crystal cruises update

18 Months After Bankruptcy, This Luxury Cruise Line Is Sailing Again

In 2022, crystal cruises went belly up. now, two of the original ocean ships are back on the high seas—with some enticing upgrades..

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Travelers can relax at sea in the new Aurora spa onboard the reborn Crystal ships.

Courtesy of Crystal

After declaring bankruptcy in 2022 , what was once Crystal Cruises is back on the high seas with a new look, an abbreviated name, and plans for rapid growth. The cruise line was acquired by the luxury, small-group tour operator Abercrombie & Kent (A&K), which rechristened the brand as simply “ Crystal .”

During the restructuring, Crystal sold off five river ships—which have been resurrected by the new river cruise line Riverside Luxury Cruises —and an expedition vessel, and it currently operates two of its original ships, the 740-passenger Crystal Serenity and the 606-passenger Crystal Symphony . However, Cristina Levis, CEO of A&K Travel Group, said Crystal plans to order two new classic ships and two expedition vessels over the next six years.

“We have ambitious growth plans for Crystal and are proud of what we have accomplished with the relaunch of Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony in just under a year following the purchase of the brand,” Levis said. “We are now thrilled to formally announce that we will grow our fleet and continue to offer the most exceptional cruising experiences in the industry.”

The two vessels, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity , are just the beginning for the reincarnated Crystal brand.

Crystal Serenity is currently on its maiden voyage under the new ownership: a 12-night Mediterranean sailing that started in Marseille, France, and will end in Lisbon, Portugal. The ship will operate mainly in the United Kingdom and Iceland in August before heading to Canada and New England for September and then onward to the Caribbean for winter. In the spring, the ship will embark on a 141-day around-the-world cruise, starting and ending in Miami and visiting 69 ports across 29 countries, including Colombia, New Zealand, Egypt, and Italy.

Crystal Symphony , meanwhile, will restart operations on September 1, with a sailing from Athens to Istanbul. Afterward, it’s off to Asia, Australia, and New Zealand for the rest of 2023 and into early 2024.

Both ships have undergone a series of upgrades since the previous line went under; the main one is the expansion of the size of staterooms and suites. By merging smaller guest rooms into larger suites with living room and bedroom areas, Crystal has decreased the capacity of Serenity from 1,080 guests to 740. The renovations resulted in two new room categories: Junior Crystal Penthouse Suites measure 806 square feet and include separate bedroom, living, and dining areas, 1.5 baths, a walk-in closet, and a balcony, while the Single Guest Room with Ocean View category includes a single bed and a small living area within its 215 square feet. Best of all, it serves as a great option for solo travelers, who no longer need to pay a single supplement for a double room.

A new veranda suite on the updated Crystal ocean ships.

Photo by Amanda Julca/Crystal

Levis said these new categories helped increase the availability of the popular Sapphire Suite category, which measures 537 square feet and has separate sitting and sleeping areas, a walk-in closet, a balcony, and a bathroom with a rainfall shower and dual marble vanities.

In addition to room refreshes, Crystal has revamped some public spaces, the spa, and the fitness area, which now includes in-demand pickleball courts, and passengers will find a new look in the onboard restaurants, including northern Italian fine-dining spot Osteria D’Ovidio and Umi Uma, the only concept at sea for Nobu chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa.

The Umi Uma restaurant on the Crystal Symphony is overseen by Nobu chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa.

It’s worth noting that A&K also contracts ships from Ponant, a luxury French cruise company, for sailings to the Arctic and Antarctic regions. According to Levis, “When it comes to cruising, the companies will continue to operate as separate entities, with Crystal being a part of the A&K Travel Group family. Abercrombie & Kent will continue to charter Ponant ships for their expedition sailings.”

Crystal will announce itineraries for 2025 in the coming months (which, according to a Crystal spokesperson, will incorporate more A&K land expeditions), but there are still sailings available for booking in 2023 and 2024 on crystalcruises.com . Fares start at $3,800 per person, based on double occupancy.

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Crystal Cruises Is Officially Back — and Just Announced It’s Expanding, With Over-the-top Tours and New Ships

Crystal Serenity has relaunched, with Symphony coming next month — and new ships already in the works.

