Crystal Cruises officially relaunched on July
31 as part of A&K Travel Group, when the 740-guest Crystal Serenity set sail following a multi-million-dollar
refurbishment from Marseille, France. Its fleetmate, Crystal Symphony, is undergoing
renovations and scheduled to resume service from Athens on Sept. 1.
“Crystal has been recognized for decades for
exceptional experiences, and we are excited to welcome guests back onboard for
its new gilded era,” said A&K Travel Group CEO Cristina Levis. “In just one
year, we’ve been able to revitalize the ships, a feat nearly unheard of in the
cruise industry. It is an honor to be signaling this new chapter better than
ever and right on schedule, all while retaining 80 percent of Crystal’s beloved
crew on board.”
After the first voyage, Crystal Serenity will
sail towards Northern Europe, including the U.K., Ireland, and Iceland. The
ship then travels to the Americas as far north as Canada and as far south as
Cartagena, Colombia, before beginning the 125-night 2024 World Cruise, which sails
from San Diego or Miami.
There are two new guest room categories – the Junior
Crystal Penthouse Suite and Single Guest Room with Ocean View; the latter category
can be booked without a single supplement.
The new Junior Crystal Penthouse Suite on Crystal Serenity. (Photo Credit: Crystal Cruises)
The Junior Crystal Penthouse Suite measures up
to 645 square feet and includes separate dining and living areas looking onto a
private veranda, also accompanied by butler service. The Single Guest Room with
Ocean View measures up to 215 square feet and has butler service.
Crystal Serenity has 11 dining options,
including 24-hour in-suite dining service. Among them are Umi Uma by Master
Chef Nobuyuki (Nobu), Italian cuisine at Osteria D’Ovidio and the poolside Trident
Grill for burgers, melts, salads and more.
Levis also announced that the brand is working
with their advisors, lenders and export credit agents with hopes of signing a
memorandum of agreement with two European shipbuilders for four new ships in
the next six years – two classic ships and two expedition vessels.A&K Travel Group Ltd. is the travel company
owned by Geoffrey Kent and Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio’s holding company. It
acquired the luxury cruise vessels on June 22, 2022.
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