Crystal Cruises has expanded and accelerated the launch of its new river cruise venture.
The company, which was recently acquired by Genting Hong Kong, has confirmed that Crystal River Cruises will now make its debut in 2016 – a year earlier than initially planned. This announcement coincides with the placement of an order for four new river cruise vessels, double the previously planned deployment, meaning that by 2017 Crystal will operate a fleet of five river cruisers on Europe’s waterways.
The new venture will now launch on 13 July 2016, when the 160-passenger Crystal Mozart – Europe’s largest river cruise vessel – embarks on a cruise on the River Danube, from Passau in Germany to Budapest in Hungary.
“In response to travellers and travel agents’ enthusiasm for Crystal River Cruises… we are upping the ante once again, bringing true luxury to the river cruise sector,” said Edie Rodriguez, president & CEO of Crystal Cruises. “Once the transformation of Crystal Mozart is completed, it will truly be the crown jewel of the European rivers.”
Following the launch of Crystal Mozart next year, Crystal River Cruises will take delivery of a further four new-build vessels in 2017, named Crystal Bach, Crystal Mahler, Crystal Ravel and Crystal Debussy.
All will feature suites ranging from 20 to 70m², plus restaurants, bars, libraries, fitness centres and spas. Crystal will cruise the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers in Central Europe, as well as the Seine, Garonne and Dordogne rivers in France.
Since the Genting Hong Kong acquisition, Crystal has announced plans to launch a series of ambitious new ventures including luxury yachts, expedition cruises, and even luxury air tours aboard its own Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It has also started to expand its main fleet of ocean-going cruise liners.
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