Crystal Cruises

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Crystal Cruises
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryTransportation
Founded1988
HeadquartersMiami, Florida
Key people
ProductsCruises
Parent
Websitewww.crystalcruises.com

Crystal Cruises is an American cruise line[1] headquartered in Miami, Florida, United States. Since 2015, it has been a subsidiary of Genting Hong Kong.

History[]

The company was founded in 1988 by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK).[citation needed] Its first ship was Crystal Harmony.[2]

On March 3, 2015, NYK announced that it was selling Crystal Cruises to Genting Hong Kong.[3] The sale price was US$550 million in cash, subject to certain adjustment items.[4] On May 15, 2015, GHK announced that it had closed on the acquisition.[5]

On July 20, 2015, Crystal announced that it would expand to provide expedition cruises, river cruises, and private jet travel.[citation needed]

On February 4, 2016, Crystal Cruises signed a purchase option for the SS United States, also providing funding for docking costs for the ship in Philadelphia for nine months while it conducted a feasibility study into returning the ship to service.[6][7] However, the plan was dropped on August 5, 2016, citing technical challenges. It also announced a donation of $350,000 to cover docking costs through to the end of the year.[8]

In September 2019, Crystal Cruises announced that it would have Broadway themed cruises available in 2020.[9]

In August 2020, Crystal cancelled all cruises for the remainder of the year. Its parent company Genting Hong Kong had suspended payments to creditors citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new 200-passenger Crystal Endeavor was under construction at the time, with delivery scheduled for November 2020; that was delayed for a year because of the suspension of operations at the MV Werften shipyard in Germany.[10][11]

In March 2021, Crystal announced all-Bahamas cruises aboard the Crystal Serenity would start on July 3, 2021 with departures from Nassau and Bimini to work around CDC cruise bans due to COVID-19 in the US.[12] Ports of call within the Bahamas include Harbour Island, Great Exuma, Long Island and San Salvador. All passengers are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19.[13] The opening booking day set a record for the most bookings on a single day in the company's history.[14] Some destinations expressed concerns with the company's announcement, lack of consultation with local stakeholders and negative impact to their existing tourism economy.[15]

Sub-brands[]

Crystal Yacht Cruises[]

Crystal Yacht Cruises launched in December 2015 with the Crystal Esprit. The 62-guest, 3,000-ton yacht is outfitted with features including a two-passenger submarine, four 10-passenger zodiacs for excursions and a 12-passenger yacht tender for boating adventures. Additionally, water skis, wake boards, kayaks, jet skis, fishing, scuba, and snorkel equipment are available.[16]

Crystal Expedition Cruises[]

On January 15, 2018, the company cut steel for Crystal Endeavor at MV Werften, part of a family of shipyards known for their passenger ship, icebreaker and private yacht building expertise.[17] The new PC6-designated expedition yacht will launch on July 17, 2021 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Crystal Endeavor will have a tonnage of 20,200 GT and will operate polar expeditions as well as voyages in remote tropical regions. The yacht will offer accommodation for 200 guests.[18]

Crystal River Cruises[]

In July 2016, Crystal launched Crystal River Cruises with the re-furbished vessel  [de]. Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler, the first two of four "Rhine Class' new-build river ships, were added in 2017 followed by Crystal Debussy and Crystal Ravel, in 2018.[citation needed]

Crystal Luxury Air/Crystal AirCruises[]

Crystal Luxury Air private jet service launched in 2015 with the company's Bombardier Global Express jet, available for charter and accommodating 12 guests. In August 2017, Crystal AirCruises took flight with the launch of Crystal Skye, a Boeing 777-200LR configured with 88 first class flat-bed seats, a lounge/dining room that seats 24 and a full bar. The National Hockey League is one of its first three charter customers.[19] In addition the company took delivery of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in May 2017. As of November 2017, this aircraft was stored.[20]

Fleet[]

Cruise ships[]

Name Built Builder Entered service
for Crystal		 Gross Tonnage Flag Notes Image
Crystal Symphony 1995 Kvaerner Masa-Yards 1995 51,044  Bahamas Crystal Symphony 1.JPG
Crystal Serenity 2003 Chantiers de l'Atlantique 2003 68,870  Bahamas Crystal Serenity 01.JPG

Expedition ship[]

Name Built Builder Entered service
for Crystal		 Gross Tonnage Flag Notes Image
Crystal Endeavor[21] 2021 MV Werften 2021 20,449  Bahamas Stralsund, Crystal Endeavor vor der MV Werft (2021-03-26), by Klugschnacker in Wikipedia (4).jpg

River ships[]

