It's back! Iconic luxury cruise brand Crystal to restart sailings in July
It's official: Crystal will be back in operation by the summer.
The new owners of the much-beloved luxury cruise brand on Wednesday said its comeback from bankruptcy would begin on July 31 with a 12-night Mediterranean sailing out of Marseille, France, on the 740-passenger Crystal Serenity.
The one-way voyage to Lisbon, Portugal, will feature stops in France, Monaco, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Crystal Serenity then will operate voyages to the U.K. and Iceland in August before heading to North America in September.
Crystal's second ship, the 606-passenger Crystal Symphony, will resume operations on Sept. 1, with sailings in the Mediterranean.
Crystal is restarting operations under new owners after collapsing along with its former parent company Genting Hong Kong in early 2022. The collapse came after revenues plummeted due to COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns.
The high-end travel company A&K Travel Group bought the line's brand name and two biggest oceangoing ships, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, out of bankruptcy months after its collapse with a promise to restart it.
The purchase of the two oceangoing ships was done in conjunction with Heritage, the holding company controlled by former Silversea Cruises owner Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio.
The brand's former owner, Genting Hong Kong, is no longer associated with the brand.
For now, Crystal will operate with just two ships. As part of the line's bankruptcy in 2022, five river ships and an expedition cruise ship the company formerly operated were sold off to other cruise companies.
As part of bringing back the brand, its new owners have poured millions of dollars into upgrading Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.
The two ships were originally built in 2002 and 1995, respectively. The upgrades include increasing the size of suites and cabins, which in turn has reduced the passenger capacity of the vessels. The spas and the fitness centers on the ships also have been redone.
As a result of the reduction in passenger capacity, the ships will now sail with nearly one crew member for every passenger on board.
Among other notable changes, the brand will now be known simply as Crystal, rather than its previous name, Crystal Cruises.
Related: Why I would have been devastated if this brand disappeared forever
"I am delighted to announce that Crystal is reborn, with Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony reimagined and enhancements made to every part of our guests' journey," Crystal president Jack Anderson said Wednesday in a statement. "Palatial suites, spacious verandas and guest rooms have been rolled out on both ships, reducing overall guest capacity."
Anderson returns to the role of president of the line, a title he held before its shutdown in 2022.
Travel agents and Crystal customers who have put down deposits to be among the first to book Crystal's first sailings can book voyages starting on Wednesday. Bookings for the line's initial sailings will open to the general public later this month.
For now, the line has opened up 70 voyages of its two ships that will take place in 2023 and 2024.
After starting operations in Europe, Crystal Serenity will head to North America in the fall for sailings to New England, Canada and the Caribbean through December. There's a six-month gap in the ship's schedule before it takes up sailings in Alaska in July 2024.
The line didn't give a reason for the gap, but it could be to accommodate a world cruise that has yet to be announced. Crystal was known for world cruises before it shut down in 2022.
Crystal Symphony will head to Asia, Australia and New Zealand in the fall after initial sailings in the Mediterranean.
Fares for Crystal's initial sailings in 2023 start around $500 per person per day for the smallest cabins. Top suites are priced closer to $2,000 per person per day.
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