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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Discounts" Luxury Operator Crystal Cruises Offers Shorter Cruises to Attract Younger Crowd

Crystal Cruises Cruise Discount

Luxury travelers take note: Crystal Cruises is kicking off 2013 with a younger clientele, shorter cruises, stronger 2013 bookings, a broader collection of ultra-luxe cruise destinations and savings. How so?

New Book Now fares, guaranteed only through February 28, 2013, offer up to $1500 off Asia, $1500 off Europe, $1600 off New England/Canada, $1700 off South America, $1000 off Holiday sailings, and more.

What’s more…

· Reduced Solo Travel Fares on 12 voyages in Asia, Mediterranean, Baltic and South America – as low as 110% for sole occupancy staterooms.

· Kids Sail Free on select July and August Western and Northern European cruises, in a third berth when sharing a stateroom with two adults.

“Booking early reaps great benefits – in savings, third berth capacity, airfares, etc.,” says Jack Anderson, senior vice president, marketing & sales. “When our last round of Book Now fares expired on December 28, we raised rates on 25 cruises in 2013 and seven in 2014. By the end of December, we had over 70% of our targeted revenue on the books for 2013. The word is out that these extraordinary fares for our ultra-luxury cruises are not guaranteed forever.”

Also significant, many more 2013 cruises are 10 days or less (almost half!), including a 250+% increase in shorter European cruises. Additionally, Crystal’s wildly successful Fall 2012 series of short Getaways, are returning for 2013 with more options to more destinations.

· Crystal Getaways: As little as 5 days, 9 voyages in Asia, Australia/New Zealand, New England/Canada and Alaska start as low as $1,470 per person.

“More than 70% of our Getaways guests are new to Crystal and, on average, almost 10 years younger,” says Anderson. “Some are time-crunched professionals. Some are combining with land stays. All in all, they’ve been blending in well with guests on more extended cruise vacations and are raving about their Crystal experience.”

Also worth noting in 2013:

· More than 50% increase in shipboard overnight stays in port on embarkation days – to better enjoy the destination and ease the travel experience.

· 25% more port days than 2012.

In 2013, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity visit 216 ports of call in 63 countries, while 2014 brings 194 ports in 68 countries. Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history. With a host of complimentary amenities, from enlightening enrichment speakers and fitness classes to pampering pillow menus and specialty restaurant dining, featuring the cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa and Piero Selvaggio, a Crystal cruise offers tremendous value in luxury resort vacationing worldwide.

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Thursday, December 6, 2012

Crystal Cruises 2013 Med Season Has Some Firsts

Crystal Cruises 2013 Cruise Brochure Features New Mediterranean Ports.

For its 2013 Mediterranean cruise season, ultra-luxe Crystal Cruises is making first-time-ever visits to Çanakkale, Turkey; La Spezia, Italy; and Castellón de la Plana, Spain. The maiden calls offer new exploration of historic and off-the-beaten path areas from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the west, including the Dardanelles/Adriatic, Italian Riviera, and Costa del Azahar. The 7- to 13-day itineraries surrounding the new destinations also offer cultural capital overnights and extra port intensiveness.

Highlights of, and cruises featuring, the inaugural ports include:

·         ÇANAKKALE: A popular vacation getaway for local Turks, the harbor city also offers easy access to the archaeological site of Troy and Gallipoli’s historic battlefield and monuments.

Ø May 9, Crystal Serenity -- 9 days: Rome, Sorrento (overnight), and Sicily/Taormina, Italy; Santorini, Greece; Kusadasi, Çanakkale, and Istanbul (overnight), Turkey

Ø July 25, Crystal Symphony – 9 days: Istanbul (overnight), Çanakkale, and Kusadasi, Turkey; Valletta, Malta; Sicily/Taormina, Sorrento (overnight), and Rome, Italy

·         LA SPEZIA: Balcony-lined streets and a palm-lined promenade usher travelers into Italy’s Liguria region, offering a point of departure for walking uber-picturesque Cinque Terre, or a less-touristed day of sampling fine museums or delicious local cheese stalls in the town’s outdoor market.

Ø Sept. 28, Crystal Serenity -- 7 days: Monte Carlo (overnight), Monaco; Genoa and La Spezia, Italy; St. Tropez and Marseille, France; Barcelona (overnight), Spain

·         CASTELLÓN DE LA PLANA: Dating back to 1251, this Valencian town is the capital of one of Spain’s most mountainous provinces, offering a range of rural tourism, a Gothic and Renaissance-architecture “old quarter,” and fragrant orange trees blossoming in the Fall.