Name Built Builder Entered service
for Crystal		 Gross Tonnage Flag Notes Image
Crystal Mozart 1987 Deggendorfer Werft und Eisenbau[22]


MV Werften (redesign)

2016 532  Malta Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart (ship, 1987) 006.jpg
Crystal Bach 2017 MV Werften 2017  Malta Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Johann Sebastian Bach Crystal Bach in Kiel Canal I
Crystal Mahler 2017 MV Werften 2017  Malta Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Gustav Mahler Crystal Mahler (ship, 2017), stern, 2018 Ferencváros.jpg
Crystal Debussy 2018 MV Werften 2018  Malta Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Claude Debussy Crystal Debussy ENI 04812690 op de Rijn bij Boppard foto 1.JPG
Crystal Ravel 2018 MV Werften 2018  Malta Operated by Crystal River Cruises / Named after Maurice Ravel
N989SF 2007 Bombardier Aerospace 2015 United StatesUnited States Bombardier BD-700 Global Express. Operated for Crystal Luxury Air by Corporate Flight Management, Inc
Crystal Skye
P4-XTL 		2011 Boeing 2017 ArubaAruba Ex Air Austral B777-29M(LR) reg F-OLRA. Operated for Crystal AirCruise by Comlux Aruba NV.

Future fleet[]

Ship Will enter service Class Builder Gross Tonnage
TBA 2022 Diamond MV Werften 67,000

Former fleet[]

Ship Built Builder Service
for Crystal		 Gross Tonnage Flag Notes Image
Crystal Harmony 1989 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 1990–2006 50,142  Bahamas Renamed Asuka II Crystal Harmony arriving in Wellington Harbor, 27 February 2005 (cropped).jpg
Crystal Esprit 1991 Flender Werke 2015-2021 3,370  Bahamas Previously MegaStar Taurus
Sold to Lindblad Expeditions in 2021.[23]		 Crystal Esprit.jpg

References[]

  1. ^ "404". Archived from the original on 2009-06-28.
  2. ^ Miramar Ship Index: Crystal Harmony, ID#8806204.
  3. ^ Sloan, Gene (March 3, 2015). "Shake-up in luxury cruising as Crystal gets new owner". USA Today. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  4. ^ Dake, Shawn (March 3, 2015). "Crystal Cruises Sold To Genting Hong Kong For $550 Million". Maritime Matters. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  5. ^ Norton Masek, Theresa (May 16, 2015). "Crystal CEO Rodriguez Comments on 'Thrilling, Yet Bittersweet' Sale". TravelPulse.
  6. ^ "Crystal Signs Purchase Option for SS United States - Cruise Industry News - Cruise News".
  7. ^ "S.S. United States, Historic Ocean Liner of Trans-Atlantic Heyday, May Sail Again". The New York Times. 4 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Crystal Drops SS United States Project - Cruise Industry News - Cruise News".
  9. ^ "New Crystal on Broadway Voyages Take Center Stage in 2020". TravelPulse. September 30, 2019.
  10. ^ "Crystal Cruises parent halts payments on debt of $3.4B". Travel Weekly. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020. temporarily suspend all payments to the Group's financial creditors.
  11. ^ "Crystal Cruises "Not Going Out of Business" Despite Genting Troubles". Travel Weekly. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020. temporarily suspend all payments to the Group's financial creditors.
  12. ^ "The CDC is still banning U.S. cruises. Americans will sail this summer, thanks to a workaround". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  13. ^ "Miami-based luxury cruise company plans COVID-19 comeback in the Bahamas in July". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  14. ^ "Crystal Cruises reports "biggest single-day of bookings" in its history for Bahamas cruise". Eye Witness News. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  15. ^ "NOT ALL ON BOARD: Exuma & Harbour Island concerned with mass cruise tourism plans". Eye Witness News. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  16. ^ "404". Archived from the original on 2015-07-22.
  17. ^ Staff, CIN (2018-01-15). "Construction Starts on Crystal Expedition Ship". Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  18. ^ "Crystal Reveals More Details on Endeavor". 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
  19. ^ Gollan, Doug (2017-08-10). "Everything You Need To Know To Charter The Crystal Skye Boeing 777-200LR". Private Jet Card Comparisons - Know Before You Buy. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  20. ^ "Crystal Luxury Air Fleet Details and History". Planespotters Net. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  21. ^ "DNV GL: Crystal Endeavor". Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  22. ^ "Premicon AG". 2014-02-06. Archived from the original on 2014-02-06. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  23. ^ "Lindblad Expeditions Is the Buyer of the Crystal Esprit".

Bibliography[]

External links[]

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