Crystal Cruises is back on the water — and ready to expand. 

The cruise line, which went bankrupt early last year, was acquired by luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group in June 2022. A&K bought Crystal’s two ocean vessels — Serenity will sail its inaugural journey from Marseille, France, to Lisbon on Monday, July 31, with Symphony following suit on Sept. 1, sailing from Athens to Istanbul.

Today, during a preview sailing for press and travel agents, Cristina Levis, CEO of A&K Travel Group, announced that Crystal plans to expand with four new ships by 2029, including two expedition vessels. The company will start construction on the 650-passenger ocean ship and 220-person expedition ship next year. (Crystal previously offered expedition cruising on Endeavor .) The contracts are not finalized, but Levis said the plans are “quite advanced, particularly for the expedition ship,” which will sail to the Arctic and Antarctica.

It’s worth noting that A&K already has robust Arctic and Antarctic expedition offerings, which sail on Ponant ’s Le Commandant Charcot . “For the foreseeable future, A&K will charter Ponant ships, though over 40 crew members from the former Crystal team will be on board the Ponant voyages,” Levis said. 

For the present, though, the focus is on Serenity and Symphony as Crystal returns to the seas. Both ships were given a hefty refresh before welcoming guests — 80 percent of whom are returning fans — back on board. “We went down to the steel,” Levis said. “We’ve rebuilt the rooms [and public spaces], not just refurbished.”

This summer, both Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony will sail the Mediterranean Sea and Northern Europe, to destinations like Istanbul; Santorini, Greece; and the U.K.’s Isle of Man, with fares from $3,800 per guest. Symphony will then sail in Asia, Africa, and Australia this fall and winter, while Serenity will tour the Caribbean.

The fleet isn’t the only thing Crystal plans to expand. Crystal’s senior vice president of global marketing, Jacqueline Barney, confirmed plans to weave A&K land tours into Crystal’s 2025 world cruise . “Imagine, if you have a three-day gap between Guayaquil and let’s say, Lima, being able to jump off and taking an extraordinary A&K expedition to the Galápagos and checking that off the bucket list,” she said. 

Crystal will announce more itineraries for 2025 in the coming months, but you can book 2023 and 2024 sailings at crystalcruises.com .

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Two Crystal Cruises ships will resume service in 2023 under new owners

After suspending operations earlier this year, Crystal Cruises will set sail again.

A&K Travel Group, owned by Geoffrey Kent of luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent and industrial holding company Heritage, purchased the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony ships, the companies announced Wednesday.

A&K Travel Group also acquired the Crystal Cruises brand, and following "extensive refurbishment," the vessels will resume operations in 2023, according to a press release . Heritage is chaired by former Silversea Cruises owner Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio.

"The idea of combining the unparalleled onboard service that Crystal Cruises is known for, with the extraordinary tailor-made experiences Abercrombie & Kent has been successfully providing for our guests for the past 60 years, fills me with excitement, enthusiasm and pride," Kent said in the release.

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Crystal Cruises reportedly shut down at least its U.S. operations earlier this year after an arrest warrant had been issued for the Crystal Symphony due to unpaid fuel bills. The cruise line had previously suspended sailings for several months after its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, declared bankruptcy in January.

The cruise line’s website at one point said its ocean cruises would be "paused" through April, but was directing visitors to crystalcruiseclaims.com by March, where passengers who had already paid could file a claim.

A source told USA TODAY in February that U.S. staff had been given termination notices.

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Lefebvre d'Ovidio, who is also co-chairman of A&K Travel Group and Abercrombie & Kent, said when the "opportunity arose to acquire Crystal Cruises, I did not think about it twice," per the release. "Having next to me my incredible friend and inspiring leader Geoffrey Kent makes this venture even more enjoyable," he added.

Heritage did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how operations might change when Crystal Cruises relaunches.

Travel | After takeover, Crystal is back in Florida with…

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Subscriber only, travel | after takeover, crystal is back in florida with a revamped cruise ship.

New owners Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group renamed the line simply Crystal, and one of its ships, Crystal Serenity, made its way to PortMiami this month to begin a winter sailing season of the Caribbean.