Ø Nov. 2, Crystal Serenity -- 13 days: Rome, Florence, and Porto Venere, Italy; Monte Carlo (overnight), Monaco; Palamós, Barcelona (overnight), Castellón de la Plana, and Cartagena, Spain; Gibraltar, UK; Cadiz/Seville, Spain; Lisbon (overnight), Portugal

“New adventures are part of Crystal’s signature travel experience, even in such a popular cruising area as the Mediterranean,” says Jack Anderson, senior vice president sales and marketing. “After sailing for more than two decades, we’re thrilled to still be finding novel destinations for our guests to discover, and combine them with much beloved locales to which they also love returning, time and time again.”

All-inclusive “Book Now” fares for the series start from $3,110/person, with up to $1500/person in savings if booked by December 28.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Luxury Cruise Line Crystal Cruises Announces 2014/15 Itineraries and Discounts

In a luxury industry-first, award-winning Crystal Cruises unveils, and opens for booking, its full year of ultra-luxe, worldwide voyages for 2014, plus itineraries up to mid-April 2015. New 7- to 89-day cruises in 2014 are among the 61 sailings aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, with 16 maiden calls, 194 total ports and 68 countries – including a glamorous World Cruise. Early 2015’s global calendar offers 15 exotic cruises and a 20^th World Cruise, as well as nine maiden calls and a return to ports Crystal hasn’t visited in more than a decade.

2014

UNESCO World Heritage Sites are featured on 54 of 61 cruises (or 89% of 2014’s itineraries), visiting 135+ dedicated historical destinations, from the ancient—Istanbul, Dubrovnik, and Tallin—to the intriguing—Casablanca, Cartagena, and Takoradi.

World Cruise: 89-day, Jan-Apr, 5-segment LA-London cruise, with Crystal’s first return to West Africa since 2011

34% of cruises are 10 days or less.

New ports include Galway, Ireland; Luanda, Angola; Lombok, Indonesia; Ibiza, Spain; Oban, Scotland; Skagen, Denmark; and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

Returns to places less-frequented by Crystal include the Andaman Islands; Brunei; Ghana; Helsingborg, Sweden; Ko Samui, Thailand; Zihuatanejo, Mexico; Tokyo, Japan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Korcula, Croatia.

Nearly every itinerary features at least one overnight stay in renowned cities—often in the city of embarkation—plus, two consecutive overnights in many places like Yangon, Shanghai, Hong Kong, St. Petersburg, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Itinerary Highlights:

Asia

· Twice as many Asia sailings than 2013

· First-ever cruises to and from Bangkok, including a new round-trip Holiday voyage with Christmas and Hanukkah in Vietnam and New Year’s Eve overnight in Hong Kong. (Dec 21)

Europe

More port-intensive voyages, including four sailings with no sea days
Five North and South Europe combination voyages, with four of them offering time in Bordeaux

New North Cape itinerary, with maiden call in Skagen, Norway and rare calls in Alta and Kristiansand (Jul 14)

U.S., Caribbean, & Panama Canal:

Crystal Serenity sailing the New England/Canada season for the first time ever, with new cruises to/from Québec City and Boston.

More Caribbean, including 5 Panama Canal cruises, extending coast-to-coast as well as between Costa Rica and Miami.

New cruises to and from San Diego.

2015

Crystal kicks off its 25^th Anniversary year of ultra-luxury cruising with virtually all itineraries from Jan to mid-Apr being brand new.

New ports include Ambodifototra and Tôlanaro, Madagascar; Richards Bay, South Africa; Sanya, China; and Albany, Australia.

Returns to locales less-frequented include Alter do Chão, Brazil; Yantai, China; and Maputo, Mozambique.

Itinerary Highlights:

· Crystal Symphony spends the entire first quarter in Southeast Asia, with eight new, exotic sailings between Bangkok, Bali, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

· Crystal Serenity makes her first-ever complete circumnavigation of the world, from Miami, with the company’s 20^th annual World Cruise. Six voyages sailing through Miami, Callao, Auckland, Perth, Cape Town, and Rio comprise the 108-day Crystal Serenity adventure.

