Crystal Cruises was founded back in the year 1990, when Japan-based NYK Line started it up. Right off the bat, Crystal was designed to be special. Luxury accommodations were always a huge part of the design concept, and Crystal Cruises was never intended to become a massive cruise line with a huge fleet. Crystal Cruises offer very intimate, unique itineraries and uphold the vast majority of the original, traditional services and features that they have since their inception. Although this cruise line tends to attract the over-50 crowd, more recently families have been showing an interest. In response, Crystal Cruises has enhanced its children’s features.
What’s New
Indeed, the growing trend toward families enjoying the unique itineraries offered by Crystal Cruises has prompted the cruise line to improve upon its children’s activities and services. Upgraded children’s facilities have been added to both of the Crystal Cruises ships, giving parents a better excuse than ever before to get on board a Crystal cruise. Additionally, Crystal has finally bowed a bit to the pressure for more casual dining that has taken hold on so many other cruise ships. While it maintains its high end dining room and schedule, it now offers casual pool deck dining at the Trident Grill. The Trident Grill is only open on certain nights, but it won’t be surprising if it becomes a full time feature soon.
Known For
As small as it is, Crystal Cruises has still managed to make quite a splash in the world of luxury cruises. People who are searching for out of this world upscale amenities and services can rely on Crystal Cruises to deliver. For example:
Guest-To-Staff Ratio
In order to provide some of the most exceptional service on the seas today, Crystal Cruises boasts one of the best guest-to-staff ratios in the world. Passengers on a Crystal Cruise never have to worry about finding assistance when it is needed, as a staff member should always be nearby to help. Also, each guest enjoys more space than passengers on most other cruise lines do.
World Class Wine Cellars
Because Crystal Cruises emphasize their upper crust sensibilities, they offer up some of the best wine cellars on the high seas today. Whether you are a true wine fan – or if you just want to taste some of the most remarkable vino available today – you will never come up short when you are a passenger on a Crystal Cruises ship.
Sushi Bars
Considering that Crystal Cruises is owned by a Japanese company, it makes sense that its ships boast sushi bars. Sushi, of course, has become a wildly popular kind of cuisine all over the world; surprisingly, few cruise lines offer this delicacy, which is why Crystal truly does stand out from the crowd in that regard.
Intriguing Combinations
When you are a passenger on a Crystal cruise ship, you get to enjoy the best of both worlds. On the one hand, these ships boast many of the activities and amenities of much larger ships. At the same time, they manage to provide the exceptional service and dining options of a bona fide luxury cruise line.
Top Itineraries
New England/U.S. East Coast/Canada
These itineraries are among Crystal Cruises’ most popular, with round trip cruises from New York. Along the way, ships stop at ports of call like Bar Harbor, Newport and Montreal.
Transatlantic
Crystal Cruises’ 10-day, Lisbon to Miami Transatlantic cruise is a great way to explore the world while enjoying some of the best amenities and services around.
Mediterranean
Rome to London is one of the more popular Crystal Cruise Mediterranean itineraries. Ports of call include Athens, Venice, Rome and Monte Carlo.
Middle East
Occasionally, Crystal Cruises offers a Middle East itinerary. Such an itinerary typically includes stops at places such as Alexandria, the Suez Canal, Oman and Libya.
The Fleet
Crystal Serenity
With a total capacity of up to 1,080 passengers - and an on board staff of 655 – the Crystal Serenity truly does boast impeccable, personalized service that few other cruise ships can hope to match. Passengers enjoy the service of a personalized butler on board, and the elegantly appointed Crystal Dining Room is one of the most attractive in the industry. The ship’s Trident Grill serves as a nice counterbalance to the refinement of the Crystal Dining Room, serving up burgers and other casual fare to famished passengers. In the ship’s atrium, the Crystal Cove area makes an absolutely breathtaking first impression on those who step onto the Serenity for the first time; among the many lavish furnishings, a sumptuous waterfall glistens and shines.
Crystal Symphony
Crystal Cruises’ other ship, the Crystal Symphony, brings many remarkable features and amenities to the table. Like the Serenity, it boasts a great guest-to-staff ratio, with a passenger capacity of 960 and a crew of approximately 545. The Symphony’s casino will keep plenty of passengers busy, while its small nightclub – LUXE – provides the perfect place to socialize, dance and have a bit of fun. When dining on the Symphony, as on the Serenity, you will have assigned tablemates – a true rarity in the world of modern cruises. However, this actually creates a wonderful opportunity to meet someone new and helps keep things more socially exciting. Finally, the Crystal Cove lounge provides the best place on board to enjoy a few pre-dinner cocktails – or to simply bask in the glow of great company.