living area, which will be the largest on the high seas.
The new class ships will include a whopping 400 square feet minimum for the suites – nearly doubling the size on other luxury vessels; increased ceiling heights by one foot to 8 feet in all suites and decks; raising the bar on personal attention and service with 1,000 crew members on the ships to provide an unheard of one-to-one crew-to-guest ratio; an abundance of mouth-watering options centered on the art and expertise of Michelin-starred and celebrity chefs; and intrepid yacht-like amenities including submarines, helicopters and zodiacs.
Expect more details about these new expansions over the coming months from Crystal Cruises.