“As a leader in luxury vacation experiences, we are constantly pushing ourselves to find new ways to show the world to savvy travelers,” says Crystal’s Senior Vice President Marketing & Sales, Jack Anderson. “Our 2014 to early 2015 calendar is especially exciting, with dozens of new routes and places to see, via one of the most pampering ways one can travel: a Six-Star Crystal cruise.”

All-inclusive Book Now fares for early 2014 are available until October 31, 2012. (New Book Now fares will be announced November 1). All-inclusive Book Now fares for spring 2014 through spring 2015 are available until April 30, 2013. Book Now fares offer up to $9,000/person in savings for the 2015 World Cruise and up to $1,500/person for individual, 7- to 21-day voyages. Sailings start at $1,995/person, double occupancy, with attractive air add-ons available.

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Friday, October 12, 2012

Crystal Cruises' Crystal Symphony Unveils First Living Wall at Sea

Crystal Cruise's Crystal Symphony's Living Wall

In an industry first, ultra-luxury Crystal Cruises has unveiled the world’s first self-contained, free-standing living wall at sea, created and crafted by UK-based ANS Group Europe. ANS Group Europe spent two days installing the living wall on the 922-guest Crystal Symphony as the ship sailed from Portland to Dover to complete its 11-night “British Isle Brilliance” voyage.

Designed for an al fresco area in the ship’s Deck 11 Trident Grill, the unique living wall uses a varied and diverse selection of indoor plants to display a world map. The living wall is 37.7 feet (11.5 meters) long and 7.9 feet (2.4 meters) high and will receive regular maintenance by Crystal Symphony’s onboard team of florists.

“In keeping with our ongoing focus on design, we wanted to create a focal point that was both highly contemporary and visually stunning,” says Alexandra Don, Crystal’s vice president, hotel design and services. “The end result is a living wall that brings the Trident Grill to life and serves as an eye-catching backdrop to the incomparable service and choices that always characterize a Crystal holiday.”

Joel Nash, marketing manager for ANS Group Europe added, “This bespoke project is an exciting and exhilarating scheme. Installing living walls on a cruise ship is taking us to a completely new level and opens up all sorts of possibilities. When you think this wall will be travelling as far north as Lapland and down to Cape Horn, it takes your breath away.”

A living wall is a vertical garden that is pre-planted in panels and then attached to the wall or facade of a building. Plants stay intact in their vertical positions because their root structures are anchored in two to four inches of soil kept within the panel.

The installation of the wall on Crystal Symphony is yet another example of Crystal’s "Crystal Clean" environmental and educational efforts both onboard and on shore. A living wall acts as a bio filter, enhancing air quality by breaking down harmful airborne contaminants and transforming them into clean oxygen. By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, it reduces greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort or hotel in history. A keen focus on design has also earned the line numerous industry design honors, including first-ever awards from Hospitality Design magazine and the Association of Retail Environments (A.R.E.) in 2012.

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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Crystal Cruises Offers Special Solo Discounts on European Sailings

Crystal Cruises already charges one of the lowest rates in the luxury cruise industry for sole occupancy of a double occupancy room, but with a new solo travelers’ sale on fall Mediterranean voyages, guests traveling alone can enjoy even lower fares to vacation in ease through one of the most beautiful cruising areas in the world. A significantly-reduced solo supplement of just 10% can save individuals up to almost $900 off a private, deluxe outside stateroom (Category C) of their own.

The savings are offered on eight 11- and 12-day Crystal Serenity sailings through the Black Sea, Middle East, Canary Islands, and entire Mediterranean. The all-inclusive luxury cruises embark in Athens, Istanbul, Venice, Barcelona, and Lisbon from September through November, with overnight visits and more time in both smaller, off-the-beaten-path and favorite, large ports throughout Italy, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Montenegro, Israel, Croatia, Morocco and the Canary Islands. Attractive air add-ons are offered from more than 200 North American ports.

“A Crystal cruise is a wonderful option for solo travelers who seek luxury and pampering while on vacation and also the fast, easy friendships that are made on board,” says Jack Anderson, senior vice president of marketing and sales. “This is an ideal opportunity for cruisers indulging in a room all to themselves to realize significant savings and value with the World’s Best Cruise Line.”