“It’s great to be back in Miami. It’s been a while,” said Captain Birger Vorland at an event on Nov. 2 at the port. “We had faith. We knew we were going to be back. … We have a fairly drastically redesigned ship here in many areas. Still same old captain though.”

He said he is among 80% of former crew that returned to sailing when the ships came back into service over the summer.

“In the time that we have been out of service, it was a little stressful for everybody,” he said. “We had faithful guests who saw their home away from home suddenly disappearing and maybe it wouldn’t come back, but for us that work there, we were kind of unsure too.”

The refurbished Crystal Serenity cruise ship arrived to PortMiami on Nov. 2, 2023. Now simply known as Crystal, the former Crystal Cruises that emerged out of bankrupcty, is back to sailing with Serenity and sister ship Crystal Symphony, which together underwent more than $170 million in refurbishment. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)

He said people would ask him if the makeover meant the signature service and feel for the ship were changing.

“It totally blew me away, so I said, ‘Listen, it’s the same, just better,'” he said.

That includes several of the suites and cabins getting complete renovations with more contemporary designs and two new categories catering to solo travelers.

Part of the line’s allure is its dining selection, including the partnership with Chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa and his venue Umi Uma, a mix of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. It’s among 11 options along with fine Italian venue Osteria D’Ovidio, The Vintage Room that features wine pairings from a large onboard cellar and family-style dining with tapas-style offerings at Tastes Kitchen & Bar.

The new spa on board is called Aurōra, with an illuminated fiber-optic starlight ceiling adding to the ambience.

“Rebuilding Crystal has been a challenging but rewarding endeavor,” said CEO Cristina Levis. “We’ve invested in revitalizing our ships and are committed to keeping our loyal guests as excited about the brand as ever.”

Serenity, which was built in 2003, and 1995’s Crystal Symphony, pave the way for Crystal’s plans to build new two new ocean cruise ships and two new expedition vessels.

“The effort to rebuild a brand always comes with challenges,” Levis said. “One of the most significant aspects is continuing to build our guest confidence and loyalty. We’ve invested a considerable amount of  money, time and effort in communicating our commitment to excellence and exceptional experiences while demonstrating tangible improvements.”

For now, the older ships look to bring back what had been a loyal customer base while having to compete with new cruise lines in the luxury market like Explora Journeys, Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons, along with new ships from existing brands like Regent Seven Seas, Silversea Cruises and Seabourn.

“The company has to navigate the competitive, industry landscape with new ships joining each year, ensuring that our offerings continue to attract discerning travelers looking for the most exceptional experience while exploring all corners of the globe,” Levis said.

Part of that is sailing out of Miami this year, but shifting to Port Everglades in 2024. And also pulling on the expertise of Abercrombie & Kent with its land-based tours to enhance its destination offerings.

“Crystal has exciting plans for Florida in the future. Our 2025 itineraries were recently announced, with our ‘World Cruise’ leaving from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale along with many other voyages with South Florida turnaround days,” she said noting more than 17 voyages departing from the port stating in November 2024.

“We see Florida as a strategic hub that allows us to offer a wide range of itineraries and cater to the diverse preferences of our guests,” she said. “Crystal is committed to expanding presences in Florida as the state continues to be a top destination for cruise departures.”

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Federal Maritime Commission

UPDATE: Notice to Passengers Regarding Crystal Cruises

The Federal Maritime Commission has been advised that Proof of Claims for refunds from Crystal Cruises can be filed at  https://crystalcruiseclaims.com/ .

The Commission  strongly  encourages passengers with cancelled and/or booked cruises with Crystal Cruises to complete and deliver the  Proof of Claim form , with necessary supporting documentation by the due date.

The deadline for filing a claim is  June 11, 2022 .

Proof of Claim forms can be found at: https://crystalcruiseclaims.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/POC-Crystal-Cruises-Consumer-FinalR1.pdf

Crystal Cruises, LLC (Crystal) filed a petition for Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors in Florida state court in Miami-Dade County (case number: 2022-002742-CA-01) on February 11, 2022.

For additional inquiries, you may contact the Commission’s Passenger Vessel Operators (PVO) office via email at  [email protected] .

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