Among the extraordinary care Crystal provides for solo travelers are Ambassador hosts on every sailing for those seeking a dance partner, assigned seating for dinner in the Crystal Dining Room, and “Table for 8,” which brings individuals together for friendly shared dining in the specialty restaurants at night. Crystal Cruises’ ocean resort experience always includes fine wines, premium spirits, and gratuities with one’s vacation, as well as a host of other complimentary amenities, from enlightening enrichment speakers and fitness classes to pampering pillow menus and specialty restaurant dining, featuring the world-renowned cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

USC School Of Cinematic Arts Partners With Crystal Cruises to Teach Movie Making

In an industry first, Crystal Cruises has teamed up with the esteemed University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts – alma mater of Ron Howard, Robert Zemeckis, and George Lucas, among many other film and media-makers – to present “Digital Filmmaking: The iPad iMovie Video Course” through the line’s exclusive Creative Learning Institute. Just launched aboard Crystal Symphony, the five-hour, complimentary course teaches professional filmmaking tools and techniques to create one’s own films, from pre-production to final cut. Led by USC film professors, alumni and other film industry experts specially trained by curriculum creators Kerry Millerick and Dina Sterr, the course utilizes the iMovie app for iPad, but teaches basics that can be applied to any digital format.

“USC is one of the best film schools in the world,” says Bret Bullock, Crystal’s vice president of entertainment. “We're thrilled to bring guests a curriculum of this caliber to expand our Creative Learning Institute and teach vacationers even more new skills that they can take home with them."

Using one’s own iPad, guests shoot one of five documentary-style genres while on board: Interview, Event, Commercial, Man on the Street or How-to. They then edit the footage and add music, graphics, voiceover and effects. Participants learn the importance of filmmaking theory in production -- considering the video’s purpose, intended audience, camera angle and shot composition -- and then how to create a trailer and digitally share their masterpiece with an “audience” of loved ones via social media.

USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Dean Elizabeth M. Daley, shares her enthusiasm about the partnership: "We are always delighted to have the opportunity to share some of our creative skills and our love of cinema and media with others. Crystal Cruises provides a special way to reach a very interesting and exciting group, and we are pleased that members of our faculty will be invited on board to provide lectures and workshops to their guests.”

The Digital Filmmaking course will expand to Crystal Serenity in January 2013, making the program available on all Crystal’s luxury cruises worldwide.

Crystal’s award-winning, luxurious offerings always include a diverse selection of thought-provoking, scholarly, and sophisticated enrichment activities that provide extensive on-board choices for cultured world travelers.

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Crystal Cruises Visits 7 New Port in Europe

Louis XIV’s marital stomping grounds, puffins’ Icelandic party pad, a former Prussian capital, Napoleon’s birthplace, and the gateway to Norway’s most scenic vistas are among seven European ports-of-call Crystal Cruises will be visiting for the first time this year. From Crystal Serenity’s current trans-Atlantic voyage to Crystal Symphony’s reverse pond crossing in September, guests will be among the first Crystal travelers to stop in quaint communities, centuries-old fishing villages, and trendy cosmopolitan centers in Lithuania, Norway, France, Iceland, and Spain.

Maiden calls include:

Klaipėda: The third-largest city in “hot” Lithuania, this historic east-west-south crossroads offers metropolitan architecture, as well as the natural beauty of the Curonian Spit right outside. Crystal Adventures: Birdwatch at the Ventė Cape ornithological station, learn about local fairytales at the Hill of Witches Sculpture Park, bike through Old Town, or step inside a former Soviet nuclear missile base.

Heimaey: Virtually destroyed in a 1973 volcanic eruption, this rebuilt island of 4,500 people serves as home to 8 million puffins per year. Crystal Adventures: Explore caves by RIB boat, motorboat past orcas and puffin colonies, or watch locals rope-swing over cliffs to collect bird eggs.

Saint-Jean-de-Luz: This Basque coastal gem, with narrow cobblestoned lanes leading past the Church of St. Jean Baptist, is where Louis XIV married Spain’s Marie Thérèse in 1660. Crystal Adventures: Glimpse Balenciaga’s haute couture, make a pilgrimage to Lourdes, sample Basque delicacies, or daytrip to San Sebastian, Biarritz, or Hemingway’s Pamplona.

Leknes: The Lofoten archipelago’s colorful Arctic trading/shopping center is ground zero for Norway’s most stunning mountains and cliffs. Crystal Adventures: Safari for sea eagles, appreciate frozen art at an ice bar/gallery, or learn Scandinavian history at Borg’s Viking Museum.

Bonifacio: French chicness and Napoleonic history are all crammed into this one medieval Corsican town, perched precariously on the edges of stunningly steep, limestone cliffs. Crystal Adventures: Canoe along the coast, ride a wheel train through the port, or trek cliffside hiking paths past wildlife and gorgeous views.

Palamós: This 800-year-old Costa Brava fishing village is famous for giant-sized prawns, water sports, and some of the best people-watching in Europe. Crystal Adventures: Segway around gothic Girona, taste Salvador Dalí via a visit to his home or a meal inspired by his favorite dishes, or daytrip to Barcelona for a behind-the-scenes tour of Barça Team’s Football Club Stadium.

Akureyri: Iceland’s second-largest city offers a robust cultural scene surrounded by snowcapped peaks and gardens. Crystal Adventures: Visit the “Waterfall of the Gods,” flightsee over Eyjafjordur fjord to Grimsey Island, take a whale-watching expedition, soak in the Myvatn Nature Baths, or sample homemade ice cream, jam, and smoked lamb at local farms.

Until June 30, all-inclusive Book Now fares for the luxury European cruises featuring maiden calls start at $3,165/person, with optional air add-ons and savings for groups of six or more, combining cruises, and Crystal Society member-sponsored, new-to-Crystal guests.

Crystal Cruises’ passion for creating unique luxury experiences both on land and at sea have helped earn the company top ratings from international travelers for two decades.

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Sunday, May 20, 2012

Crystal Cruises Unveils 2013/2014 Itineraries

Crystal Cruises 2013/2014 Cruise Atlas

Crystal Cruises has released its latest Worldwide Cruise Atlas for all of 2013 and winter/spring 2014, becoming the first luxury cruise line to offer a published guide for those years. The ultra-stylish, 170-page book showcases the line’s innovative new brand campaign, “Begin a New Story,” which shares personal travel stories, images, and mementos in journal-like form. Profiling 84 itineraries in more than 75 countries and 250+ ports, the engaging pages all share story elements of sailing aboard artfully elegant Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity.

“This Atlas showcases the Crystal experience in a very different, emotional, and sensory way, so that, through the personal stories of our own guests, other discerning travelers can embrace the idea that a voyage with Crystal goes way beyond just our ships,” says Nitsa Lewis, vice president of marketing. “Our new campaign invites those who are seeking luxurious adventure to write a new story of their own –an experience ashore, a moment on board -- adding yet another great chapter to the story of their lives.”

Guide highlights include:

An innovative and picturesque showcasing of Crystal’s award-winning service, space, quality, and choices, as well as recent innovations, such as travel easement via Fast-Track Check-In and VIP Airport Service, culinary enhancements like All Inclusive, Chinese “Comfort Food,” and a late-night Bistro, plus redesigns, new entertainment and local dignitary visits.

Itineraries grouped by region: World & Grand Cruises (South America and Australasia in 2013, and LA to London in 2014), the Exotics, Tropical Escapes, New England and Canada, South America and Antarctica, and Europe and the Mediterranean.

New routes, including cruises beginning and ending in Reyjkavik, Dublin, Bali, Brisbane, and Kobe in 2013, as well as explorations of Polynesia, Indonesia, and the Andaman Sea in 2014.

19 maiden calls, plus returns to less-visited ports-of-call and lands like the Shetland Islands; Savannah, Georgia; Pusan, Korea; Izmir, Turkey; Tokyo; Burma; Namibia; and the Cook Islands.

2013 theme cruises, including new Photography, Garden Design, and Esprit du Grand Prix Experiences of Discovery.

A more than 250% increase in shorter European voyages, with 75% of 2013’s summer sailings lasting 7 to 12 days, more than half of those departing on weekends.

More than 85% of 2013’s voyages in port for two or more days, marking a continued increase in days and nights spent locally.

Crystal’s all-inclusive value, including special offers such as Crystal Family Memories and Explorer Combinations, as well as always-complimentary offering like specialty restaurant cuisine from Nobu.

Pre- and post-cruise guidance and options, including Crystal Adventure Hotel Programs and optional air add-ons.

With “Book Now” fares expiring every 60 days, a pull-out compendium outlining all pricing, including cruise port, security, and handling charges, will be issued every two months. Crystal will also soon be issuing an iPhone App and Aurasma videos that embrace the unique watercolor and photography elements displayed throughout the Atlas.

The Atlases can be requested from any Crystal travel agent.

Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Crystal Cruises Offers Penthouse Discounts on Fall Med Cruises

Crystal Cruises Offers Penthouse Suite Discounts

View of Venice from your private balcony? Check. Butler inside your chic suite pouring your chilled champagne? Check. Saving money on the whole extravaganza? You bet -- thanks to a rare Penthouse sale from Crystal Cruises, offering big savings on the ultimate of luxury Mediterranean sailings this fall. Couples can receive fare reductions of up to $2,000 on select voyages, as well as Business Class air savings, if reserving one of Crystal Serenity’s recently-redesigned, multi-award-winning Penthouses or Penthouse Suites by June 30.

Savvy travelers have a rich choice of Mediterranean cruises exploring coveted cities and lesser known jewels in Italy, the French Riviera, Spain, the Greek Isles, Croatia, Turkey, and Montenegro, as well as the exotic Black Sea (including Russia and the Ukraine), Holy Land, and Canary Islands/Iberia, from mid-August through November.

“This extraordinary sale offers superb value for a seamless, stylish, ultra-pampering resort experience to bucket list destinations overflowing with beauty, culture and history,” says Jack Anderson, senior vice president of marketing and sales.

All Penthouse stateroom categories boast a personal butler for complimentary packing and unpacking, pressing, and shoe shine service, daily hors d’oeuvres, fully stocked champagne, wine and spirits bar, personalized stationery, walk-in closet, larger verandah, and specialty restaurant room service from the likes of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, among other complimentary amenities.

Each port-packed cruise offer 11 or 12 days of all-inclusive luxury, with “Book Now” fares starting from $6,135 per person, double occupancy. Guests can add on U.S. round-trip Business Class air for $3,200 per person — a $1,000 average savings off similar, self-booked airfares. Additional savings are available for groups of six or more, combining cruises, and sponsoring of new-to-Crystal guests by a past Crystal cruiser.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Billy Casper And Championship Course Set For Crystal Golf Cruises in Europe 2012

Crystal Cruises Add Golf Cruises in Europe

Crystal Cruises has lined up 10 of Europe’s most spectacular championship golf courses for exclusive, luxury play during two limited-access “Experiences of Discovery” golf-themed cruises this summer. Hosted by 51-time PGA tour-winner Billy Casper, travelers can strike balls in Spain, Portugal, and Monaco during July 13’s Crystal Serenity voyage or throughout the British Isles on Crystal Symphony’s August 25 sailing.

Courses include:

Edinburgh/Rosyth

Gleneagles King’s and Queen’s Courses: Overnighting allows for games on two aristocratic moorland links.

Barcelona

Real Club de Golf El Prat: One of Spain’s most exclusive courses, designed by Greg Norman.

Club de Golf Masia Bach: Challenging and contemporary 18 holes designed by José Maria Olazábal.

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo Golf Club: Inaugural Crystal club features sweeping Mediterranean Sea views.

Valencia

El Saler Golf Course: Pine forests and sea flank this site of several Spanish Opens.

Cádiz

Valderrama: Voted the 15th Best International Course by Celebrated Living readers.

Belfast

Royal Belfast Golf Club: Ireland’s oldest fairway, with Belfast Lough and Antrim plateau views.

Lisbon

Penha Longa Golf Course: This mountainous Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed green is considered one of the European Circuit’s best.

Dublin

Kildare Hotel & Country Club: Inland links designed by Arnold Palmer.

Boutique excursions offer socializing during warm-up refreshments, games, lunch, and “19th-hole” cocktails in legendary private clubhouses, with Crystal also arranging round-trip transportation, team-pairing, carts and caddies (where available), and club and shoe cleaning and storage. Shoreside activities are complemented by a host of on-board offerings, including parties, awards, golf clinics with PGA pro John Clark, TaylorMade clubs, putting green, and two driving ranges for practice-at-sea. Billy Casper will also play and mingle with guests, as well as provide tips and presentations.

“We design these cruises to be a golfing traveler’s dream,” says John Stoll, Crystal’s vice president land and port operations. “Guests need not worry about maneuvering complex foreign logistics, only packing their clubs -- we take care of everything else in the finest of style.”

Until April 30, all-inclusive Book Now fares start at $5,330 for 11 days circumnavigating the UK, conveniently round-trip from London/Dover through Edinburgh/Rosyth (overnight), Belfast, Dublin, Holyhead, Waterford, Portland, and the Channel Islands, and $5,410 for 12 days sailing from Monte Carlo (overnight) to Marseilles, Barcelona (overnight), Valencia, Málaga, Gibraltar, Cádiz/Seville, and Lisbon.

Crystal Cruises’ passion for creating unique luxury experiences both on land and at sea have helped earn the company top ratings from international travelers for two decades.

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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Luxury Operator Crystal Cruise Win "Crystal Award" For Innovative Boutique Design

Crystal Cruises Crystal Symphony

Crystal Serenity’s $25 million redesign has not only received accolades from guests, travel agents and travel press since its debut last year, but from the design world as well. The ship’s renovated Apropos boutique -- a retail space for designer clothing and accessories -- has won the prestigious Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.) interior design “Crystal Award” for the shop’s distinctive and dramatic aluminum interlocking circle screen. The design won the first-ever Wall Treatment Award in the new, Individual Element category for 2012.

“Due to marine requirements, we have more design restrictions than a space on land, so this is a huge honor for a cruise ship to have won,” says Alexandra Don, Crystal’s vice president hotel services and design. “Awards like this simply validate what we and our guests already know: that our ships are the ultimate of chic, anywhere on the globe.”

Winners in other categories this year included such company as Louis Vuitton, Lacoste, REI, and Alexander Wang.

Designed by II BY IV Design Associates, the walls of highly polished, thick aluminum, interlocking circles serve as separators for flanking vignettes within the boutique. The design was inspired by antique nautical instruments and globe stands, with the reflective piece complementing the high-gloss fascia, wood veneer, and glass-and-mirror wall treatments surrounding them. All fixtures had to be securely bolted to fit marine building codes, yet maintain a graceful, slender appearance—a unique challenge for retail spaces at sea.

Crystal Serenity’s sister ship, Crystal Symphony, will be undergoing her own renovations this June, completing a five-year plan to redesign all of the ship’s public and private rooms.

Crystal Cruises’ ethos of warm and friendly attentiveness, proffered by top-trained service staff from around the world, has earned the line a reputation for elevating hospitality to an art form. With no guest request left untended, Crystal Cruises has been the perfect choice for luxury travelers for over two decades, earning more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Luxury Operator Crystal Cruises Releases Early 2014 Cruises

With other luxury cruise lines yet to dip their bows into 2014’s seemingly far-off waters, Crystal Cruises’ early-2014 preview itineraries are now open for booking. Seventeen voyages visiting 74 ports in 34 countries are available for January to April 2014 on Crystal Serenity and January through May on Crystal Symphony. “Book Now” fares offer savings of up to $2,000 per couple off attractive 2-for-1 brochure prices until June 30, 2012.

Distinctive, less-cruised, less-easily-accessible lands like Ghana, Mauritius, Brunei, Burma, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Sao Tome, Senegal, Namibia, and Angola complement vacation favorites like the Cayman Islands, Panama Canal, Thailand, and Hawaii. Crystal is not only maiden calling in Luanda, Angola; Lombok, Indonesia; and Malacca, Malaysia, but also returning to several destinations not visited in years, such as the Andaman Islands, India; Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan; the UK’s Pitcairn Islands; and Jakarta, Surabay, and Ujung Pandang, Indonesia.

All voyages but one offer overnights in local ports-of-call, including “double overnights” (two consecutive nights) in Yangon (Myanmar/Burma), Yokohama, Ho Chi Minh City, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shanghai. Winter/spring voyages range from 12 to 26 days, in addition to a five-segment, 89-day World Cruise.

“We were the first cruise line out of the gate to share 2014 itineraries last December, and travelers have been anxious to book ever since,” says Crystal Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing Jack Anderson. “Experienced cruisers recognize that Crystal not only offers incredible value for a luxury vacation, our itinerary offerings for 2014 are incredibly innovative, with easy, intimate access to authentic cultures and vacation memories.”

New routes include:

World Cruise:

L.A. to London’s port of Southampton (Jan 18)

Rare visits to USA’s Mariana Islands and Guam.
Multiple Asian segments, one with three Vietnamese stops.
Rounding Africa from Mauritius Islands to Morocco, with three South African stops and a maiden call in Luanda, Angola.
Combine with Jan 5’s Panama Canal voyage beforehand to sail all the way from Miami to the UK.

Trans-Pacific:

Back-to-back Polynesian explorations, beginning with an unusual southern Trans-Pacific cruise, stopping at Easter Island, Pitcairn Islands, Mo’orea, Papeete, Tahiti (overnight), then continuing on to the Cook Islands, Tonga, and Fiji. (Jan 8 & 20)

15-day Tokyo to L.A. ocean-crossing, with just one stop/overnight in Honolulu, for sea day lovers. (May 1)

Unusual Asia:

Java/South China Seas: Four Indonesia ports-of-call, including a Bali overnight, plus Malaysia and Brunei visits. (Feb 28)
Andaman Sea: 14-day Southeast Asia cruise with three stops in Malaysia, an Andaman Islands visit, and two nights in Myanmar. (March 12)
“All-China”: 10-day Chinese voyage features a Hong Kong overnight, double overnight in Shanghai, and optional three-day, add-on land package to Beijing. (April 9)
Japan-China: Three stops in China and four in Japan, with one night in Osaka and two in Shanghai. (April 19)

Until June 30, 2012, “Book Now” fares for 2014 start at $2,975, with attractive air add-ons from over 90 North American gateways.

Crystal Cruises’ resort experience always includes a host of complimentary amenities, from enlightening enrichment speakers and fitness classes to pampering pillow menus and specialty restaurant dining including the cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa. Starting this spring, vacations will also include complimentary fine wines and premium spirits throughout the ship, open bar service in all lounges, and pre-paid gratuities for housekeeping, bar and dining staff. Crystal’s passion for taking care of guests in an inviting environment of extraordinary space, quality and choices has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.

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Sunday, February 26, 2012

Crystal Cruises Offers Additional Overnight Stays With Back-to-Back Cruises

As Crystal Cruises prepares to segue to “All-Inclusive” starting next month, the ultra-luxe line has also been transforming in another big way: to a focus on significantly more local shipboard overnights at the beginning of cruises. For the upcoming European season, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony have doubled the number of voyages that begin with days (and nights) in port. The move eases the worry of late flight arrivals, lost luggage, relocating to/from hotels, finding quality eateries, and settling in prior to sight-seeing, while also enhancing recreational choices due to the more extensive options available on board Crystal’s ships than can be found at hotels on land.

“By adding more overnights to the cruises, especially at embarkation, travelers only have to unpack once, yet get even more time to experience a culture, while still having their Crystal home as a luxurious base,” explains President Gregg Michel. “They also begin meeting the people who will be sharing their time aboard—the staff and other travelers who will become their Crystal family by vacation’s end--all the sooner.”

Crystal has also added overnights to the middle and/or end of the majority of cruises this year. Overnights at the disembarkation ports of Venice, Barcelona or Istanbul, for example, further allow guests to see significantly more of the final destination without having to move to a hotel or rush to the airport to fly home.

Twenty-six large cultural capitals and smaller locales renowned for their charm are featured in North America, the Pacific, and Europe from March through December, with 69 overnights planned in alluring Europe alone. A sampling includes:

MEDITERRANEAN, including the BLACK SEA and MIDDLE EAST (43 overnights/10 ports): Venice, Ashdod, Istanbul, Odessa, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Monte Carlo

BALTIC and NORTHERN EUROPE: (21 overnights/4 ports): Stockholm, Copenhagen, and St. Petersburg, with five cruises featuring two nights (“double overnight”) in the latter

WESTERN EUROPE and UK (5 overnights/4 ports): Edinburgh, Bordeaux, and Reykjavik

NORTH AMERICA: (9 overnights/4 ports): NY, Quebec City, San Francisco, and Montreal

SOUTH PACIFIC, AUSTRALIA, AND NEW ZEALAND: (6 overnights/4 ports): Papeete, Auckland, Melbourne, and Sydney, with a huge complimentary VIP New Year’s Eve celebration during a double overnight in the latter.

Crystal’s new strategic planning evolution will extend through 2013 into 2014, with more than 85% of next year’s 64 itineraries offering two or more days in port, and a more than 50% increase in overnights on embarkation day.

Until February 28, per-person “Book Now” fares for 2012 start at $1,360 for luxury Mediterranean cruises, $2,965 for the rest of Europe, $2,255 for a New England/Canada voyage, and $3,370 for Hawaii and the South Pacific region -- all per person/double occupancy. Attractive air add-ons are available from more than 90 North American airports.

The renowned Crystal Experience has been rated “World’s Best” more than any other cruise line, hotel, or resort in history.

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